Download Tanforan Assembly Center - Museum of the City of San Francisco

20 Views of the
Tanforan Assembly
Center for “Persons of
Japanese 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
©1999 Gladys Cox Hansen
Slides will automatically advance.
The assembly center opened April 27, 1942, at
what is now the site of Tanforan Shopping
Center, as a temporary holding area for
interned Japanese. It housed 8,000 prisoners.
“The last family
off the bus from
San Francisco
have just arrived
at 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
Photographer: Dorothea Lange, San Bruno, California, April 29, 1942 —WRA Photograph C-138
“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 be
housed for the
duration.” —WRA Caption
Photographer: Dorothea Lange, San Bruno,
California, April 29, 1942
—WRA 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 be
housed for the
duration.” —WRA Caption
Photographer: Dorothea Lange, San Bruno,
California, April 29, 1942
—WRA 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 be housed for the duration.” —WRA Caption
Photographer: Dorothea Lange, San Bruno, California, April 29, 1942 —WRA Photograph C-133
“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
Photographer: Dorothea Lange, San Bruno, California, June 16, 1942 —WRA Photograph C-651
“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
Photographer: Dorothea Lange, San Bruno, California, June 16, 1942 —WRA Photograph C-618
“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 —WRA Photograph C-323
“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 bedrolls and baggage to evacuees
who have just arrived and are
occupying these quarters.”
—WRA Caption
Photographer: Dorothea Lange, San Bruno, California, April 29, 1942 —WRA Photograph C-326
Photographer: Dorothea Lange, San Bruno, California, April 29, 1942 —WRA Photograph C-328
“... The people shown in this photograph have just arrived and are occupying
themselves with building benches, chairs, tables, and shelves, for their
belongings, from scrap lumber. Quarters are equipped with only a bed and
mattress for each person.” —WRA Caption
“The dental clinic in one of a group of four buildings devoted to medical services. All
medical services at this assembly center are conducted by doctors and nurses of
Japanese 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
Photographer: Dorothea Lange, San Bruno, California, June 16, 1942 —WRA Photograph C-612
“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
Photographer: Dorothea Lange, San Bruno, California, June 16, 1942 —WRA Photograph C-643
Photographer: Dorothea Lange, San Bruno, California, June 16, 1942 —WRA Photograph C-629
“Looking down one of the avenues between rows of barracks. The ones on the right are converted
horse stalls, and those on the left are newly constructed and typical of assembly centers and relocation
centers throughout the West. They are 100 feet long, covered with black tar paper, contain five 1-room
apartments, each of which accommodate a family. The attitudes of the people in this photograph are
typical of assembly centers—there is not much to do, not enough work available. They mill around,
they visit, they stroll, they linger, to while away the hours.” —WRA Caption
Photographer: Dorothea Lange, San Bruno, California, June 16, 1942
—WRA 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. The
Issei have never been able
to vote before because of
American naturalization
laws.” —WRA Caption
“Many of the
evacuees suffer from
lack of their
accustomed
activities. The attitude
of the man shown in
this photograph is
typical of the
residents in assembly
centers, and because
there is not much to
do and not enough
work available, they
mill around, they
visit, they stroll and
they linger to while
away the hours.”
—WRA Caption
Photographer: Dorothea Lange, San Bruno, California, June 16, 1942 —WRA Photograph C-641
“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
Photographer: Dorothea Lange, San Bruno, California, June 16, 1942 —WRA Photograph C-644
“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
Photographer: Dorothea Lange, San Bruno, California, June 16, 1942 —WRA Photograph C-652
“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
Photographer: Dorothea Lange, San Bruno, California, June 16, 1942 —WRA Photograph C-655
“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
Photographer: Dorothea Lange, San Bruno, California, June 16, 1942 —WRA Photograph C-600
Prepared by
the Museum of the City of San Francisco
©1999 Gladys Cox Hansen