History & Culture

Granada War Relocation Center

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.

 

Notices of exclusion began to pop up in primarily Japanese American neighborhoods in thing spring of 1942.

Courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration

Aftermath of Pearl Harbor

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.

Forced Removal and Relocation

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, euphamistically 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.

 

Contracted constructions crews built most of Amache, but some incarcerees arrived early to help finish.

Courtesy of Amache Preservation Society, McClelland collection.

Land acquisition and construction

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 condemned 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.

Creating a community

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.

Closing Amache

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.

 

Continued Learning

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  People

  Explore the stories of the people who lived at Amache.

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  Places

  Explore what remains of Amache today.