In Their Words

The only way to truly live this pilgrimage is through the perspectives of the pilgrims themselves. Here is a collection of quotes from some of the formerly interned pilgrims and others that I spoke to along the journey:


“My first trip really changed my life.”
--Sachiko Takita-Ishi, visiting sociology professor Stanford University


“It’s a great honor to be here. I think we’re all here for a good reason. To pay tribute to the courage and the sacrifices of the Japanese American community. In the Forties, they had to pay a price to ensure that the Civil Liberties of ALL Americans were protected. We owe them so much, we owe them a great debt and we’re all here to pay that tribute to them. But we’re also here to remember the sad and dark chapter in American history. A chapter that many have tried to erase, to make us forget, to make it seem like it didn’t happen. I think by being here, by remembering it, our goal is not to dwell on the past, but rather to make sure that it never happens again.”
--Hussan Ayloush, executive director of the Southern California Council on American Islamic Relations

“Had it not been for the Manzanar Committee, the Manzanar pilgrimage, and their moving spirit, Sue Kunitomi Embrey, the Redress Movement, though it no doubt would have materialized, it almost certainly would have been substantially delayed and have showed a quite different coloration and character.”

“A pilgrimage is not a vacation. It is a transformational journey during which significant changes take place. New insights are given, deeper understanding is obtained, new and old places in the heart are visited. Blessings are received and healing takes place.”
--Keynote speaker Dr. Art Hansen, professor of Asian American Studies California State University, Fullerton

“For us, coming out here, it energizes us because we see how wrong it is. Even now, the fight continues.”
--Mickie Okamoto, president UCLA Nikkei Student Union

“We all may think the same and see the same, but we’re all going to leave here with different things: different thoughts, different experiences, different ways to continue the legacy.”
--Stacy Iwata, president UCSD Nikkei Student Union

“The pilgrimage itself allows you to explore something else. In the beginning, it wasn’t about demanding restitution. It always focused on the need to defend the constitution. Now more than ever, we’re seeing an attack on the fundamental aspects of the constitution. If we don’t stand up…make the case why this shouldn’t happen to any group. We’re the best equipped to do so. This community has the moral authority and the responsibility to stand up.”
--Bruce Embrey, Manzanar Committee member

“To walk through here, all of these thoughts come to your mind. Stream-of-consciousness some people would call it. But how come it’s so goddamn different from what you normally think about? The spirits are talking to you. That’s the way I interpret it. It’s a way of getting back in touch with our ancestors. My mother suffered real bad because of camp and I’m pissed off about that. I’m angry. Fuck all that forgive and forget. My thing is you have to fight to make sure it doesn’t happen. We are not going to forget.”
--Community activist Mo Nishida, former Granada internee