| Original caption: “Children in an assembly hall at Amache Elementary School.” Amache Relocation Center Elementary School in Block 8H. The Student Activities Council discusses the Junior Pioneer program, the Coop Store, the Safety Patrol, and the Color Guard. When principal Enoch Dumas (May 26, 1908 – September 3, 1973) called the 1st opening day on October 12, 1942, there were only enough teachers and resources for half days. The furniture and textbooks had not yet arrived. He could only ask parents to provide a pencil and paper for each student. But school attendance was required, and parents had to write a note to explain any absence. Initially, Nursery and Kindergarten, Elementary, Junior High, Senior High, and adults met in Block H, but in June 1943 a new high school opened at Amache. Local residents, who had survived the Great Depression, were outraged that funds were being spent on Japanese Americans and not their community. The War Relocation Authority (WRA) refused to cancel construction of the high school but terminated plans for middle and elementary schools, so they always met in Block 8H. Eventually, WRA appointed Superintendent of schools, 3 WRA appointed principals, 81 WRA teachers, and 44 Japanese American incarcerated assistants taught at Amache. Athletic teams were formed and on several occasions the Amache High School team played outside teams in the neighboring towns of Granada, Holly and Wiley. | |
| Image Filename | wwii1708.jpg |
| Image Size | 502 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 2916 x 2128 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | Franklin D. Roosevelt Library |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | January 1, 1943 |
| Location | |
| City | Granada |
| State or Province | Colorado |
| Country | United States |
| Archive | National Archives and Records Administration |
| Record Number | NLR-PHOCO-A-74201356 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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