Mike Masaru Masaoka was born in Fresno, California, in 1915, the fourth of eight children of immigrant parents. A few years after his birth, his father moved the Masaoka family to Salt Lake City. It was there that he earned the nickname "Mike" while attending Salt Lake City schools. Later, he had his name legally changed. After graduating from West High School, he attended the University of Utah while working in his family's produce business and local restaurants. At both West and the University, he excelled in forensics. He was graduated from the University in 1937, after studying economics and political science.
Masaoka's first involvement with the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) occurred in 1938, when he attended an annual gathering of the organization. He became interested in the group's goal of organizing second-generation Japanese Americans, or Nisei, in efforts to counteract increasing discrimination. Masaoka quickly became a leader in the JACL after organizing the Intermountain District Council in Utah and Idaho. At the outbreak of the Second World War, the JACL's role as the leading representative organization for the Nisei took on new significance when coping with the government's decision to evacuate and intern all West Coast noncitizens and Americans of Japanese ancestry. As the JACL National Secretary, Masaoka was sent to Washington, D.C. in an effort to mitigate the effects of forced removal and work towards the elimination of the internment camps. Before leaving for Washington, though, Masaoka wed Etsu Mineta.
In addition to exerting influence on the United States government concerning the situation of Japanese Americans, while in Washington Masaoka also worked towards the reinstatement of military service for Japanese Americans. His efforts resulted in the formation of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Masaoka, along with his four brothers and many other Japanese American men, joined the 442nd, which served with honor in military campaigns in Italy and France.
After returning from military service, the JACL appointed Masaoka as its Washington Representative, a post at which he served full-time until 1952, and part-time until 1972. During his years as a lobbyist, Masaoka worked to reform immigration and naturalization laws, resulting in the repeal of the 1924 Japanese Exclusion Act and the abolishment of the National Origins Quota Immigration System. In addition, he lobbied for reparations for losses suffered by Japanese Americans who had been relocated to the internment camps, which assisted in passage of the Evacuation Claims Act of 1948. In the 1980s, he also played a role in the proceedings of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, which investigated the topic of further redress. Throughout his years in Washington, Masaoka also supported passage of civil rights legislation, and was active in development of smooth Japan-U.S. diplomatic and economic relations. In addition to his lobbying efforts on behalf of the JACL, in 1953 Masaoka established his own consulting firm, Mike Masaoka Associates. His clients included both American and Japanese manufacturing firms, as well as a variety of trade associations.
Masaoka was involved in a variety of Nisei veterans associations, including the "Go For Broke" National Veterans Association. He was the first Nisei elected President of the Japan-America Society, a group with which he maintained a long association. In 1970, the Mike Masaoka Distinguished Public Service Award was established by the JACL as a way to recognize individuals who had made significant contributions to the well-being of the Japanese American community. He was the JACL "Nisei of the Biennium" in 1950, and the JACL has established the Mike M. Masaoka Fellowship Fund to develop leaders in public service at the national level. In 1968, Masaoka was awarded the Third Order of the Rising Sun by the Emperor of Japan. In 1983, he was honored with the Second Class Order of the Sacred Treasure by the Emperor.
Masaoka's autobiography,
The Mike M. Masaoka papers (1931-1991) provide information about the personal and professional activities of Mike Masaoka (1915-1991) and document the wide-ranging experiences of Japanese Americans since before the Second World War. The materials are divided into twelve sections. Within each section, documents are arranged chronologically. Undated documents, along with news clippings and miscellaneous pieces, conclude each section.
Section I contains material relating to Masaoka's personal life. These reflect his activities as a youth in Salt Lake City (scrapbooks, school papers, and yearbooks); his travels to Japan during the 1950s (an itinerary, and souvenirs); and awards and recognition given to him in the later part of his life. Included is a copy of his autobiography,
Correspondence to and from Mike Masaoka is arranged chronologically in Section II. Included is correspondence written by or addressed to Masaoka as an official of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL). The correspondence, besides covering topics of a personal nature, is concerned with various issues important to Japanese Americans, including the topics of sections IV through XI. Correspondence found attached to another document remains with that document. Beginning in 1946, Masaoka maintained a handwritten record of daily activities, and these notebooks and note cards are located in Section III. These logs have been arranged chronologically, but are not indexed.
Section IV of the collection contains items concerned with the immigration activities and citizenship status of Japanese Americans. The materials discuss the early immigration of the Issei, battles over deportation, and renunciation of citizenship during the Second World War and later. Masaoka's jobbying activities in these areas made a significant impact on Congressional lawmaking during the 1950s, and this is reflected in documents produced by the U. S. Congress.
Items concerned with the Second World War evacuation of Japanese Americans from the west coast of the United States are gathered in Section V. Included are documents produced by the War Relocation Authority, the government agency created to handle the evacuation, and papers reflecting the activities of internees and government workers in the relocation centers. Any material, regardless of date, memorializing or discussing the War Relocation Authority, relocation center activities, and the impact of internment on Japanese Americans during the Second World War and afterwards, is located in Section V.
Section VI contains documents recording the activities of Japanese Americans in the United States armed forces, especially during the Second World War. Masaoka was one of these people, serving in Europe as part of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and was later involved in veterans groups. Included are commemorative materials and documents reflecting the activities of veterans' organizations, memorial service memorabilia, and articles discussing the involvement of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team in the Second World War.
