tanforan assembly center, san bruno, ca

8/2/2019 Tanforan Assembly Center, San Bruno, CA

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20 Views of theTanforan Assembly

Center for Persons ofJapanese Ancestry

20 Views of theTanforan Assembly

Center for Persons ofJapanese Ancestry

Photographed by Dorothea Lange

for the War Relocation Authority,

April 29 and June 16, 1942.

From the holdings of the National

Archives and Records Administration.

www.nara.gov

Photographed by Dorothea Lange

for the War Relocation Authority,

April 29 and June 16, 1942.

From the holdings of the National

Archives and Records Administration.

www.nara.gov

1999 Gladys Cox Hansen1999 Gladys Cox Hansen


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The assembly center opened April 27, 1942, atwhat is now the site of Tanforan ShoppingCenter, as a temporary holding area forinterned Japanese. It housed 8,000 prisoners.

The assembly center opened April 27, 1942, atwhat is now the site of Tanforan ShoppingCenter, as a temporary holding area forinterned Japanese. It housed 8,000 prisoners.


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Photographer: Dorothea Lange, San Bruno, California, April 29, 1942 WRAPhoto ra h C-138

The last family

off the bus from

San Francisco

have just arrivedat this assembly

center (formerly

a race track)

which will be

their home until

relocation

centers inland

have been

established and

are ready for

occupancy.

WRA Caption


4/21

Photographer: Dorothea Lange, SanBruno, California, April 29, 1942WRA Photograph C-132

San Bruno, Calif.--

Families of Japanese

ancestry arrive at

assembly center at

Tanforan Race Track.

Evacuees will be

transferred later to

War Relocation

Authority centers

where they will behoused for the

duration.WRA Caption


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Photographer: Dorothea Lange, SanBruno, California, April 29, 1942WRA Photograph C-134

San Bruno, Calif.--

Families of Japanese

ancestry arrive at

assembly center at

Tanforan Race Track.

Evacuees will be

transferred later to

War Relocation

Authority centers

where they will behoused for the

duration.WRA Caption


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Photographer: Dorothea Lange, San Bruno, California, April 29, 1942 WRA

San Bruno, Calif.Families of Japanese ancestry arrive at assembly center atTanforan Race Track. Evacuees will be transferred later to War Relocation

Authority centers where they will be housed for the duration.WRA Caption


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Photographer: Dorothea Lange, San Bruno, California, June 16, 1942 WRAPhoto ra h C-651

This scene shows

one type of barracks

for family use. These

were formerly thestalls for race horses.

Each family is

assigned to two small

rooms, the inner one

of which has no

outside door nor

window. The center

has been in operation

about six weeks and8,000 evacuees of

Japanese ancestry are

now assembled here.WRA Caption


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Photographer: Dorothea Lange, San Bruno, California, June 16, 1942 WRAPhotograph C-618

This scene shows one type of barracks for family use. These were formerly

the stalls for race horses. Each family is assigned to two small rooms, the

inner one of which has no outside door nor window. The center has been in

operation about six weeks and 8,000 evacuees of Japanese ancestry are now

assembled here.WRA Caption


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This center is a

converted race track.

Here are shown what

were horse-stalls, now

remodeled into living

quarters for families.

Photograph was made at

noon on the third day

after the center had been

opened.WRA Caption Photographer: Dorothea Lange, San Bruno, California, April 29, 1942 WRAPhoto ra h C-323


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Photographer: Dorothea Lange, San Bruno, California, April 29, 1942 WRAPhoto ra h C-326

Barracks for family living

quarters. Each door enters into a

family unit of two small rooms

(remodeled horse-stalls).

Tanforan Center was opened two

days before this photograph was

made. The truck seen coming

down the road is bringing bed-

rolls and baggage to evacueeswho have just arrived and are

occupying these quarters.

WRA Caption


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Photographer: Dorothea Lange, San Bruno, California, April 29, 1942 WRA Photograph C-328

... The people shown in this photograph have just arrived and are occupyingthemselves with building benches, chairs, tables, and shelves, for their

belongings, from scrap lumber. Quarters are equipped with only a bed andmattress for each person.WRA Caption


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The dental clinic in one of a group of four buildings devoted to medical services. Allmedical services at this assembly center are conducted by doctors and nurses ofJapanese ancestry. After weeks of difficulty due to lack of equipment and facilities, they

are now able to care for the needs of the 8,000 persons living in this Center.WRA Caption


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View of the Tanforan Assembly Center, showing a type of barrack

peculiar to the center. Also shown is part of a line-up of evacuees

waiting for places in the mess hall for their noon meal.WRA Caption


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Looking down one of the avenues between rows of barracks. The ones on the rightare converted horse stalls, and those on the left are newly constructed and typical ofassembly centers and relocation centers throughout the West. They are 100 feetlong, covered with black tar paper, contain five 1-room apartments, each of whichaccommodate a family. The attitudes of the people in this photograph are typical of

assembly centersthere is not much to do, not enough work available. They millaround, they visit, they stroll, they linger, to while away the hours. WRA Caption

Photographer: Dorothea Lange, San Bruno, California, June 16, 1942 WRAPhotograph C-629


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Photographer: Dorothea Lange, San Bruno, California, June 16, 1942WRA Photograph C-627

Tanforan Assembly Center,

San Bruno, Calif. Entering

Recreational Hall where

election is being held for

Councilmen. A general

election for five members of

the Tanforan Assembly

Center Advisory Council is

being held on this day. TheIssei have never been able

to vote before because of

American naturalization

laws.WRA Caption


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Many of theevacuees suffer fromlack of theiraccustomedactivities. The attitude

of the man shown inthis photograph istypical of theresidents in assemblycenters, and becausethere is not much to

do and not enoughwork available, theymill around, theyvisit, they stroll andthey linger to whileaway the hours.

WRA Caption


17/21


Noon time! Meal times are the big events of the day within an assembly center.

Shown here is a line-up of evacuees waiting for the B shift. They carry with them their

own dishes and cutlery in cloth bags to protect them from the dust which they,

themselves, individually wash after the meal. Most residents prefer this second shift

because they sometimes get second helpings, but the groups are rotated each week.

There are eighteen mess halls in the center. Some accommodate as many as 800

people, three times a day. All food is prepared and served by evacuees.. WRA Caption


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One of the 18 mess halls plastered with all manner of locally devised posters

advertising the qualifications of the various candidates for office in the

forthcoming election. Three candidates have been nominated in each of the

five precincts from which one from each precinct will be elected a member of

the Advisory Council.WRA Caption


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Supper time! Meal times are the big events of the day within an assembly

center. This is a line-up of evacuees waiting for the B shift at 5:45 P.M. They

carry with them their own dishes and cutlery in bags to protect them from the

dust. They, themselves, individually wash their own dishes after each meal,since dish washing facilities in the mess halls prove inadequate. Most of the

residents prefer this second shift because they sometimes get second

helpings, but the groups are rotated each week. There are eighteen mess halls

in camp which, together, accommodate 8,000 persons three times each day. All

food is prepared and served by evacuees.WRA Caption


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Father and son

while away the

hours carving

small wooden

animals for the

children in front

of their home in

the barracks.

They have been

living at the

Assembly

Center for

approximately

one month.

WRA Caption


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Prepared byPrepared by

the Museum of the City of San Franciscothe Museum of the City of San Francisco

1999 Gladys Cox Hansen1999 Gladys Cox Hansen

tanforan assembly center, san bruno, ca

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