Manzanar

MANZANAR

Official name: Manzanar Relocation Center Location: Manzanar, California
Coordinates: 36.73° N, 118.15° W size OF CAMP: 6,000 acres
Opening date: June 1, 1942 Peak population: 10,046
Date of peak: September 22, 1942 Closing date: November 21, 1945

Manzanar was located in central California, approximately 225 miles northeast of Los Angeles. Those incarcerated at Manzanar faced cold, wet weather in winter and arid, dry desert summers. Manzanar initially served as a temporary “reception center,” but on June 1, 1942 transitioned to become one of the official ten War Relocation Authority (WRA) camps. The December 1942 Manzanar strike showcased tensions within the camp between those in the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) and its opponents. The widespread mainstream media coverage of the Manzanar strike fueled anti-Japanese American sentiment roughly one year after Pearl Harbor.