The Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute (GVJCI) is offering a chartered bus for individuals to join the 45th annual Manzanar Pilgrimage on Saturday, April 26. This is the second year in a row that the GVJCI is able to offer this opportunity to join in the commemoration of the forced incarceration of persons of Japanese descent during WWII at this desolate Owens Valley location.
The Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute (GVJCI) is offering a chartered bus for individuals to join the 45th annual Manzanar Pilgrimage on Saturday, April 26. This is the second year in a row that the GVJCI is able to offer this opportunity to join in the commemoration of the forced incarceration of persons of Japanese descent during WWII at this desolate Owens Valley location.
"We were pleased with the demand for the bus from last year. We hope that many more individuals can take this opportunity to visit this historic landmark that represents the tenuous civil rights that we all rely upon. To see the conditions under which thousands of Americans were forced to live by our own government is powerful," said Jeff Murakami, GVJCI Manzanar volunteer coordinator.
Participants will be able to participate in the Pilgrimage program which draws more than 1,000 persons annually and is sponsored by the Manzanar Committee (www.manzanarcommittee.org). There will also be an opportunity for participants to visit the Manzanar Interpretive Center which is operated by the National Park Service (www.nps.gov/manz).
The bus will depart from the GVJCI at 6:30 a.m. and return by 8:30 p.m. The GVJCI is located at 1964 W. 162nd Street, Gardena. The cost of the trip is $40 per person ($30 for youth under 18 years of age) with an option to pre-order a "bento" lunch for $5. Space is limited.
To register, visit the GVJCI website at www.jci-gardena.org or contact the GVJCI at 310-324-6611 or info@jci-gardena.org.
