The Journal of San Diego History
SAN DIEGO HISTORICAL SOCIETY QUARTERLY
Spring 1993, Volume 39, Numbers 1 & 2
Richard W. Crawford, Editor
Page vi. “When we arrived at the Santa Fe Depot we were met by armed MPs.” -Masato Asakawa.
Page 3. “I regret to inform you there are no vacancies for commissioned officers with your training and ancestral background.” -Letter from the Surgeon General to Dr. Roy K. Tanaka, 1944. Left: Dr. Tanaka and his wife Nobu, c. 1979.
Page 5. “The path of my dream is frozen.” A portion of a poem by Kyuji Aizumi written from Missoula, Montana to his family. Photo: Fort Abraham Lincoln, North Dakota.
Page 7. “We recommend the immediate evacuation of all persons of Japanese lineage…whose presence shall be deemed dangerous…to the defense of the United States.” West Coast congressional delegation to President Roosevelt.
Page 8. “The order affected all of us. ‘…both aliens and nonaliens…’ it said. It’s strange how they wouldn’t call us citizens.” -Toshiye C. Estes.
Page 9. “The prohibited areas are shown on this map…all Japanese Americans are to be evacuated progressively.” San Diego Union, March 5, 1942.
Page 10. “We were all rounded up. I mean everyone, from the very old to the very young.” -Marge Shimamoto.
Page 11. “There were piles of baggage scattered everywhere…just everywhere, with no rhyme or reason.” -Margaret Ishino.
Page 12. “This is a hell of a Goddamn mess…” -unknown U.S. Army officer, San Diego, California. April 8,1942.
Page 14. “…but a racetrack no more. The Army had converted Santa Anita into a barbed wire concentration camp.” -Harry Kawamoto.
Page 15. “We have been getting established in our new homes, which were formerly horse stables.” -Letter from Fusa Tsumagari.
Page 16. “…it was really hard on the young couples. There was absolutely no privacy at all.” -Haruo Sumi.
Page 17. “Arrived Santa Anita April 8, 1942…Feel very tired and slightly disappointed.” -Post card from Tets Hirasaki.
Page 19. “I was unable to visit any of my friends for more than thirty minutes at a time.” -Clara Breed.
Page 22. “Yesterday the workers on the camouflage unit went on strike.” -Letter from Fusa Tsumagari.
Page 23. “…and there was Fusa Tsumagari and her brother Yuki. She was wearing one of those tags with our family numbers on them.” -Dr. Roy Tanaka.
Page 24. “They kept track of every move we made. I was only twelve years old. What the heck could I do?” -Ben Sagawa.
Photographs on pages vi, 3, 5, 7-12, 14-17, 19, 22-24 courtesy of Donald Estes.
