The traditional role call of camps is an annual tradition during the Manzanar Pilgrimage.
LOS ANGELES — “Kodomo No Tame Ni: For the Sake of the Children/Liberty and Justice for All” is the theme of the 47th Annual Manzanar Pilgrimage, sponsored by the Manzanar Committee, which will be held on April 30 at the Manzanar National Historic Site.
Each year, more than 1,000 people from all walks of life attend the Manzanar Pilgrimage, including students, teachers, community members, clergy and former incarcerees. Planning is under way for the afternoon event as well as for the Manzanar at Dusk program, scheduled that same evening.
Manzanar at Dusk is co-sponsored by the Nikkei Student Unions at California State University, Long Beach; California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; the University of California, Los Angeles; and the University of California, San Diego.
Through a creative presentation, small group discussions and an open mic session, Manzanar at Dusk participants will have the opportunity to learn about the experiences of those incarcerated in the camps. Participants will also interact with former incarcerees in attendance to hear their personal stories, share their own experiences and discuss the relevance of the concentration camp experience to present-day events and issues.
Pilgrimage participants are advised to bring their own lunch, drinks and snacks, as there are no facilities to purchase food at the Manzanar National Historic Site (restaurants and fast food outlets are located in Lone Pine and Independence, which are nearby). Water will be provided at the site.
Both the Manzanar Pilgrimage and the Manzanar at Dusk programs are free and open to the public.
The Manzanar Committee is dedicated to educating and raising public awareness about the incarceration and violation of civil rights of persons of Japanese ancestry during World War II and to the continuing struggle of all peoples when Constitutional rights are in danger.
A nonprofit organization that has sponsored the annual Manzanar Pilgrimage since 1969, along with other educational programs, the Manzanar Committee has also played a key role in the establishment and continued development of the Manzanar National Historic Site.
The Manzanar Pilgrimage will begin at Noon, and the Manzanar at Dusk program will commence from 5-8 p.m.
Further details about the Pilgrimage and the Manzanar at Dusk program, including bus transportation from the Los Angeles area, will be announced at a later date.
The Manzanar National Historic Site is located on U.S. Highway 395 in California’s Owens Valley, between the towns of Lone Pine and Independence, approximately 230 miles North of Los Angeles.
For more information about the Manzanar Pilgrimage, call (323) 662-5102 or e-mail 47thpilgrimage@manzanarcommittee.org.
