(Photo above courtesy of Hart Van Denbur/CPR News)
We are deeply saddened to hear about the recent passing of Bob Fuchigami, a camp survivor of the Amache Incarceration Camp and a treasured advisor on our past education grant, War Relocation Authority Incarceree Farm Labor Teacher Education Project. Mr. Fuchigami was 11 years old when his family was forced to leave their home in California to the Eastern Plains of Colorado. Mr. Fuchigami was a beloved advocate who testified in front of Congress to support Rep. Joe Neguse and Rep. Ken Buck to transfer the stewardship of Amache to the National Park Service in 2021.
We were so very fortunate to have him as a guest speaker at our past workshop at the University of Denver in 2022, pictured below:
The following quote reflects Mr. Fuchigami’s deep dedication to preserving, honoring, and sharing the histories of Japanese American incarceration:
“I have waited many, many years to see the day where we can be certain that Amache, as a place of reflection, remembrance, honor, and healing, is protected for our current and future generations. President Biden’s signature on the Amache National Historic Site Act today brings me hope that we are finally closer to this certainty. My parents did not live to see this day. The time is not only right; it is long overdue.” – Bob Fuchigami on the enactment of the Amache National Historic Site Act (2022).
Click here for an article on Mr. Fuchigami’s passing by Colorado Public Radio.
