Monument at cemetery
Manzanar - Originally a Native American village and later a ranching and farming community, Manzanar was one of 10 camps where Japanese Americans were relocated during World War II. Anti-Japanese prejudice, wartime hysteria, and politics contributed to an Executive Order signed by President Roosevelt that led to the forced internment in Relocation Centers of all people of Japanese ancestry. These centers were located in isolated areas - most in desert settings like Owens Valley. Living conditions were barely tolerable; barracks, barbed wire, and guardhouses were the prominent features. Construction of the camp began in 1942, and Manzanar stayed in use until late in 1945. More than 10,000 people, most American citizens, were interned here. All that remains today of this recent past are a few remnant orchards, rock gardens and concrete foundations, a commemorative monument built in the cemetery in 1943, and a stone guardhouse with a pagoda-style roof marking the entrance. The Manzanar War Relocation Center was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, and is one of the most recent additions to our National Park system.


Remains of relocation camp