Guide to the TOMO Foundation Collection, 1942-1944

Processed by Hülya Reshad; machine-readable finding aid created by James Lake

Sanoian Special Collections Library

California State University, Fresno

5200 North Barton Avenue M/S ML 34

Fresno, California 93740-8014

Phone: (559) 278-2595

Fax: (559) 278-6952

Email: specialc@listserv.csufresno.edu

URL: http://www.lib.csufresno.edu/SubjectResources/SpecialCollections

Guide to the TOMO Foundation Collection, 1942-1944

Sanoian Special Collections Library

Henry Madden Library

Fresno, California

Contact Information:

Sanoian Special Collections Library
California State University, Fresno
5200 North Barton Avenue M/S ML 34
Fresno, California 93740-8014
Phone: (559) 278-2595
Fax: (559) 278-6952
Email: specialc@listserv.csufresno.edu
URL: http://www.lib.csufresno.edu/SubjectResources/SpecialCollections

Processed by:: Hülya Reshad
Date Completed:: 1997
Encoded by:: James Lake

Descriptive Summary

Title: TOMO Foundation Collection,

Date (inclusive): 1942-1944

Creator: TOMO Foundation

Extent: 9 linear inches

Photographs: In box 1.

Repository: Henry Madden Library (California State University, Fresno).

Sanoian Special Collections Library.

Fresno, California

Language: English.

Administrative Information

Acquisition

The collection was donated by the TOMO Foundation in 1987.

Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], TOMO Foundation Collection, Sanoian Special Collections Library, California State University, Fresno.

Background

The TOMO Foundation in Illinois donated the collection which contains relocation documents by and about the Japanese-Americans during World War II.

Scope and Content

The TOMO Foundation collection measures 9 linear inches and dates from 1942 to 1944. The collection is arranged in ten series: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Michigan, Ohio, Wyoming, Utah, Unidentified relocation centers, and Government reports.

The collection contains information predominantly from various relocation centers. There is also documentation from nonrelocation center locations. Most of the newsletters (arranged in chronological order) and reports were written from the perspective of Japanese-Americans at the various relocation centers. The photographs portray the conditions at the relocation centers and were taken by M. Graw, Tom Parker, and Francis Stewart, employees of the War Relocation Authority, the body responsible for the centers. The attached photograph addendum describes the photographs in further detail with descriptions provided by the War Relocation Authority in Denver.

The Arizona series (1942-1943) contains newsletters from the Colorado River and Gila River Relocation Centers. There is also a report of disturbance at the Colorado River center at Poston, due to a rumors that some members received payments from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to spy on fellow Japanese-Americans at the camp.

The Arkansas series (1942-1943) includes newsletters from the relocation center in Jerome. There is a letter by a Japanese-American, describing the conditions and treatments received at the center.

Reports were written by Japanese-American residents at the Central Utah Relocation Center in Utah (1942-1943), on topics such as the status of the Japanese in WWII and coping with relocation. The Wakasa incident includes details from both the officials' and Japanese-Americans' perspective of the shooting of an elderly Japanese-American man by an American officer at the camp.

The Government reports series (1942-1944) is comprised of official government documents on the conditions of the relocation centers and the treatment of Japanese-Americans while at these camps. The National Defense Migration Report relates to the segregation of Japanese-Americans at the relocation centers.

Arizona

Box Box 1

Colorado River Relocation Center (Poston)

Poston Chronicle

1942

1943

Press Bulletin, 1942 (2 folders)

Report of disturbance, 1942

Photographs, 1942 [oversize: shelved in map case__, drawer__]

Gila River Relocation Center

Gila News-Courier, 1943

Photographs, 1942

Arkansas

Box Box 1

Jerome Relocation Center

Communiqué, 1942, 1943

Letter, 1942

Photographs, 1942

Rohwer Relocation Center

Photographs, 1942 [oversize: shelved in map case , drawer ]

California

Box Box 1

Fresno

Fresno Assembly Center

Vignette (report), 1942

Directory, 1942

Fresno Grapevine, 1942

Manzanar Relocation Center

Photographs, 1942

Colorado

Box Box 1

Denver

Photographs, 1942

Granada

Granada Relocation Center

Bulletin, 1942

Box Box 2

Granada Pioneer, 1942, 1943

Granada Relocation Center Charter, 1942

Photographs, 1942 [oversize: shelved in map case , drawer ]

