Amache National Historic Site ⓘ

The annual Japanese American community Pilgrimage to Amache National Historic Site is a special time for Amache descendants. The Pilgrimage is a time to commemorate and honor their ancestors that were wrongly imprisoned here during World War II. Pilgrimage is an important opportunity for community building and learning. Some Amache descendants who attend pilgrimage are learning about their family history for the first time. Many have never talked with their families or loved ones about camp. For others, attending pilgrimage is an annual tradition. Regardless of level of experience or knowledge, attending pilgrimage is a meaningful, joyful, and challenging experience of community and memory.

As commemoration of a difficult past, Pilgrimage can be emotional and painful but also a time of healing. The entire site holds important family histories and silences for Amache descendants. Families and individuals come to visit the site to honor and remember history, culture, and resilience. Please treat the entire site with respect and care, whether you visit during the annual Pilgrimage or at another time.

Some locations on the site that can hold special significance. The foundations and reconstructed barrack mark locations where Japanese American ancestors lived. Visiting foundation remains can be a powerful and sometimes difficult experience for descendants. The cemetery is also significance site at Amache. Here, they can connect with the past and communicate with each other. Although the offerings and memorabilia left at the cemetery are contemporary and ongoing, they also have potential historical significance. The offerings demonstrate how visitors interact with the site at a particular time and in reaction to other historically significant occurrences. The NPS recognizes that many of the offerings and memorabilia left at the cemetery are worthy of collection and preservation. In addition, Cheyenne and Arapaho tribal descendants of the Sand Creek massacre attend the pilgrimage to offer their support and solidarity to Amache descendants. The site of Amache resides on ancestral lands of 14 Native American tribes.

All are invited to Pilgrimage but please understand this is a significant and, in many respects, sacred cultural and community event unique to Japanese American Amache descendants. Please be respectful during the Pilgrimage.

Amache descendants, tribal partners, and the National Park Service thank you for your attendance at pilgrimage. Amache National Historic Site Foundation Document Overview Director's Order #71C: Consultation with Indian and Alaska Native Tribes

Officially named the Granada Relocation Center by the War Relocation Authority, incarcerees began referring to the site as Amache after its postal designation. Amache was the smallest incarceration site by population. While built to accommodate up to 8,000 people, Amache housed 7,318 Japanese Americans at its peak in 1943. It was the 10th largest population center in Colorado at the time. During its three years of operation, 10,331 people passed through Amache.

On December 7, 1941, Imperial Japan launched a surprise attack on the Naval Station at Pearl Harbor . The attack marked the United States entry into World War II. Building on decades of growing anti-Asian sentiments , the government used the attack as an excuse to place curfews and conduct FBI raids on people of Japanese descent. On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 , which allowed for the military to create "civilian exclusion zones." Soon, the War Department created these exclusions zones along the West Coast. While no ethnic group was specifically mentioned in the executive order, the exclusion zones only applied to people of Japanese descent.

By spring of 1942, evacuation notices began appearing in neighborhoods. Noticed instructed residents to report to a location where they would be "evacuated" to an unknown location for an unknown period of time. They were given one to two weeks to pack a limited amount of personal clothing and equipment, usually a suitcase or two. What they couldn't bring was either sold or put in the care of a trusted neighbor. From there, they were sent to temporary detention centers, euphemistically called "assembly centers." These hastily built centers were built to house the incarcerees until more permanent camps were constructed. Amache incarcerees came from Merced Assembly Center and Santa Anita Assembly Center. In the case of Santa Anita, some people were housed in horse stalls that still stank of manure and urine.

Unlike the other WRA sites, which were primarily built on land already managed by the federal government, Amache was built on seized private land. The XY and Koen ranches were devalued after the Dust Bowl and aquired through eminent domain at an artificially low price. The government chose the Granada area for its location far away from major cities and military installations, proximity to a rail line, and agricultural potential. Construction of the site began in late June 1942. The first group of people arrived in August to a facility that was not fully built. The first wave of people helped finish the construction of the prison that would hold them and their families.

