In 1942, approximately 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry were evacuated from the West Coast to ten different internment camps in the interior of the United States. One of these camps was the Granada Relocation Center, otherwise known as Amache, located in southeastern Colorado. Through the analysis of archaeological material, archival documents, and oral histories, this thesis explores the experiences of Japanese American women interned at Amache. Feminine identity was greatly changed and redefined during confinement. These changes in feminine identity are examined in the public and private arenas of daily life within confinement. The construction of new and altered individual and community identities are also explored. By examining how feminine identity was both changed as well as maintained during confinement, many differences between generations of Japanese women are exposed. Commonalities and similarities are also revealed that ultimately highlight the great adaptability, resilience, and perseverance of Japanese women in confinement.
","abstract_html":"<p>In 1942, approximately 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry were evacuated from the West Coast to ten different internment camps in the interior of the United States. One of these camps was the Granada Relocation Center, otherwise known as Amache, located in southeastern Colorado. Through the analysis of archaeological material, archival documents, and oral histories, this thesis explores the experiences of Japanese American women interned at Amache. Feminine identity was greatly changed and redefined during confinement. These changes in feminine identity are examined in the public and private arenas of daily life within confinement. The construction of new and altered individual and community identities are also explored. By examining how feminine identity was both changed as well as maintained during confinement, many differences between generations of Japanese women are exposed. Commonalities and similarities are also revealed that ultimately highlight the great adaptability, resilience, and perseverance of Japanese women in confinement.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Shew, Dana Ogo"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"M.A.","degree_level":"Masters Thesis","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Bonnie Clark, Ph.D.","Dean J. Saitta","Susan Sterett"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2010,"date_issued":"2010-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2010-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:02:03Z","subjects":["Amache","Archaeology","Identity","Japanese internment","Women","World War II","Anthropology","Archaeological Anthropology"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/598","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Bonnie Clark, Ph.D.","Dean J. Saitta","Susan Sterett"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Shew, Dana Ogo"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2001-01-01T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Masters Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["M.A."]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Amache","Archaeology","Identity","Japanese internment","Women","World War II","Anthropology","Archaeological Anthropology"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
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"],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/598"],"dc:language":["en"],"dc:rights":["Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
"],"dc:subject":["Amache","Archaeology","Identity","Japanese internment","Women","World War II","Anthropology","Archaeological Anthropology"],"dc:title":["Feminine Identity Confined: The Archaeology of Japanese Women at Amache, a WWII Internment Camp"],"thesis:degree_level":["Masters Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["M.A."]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:02:03Z"}