Life After Manzanar

Life After Manzanar examines the period following World War II when Japanese and Japanese Americans were released from incarceration camps. Often overlooked in historical accounts, this "Resettlement" period saw former internees attempt to rebuild their lives with minimal resources—typically twenty-five dollars and a one-way bus ticket. Some relocated to cities like Denver and Chicago to start anew, while others returned to Southern California, where they encountered significant discrimination and severe shortages of housing and employment. Using new and archival oral histories, editors Heather C. Lindquist and Naomi Hirahara present a narrative that documents the experiences of former internees in the postwar era, including both their struggles and achievements. The book also traces the activism that eventually led to redress and restitution, and how former internees built communities that continue to oppose racist policies today.