Amache

https://www.nps.gov/amch/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granada_War_Relocation_Center Granada War Relocation Center, known to the internees as Camp Amache and later designated the Amache National Historic Site, was a concentration camp for Japanese Americans in Prowers County, Colorado. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Japanese Americans on the West Coast were rounded up and sent to remote camps. Amache, also known as the Granada Relocation Center, near Granada, Colorado was one of ten incarceration sites established by the War Relocation Authority during World War II to unjustly incarcerate Japanese Americans. Over 10,000 people, most American citizens, were incarcerated at Amache from 1942 to 1945. Amache National Historic Site is in southeastern Colorado about 1.5 miles west of the town of Granada, 17.5 miles east of Lamar, and half an hour drive from the Kansas border. The site is located off Highway 385/50 along the Santa Fe Trail. No Visitor Center Exists Currently, Amache National Historic Site does not have a visitor center. There is a museum in Granada, CO that is operated by the Amache Preservation Society. They are open Tuesday through Saturday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Head to amache.org for more information. Amache Barracks and Guard Tower reconstructed barracks, guard and water towers surrounded by brown grass and shrubs. Reconstructed barracks, guard and water towers at the newly designated Amache National Historic Site Overview of Amache black and white image of rows of barracks from above. Amache as seen from the water tower, circa 1942 Water tower A water tower on the horizon next to trees The water tower at Amache was a landmark that could be seen from miles. Gardens at Amache black and white image of a Japanese styled garden with a small koi pond. Gardens at Amache provided beauty in a harsh landscape. Sunrise at Amache An orange sunrise silhouettes a water tower and tree Sunrise offers a time of quiet and peace for reflection. Podcast 116: Uncovering the Gardens at Amache Summer Archaeology team excavates garden feature at Amache. Photo courtesy of Jim West Summer Archaeology team excavates garden feature at Amache. Terminology and the Mass Incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II Terminology and the Mass Incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II Japanese American man reads newspaper Life Behind Barbed Wire The structure of daily life in Amache was drastically different from life outside of incarceration. Cramped, shared spaces and communal dining and bathing robbed incarcerees of their privacy, forcing them to adapt, subvert, and redefine private spaces. Children tend to a garden in a field. Building Amache Construction of Amache began on June 12, 1942, using a huge workforce of nearly a thousand people, including incarcerees who left the temporary detention centers early to assist in this effort. Because many of the buildings were hastily built, there were often gaps between the insulation board walls and the wooden frames of the barracks, allowing the dust, cold, heat, and insects to easily infiltrate incarcerees’ living spaces. Construction workers assemble barracks buildings. Populating Amache Incarcerees at Amache came primarily from three areas of California: the Northern San Francisco Bay Area, primarily Sonoma County; Central California, namely the San Joaquin Valley; and southwestern Los Angeles, including the Seinan District. A large group of boys congregate on a dirt field in front of a complex of one story buildings. America, Our Hope is in You 1943 Amache Senior High School valedictorian commencement speech by Marion Konishi a group of people watching a processional of people in cap and gown walking into a gym Executive Order 9066 This is the exact wording of EO 9066. black and white image of Franklin D Roosevelt signing document Anti-Asian laws and policies Anti-Asian laws and policies in the late 1800s and early 1900s Three men standing in front of a wall with a posted exclusion order The Homma Family The Homma family's experience at the Granada Relocation Center. Black and white image of a family of four Japanese Americans standing in front of their house Marion Konishi: Confronting Injustice at Amache with Resilience and Hope The story of Marion Konishi and other Japanese Americans at what is now Amache National Historic Site. Portrait of a young woman Climate Change at Amache At Amache, stories of deep injustice, alongside stories of resilience and courage, can help us reflect on how we want to move forward in a world shaped by climate change. black and while image of a small garden with a little bridge over a small pond Connections Across the High Plains The National Park Service's High Plains Group is a collection of four parks spanning over 200 miles among the prairies and grasslands of southeastern Colorado and northeastern New Mexico. This article bears witness to a vast story which threads all of them together through geography, culture, ecology, human enterprise, and social exchange. A solitary buffalo among tall grasses on the plains faces the viewer Nisei Military Service The 442nd RCT and 100th Battalion make up the segregated unit of the US Military for Japanese Americans during WWII. Five men in military uniforms holding their company flags War Relocation Centers War Relocation Centers map of western two thirds of US with confinement sites noted Thomas (Tom) Shigekuni (1929–2019) Thomas (Tom) Shigekuni was born in Los Angeles, California in 1929. When he was 12, he and his family were forcibly removed from their home A man standing on a podium giving a speech The Wada Family In 1941, Reverend and Mrs. Wada were arrested by the FBI. They were sent to multiple detention centers before reuniting with their children. A family of seven standing in front of a house