First Arrivals At The Manzanar 'War Relocation Center' by Eliot Elisofon/The LIFE Picture CollectionCenter for Asian American Media (CAAM)
Months after the attack on Pearl Harbour, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, authorising the internment of all US citizens of at least 1/16 Japanese heritage. Ten 'relocation centers' housed 120,000 prisoners. Manzanar was one of them.
Manzanar Woodblock (1944) by By Hideo KobashigawaOriginal Source: http://www.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/manz/exb/Camp/past_times/MANZ7545_woodblock.html
A woodblock print of Manzanar camp
The Manzanar camp, Spanish for 'apple orchard', was located at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, near Owens Valley, California. The site of a ghost town, the land was purchased by the US army for the 'relocation center', and wooden barracks were hastily established.
Full Moon Rising over ManzanarOriginal Source: http://www.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/manz/exb/Camp/past_times/MANZ5167_woodPainting.html
Full Moon Rising over Manzanar
These artefacts, now in the collection of the Manzanar National Historic Site, were either collected on the site itself, or donated from private collections. They range from the everyday to the unusual, but they all meant something to the people incarcerated here.
PlaqueOriginal Source: http://www.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/manz/exb/Camp/DailyLife/MANZ5175_plaque.html
Devotional image of Jesus Christ
Many internees participated in religious activities and worship. The Catholic St. Francis Xavier mission and the Protestant Manzanar Christian Church first assembled in spring, 1942. Despite discouragement by the US Army, two Buddhist temples were also established.
Baseball Glove Baseball GloveOriginal Source: Manzanar Museum Exhibit
Baseball glove
'Putting on a baseball uniform was like wearing the American flag', internee Takeo Suo commented. By summer 1942, nearly 100 men's and 14 women's softball teams were playing at Manzanar.
Baseball Home PlateOriginal Source: Manzanar Museum Exhibit
Home plate
Firebreaks between the camp barracks became recreational areas. This wooden home plate was used in the camp’s main baseball diamond on the northeast side of the camp. "Without baseball," one internee recalled, "life at Manzanar would have been miserable."
Sandals [Geta]Original Source: http://www.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/manz/exb/Camp/DailyLife/MANZ4124_sandals.html
A pair of geta
Geta, traditional Japanese footware, were made in camp. A cross between a clog and a sandal, the raised base kept the feet off the ground. At Manzanar, geta were commonly used to go from the barracks to the latrine buildings which might be several hundred feet away.
Bowl SauceboatOriginal Source: http://www.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/manz/exb/Camp/DailyLife/MANZ3291_3293_gravyBowl_bowl.html
Sauce boat and bowls
When Manzanar first opened in March 1942, internees used standard metal military mess kits. Later, dishes including Tepco china were provided to feed up to 10,000 people. After the war, many dishes, such as this sauce boat, were simply thrown into landfills.
Toy Helmet (1942/1945)Original Source: http://www.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/manz/exb/Camp/work/MANZ7541_helmet.html
Toy fire helmet
Fires were a constant risk in the camp. This toy fireman's helmet belonged to Arthur Yamada whose father George Yamada was the fire department's engineer. The family lived next door to the fire department in Block 13 at Manzanar.
Toy SoldierOriginal Source: http://www.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/manz/exb/Camp/past_times/MANZ2382_toySoldier.html
Plastic soldier
One of the ironies of camp life is illustrated by the popularity of military toys. This badly-damaged plastic solider would once have been a treasured possession.
Combat Infantryman BadgeOriginal Source: http://www.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/manz/exb/War/MilitaryService/MANZ5181_badge.html
Combat Infantryman Badge
Despite internment, Japanese-Americans fought for the USA. First Sergeant Jack Wakamatsu was one of the few to be drafted before the war. A member of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, he fought in Italy and France, and was awarded this Combat Infantryman Badge.
Military Dog TagOriginal Source: http://www.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/manz/exb/War/MilitaryService/MANZ5176_IDtag.html
Military identification tag
While Sergeant Wakamatsu was serving on the front line, his father Matsunosuke, his mother Kino, and his sister Mary were behind barbed wire at Manzanar. Even on his identification tag, Sergeant Wakamatsu's address is given as Manzanar.
Tap to explore
Today, the former location of the camp is a National Historic Site, managed and maintained by the US National Park Service. The wooden huts and barbed wire may be long gone, but memories remain of the injustice suffered on this site.
