Senate passes bill to make former US concentration camp a national historic site

Granada, Colorado - Days before the 80th anniversary of the executive order that led to the forced incarceration of more than 120,000 people of Japanese descent, the US Senate on Monday night decided to name the location of one of the concentration camps a national historic site.

A granite monument erected in memory of the people of Japanese descent who died in the War Relocation Camp at Amache, Colorado, was dedicated in 1945 (archive image).
A granite monument erected in memory of the people of Japanese descent who died in the War Relocation Camp at Amache, Colorado, was dedicated in 1945 (archive image).  © Wikimedia Commons / Hikaru Iwasaki

The bill, which passed by unanimous consent, would turn Colorado’s Granada War Relocation Center, a.k.a. Camp Amache, into a national historic site, to be managed by the National Park Service.

The site was established on February 19, 1942, as one of the concentration camps – often referred to as "internment" camps – where people of Japanese heritage were incarcerated following the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.

Tens of thousands of people were removed from their homes in the US or kidnapped from Latin American countries and forced to live and work in the camps.

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"The incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II at sites like Amache is a shameful part of our country’s history. Our bill will preserve Amache’s story to ensure future generations can learn from this dark chapter in our history," Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet said after the decision was announced, as reported by The Hill.

"The Amache site as a National Park unit highlights the injustices of the internment of Japanese Americans, one of our nation’s darkest chapters," echoed Colorado Gov. Jared Polis. "Colorado is home to world-class national parks and adding the Amache site honors those values and our history."

The bill now heads back to the House of Representatives for a final vote. An earlier version sponsored by Colorado Reps. Ken Buck and Joe Neguse already passed last year.

If that vote is successful, the bill will head to President Biden's desk for signature.

Cover photo: Wikimedia Commons / Hikaru Iwasaki

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