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Japanese American Citizens League, Utah Chapter photograph collection, circa 1910-2012

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Japanese American Citizens' League
Title
Japanese American Citizens League, Utah Chapter photograph collection
Dates
circa 1910-2012 (inclusive)
Quantity
1.05 gigabytes  :  468 digital-only items
0.25 linear feet, (1 archives box)  :  154 items
Collection Number
P1003
Summary
The Japanese American Citizens League, Utah Chapter photograph collection contains digital-only historical images used in the Japanese American Citizens League Utah Chapter exhibits, outreach, commemoration, and events, including a selection of photographs used in Japanese Americans in Utah. It also contains color and black-and-white prints of the Mount Olympus Chapter of the JACL.
Repository
University of Utah Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library
University of Utah
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City, UT
84112-0860

Telephone: 8015818863
special@library.utah.edu
Access Restrictions

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.

Languages
English
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Historical Note

The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) is an Asian American civil rights organization. Founded in 1929 out of existing regional organizations, it is the oldest and largest Asian American civil rights organization in the United States. The JACL has over 100 chapters in the United States and seven regional districts. In addition to its national headquarters in San Francisco, the JACL has five regional offices (Los Angeles, Fresno, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago), as well as an office in Washington D.C. and an organizational newspaper, the Pacific Citizen, distributed nationally from its office in Los Angeles. According to its official website, the mission of the JACL "is to secure and maintain the civil rights of Japanese Americans and all others who are victimized by injustice and bigotry. The leaders and members of the JACL also work to promote cultural, educational and social values and preserve the heritage and legacy of the Japanese American community."

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Content Description

The Japanese American Citizens League photograph collection consists of scans of historical photographs collected by members of Utah chapters. It also contains photographs depicting events held by or concerning members of the Utah chapters. The Mount Olympus Chapter Records were combined with the JACL Utah Chapter Records.

Series I: Salt Lake City Chapter outreach and events is digital only and primarily contains scans of historical photographs used in exhibits, events, and projects sponsored or partnered by the Utah Chapter of the JACL. It also contains photographs of Utah JACL events, and photographs of members of the organization. The images in Series I are digital only and consist of both high resolution scans and lower resolution born-digital files. The original images were loaned to the library and were scanned and then returned to the donor. Some were sent to the library digitally (emailed, on CD, flash drive, hard drive). Proof sheets with thumbnails of the images have been printed and placed the folder for research purposes. The image files can be requested, but the library no longer has the original images.

Series II: Images from Japanese Americans in Utah, 1996 was transferred from P1087 the Ted Nagata photograph collection in 2025 and was originally donated on July 30, 2003. This series is digital only. These images were sent to the library digitally (emailed, on CD, flash drive, hard drive). Proof sheets with thumbnails of the images have been printed and placed in the folder for research purposes. The image files can be requested, but the library did not create the scan and does not have the original images.

This donation consists of images collected and used by Ted Nagata for the 1996 book Japanese Americans in Utah, published by the JACL Centennial Committee in 1996. The donation consists of 420 images and does not contain all of the images used in the book. These digital-only images were scanned in 1996; as a result, the file size is small. The images were not created by the JACL or Nagata, but instead were contributed by members of the JACL and the Japanese American community in Utah. Some of the images are duplicated in collections that were later donated to the Marriott Library by the families. Despite some duplication, this donation provides context and information about how the Japanese American community in Utah has told its own history; for this purpose, the collection has been only minimally re-arranged and folder titles largely reflect the titles on the donated disc, with some expanded to match corresponding chapter titles in Japanese Americans in Utah.

Series III: Mount Olympus Chapter records and photographs were initially donated as their own connection and combined with P1003 and ACCN 1852. This series contains loose photograph prints depicting members of the JACL Mount Olympus Chapter, including at events and celebrations. Of particular focus in the series are photographs of children performing at events; the Junior Japanese American Citizens League; and scholarships given to youth. The material dates from 1954 to 2003.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on 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 Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.

Preferred Citation

Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

By subject.

Acquisition Information

Donated by Yo Misaka, Diane Akiyama, and Janet Thomas in 2001. Addendums by Roger Tobari and Amy F. Tomita in 2004, Floyd Mori in 2005, and Raymond Uno in 2008.

Series II addendum donated by Ted Nagata on July 30, 2003 (transferred from P1087 July 2025).

Series III Mount Olympus addendums by Tak Iwamoto in 2005 and Aki Akagi in 2018 (transferred to P1003 in July 2025).

Processing Note

Processed by Special Collections staff.

Separated Materials

See also the Manuscripts Division in Special Collections (ACCN 1852) and Audio-visual Division (A0286).

Related Materials

This collection forms part of the Mitsugi M. Kasai Memorial Japanese American Archive.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Finding aid created by Special Collections staff.
2015 (Updated: 2025)

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