Documents produced as a result of efforts to gain reparations for losses suffered by Japanese Americans as a result of relocation and internment during the Second World War are located in Section VII of the collection. Included are documents produced by the Japanese American Citizens League as a result of their efforts in lobbying for reparations. A significant portion of this section is devoted to documents stemming from the activities of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians.
Section VIII contains records of, and documents published by, the Japanese American Citizens League, with which Masaoka was involved most of his life. These records are of a general, administrative nature. Documents which discuss the activities of the Japanese American Citizens League in specific areas, such as redress or immigration & naturalization, are filed in other sections of the collection.
Materials in Section IX consist of documents discussing and recording the experience of Americans of Japanese descent in areas outside of those covered in other sections of this collection. Topics include discrimination, demographics, culture, ethnicity, and general history. These subjects are reflected in articles, court documents, state election guides, exhibition brochures, and historical reports. The activities of political and cultural organizations are also represented. Section IX also contains documents reflecting the experiences of other religious, national, and racial minority groups in America.
The documents in Section X are concerned with Japanese trade, government, culture, and relations with the United States. Japan's diplomatic and economic relations with the United States are discussed in the form of articles and treaties. Many of the items in this section reflect on Masaoka's lobbying business, which actively pursued Japanese clients.
Section XI contains documents relating to Hawaiian statehood, while Section XII contains miscellaneous and oversize documents. Honors won by Masaoka in forensic competition, and medals relating to his military service, are also included here.
Addenda to the collection includes correspondence, veterans organization materials, Japanese American Citizens League papers, yearbooks, and scrapbooks.
Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.
Four original letters have been removed and placed in Reserve. Access must be given by the Manuscripts Curator and by appointment. An archivist must remain with the items if being used. Photocopies are available in the collection for research use.
The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library's
Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.
Boxes 1-81 were donated in 1992-1993 (40 linear feet).
Boxes 82-85 were donated in 1994 (1.5 linear feet).
Addendum boxes 1-3 were found in 1998 (1.5 linear feet).
See also the
Processed by Mark Jensen and Karen Carver in 1993-1999.
Forms part of the Mitsugi M. Kasai Memorial Japanese American Archives.
The material in this series relates to Masaoka's personal life reflects his activities growing up in Salt Lake City (scrapbooks, school papers, and yearbooks); his travels to Japan during the 1950s (an itinerary and souvenirs); and awards and recognition given to him in the later part of his life. A copy of , his autobiography, is located in box 4, along with an addenda and associated papers. Also included in this series are materials stemming from familial relationships, several transcripts of interviews of Masaoka, business documents, biographical information about Masaoka, and paper memorabilia. Forensic and military service awards earned by Masaoka are stored in box 80 of this collection. Oversize memorabilia and award certificates are stored in box 81.
Research paper written for a University of Utah English course.
Published by the Mutual Improvement Associations of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Japanese language publication.
Souvenir items.
Souvenir items.
Event program, donor lists, and other items relating to the Mike M. Masaoka Testimonial held in Chicago.
Masaoka family services.
Company brochure.
Transcript of an interview conducted by John Tateishi.
Transcript of an interview done as part of a "Go For Broke" National Veteran's Association oral history project.
Items recording Masaoka's involvement in this group.
Contracts, press releases, correspondence, news clippings, and other items relating to the publication of Masaoka's auto-biography.
By Mike Masaoka and Bill Hosokawa.
Addendum to Masaoka's autobiography.
Court documents for a bankruptcy case involving Mike and Etsu Masaoka.
A transcript of an interview done by Deborah Lim as part of a Japanese American Citizens League project.
Correspondence involving Masaoka family members. For correspondence to and from Mike Masaoka, see boxes 5-10.
Received by Mike Masaoka for various events.
For events occurring while traveling in Japan.
The audio cassette recordings of these interviews are located in Audio/Visual Collection A0351, items 10-16.
Correspondence to and from Mike Masaoka is arranged chronologically in this series. Included is correspondence written by or addressed to Masaoka as an official of the Japanese American Citizens League. The correspondence, besides covering any topics of a personal nature, are concerned with the various issues important to Japanese Americans. These include the topics of sections IV through IX: immigration and naturalization; evacuation and internment; military service; redress; the JACL; Japanese culture; Japan-U.S. relations; and Hawaiian statehood.
Two original letters have been removed and placed in Reserve. Photocopied versions are available in the collection for access purposes. Access to the originals must be given by the Manuscripts Curator and by appointment. An archivist must remain with the items if being used.
A photograph attached to correspondence from Misoji Sakamoto in folder 20 has been removed to P0544. Two original letters have been removed and placed in Reserve. Photocopied versions are available in the collection for access purposes. Access to the originals must be given by the Manuscripts Curator and by appointment. An archivist must remain with the items if being used.
Photographs attached to correspondence from Lee Hawkins in folder 3, and from Alice Kasai in folder 19, have been removed to P0544.
A photograph attached to correspondence from Reiko Ono in folder 12 has been removed to P0544.
Beginning in 1946, Masaoka maintained a handwritten record of daily activities, including correspondence, phone calls, and engagements. The entries he made are concerned with both business and personal matters. Initially, commercially produced index cards were used in this activity, but he latter switched to pocket-sized notebooks. These logs have been arranged chronologically, and are not indexed.
