"A Dark Part of U.S. History" Manzanar by Hopkid

Manzanar Travel Guide: 20 reviews and 58 photos

I think the California Historical Landmark plaque at the entrance to Manzanar says it best:

"In the early part of World War II, 110,000 persons of Japanese ancestry were interned in relocation centers by Executive Order 9066 issued on February 19, 1942.

Manzanar, the first of ten such concentration camps, was bounded by barbed wire and guard towers, confining 10,000 persons, the majority of which were American citizens.

May the injustices and humiliation suffered here as a result of hysteria, racism, and economic exploitation never emerge again."

I'm not sure we covered this during U.S. history during high school and I'm not sure how many U.S. history curricula touch on this subject. But it is an important if not ugly part of our nation's history. Manzanar, located in the Owens Valley off U.S. Highway 395, is now a National Historic Site operated and maintained by the National Park Service. I remember visiting the site over 10 years ago before the NPS took over. All that was there were the two stone security buildings at the entrance, their windows broken and filled with trash, a dilapidated old gymnasium, and the California Historical Landmark plaque. The NPS has done a great job in recreating the camp's layout including a driving tour of the grounds with landmarks noted by signs (all original buildings except the aforementioned guard houses and gym have long since been removed), and refurbishing the old gym and creating educational and interpretive displays that convey the events leading up to the relocation of those of Japanese ancestry and what life in the camps was like. While the internees made life in the camp as close to what life would have been like in the outside world, conditions were difficult with hastily-constructed, thin-walled barracks, bathrooms with no stalls between toilets or showers, extremes in temperatures from winter to summer, and constantly windy and dusty conditions, not to mention the guard towers with guns pointed within the barbed wire enclosure.

It should be noted that not one person of Japanese ancestry living in the U.S. at the time was found guilty of treason, espionage, or otherwise aiding the enemy against the United States.

Especially moving is the stone marker at the cemetary. It's a striking scene with the white monument framed with the majestic Sierra Nevada mountains in the background. The monument was built and installed while the camp was open due to a lack of materials needed to put headstones on each gravesite.

Camp Police guard house (l) and Military Police guard house (r)

Original camp sign at entrance off U.S. 395, north of Lone Pine

Pros and Cons

Pros:Great exhibits, recreation of camp
Cons:None
In a nutshell:Well-done reminder of an ugly episode in U.S. history

Last visit to Manzanar: Aug 2006
Intro Updated Aug 20, 2006
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Reviews (3)

Get a National Park Service Passport - Manzanar

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Driving Tour Things to Do (2)

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Visitor's Center Things to Do (2)

The only original camp building, the gymnasium, has been renovated and now serves as the NPS visitor's center. Inside... more travel advice

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Comments (4)

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mikelisaanna Jun 13, 2009 at 9:08 PM

We visited Manzanar when we were in California in 2005. I agree with your point that it should be included in HS history classes. It was not one of the USA's finer moments.
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mtncorg Sep 12, 2006 at 9:28 PM

The park is a very effective way for us to try and learn from our past. Hard to imagine how full of life it was when you drive through today.
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karenincalifornia Aug 24, 2006 at 7:57 PM

Excellent page, Andy, and a good reminder of what can happen when we let hate and fear take over. We like to think we have progressed so far that we are immune, but we never are. Awareness is a good thing.
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Karnubawax Aug 20, 2006 at 9:20 PM

Great page, Andy! I've always thought Manzanar was a really special place, and that it's important to see and come to terms with the ugly parts of our past.