The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1949-06-25
JACL (VICTTN OF GREATEST
VIOLATION ASKS OkAY OF
CIVIL RIGHTS LEGISLATION
UNIVERSITY
NJ SiHhc~

10000 of us would not have been
arbitrarily made wards of the gov
eminent because of our alleged 'af-
finity' to the enemy.
Had there been a Presidential
Commission on Civil Rights
the Executive departments could
have received first-hand informa-
ton concerning persons of japanese
ancestry
Had there been working Civil
Rights Section i'm the Department
of Justice, this section would have
been able 10 release information
gathered after careful investiga-
ton of Japanese Americans and
the myths of Pearl Harbor.
Had there been Joint Congress
sional Committee to visit California,
Oregon and Washington before the
evacuation orders were announced,
| Congress would not have accepted
the alleged necessity for enabling
Legislation.
This assumes, of course. the
members of the Presidential Com
mission. Civil Rights Section and
Joint Committee would be honest
and sincere advocates of civil rights
for all
Moreover. 1t Is our belief that
had there been such law as the
Civil Rights Act OF 1949' before the
war those who selfishly TO-
lmented hate and prejudice against
persons of japanese ancestry would
lcertainly have been restrained in
the fear that their nefarious acti-
vities would be exposed and con-
demned by official federal inter-
vention
I'VE are interested In legisla-
ton protecting our person ana
property without discrimination by
reason of race. color, religion or
national origin. For we know, too,
the fear of threatened mob vio-
lence and vigilantism.
. Just as we believe all immigrants
i, should be permitted to become nat
luralized citizens so we contend that
e all citizens should be privileged to
: cast their ballot.
out of our recent experiences,
we have learned what 1t means TO
be second class citizen, suspect
individual because of an accident
of birth. We learned by bitter ex-
perience that much of what we I'M
derwent has been the tragic lot and
life of many Negroes for decades
in the south. We learned that Mex
lean Americans. Jewish Americans,
Chinese Americans and American
l Indians. among others. have faced
discrimination because of their race,
p color. religion or national origin,
:, That's why we join today with
all Americans of goodwill In urging
the early and favorable consideration
of legislation of this kind for we
know now that until every Ameri-
j.. can can enjoy all the rights, privi-
!. ieges and immunities Of our heri-
" tage none can share fully in oui
" way of life"
MasaOka termed the civil rights
bills a positive answer" to the
free peoples of the world who look
10 the United States for leader
ship; ats enactment. he averred.
will demonstrate that we mean
- what we say and say what we mean
ID when we speak of equality in and
J. under the law for all people, ir-
Of respective of race, color. creed or
l. national origin.
Or Masaoka filed the statement will
lg the Senate Subcommittee on CIV
y Rights headed by J. Howard Nc
a. Grath. Cd, r. l.. and includin
ID. James o. Eastland, ID, Miss an
ly Alexander Wiley, (R., WiscO.
err Later In the day he filed state
ms ment In the House and testified be
fore the subcommittee about tn
n statement
in House Subcommittee members at
nd tending the session included: VIII
t. liam T. Byrne, Cd, N Y. chair
NJ man; Thomas j Lane, Cd, Mass.
r. Winfield K. Denton. ID, Ind, ia
of mes 3. Frazier, ID, Tenn, job
nm Jennings Jr., (R.. Tenn. and Ken
meth b. Heating. (R., N. V.