1 Notebook, Approx. 700 loose cards
Approx. 800 loose cards
18 Notebooks, Approx. 400 loose cards
36 Notebooks
35 Notebooks
37 Notebooks
37 Notebooks
39 Notebooks
41 Notebooks
42 Notebooks
32 Notebooks
36 Notebooks
38 Notebooks
43 Notebooks
38 Notebooks
47 Notebooks
34 Notebooks
33 Notebooks
34 Notebooks
37 Notebooks
30 Notebooks
28 Notebooks
The items in this series are concerned with the immigration activities and citizenship status of Japanese Americans. The materials discuss the early immigration of the Issei (first-generation Japanese Americans), as well as battles over deportation and renunciation of citizenship during the Second World War and later, including the case of "Tokyo Rose." Masaoka's lobbying activities in these areas made a significant impact on Congressional law-making during the 1950s, including repeal of the 1924 Japanese Exclusion Act and the abolishment of the National Origins Quota Immigration System. Documents produced by the U. S. Congress and a variety of court documents record battles over citizenship issues, while magazine articles discuss the issues surrounding inequalities in immigration.
Correspondence and other items produced by the Japanese American Citizens League, especially its Anti-Discrimination Committee, concerning immigration and citizenship issues.
Japanese American Citizens League and War Relocation Authority correspondence on this topicirca
Court documents.
Recommendations on U. S. immigration policy, issued for members of this organization.
Court documents.
Regulating Powers of Attorney General to Suspend Deportation of Aliens; before the Subcommittee on Immigration and Naturalization of the House Committee on the Judiciary, 80th Congress.
Correspondence and other items produced by the Japanese American Citizens league and U. S. government agencies.
"Inequality in Naturalization: Root of Prejudice," by Robert M. Cullum; and "End of Oriental Exclusion," by Robert M. Cullum.
Amending the Act to Expedite the Admission to the United States of Alien Spouses and Alien Minor Children of Citizen Members of the United States Armed Forces; from the House Committee on the Judiciary, 80th Congress.
Excerpts.
Providing For Equality Under Naturalization and Immigration Laws; before the Subcommittee on Immigration and Naturalization of the House Committee on the Judiciary, 80th Congress.
Public responses and other items concerning immigration quotas.
Court documents.
Reports, court documents (Stainback v. Mo Hock Ke Lok Po), and news clippings concerning Japanese Language Schools in Hawaii.
Items stemming from the activities of this organization.
Excerpt from a U. S. Congress Committee meeting.
By Frank A. Kasama of the Nisei Consultation Bureau.
Excerpts.
Investigation of Immigration and Naturalization; Progress Report to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary.
Court documents.
"Recovery of Japanese Nationality as Cause for Expatriation in American Law," by Thomas L. Blakemore, Jr.
"A Discussion of the Degree of Assimilation Among Persons of Japanese Ancestry in the United States," by Elmer R. Smith.
Before a subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
81st Congress.
Brochure for United States military personnel serving in Japan.
The Immigration and Naturalization Systems of the United States; Report of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, 81st Congress.
Excerpts.
Legislation, correspondence, and other items concerning the citizenship status of Americans voting in foreign elections.
Court documents.
On the Revision of Immigration, Naturalization, and Nationality Laws; for the Joint Committee of the Senate and House Judiciary Subcommittees on Immigration and Naturalization.
Prepared by Masaoka Associates.
Court documents.
Court documents.
Court documents.
By Frank A. Kasama of the Nisei Consultation Bureau.
Court documents.
Excerpts.
An address by this Senator on a Presidential veto of the "omnibus immigration and naturalization bill."
Documents concerned with Japanese citizenship statutes.
Court documents.
Court documents.
Documents concerning this legislation.
Revising the Laws Relating to Immigration, Naturalization, and Nationality; from the House Committee on the Judiciary, 82nd Congress.
Immigration and Nationality Act, 82nd Congress.
Revision of Immigration and Nationality Laws; from the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, 82nd Congress.
A comparison of old and new texts of immigration laws.
"Opposing Views of Omnibus Immigration Bills are Discussed at Clearing House Meeting;" and "Should We Revise Our Immigration Laws?"
Documents concerning this legislation.
A Report of the President's Commission on Immigration and Naturalization.
Court documents.
Emergency Immigration Program; before Subcommittee No. 1 of the House Committee on the Judiciary, 83rd Congress.
Excerpts.
"The Stranger at Our Gate: America's Immigration Policy," by Hubert H. Humphrey, Jr.
Court documents.
Amendments to this legislation, 84th Congress.
News clippings and an article concerning the deportation of Iva D'Aquino.
Excerpts.
Court documents.
85th Congress.
1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th editions of this Act.
U. S. Office of Alien Property.
Court documents.
Immigration; before Subcommittee No. 1 of the House Committee on the Judiciary, 88th Congress.
For Liberalized Immigration Policies; before the Subcommittee on Immigration and Naturalization, House Committee on the Judiciary, 88th Congress.
Submission of the Japanese American Citizens League concerning pending legislation.
Immigration; before the Subcommittee on Immigration and Naturalization of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, 89th Congress.
A statement by Senator Hiram L. Fong.
Excerpts.
Internal Security Act of 1950, As Amended, and Communist Control Act of 1954.
By Masakazu Iwata.
