Crowd shot looking west towards the Manzanar cemetery and the Eastern Sierras during the 48th annual Manzanar Pilgrimage, April 29, 2017, at the Manzanar National Historic Site. (Photo by Gann Matsuda/Manzanar Committee)

“Upholding Democracy and Constitutional Rights for All: No More Concentration Camps” is the theme for the 52nd annual Manzanar Pilgrimage, which will be held online on Saturday, April 24, at 12 p.m.

The 2021 Manzanar at Dusk program will also be held online in the hours following the Manzanar Pilgrimage.

Manzanar was the first of the American concentration camps in which more than 120,000 Japanese Americans and their immigrant parents were unjustly incarcerated during World War II.

Under normal circumstances, more than 1,000 people from all walks of life attend the Manzanar Pilgrimage each year, including students, teachers, community members, clergy and former incarcerees. Planning is already under way for this year’s online program.

Like last year, the COVID-19 pandemic will prevent the Manzanar Committee from sponsoring the traditional live program at the Manzanar National Historic Site. As such, this year’s program will be a “Virtual Manzanar Pilgrimage,” to be released on the committee’s website, YouTube channel, and on the committee’s Facebook page.

Likewise, Manzanar at Dusk, which was cancelled last year, will also he held online. The program is co-sponsored by the Nikkei Student Unions at CSU Fullerton, CSU Long Beach, California State Polytechnic University Pomona, UCLA, UC Riverside, and UC San Diego.

Further details about the Manzanar Pilgrimage and Manzanar at Dusk will be announced at a later date.

For more information, call (323) 662-5102 or send email to 52ndpilgrimage@manzanarcommittee.org.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *