8th Annual Sue Kunitomi Embrey Student Awards Program for K-12 Students

LOS ANGELES – On December 4, the Manzanar Committee announced their Eighth Annual Sue Kunitomi Embrey Student Awards Program, a creative works program in which K-12 students may submit essays, short stories, poetry, works of art, including drawings, collages, posters, and works involving technology, including animation, podcasts, movies, or videos.

The awards program, named after the late chair of the Manzanar Committee who was one of the founders of the annual Manzanar Pilgrimage and was the driving force behind the creation of the Manzanar National Historic Site, recognizes students who demonstrate an understanding of the guiding principles of social justice in today’s society. The Awards Program honors the accomplishments and insights the student has applied to his/her life.

“The Sue Kunitomi Embrey Student Awards Program is an opportunity for students to explore and learn about history and events that are often not taught in schools, such as the unjust incarceration of Japanese Americans in American concentration camps during World War II,” said Janet Fujii of the Manzanar Committee. “As students become more educated about these issues, they begin to see the connections to their own lives. As they make these connections, we hope that they will consider what actions they can take now, and in the future, to address these social justice issues.”

K-12 students may participate by submitting creative works depicting their understanding of the impact of the World War II American concentration camps, the efforts of the 442nd Infantry/100th Battalion, the Japanese American draft resisters, or their awareness of today’s climate of racial profiling, racism, immigration issues, and social justice concerns, whether it be a written product (essay, short story, poetry), a visual arts product (painting, drawing, collage, poster, etc.), or a technology-based product (podcast, public service announcement, movie, video, or recordings etc.).

Winning entrants will receive up to $100.00, and their work will be recognized during the Manzanar Pilgrimage, and may be published in the Pilgrimage program, on the Manzanar Committee’s web site (https://manzanarcommittee.org), in the Sue Kunitomi Embrey Student Awards printed program, and in the Manzanar Committee’s newsletter, the Manzanar Messenger. The Manzanar Committee will determine the final award amounts.

All submissions must be postmarked no later than February 23, 2023. Winners will be contacted shortly after that date.

Click here to download the Program information and application forms.

For more information, send e-mail to ske-awards@manzanarcommittee.org or call (323) 662-5102.

The Manzanar Committee, sponsor of the annual Manzanar Pilgrimage and Manzanar At Dusk program, the youth education project, Katari: Keeping Japanese American Stories Alive, and their annual Sue Kunitomi Embrey Student Awards Program, 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.

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LEAD PHOTO: Some of the winners of the Fifth Annual Manzanar Committee Student Awards Program. Photo by Jason Fujii/Manzanar Committee.

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