Shadows linger here at Tuna Canyon Detention Station. This isn’t just a golf course now. This land whispers stories of injustice.
Tuna Canyon Detention Station a place of confinement during World War II holds a somber history. More than 2000 people mostly Japanese but also Italian and German immigrants were unjustly detained here. They were deemed enemy aliens. Their families were left behind confused and frightened.
Imagine the scene. Barbed wire fences twelve feet high surrounded the camp. Guard posts stood watch. Floodlights illuminated the night. Detainees arrived by bus. They were checked for contraband. Wives visited their husbands at a visitation center nearby. Speaking Japanese might mean a bayonet to the throat. They quickly learned to speak English instead.
Many detainees were later transferred to internment camps. One detainee’s granddaughter Donna Sugimoto only recently learned of her grandfather’s imprisonment here. He died in a Colorado camp. He was only in his fifties.
The Tuna Canyon Detention Station Coalition fought for recognition. They achieved historic monument status. A developer sued. The lawsuit was dismissed but damage claims remain.
The oaks remain. They stand as silent witnesses to the suffering and injustice that occurred here. This site serves as a reminder. It reminds us of the violations of civil rights during World War II. It’s a stark reminder that such injustice should never happen again. This land now bears a sign. It marks a dark chapter in American history. It’s a place of remembrance and reflection. A place where we can learn from the past. We must never forget the stories of Tuna Canyon.