The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1947-03-04
Asks Aid in Repeal
OF Exclusion Act

NEW YORK CITY. Mar. 3
(JACL Dispatch) - Speaking
before the International Is
sues section of the annual
meeting of the American Civ
il Liberties Union last Satur-
day afternoon in the Henry
Hudson Hotel. Mike Masaoka,
national legislative director of
the JACL Anti-Discrimination
Committee, urged the dele
gates to support actively the
ACLU program to seek the re-
peal of the Asiatic Expulsion
Act and to provide naturali-
cation rights for those now
ineligible to citizenship be-
cause of race.
While commenting ON the vital
Importance from the international
standpoint of wiping ont racial
bars against immigration. Masa-
Okla devoted most of his speech
for the immediate need for the
passage of the naturalization
amendments which permit Japan
csc aliens and others already in
the United States to become citi-
Zens
Declaring that the most basic
civil liberty of all, thai of earn
ing living was involved. Masa-
Okla pointed out that By having
some states deny the right to
own and operate land. Japanese
aliens were being deprived from
earning a livelihood through the
use and occupancy of land. lie
cited other examples where acct
dent of birth as a Japanese nat
ional prevented an alien japanese
from engaging in commercial fish
ing, receiving LICENSES to do bus
mess and being prohibited from
becoming a member in labor UNI
ions. He charged that because
Japanese nationals were eligible
TO citizenship through no fault of
their own, over hundred indus
tries, professions, and fields of
employment were closed to them
by law
AS long as these United States
distinguish between aliens as be-
ing either good or not good
enough to enter this country and
to become citizens solely because
of where they happened to be
born or because OF the blood.
America is practcing the race
superiority theories which led
Germany and italy down the road
To war and ruin" Masaola said.
He reminded the delegates of the
ideals and reasons which mott
waited the soldiers of all the Uni
ted Nations in World War IL
and urged that what they sacri-
feed and died for not be for
gotten and made q lie.
Attorney Edward Ennis form
erly chief of the Alien Enemy
Control Section of the Department
of Justice, outlined the discrimi-
natory laws involved and called
for decisive action to correct them.
He pointed out that the repeal of
the remaining exclusion bars
would be the next logical step
in the development of orr natur-
alizatlon and immigration laws.
DR.. John Andu. president of the
lndoHcsiln League of ,mcrica,
declared that some loo million
people in Asia who were expert
eneing the democatic spirit for
the first time wanted not so much
TO enter the United States as they
did the lifting of ban which
classifes them as inferior and UNI
wanted
Professor Robert NJ MacIver
OF Columbia University was chair
man of the international Issues
sections, which dealt with Ameri-
can Colonies and Democracy in
Occupied Countries as we'll as the
matter of Asatic Exclusion from
Admission and Citizenship.
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