Manzanar was one of ten concentration camps, and one of many detention facilities, where Japanese Americans were forcefully confined following Executive Order 9066 and the establishment of a War Exclusion Zone. Issei (first-generation) were excluded from citizenship and owning property due to racist and exploitative laws. Their children, Nissei (second-generation), were American citizens by birth, but were still subject to the military-run, race-based incarceration.
After the War, Reverends Sentoku Mayeda and Shoichi Wakahiro made annual pilgrimages to Manzanar to pay respects to the approximately 200 individuals who died in camp. In 1969, a group of largely Sansei students, children of camp survivors, journeyed to Manzanar, deepening their understanding of their history and awakening their political consciousness. Many would go on to be part of the Redress Movement and be involved with community-based work.
The Manzanar Pilgrimage continues to this day, with many organizations and individuals participating. This video is a compilation of footage from the pilgrimage organized by the Florin Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League and includes personal stories from five camp survivors, who were young children at the time of their incarceration.
Media Attributions:
Video footage is from Saturday, April 29-30th, 2023, taken by myself.
The score consists of original music that I composed and recorded.
There is also a short clip of a performance by UCLA's Kyodo Taiko.