In the last year of the war, susan meissner explores the. In her new book, poway resident and bestselling author susan meissner writes about a little known world war ii internment camp in crystal city, texas. The camp, which was originally designed to hold 3,500 people, opened in december 1943 and was officially closed on february 11, 1948. The internment of germanamericans, italianamericans, japaneseamericans and. The art shibayama story film films and video grades 68, grades 912, adult. When the camp closed in june 1945, the ins transferred the remaining internees to the internment camp in crystal city, texas.
The train to crystal city book by jan jarboe russell official. How was the crystal city internment camp involved in the exchanges. The road from crystal city during world war ii, isamu taniguchi was one of sixthousandplus immigrants sent to a littleknown internment camp in south texas for being a suspected spy. From 1942 to 1948, secret government trains delivered enemy alien fathers and their completely innocent wives and children to. Of 20 alien family camps operated by the immigration and naturalization service across the nation, three were in texas. The legacy of crystal citys internment camps the texas. Jan, 2015 san antonio and south texas have a rich history, says author jan jarboe russell. May 09, 2012 see how the dedication of an historic site has led to healing for hundreds of families that were once held at the crystal city family internment camp. The camp, which was originally designed to hold 3,500 people, opened in december 1943 and was officially closed on february.
This was such an interesting, well researched and readable book. The crystal city, tx family internment camp closed in february 1948, and the remaining internees, all of german ethnicity, were sent to ellis island, n. Crystal city internment camp national park service. All told, the crystal city alien enemy detention facility held over 4,000 german, 2,200 japanese and 300 italians from different latin american. At new orleans, the family was stripped, sprayed with insecticide and then arrested as illegal aliens and finally put on a train to crystal city, texas. In november 1948, the crystal city independent school district purchased 90 acres of the camp, primarily within the fenced area, from the war assets administration.
When the first family internment camp was opened at crystal city in 1942, leon was sent to open it. Wwii alien enemy detention facility, crystal city, texas. Russell recounts the creation of the crystal city internment camp set up in texas in the us. Crystal city detention facility densho encyclopedia. The train to crystal city fdrs secret prisoner exchange program and americas only family internment camp during world war ii. A 2004 documentary film about the life of art shibayama, a japanese peruvian who was forcibly taken from his home in peru in 1944 when he was thirteen years old, and interned in a department of justice camp in crystal city, texas, for the duration of world war ii. Labeling the crystal city camp as a concentration camp is to do a disservice to the women and men of the service immigration and naturalization service, the u. Fdrs secret prisoner exchange program and americas only family internment camp during world war ii 9781451693669 by russell, jan jarboe and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. San antonio and south texas have a rich history, says author jan jarboe russell. The train to crystal city is both history and cautionary tale. Jan jarboe russell is the author of the new york times bestseller, the train to crystal city. The internment camps where japaneseamericans were sent during world.
Fdrs secret prisoner exchange program and americas only family internment camp during world war ii, winner of the texas institute of letters prize for best book of nonfiction. Jun 22, 2018 in the small south texas town of crystal city, little remains of the massive internment camp that was used to incarcerate thousands of people of japanese and german ancestry in the 1940s. During world war ii, trains delivered thousands of civilians from the united states and latin america. Train to crystal city tells a secret story of wwii. Short film that tells about the wonderful life in crystal city, texas, interment camp for imprisoned u. The only family internment camp during world war ii, crystal city was the center of a government prisoner exchange program called quiet passage. Produced by the immigration and naturalization service. I recently read about money used at a japaneseamerican internment camp in crystal city, texas during and just after ww ii. Hundreds of prisoners in crystal city were exchanged for other more ostensibly important americansdiplomats, businessmen, soldiers, and missionariesbehind enemy lines in japan and germany. Service in 1945 of the family internment camp at crystal city, texas. One lesserknown camp was called crystal city in southern texas. From 1942 to 1948, thousands of german, japanese and italian immigrants and children, many of them born in america, lived behind barbed wire in. In her new book, poway resident and bestselling author susan meissner writes about a little known world war ii internment camp in crystal city.
Train to crystal city tells a secret story of wwii internments. Jan 19, 2015 forty years ago, as an undergraduate at the university of texas at austin, she was first told by a japaneseamerican professor about the family internment camp at crystal city, in southwestern texas. During world war ii, trains delivered thousands of civilians from the united. In her new book, the train to crystal city, released jan. The camp at crystal city, tx, a hundred miles southwest of san antonio, was a converted migrant farm. Japaneseamericans imprisoned at texas internment camp in. Record group 85, national archives and records administration, washington d.
In the small south texas town of crystal city, little remains of the massive internment camp that was used to incarcerate thousands of people of japanese and german ancestry in the 1940s. Jun 07, 2019 here is a quote from the jacket of the book, the train to crystal city by jan jarboe russell. The train to crystal city, by jan jarboe russell the new. Jan 26, 2015 how was the crystal city internment camp involved in the exchanges. The train to crystal city is compelling, thoughtprovoking, and impossible to put down startribune, minneapolis.
See how the dedication of an historic site has led to healing for hundreds of families that were once held at the crystal city family internment camp. The dramatic and neverbeforetold story of a secret fdrapproved american internment camp in texas during world war ii, where thousands of familiesmany us citizenswere incarcerated. And there, thousands of japanese immigrants were detained along with many people of german and italian descent. Crystal city area historical tornado activity is significantly below texas state average. And there, thousands of japanese immigrants were detained along with many people of. The crystal city internment camp was dismantled in 1948 and was eventually replaced by three schools and adjacent athletic fields, a small airport, city social service buildings, and a lowincome housing project crystal city detention facility. For the past four years, russell has been at work for scribners on the train to crystal city, which tells the story of a secret world war ii internment camp that was located in crystal city, texas. While most people are aware of these japanese internment camps, there was a world war ii family internment camp in crystal city, texas and prisoner exchange program that most people have little knowledge of.
Learn more about the first such site in texas to be listed on the national register of historic places with this free brochure. Poignant russell movingly focuses on human stories coming out of one camp that held both japanese and germans, outside crystal city. The train to crystal city is both history and cautionary. Jan 18, 2015 one lesserknown camp was called crystal city in southern texas. Aerial view of crystal city internment camp, crystal city, texas, 194445. She is a neiman fellow, a contributing editor for texas monthly, and has written for the san antonio express. From 1942 to 1948, trains delivered thousands of civilians from the united states and latin america to crystal city, texas, a small desert town at the southern. The linked data service provides access to commonly found standards and vocabularies promulgated by the library of congress. Activities at the crystal city, tx, internment camp, 194243. Crystal city internment camp, located near crystal city, texas, was a place of confinement for people of japanese, german, and italian descent during world war ii and has been variously described as a detention facility or a concentration camp.
Crystal city internment camp fdrs secret exchange program. Family internment camp, crystal city, tx, jersey city, new jersey. Crystal city, texas internment camp list of birthscourtesy anita obrien, whose parents johann and hilda schmeelk, had a daughter, evelyn, while interned there crystal city, texas internment camp list of deaths courtesy of werner ulrich, a former internee, from information provided by carmen sanchez diaz and jose f. What surprised me during my research on this topic was that this internment camp was not only used to house japaneseamericans but germanamericans as well. Sep 01, 20 short film that tells about the wonderful life in crystal city, texas, interment camp for imprisoned u. The inscription on the reverse of each of these tokens reads. The train to crystal city was picked as an best books of the month for. Oct 30, 2016 crystal city, texas internment camp list of birthscourtesy anita obrien, whose parents johann and hilda schmeelk, had a daughter, evelyn, while interned there crystal city, texas internment camp list of deaths courtesy of werner ulrich, a former internee, from information provided by carmen sanchez diaz and jose f.
