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| Amache | |
|---|---|
| Name | Amache |
| Other names | Granada Relocation Center |
| Location | Prowers County, Colorado |
| Coordinates | 38°8′N 102°6′W |
| Built | 1942 |
| Operated by | War Relocation Authority |
| Inmates | Japanese American internees |
| Area | ~10,000 acres |
Amache was a World War II relocation center established in 1942 to incarcerate people of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast of the United States. Operated by the War Relocation Authority, it held internees transferred under Executive Order 9066 and became a focal point in debates involving Civil liberties in the United States during World War II, Japanese American history, and later historic preservation efforts.
Amache opened following the issuance of Executive Order 9066 after the Attack on Pearl Harbor, during a period shaped by figures such as Franklin D. Roosevelt and policies debated in venues like the United States Congress. Early administration involved offices in Washington, D.C. and coordination with Department of the Interior officials and local authorities in Colorado. The camp processed transfers from assembly centers like Pinedale Assembly Center and Tanforan Assembly Center and reflected wartime priorities exemplified by projects such as the Manhattan Project in broader national mobilization. Postwar closures paralleled actions in camps such as Manzanar War Relocation Center and Topaz War Relocation Center, while legal challenges arose in contexts including Korematsu v. United States and advocacy by groups associated with figures like A. Philip Randolph and organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union.
Situated in Prowers County, Colorado near the town of Granada, Colorado, the site occupied former Great Plains ranchland and was connected by Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway lines. The rectangular compound featured barracks arranged along service roads, mess halls, a Recreation hall, administration blocks, and perimeter fencing with guard towers modeled on earlier internment and prison designs found in places like Angel Island and Alcatraz Island facilities. Construction used contractors influenced by practices seen in Works Progress Administration projects and materials transported along routes linked to U.S. Route 50.
Internees at Amache came from communities across California, Oregon, and Washington State, including cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, Seattle, and Portland, Oregon. Daily routines mixed work assignments, schooling run by teachers formerly employed in districts like Los Angeles Unified School District, religious activities in spaces used by congregations tied to institutions such as Buddhist Churches of America and First Presbyterian Church (Granada), and communal events reflecting cultural practices associated with families from prefectures like Kagoshima Prefecture and Hiroshima Prefecture. Notable internees later connected to public life included artists, writers, and activists who engaged with organizations such as the National Japanese American Historical Society.
The facility was operated by the War Relocation Authority under directors who reported to the Executive Office of the President and coordinated with FBI and War Department officials for security matters. Internal administration reflected hierarchies similar to those in other camps like Rohwer War Relocation Center and relied on camp councils, school boards, and welfare committees drawing personnel with backgrounds from institutions such as University of California, Berkeley and Columbia University. Security infrastructure included barbed wire, guard towers, and checkpoints influenced by practices documented in Department of Justice internment precedent.
Barracks were standardized in construction resembling other wartime federal projects and accommodated families in cramped quarters; rudimentary utilities required maintenance analogous to infrastructure work undertaken by personnel trained at Civilian Conservation Corps camps. Internees worked in agriculture on lands comparable to Dust Bowl reclamation projects, and in onsite services, often receiving wages set under War Relocation Authority labor policies. Medical care was provided in a camp hospital staffed by clinicians with training from establishments like Johns Hopkins Hospital and UCLA Medical Center, while food procurement drew from regional suppliers in Denver and Amarillo, Texas.
Amache figures in postwar redress movements connected to the Japanese American Citizens League, legal restoration efforts culminating in the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, and commemorative practices led by institutions such as the National Park Service and Smithsonian Institution. Survivors, descendants, and scholars from universities including University of Colorado and Stanford University have documented testimonies, while artists and filmmakers associated with festivals like the Sundance Film Festival have produced works exploring internment legacies. The site has become a locus for education alongside commemorations observed by groups such as Japanese American Veterans Association.
Archaeological investigations at the site have been conducted by teams affiliated with National Park Service and academic programs from University of Denver and Colorado State University, employing methods used in studies of historic sites like Ellis Island and Gettysburg National Military Park. Preservation efforts involve partnerships among Granada Historical Society, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and federal agencies, with listings and recognition processes paralleling nominations to the National Register of Historic Places and interpretive programming modeled after exhibits at the Japanese American National Museum.
Category:Internment camps in the United States Category:Colorado history Category:World War II in the United States