Restored ballfield to memorialize the resilience and determination of Japanese citizens who were incarcerated during World War II.
LPA Design Studios recently donated $10,000 along with in-kind design services for the restoration of a baseball diamond at the Manzanar National Historic Site in Owens Valley, California. The original baseball field, constructed by Japanese American citizens incarcerated at Manzanar during World War II, provided a popular pastime for those confined during the largest mass incarceration in American history.
"The goal of this project is to bring attention to a lesser-known, yet profoundly significant event in our nation’s past,” says Stephanie Matsuda-Strand, a project designer at LPA. “Recreating this joyful aspect of a dark and painful time serves as a reminder of the resilience and determination of the people who were forced to live there."
Manzanar was one of 10 WWII internment camps in desolate locations around the country where more than 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry were unjustly imprisoned by the U.S. government.
Faced with hardship and discrimination, baseball provided a sense of normalcy, pride, and a means for the Japanese Americans to express their identity as Americans. Teams emerged within each camp, spawning numerous leagues and attracting thousands of spectators. For many, life without baseball would have been insufferable.
The goal of this project is to bring attention to a lesser-known, yet profoundly significant event in our nation’s past. Recreating this joyful aspect of a dark and painful time serves as a reminder of the resilience and determination of the people who were forced to live there.” — Stephanie Matsuda-Strand, LPA Project Designer
Matsuda-Strand and LPA Director of Landscape Architecture Kari Kikuta, who has familial ties to Manzanar, became involved in the project through an LPA client and AAPI ambassador, Dr. Kim Lawe, an educator. The duo secured a grant of $10,000 and 40 hours of pro-bono design work through LPA for Change, the firm’s social impact initiative. They also enlisted builder Telacu to join the team.
The allocated funds will facilitate the restoration of the field to its original wartime configuration, including the reconstruction of bleachers, the backstop, and the announcer’s booth, along with field preparation expenses. Telacu will contribute labor and equipment to facilitate the restoration process.
Construction on the revitalized field is scheduled to commence in June, with an inaugural doubleheader set for Sept. 21. The games will feature players from the Japanese American baseball leagues of California, including the Li'l Tokio Giants and the Lodi JACL Templars, the two longest continuously active teams in California, and a North vs. South All-Star Game. Participants will wear custom-made 1940s-style uniforms and use vintage equipment.
The event is “the first of its kind” to utilize sports as a conduit to educate the public about an important yet often-overlooked chapter of American history, according to event organizers.
Watch a Video on the Restoration
Top Photo: Ansel Adams, Library of Congress
