| |
Broadcast
Schedule
|
 |
|
"When an immigrant becomes a patriot, he usually becomes a 200% patriot. I think the JACL leaders were trying to be 200% Americans."
--Roger Daniels, University of Cincinnati
|
 |
|
The Japanese American Citizens League was the only national organization of
its kind, forged at a national convention in 1930 from groups of educated
doctors and lawyers with such names as the American Loyalty League and the
Progressive Citizens League. Only the Nisei, born in America as citizens,
could belong. In 1940 a 25-year-old college speech teacher from Utah, Mike
Masaoka, was appointed to lead the organization through the coming war.
JACL's response to the expulsion order was to pledge "cheerful cooperation"
with the government, in exchange for humane treatment. Some JACL officers
bragged of leading raids with the FBI to arrest Issei leaders they suspected
of harboring sympathies for Japan. Under Masaoka's leadership JACL also
opposed all constitutional challenges to which the JACL itself did was not a
party.
|
|
Documents and Video |
 Get RealPlayer |
 |
|
Pre-War |
|
|
"The JACL Creed" (1940)
Written by Mike Masaoka in 1940 and printed in the Congressional Record on May 9, 1941.
|
text |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Informing |
|
|
JACL officers' testimony (February, 1942)
Before a congressional committee, JACL officers proudly testify to their cooperation with the FBI in the arrest of Issei leaders and state the conditions under which they would encourage all Japanese Americans to comply with forced expulsion.
Tokie Slocum (excerpt)
|
original |
photo |
|
|
Jimmie Sakamoto (excerpt)
|
|
original |
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Decision to Cooperate |
|
|
JACL testimony: Mike Masaoka (February, 1942)
Before the same congressional committee (above), Masaoka states the conditions under which JACL would encourage all Japanese Americans to comply with forced expulsion. 4 pages
|
|
original |
|
|
|
|
|
AP, "Jap League Aids Exodus" (February 28, 1942)
Masaoka waives the right of all Japanese Americans to protest or challenge the mass expulsion.
|
|
original |
|
|
|
|
|
JAMES OMURA on Mike Masaoka (40 seconds)
"Mike Masaoka was a young man, had wavy hair. Very attractive to the girls and to the public, I imagine. He was using slogans, various slogans, such as "The end justifies the means." Well, he says, if we all didn't evacuate that the army would come in with men, with guns and tanks and assassinate us. I didn't believe that was possible."
|
video: 56k | DSL |
|
|
|
|
|
BILL HOSOKAWA on the decision to cooperate (26 seconds)
"What choice do you have? When you are faced with a young guy with a gun pointed at you and he's got a very nervous trigger finger, and they say, 'This is what you guys are going to do,' you don't say, 'Now wait a minute. I'm going to stand on my constitutional rights.' That's a very difficult situation. And Masaoka and the others were aware of the Constitutional implications."
|
|
video: 56k | DSL |
|
|
|
|
|
Mike Masaoka chats with friends
Photograph.
|
|
photo |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Opposition to Test Cases |
|
|
JACL Bulletin #142 (April 5, 1942)
Mike Masaoka declares the JACL as "unalterably opposed to test cases at this time."
|
|
original |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
