PILGRIMAGE: Limited seating still available on bus to 45th Annual Manzanar Pilgrimage from Los Angeles.
LOS ANGELES — UCLA Kyodo Taiko will perform at the 45th Annual Manzanar Pilgrimage, sponsored by the Manzanar Committee, scheduled for 12:00 PM PDT on Saturday, April 26, 2014, at the Manzanar National Historic Site, located on US Highway 395 in California’s Owens Valley, between the towns of Lone Pine and Independence, approximately 230 miles north of Los Angeles (see map below).
Each year, over 1,000 people from diverse backgrounds, including students, teachers, community members, clergy and former incarcerees attend the Pilgrimage, which commemorates the unjust imprisonment of over 110,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry in ten American concentration camps, located in the most desolate, isolated regions of the United States. Manzanar was the first of these camps to be established.
UCLA Kyodo Taiko, the first collegiate taiko group in North America, was founded in 1990, and made its debut at the Opening Ceremony of the University of California, Los Angeles’ commemoration of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Japanese American Internment, which was held in 1992.
Led by 2013-14 directors Kayla Asato and Eric Briggs, UCLA Kyodo Taiko is comprised entirely of UCLA students. They have performed annually at local K-12 schools, Nisei Week, Los Angeles Tofu Festival and the Lotus Festival in Los Angeles, the Intercollegiate Taiko Invitational, during halftime at UCLA basketball games, as well as the First Annual USA Sumo Open, in addition to many other campus, community and private events.
UCLA Kyodo Taiko has also become a fertile training ground for those who wish to continue with taiko after their college careers end, as many Kyodo alumni have become members of professional taiko groups, including Nishikaze Taiko Ensemble, TaikoProject and Progressive Taiko (Prota).
The afternoon Pilgrimage program will feature speakers, including keynote speaker Professor Eileen Tamura of the University of Hawai’i, the traditional interfaith service, and Ondo dancing.
The Sue Kunitomi Embrey Legacy Award will be presented to Dr. Arthur A. Hansen of California State University, Fullerton, and educator Mas Okui.
In addition to the daytime program, the popular Manzanar At Dusk program follows that same evening, from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM, at the Lone Pine High School auditorium, located at 538 South Main Street (US Highway 395), in Lone Pine, nine miles south of the Manzanar National Historic Site, across the street from McDonald’s (see map below).
Manzanar At Dusk is co-sponsored by the Nikkei Student Unions at Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Long Beach, Cal Poly 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 be able to interact with former incarcerees, and/or their relatives, to hear their stories, to share their own experiences, and discuss the relevance of the concentration camp experience to present-day events and issues.
The Manzanar Committee has also announced that limited seats are still available on their bus to the Pilgrimage from Los Angeles. For further information, or to make a reservation, call (323) 662-5102, or send e-mail to 45thpilgrimage@manzanarcommittee.org. The non-refundable fare is $40.00 per seat, $30.00 for students and seniors. Complimentary fares are available for those who were incarcerated at any of the former American concentration camps or other confinement sites during World War II.
Those wishing to attend the Manzanar At Dusk program that evening should make other transportation arrangements.
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). Water will be provided at the Pilgrimage.
Both the daytime program and the Manzanar At Dusk event are free and open to the public.
For more information, check the Manzanar Committee’s official blog at http://manzanarcommittee.org, call (323) 662-5102, or send e-mail to 45thpilgrimage@manzanarcommittee.org.
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 non-profit 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. You can also follow the Manzanar Commitee on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube.
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LEAD PHOTO: UCLA Kyodo Taiko, shown here during the 44th Annual Manzanar Pilgrimage on April 27, 2013, will open the 45th Annual Manzanar Pilgrimage on April 26, 2014, at the Manzanar National Historic Site. Photo: Gann Matsuda/Manzanar Committee.
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