The Friends of Minidoka is an Idaho-based 501c3 non-profit organization
whose mission is to educate people regarding the Minidoka Internment
experience and lessons learned from that experience, and to promote
the legacy of those interned.
From August 10, 1942 to October 28, 1945, the Minidoka Relocation
Center in barren south-central Idaho was home to over 13,000 persons
of Japanese ancestry, of which two-thirds were American citizens.
Most of the internees were from Seattle, Portland and surrounding
areas. Minidoka was among the largest of the ten relocation centers,
covering 33,000 acres. Residents were housed in 44 "blocks."
Each "block" contained twelve 120' x 20' tar-papered "barracks,"
a separate mess hall, and laundry building, which contained communal
showers and toilets. Each "barrack" contained six rooms,
each of which housed a family or group of people. Temperatures ranged
from the low 100s in the summer to minus 30 in the winter.
The Friends of Minidoka has entered into a cooperative agreement with
the National Parks Service to develop projects at the Minidoka National
Historic Site in accordance with the site's General Management Plan.
Current projects include an Issei (first generation) Memorial, the
reconstruction of the Honor Roll, and the relocation of original barracks
to the site.
The Friends of Minidoka and the Seattle Chapter of the Japanese American
Citizens' League hosts an annual Pilgrimage to Minidoka during the
last week in June. In the two days prior to the Pilgrimage, the Friends
of Minidoka, the College of Southern Idaho, and the National Parks
Service sponsor a Civil Liberties Symposium.
For more information on the Friends of Minidoka and its activities,
please visit our website at www.minidoka.org.
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