By Brandon Gonzales.
Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month is commemorated annually every May. This designation aims to celebrate the contributions made by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders throughout history as well as today.
The San Luis Valley has long been a crossroads and meeting place for different groups, from its Native American roots to its Hispano settlements to its Anglo pioneers. Asian Americans, specifically Japanese Americans, also contributed to the history of the Valley, especially its agriculture and religious diversity. One example of this rich history is found at La Jara’s Buddhist temple, which was built in 1936 to serve the vast Japanese American population that settled in the Valley.
Beginning in the 1920s, Japanese Americans began to form permanent residences in Alamosa, Conejos and Costilla counties. They had been courted to move to these counties by representatives from land development agencies in San Acacio and Alamosa to farm and sharecrop the land. They introduced new crops to the Valley and formed relationships with Hispanic Americans, who the Japanese farmers hired to work on their lands.
They also brought with them their traditions and culture, including religion. Many of the Japanese were practicing Buddhists, and small enclaves of Japanese formed “Kyudokais,” or Buddhist associations. There were three Kyudokais in the Valley: Alamosa, Blanca and San Acacio. Members often met in each other’s homes to practice their faith. As their numbers grew, there came a need for a proper meeting place and, thus, in 1936, a Buddhist temple was commissioned to be built in La Jara, called the “Alamosa-La Jara Buddhist Temple.”
The project cost $4,000 and was built in part with funds donated by the Japanese themselves, by 133 non-Japanese who felt the Japanese should have a place to worship and through a loan for $800 that was taken out at the First National Bank of La Jara. The temple was contracted by the Conejos Lumber Company, and the plot the temple was built on was donated by William A. Braiden, a rancher and prominent member of Conejos County Society who owned Braiden Real Estate. The Japanese had planned to purchase the land but, instead, Braiden chose to donate the land and accepted $1 in exchange to meet legal requirements.
The Buddhist temple had its dedication ceremony on February 6, 1937. The Alamosa Daily Courier announced in an article the week earlier that Buddhist organizations across the Valley and across Colorado were invited to the dedication ceremony. Celebrated Reverend Yoshitaka Tamai traveled all the way from Denver to be at the grand opening festivities that took place. Reverend Tamai agreed to come down to the Valley every month to conduct services. The temple served the Japanese population as not only a place of monthly worship services, but also a place to hold weddings and funerals. The Buddhist population reached its highest point just as World War II began.
During World War II, the temple was shuttered as Japanese Americans faced government restrictions due to the signing of Executive Order 9066. They were only allowed to meet for funerals and Reverend Tamai was restricted from traveling to the Valley except to perform funerals. After the war, the temple returned to normal services. However, the numbers of practicing Buddhists would never again reach its previous height. As older generations of Japanese began to pass away, the numbers continued to decline. Many younger generations of Japanese left the faith to attend Christian services in order to better assimilate with their Anglo and Hispanic peers, or moved away from the Valley. Many Japanese moved back to California, or to urban centers to pursue educational opportunities or other fields of work. By 1993, there were only six families and a few single members that continued to attend services at the temple.
Today, the Buddhist temple in La Jara still stands on Poplar Street, but it no longer hosts services. It has been converted into a duplex. The history of Japanese Americans in the San Luis Valley is one that should be celebrated not only during AAPI Heritage Month, but year-round. There are still Japanese American families in the Valley, and it is the job of the Valley’s younger generations to make sure these stories are not forgotten.
This is just one of many stories that the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area (SdCNHA) looks to preserve and share. SdCNHA is a federally funded non-profit, dedicated to preserving, promoting, and protecting the history, heritage, culture and traditions of Alamosa, Conejos and Costilla counties. You can learn more about what SdCNHA does, their work in historical preservation and links to their documentaries, vignettes, and oral histories at www.sangreheritage.org.
Brandon Gonzales is the Historian/Researcher for the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area.