Saving Amache: The community effort to preserve a bitter history

Saving Amache: The community effort to preserve a bitter history

It鈥檚 been 80 years since thousands of Japanese Americans were sent to live in internment camps in our region, based on fears of loyalty to Japan during World War II. The Amache camp is located right next to the town of Granada, Colorado. Some camps have received recognition, while others are being preserved by survivors to ensure their stories stay alive even after they pass away. Now the National Park Service is developing plans to restore Amache and shed light on a history that should never be repeated.

When Japanese Americans arrived at Amache, they were sent to live in poorly insulated barracks that were not much bigger than a bedroom. They were only given a potbelly stove, one lightbulb fixture and some cots.

Emma VandenEinde

KUNC

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Amache鈥檚 history is still being uncovered, more than 80 years later

Emma VandenEinde

The internment of Japanese Americans during World War II is something many don鈥檛 know about. The descendants of those imprisoned at Amache are sharing their family stories and helping to shed light on this dark period in history.

John Hopper has been collecting artifacts and interviews from survivors for the past 30 years. Now he has close to 1,400 pieces that he has to circle out in the Amache Museum.

Emma VandenEinde

KUNC

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Meet the educators that are doing 'hero's work' to preserve Amache 鈥� all as volunteers

Emma VandenEinde

It started with a teacher who saw an opportunity to do a living history project and wound up volunteering to keep up the site at Amache for 30 years. Today, historians, survivors, and archaeologists are fighting to preserve the history there.

NPS Photo

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What鈥檚 next for Amache under the National Park Service

Emma VandenEinde

The process of getting Amache under the National Park Service umbrella involved years of effort. It means more funding for preservation in the short term. But no matter who administers the site, everyone involved hopes the survivors 鈥� and their stories 鈥� stay front and center.

Maps and street views of Amache

(Source: Google Maps)

Amache Camp Directory Map

The University of Denver has a map that enables people to search for those who were interned at Amache based on directories created in 1943 and 1945.