Japanese American Resource Center of Colorado

The Japanese American Resource Center of Colorado (JARCC) is an all-volunteer nonprofit  501 c 3 organization, dedicated to preserving the rich history and heritage of the Colorado Japanese American community.

The original founding group, which met for several years before 2009, consisted of distinguished and prominent community leaders. Their seed vision was to preserve, educate, and celebrate our heritage and culture through relevant programming and collaborative community partnerships, with a focus on sharing cultural happenings within the Japanese and Japanese American neighborhoods of Denver.

The early Japanese American community in Colorado was a unique blend of those first settlers of the early 1900s and those who arrived due to forced migration and incarceration during World War II.  Although these two groups share their Japanese culture and heritage, their wartime experiences were dramatically different.  It is this diversity within the Japanese American community that makes the story an important one to cherish and preserve.

As the Issei and Nisei generations decrease, JARCC recognizes the urgency of capturing and preserving oral and written histories that will give insight into the dreams, hardships, and successes of our Colorado pioneers through our preservation programs and then, to relay how those experiences relate to today's community.  These stories explore various perspectives gained through their wide range of careers, among which were farmers, miners, railroad workers, various business owners, and professionals whose rich influences are also evident in the history and development of Colorado.  

JARCC continues to expand its preservation program and host many events, exhibits, and workshops that honor its founding vision while maintaining collaborative efforts with other local organizations to support similar goals and community outreach.

Issei: 1st generation, immigrated to the United States from Japan

Nisei: 2nd generation, born in the United States 
 

r