Living reminders of Japanese American internment at Manzanar face new threats from coronavirus.
The orchards planted in the 1920s around the old town of Manzanar have faced drought,Still, they survived, reminders of what happened here, site of the nation’s most famous internment camp.
“I haven’t seen blight here in a while,” said Goto, 35, the arborist in charge of protecting the orchards from myriad forces that work against them in the harsh eastern Mojave Desert.The problem puts a knot in Goto’s jaw. And his job has been more difficult amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. With the closure of the Manzanar National Historic Site, Goto’s work schedule was cut back from five days a week to three days.
Suematsu’s memories of Manzanar have faded with time. But he told Masters that he still remembers the pear trees that stood near what was known as “children’s village.” He was 7 years old when he arrived at Manzanar, and the orchards marked the seasons and came to stand as living symbols of perseverance.
“The pear I took down was delicious, but the cod liver oil was horrible, and I’ll never forget that,” he recalled with a laugh. Among the many annual pilgrims is Suematsu, who never heads home without a bagful of ripe pears picked just for him by Manzanar staffers.“The last batch you gave me was delicious,” he said during his two-hour interview with Masters. “I ate every single one without having to look forward to a spoonful of cod liver oil.”
As a result, many residents of Manzanar sold their properties and relocated, and by 1934 LADWP terminated irrigation of the orchards.Under the care of skilled Japanese American horticulturists interned at the camp, the fruit trees were revived and produced an abundance of apple, pear, peach and other fruits for harvest.
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