The Diamond at Manzanar - Controversy in the Desert

By David Marasco

This past Memorial Day weekend the nation unveiled the WWII monument in Washington D.C. While everyone agreed that "The Greatest Generation" deserves tribute, the choice was not without controversy. Some felt that the new monument was too dominant, that it broke up the space that ran from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial. Many countered that WWII was such a watershed event in our country's history that a major alteration to the Washington Mall was appropriate. WWII is recent enough in our national memory that interpretations still stir strong emotions. From the new monument to the Enola Gay exhibit at the Smithsonian, many battles have been fought over how we look at our own history. One of the issues that is raging right now concerns the baseball diamond at the Manzanar Relocation Camp.

In the days and months that followed the bombing of Pearl Harbor, fear of a Japanese invasion gripped the West Coast of America. The 110,000 citizens of Japanese decent who lived in the West were viewed as possible traitors. As a result, FDR signed Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942. This condemned all persons of Japanese descent on the mainland to a war behind barbed wire, courtesy of Uncle Sam. They were sent to ten relocation camps across the country. As inmates, the Japanese and Japanese-Americans faced many emotional challenges: the shame and anger of being labeled as traitors, the indignity of being prisoners in "the land of the free", and the coping with the everyday boredom of camp life. Many turned to baseball to help solve their problems.

Baseball was a large part of the Japanese-American culture. Recent immigrants had played the game in Japan and those born in the US picked up balls and bats just like their Irish and German counterparts on the East Coast. Every large city on the West Coast had its own league, and California's Central Valley was a hotbed of activity in the years leading up to WWII. Once they reached the camps, community leaders pushed for the construction of baseball fields. The film Diamonds in the Rough: Zeni and the Legacy of Japanese-American Baseball tells the story of Kenichi Zenimura, who built an amazing field at Gila River in Arizona. But Zenimura wasn't alone, there was a "Zeni" at every camp. At Amache in Colorado, my grandfather spearheaded the effort to build a diamond. The photo below shows a game being played on his field. How important was this pastime? A popular children's book on Internment sums up the feelings of many: Baseball Saved Us.

Photo courtesy of the Harold S. Jacoby Nisei Collection, used with the permission of the Holt-Atherton Department of Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library

By the end of 1944 the war situation had changed, and it was clear that a Japanese invasion was no longer a credible threat. The camps started to close and the internees spread across the US. My grandfather left his baseball field for New York City because it had three teams. He would watch the Dodgers, Giants and Yankees, witnessing one of baseball's "Golden Eras", including Willie Mays' catch in the 1954 World Series. The camps decayed back into the deserts from which they had sprung. Over time, Internment came to be viewed as a sad episode in our country's history. One of the chief architects, liberal Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren, once recounted his feelings, "I have since deeply regretted the removal order and my own testimony advocating it, because it was not in keeping with our American concept of freedom and the rights of citizens. Whenever I thought of the innocent little children who were torn from home, school friends and congenial surroundings, I was conscience-stricken." After years of pressure from the Japanese-American community, the American government made an effort to make things right. The Civil Liberties Act of 1988 granted each victim $20,000 and a signed apology from the President of the United States.

The Manzanar National Historic Site is run by the National Parks Service in order to tell the story of Internment. There is an interpretation center and a 3-mile self-guided auto tour for the visitors who travel the over 200 miles from LA to see the camp. There were nearly 60,000 visitors in 2003. What the site does not feature is a ballpark. Activists like Steven Kluger feel that the Internment experience cannot be understood without one. More than that, due to the symbolic role that baseball played in the camps, the restoration of the diamond would be an important part of America's coming to terms with Internment.