It wasn't long after their arrival that the people of Amache began making improvements to the camp. They planted trees and gardens to create shade and areas of beauty. They organized sports teams and art classes. They created places of worship for both Christians and Buddhists. Amache quickly became a city behind barbed wire, complete with schools, a hospital, fire and police departments, and a co-op store.

On October 15, 1945, the last Amache resident left and the camp closed its gates. Incarcerees were given $25 and a train ticket to a destination of their choosing and told to start their lives over again. Many lost everything during the forced removal three years prior.

The one thing my father told us, repeatedly, was the miracles wrought by fellow prisoners...as they transformed the barren area to one where things grew...Guns, guards, barbed wire, hastily constructed housing in harsh conditions...and their pride when they transformed the unforgiving soil.

The nature and the people of Amache were tightly intertwined. In the 1930s, eastern Colorado was ravaged by the Dust Bowl . What vegetation was able to reestablish by the 1940s was leveled during the construction of the site. The first people to arrive at Amache were greeted by a barren, desert-like landscape. Soon, they began to transform the landscape to one full of life. They created art inspired by the natural world and from foraged plant material. Their influences can still be seen at the site today.

It didn't take long before gardens started popping up around Amache. Gardens were built around communal spaces like mess halls. Smaller, personal gardens were also built around entryways of barracks. They were a way to stay busy while creating a place of beauty and calm within the barbed wire. Many people incarcerated at Amache had backgrounds in horticulture and agriculture. Archeological assessment of the soils in the gardens found soil amendments in the form of eggshells, tea bags from the mess halls, and iron slag from the blacksmith shop.

Some gardens were victory gardens . Victory gardens were common across the US during WWII. They provided vegetables more familiar to Japanese Americans to mess halls and allowed people to stretch the daily food rations further. For some, it was a way to contribute to the war effort and show their patriotism.

Other gardens were more ornamental and a way to make the harsh landscape more livable. Many contained elements of traditional Japanese-style gardens. Some included water features, like koi ponds or waterfalls. The gardens were created with found materials like chunks of concrete left over from the site's construction and stones from the nearby Arkansas River. Native plants were transplanted from nearby areas and used in the landscaping features.

The guard tower (front right) and barrack (left) are reconstructed from historical images. The water tower (back left) is the original tank from the site. NPS Photo/J. Ellis On Site Amache is currently home to a reconstructed barrack, historical recreation hall, historical water tower, and reconstructed guard tower. The interior of the barrack and recreation hall are only accessible while park staff is present.

There is a cemetery and memorial to honor the people who died while incarcerated at Amache and the soldiers from Amache who were killed while serving in World War II. If you choose to visit, please be respectful. Ranger-led tours Check the calendar to see if there are any programs scheduled for your visit. If you have a group who would like to set up a ranger led tour, please contact the park. Junior Ranger Program Junior Ranger books are available at the Amache Museum.

The Amache Museum is located in Granada and operated by the Amache Preservation Society. NPS Photo/J. Ellis Amache Museum Amache Preservation Society student volunteers operate a museum in Granada that features exhibits and collections of items culturally significant to Amache. To participate in a guided tour of the museum, please make a reservation through the Amache Preservation Society by emailing amache@usa.com . The National Parks Passport stamp is available here.

If you or a family member were incarcerated at Amache and you want to find your family barracks, check this online directory . On site, individual barracks are not marked and finding a specific room can be challenging. To ensure that you can find them, reach out to park staff before your visit or plan your trip during a planned community event.

Amache is currently home to a reconstructed barrack, historical recreation hall, historical water tower, and reconstructed guard tower. The interior of the barrack and recreation hall are only accessible while park staff is present. There is a cemetery and memorial to honor the people who died while incarcerated at Amache and the soldiers from Amache who were killed while serving in World War II. If you choose to visit, please be respectful.