Michigan

Box Box 2

Detroit

Photographs, 1942

Ohio

Box Box 2

Cleveland

Buckeye State Chit-Chat, 1944

Mid-West Frontiers, 1943

Newsletter, 1944

Wyoming

Box Box 2

Heart Mountain Relocation Center

Heart Mountain Sentinel, 1942

Photographs, 1942 [oversize: shelved in map case , drawer ]

Utah

Box Box 2

Central Utah Relocation Center (Topaz)

Reports

Adult Education Program, 1943

Fighting Americans Too!, 1942

Trek, 1943

Volunteers for victory, 1943

Topaz Times, 1942, 1943

The Wakasa incident (includes newsletter clippings and correspondence), 1943

Unidentified relocation centers

Box Box 2

Photographs, undated

Government reports

Box Box 2

U.S. War Relocation Authority

Relocation Communities, 1942

Relocation of Japanese-Americans, 1943

Second quarterly report, 1943

Miscellaneous, 1944 and undated

National Defense Migration Report, 1942

These photographs were commissioned by the War Relocation Authority.

Arizona (by Francis Stewart)

Map-case Map Case

Colorado River Relocation Center (Poston)

Evacuees watching outdoor musical performance. June 5, 1942.

Landscaping done by evacuees of Camp No. 1. December 31, 1942.

Gila River Relocation Center

Momayo Yamamoto, former farm worker in Fresno County, harvesting spinach. November 26, 1942.

Chic Yamaguchi, former farm worker from Kingsburg, CA, turning a section from a model ship on lathe in model ship factory. April 27, 1943.

Arkansas (by Tom Parker)

Map-case Map Case

Jerome Relocation Center

Interior view of store in Block 8 at the Center, showing grocery section. November 17, 1942.

In the Engineering and Operation Division of the Center, Yoshiyuki Murata, graduate engineer, prepares plans for center construction. March 10, 1943.

Former Californian Dr. Fugikawa examining a patient, S. Ego, a fluoroscope. March 11, 1943.

Former California biochemistry student Tom Arase performs gastro analysis in the hospital laboratory. March 3, 1943.

Six-year-old Reiko Masado, convalesing from serious illness, is looked after by nurse's aid Chiyo Okata. March 11, 1943.

Former Californian K. Inoye operates hand saw in cabinet shop. March 12, 1943.

Self-organized harikuri band (string quartet). Guitar, Joe Iwasaki; first mandolin, Johnny Yamashita; violin, Seichi Ono; second mandolin, Yutaka Motsuda. March 12, 1943.

Rohwer Relocation Center

Ninth grade classroom at the Rohwer Relocation Center. Teacher is Mrs. M.H. Ziegler. November 24, 1942.

Misaye Oku receiving instruction from instructor, Mrs. Sadako Yasue, in a sewing class. March 7, 1943.

Former California plumber Morio Higashi marking out a steel casting for welding. March 8, 1943.

George Baba and Tokiji Umeda overhauling a truck loader in motor pool repair section at Rohwer Relocation Center. March 10, 1943.

Former California mechanic Chester Ishii repairing farm machinery. March 10, 1943.

High school students changing classes. November 17, 1942.

Fourth grade school in Barracks 35-4-B. Teacher is Nareen Oura. November 24, 1942.

California (by Francis Stewart)

Map-case Map Case

Manzanar Relocation Center

Sixth grade boys playing softball during recess. February 10, 1943.

Colorado (by Tom Parker)

Map-case Map Case

Granada Relocation Center

Minomiya family in their barracks room. Tosh Minomiya was responsible for documenting the history of the Granada center. December 9, 1942.

School nurse administering throat swabbing to grade school student. December 10, 1942.

Three high school agriculture students with their calves. December 11, 1942.

Mrs. Kobayashi and her youngest child. December 12, 1942.

General view of Granada Relocation Center. December 12, 1942.

Evacuees having lunch. August 20, 1942.

