Press Release 4/24/03

Press Release: November 8, 2003

Thirty-Fifth Annual Pilgrimage to Manzanar
Set for Saturday, April 24, 2004

The 35th annual Pilgrimage to Manzanar will be held on Saturday, April 24, 2004, the Manzanar Committee announced this week. The Grand Opening of the Visitor's Center and Park headquarters will also be held in conjunction with the annual event.

"We are pleased that the Grand Opening will be held at our annual pilgrimage as other official events have taken place during our pilgraimages," said Committee Chairperson, Sue Embrey.

Manzanar is located approximately 200 miles north of Los Angeles on Highway 395. During World War II, it was a U.S. Government run internment camp for 10,000 persons of Japanese ancestry. Eighty percent of the internees came from Los angeles County.

Congress established Manzanar as a National Historic Site on Februrary 19, 1992, the 50h anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066 by President Franklin Roosevelt, authorizing the military to remove 110,000 men, women and children of Japanese ancestry living on the west coast, two-thirds of whom were American citizens.

Manzanar is under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service which has been doing restoration and maintenance of the site since it was transferred in 1997 to the Department of the Interior by the City of Los Angeles, Department of Water and Power, which owned the land.

In the tradition begun by the Manzanar Committee to "Raise the Banner" and honor the various camps, former internees of Manzanar will be honored in conjunction with the Grand Opening.

The Manzanar Committee is a nonprofit all volunteer organization that depends on community support to carry on its yearly pilgrimages. A commemorative 35th anniversary t-shirt and notecards are being designed to raise funds. Additional contributions may be sent to the Manzanar Committee, 1566 Curran Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026. Click on www.manzanarcommittee.org or write to sueke[at]msn[dot]com for further information and update.