Crystal city is a city in and the county seat of zavala county, texas, united states. Train to crystal city tells a secret story of wwii internments. The crystal city family internment camp finally closed on february 27, 1948. The book exposes the littleknown story of a family internment camp in world war ii located in crystal city, texas that housed japanese, german and italian immigrants and their americanborn children. Browse by place crystal city, texas densho resource guide. 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. Map of world war ii internment camps in the united states. January 19, 2016 this internment camp of world war ll 194145 consisted of 694 buildings on 100 acres of property surrounded by barbed wire fencing, flood lights and armed machine guns guard towers. Kinchen texas is hardly the first state to come to mind when people even hardcore history buffs think about the internment of more than 120,000 japaneseamericans. In june 1943, my mother signed a form that allowed us to become voluntary internees.
The train to crystal city by jan jarboe russell is a fascinating, engaging, sobering look at a military project few know about that took place in crystal city, texas and, to this day, the u. 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. During world war ii, trains delivered thousands of civilians from the united states and latin america to crystal. A video made from a public domain film produced by the immigration and naturalizaton service in 1945 of the family internment camp at crystal city, texas. I recently read about money used at a japaneseamerican internment camp in crystal city, texas during and just after ww ii. Forty years ago, as an undergraduate at the university of texas at austin, she was first told by a. South texas town supports their history in literature youtube. Crystal city, texas the crystal city facility, located next to a town of the same name, was originally a farm security administration migratory labor camp for 2,000 people. Jul 17, 2017 set partially in the crystal city, texas internment camp, this novel follows the romance of emi kato, a japanese diplomats daughter, and christian lange, a young german from wisconsin, during their internment and subsequent release. Short film that tells about the wonderful life in crystal city, texas, interment camp for imprisoned u. During world war ii, crystal city was home to the largest enemy alien internment camp in the united states. More about crystal city family internment camp brochure. The internment camps where japaneseamericans were sent during world.
Jan 19, 2015 the tale they tell is almost more than her mindboggling but awkwardly organized book can handle. Fdr s 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. The details of how this plan came about and how it impacted individuals lives are laid out for the first time in the book the train to crystal city. One lesserknown camp was called crystal city in southern texas. Sep 01, 20 freely downloadable at the internet archive, where i first uploaded it. Jan 20, 2015 san antonio author jan jarboe russell has spent five years researching and writing the train to crystal city, a book that exposes a secret and sordid wwii prisonerexchange program centered on a. Sep 05, 2015 jan jarboe russell, contributing editor for texas monthly, talks about a family internment camp based in crystal city, texas, during world war ii. Border patrol, the state of texas and federal departments of. Russell, a native of san antonio, traces the establishment of a world war ii internment camp in crystal city, texas. 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.
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. Family internment camp, crystal city, tx updated their profile picture. Jun 28, 2017 jan jarboe russells the train to crystal city is a history book, but she also highlights dangerous rhetoric and sentiment that prevails in our own time. Fdrs secret prisoner exchange program and americas only family internment camp during world war ii. It was settled as a farming and ranching community and was a major railroad stop being 110 miles 180 km from san antonio. The train to crystal city was picked as an best books of the month for january 2015. Image available on the internet and included in accordance with title 17 u. By the time it closed in 1948, it had housed more than 6,000 people. The new york times bestselling dramatic and neverbeforetold story of a secret fdrapproved american internment camp in texas during world war ii.
Crystal city internment camp survivors met in march outside the south texas family residential center in dilley, where immigrant mothers and children described again by the president as. The legacy of crystal citys internment camps the texas. Mccloud a video made from a public domain film produced by the immigration and naturalization service in 1945 of the family internment camp at crystal city, texas. Poignant russell movingly focuses on human stories coming out of one camp that held both japanese and germans, outside crystal city, tex. San antonio and south texas have a rich history, says author jan jarboe russell. The train to crystal city fdrs secret prisoner exchange program and americas only family internment camp during world war ii ebook. Crystal city family internment camp was staffed by local civilian employees in secretarial and clerical positions, civilian nurses and doctors, a professional cadre of ins administrators and border patrolmen. Crystal city internment camp project gutenberg self. As a reporter for the daily texan, she interviewed alan taniguchi, a. Service in 1945 of the family internment camp at crystal city, texas. 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. After a year and a half of separation, our family could be reunited in a new family camp in crystal city, texas. The ins operated the internment camp from 1942 until 1948, holding as many as 4,000 internees, many of whom. World war ii internment camps the handbook of texas.
Photos show south texas internment camp during wwii san. The train to crystal city fdrs secret prisoner exchange program and americas only family internment camp during world war ii. When it was converted to an internment camp, crystal city was expanded to house 3,500 people, and a fence and guard towers were added figure 17. Usaf vet shares story of texas internment camp for washington. Id heard the author do a presentation on the book during the texas book festival about, i think, two years ago. Jan jarboe russell, the author of the train to crystal city. Jan jarboe russell writes book on texas wwii internment camp. Crystal city family internment camp crystal city family internment camp enemy alien internment in texas during world war ii enemy alien internment in texas during world war ii texas historical commission 25k 811 this project is assisted by a grant from the department of the interior, national park service, japanese american confinement sites.