"Are Racial and National Origins Discriminations Completely Eliminated From Our Present Immigration Law?" by Jack Wasserman; and "The New Immigrants," by David North and William Weissert.
"The Next American Frontier," by Robert B. Reich.
Items concerned with the Second World War evacuation of Japanese Americans from the West Coast are gathered in this series of the collection. Masaoka, as an officer of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), participated in discussions with government agencies on the proposed relocation, and later, as the JACL's Washington Representative, worked to mitigate the effects of relocation on the camp internees. Included here are documents produced by the War Relocation Authority, the government agency created to handle the evacuation. Box 42 contains the correspondence and scrapbook of Janet Embree, an educator at the Poston, Arizona, Relocation Center. Court documents record the legal challenges to laws discriminating against Japanese Americans during wartime. Articles, pamphlets, newsletters, and other documents reflect the activities of internees in the relocation centers and of individuals and organizations working to eliminate the centers. Any material, regardless of date, memorializing or discussing the War Relocation Authority, relocation center activities, and the impact of internment on Japanese Americans during the Second World War and afterwards, is included here.
Quarterly report for March-June.
Quarterly report for July-September.
Semi-Annual Report, January 1 to June 30.
Semi-Annual Report, July-December.
Semi-annual report, January-June.
Semi-annual report, January-June.
Semi-annual report, July-December.
Semi-annual report, January-June.
Pamphlets and news releases issued by the WRA.
By Carey McWilliams, Commissioner of Immigration and Housing, State of California.
A War Relocation Authority publication.
Leaflets concerning Japanese American relocation.
News clippings and correspondence concerning Hirabayashi's court case.
News clippings and correspondence concerning Yamada's court case.
Statements of Masaoka and Minori Yasui, concerning Yasui's test case.
Pamphlets and mailings by organizations opposed to relocation and preventive detention policies.
Pamphlets.
Bibliography of published items concerning the WRA, Japanese, and Japanese Americans during the period October 1943-July 1943.
Used in the educational program at Poston Relocation Center, Arizona.
Used in the educational program at Poston Relocation Center, Arizona.
Used in the educational program at Poston Relocation Center, Arizona.
Used in the educational program at Poston Relocation Center, Arizona.
Used in the educational program at Poston Relocation Center, Arizona.
Community magazine published at the Central Utah (Topaz) Relocation Center, February and June issues.
Correspondence from Janet Embree, an educator at Poston Relocation Center, to legislators, friends, and relatives.
News clippings and correspondence collected by Janet Embree.
"Outcast Americans," by William Robinson; "Sedition's General Staff," by Bernard DeVoto; "What About Hugh Kiino?" by S. Burton Hearth; and "Empty the Relocation Centers!" by Kirby Page.
Published by the Fellowship of Reconciliation.
Notes and correspondence concerning Japanese Americans at the Tule Lake Relocation Center, California.
War Relocation Centers; before a Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Military Affairs, 78th Congress. Parts I and II.
Delivered to the 78th Congress.
"70,000 American Refugees, Made in U.S.A.," by Truman B. Douglas. Published by the Citizens Committee for Resettlement.
"The Japanese In Our Midst, 1943." Published by the Colorado Council of Churches.
Investigation of Un-American Propaganda Activities in the United States. Subcommittee of the House Special Committee on Un-American Actives, 78th Congress.
"Issei, Nisei, Kibei: Fortune Magazine Reviews the Program of the War Relocation Authority and the Problems Created by the Evacuation from the West Coast of 110,000 People of Japanese Descent."
Community magazine from the Central Utah (Topaz) Relocation Center.
Court documents.
"What About Our Japanese-Americans?" by Carey McWilliams. Published by the American Council, Institute of Pacific Relations.
Published by anti-relocation organizations.
Published by the Japanese American Citizens League.
Secondary school yearbooks from Poston (Arizona) Relocation Center.
Secondary school yearbook from Poston (Arizona) Relocation Center.
A War Relocation Authority publication.
Report on program of studies.
A publication of the Adult & Vocational Training Education Department, Poston Relocation Center, Arizona.
Published by the War Relocation Authority.
A thesis by Richard B. Rice.
"California Japanese-The Long Road Back;" "The Nisei Discover America," by Bradford Smith; and "The Nisei Come Home," by Victor Boesen.
A listing of holdings in the National Archives.
By Walter F. Murphy.
By Stetson Conn, from
From a lecture delivered at Utah State University by Leonard J. Arrington.
By Earl Warren.
Transcription of the narration for a Columbia Broadcasting System news program.
By Charles R. Allen, Jr.
A law school paper by Martin Nakahara.
A Political Science class paper by James Lare.
Court documents.
By Harry T. Carp.
Hearings Relating to Various Bills To Repeal the Emergency Detention Act of 1950; before the House Committee on Internal Security, 91st Congress.
By Ramond Okamura, Robert Takasugi, Hiroshi Kanno, and Edison Uno.
Emergency Detention Act of 1950 Amendments; from the House Committee on Internal Security, 92nd Congress.
Prohibiting Detention Camps; before a Subcommittee of the House Committee on the Judiciary, 92nd Congress.
Prohibiting Detention Camps; from the House Committee on the Judiciary, 92nd Congress.
Correspondence and information sheets concerning repeal of the Emergency Detention Act of 1950.
Excerpts.
Published by the Manzanar Project Committee.
