Hundreds gather at grand opening of Simpson-Mineta Institute in Wyoming

Hundreds of people from across the country came to Northwest Wyoming to celebrate the official opening of the Simpson-Mineta Institute Saturday afternoon.

It happened at the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center between near Ralston between Cody and Powell. The Center tells the stories of 14,000 Japanese Americans who were imprisoned there during World War II.

One of those internees was Norman Mineta, who later served as a Democratic congressman from California. Al Simpson served as a Republican Senator from Wyoming. The two men met at the internment camp when they were 11-year-old Boy Scouts, and became lifelong friends.

The Simpson-Mineta Institute was created in their honor, to be a place where people from different points of view can come together to discuss their differences.

Simpson said the dedication ceremony was a very emotional experience, and very overpowering.

He pointed out, “This is the beginning of a new chapter in America…a center to talk about racism, and there’s plenty of that in this county, and the world, and in the state…and talk about diversity. You’ve gotta deal with the extremists in society and bring people together. And compromise is not a four letter word. And the people who believe that are out to lunch.”

Congressman Mineta also served as a cabinet member for presidents Clinton and George W. Bush. He died in 2022, the same year Simpson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden.