Japanese question in the United States: A compilation of memoranda by Lt. Com. K. D. Ringle

CUONFPILORET AL-sctenotT POR PUBLICAT TOR

THE . JAPANESE QUESTION, IN THE UNITED STATES

A Compilation of Memoranda

a by

LT, COM. K. D,. RINGLE

Cd

Reproduced for Circulation Exclusively among Employees of the War Relocation Authori

6-0058

FOREWORD

=

The accompanying statement of views on the Japanese question in

the United States was prepared by Lt. Com, K. D. Ringle on the basis

of his acquaintance with the. problem over a period of years. Commander

Ringle's background and experience with the Japanese include the

following: (a) three = ay = the Japenese lpnguege and the

Japanese. people | as a Sevel Semmes Stuaeuk eveacha: to bis United

States Embassy in Tokio from 1928 to.:1931;.-(b) one year's duty as

Assistant District. ee ee Uth Naval District (Heweit)

from aly, 193 6. to July, 19575 fs). Assistant District Intelligence Officer,

11th Naval. District, in. charge of eect Intelligence matters in Los

hencien. os vicinity ree ae 1940 to the yoo time,

Ae. a. "peeule of the? above, Commander Ringle has developed a very

great intima in. ee problems of the Japanese in America, particularly

with oe. to the falas position * the United States citizen., of Japanese

encestry.. 3 He. wus sought contest: with certain of the nisei leaders. He

has likewise dk opiuned the matter widely with many Caucasian Americans

who have Laved: ath' bie probbuel for years.

The Commender's statement represents his own personal opinion and

does peti nesesort iy reflect.the selis ies of the War Relocation Authority

or the Navy Department. It is submitted for purposes of file and informatio

5+0058

CONTENTS

`Foreword , ,. ae ee ee ee

DeLINICiOMNi Ss ihe Baer a ae aw

General Opinions ......e+ss , oe a ee ores oe

Backgrounds (c) e e @. ee

The Issei 0x00B0 ` 2

Dual Citizenship .

ine NWieel . sa 8 ew

Issei versus Nisei ....

Americanization of the Nisei

Importance of School Influence

Intense Desire to Conform...

A Change in Position of Women .

Adoption of Western Dress ...

Pifect of Religion 4:1 cents. 6%

End of the Caste System... .

Examples of Economic and Social Am

Loyalty Of Group ". . "1% ee 6 8

eae ent of Water" oss Ae as.

Nisei Dependence on Issei Waning

Japanese-American Organizations .

Japanese Language Schools | ono 4

Japanese Newspapers . . . 0 "6 "

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Protection ofthe Loyal Evacuees . 1... ee eee)

Segregation of Disloyal Influences Recommended -

Why Certain' of the Kibei Are Dangerous ....

Procedure for Sepregation... 6-6 "6 6 es. ee

Opportunity for Change in Classification .

Segregation of Disloyal Aliens ....-e

Committees of Loyal Nisei Can Help ...

Release of Certain Internees Possible. .

General Effect of Segregation Desirable .

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Recommendations for Relocation Centers ....

General Guides in Dealing with Fvacuees ...

Suggestions for Work Program ...+.e..".

Make Enlistment in Work Corps a Privilege

Semi-Military Structure Proposed . . 2...

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Suggestions for Work pobabea osdttea)

Suggestions for Insignia "4.26 yas 60 0 0 8 dd

Voluntary Enlistment Should Be Stressed cs kes dy

Plan for Use of Work Corps in Harvesting ... e 6.

Advantages of Harvesting Plan . . "se eceve-e 7

General Views on Employability of Evacuees . " " 48,

Suggestions for Commuuity Life 1. ..s ss asics e 49

The Pattern Should be American ." "e"."eesee hg

Suggestions for an Americanization Program . ." .e ho

Importance of the Caucasian Teacher. oe eurohe we ws " 50,

Views on Self-Governmont . 0x00B0" 6 s 8 #6 64% Z St

Youth Organizations "ee @(c) (c) (c) (c) (c) (c) (c) 6 6 ee we, 52s.

eee Or OTUs 64 ek em Re Ot 8 Cw ae

Buddhiem and Shintotam.: 6 " 0 ee 6 Coe he Ke AD

FYGJOCt NOWRDE TORE. " 8 6h 8 eR ee 8 8 a

Hocwmerita tion. "swine Bheoe Shreld end woes. A

Intelligence Work Within Relocation Centers ... 2

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DEFINITIONS

For Purposes of brevity and clearness, four Japanese casks in cei

use by Americans as well as Japanese in meterr inn to these people will

be explained. Hereafter these words will be used where appropriate.