Officially known as the crystal city alien enemy detention facility, the camp was operated by the immigration and natural. The train to crystal city ebook king county library. Russell focuses on crystal city, a camp designed especially for families, located near the mexican border in the texas desert. In her new book, the train to crystal city, released jan. The crystal city internment camp received large numbers of detainees from other internment facilities in the united states and the camp became overpopulated. The crystal city camp was not a place of extermination or torturedeeds associated with a concentration camp. The train to crystal city book by jan jarboe russell official. Orourke, crystal city family internment camp commander, wrote a report on the crystal city family internment camp in 1945, from which much of the following information is taken. Wwii alien enemy detention facility, 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. Family internment camp, crystal city, tx posts facebook. The camps german section provided its internees with a german bakery, mess hall, community hall, and cottages.
In the small south texas town of crystal city, little remains of the massive internment camp that was used to incarcerate thousands of people. Forty years ago, as an undergraduate at the university of texas. During world war ii, trains delivered thousands of civilians from the united. The train to crystal city was picked as an best books of the month for. Jan 18, 2015 the internment camps where japaneseamericans were sent during world war ii are a welldocumented part of american history. Orourke, crystal city family internment camp commander, wrote a report on the crystal city family internment camp in 1945, from which much of thefollowing information is taken. Crystal city, texas family internment camp german american. 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. Learn more about the first such site in texas to be listed on the national register of historic places with this free brochure.
The tale they tell is almost more than her mindboggling but awkwardly organized book can handle. Fdrs secret prisoner exchange program and americas only family internment camp during world war ii is the dramatic and neverbeforetold story of a secret american internment camp in texas during world war ii, where thousands of families, many of whom were us citizens, were incarcerated, with approval from. 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. Train to crystal city tells a secret story of wwii. This internment camp of world war ll 194145 consisted of 694 buildings on 100 acres of property surrounded by barbed wire fencing, flood lights and armed machine guns guard towers. The book focuses on a world war ii internment camp in crystal city, texas, and presents a compelling look at all facets of the internees experience from personal interactions to the federal law that affected the rest of their lives. The train to crystal city is a ny times bestseller. Sep 24, 2014 crystal city council welcomes gloria alcozer thomas to their city and the promotion of her new book, cinnamon and the bat people. Shocked by the december 7, 1941, empire of japan attack on pearl harbor, hawaii, that propelled the united states into world war ii, one federal government response to the war was the incarceration of thousands of japanese and japanese americans on the west coast and the territory of hawaii. The only family internment camp during the war, crystal city was the center of. The diplomats daughter german american internee coalition. One familys experience with the world war ii japanese internment camps by tomo izumi nonfiction written by a survivor of the camp the last year of the war by susan meissner historical fiction.
The train to crystal city, by jan jarboe russell the. 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. Housing all three axis nationalities, crystal city family internment camp was populated by japanese, german, and italian families. The germans loom large in this book, but the italians play virtually no role.
San antoniobased author jan jarboe russell tells the story of the nations only family internment camp in the train to crystal city. In the last year of the war, susan meissner explores the. Adolf wesselhoeft grew up in chicago before he and his family were sent to an internment camp near crystal city, texas in 1943. What i wrote the money talks article there was very little information to be had about the camp or its tokens, but now there is a nice web page picturing them. 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. Fdrs secret prisoner exchange program and americas only family internment camp during world war ii scribner, 446 pages, illustrations, sources and. The train to crystal city, by jan jarboe russell the new york. The 290acre crystal city internment camp was not just the only internment camp established for the purpose of reuniting families. 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. By the end of 1945, the camp held 3,374 internees, out of which 2,371 were of japanese descent, 997 were of german descent, and 6 were of italian descent. Crystal city family internment camp enemy alien internment. World heritage encyclopedia, the aggregation of the largest online encyclopedias available, and the most definitive collection ever assembled. The train to crystal city, by jan jarboe russell the new. Border patrol, the state of texas and federal departments of education, who dedicated themselves to the health, welfare, education, and morale of the internees.
San antonio author jan jarboe russell has spent five years researching and writing the train to crystal city, a book that exposes a secret and sordid wwii prisonerexchange program. 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 camps where japaneseamericans were sent during world war ii are a welldocumented part of american history. Crystal city detention facility densho encyclopedia. Russell recounts the creation of the crystal city internment camp set up in texas in the us. She first heard of the crystal city camp more than 40 years ago as an undergraduate at the university of texas at austin. 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. Jan 20, 2015 when eleanor roosevelt opposed the project as smacking too much of gestapo methods, hoover started a file on her, too. They were considered dangerous enemy aliens because of their japanese background. Leo hartmann, her first love, is a jewish refugee in. Crystal city internment camp national park service.
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. The train to crystal city by russell, jan jarboe ebook. 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. She is a neiman fellow, a contributing editor for texas monthly, and has written for the san antonio expressnews, the. At the end of the war, crystal city was the largest internment camp to hold internees. Set partially in the crystal city, texas internment camp, this novel follows the romance of emi kato, a japanese diplomats daughter, and christian lange, a young german from wisconsin, during their internment and subsequent release. Usaf vet shares story of texas internment camp for. Its remote location southwest of san antonio and 50 miles from the mexican border. The train to crystal city is compelling, thoughtprovoking, and impossible to put down startribune, minneapolis.
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