Letter from Lincoln Kanai, Executive Secretary, Japanese YMCA, to Edward J. Ennis, Director, Alien Enemy Control Units, May 9, 1942
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DR. K. KITAGAWA
CHAIRMAN BOARD OF MANAGEMENT
LINCOLN KANAI
FRED Y. HOSHIYAMA
CHOJURO NUMAJIRI
Che Japanese Young Mens Christian Association
RUAAAEZRAT
1530 BUCHANAN ST., SAN FRANCISCO WH poundpound ros- sy Bae
TELEPHONE WEsr 8720 ies
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY = at ae ae Ki
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BOYS' WORK SECRETARY
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ASSOCIATE SECRETARY
May 9, 1942
Mr. Edward J. Ennis, Director
Alien Enemy Control Unit
. Department of Justice
Washington, D. C.
My dear Mr. Ennis:
Thank you for your reply of May 2, 1942. I can appreciate more than
ever the tremendous problem of even presenting much of the concerns
to the men in the various military and defense efforts of our country,
so that the thorough underst nding is reached during these trying
days.
The general public's views that the first group of Japanese evacuees
are aliens without the realization that the majority are American
citizens and that the implications of sectional loss of citizenship
movement without due process of law is definitely making this act
ene that has belied that this has not been a racial move. I should
like to point to your attention that this problem is not adequately
understood as shown by the fact that this has been tumed over to
your hands and your department. That this is not an "alien problem"
considers no less than 65 per cent of these people who are legally,
educationally, and culturally Americans. With the presentation of
`military necessities" such an approach does not even name nor solve
that of the re-establishment of a 100,000 people, for their reloca-
tion will be the loss of American technicians, skilled workers,
floriculturists, educators, agriculturists, and so forth in their
communities. Their interdependence has now and will continue to
develop serious implications by their absence.
We appreciate very much the expression from you that loyalty is not
questioned by well-informed people. However, it seems evident that
those who are the most articulate has not been "well infomed."
Merely an expression of "no discrimination" by the President does
not stop the discrimination and to date, there has been no act that
has made the least dent in the wave of discrimination since. In
_fact, every act_of the Government leading toSevacuation and evacua=
tion itself is an act of discrimination. We await to follow the way
the Germans and the Italians and the procedures on their evacuation
action takes place. Approximately 300 Americans of Japanese ancestry
were released from Government positions in the State of California
YOUTH'S GREATEST ASSET IS CHARACTER; INVEST IN YOUTH.
whe are citizens. Along with this is the total ignoring of the
people of the economic and political pressure groups which have
mace Government agencies and the Amy afraid to tackle public sen=
timent and direct the channels for a strong unity that will be so
necessary in this present emergency. .
We realize that the foregoing problems are dealing generally with
future. There are many problems which apparently have not yet been
considersd and many othors in the process of consideration. 1
from previous setions following previous statements of many of the
Federal officials, we sincerely wonder what assurances there are
that subsequent actions will truly carry out their commitments. As
specific exemple, we have not as yet seen the use of Japanese
American personnel which is so definitely needed as we solve this
problem of resettlement. s
We enclose copies of the replies and @estions that have been
brought out to offietals in the past. Thank you for your consi-~
doration.
Yours cordielly,
Lincoln Kansi
LE/ket
Ene.