Published by the Japanese American Curriculum Project.
Promotional material for an historical presentation by Amy Uno Ishii.
Written for Bud Fukei by Mike Masaoka.
National Emergencies; from the House Committee on the Judiciary, 94th Congress.
A Library of Congress Publication.
Excerpt dealing with relocation decisions.
Edited by Michi Weglyn and Betty E. Mitson.
"Haunting Echoes of the Last Round-Up: '9066' Revisited," by James G. Trager; and "The Japanese-American Internment," by Alec Dubro.
A transcript of a Cable News Network program.
Court documents.
Court documents.
A description of a project produced for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
By Michael Slackman.
Information collected by Minori Yasui concerning Mike Masaoka's involvement in evacuation and relocation.
Commemorative calendar illustrated with photos of "Children of Detention Camps."
Section VI contains documents relating to the activities of Japanese Americans in the United States armed forces, especially during the Second World War. Masaoka and three of his brothers were part of this group. Included are commemorative materials and documents reflecting the activities of veteran's organizations, some of which Masaoka was a member; memorabilia from memorial services in which Masaoka played a role; and articles discussing the involvement of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, of which Masaoka was a member, as well as other Japanese American servicemen, in the Second World War.
Published by the War Relocation Authority.
News releases publicizing activities of Japanese Americans in the United States military.
By John Weckerling.
"The Nisei Come Back to Hood River," by Richard L. Neuberger; "Prove You Are An American--They Did!" by Frank Ochs; "Miracle for Mike...," by Kate Holliday; "Best-Kept Secret of World War II," by Bruce Lee; "Our Own Japanese in the Pacific War," by Bill Hosokawa; "1703 Purple Hearts For Mark Clark's 100th Battalion Hell-Fighters," by Emile C. Schurmacher; and "Go For Broke: The 442d Combat Team Story," by Matt Glasgow.
Military discharge documents.
Correspondence concerning proceedings against a group of soldiers charged with disobedience.
The President's Committee on Equality of Treatment and Opportunity in the Armed Services.
Press brochure and preview program for this motion picture.
Transcripts of statements, and legislation, concerning recognition of Japanese American military service.
Miscellaneous documents concerning commemorative services for Japanese American military personnel at Arlington National Cemetery.
A listing of names and address of veterans of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
Nisei Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Concerned with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team's commemorative trip to France.
Remarks made at the Go For Broke National Veterans Association reunion.
By Joseph D. Harrington.
Transcript of "What Price Glory?" a speech made in honor of members of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
Descriptive brochures for an exhibit honoring the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
Reproductions of maps illustrating the activities of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
Commemorating the activities of Japanese language specialists in World War II.
Information packet concerning the release of this documentary film.
General descriptive information.
Miscellaneous documents concerning recognition of Japanese American military service.
Miscellaneous documents recording the formation and activities of this veterans group.
Miscellaneous documents recording the activities of this veterans group.
Correspondence concerning and programs for this event.
Three issues.
Meeting minutes, mailing lists, and conference materials.
Correspondence and newsletters produced by veterans groups.
Written by Masaoka concerning the "Military History of Japanese Americans."
Documents concerned with the pursuit of reparations for losses suffered by Japanese Americans as a result of relocation and internment during the Second World War are located in this series. Included are documents produced by the Japanese American Citizens League during lobbying efforts towards reparations. A significant portion of this series is devoted to documents stemming from the activities of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians (CWRIC), which convened in the early 1980s to hear all sides of the redress issue and make recommendations to Congress. These include correspondence, information brochures, and hearing minutes. Legislative items in this series are concerned with efforts to address the claims of bank depositors who lost money as a result of U. S. government actions, the formation of the CWRIC, and redress efforts in the 1950s and 1980s. Masaoka, representative for both the JACL and veterans groups, made statements before Congressional committees and the CWRIC on the subject of redress.
Redress correspondence.
A collection of documents concerning relocation decisions.
Creating an Evacuation Claims Commission; from the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. 79th Congress.
By Japanese American Citizens League Anti-Discrimination Committee.
A treaty between the United States and Italy.
Before a Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Documents concerning this legislation.
Excerpts.
Documents concerning this legislation.
A U.S. Department of State Publication.
Japanese American Citizens League correspondence on this subject.
Monthly reports.
Court documents.
Prepared for the Dirksen Subcommittee on the Trading With the Enemy Act, Senate Judiciary Committee.
Masaoka writing on the "Return of Vested Japanese Property."
Frank Chuman, Japanese American Citizens League legal counsel, writing on the Trading With the Enemy Act.
Before the Dirksen Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Japanese-American Evacuation Claims; from a Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee, 83rd Congress.
Return of Confiscated Property; before a Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee, 83rd Congress.
Trading With the Enemy Act; final Report of the Subcommittee to Examine and Review the Administration of the Trading With the Enemy Act of the Senate Judiciary Committee, 82nd Congress.
Trading With the Enemy Act; from the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, 83rd Congress
Before the Subcommittee on the Trading With the Enemy Act, Senate Judiciary Committee.
Before a Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee relating to resolution on U.S. relations with West Germany and Japan.
Japanese-American Evacuation Claims; before a Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee, 84th Congress.
84th Congress.
Supplementary statement of the Japanese American Citizens League relating to the Return of Wartime Sequestrated Property, before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Trading With the Enemy Act.
