Manzanar Children's Village facts for kids

Nurses cared for young children in cribs at Manzanar Children's Village. This photo was taken by Ansel Adams.

The Manzanar Children's Village was a special home for children of Japanese heritage during World War II. These children were living in the Manzanar concentration camp in California. They were there because of Executive Order 9066, a rule made by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. This order forced many Japanese Americans to leave their homes on the West Coast of the United States. The Children's Village cared for 101 orphans from June 1942 to September 1945.

The Manzanar Children's Village Story

Why Japanese Americans Were Sent to Camps

After the Attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, many people in the United States felt scared and suspicious. On February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. This order allowed military leaders to create special zones. From these zones, "any or all persons may be excluded."

Soon after, military leaders announced that Japanese American residents had to leave their homes. This included people living in California, Washington, Oregon, and Arizona. Over the next few months, more than 110,000 Japanese Americans were moved. They were sent from their homes to isolated inland camps, also called relocation centers.

Who Lived at Children's Village?

Before the war, most Japanese American orphans lived with family or foster parents. Some lived in special orphanages in California. About two-thirds of the children who came to Manzanar Children's Village were from these homes. Some staff members from these orphanages also came to care for them.

Other children became orphans during the war. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the FBI arrested many Japanese American men. These men were community leaders and business owners. They were suspected of being disloyal to the United States. If their fathers were arrested and they had no other relatives to care for them, these children became orphans. They were then sent to Children's Village.

Some children lived with non-Japanese foster families. Their foster parents were not forced to leave their homes. However, officials found out these children were partly or fully Japanese. So, these children were taken from their foster homes. Sometimes, their guardians turned them over to authorities.

Many of the children at Manzanar Children's Village were very young. Half of them were under seven years old when they arrived. About 29 percent were less than four years old. Some children were of mixed heritage. A few did not even know they had Japanese ancestry until authorities identified them.

Daily Life in the Village

Orphanage staff tried to stop authorities from sending the children to camps. But their efforts were not successful. A military official ordered that any child with "one drop of Japanese blood" must go to a camp. Lillian Iida, a young Japanese American woman, strongly disagreed with the Army's plan. She fought for the children to stay together. Because of her efforts, the Children's Village was built at Manzanar. Lillian and her husband, Harry Matsumoto, became the superintendents.

The nuns from the Maryknoll Home found foster homes outside the exclusion zone for some children. But 61 children from other homes were sent to Manzanar. On June 23, 1942, they traveled by bus from Los Angeles to the camp. More children arrived over the next few months. These included orphans from Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. Babies born in other relocation centers were also sent to Children's Village.

The Children's Village had three barracks. One was for staff and shared spaces. The other two held the children's dormitories. It was located near the hospital in Manzanar. The orphanage had its own running water, kitchen, and bathrooms. It operated mostly on its own, separate from the rest of the camp.

Harry and Lillian Matsumoto led the children in a daily routine. This included breakfast, a Christian service, school, homework, and playtime. Younger children went to bed early. A curfew was set for the older children.

The children in the Village did not interact much with other Japanese Americans in Manzanar. They ate their meals inside the orphanage with their caretakers. Other camp residents ate in large dining halls. Also, some parents told their children not to play with the orphans. This made the children in the Village feel quite isolated. Many of them had known each other and their caretakers for years. This made it especially hard when the Village closed.

What Happened After the War?

In late 1944, President Roosevelt announced that Japanese Americans could return to the West Coast. This started in January 1945. Most of the relocation centers closed that year. When Manzanar was going to close, officials had to decide where the children would go.

Most children returned to the group homes they came from. Others went to live with relatives or guardians. Some children's records were lost during the move. For these "unclaimed" children, authorities worked to find their families. If no family was found, they were placed with adoptive parents or in foster homes. The Children's Village closed in September 1945.

For a long time, not many people knew about the Manzanar Children's Village. But in the late 1980s, Francis Honda shared his story. He was an orphan who lived in the Village during the war. His testimony helped bring this history to light.

Today, the Children's Village buildings are no longer standing. However, there is an informational display at the site. You can also find interviews with former residents and staff members. These are part of the Children's Village Oral History Project.