Minidoka

We visited the Minidoka Japanese Incarceration Camp near Jerome, Idaho today. This was another one of the more somber, frankly sad places we have explored on our journey across America. During our travels to various places we have often been reminded of the continual struggle of oppressed people everywhere. 

On February 19, 1942 Presidential Franklin D. Roosevelt signed executive order EO 9066, depriving over 110,000 people their freedom. All were of Japanese ancestry, two thirds were American citizens and half were children. These Japanese-American citizens closed their businesses, shut down their farms, boarded trains and buses and were shipped off to prisons. For the rest of World War Two most would remain behind barbed wire.

The Minidoka Camp, also locally referred to as Hunt Camp, in Idaho was a prison camp from 1942 to 1945. The tar paper and wood barracks gave little protection from the cold, dust and heat that is common to this area. Although the Minidoka Camp was officially closed on October 28, 1945 the executive order EO 9066 was not finally terminated until 1976 by President Gerald Ford.

There were a total of 10 camps like this spread across 7 states. A congressional  commission released a report in 1983 that stated: “The broad historical causes which shaped these decisions were race prejudice, war hysteria and a failure of government leadership.” 

Perhaps a reminder to us all of Dr. M.L. King’s words “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”.