Teenage evacuees spending Sunday afternoon in various activities (ironing, playing cards, etc.). August 30, 1942.

Evacuees from Los Angeles pulling beets in field near Milliken, CO. November 3, 1942.

Two evacuees learning to run a steam shovel. December 9, 1942.

Young Nisei girl purchasing Christmas wrappings in cooperative notion store. December 10, 1942.

Three students doing steamed crayon work for tablecloths and wall hangings in adult crafts class. December 10, 1942.

Cooperative beauty salon. December 11, 1942.

High school Junior Class dance at the Center. December 11, 1942.

Grade school library in one of barracks. December 11, 1942.

Boys playing basketball. December 11, 1942.

Three high school agriculture students with their calves. December 11, 1942.

Four technicians and a blood-test patient in hospital laboratory. December 12, 1942.

Aerial view of section of emergency center at the Center, looking north and west. December 12, 1942.

Artist completing a watercolor. December 13, 1942.

Captain William S. Fairchild discussing the army with two young Nisei volunteers, George Eashiwagi and Ichiro Kato, who are about to fill out enlistment questionnaires. February 10, 1943.

Wyoming (by Tom Parker)

Map-case Map Case

Heart Mountain Relocation Center

Evening view of Heart Mountain Relocation Center. September 19, 1942.

Young artist completing a poster in poster shop. January 8, 1943.

Alice Hifuni, Nisei high school student. January 9, 1943.

Nisei machinist preparing a truck axle in machine shop. January 9, 1943.

Swing Band practice. September 16, 1942.

Young evacuees from Los Angeles volunteering to top beets in Wyoming, Montana, and Colorado. September 27, 1942.

Mechanic hoening cylinders in a truck motor. January 2, 1943.

Two members of the Fire Prevention Squad inspecting remains of dormitory fire. January 4, 1943.

Assembling and folding the Sentinel, the Center's newsletter. January 8, 1943.

Howard Hisayasu family in barracks room home. January 1, 1943.

Machinist operating drill press in motor pool shop. January 9, 1943.

Young former California boy learning to ice skate. January 10, 1943.

Night school class in advanced English. January 11, 1943.

Shoemakers at work in shoe repair shop. January 11, 1943.

Unidentified relocation centers

Map-case Map Case

Evacuee in front of barracks at an unidentified relocation center, undated.

Aerial view of an unidentified relocation center, undated.

Non-relocation center locations

Map-case Map Case

Colorado

Denver

Former Los Angeles fruit and vegetable clerk Joe Sitsuda weighing nails in Union Hardware Store,where he has worked since December 1, 1942. He came from Colorado River Relocation Center. March 2, 1943. Photograph by Tom Parker.

Nurse Matilde Honda attending a patient at Colorado Central Hospital. She was formerly employed in public health nursing by Los Angeles Health Department. April 6, 1943. Photograph by Francis Stewart.

Michigan

Detroit (By M. Graw)

Registered nurse Helen Shoji working at Chidren's Hospital. She came from Colorado River Relocation Center. June 19, 1943.

Mr. and Mrs. George Amano having breakfast in their apartment. They came from Central Utah Relocation Center. George works as a lens grinder for Kindy Optical Company. June 20, 1943.

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Doi in their victory garden. Frank came from Colorado River Relocation Center. He works as an apprentice in a dental laboratory. June 20, 1943.

Evacuees participating in young people's service and discussion group after regular church services at Central Methodist Church. Among the group are: George Fujiwara, Mrs. Kenneth Nishimura, and Susie Itomura (in first row); Kenneth Nishimura and George Kusimi (in second row). June 20, 1943.

Evacuees leaving Central Methodist Church, following services on June 20, 1943. Susi Itomura, the girl in front, came from Gila River Relocation Center to take private employment.

Evacuees leaving Central Methodist Church, following services on June 20, 1943. Susi Itomura, the girl in front, came from Gila River Relocation Center to work as a domestic. Behind her is Mrs. Kenneth Nishimura, from Tule Lake Relocation Center. Just coming through the door are George Kusimi (left) and George Fujiwara (right), both from Central Utah Relocation Center and both employed in foundry work in Detroit.