Japanese American Citizens League statement for the Cooper Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Masaoka memorandum to Senate Judiciary Subcommittee concerning "Provision in the Treaty of Peace With Japan Regarding Compensation and/or Return of Property Held by an Allied Power and Its Nationals."
Trading With the Enemy Act and Evacuation Claims Act.
Court documents.
85th Congress.
Court documents and other items relating to this case.
Court documents.
Court documents.
Court documents.
Court documents.
Documents concerning citizenship.
Concerned with taxation of evacuation claims.
Legislative documents.
Four Japanese American Citizens League memoranda concerned with taxation of evacuation claims.
Court documents.
Court documents.
Court documents.
Claims of Yokohama Specie Bank Depositors; from the House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, 92nd Congress.
Made before Congressional Committees concerning redress for Japanese Americans.
Prepared by the Japanese American Citizens League.
Establishment of the Hawaiian Native Claims Settlement Study Commission.
Three editions of a booklet prepared by the Japanese American Citizens League National Committee for Redress.
Prepared by the Japanese American Citizens League National Committee for Redress.
Made before Congressional Committees concerning the establishment of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians.
Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians Act, from the House Committee on the Judiciary, 96th Congress.
Reproduction of minutes for a 1942 Japanese American Citizens League meeting.
Prepared by John Nakahata for the Japanese American Citizens League.
Information packet. Attached photographs have been removed to P0544.
Correspondence, information packets, press releases, and other items stemming from the activities of this Commission.
Made before the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians.
Made before the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians.
Japanese American Citizens League.
An excerpt from an unpublished manuscript by Laurence T. Hewes.
Hearing minutes, July-August.
Hearing minutes, August.
Hearing minutes, September.
Hearing minutes, September-November.
Hearing minutes, November-December.
Correspondence to President Ronald Reagan and California Governor George Deukmejian concerning redress issues.
Before the Senate Subcommittee on Administrative Practice and Procedure.
By Alan Stang.
Prepared for the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians by Frank S. Arnold, Michael C. Barth, and Gilah Langner.
Excerpt.
Summary and Recommendations of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians.
Before a Japanese-American Relocation Commission Hearing.
For the Subcommittee on Administrative Law and Governmental Relations of the House Judiciary Committee.
Made before the Subcommittee on Administrative Law and Governmental Relations of the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Court documents.
Court documents.
Made before the Subcommittee on Administrative Law and Governmental Relations of the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Made before the Subcommittee on Administrative Law and Governmental Relations of the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Documents produced by, and describing the activities of, this individual, who opposed redress for Japanese Americans.
Made before the Subcommittee on Federal Services, Post Office and Civil Service of the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs.
Made before the Subcommittee on Administrative Law and Governmental Relations of the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Made before the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, and Judiciary of the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Transcript of a Cable News Network program, featuring a debate between Masaoka and Lillian Baker.
Documents stemming from the activities of this attorney, who was active in relocation court challenges and redress.
Authorization Request of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice for Fiscal Year 1990; before the Subcommittee on Civil and Constitutional Rights of the House Judiciary Committee, 101st Congress.
The newsletter of the Japanese American Citizens League, Legislative Education Committee; three issues.
Program for an event commemorating redress payments.
Section VII contains records of, and documents produced by, the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), with which Masaoka was involved as National Secretary or Washington Representative most of his life. These records are of a general, administrative nature, and include correspondence, convention programs, financial reports, governing documents, reports from the organization's Washington Representative, and documents stemming from activities of individual JACL chapters. Documents which discuss the activities of the Japanese American Citizens League in specific areas, such as redress or citizenship, are stored in other sections of this collection.
Correspondence, progress reports, financial reports, and miscellaneous documents produced by this committee of the Japanese American Citizens League.
August-September.
By Saburo Kido.
Masaoka's report to Japanese American Citizens League officers on his activities as the organization's representative.
Transcript of an address made by William J. Sebald before a meeting of the Japanese American Citizens League.
Made before the Daniel Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
A proposal for this study.
A proposal for this study.
A proposal for this study.
Information concerning this individual, purported to be the oldest living mainland Nisei.
Documents concerned with the establishment and disbursement of this Japanese American Citizens League fund.
Eastern District Council presentation of the Thomas T. Hayashi Law Scholarship Award, and testimonial to William M. Marutani.
Correspondence concerned with Japanese American Citizens League use of Weglyn's writings as part of a statement before Congressional Committees.
Documents discussing Japanese American Citizens League activities.
Meeting materials and financial information.
By Paul R. Spickard.
Resolution concerning apologies for the decisions of Japanese American Citizens League leaders concerning relocation.
Speeches prepared for this individual as introductions for Masaoka and Thomas Crouch at a JACL event.
Materials in this series consist of documents discussing and recording the experience of Americans of Japanese descent in areas outside of those covered in other series of this collection. Topics include discrimination, demographics, culture, ethnicity, and general history. These areas are reflected in articles, court documents, state election guides, exhibition brochures, and historical reports. The activities of political and cultural organizations are also represented here. Section VIII contains documents reflecting the experiences of other religious, national, and racial minority groups in America.
"Hawaii: Racial Problem and Naval Base," by George H. Blakeslee; and "California's Proposition 15," by Grace Cable Keroher.
By Norman Thomas.
Court documents.
Published by the American Council On Race Relations.
