Manzanar Committee

Back in 2002, the Manzanar National Historic Site (a unit of the National Park Service) did an oral history with former Manzanar Committee chair Sue Kunitomi Embrey, one of the founders of the Manzanar Pilgrimage and the driving force behind the preservation of Manzanar and its development into a National Historic Site.

In this twelve-part oral history, Embrey discussed his family’s life and experiences in pre-World War II Los Angeles, their time behind the barbed wire at Manzanar and much more.

More specific details are provided for each clip (see below).

This oral history is ©2002, National Park Service. Used with permission. Our thanks to the staff at the Manzanar National Historic Site for providing this video for streaming from our blog and our YouTube channel.

Part 1 features Embrey talking about her life before imprisonment, her family, and the racism they faced.

In part 2, Embrey talks more about her family’s experiences prior to their imprisonment at Manzanar, including what happened in their community on December 7, 1941, as well as the rapid rise in the hysteria that led to the incarceration.

In part 3, Embrey discusses her family’s experiences prior to their imprisonment at Manzanar, including the FBI sweeping through her community, arresting community leaders and confiscating ‘contraband’ items. She also discusses Executive Order 9066 and the Munson Report.

Other segments of this oral history:
2002 Manzanar National Historic Site Oral History: Sue Kunitomi Embrey – Parts 4-6
2002 Manzanar National Historic Site Oral History: Sue Kunitomi Embrey – Parts 7-9
2002 Manzanar National Historic Site Oral History: Sue Kunitomi Embrey – Parts 10-12