A color drawing of the Kilauer Military Dentention Camp, barracks with mountain in distance

Online Exhibition

The Life and Work of George Hoshida

A Japanese American’s Journey

Lordsburg

1942

Hoshida was sent from Hawai‘i to the mainland by ship in 1942. First he traveled to Fort Sam Houston in Texas where he was encarcerated for a short period of time. From Fort Sam Houston he was sent by train to Lordsburg, New Mexico, a Justice Department camp. The Justice Department camps were made up of men who were labeled suspicious simply because of their leadership in the community. Hoshida was considered dangerous because of his associations with the Buddhist temple and his interest in judo.

The isolation from family and community and future uncertainty made life difficult for the Japanese American inmates at Lordsburg. There is a Japanese cultural concept termed shikataganai that loosely translated means “it cannot be helped, endure.” Many of the incarcerated embodied this concept. Hoshida feverishly made drawings, others organized activities within the camp. One series of sketches by Hoshida depicts scenes from an amateur show produced by the inmates. While the sketches suggest frivolity and fun, it is important to remember the actual conditions of the inmates: separation from family, false charges of disloyalty, and incarceration without due process.

Hoshida was especially concerned about his wife Tamae and wrote to her almost every day. The forced seperation lasted for nearly two years. Shortly after Hoshida’s departure to Kilauea Military Camp, Tamea discovered she was pregnant with their fourth child. Life was just as difficult for Tamae, who was left to raise their daughters alone.

Lordsburg

Ongoing

Lordsburg

The December 7, 1941 attack on the U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor, Hawai‘i by the nation of Japan plunged the United States into World War II and irrevocably changed the course of American history. But for thousands of Americans of Japanese ancestry living in the Hawaiian Islands and the mainland, the war highlighted the great divide between their American ideals and their unfair treatment based solely on race. 

The Japanese first immigrated to Hawai‘i in 1885 to work as laborers in the burgeoning plantations. By the time of World War II, the Japanese immigrants and the subsequent generations born on the Islands had developed extensive communities and demonstrated their centrality to the Hawaiian economy. They worked on plantations, owned shops, practiced trades, founded churches and temples, and organized sports leagues, Japanese language schools, and martial arts clubs—all characteristic of a stable and growing community, a community that was making a commitment to a new homeland on the Islands. However, the United States had long been suspicious of immigrants who “looked” different. Hawai‘i was not yet a state, but on the Mainland numerous laws and court decisions created a hierarchy that limited the Japanese immigrant’s ability to become an American. 

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, martial law was declared in Hawai‘i and Japanese American community leaders were singled out as “suspicious.” Although the Japanese Americans in Hawai‘i had posed no prior threat, community leaders were thought to be potentially harmful to United States security despite the fact that no evidence existed to link Japanese Americans in Hawai‘i with the acts of Japan, except by virtue of ancestry. By December 9, over 120 community leaders were taken from their homes and incarcerated in Hawai‘i.¹ George Hoshida was one such person.

This microsite honors the spirit and talent of George Hoshida (1907–1985), an incarcerated artist who documented camp life with pencil and brushwork in a series of notebooks he kept between 1942 and 1945. Through examples of Hoshida’s artwork and personal correspondence with his family, this site hopes to provide insight into one individual’s incarceration experience.

The pages of this microsite are organized chronologically by the camps where George Hoshida and his family were incarcerated. Hoshida’s notebooks and letters are now part of the June Honma Collection deposited at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, California. In addition to Hoshida’s personal documents, a select number of secondary sources were used to develop this site.

¹ On the mainland, over 1,000 community leaders were incarcerated in Justice Department internment camps immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor. In February 1942, Executive Order 9066 paved the way for the further incarceration of all Japanese Americans living on the West Coast.

 

About this Site

This site was originally created and launched in 1997 as an independent class project for Development of Cultural Information Resources Using Digital Multimedia (LIS208) at the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at the University of California at Los Angeles. All works displayed are owned by the Honma Collection which resides at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles.

All text was written specifically for this site using publications and primary source material in the collection of the Japanese American Museum. The content for the site was moved into a new microsite on janm.org in 2023. Some text/captions were updated and newer scans of the artwork were used for the expanded galleries.

