The Evacuation and relocation of persons of Japanese ancestry during World War II: A historical study of the Manzanar War Relocation Center

450 Pages·1996·25.4 MB·English

by  Unrau H.D.

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THE EVACUATION AND RELOCATION OF PERSONS OF JAPANESE ANCESTRY
DURING WORLD WAR A HISTORICAL STUDY
II:
OF THE MANZANAR WAR RELOCATION CENTER
Historic Resource Study / Special History Study, Volume Two
MANZANAR
National Historic Site • California
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
WATER RESOURCES
DIVISION
FORT COLLINS, COLORADO
RESOURCE ROOM PROPERTY
(Wv- utfir s*teu/#b
Cover Photo: Entrance to Manzanar, 1943, Manzanar War Relocation Center, Ansel Adams Photographs, Prints and
Photographs Division, Library of Congress
Hkj Printed on Recycled Paper
THE EVACUATION AND RELOCATION OF PERSONS OF JAPANESE ANCESTRY
DURING WORLD WAR A HISTORICAL STUDY
II:
OF THE MANZANAR WAR RELOCATION CENTER
Historic Resource Study / Special History Study, Volume Two
By Harlan D. Unrau
MANZANAR
National Historic Site • California
TnRT COLLINS COLORADO
ROOM PROPERTY
RESOURCE
United States Department of the Interior • National Park Service
1996
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2012 with funding from
LYRASIS Members and Sloan Foundation
http://archive.org/details/evacuationreloca96unra
CONTENTS
Chapter Eleven: Violence at Manzanar on December 6, 1942: An Examination of the
Event, Its Underlying Causes, and Historical Interpretation 477
477
History 477
Events of December 5-6, 1942 477
Assault on Fred Tayama 477
Arrest of Harry Y.Ueno 479
Sunday Morning Meeting 480
Sunday 1:00 p.m. Mass Meeting 480
Merritt's Interaction with Evacuee Crowd 481
Merritt's Agreement with the Committee of Five 481
Dispersal of Crowd 482
Ueno's Return to Manzanar 483
Sunday Evening Mass Meeting 483
Hospital Incident 484
Police Station Incident 485
Casualties 487
Aftermath 489
Arrests 489
Protective Custody for Evacuees Whose Lives Were Threatened 491
Additional Military Assistance 493
Maintenance of Essential Center Services 494
Schools 494
Funerals/Memorial Services 495
WRA
Negotiations Between Evacuee Committees and Administrators
495
Christmas Day 498
Causes 499
WRA
Investigations 499
Togo Tanaka, January 25, 1943 502
Evacuee Perspectives as Documented by the Community Analysis Section
506
Robert L. Brown and Ralph P. Merritt, Final Report, Manzanar, 1946 512
Joseph Kurihara Statement in March 1944 and Merritt Interview with
Kurihara, November 12, 1945 517
Military and Congressional Investigations 519
Historical Perspectives 521
WRA-JACL Perspective 521
Ethnic Perspective 521
Chapter Twelve: Operation of Manzanar War Relocation Center, January 1943 -
November 1945 525
Administration Organization 526
Appointed Personnel 527
Evacuee Personnel 530
Center Photography 531
m
CONTENTS
Community Government 536
Reestablishment 536
Peace Committee 537
Designations of "Mayor of Manzanar" and "Father of Manzanar" 538
"Peace of Manzanar" 538
Education 539
Recommencement of School 539
School Standards 540
Buildings/Facilities 542
Preschool Program 543
Elementary School Program 544
Secondary School Program 545
Adult Education Program 547
Libraries 548
Hospital Class 550
Summer Programs 551
High School Organizations 552
Elementary School Organizations 553
Adult Education Organizations 553
Special School Events 553
Visual Education Museum 554
Public Relations 555
Parent-Teachers Association 555
Fall 1945 556
Industries 557
Clothing Factory 557
Furniture Shop 558
Alterations Shop 558
Typewriter Repair 559
Sign Shop 559
Domestic Sewing Machine Repair Unit 559
Mattress Factory 559
Food Processing Units 559
Agriculture 561
Vegetable Production 561
Poultry Farm 562
Hog Farm 563
Beef Cattle 563
Guayule 564
Mess Hall Operations 565