We interviewed Kluger and he expanded on his position, "Issuing a public apology, paying out a reparations check, and building a memorial were gestures that, together, constituted the very least the U.S. government owed these people and their families. However, in order to effect real closure--a metaphoric hug, so to speak--it's necessary to go one extra mile so that those injured realize that the apology is genuine and not merely for the sake of public relations. The baseball diamonds at Manzanar and the other nine federal 'relocation camps' comprised the very heart of the internment experience for most of the surviving internees. Baseball, in fact, was the only aspect of the lives they'd led before their Constitution was taken away that they were allowed to keep with them during their three years behind barbed wire. To rebuild the baseball diamond at Manzanar is to thank them for retaining their faith in this country, even when they had no reason to do so. THAT'S an apology."

Frank Hayes is the Superintendent at Manzanar. He was willing to discuss the National Park Service's position on the diamonds. "The National Park Service (NPS) evaluated the preservation needs of and potential for restoration/reconstruction of a baseball diamond and other cultural landscape features (historic structures, historic orchards, stone gardens, etc) at Manzanar National Historic Site. This integrated approach requires the NPS to evaluate all of the issues associated with the management of the cultural landscape (for example the current condition of landscape features, preservation requirements of existing historic resources, available human resources, funding, safety, interpretation goals, visitor services, etc). This process results in a management document called a Cultural Landscape Report (CLR). Manzanar's CLR will be available for public review in Fall 2004."

"After careful consideration of a number of potential preservation/restoration/reconstruction projects, the NPS recommends that the focus of the management of landscape features at Manzanar be on preserving existing historic features. Many of those existing features are in need of stabilization and preservation treatments to ensure their long term existence."

"The NPS also recommends that there be no additional reconstructions outside of those already publicly reviewed and approved in Manzanar's General Management Plan (GMP). The GMP calls for the reconstruction of barracks, mess hall and latrine buildings in a demonstration block and for the reconstruction of 1 of 8 guard towers. The GMP did not call for the reconstruction of other landscape features."

"A number of reasons lie behind the recommendation not to reconstruct additional landscape features, including:"

"A great deal of effort and resources are required just to preserve existing landscape features. Indeed, the backlog of preservation needs is enough to keep the staff at Manzanar busy for many years. Funding/staff spent on reconstructions or managing activities associated with reconstructions would be diverted from efforts to preserve existing landscape features."

"Remnants of the historic baseball field can be seen to park visitors. One of the NPS's primary missions is to preserve 'real' things for future generations to experience. A reconstructed baseball field would essentially destroy existing historic resources-and would be an imitation rather than the real historic resources a visitor can already see."

"The NPS has strict guidelines for the management of cultural resources. Reconstruction is considered only when missing features have been identified as essential to tell the history of a site. As mentioned above, the park's GMP called for the reconstruction of only a few major landscape features considered essential to tell the history of Manzanar. Major efforts will be required to reconstruct and maintain the landscape features already identified in the GMP."

While Superintendent Hayes supports the decision to not restore the baseball field, he certainly realizes that baseball was a fact of life at Manzanar and is eager to integrate that into the National Park Service's account of Internment.

"We are happy to work with those who have an interest baseball and other facets of Manzanar's history to preserve both the site and its stories. For instance, we would be pleased to find a partner to sponsor baseball games for both the local and Japanese American communities at existing fields in surrounding communities. There are two baseball fields within a ten minute drive of Manzanar National Historic Site in the towns of Lone Pine and Independence. We are eager to make contact with former internees and others with connections to baseball in the camps for our oral history program. We also have an education program that profiles individual's experiences in small booklets distributed free of charge to schools across the U.S. Baseball stories would certainly help students today to relate to the experiences of former internees. It is likely that proponents of reconstruction could provide valuable assistance and resources in preserving and telling the baseball stories."

"I, like yourself, recognize the paramount importance in the re-creation of a historical site such as the baseball diamond at Manzanar. No one can question how imperative the game was to those incarcerated. On that count alone, every effort needs to be made to exhibit it to the public."

"I am not sure that Frank Hayes's argument, that of maintaining the baseball site as it was, holds much water. Many historical sites, both at the federal and state level, have been "touched up" for the sake of presentation. The Gettysburg site, Appomattax Court House, Arlington House, Ford's Theater have all been reworked (and Ford's Theater continues to be an active playhouse). Moreover, the Ohio State Historical Society continues to feature a mid-nineteenth century baseball field with occasional games played by rules of that era."

