Manzanar
The Manzanar Relocation Center was the first to receive occupants, yet it was not welcoming by any measure. As Yuri Tateishi wrote, You felt like a prisoner. . . .…
Blossoms in the Desert
In the previous post, we considered the natural human response of Nikkei internees unjustly incarcerated. Christians, on the other hand, found solace in their faith and some even expressed how…
Into the Wilderness
By the fall of 1942, Japanese American internees were transported by train from the various assembly centers to ten different relocation centers in the country’s interior. Most of these multi-day…
Relocation: Blossoms in the Wilderness
Preparing for Relocation Ministry in the assembly centers was often challenging due to squalid conditions and the uncertain future. The Christian church, however, established a sense of normalcy for evacuees…
Santa Anita & Mayer Assembly Centers
Santa Anita in Arcadia, California, was the most-populated assembly center, holding 18,937 people by official figures. The first evacuees began arriving on April 3, Good Friday, and continued coming throughout…
Tulare & Pomona Assembly Centers
Tulare Between May 12-14, 1942, non-Japanese Christians from Pasadena ministered to evacuees departing for the Tulare Assembly Center housed on the county fairgrounds: Friends, cooperating with other church workers, were…