The government threw thousands of Americans into horse stalls and called it “protection.”
March 27, 1942: Santa Anita Racetrack was converted into an “assembly center” for Japanese Americans, where thousands were held in converted horse stalls.
Just days after Executive Order 9066 was signed, the U.S. government began converting large public spaces into detention centers: Fairgrounds. Labor camps. Racetracks.
Santa Anita Park in Arcadia was one of them.
Construction began in mid-March 1942. Within a week, the racetrack was transformed into what would become the largest and longest-running temporary detention sites on the West Coast.
At its peak, more than 18,000 Japanese Americans were held there.
The government called it “protection.” They said it was to shield Japanese Americans from harm. But the guards were pointing their guns inward at the camp.
Courtesy of the Library of Congress
Santa Anita Racetrack in Arcadia, California transformed into a prison camp in 1942. The grandstands remained, but the new view was rows of military-style barracks.
Photo by Clem Albers / National Archives and Records Administration
Hikotaro Henry Yamada reported to Santa Anita Assembly Center in full American Legion uniform, a visible act of dignity, protest, and patriotism. April 5, 1942
Courtesy of the Japanese American National Museum
Incarcerees at Santa Anita Assembly Center. This was the largest “assembly center” in the country. At its peak, it was filled to capacity.
Courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration
Guard towers stood over Santa Anita Assembly Center. The guns were pointed inward.
Courtesy of the Library of Congress
Although barracks were hastily built in the parking lot, more than 8,500 people were assigned to live in horse stalls.
Courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration
At Santa Anita, many families were assigned to horse stalls. They did what they could to make them livable.
Courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration
With almost nothing provided, families made what they could. Even the children helped. Such was life at Santa Anita.
Life in the Stalls
Of those incarcerated, more than 8,500 were assigned to live in horse stalls.
They were not properly converted. Many were hastily cleaned and painted over. In some cases, manure was still present beneath the coat of paint. Residents never forgot the smell.
Families were given cots. Little else.
In the newly built barracks, space was just as limited. Rooms were divided into small units, often housing entire families in cramped quarters. Cooking was not allowed. Meals were taken in mess halls.
People made what they could from what was left behind — scrap wood, fruit crates, discarded materials — turning them into furniture, shelves, and anything that could make the space livable.
Unrest and Control
Life inside was tightly controlled.
Santa Anita was the only WCCA camp to operate a camouflage net factory. Others worked in mess halls and kitchens. But the working condition was questionable at best. There were strikes. Protests over treatment. Conflicts within the camp.
In August 1942, a disturbance broke out after a search for contraband and confiscation of personal items.
It was one of the few assembly centers where tensions escalated into what officials described as a “riot.”
Conditions extended beyond the stalls. Sewage flowed through open ditches that frequently clogged, creating persistent odors throughout the camp.
Life inside was tightly controlled. Sanitary inspections like this were mandatory, even for those living in converted horse stalls.
Courtesy of the Library of Congress
A group of Japanese Americans working at the camouflage net factory at Santa Anita. Not everyone accepted the health hazards quietly. There were strikes and protests.
Courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration
Japanese Americans worked in the mess halls and kitchens at Santa Anita. Conditions were poor, and they were paid very little.
Courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration
Barbed wire surrounded the camp. Armed patrols watched the perimeter.
Baggage was tagged. Families were processed. They were being sent to more permanent camps.
Courtesy of the Japanese American National Museum
George Takei (standing back row, far right) was among those sent from Santa Anita to the Rohwer camp.
A Temporary Imprisonment
Santa Anita was intended to be temporary.
It was one of thirteen “assembly centers” in California, designed to hold Japanese Americans while more remote camps were being built.
Barbed wire surrounded the grounds. Guard towers watched over the perimeter.
By late 1942, most of those held at Santa Anita were transferred to more “permanent” camps such as Heart Mountain, Rohwer, Amache, and Jerome — remote locations that offered little improvement in living conditions.
The racetrack closed as a detention site on October 27, 1942. By that time, the damage was already done.
What Came After
After the camp closed, the site was used to train tens of thousands of U.S. Army troops. Later, it held German prisoners of war.
Eventually, Santa Anita Park returned to what it had always been — a racetrack. Races resumed. Crowds returned. The stalls were no longer used for people.
Today, the site hosts events like night markets celebrating food, culture, and community. Most visitors are unaware of what happened there during World War II.
But for those who were held there, and for their descendants, Santa Anita remains something else.
This was called “protection.” Protecting who?
There were no charges. No trials. No evidence of widespread espionage. The smell was temporary. The damage was not.
Courtesy of the Library of Congress
From Santa Anita, trains carried families to more permanent camps. Those left behind watched them go. Soon, they were all sent on to the WRA camps.
Courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration
This was called “protection.” Protecting who? There was no evidence of widespread espionage or a “fifth column.”