Washington Council of Churches and Religious Education report on the Japanese Assembly Center at Puyallup, August 1942

Washington Council of Churches and Religious Education report on the Japanese Assembly Center at Puyallup, August 1942

Washington Council of Churches and Religious Education

1942

In their report, the Washington Council of Churches and Religious Education, provides an overview of the creation of religious services at Camp Harmony during the four months of it's existence. They discuss the creation of church services, Sunday schools and bible studies for the benefit of camp residents. In addition, they write about other details of camp life such as the creation of schools, athletic programs, knitting clubs, community movies, Boy and Girl Scout groups, dances, and the creation of a library for the benefit of the internees. According to the report "One local church secured $200.00 to buy out a Japanese book store so that the books might be available for a library in Japanese for the older people. This proved ineffective during the life of the Puyallup Assembly Center, as the authorities would not allow any books in Japanese save Bibles and hymn books to be used in the Center. But contacts with the Public Library and elsewhere first made by this church were followed up by a Council of Churches Book Committee. Books flowed in from the Public Library, from the Public Schools, from the Church Libraries, and from individuals till the total was well over 3,000 volumes of books and a ton or two of recent magazines." First established in 1919, the Church Council of Greater Seattle (then known as the Seattle Federation of Churches) served as an important organization in the Pacific Northwest community, frequently aiding in local humanitarian causes. During World War II they organized various programs aimed at supporting Japanese-Americans who were subjected to various forms of discrimination including but not limited to forced evacuation from their homes and eventual internment in relocation centers along the west coast. They also played an active role running a resettlement program to assist Japanese internees leaving the internment camps in trying to find new homes and employment.

Northwest Digital Heritage

text

http://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/cdm/ref/collection/pioneerlife/id/17030