Lordsburg

Ongoing

Lordsburg

The December 7, 1941 attack on the U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor, Hawai‘i by the nation of Japan plunged the United States into World War II and irrevocably changed the course of American history. But for thousands of Americans of Japanese ancestry living in the Hawaiian Islands and the mainland, the war highlighted the great divide between their American ideals and their unfair treatment based solely on race. 

The Japanese first immigrated to Hawai‘i in 1885 to work as laborers in the burgeoning plantations. By the time of World War II, the Japanese immigrants and the subsequent generations born on the Islands had developed extensive communities and demonstrated their centrality to the Hawaiian economy. They worked on plantations, owned shops, practiced trades, founded churches and temples, and organized sports leagues, Japanese language schools, and martial arts clubs—all characteristic of a stable and growing community, a community that was making a commitment to a new homeland on the Islands. However, the United States had long been suspicious of immigrants who “looked” different. Hawai‘i was not yet a state, but on the Mainland numerous laws and court decisions created a hierarchy that limited the Japanese immigrant’s ability to become an American. 

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, martial law was declared in Hawai‘i and Japanese American community leaders were singled out as “suspicious.” Although the Japanese Americans in Hawai‘i had posed no prior threat, community leaders were thought to be potentially harmful to United States security despite the fact that no evidence existed to link Japanese Americans in Hawai‘i with the acts of Japan, except by virtue of ancestry. By December 9, over 120 community leaders were taken from their homes and incarcerated in Hawai‘i.¹ George Hoshida was one such person.

This microsite honors the spirit and talent of George Hoshida (1907–1985), an incarcerated artist who documented camp life with pencil and brushwork in a series of notebooks he kept between 1942 and 1945. Through examples of Hoshida’s artwork and personal correspondence with his family, this site hopes to provide insight into one individual’s incarceration experience.

The pages of this microsite are organized chronologically by the camps where George Hoshida and his family were incarcerated. Hoshida’s notebooks and letters are now part of the June Honma Collection deposited at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, California. In addition to Hoshida’s personal documents, a select number of secondary sources were used to develop this site.

¹ On the mainland, over 1,000 community leaders were incarcerated in Justice Department internment camps immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor. In February 1942, Executive Order 9066 paved the way for the further incarceration of all Japanese Americans living on the West Coast.

 

About this Site

This site was originally created and launched in 1997 as an independent class project for Development of Cultural Information Resources Using Digital Multimedia (LIS208) at the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at the University of California at Los Angeles. All works displayed are owned by the Honma Collection which resides at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles.

All text was written specifically for this site using publications and primary source material in the collection of the Japanese American Museum. The content for the site was moved into a new microsite on janm.org in 2023. Some text/captions were updated and newer scans of the artwork were used for the expanded galleries.

Artwork by George Hoshida

Click “Gallery View” to view the drawings and captions in full frame. Click on the magnifying glass to use our extended zoom feature.

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Lordsburg I.C. North-East View from B4-Co.10-Comp.3

October 8, 1942

Gift of June Hoshida Honma, Sandra Hoshida and Carole Hoshida Kanada, Japanese American National Museum
(97.106.1FO)

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Ametuer Show

October 3, 1942

Gift of June Hoshida Honma, Sandra Hoshida and Carole Hoshida Kanada, Japanese American National Museum
(97.106.1I)

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Tent #6—My Bed at Ft. Sam Houston

June 15, 1942

Gift of June Hoshida Honma, Sandra Hoshida and Carole Hoshida Kanada, Japanese American National Museum
(97.106.1EC)

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Amatuer Show

October 3, 1942

Gift of June Hoshida Honma, Sandra Hoshida and Carole Hoshida Kanada, Japanese American National Museum
(97.106.1c)

Letters

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Letter from George Hoshida to his daughter, June

Apr. 28, 1942

Dear June:

Daddy was very glad to receive your letter and pictures too. You are getting better every time. If you keep it up, you will be a very bright girl when daddy can come home.

I am glad to know that you are having a typhoid injection. You will not get sick if you have the injection.

I was very glad to see the pictures too. June, Sandra, Taeko, Mama, and the grandmas all look nice. Write again.

Good bye,
Love, Daddy

Gift of June Hoshida Honma, Sandra Hoshida and Carole Hoshida Kanada, Japanese American National Museum
(96.117.5C, 96.117.5D)

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Letter from Tamae Hoshida to George Hoshida about the birth of their daughter

This letter was written from Tamae Hoshida to George Hoshida shortly after she gave birth to their fourth daughter, Carole.

Gift of June Hoshida Honma, Sandra Hoshida and Carole Hoshida Kanada, Japanese American National Museum
(96.117.5A, 96.117.5B)

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Letter from George Hoshida to his wife Tamae in Denson, Arkansas

Mrs. Tamae Hoshida 39-4-E Jerome R.C. Denson, Arkanasas

Feb. 18, 1943

My dearest wife:

Received your letter of Jan. 31st and was glad to know that you are all healthy. I also received the new picture of the center too. Toshiko and Mrs. Odata and others came to see us on the 15th. I met Toshiko twice and Mrs. Odata once and heard all about you. It relieved me very much for I can pretty well imagine the conditions at your place. I believe it’s hard work to take care of the 3 small kids and do all the work, but I believe it won’t be long, so try your best and keep it up. I received June’s and Sandra and baby’s Valentine cards and also what you sent me. It will help a lot. I see June can write long hand now. Tell her daddy was proud and happy to know that she’s learning fast. Guess I’ll be surprised to see them grown up, for it’s more than a year now since I met you last. I sure would like to see the baby. Mrs. Odata says that she looks like me. I got the shoes and slippers you sent me from Hawaii. Mailed you about half a dozen letters which I believe reached Hawaii after you left. Glad to know that Saturo visited you. Toshiko saw me this morning and left on this afternoon train. You’ll be hearing about me from him. Keep healthy until we meet again.

Love, George

Gift of June Hoshida Honma, Sandra Hoshida and Carole Hoshida Kanada, Japanese American National Museum
(96.115.6A)

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An envelope with a censored stamp on it

An envelope with a censored stamp on it

Gift of June Hoshida Honma, Sandra Hoshida and Carole Hoshida Kanada, Japanese American National Museum

George Hoshida letter announcing birth of daughter

Transcript of Letter from Tamae to George

Mr. George Y. Hoshida (ISN-H3-433-C1) Comp.2-Co5-B4, Internment Camp Lordsburg, New Mexico

Oct. 27, 1942

Dearest Husband,

I came home yesterday from the hospital. Please don’t worry because baby and I are doing fine. There’s nothing wrong with the baby. My only regret is that I could not present you with a boy. But even if it’s a girl I guess we have to be satisfied. I’ll be waiting for you to come back and then I guess by then we can have a boy. I’ll be looking forward to that day. By the way you know something she looks a lot like you, her eyes, nose, her lips. She’s all over like you. I only wish you could see her. Of course my friends and relatives come to see me all the time. They treated me very nicely, showering the baby with many gifts. But how I wish I had you here. Even if you were the only one to come and see me, I’d rather have you come than a million others. I never felt so lonely in all my life. Especially when seeing others’ husbands coming to visit their wives. My thoughts are all of you. I guess the baby was lonely too without her Daddy. She would just cry in her little crib. It seems as though she’s calling for you. Oh! how I wish you could see her nose. But I guess that’s impossible so I’ll just imagine that you’re on a long trip that you’re coming back soon so I’ll not feel so lonely. I’ll send you a snapshot of her after about a month later, though I would like to send it to you sooner. But I guess it’s better after I regained my strength so baby and I, in fact all of us would travel together. So please be patient and wait until then. Her name is Carole Aiko Hoshida. I received two of your letters today dated Oct. 4th and 5th. I was very glad to know that you are doing fine and that you are enjoying your stay. Please keep up that spirit and not to worry about home for I am very well taking care of by my relations and friends,...they are very nice to us. I really don’t know how to thank them.

By the way I was very interested in reading your letters. I’m glad to know that you have gained weight. But please don’t get fat like “Baby Elephant” HA! HA! HA! Please write more about what you are doing for both our Grandma’s was very glad to know what you were doing. They all watching for you to come back as soon as war is over. They have been always worried in what you were doing that if you were enjoying yourself, especially what you do to amuse yourself, what recreations. I’ll be waiting for your coming letter, and as for me I’ll write to you as much as possible about how our baby gets along. By the way, I’ve sent you the packages in three the things you requested. I hope you will receive it. Brother, sent the wire through for me about our baby. I hope you get the message. Well, I guess I’ll wait for your letter. Until then take good care of yourself

Your loving wife,
—Tamae Hoshida

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