Japanese Immigrant's Photos Helped Establish Great Smoky Mountains National Park

George Masa, a Japanese immigrant, moved to Asheville, North Carolina in 1915 and found work at the Grove Park Inn. He learned to navigate a new world and turned photography into a livelihood. Alongside friend and conservation advocate Horace Kephart, Masa photographed, mapped, and documented the Smoky Mountains as the campaign for a national park gained momentum. Years later, the park was established and Masa never lived to see it, but the mountains still carry his name. Masa's photographs became a powerful way to show others what was worth protecting.