Tule Lake NM

The Tule Lake War Relocation Center was one of ten concentration camps constructed in 1942 by the United States government to incarcerate Japanese Americans forcibly removed from their homes on the West Coast. It was used as a maximum security, segregation camp to separate and hold those prisoners considered disloyal or disruptive to the operations of other camps. Inmates from other camps were also brought to Tule Lake for disciplinary reasons. As a result, it became known as the "troublemaker" camp. The living conditions at Tule Lake were deplorable, and the inmates were subject to slurs and mistreatment from both guards and fellow prisoners. The camp remained in operation until 1945, when it was finally shut down by the government. The lasting effects of this dark chapter in American history are commemorated at the site.