Discover how posters and newspapers printed at Amache supported the war effort, built community, and left a lasting visual record of daily life.
Stop 11 Audio
Transcript
Amache was different from other camps because we had a successful silkscreen shop that made over 250, 000 posters under contract for the U. S. Navy. Not only did the shop support the war effort, but it also added a little color and art to life at Amache. When we attended events like dances, graduations, church services, festivals, and fundraisers, I recall getting dance bids, tickets, programs, posters, and even calendars all printed by the silkscreen shop. There was one Caucasian WRA supervisor and 45 interned employees who worked at the shop. The Nisei workers were very talented and their skills showed in the products they created. Amache also had a camp newspaper, the Granada Pioneer, written by us for us.
All of the newspaper staff and writers were Nisei and Issei, men and women from Amache supervised by a Caucasian WRA employee who reviewed, edited, and censored each issue before it went to press. The Pioneer was printed two or three times a week in English and Japanese. Just like any local paper, it kept us up to date on all of the happenings in the camp, like the activities of the Boy Scouts, events like movies or dances, sports scores, announcements like marriages, births, and so on.
It also reported on events outside of the camp, especially stories related to the progress of the war and relocations of internees to other parts of the country. It also had a Lil’ Neebo comic, short for Little Nisei Boy. Created by a former Disney artist, Chris Ishii, the paper even had advice columns and editorials.
Printed products made by the Silk Screen Shop and the Granada Pioneer helped connect us and made us feel like we had created our own strong little community, despite the barbed wire fences.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS: Thank you for taking the time to explore and experience Amache National Historic Park. By learning about the Amache story, you play an important role in preserving the history of WWII Japanese American incarceration and ensuring that injustices like this are never repeated.
If you would like to hear more stories, interact with exhibits, delve into historic documents, photos and artwork, and watch short films about Amache and its legacy, we encourage you to visit the Amache Museum located only 1.5 miles away in the town of Granada.
To reach the museum, continue north on this road for approximately half a mile. Make a right at the T intersection. Make a left at the next street. This road will take you to Highway 50. Make a right to go east into Granada. The Amache Museum will be on the right side of the street at 205 E. Goff Street.
Thank you for helping us honor the past and ensure that the lessons of Amache continue to inspire future generations. Safe travels!