By writing this book, i found out that some universities and schools did not even know or heard of the camp, crystal city internment camp in texas, that imprisoned japanese, german and italian alien immigrants from the u. During world war ii, trains delivered thousands of civilians from the united states and latin america to. Tate strived to meet state regulations concerning proper textbooks. Until 2007 the only marker placed at the crystal city, texas family internment camp inaccurately stated that only japanese american civilian prisoners were held at this site during world war ii. By august 1944, the camps population had diminished to 372 germans, 6 italians, and 2 persons of other nationalities, totaling 380 internees. The train to crystal city was picked as an best books of the month for january 2015. The train to crystal city is a book about our history, specifically the only family internment camp in america during ghettoside tells the story of a detective determined to solve the murder of a fellow officers son and highlights the fact that a disproportionate number of murder victims in america are young, black men.
During world war ii, trains delivered thousands of civilians from the united states and latin america to crystal. Border patrol, the state of texas and federal departments of education, who dedicated themselves to the health, welfare, education, and morale of the internees. A group of german internees expelled from south american countries were the first to arrive on dec. From 1942 to 1945, secret government trains regularly delivered civilians from the united states and latin america to crystal city, a small desert town at the southern tip of texas. The germans loom large in this book, but the italians play virtually no role.
Charles mccollister son of internment camp commander charles father, leon mccollister, worked for the u. His parents had already been arrested and put in a internment camp eight months earlier. The ins operated the internment camp from 1942 until 1948, holding as many as 4,000. During world war ii, the immigration and naturalization service ins leased from the united states farm security administration over 200 acres of land to create an internment camp for enemy aliens at crystal city, located approximately 110 miles southwest of san antonio, texas. Family internment camp, crystal city, tx home facebook. In researching the book, texas monthly contributing editor jan.
Datasets available include lcsh, bibframe, lc name authorities, lc classification, marc codes, premis vocabularies, iso language codes, and more. Here is a quote from the jacket of the book, the train to crystal city by jan jarboe russell. At the start of world war ii, thousands of residents of the united states both american citizens and resident aliens were arrested and detained out of fear that they were spying for or. All told, the crystal city alien enemy detention facility held over 4,000 german, 2,200 japanese and 300 italians from different latin american countries with the vast majority coming from peru. During world war ii, train cars delivered over 6,000 civilians to guards at an american internment camp in crystal city, a scrubby, desolate south texas town just 35 miles from the mexican border. The only family internment camp anywhere during wwii, crystal city, in texas, served as home to thousands of immigrants from japan, germany and italy, as well as their americanborn children. Forty years ago, as an undergraduate at the university of texas at austin, she was first told by a japaneseamerican professor about the family internment camp at crystal city, in southwestern texas. University of texas at san antonio libraries special collections robyn ross jan 14, 2014, 8. The train to crystal city is a ny times bestseller. Crystal city, 120 miles southwest of san antonio, had the largest camp.
When war broke out, leon was assigned to work at an internment camp in kennedy, texas. They were considered dangerous enemy aliens because of their japanese background. The crystal city family internment camp closed on february 27, 1948, nearly 30 months after the end of the war on september 2, 1945. Jan jarboe russell writes book on texas wwii internment camp. The train to crystal city, by jan jarboe russell the new york. During the course of the war, hundreds of prisoners in crystal city, including their americanborn children, were exchanged for other more important american diplomats, businessmen, soldiers. Crystal cityarea historical tornado activity is significantly below texas state average. At the start of world war ii, thousands of residents of the united states both american citizens and resident aliens were arrested and detained out.
The crystal city internment camp opened in 1942 and closed in 1948. The camp, which was originally designed to hold 3,500 people, opened in december 1943 and was. The only family internment camp during the war, crystal city was the center of a government prisoner exchange program called quiet passage. Crystal city, texas family internment camp german american. Crystal city internment camp texas country reporter. I had never seen such money which was described by wayne homren in an ana money talks script as follows. Jun 04, 2019 tomo izumis childhood memories of the crystal city internment camp in texas, tells the littleknown story of how our government imprisoned innocent americanborn children and their parents without trial behind barbed wire fences and guard towers during wwii. Jan jarboe russell, the author of the train to crystal city. This includes data values and the controlled vocabularies that house them. Fuhr would spend the next four and half years in government custody, most of it at crystal city, which was the site of the largest german internment camp in the nation.
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