Rebuilding Hope: Restoring Manzanar's Baseball Field

For decades, the Manzanar National Historic Site has served as a reminder of the incarceration of thousands of Japanese Americans during World War II. As reported by Adolfo Guzman-Lopez, Los Angeles artist Dan Kwong is now leading a project to rebuild the baseball field at the former camp, hoping to bring healing and honor to those who endured this dark chapter of U.S. history. Baseball, a quintessential American sport, offered Japanese Americans in the camp a rare sense of normalcy and connection to their identity during their confinement.

Kwong, whose mother was incarcerated at Manzanar, has collaborated with the National Park Service and volunteers, including Chris Siddens, to restore the field. The project, two decades in the making, is more than just a reconstruction of a baseball diamond—it symbolizes resilience, justice, and the collective memory of those wronged. While much of the camp's tragic past remains, this effort to bring back the field and hold annual baseball games represents a form of healing for descendants and the community at large.

The restoration of the baseball field, supported by grants, is nearly complete, with plans for more additions like an announcer’s booth and scoreboard. Kwong envisions future games on this sacred ground, bringing together Japanese American teams and fostering a space where history, healing, and American traditions intertwine. Kwong reflects on how proud his late mother and others who lived through Manzanar would be, knowing that the spirit of resilience is being honored through these efforts.