Day 32 - Minidoka War Relocation Center (Concentration Camp), Idaho
📌APIA Every Day (32) - Minidoka War Relocation Center, operational from 1942 to 1945, was one of the ten camps where Japanese Americans were interned during World War II, following President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Executive Order 9066. Located in Idaho, it housed 9,397 Japanese Americans, primarily from Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. The camp was part of the broader discriminatory actions against Japanese Americans, leading to their forced removal from the West Coast. Internees at Minidoka were involved in farm labor, the irrigation project, and the construction of the Anderson Ranch Dam. The camp's population peaked at 10,000 in 1942 and gradually decreased, officially closing on October 28, 1945.
The Minidoka War Relocation Center comprised 44 housing blocks with barracks, recreational halls, schools, and various amenities. The site played a role in the formation of the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, units of Japanese American soldiers. The internment camp was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and designated a national monument in 2001. Recently, concerns have arisen about the potential impact of the proposed Lava Ridge Wind Project, including up to 400 wind turbines, near the Minidoka site. Survivors, descendants, and advocates argue that such a project could jeopardize the historical significance of Minidoka and have called for alternative solutions.
The controversy surrounding the Lava Ridge Wind Project intensifies as Japanese Americans, including survivors and descendants, express worries about the project's proximity to Minidoka. Critics fear that the wind turbines could disrupt the historical site and its sanctity, diminishing the tangible reminder of Japanese American incarceration during WWII. Despite reassurances from the Bureau of Land Management and the project developers, the debate continues, with stakeholders pushing for alternative options, emphasizing the importance of preserving Minidoka's historical integrity. The current situation reflects a broader national discourse on balancing development projects with the preservation of historically significant sites and the memories they hold.
LEARN MORE:
National Park Service: Minidoka: An American Concentration Camp (National Historic Site)[30 minute video]
Densho: Preserving Japanese American stories of the past for the generations of tomorrow
Lava Ridge Wind Project:
BLM National NEPA Register: DOI-BLM-ID-T030-2021-0015-EIS
Friends of Minidoka: Support Long Term Protections for Minidoka National Historic Site
Minidoka Pilgrimage: Call to Action
Crosscut: Japanese Americans protest a wind project near the Minidoka site
AP News: Hundreds rally against proposed large Idaho wind farm
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