Tiburon in Marin County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Detention Barracks
These detention barracks were built for Chinese and Japanese men and women. Shortly after opening, all women were moved to the Administration Building. Because of the restrictive exclusion laws, Chinese immigrants were detained the longest. Some of them carved poetry into the barracks walls to voice their opinions or lament their fate. Other detainees also left messages and inscriptions on the walls.
[The text repeats in Chinese]
等待自由 这些拘留营是为中国和日本男女建造的。开幕后不久,所有女性都被转移到行政大楼。由于限制性的排除法,中国移民被拘留的时间最长。他们中的一些人在军营的墙壁上雕刻了诗歌,以表达他们的意见或哀叹自己的命运。其他被拘留者也在墙上留下信息和铭文。 Děngdài zìyóu zhèxiē jūliú yíng shì wéi zhōngguó hé rìběn nánnǚ jiànzào de. Kāimù hòu bùjiǔ, suǒyǒu nǚxìng dōu bèi zhuǎnyí dào xíngzhèng dàlóu. Yóuyú xiànzhì xìng de páichú fǎ, zhōngguó yímín bèi jūliú de shíjiān zuì zhǎng. Tāmen zhōng de yīxiē rén zài jūnyíng de qiángbì shàng diāokèle shīgē, yǐ biǎodá tāmen de yìjiàn huò āitàn zìjǐ de mìngyùn. Qítā bèi jūliú zhě yě zài qiáng shàng liú xià xìnxī hé míngwén.
First Image Caption:
South Asians, Russians, Pacific Islanders, “enemy aliens”, and federal prisoners, were also housed here. At any given time, 200 to 600 people occupied these rooms.
Second Image Caption:
Living conditions were crowded, ventilation was poor and the restrooms were filthy. The barracks were loaded with rows of these multi-tiered bunks.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Asian Americans • Parks & Recreational Areas.
Location. 37° 52.182′ N, 122° 25.574′ W. Marker is in Tiburon, California, in Marin County. Angel Island is located north of Alcatraz Island and is the largest island in the San Francisco Bay. It is accessed by ferry, private boat, watercraft, or kayak. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Belvedere Tiburon CA 94920, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Segregation and Separation (here, next to this marker); Life on the Second Floor (a few steps from this marker); Intake, Processing and Waiting (a few steps from this marker); Immigrations Hearings (within shouting distance of this marker); Angel Island Immigration Station (within shouting distance of this marker); Registration and Screening (within shouting distance of this marker); First Occupants of the Cove (within shouting distance of this marker); Hospital (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tiburon.
More about this marker. The resin marker is mounted to a metal stand near the bottom of the stairs leading to the barracks.
Regarding Detention Barracks. The entire island is a state park, except for Point Blunt on the southeastern tip, which is controlled by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Also see . . . Immigration Station.
"...this was the point of entry for most of the approximately 175,000 Chinese immigrants who came to the United States. Most of them were detained on Angel Island for as little as two weeks or as much as six months. A few however, were forced to remain on the island for as much as two years."(Submitted on August 7, 2022, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 19, 2022. It was originally submitted on August 7, 2022, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. This page has been viewed 82 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 7, 2022, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. 4. submitted on August 9, 2022, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. 5. submitted on August 7, 2022, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.