A New National Park is Born: Remembering History, Guarding Justice

This year, in the beautiful month of April, the United States got a wonderful new gift: a brand new national park! The park is called Amache National Historic Site, and it is located in the state of Colorado. But this park is different from many others. It wasn’t created to protect mountains or forests, but to protect a very important story from America’s history. This story helps us remember, learn, and make sure we treat everyone with fairness.

A long time ago, during World War II in the 1940s, something very unfair happened in our country. After Japan attacked a place called Pearl Harbor in 1941, the U.S. government became fearful. They made a rule that people of Japanese ancestry, even if they were American citizens, had to leave their homes on the West Coast. Over 120,000 people, including men, women, and children, were forced to move to special camps. One of these camps was called the Granada Relocation Center, but most people knew it as Camp Amache.

Life at Amache was very hard. Families lived in small, crowded barracks with little privacy. They had to share bathrooms and eating areas with many other people. They were surrounded by a fence and guard towers, even though they had not done anything wrong. They were imprisoned simply because of their heritage.

Despite these difficult conditions, the people at Amache worked hard to create a community. They started a school, a library, farms, and even sports teams. They showed incredible resilience, which means they stayed strong and kept going during a tough time.

For many years after the war, the land where Amache stood was mostly empty. But people did not forget. Survivors of the camp, their families, and students from a nearby high school worked for decades to preserve the site. To preserve something means to protect it and keep it safe for the future. They wanted everyone to remember what happened so that it would never happen again.

Earlier this week, their hard work paid off. President Joe Biden signed a law, which is an official rule for the country, that made Amache a national park. This is a big deal! National parks are protected by the government so that their stories and landscapes are saved forever.

Now, the stories of the people who lived at Amache will be shared with visitors from all over America. Rangers will give tours, and there will be signs to explain the history. It becomes a classroom outside, teaching us about courage, injustice, and the importance of kindness.

Learning about this history can make us feel sad, and that’s okay. It’s important to feel sad about unfair things from the past. But this new park also gives us hope. It shows that when we remember our mistakes, we can build a better future. It teaches us to stand up for what is right and to treat all people with respect, no matter where they or their families come from.

So, the next time you hear about a national park, remember that some parks, like Amache, guard stories as precious as any mountain or canyon.

Reading Comprehension Questions

1. What is the main reason the Amache National Historic Site was created this year?
A) To protect a large forest and many animals.
B) To remember a sad and important story from U.S. history.
C) To build a new playground for children in Colorado.
D) To celebrate winning World War II.

2. How does the passage describe life for people at Camp Amache in the 1940s?
A) It was a fun summer camp with lots of games.
B) It was difficult, but they built a community.
C) They lived in big, comfortable houses.
D) They could come and go as they pleased.

3. What does the word “preserve” mean in the passage?
A) To forget about something.
B) To change something completely.
C) To protect and keep something safe.
D) To visit a place often.

4. According to the passage, what is one reason the new park gives us hope?
A) It will be the biggest park in the country.
B) It helps us remember mistakes to build a better future.
C) It means nothing unfair ever happened again.
D) It is only for people of Japanese ancestry.

5. Who helped work for many years to protect the Amache site before it became a park?
A) Only the President of the United States.
B) Only park rangers from other states.
C) Survivors, their families, and local students.
D) Soldiers from World War II.

Vocabulary List

Ancestry (noun): Where your family comes from long ago.
Barracks (noun): Simple buildings where many people live, often soldiers.
Resilience (noun): The ability to stay strong and recover from hard times.
Preserve (verb): To keep something safe and in its original state.
Injustice (noun): Something that is very unfair or wrong.

Answer Key & Explanations

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