Court documents.
Court documents.
Court documents.
Court documents.
By Edwin E. Ferguson.
By Dudley O. McGovney.
The Report of the President's Committee On Civil Rights.
Court documents.
Court documents.
By Dorothy Swaine Thomas.
Court documents.
Court documents.
Prepared by Masaoka Associates.
Court documents.
Court documents.
Court documents.
Court documents.
Court documents.
Legislation concerning the access of resident aliens to state social services.
Exemption of Agricultural Commodities (Amendment to Civil Aeronautics Act); before the Subcommittee on Aviation of the Senate Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, 84th Congress.
Repeal of alien land laws.
Court documents.
Photographic Exhibition on the First Japanese Embassy and the Voyage of the Kanrin-Maru in 1860.
Court documents.
By T. Scott Miyakawa.
Prepared by the Japanese American Citizens League East Coast Japanese History Project.
Commemorative editions of civil rights speeches made by Lyndon B. Johnson.
Citizenship proposition to electorate.
50th anniversary brochure.
By John Modell.
Commemorative brochure.
By Joe Grant Masaoka.
Legislation to create this committee.
By Gene N. Levine and Darrel M. Montero.
By Tadafumi Mikuriya. Includes attached correspondence.
Presented by the Eastern District Youth Council, Japanese American Youth, as their Project of the Biennium.
By Edna Bonacich and John Modell.
By Grace N. Levine and Darrel Montero.
By Sukchiro Hirakawa.
By John W. Connor.
By Patsy Sumie Saiki.
Court documents.
Compiled by Don T. Nakanishi for the Asian American Studies Center at the University of California, Los Angeles.
For "An American Testimonial To Members of Congress of Japanese Ancestry; To the Japanese American Experience; To the Challenges Ahead in Human and Civil Rights;" a fund raiser for the Japanese American Citizens League.
Membership directory and miscellaneous.
Various documents concerned with the broadcasting of a Japanese television program.
"The Invisible Success Story," by Stuart Rothenberg;" and "Pass Go, Collect $1.4 Mil," by Andrew Alexander.
Articles, government documents, news clippings, and other items relating to issues important to Japanese Canadians, especially their relocation to internment camps during the Second World War.
By Naoko Shibusawa.
Documents produced by the Auschwitz Study Foundation in relation to this case.
Book catalogue for the Japanese American Library.
Documents concerned with the authenticity of the writings and ethnicity of this author.
Documents produced for commemorative activities for the bicentennial of the U. S. Constitution.
Various documents produced by museums, historical societies, and others.
California State Attorney General's Office.
Documents concerned with the impact on and role of Black Americans in regard to Japan-U.S. relations.
By Juanita Tamayo Lott.
Event program.
Information packet on this scientist and educator.
Three issues.
Three issues.
Asian American titles; JACP, Incirca
Unidentified book excerpt.
Documents recording the activities of this Congressman.
Documents recording the activities of this Congressman.
The subject is the Japanese American community.
The subject is the Japanese American influence on American culture.
Data, maps, news clippings, and other items recording population statistics.
Included in this section are documents concerned with Japanese trade, government, culture, and relations with the United States. Represented are Japanese industry, government and business leaders, and Japanese artists. Japan's diplomatic and economic relations with the United States are discussed in the form of articles and treaties. Many of the items in this section reflect Masaoka's lobbying firm, Mike Masaoka Associates, which actively pursued Japanese industry and trade associations as clients.
By John M. Brooke.
By John Irwin. Published by the Missionary Education Movement of the United States and Canada.
Treaty and Protocol between the United States and Japan.
By George P. Carlin.
Agreement and Protocol between the United States and Japan.
Convention between the United States and other governments.
Problems of the Domestic Textile Industry; before a Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, 85th Congress.
Correspondence concerning ratification of treaties with Japan.
Brochure prepared by the Japan Information Service, Consulate General of Japan.
By John B. Rehm.
A book review by John B. Rehm.
A book review by John B. Rehm.
By Philip H. Trezise.
Published by Japan Trade Centers.
By Edwin O. Reischauer.
A recounting of a trip to the United States and Europe by the Emperor and Empress of Japan.
Book excerpt by Edward R. Fried and Philip H. Trezise.
Documents providing information about this Japanese artist.
Produced by the White House Conference on Small Business.
Transcription of a forum held by the American Enterprise Institute.
Annual report. A photograph attached to this document has been removed to P0544.
Addresses given by Japanese government officials.
Five issues.
Correspondence about, an exhibition brochure concerning, and reproductions of these paintings, which depict early United States-Japan contact.
Prepared by the Asian Studies Center of the Heritage Foundation for President Ronald Reagan's trip to Asia.
Prepared by the Japan Trade Center and the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry.
Published by the Japan Economic Institute of America.
Published by the National-House Democratic Caucus.
"Trading With Japan," and "Japan's 'Strong Yen' Crisis."
"The Force of the Future," by Saburo Okita; "No News Is Not Good News," by Urban C. Lehner; "U.S. and Japan Relations--A New Realism," by William Watts; "Partnership for Prosperity: U.S.-Japan Relations and the World Economy," by Kiichi Miyazawa; and The Japanese and the Jews: Two Societies That Surprised the World," by Ben-Ami Shillony.
