The grandstand in 1999. The racetrack—a favorite of celebrities and sports figures—became the largest and longest occupied assembly center, housing more than 19,000 people over a 7-month period. During World War II, more than 120,000 Japanese Americans were sent to assembly centers in preparation for their forced relocation to internment camps. In 1980, the Santa Anita assembly center was designated a California Historic Landmark. Photo: Courtesy of the Los Angeles Conservancy.