Community Activities 570
Departmental Activities 570
Arts and Crafts 570
Athletic Activities 571
Entertainment, Social, and Club Activities 573
Music 573
Gardening 574
Youth 575
Community Activities Cooperative Association 576
IV
Contents
Public Relations with Owens Valley Residents 578
Special Events 578
Closing Recreational Program During the Summer of 1945 579
Health 580
Medical Hospital Services 580
Public Health Services 582
Medical Social Work Activities 584
Closing Health Section Procedures 585
Manzanar Cooperative Enterprises, Inc. 586
Operating Agreement 586
Facilities 588
Procurement 589
Merchandising Methods 589
Patronage Rebates 590
Services 591
Internal Security 592
Appointed Personnel 592
Evacuee Police 594
Reorganization of the Police Department 594
Facilities and Equipment 595
Police Program 596
Public Relations 596
Animal Shelter 597
Safety Proceedings 597
Patrolling 598
Investigations and Arrests 599
Relocation Office Assistance 599
Violations 600
Fire Protection 602
Community Welfare 602
Community Hostel 604
Personnel and Office Space 604
Inter-Camp Transfers 605
Crystal City Family Internment Camp Transfers 605
Internees and Parolees 606
Children's Village 607
Evacuee Property 609
Establishment and Operation 609
Property Shipment 610
Military Inspection 611
Final Phases 611
Accomplishments 613
Chapter Thirteen: The Role of the Military Police in Providing External Security for
the Manzanar War Relocation Center 629
Development of Policies to Provide for External Security at Assembly and War
Relocation Centers within the Jurisdiction of the Western Defense Command:
1942 629
CONTENTS
First Order Governing Function of Military Police at Evacuation Centers,
April 15, 1942 629
Establishment of Organizational Responsibility for Implementation of
External Security Provisions 631
External Security Provisions in Memorandum of Agreement between the War
Department and the War Relocation Authority, April 17, 1942 631
Civilian Restrictive Orders and Public Proclamation No. 8 632
Memorandum of Understanding as to Functions of Military Police Units at
the Relocation Centers and Areas Administered by the War Relocation
Authority, July 8, 1942 632
Circular No. 19, Policies Pertaining to Use of Military Police at War
Relocation Centers, September 17, 1942 634
Authorization to Issue Permits for Ingress to and Egress from War
Relocation Project Areas, August 11, 1942 637
Delegation of Authority to Issue Permits for Ingress to and Egress from
Relocation Areas, August 24, 1942 638
Parcel Inspection at Certain War Relocation Authority Projects,
September 13, 1942 638
Emergency Employment of Japanese Evacuees Outside of War Relocation
Authority Projects Located within Evacuated Areas of Western
Defense Command, September 21, 1942 640
Authorization to Issue Permits for Ingress to and Egress from War
Relocation Project Areas for Purposes of Emergency Hospitalization
and Incarceration, October 29, 1942 640
Military Police Unit Operations at Manzanar War Relocation Center: 1942-45 641
Camp Manzanar 641
First Military Police Unit at Manzanar: 747th Military Police Escort
Guard Company 641
Investigation of Military Police, May 1942 642
Construction of Guard Towers 643
322nd Military Police Escort Guard Compan—y, June 1942 644
Investigation of Military Police, August 31 September 1, 1942 645
Small Dam at —Southwest Corner of Center 648
Settling Basin Manzanar Water System 649
Shepherd and Bairs Creeks 649
Los Angeles Aqueduct 649
Reinforcement of 322nd Military Police Escort Guard Company After
Violence on December 6, 1942 654
319th Military Police Escort Guard Company: June 1, 1943 654
Changes in Military Police Patrol Procedures, December 1943 655
Reduction of Military Personnel and Modification of Military Mission at War
Relocation Centers, March 28, 1944 655
