Japanese Americans Gardened for Victory in WW2

Photographer: Iwasaki, Hikaru — Hyde Park, Massachusetts. 1944
The Bancroft Library. University of California, Berkeley.
Larger image here.

Sheila (age 6), Setsujiro Uno, Chick Masaru Uno and Naomi (age 2-1/2) are shown picking string beans in the victory garden in the back yard of their home at 21 Beacon Street, Hyde Park, Massachusetts. The Unos lived at Tule Lake and Minidoka and came to Boston in November, 1943 as a result of a job offer from the American Baptist Home Mission to lead the boys’ club work in the West End Settlement House. With them came Mrs. Shizuyo Sese, Mrs. Uno’s mother, and Mr. Setsujiro Uno, Chick’s father. In looking for a place to live, they had no trouble because of nationality but did experience it because of the small children since landlords didn’t want to rent them an apartment.

However, they rented half of a two-story house in a Boston suburb. Mr. Setsujiro Uno has kept busy with a Victory garden on the land behind their house. Both Mrs. Uno and Chick have taken an active part in the Nisei Hospitality Committee and have spoken before many groups during the past year.

Photographer: Iwasaki, Hikaru Madison, Wisconsin. 9/17/44
The Bancroft Library. University of California, Berkeley.
Larger image here.

The Henry Nomura family of Madison, Wisconsin, are shown in their victory garden in the rear of their 9-room home in one of Madison’s better residential districts. Although the garden is small, it has been wonderfully productive, according to Mrs. Nomura, and has furnished most of their vegetables this past summer. From left to right persons pictured are Gloria and Judy, 10-year-old twin daughters, their older sister, Violet, age 14, and Mr. and Mrs. Nomura. The family came to Madison, leaving their home in Oakland, California, during the period when voluntary evacuation was possible. Mr. Nomura was active in starting and maintaining the Madison Resettlement Committee. He is employed at a local department store.

Photographer: Van Tassel, Gretchen — Haddonfield, New Jersey. 1945
The Bancroft Library. University of California, Berkeley.
Larger image here.

Wakichi Endo does some howing in his patch of Victory Garden beside his house while Patricia and Freddie Endo look on. Mr. Endo and six of his nine children relocated from Colorado River in March, 1945, to Haddonfield, New Jersey, to the Clark Farm owned by Lewis Barton. Sim Endo, now in the Army, and his brother, Burton, came first to the Clark Farm, and after Sim was drafted, Burt took over the responsibility of bringing his family out of the center. Now the family is sharing the farmhouse shown here with the Rev. Mizukami and his two boys from Granada. Eileen Endo, the oldest daughter, takes care of the family and sometimes assists in the packing sheds, Mr. Endo and Burton work on the farm, and the other children have been in school. This summer the youngest, Freddie and Patricia, are going to Bible school and Freddie and Irene, his 13-year-old sister, do some work on the farm to earn extra money.

Photographer: Iwasaki, Hikaru — Cleveland, Ohio. 1944
The Bancroft Library. University of California, Berkeley.
Larger image here.

Mr. Toshichi Mitoma, his son, Edwin, and Mrs. Mitoma are shown here in the midst of a Victory garden (lima beans, green pepper, and celery) which Mr. Mitoma has raised at the home of Thomas Dougherty, Cleveland, Ohio. The family of three resettled in Cleveland from Topaz Relocation Center and has been living at the Dougherty home since June of 1943. Mr. Mitoma is the family gardener, Mrs. Mitoma the housekeeper and Edwin is attending an engineering college in Cleveland. Mr. Mitoma formerly had his gardening business in Oakland, California. After the war he is planning to re-open his gardening business here in Cleveland.

Densho Website.
Densho’s mission is to preserve the testimonies of Japanese Americans who were unjustly incarcerated during World War II before their memories are extinguished. We offer these irreplaceable firsthand accounts, coupled with historical images and teacher resources, to explore principles of democracy and promote equal justice for all.