"Two Looks at the Problem of America's Perception of Japan," by William Schneider; "Japan-Bashing is Pointless," by Hajime Karatsu; "Japan in the 21st Century: A Psychologist Looks Toward the Future," by Joseph A. Precker; and "A Return to International Society: Japan's Entry into the United Nations," by Naotake Sato.
Two articles sent by this individual to Mike Masaoka.
Prepared for investigations on economics and trade, by William Schneider and Grant Ujifusa.
"Costly Defects: The U.S. Semiconductor Industry from a Japanese Perspective," by Hajime Karatsu; "Networking in the Pacific: Private Actions with a Public Purpose," by Richard M. Fairbanks III; "How Japan Can Contribute to a Healthy World Economy: Six Proposals to Bolster the Free Trade System;" "Industrial Policy's Generation Gap," by Ryutaro Komiya; "Charting a New Policy Course," by Kazuhiko Otsuka; "Public Relations at the American Grass Roots," by Soshichi Miyachi; "Japan's Place in the Evolving World Order," by Yasusuke Murakami and Kuniko Inoguchi; and "The Enigma of the Eighties: World Trade and Protectionism," by Malcolm T. Stamper.
"Beyond the Trade Statistics: Considering the Total U.S.-Japan Economic Relationship," by Allen Wallis; "Back to Basics: A Dutch Uncle Talk on U.S. Competitiveness," by Murray L. Weidenbaum; "Coexistence and Mutual Respect: Toward a New Global Ethic," by Yasuhiro Nakasone; "Multilateral Diplomacy: A Role for the Middle Powers in the Troubled International System," by Soedjatmoko; "Responsibilities to Fulfill: Realizing the Promise of the Pacific Basin," by Mike Mansfield; "Interdependence and Accommodation: Strengthening U.S.-Japan Economic Ties," by Yoshio Okawara; and "A History of Assimilation: Japan's Technology Trade," by Leslie S. Hiraoka.
An article and brochures about this Japanese businessman and philanthropist.
By the Japan Ministry of International Trade and Industry.
Published by the Japan External Trade Organization.
"Japan and the Categorical Imperative," by James Fallows; "A Surplus of Bickering: Sharing the Blame for U.S.-Japan Trade Friction," by Dennis C. McCornac; "Pax Consortis: Coordination and Solidarity in Managing the World Economy," by Shinji Fukukawa; and "Vision, Consensus, and Competition: Industrial Policy in Japan," by Shoichi Saba.
Published by the Asian Studies Center.
Profiles of government leaders. Attached photographs have been removed to P0544.
Published by the Japan Automobile Manufacturer's Association.
Museum exhibit brochure.
Product brochures.
Brochure to promote development of the Center.
A proposal by U. S. Representative Mervyn M. Dymally.
By Barbara K. Bundy.
An address by Cedrick Shimo, Vice President of Honda International Trading Corp. Also includes correspondence.
By Roger A. Brooks.
By Terumasa Nakanishi.
Excerpt.
A publication of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan. Two issues.
Published by the Japan Automobile Manufacturer's Association.
Published by the Bank of Tokyo.
Four issues.
Published by the Keizai Koho Center of the Japan Institute for Social and Economic Affairs.
A script for a film by Akira Kurosawa.
A description of early post-World War II Japan-U.S. relations, by Mike M. Masaoka.
, and
Box 78 contains legislative documents relating to the acceptance of statehood for Hawaii. As a large percentage of the population of Hawaii is of Japanese ancestry, this issue was of importance to all Japanese Americans, who continued to battle the discrimination brought into focus by the question of Hawaiian statehood.
Statehood for Hawaii; before a Subcommittee of the House Committee on the Territories, 79th Congress.
Hawaii Statehood; before the Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, 81st Congress.
Statehood for Hawaii; before the House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, 86th Congress.
Documents stored in box 79 are those found in the collection that are not closely related to activities of Mike Masaoka, nor to Japanese American concerns. Box 80 contains a variety of awards and honors earned by Masaoka for excellence in forensic competition, as well as honors earned during his years in the U. S. Army. Box 81 contains oversize awards certificates and memorabilia.
Script for the motion picture production.
Script for the motion picture production.
Awards event program. An attached photograph has been removed to P0544.
Reports on Mike Mansfield, Hiram L. Fong, Patsy T. Mink, Alan Cranston, Spark M. Matsunaga, and Daniel K. Inouye.
Memorial supplement to
Memorial service program.
Made before the Spokane JACL, possibly by Grant Ujifusa.
Responses to invitations to an event honoring this couple.
Documents concerning events organized by this museum.
A nomination to make Yamada the JACL "Japanese American of the Biennium."
Documents memorializing Purcell after his death.
Product overview.
This box contains pins and medals won by Masaoka in forensic competitions during high school and while attending the University of Utah, as well as medals relating to his military service as part of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team during the Second World War.
At the time of the preparation of this register, the items destined for this box are still being stored in their original frames, in anticipation of an exhibit using this material. They include art, awards, souvenirs, and other memorabilia.
Documents concerned with the preparation of an exhibit at the National Museum of American History on Japanese American participation in World War Two.
Statements by Michael Zacharof and Mike Masaoka.
Correspondence and attached documents concerned with business transactions involving Western America Ore Co. and Sumitomo Corp. of America.
Descriptive brochures.
Promotional booklet.
Genealogical information privately prepared and published by Mary Whitney, Incirca