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| First Japanese-Americans arrive at Granada |
Courtesy, Denver Public Library,
Western History Department
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X-6562
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Santa Fe Trail
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Segment 5: Amache
Standards-Based Themes: Multicultural Influences, Settlement
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Summary
When Japan attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, anti-Japanese sentiment surfaced throughout the nation. President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 in 1942 to evacuate all people of Japanese ancestry who lived on the West Coast. Colorado Governor Ralph Carr welcomed the evacuees, unlike the governors of the other western states who vehemently refused to open their doors. Governor Carr stood firm in his belief that the rights of all Americans should be protected, no matter one’s place of origin. His willingness to stand up for what he believed probably cost him his political career when he lost a bid for the U.S. Senate by 3,000 votes. |
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| Amache Internment Camp from water tower |
Courtesy, Denver Public Library,
Western History Department
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X-6577
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| Hank Okubo lived with his family in Los Angeles. His father immigrated to the United States in 1914, 27 years before the Pearl Harbor attack. At age 13 he arrived at the Amache Internment Camp, located in Granada, Colorado, and there, with about 7,000 other internees, he and his family built a life. Today, former internees and their families return to Amache to pay tribute to those who endured. They also honor Japanese-American volunteer soldiers who died in service to our country. |
Vocabulary
civil rights
concentration camp
evacuation
internee
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| Chief of Internal Security Tomlinson and Amache police staff |
Courtesy, Denver Public Library,
Western History Department
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X-6563
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Pre-Viewing Focus
- What did the attack on Pearl Harbor mean for Japanese-Americans?
- How was Governor Ralph Carr different from other governors?
- How did Japanese-Americans make life in Amache similar to life outside the relocation camp?
- How did some Japanese-Americans at Amache show their loyalty?
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Post-Viewing Discussion
- How are the Japanese-Americans of Amache an example of the will to survive?
- What does it mean to put a principle above your own survival? How did Ralph Carr do this? Would you have the courage to go against a popular trend and stand by a personal decision?
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Governor Carr: “Person of the Century” >
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