Neguse, Buck Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Designate Amache Incarceration Site in Colorado as National Historical Site

Today, Congressman Joe Neguse, Chair of the U.S. House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands and Congressman Ken Buck introduced bipartisan legislation to designate the Amache incarceration site in Southeast Colorado as a National Historical Site. During the first months of World War II, the United States initiated the single largest forced imprisonment in its history when President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an executive order forcing more than 120,000 people, primarily of Japanese descent, to relocate to 10 remote, military-style prisons. The Granada Relocation Center in the southeast corner of Colorado, known as Amache, was one of these 10 incarceration centers. Two-thirds of the people at Amache were American citizens. Most had never been to Japan. Many others were first-generation Japanese elders who had immigrated from Japan and were denied U.S. citizenship for decades. Most were given a week or less to dispose of everything they owned, with no idea where they were going or what would happen.

As Chair of the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands, Congressman Neguse plans to bring the bill up for consideration at an April 21st legislative hearing.

"The unjustifiable internment of Japanese Americans is no doubt one of the darkest scars in our country's history. With the Amache site in Colorado, it is also a deeply personal history for Colorado, " said Congressman Joe Neguse. "Designation of the Amache site in southeast Colorado as a National Historical Site, will provide education for future generations on this dark time in our nation's history, as well as healing and honor to those that lived it. It is our hope that preservation of this site will provide reconciliation for our communities and for the nation."

"I am proud to introduce the Amache National Historic Site Act with Rep. Neguse because it is so important that we remember the injustices committed against Japanese Americans," Rep. Ken Buck said. "The nation is better today because of the lessons we have learned from our past. Preserving Amache serves as one of those hard lessons for the people of Eastern Colorado and the rest of our nation."

The Amache Preservation Society, along with the support of other organizations, currently maintains the physical site of Amache. They have renovated the cemetery, established an Amache Museum and research center, restored key Amache landmarks, including the water tower, a guard tower, and barrack.

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