Work

Japanese Americans came to camp with a diversity of work skills. Most immediately used these skills for the betterment of the camp, as it grew to a city of 10,000 people.  College- educated professionals helped establish the hospital, skilled laborers built and managed the reservoir and sewage systems.

Manzanar blossomed under the care of farmers, gardeners, nursery owners, and landscapers who were sent to camp. They tended areas of fruits and vegetables, and raised chickens, hogs, and cattle. They made clothes and furniture for themselves and camouflage netting and experimental rubber for the military. They served as mess hall workers, doctors, nurses, police officers, firefighters, and teachers.

Professionals were paid $19 per month, skilled workers received $16, and nonskilled workers got $12. Many pooled their resources and created a consumer cooperative that published the Manzanar Free Press. They operated a general store, beauty parlor, barbershop, bank, and provided many other services. Young people, many of whom had to leave college to come to camp, took jobs to gain experience in a variety of fields.

Manzanar Hospital
In sixteen connected buildings, the Manzanar hospital housed operating rooms, wards, laboratories, kitchens, laundry, pharmacy, and staff quarters. While there were a few Caucasian doctors and nurses, nearly the entire staff were Japanese American doctors, nurses, dentists, and technicians. Treatment was available and free to all, and a steady stream of ailments, both real and imagined, kept staff overworked. Easy access to care meant that some people sought treatment sooner than they would have outside the camp.