Former Japanese internment camp, Camp Amache, now officially part of National Park system

Camp Amache, also known as the Granada Relocation Center, is now officially a National Historic Site, the National Park Service announced this week.

The site, which held over 10,000 incarcerated Japanese American and Japanese immigrants during World War II, is now under the purview of the National Park Service.

“As a nation, we must face the wrongs of our past in order to build a more just and equitable future,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a statement. “The Interior Department has the tremendous honor of stewarding America’s public lands and natural and cultural resources to tell a complete and honest story of our nation’s history.”

“Today’s establishment of the Amache National Historic Site will help preserve and honor this important and painful chapter in our nation’s story for future generations,” she added.

President Joe Biden signed a bill into law in March 2022 that designated Camp Amache the Amache National Historic Site. The move had the support of Colorado’s congressional delegation and Gov. Jared Polis.

“Amache’s addition to the National Park System is a reminder that a complete account of the nation’s history must include our dark chapters of injustice,” NPS Director Chuck Sams said. “To heal and grow as a nation we need to reflect on past mistakes, make amends, and strive to form a more perfect union.”

The site, previously designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006, lies near the town of Granada in southeastern Colorado.