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| Landmark #934-3* | Los Angeles County | Visited: May 14, 2011 | Plaque? YES! 🙂 |
| What is it? | The horse racing track that was used to intern Japanese Americans during World War II! |
| What makes it historical? | THE GUIDE SAYS: The temporary detention camps (also known as “assembly centers”) represent the first phase of the mass incarceration of 97,785 Californians of Japanese ancestry during World War II. Pursuant to Executive Order 9066 signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942, thirteen makeshift detention facilities were constructed at various California racetracks, fairgrounds, and labor camps. These facilities were intended to confine Japanese Americans until more permanent concentration camps, such as those at Manzanar and Tule Lake in California, could be built in isolated areas of the country. Beginning on March 30, 1942, all native-born Americans and long-time legal residents of Japanese ancestry living in California were ordered to surrender themselves for detention.
OTHER TIDBITS: The Santa Anita Assembly Center was also the largest (almost 20,000 interned) and longest occupied (217 days) assembly center! Since this was at the Santa Anita Racetrack, many of the interned people had to live in converted horse stalls! |
| How can I Help the Helpers? | HERE’S HOW:
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| Where is this place? | LISTED DIRECTIONS: Arcadia ANNOTATIONS: 285 W Huntington Dr From Los Angeles: ~21mi (34km) — 0.4hrs |
| When should I go? | Whenever the mood strikes you! If you want to go to a race, though, take a look at the racetrack calendar! |
