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Jacob Casady
6/11/2015
Hist 153
Module 9: Nano History
Camp Amache: Japanese Internment Camp
During World War 2 American patriotism was at an all-time high, everyone did their part
for the war effort. Civilians grew victory gardens to reduce their strain on supplies being sent to
soldiers. Restrictions were put on many materials such as rubber and meats. Almost every
American did something for the war effort. Women switched jobs to factories to produce arms
and ammunition to be sent to the front lines and automotive companies switched from cars
manufacturing to producing planes and tanks. However this high amount of patriotism at times
became blind hate for other ethnicities, primarily Japanese and German Americans.
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor during the December of 1941 by the Japanese Empire,
many Americans were surprised and shocked by the sudden and unprovoked attack on US forces.
Much of this shock and despair soon turned to anger. Japanese American were no longer trusted
by the American public. Many feared that Japanese-Americans were spies or would soon turn on
America. Many Americans demonstrated their distrust and hate for the Japanese and on February
19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave the American public what they wanted.
Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 forcing all Japanese-Americans to evacuate the West
Coast Area (Japanese-American Relocation). This order only affected Japanese-Americans and
no other ethnicities such as the Germans or Russian populations. This order would continue until
early 1945.

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America needed places to put the evicted Japanese-Americans, therefore internment

camps were constructed in California, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado, and Arkansas
which by 1945 would eventually hold 120,000 people (Japanese-American Relocation). One of
which was Camp Amache which was built in Granada, Colorado opening in 1942
(www.Amache.org). While the American concentration camps never reached the levels of Nazi
death camps as far as atrocities are concerned, they remain a dark mark on the nation's record of
respecting civil liberties and cultural differences (Hist 153). Japanese Americans were given
little to no notice on being relocated and were forced to sell their homes, businesses and
possessions for the best offer which in most cases were very low. Japanese Americans or Nisei as
they were known had little choice when it came to relocating. The choices were simple serve in
the US military or move to the east if neither of these choices were possible then you were sent
to the camps. Some 3,600 Japanese-Americans entered the armed forces from the camps, as did
22,000 others who lived in Hawaii or outside the relocation zone and the famous all-Japanese
442nd Regimental Combat Team won numerous decorations for its deeds in Italy and Germany
(Japanese-American Relocation).
Life in the internment camps was far less than satisfactory. Camp housing was small and
crowded barracks with no air conditioning. Camps were allowed to have representatives to voice
the cry of the Japanese people; however these positions were only allowed to be taken by the
Nisei (American-born) Japanese. Food within the camps was poor quality and no more than
military rations. The prisoners were meant to be self-sufficient within the camp therefore farming
became a job for the people within. Camp Amaches main industry was in fact of agricultural
nature. However unlike the Nazis concentration camps, occupants of Camp Amache were not
forced to work but were offered a salary for working. Within camps life was not as if in a

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prison. The occupants formed sports leagues, held extensive classes such as sewing and
woodcarving, and celebrated events such as craft festivals and fairs (www.Amache.org).
Education and Japanese culture never stopped while within the fences of Camp Amache.
Beginning in 1945 Japanese-American were returning to the west coast to find little left
of their prior lives. Hatred still flowed from the American people for the atrocities committed by
the Japanese empire. However in 1948 a law was passed that tried to reimburse the JapaneseAmerican peoples for property lost while interned in the camps (Japanese-American Relocation).
In 1988, Congress awarded restitution payments of twenty thousand dollars to each survivor of
the camps; it is estimated that about 73,000 persons will eventually receive this compensation for
the violation of their liberties (Japanese American Relocation). However even after these
payments no one could fix the smudge left on Americas image for imprisoning innocent
Americans.
History has repeated itself time and again that when war or calamity comes, people are
quick to point fingers. Sadly, during World War 2 Japanese-Americans were the scapegoats along
with German-Americans. Many Japanese died in these camps and would never know the sight of
freedom again. This point in American history is indeed a sad one, hundreds of thousands died
defending against the Axis invasion and civilians at home were ridiculed for their ancestry. But
war brings out the best and worst in the world. I do not blame the American government for
looking for a scapegoat in these crucial times. After Pearl Harbor, Americans were angry and
broken hearted, and if the government did not send the Nisei to internment camps I believe a
much worse fate would have come to them by the American people. This was not the first and
will not be the last time something like this will happen to the world because War. War never
changes. (Fallout 3)

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-Works Citied and Sources-Japanese-American RelocationHistory.com is a very well-known company; I have no doubt that the information
provided is factual. I am unaware whether the information is biased however.
Japanese-American Relocation, http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/japanese-americanrelocation
-Amache.orgThis website is a historical foundation built on the actual location of the
camp. I believe all information provided to be true and factual with little room for
biased.

http://www.amache.org/

-Hist 153This article was provided by my professor and I believe is completely factual and nonbiased. This information was required for me to complete this essay.
Hist 153, http://bb.schoolcraft.edu/addins/hist153/etext/m9_homefront.html
-Fallout 3This is a game I have spent time playing and know the quote is from.
Fallout 3, Narration, http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Fallout_3_intro (Video Game)