Exodus to the Eastside - Manzana concentration camp

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JerryA

Mountain climber

Sacramento,CA

Sep 24, 2014 - 07:56am PT

Camp Antelope CPS #37 for conscientous objectors was established in 1942 at Coleville on Hwy.395 and the West Walker River . The founders of the Pacifica Foundation which started Berkeley's KPFA were interned there.The camp was closed in 1946.

Batrock

Trad climber

Burbank

Sep 24, 2014 - 08:11am PT

I work for the Los Angeles City Fire Department, and have for the past 27 years. While working at a station in East Los Angeles my captain at the time was Japanese and while getting to know him I found out that his father and grandparents were interned at Manzanar. He described stories his father and grandfather told him as a child about living in the camp. His father was very young and described being in the camp like being at camp and a big adventure and actually had fond memories of Manzanar. His grandfather however had memories that were not as pleasant. His grandfather lost his home and business and it turned his life upside down. My captain told me his grandfather never spoke ill of the experience though he knew his grandfather was deeply affected by it. His grandfather instead chose to tell stories of "sneaking out" of the camp and heading into the Sierra's to fish for days at a time. He said the guards would simply look the other way and knew what was going on and that they would be back in a few days.

I was always impressed with how little resentment his father and grandfather had and how quickly they rebuilt their lives back in San Pedro after their release. My captain always brings his kids to Manzanar on their way to the Sierra's on their annual fishing trips to remind his kids what their grandparents and great grandparents went through.

Fat Dad

Trad climber

Los Angeles, CA

Sep 24, 2014 - 01:25pm PT

Some mentioned Fred Korematus upthread. As an interesting and sad footnote to the internments camps is that prior to the deportations, the U.S. Supreme court in the Korematsu and Kobayashi decisions determined that Japanese Americans did not pose a threat to the war effort.