A crowd of over 2,500 gathered this year for the 56th Annual Manzanar Pilgrimage to call for the defense of Truth, Justice and Democracy.
Our day program included power statements from our MCs Glen Kitayama and Seia Watanabe, Jeremiah Joseph of the Lone Pine Paiute Shoshone tribe, Superintendent Jeremy Scheier of the National Park Service, Bruce Embrey Chair of Manzanar Committee, keynote speaker Satsuki Ina of Tsuru for Solidarity, CAIR representative Ramsey Judah and student speaker from the Katari program Jillian Stineman. They shared why the history of unconstitutional incarceration of Japanese and Japanese Americans during WWII is more important than ever.
Speakers called for the repeal of repressive, racist laws including the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 and McCarran Walter Act of 1952, which are being used again today to detain people without due process. They further explained that reimagining our democracy will require more than confronting our past — that we must repair it as well.
Manzanar Committee and others called for reparations for the Black community, land and treaty rights for all Indigenous people, the passage of just, humane immigration laws and an end to genocidal violence in Gaza.
We honored Rex Takahashi for his leadership in crafting the language with Sue Kunitomi Embrey and Jim Matsuoka for the 1972 plaque currently located at the entrance of Manzanar National Historic Site.
Our pilgrimage also commemorated all those who were born or children during camp, including Satsuki Ina, Pat Sakamoto and Dale Kunitomi and the day program finished with a powerful interfaith service at the cemetery to remember those lives lost during incarceration.
Thanks to our incredible cultural performances from Ken Koshio, UCLA Kyodo Taiko, and Bonbu Stories.
Our evening program, Manzanar At Dusk (MAD), had a huge showing of over 350 students from a dozen universities across California.
Thanks to all our committee members, volunteers, and NPS staff who made this such a successful event.
We are reminded now more than ever of the importance of standing up for truth, justice and democracy. We hope that you will join us.
Manzanar Committee 
I am honored to be the recipient of this year’s Sue Kunitomi Embrey Award. I do so knowing I am just a representative of the hundreds of people who moved the ideas of the Asian American Movement forward to today. I had a small role in a large movement. Jim Matsuoka and Sue Kunitomi Embrey put their trust in me and so richly added to my understanding of the world. In the same way the mentors of Katari are providing transformative experiences to the students of the Nikkei Clubs and Student Unions. As stated in the Manzanar Committee’s Poetry Collection, “Keep It Going, Pass It On”. -Rex Takahashi-