ISSEI (pronounced enkeay) meaning "Pirst generation,"

Used to refer to those who were born in Japan; hence, alien

Japanese in the United States.

NISEI (pronounced nee-say) meaning "second generation,"

Used for those children of ISSEI born in the United States.

`SANSEI (pronounced san-say) meaning "Ehird generation,"

Children of NISEI.

KIBEI (pronounced ene meaning "returned to America."

Refers to those NISEI who spent all or a large portion of their lives

in Japan and who have now returned to the United States.

6-0058

THE JAPANESE QUESTION IN THE UNITED STATES

A Compilation of Memoranda by Lt. Com, K. D, Ringle

GENERAL OPINIONS -

The following opinions, amplified in succeeding paragraphs, are held

by the writer: .

(a) That within the last eight or ten Geils the entire "Japanese

' question" in the United States has reversed itself. The alien menace

is no longer paramount, and is becoming of less importance almost daily,

as the original alien immigrants grow lade feel die, endives more and more

of their American-born `children reach gaivaee, The primary present and

future problem is that of dealing with the American-born United States

citizens of Japaneses ancestry, of whom it ie onaiel at that at least

seventy-five per cent are loyal to the United States. The ratio of these

- American citizens of Japanese ancestry to alien-born sasaoass in the

United States is at present. almost 5 to i end rapidly increasing.

(b) That of the Japanese-born alien residents, the large majority are

at least pases veep loyal to the United States. That ie, they vould

lmowlingly do aoe whatever to 8 injury of as United States, but at

the came time - not do anything to the injury. of Sewehint Most of the

remainder would not engage in active sabotage or LURE POTENT pat might

well do surreptitious observation work for Japanese interests ar given a

hnvebden' opportunity. |

(c) That, however, there are among the Dene, both alien and

citizen, certain individuals, either deliberately placed by the Japanese

government or actuated by a fanatical loyalty to that country, who would

act as saboteurs or agents. This number is estimated to be less than three

per cent of the total, or about 3500 in the entire United States.

+ s 6-0058

(4) That, of the persons mentioned above, the most dangerous are either

already in custodial detention or are senibars of such organizations as the

Gtack Dedade Society, the Kaigun Kyokai (Navy League), or the Heimush Kai

(Military Service Men's League), or affiliated groups who have not yet

been apprehended. The membership of these groups is already fairly well

known to' the Naval Intelligence and the Federal Bureau of Investigation

aon should immediately be placed in custodial detention, irrespective of

whether they are alien or citizen.

(e) That, as a basic policy tending toward ike permanent ieideton of

this problem, the American citizens of Japanese ancestry should be officially

encouraged in their efforts toward loyalty and acceptance as bona fide

citizens; that they be accorded a place in the national war effort through

such agencies as the Red Cross, U.S.0., civilian defense, and seats such

activities as ship and aircraft building or other defense production, even

though subject to greater investigative checks as to background ond

loyalty, etc., than Caucasian Americans.

(pound) That, despite paragraph (e) above, the most potentially dangerous

element of all are those American citizens of Japanese ancestry who have

spent a number of the formative years of their lives, from the age of B ihe

to the age of 20 in Japan and have returned to the United States to claim

their legal American citizenship within the last few years. These people

are essentially and inherently Japanese and may have been deliberately

sent back to the United States by the Japanese government to act as agents.

In spite of their legal citizenship and the protection afforded tia Soe

the Bill of Rights, they. should be looked upon as enemy aliens and many of

them placed in custodial detention.

fos

BACKGROUNDS

The Issei

`The heat: issei `hos abies? entered the United States did so in 192k,

Most of ine pate group ninived pafoxe that time; therefore, these people

have b been in the United States at least eighteen years, or most of their

= dite. They ies their businesses: and livelihoods here.: Most of them

are aliens only cebhalid the laws of the United States do not permit them

to become naturalized. They have raised their children in the United States;

many of - ieee cons in the United States army.

