Manzanar or the “apple orchard” was originally located in Owens Valley , near the Sierra Nevada Mountains
After the event of Pearl Harbor, all the Japanese, according to the Executive Order 9066, were sent to these camps. It was a really hard time for the Japanese that changed their life forever because of the crucial conditions set by the government.
The Relocation camps opened on June 1, 1942. Leaving behind their homes, freedom, and businesses, all the Japanese traveled in buses to Manzanar. The camp was made out of 36 blocks of barracks with 1-mile stretched out area along with one light bulb, and a small kitchen stove that barely worked. Inside the barracks was an empty floor with all torn down walls with lots of sand on the floor. The Japanese had to remodel their area to be a little comfortable to make a pretend feeling of home until better would come. There were the mess halls that consisted of everyday boring food serving 3 times daily. The rules were that you must finish all your food and were welcome to get more. Though no one was willing to eat even the food they had in front of them. At the beginning everything was hard and difficult and the Japanese got easily tired. But as years passed, a few things around thecamp started getting better. Men had an option for joining the army to fight for America which was known as the Treaty of Oath which later replaced locations of where families lived. When all the ballots were collected, there was a total of 442 soldiers who formed to fight against Japan.
After the event of Pearl Harbor, all the Japanese, according to the Executive Order 9066, were sent to these camps. It was a really hard time for the Japanese that changed their life forever because of the crucial conditions set by the government.
The Relocation camps opened on June 1, 1942. Leaving behind their homes, freedom, and businesses, all the Japanese traveled in buses to Manzanar. The camp was made out of 36 blocks of barracks with 1-mile stretched out area along with one light bulb, and a small kitchen stove that barely worked. Inside the barracks was an empty floor with all torn down walls with lots of sand on the floor. The Japanese had to remodel their area to be a little comfortable to make a pretend feeling of home until better would come. There were the mess halls that consisted of everyday boring food serving 3 times daily. The rules were that you must finish all your food and were welcome to get more. Though no one was willing to eat even the food they had in front of them. At the beginning everything was hard and difficult and the Japanese got easily tired. But as years passed, a few things around the
In keeping track of events around Manzanar, the Japanese American Citizens League formed a committee in which they could give orders to keep the camp in a set of rules. When the war ended, the government decided to close Manzanar and send all the Japanese back to their homes. Manzanar was closed at November 1945.
Pictures:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgmY2P-xT_Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_ZzAleT0Kc&feature=related
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