Camp Amache survivor, Colorado advocate and veteran Bob Fuchigami has died at the age of 94.
Fuchigami was just 11 years old when his family was interned at Camp Amache in Granada, Colorado, where more than 7,000 Japanese-Americans were imprisoned during World War II.
"We looked like the enemy, even though we weren't the enemy, but the public didn't know," Fuchigami said. "Once they put us into the camps, (the public) thought 'Oh, they must have really done something wrong.'"
When Fuchigami arrived, his family's small room was bare, spare for a few cots. One light bulb hung from the ceiling. The floor was a single layer of bricks on the sand. There were no private bathrooms, only public latrines with no partitions. Nothing could be farther from home.
Despite the conditions, the internees tried to lead normal lives. They formed social clubs, established a newspaper and stores. Fuchigami joined the Boy Scouts.
After surviving the camp where families were forced into cramped barracks with minimal privacy and inadequate facilities, Fuchigami went on to serve in the U.S. Navy, where fought in the Korean War. He later became a special education teacher.
Fuchigami would also go on to testify in front of Congress to support efforts by Democratic Rep. Joe Neguse and Republican Rep. Ken Buck to transfer stewardship of Amache to the National Park Service in 2021, which was ultimately successful.
“After surviving Amache, Bob served our nation, and then dedicated much of his adult life to ensuring the story of his family and others like them were never forgotten or repeated,” said Rep. Neguse and Colorado Senator Michael Bennet in a joint statement. “We were honored to support him in this effort—standing by his side when visiting Amache in 2022 and celebrating with him when our work together designated Amache as a National Historic Site. His grace, fortitude, and endless wisdom will leave a lasting legacy.”
Every year, Japanese-Americans make pilgrimages back to what is one of the darkest chapters in not just their lives, but in Colorado and America's histories. The 50th annual Amache pilgrimage will take place May 16-18.
This story includes reporting from CPR’s Nathan Fernando-Frescas.
Editor's note: A correction, a previous version of this story included an incorrect location for Mr. Fuchigami's work teaching special education,
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