Japanese American Residents Share Their Personal Stories of the Internment Camps
Have you ever wondered how many retirement communities across the U.S. have their own in-house radio station? We’re not talking Ham radio operators, but a station which provides news updates, music and features its own programming?
A quick Google AI search comes up with one, only one. And that station is found right here in Centennial, Colorado at Holly Creek, with the call letters HCRK. Founded more than 15 years ago by resident Dick Gustafson, who was a DJ in Eagle County, Colorado, HCRK carries on Dick’s legacy with community updates, music, and the program “Wanderings,” featuring hosts Sandy Washington and Cil Stenman.
The station is run by residents for residents and all on-air personalities are either residents or staff members.
One of the most popular programs airs every Tuesday at 10 am. Holly Creek residents can tune in to Wanderings on channel 1981 of the community’s closed-circuit TV channels to hear Cil and Sandy interview community residents and staff members who have interesting stories or histories to share.
A recent February program featured three residents who share a common experience – internment in the Japanese internment camps of WWII. For 30 minutes, Carol Furuta, Ruth Kawamura, and Jane Mayeda answered questions posed by Cil and Sandy. The interview was covered by Denver7 and aired multiple times.
The three ladies spoke of how anti-Japanese hysteria spread across the United States after the Pearl Harbor bombing and how Japanese Americans were targeted and stripped of their civil rights. A little over a year after Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which forced 122,000 Japanese Americans living in Washington, Oregon, California, and Arizona into internment camps, including Camp Amache in Colorado.
Approximately 60% of those incarcerated were US citizens, including Ruth, Carol, Jane, and their families, and all lost personal liberties; most lost their homes and property as well. Although Ruth, Carol, and Jane were very young when they entered the internment camps with their parents and other family members, each has vivid memories from the experience.
“My brother, my two sisters and I, my parents, we went to three camps, two in California and one in Colorado – Camp Amache, and that was our last place, and that’s how we ended up in Denver,” Carol said.
Jane recalls that during the winter, the barracks where multiple families were housed were very cold. “The only thing to keep us warm was a pot-bellied stove in the middle of the barracks,” said Jane. “And there was no privacy to speak of; the restrooms and dining hall were all communal.”
Carol added, “There was no running water in the barracks, and the walls of the barracks did not go up to the ceiling, so it wasn’t private. We slept on cots, like army cots. There was nothing else.”
“Our parents never spoke of the days of the internment camps,” said Ruth. “They were too ashamed of what happened, of losing our business and not being able to do anything about it…we here helpless.”
For Jane, Ruth, and Carol, sharing their experiences is more than setting the record straight, it’s about raising awareness of injustices both past and present. The message from Carol is clear: “Let’s not repeat history and let’s pay attention and not judge people because they may look different from you.”
HCRK can be listened to daily on channel 1981. In addition to Wanderings, original programming hosted by residents includes “Mornings With Shirley,” “Wake Up With Wes,” “Saturday Show With Isy,” and “Encore.”
