Last updated: May 23, 2021
Place
Camouflage Net Factory at Manzanar
Dorothea Lange
Quick Facts
Location:
southern portion of Manzanar tour road
Amenities
1 listed
Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits
America went to work for the war effort in 1942, and Manzanar was no exception. More than 500 young Japanese Americans wove camouflage nets here for the US Army. Since citizenship was a job requirement, most saw weaving nets as a chance to prove their loyalty—and earn some money. A friendly camaraderie grew among the crews—who often worked to big band music blaring from loudspeakers—as they turned out an average of 6,000 nets a month.
The three 18’ tall sheds built on long concrete slabs soon became a flash point for discontent over wages and friction between citizens and non-citizens that spread throughout camps. The work proved hazardous, too, with those incarcerated enduring long hours of breathing find lint and contact with harsh dyes.
The net factory closed after the Manzanar Riot in December 1942 and the sheds were converted to other purposes. The mattress factory produced 4,020 mattresses for the camp before fire destroyed it in 1943.
The three 18’ tall sheds built on long concrete slabs soon became a flash point for discontent over wages and friction between citizens and non-citizens that spread throughout camps. The work proved hazardous, too, with those incarcerated enduring long hours of breathing find lint and contact with harsh dyes.
The net factory closed after the Manzanar Riot in December 1942 and the sheds were converted to other purposes. The mattress factory produced 4,020 mattresses for the camp before fire destroyed it in 1943.