Exact figures are not available, but the Military Intelligence Office

in Ans Angeles estimated on June 15, 1942 that approximately five thousand

nisei in iis State of California have entered the United States army as a

secs of the Selective Service Act, It does not seem reasonable that these

siden sitio the above conditions would form an organized group for armed

`aeons at organized sabotage. Insofar as numbers go, there are only

48,697 alien Japanese in the eight western states.

A (The Associated Press adaciieh from Washington referring to the

vabmicbcecaion of enemy aliens stated: "The group which must register first

bemaktinte the' 135,845 enemy aliens in the western command--Arizona,

California, Idaho, Utah, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. The group

includes 26 1255 Germans, 60,905 Italians, and 48,697 Japanese." It is

essuned that ties foregoing figures are based either on the 1940 census or

the alien registration eters was taken the latter part `of 1940. )

There are two factors whist must be' considered in relation to the

issei. ube isseie group ie des" a stizeable number of "technical" aliens;

that is, those vee although | epausees -born and therefore legally aliens,

entered the United States in infancy, grew up here, and are at heart

American citizens. Second, the parents of the kibei, should be considered

oo 3 6-0058

as those who are most loyal to Japan, since they are the ones who sent their

children to be educated and brought up entirely in the Japanese manner.

_ Dual Citizenship

I do not consider that merely registering the birth of a child twenty

or more years ago with the Japanese consulate is indicative of any

subversive intent on the part of the parent, `The parents at that time. were

not at all sure that they would remain all their lives in the United States

nor were they sure that the child would be able, to enjoy his. citizenship ss

here, They wanted to protect the child so that if he so desired, he could."

at some later date either return to Japan or otherwise benefit from his

Japanese citizenship. In many cases this registration was made merely so

that he would be eligible for an inheritance from relatives still in Japan. -

The situation is exactly that which obtains when American parents

resident in England register the birth of their chila with the American

consulate, so that the child can have the. benefit of: American citizenship

if he so desires, Such a chila is as truly a: aaa oreisee. as the Japanese

child born in the United States. It t is: ee in. `he Japanese 1 eee for

the divesting of such ot tizenshty that any aiffiou ty exists.

ate tov tei hn wi a ee oil

The Nisei

I have stated above that seventy-five percent or more of the nisei

are loyal United States citizens. `This seaares i senned largely through

personal contact With the nisfi iaddteed atid eicthe ua Se organization,

the Japanese American Citizens eegiee It Was ais formed through interviews

with many people 1H Gor ettnent discs: ee ee officers, business

men, ctc., who have doalt with them over a period of many years. There are

several conclusive proofs of this statement which can be advanced. These

ares ae dia

(a) Tho action eae by tho Japanese American Citizens League in

convention in Santa Ana, california, on Jamary ae 1942. This convention

voted to require the following ddien to be taken, signed, and notarized by

every momber of that organization as a prerequisite for membership for the

year 1942, and for all members takon, into the organization in the future:

aos ee solemly swear that

- I will support and defend the Constitution

of the United States against all enemies,

foreign and domestic; that. I will bear true

faith and allegiance to the same; that I

hereby renounce' any. other allegiances which

I may have knowingly or unknowingly held in

the past; and that I take this obligation _

freely without any mental reservation or

purpose of evasion. So help me God."

(b) Many of the nisei leaders have voluntarily contributed valuable

anti-subversive information to governmental agencies.

(c) The Japanese Consular staff, leaders of the Central Japanese

Association, and other who are known to have been sympathetic to the

Japanese cause do not trust the nisel.

(a) A great many of the nisei have taken legal steps through

the Japanese Consulate and the Government of Japan to officially divest

themselves of Japanese citizenship (dual citizenship), even though by so

doing they become legally dead in the eyes of the Japanese law, and are no

longer eligible to inherit any property which they or their family may hold -

in Japan.

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