Manzanar National Historic Site
When I visited Manzanar Internment Camp in March, I went out of curiosity. I thought it was a place I should visit and check off. But once I stepped in there, started reading about the circumstances, and what daily life was like, I got emotional in a way I didn’t expect myself to be. The photo above, for me, will forever remind me of those emotions, of the unjustness, the sadness, the anger that I felt at that place.
What I Learned:
120k Japanese American people were forcefully relocated with little warning into various camps around the west.
There were about a dozen graves in the graveyard. There were more deaths during the internment, but most were relocated after the war. The ones that remain weren’t.
There were larger graves and smaller graves, that latter of which were probably for children.
The buildings that still stand, including the guard tower, were reconstructed and are not originals.
As I read the tragic details, I could hear myself imagine the conservatives argue in my head about how it was fair and it was understandable given “the times”. I don’t see much difference between this and how we treat illegal immigrant families at the borders.
Hike Review:
There’s a driving trail that is mostly paved with stops at various points of interest.
I probably walked half a mile at the various stops. All the walking is flat, with no elevation changes.
Due to COVID, the visitor center building was closed. Various building’s interiors were also closed to visitors.
I really want to come back here with the girls and explain to them why this happened and how we’re slowly moving towards a more equal society.