"I certainly apprciate the desire to maintain the authenticity of the site. Whatever can be saved, should be saved. But the more important concern is maintaining its historical significance. And if touching up the site for the sake of a living and breathing field achieves that end, then I say "start digging." For what it is worth, that is my opinion."

Robert Nishihara, a longtime writer for The Diamond Angle, lends his opinion and insight to the discussion:

"Regarding the restoration of the baseball diamond, I am in a certain level of agreement with Mr. Hayes of the park service. A brand new baseball diamond would seem oddly in contrast to the rest of the historical surroundings. However, given that this chapter of history is something that this country rarely speaks of and likes to draw as little publicity to as possible, it also wouldn't surprise me if drawing even more attention to the patriotism (via a baseball diamond) of those so wrongly treated under false suspicion of disloyalty is something that the many at the national level would like to avoid."

"In terms of what those interned would like to see, I have no idea. I do know that they are very proud people who do not like to talk about that period of time at all. Revisiting the subject is extremely painful for these people and I doubt a baseball field in a place that most of the them would just as soon never, ever go back to visit would do much in the way of easing any of that pain."

"Perhaps, a more fitting tribute to the Japanese-American love of baseball would be the exposure of the names of true Japanese-American baseball pioneers to a wider social audience. If a new baseball diamond is to be created, let it be one in a heavily populated area and named after one of those Japanese-American pioneers. Hold tournaments in that person's name at the field with teams of all races competing. Pass out programs with the history of Japanese-American baseball (including the baseball played in the camps) included in its covers. Pregame festivities could further celebrate the tradition of the game in Japanese-American culture... Let us build on that legacy rather than trying to force a ballfield in place that stirs so much pain for so many."

Robert brings some strong points to the table. My grandfather had a large bookshelf devoted to Internment literature. He felt that it was his duty to support research and writing on the topic. But he never read a single page. It was simply too painful for him to go back to Internment. If the baseball field that he built was restored, I don't think we would have been able to convince him to be present at the unveiling. This raises another important question; who is the Manzanar site for? The Vietnam Memorial was quite clearly for the men who returned without a parade. Are the restorations at Manzanar for the former internees, who as Robert points out most likely won't ever return, or for future generations, so that we will never forget? I suspect it is more the second case; my grandmother is 91 and my grandfather has been dead for 15 years. As time passes, the mission of Manzanar will have to shift. With this in mind a baseball field will serve as a strong reminder of the patriotism of the internees.

My personal opinion is that baseball has to be part of the story. I've visited the "Field of Dreams" in Iowa and seen people embrace the role that baseball plays in the American cultural landscape. Something similar at Manzanar would be a strong statement. However, as a scientist I am sympathetic with those who don't want to disturb the original site. I don't know if much can be learned by historians at the old ballfield, but given the time I've put into trying to grow thin films on ultra-clean crystals, I can understand the desire to not contaminate anything. Although Dr. Regalado points to the restoration of other historical sites, I believe that the precedent has been set by Civil War re-enactors. They celebrate their heritage and love of history, but are not allowed to do it on the historical battlefields. Instead they play war at sites close to the hallowed ground. The National Park Service should look into purchasing or using property in close proximity to the Manzanar site, and building a ballpark there. One of the effects of Internment was the development of a hyper-patriotism in the Japanese-American community. There would be no shortage of prospective Eagle Scouts who would be willing to donate time to the building of a new ballfield at Manzanar. Once again the sounds of baseball and hope could ring through the desert...

"Sometimes the ball would go through the fence. If we looked like we were going to go after it, the guards would point loaded rifles at us and yell at us to get back. I really resented being cooped up and not having the freedom to even chase a ball." - Amache resident Tom Shigekuni in Robert Harvey's Amache: The Story of Japanese Internment in Colorado During World War II