Service Command Unit 1999: April 20, 1944 (Redesignated Ninth Service
Command Detachment, Manzanar Relocation Center, November 1944)
657
—
Changes in External Security Arrangements, Spring Fall 1944 656
Security Measures at Manzanar During Closing Phases of the Camp, 1945
657
VI
Contents
—
Chapter Fourteen: The Loyalty Crisis at Manzanar Registration, Segregation, and
Participation in the Armed Forces 667
National Historic Context 667
Registration Program 667
Military Background of Program 667
WRA Administrative Background of Program 669
Program Implementation 670
Evacuee Reactions to the Registration Program 673
Loyalty Review 675
Participation in U.S. Armed Forces 676
Selective Service Milestones 676
100th Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team 677
Impact of Military Participation on Relocation Center Life 679
Congressional Investigations 680
Segregation Program 682
Manzanar Historic Context 690
Registration Program 690
Program Implementation 690
WRA and Army Investigations of Evacuee Reaction to Registration 694
Segregation Program 702
Program Implementation 702
WRA
Investigations of Evacuee Reaction to Segregation Program 709
Cultural Perspectives on Segregation Program 723
Participation in the Armed Forces 725
Military Intelligence Service 725
Service in the U.S. Army 728
Evacuee Reaction 731
—
Chapter Fifteen: The Relocation Program at Manzanar, September 1942 November
1945 739
National Perspective 739
Initial Relocation Program Plans of the War Relocation Authority 739
Commencement of College Student Relocation 742
Seasonal Agricultural Work in Western Sugar Beet Fields 744
Adoption of Basic Leave Regulations 745
Problems Associated with Implementation of Relocation Program 746
Establishment of Relocation Field Offices 747
Changes in Leave Procedures 747
Relocation in 1943 748
Seasonal Leave, 1943-44 750
Local Resettlement Committees 751
Relocation Work at the Centers 752
Progress of Relocation in 1944 753
Liquidation Program 754
Final Relocation Drive 756
Resettlement Patterns 758
Manzanar Perspective 760
—
Early Phase of Relocation Program (September 1942 May 1943) 760
Commencement of Relocation Program 760
vu
CONTENTS
Early "Leave" Efforts 760
Seasonal Agriculture Furlough Work 761
FBI Clearance 763
Early Relocation Trends 763
First Relocations 763
Leave Office Established 765
Impact of "Manzanar Incident" on Relocation 766
Establishment of First Hostel 767 —
Reorganization of the Relocation Office, December 1942 February 1943
767
Impact of Registration, Segregation, and Leave Clearance Programs on
Relocation 768
Relocation Rates, 1943-44 769
—
Middle Phase of Relocation Program (June 1943 January 1945) 769
Factors That Influenced Relocation Program 769
General 769
Fear 770
Pro-Japanese Influence 771
Uncertainty about the Future 771
Roots in California 771
Group Loyalties 771
Climate 771
WRA
and Evacuee Staff Interpretation 774
WRA
Obstacles Posed by Policies 775
WRA
Organizational Relationships 775
Initiatives to Promote Relocation Program 776
Influence of Relocated Evacuees 776
Short-term, Trial and Seasonal Leaves 777
Use of the Manzanar Free Press 779
Visual Advertising 779
The Relocation Committee 781
ZadanKai 782
Block Managers Involvement 783
Relocation Counseling Program 784
Staff Counseling 784
Promotion of Individual Employment Offers 784
Relocation Library 785
Use of Evacuee Counselors 785
Centerwide Relocation Counseling Program 786
Evaluation 786
Final Phase of Relocation Program (January to November 1945) 787
Reaction to Announcement of Impending Center Liquidation 787
Character of Residual Population on December 31, 1944 788
Preference for California 788
Major Obstacles 789
Housing 789
Employment 789
Exclusion Lists 790
Personnel Representatives 791
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