Thursday, September 3, 2009

Civilian Exclusion Order No. 52

On May 7, 1942, Civilian Exclusion Order Number 52 was issued in Sacramento. All Japanese in Sacramento went to the Memorial Auditorium to register for evacuation from the city and its surrounding areas. 8,600 persons from Sacramento, Stockton, San Joaquin County and other parts of superior California with over 3,500 from Sacramento proper are moved out of the area.

Sacramento Bee, May 7, 1942, Page 1

Prior to the exclusion notice, a large number of people of Japanese ancestry began preparing for the influx of evacuees at the Sacramento Assembly Center, also known as Walerga camp. All Japanese are evacuated from the Sacramento area by noon, May 16th. Nine days.

Walerga, located 14 miles from Sacramento, sitting on 160 acres, has 200 buildings hastily constructed by the Works Project Administration. Each building holds five families. There were five blocks with two community kitchens serving each block of 1,000 people. There were 20 bath houses and 30 lavatories for the entire camp.

Among the more prominent Sacramento Japanese who already have reported to the camp is Dr. George S. Iki. He and his staff of Japanese physicians are busy setting up the 150 bed hospital to care for any cases of illness among the evacuees.

Ruby Kawaski, a secretarial worker, is among those whose readjustment from home life to that found at the camp may be a bit difficult. "The camp is nice," Miss Kawaski declared, "but I've been living with American people for years and I seem to know them better than i do my fellow Japanese. It's a little strange, but I know I'm going to like it." Sacramento Bee, May 8, 1942, page 18.

The children, who have no clear realization of why they are in the camp, probably will fare best of all. They can play to their hearts content among the trees and open fields. Sacramento Bee, May 8, 1942, page 18

Sacramento Bee, May 7, 1942, Pages A1 and A14




Sacramento Bee, May 8, 1942, Page 18


Many Civilian Exclusion Orders were issued for various geographic areas along the West Coast. Before tranfer to their final location each person went through an Assembly Center. The following numbers account for all the people who went through the Sacramento Assembly Center at Welegra before being transferred to the Relocation Centers.

Civilian Exclusion Order Number 52 -- 3,647 to Sacramento from a total of 3,877
Civilian Exclusion Order Number 70 -- 286 to Sacramento from a total of 2,925
Civilian Exclusion Order Number 75 -- 576 to Sacramento from a total of 582
Civilian Exclusion Order Number 93 -- 19 to Sacramento from a total of 921
Civilian Exclusion Order Number 94 -- 2 to Sacramento from a total of 953
W 2.2:J 27 - Final Report: Japanese Evacuation from the West Coast, 1942. Letterhead (p. vii): Headquarters Western Defense Command and Fourth Army, Office of the Commanding General. Table 47, pages 363-366

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