Friend of the national parks,

There's a story of America and it needs to be told. It's my story, and the story of survivors just like me. Between 1942 and 1945, Japanese Americans like me were forced from our homes into incarceration camps in the United States. At Amache, we tried our best to create community, but it was never really home. Despite the pain, this history must not be forgotten.

It's time we preserve it. The National Park Service (NPS) is considering adding Amache to the National Park System, and I can think of no better way than to honor my family and families who were kept there than that.

Make sure stories like mine are preserved. Submit an official comment today and tell NPS you want Amache to be a part of the National Park System.

I was only eleven years old when my family was given six days to leave everything we had in our northern California farm. My father made an agreement with a local high school teacher to watch over the farm and our belongings. But ultimately that didn't happen. We lost everything. I remember getting on the train with a bag of marbles. We had no idea where we were headed, having never been to Colorado.

It was terrifying.

We arrived to a flimsy barrack that would be our "home." A few cots, a single light bulb hanging, no running water or toilet and walls that were so poorly constructed they left a gap between the ceiling, allowing dust and snow to blow in.

My parents suffered the most -- my mother's health especially declined. These are memories that are painful to this day but important to share.

Even after all these years, it's not something that I can forget. We were singled out and unjustly put behind barbed wire enclosures, watched day and night by armed military police in guard towers. None of us nor any other Japanese Americans had done anything disloyal or unpatriotic. Our "crime" was our ancestry and the color of our skin.

But we must learn from history otherwise we are doomed to repeat it. And our national parks are some of America's best classrooms.

Despite incarceration, the people of Amache continued to give back to this country in many ways. We tried to find a life, some joy in the darkness. Designating Amache a national park site would shine a light on our forgotten history and help tell a more complete story of America. And in the current climate I think you and I agree we could use more of that.

My parents died before they could receive an apology for the wrongs they suffered. Now's the time to do something to make that right. The Amache story is not over. Right now, we have an opportunity to urge the National Park Service to bring Amache into the National Park System. Please, take a minute and send in your comments today.

Thank you for your support,


(Photo courtesy of Densho Digital Repository)

Bob Fuchigami