Weaving for the War

Weaving for the War. Manzanar. , 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 U.S. 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 6,000 nets a month., The three 18’ tall sheds built on these long slabs soon became a flash point for discontent over wages and friction between citizens and non-citizens that spread throughout the camp. The work proved hazardous, too, with internees enduring long hours of breathing fine lint and contact with harsh dyes., The net factory closed after the Manzanar Riot in December 1942 and the sheds were converted to other uses. To your left, a mattress factory produced 4,020 mattresses for the camp before fire destroyed it in 1943., Manzanar became nearly self-sufficient by 1944 due to its agriculture and industries, ranging from shoe and typewriter repair to soy sauce and tofu processing. A clothing factory produced uniforms and work clothes for the camp’s nurses, mess hall workers, and policemen, while a furniture factory built desks, chairs, baby cribs, and toys., “Our pay was $16 a month and we certainly earned it as we took pride in our work. Interestingly, after I finished college many years later, I became a weaver. It might have been because I enjoyed weaving the camouflage nets.” , –Momo Nagano