HomeMy WebLinkAboutConstituent Letter - Mail Packet - 5/11/2021 - Letter From Human Relations Commission Re: Requesting Support For The Amache National Historic Site
DATE: May 6, 2021
TO: Mayor Jeni Arndt
City Councilmembers
City Manager Darin Atteberry
CC: Sarah Kane
Dawn Kennedy
Carol Thomas
FROM: The Human Relations Commission
RE: Support for the Amache National Historic Site
Please see the attached letter sent by the Human Relations Commission to our Congressman Joe
Neguse, endorsing the bipartisan legislation to establish the Amache National Historic Site, a
former Japanese American incarceration facility outside of Granada, Colorado, as part of the
National Park System. As the letter states, “We will also be asking our City Council to support
this legislation through public endorsement. Our Commission is committed to educating our
community about Amache and encouraging support of the Federal legislation through City
actions and personal connections.”
Therefore, we are requesting the Fort Collins City Council to take a public stance supporting the
legislation and to work towards educating the public about this important State and Federal
endeavor to honor those incarcerated Japanese Americans, and help all Americans remember and
learn from this tragic history. We hope that each of us will talk about what happened at Amache
with family, friends, neighbors, and representatives from the Poudre School District, Colorado
State University, etc., to promote support for this Federal legislation.
Thank you for your consideration.
Attachment: Memo to Congressman Joe Neguse, May 6, 2021
DATE: May 6, 2021
TO: Congressman Joe Neguse
FROM: The Human Relations Commission
RE: Support for the Amache National Historic Site
As members of the City of Fort Collins Human Relations Commission, we are writing to support
the legislation to establish the Amache National Historic Site, a former Japanese American
incarceration facility outside of Granada, Colorado, as part of the National Park System. As you
are aware, the camp was opened from August 27, 1942 through October 15, 1945 and had
approximately 10,000 people of Japanese descent incarcerated in Amache while it was open,
where they did their best to cope with life behind barbed wire.
The Fort Collins Human Relations Commission was established by the Fort Collins City Council
to enhance the acceptance and respect for diversity through educational programs and activities,
and to embrace inclusion of individuals reflective of characteristics such as race, ethnicity,
gender identity and expression, physical abilities/qualities, sex, sexual /affectional orientation,
age, culture, different ideas and perspectives, familial status, immigration status, geographic
background, marital status, national origin, religious and spiritual beliefs, socioeconomic status,
and veteran status.
We support this bipartisan legislation that was introduced by you, Congressman Ken Buck and
Colorado Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper. The Amache National Historic Site
Act (H.R. 2497/S.1284) will designate the Granada Relocation Center, a World War II Japanese
incarceration site in Colorado known as “Amache,” a National Park. Not only will this honor
those innocent, brave and patriotic Japanese Americans who were kept at Amache against their
will, but it will demonstrate to the world that our country acknowledges this tragic mistake and
will enable the USA National Park system to embrace the diversity and inclusive nature of the
legislation.
We will also be asking our City Council to support this legislation through public
endorsement. Our Commission is committed to educating our community about Amache and
encouraging support of the Federal legislation through City actions and personal connections.
We appreciate your hard work and dedication to honoring all the Amache alumni.