Manzanar

The bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 will always be remembered as a horrible day in American history. What so many people do not know is that this terrible act by Japan allowed the US government to treat all people of Japanese descent living along the west coast to be treated unfairly. Thousands of people had anything they could not carry taken from them. They were sent to one of ten Relocation Camps and asked to prove their loyalty to the United States. Manzanar is one of these camps and still exists today as a museum.

“You cannot deport 110,000 people unless you have stopped seeing individuals. Of course, for such a thing to happen, there has to be a kind of acquiescence on the part of the victims, some submerged belief that this treatment is deserved, or, at least allowable.” – Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston

Manzanar is one of my favorite places. While almost all of the buildings are gone, except for what they have gotten back or rebuilt, it still stands as a reminder of World War II. Located on California’s Highway 395, against the Sierra Nevada Mountain range, you can see the rebuilt guard tower from a ways away. The old auditorium serves as the museum and holds many artifacts and smaller replicas of the living conditions at the time.

My favorite part is the driving tour. It is self-guided with numbered posts marking where all of the buildings used to be. There are even some areas where you can park and walk to the gardens, or at least what is left of them.

A must see in Manzanar is the monument inside of the graveyard located in the back north corner of Manzanar. “Soul Consoling Tower” is written on the front of the tower in Japanese. This tower was built in August 1943 by Ryozo Kado. While visiting the tower, you are allowed to leave behind a “gift” or memento (all of these items are collected and stored by the museum), but please keep in mind that Manzanar is located in a high-wind area. One of the most amazing things to see is the string of origami cranes in many colors that wrap around the tower, posts and chains.

My grandfather used to tell me stories about when he was a kid and he used to visit Manzanar to play sports with the children that were interned there. I will never forget those stories.

If you would like to read more about what it was like to live in Manzanar, there are plenty of books and websites. I suggest reading Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston (ISBN 0307976076). Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston was interned at Manzanar when she was a child and tells her story in this incredible book.

On the last Saturday in April, the Manzanar Committee hosts a Pilgrimage that is open to the public. I have yet to attend one of these Pilgrimages, but hope to next year. For more information, please visit www.manzanarcommittee.org.

Please stop by this amazing museum if you happen to be traveling along Highway 395 in the Owens Valley.