Yosemite and More

 I recently visited the Manzanar Japanese Relocation Camp on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada in Owens Valley. While I knew a little bit about it I have to say it was an eye opening experience. The wind blowing off of the mountains added to what life must have been like.  Imagine going to your new home and seeing this. Eight guard towers and five line barbed wire. I'll bet it felt more like this. There were 11,700 people detained here from 3/21/1942 (just 3 months after Pearl Harbor) in 36 Blocks with 14 Barracks each. The buildings had tar paper for siding with little regard for personal space or ethnic subtleties.  The people where allowed only to take what they could carry.  Many lost their homes, farms, wealth and health Don't forget these were individuals Their lifestyle, food and language were different than those who  planned and incarcerated them. Communal dining and barracks were the standard. Later if you had a family of four or more you were allo...