Ralph Lazo - A Prisoner by Choice
Born: November 3, 1924, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
Died: January 1, 1992, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
Ralph Lazo was a Mexican American teenager who chose to live in the Manzanar internment camp during World War II in solidarity with his Japanese American friends.
War, by its nature, creates division: you’re with us, or you’re against us. Lines are drawn between nations and peoples, forging allies and enemies. Entire communities can be lifted up or crushed in the name of patriotism, with devastating human costs.
But some people do not see things in such simple terms, even in times of war. One such person was Ralph Lazo, a Mexican American teenager who grew up in Los Angeles’s Temple Street neighborhood. Born in 1924, Ralph’s world was filled with many colors, languages, and traditions. His mother died when he was young, and his father worked on the road much of the time. Because of this, Ralph often joined his Japanese American neighbors for meals and played basketball with the Filipino church team. For him, friends were family, no matter their background.
Everything changed when Ralph was 17. On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, pulling the United States into World War II. Soon after, President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized the removal and imprisonment of Japanese Americans in “War Relocation Camps.” Ralph saw posters go up in churches and schools, ordering his friends and their families to leave their homes. “These people hadn’t done anything that I hadn’t done except go to Japanese language school,” Ralph later said.
In total, about 110,000 people of Japanese ancestry were forced into camps, and 62% of them were U.S. citizens. Many Americans supported the decision at the time, claiming it was for national security. But Ralph saw it for what it was, an act of racism against innocent people. He helped his friends pack their belongings, often selling treasured items for little money. The injustice only fueled his anger.
In May 1942, Ralph made a bold decision. Telling his father he was going to summer camp, he instead slipped onto a train headed to Manzanar, one of ten internment camps. Located in California’s Owens Valley, Manzanar was surrounded by barbed wire, guard towers, and armed military police. Families crowded into small rooms with straw-filled mattresses. There was no privacy in the latrines, and temperatures ranged from blistering summer heat to freezing winter winds. Despite these harsh conditions, Ralph chose to live there with his friends. Because of his brown skin, no one questioned his presence.
Ralph remained at Manzanar for two years, a prisoner by choice. He finished high school there, becoming class president even though he graduated near the bottom of his class. More importantly, he lifted the spirits of others. He planted trees, delivered mail, organized holiday parties with live bands, and cheered at sports games. With a contraband homemade camera, he photographed moments of beauty, helping people see light in the darkness.
He was the only non-Japanese, non-spouse to voluntarily live in a relocation camp. His true identity only came out when he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1944. Ralph served bravely in the South Pacific, earning a Bronze Star for his service. Yet his greatest act of courage, choosing to share the suffering of his friends, earned no medal.
After the war, Ralph returned to Los Angeles. He earned a bachelor’s degree from UCLA and a master’s from Cal State Northridge. A modest man, he spent his career teaching, mentoring students with disabilities, and encouraging young Hispanics to pursue education and civic life. He also worked tirelessly for justice.
Ralph helped raise money for a class-action lawsuit that eventually led to reparations for Japanese Americans. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed a law granting each surviving internee $20,000, along with a formal apology from the U.S. government. The law admitted that internment had been caused by “race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership.”
Ralph Lazo passed away in 1992. He never saw himself as a hero, just someone doing what was right. But to the thousands who remembered his solidarity, Ralph was proof that true leadership means standing with others, even when you don’t have to.
References:
“Ralph Lazo: The Mexican American Teenager Who Voluntarily Entered a Japanese Internment Camp.” LatinxHistory, 7 Apr. 2025, latinxhistory.com/people/ralph-lazo.
“Ralph Lazo (U.S. National Park Service).” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, nps.gov/articles/000/ralph-lazo.htm.
Keywords:
Civil Rights, Justice, Courage, Conscience, Freedom, Responsibility, Challenge Injustices, Stand Up for Your Beliefs
Explore ARTEFFECT projects about this Unsung Hero:
Ralph Lazo Artworks
