Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/907/

Interviews

Hirabayashi,Gordon

(1918-2012) Fought the constitutionality of Executive Order 9066.

Bypassing the Constitution

His, his instructions—you know, the jury is told what to do by the judge. And so in my situation, the judge says, "You heard all this discussion about the Constitution and all that. That's irrelevant. Whatever the Constitution says, the thing that you must take into consideration is this Executive Order 9066 issued by the general in charge." And he reads it out. "Now, you're to determine to what extent this applied. Is this person of Japanese ancestry? If he is, did he comply with these restrictions? If he didn't, you must come back with a guilty verdict. If he did, then he's not guilty." They went in.

It didn't take them too long. As jury, they probably just took enough time to settle down and then review this, these things, instructions and so on, and say it's pretty cut-and-dried, isn't it? Why don't we take a vote on it before wasting too much time? Because they came out fairly rapidly. And, and then the verdict was guilty. And the judge asked, "Is this the way you all felt unanimously?" "Yep." And so that was it.


imprisonment incarceration resistance

Date: December 5, 1999

Location: Washington, US

Interviewer: Tom Ikeda, Alice Ito

Contributed by: Denshō: The Japanese American Legacy Project.

Interviewee Bio

Gordon Hirabayashi was born in 1918 in Seattle, Washington. As a student at the University of Washington, Hirabayashi was active in the YMCA and became a believer in social action and pacifism. With the outbreak of World War II and the consequential evacuation order of persons of Japanese ancestry, he chose to oppose the government's actions on the grounds of his personal beliefs as well as a constitutional issue.

Hirabayashi turned himself in to the FBI for violating curfew and was sentenced to prison for 90 days. With the support of the ACLU, his case was appealed all the way to the Supreme Court in Hirabayashi v. United States. In 1943, the court ruled unanimously against him.

Some four decades later, Peter Irons uncovered documents that clearly showed government misconduct in 1942 that directly affected Hirabayashi's court case. With this new information, Hirabayashi's verdict was overturned in 1987 and long over-due justice was restored.

He passed away on January 2, 2012 at the age of 93. (January 4, 2012)

Houston,Jeanne Wakatsuki

The birth of a novel through a conversation with her nephew

(b. 1934) Writer

Houston,Jeanne Wakatsuki

Documenting family history for future generations

(b. 1934) Writer

Houston,Jeanne Wakatsuki

Not a "camp story" but a human story

(b. 1934) Writer

Kansuma,Fujima

Neighbor took care of hotel business during the World War II

(1918-2023) Nisei Japanese kabuki dancer

Kansuma,Fujima

Different learning style in Japan and the United States

(1918-2023) Nisei Japanese kabuki dancer

Herzig,Aiko Yoshinaga

Family separated in the camps

(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist

Herzig,Aiko Yoshinaga

Feeling imprisoned at camp

(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist

Herzig,Aiko Yoshinaga

Institutionalization as a bad aspect of camp

(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist

Herzig,Aiko Yoshinaga

Political motivation to keep the camps open until end of 1944 election

(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist

Minami,Dale

An emotional response from mother upon talking about incarceration experience

(b. 1946) Lawyer

Minami,Dale

Role of the redress movement in helping Nisei to open up about their wartime experiences

(b. 1946) Lawyer

Nakagawa,Mako

Not recognizing father after reunion at Crystal City, Texas

(1937 - 2021) Teacher

Nakagawa,Mako

Living conditions at Crystal City, Texas

(1937 - 2021) Teacher

Nakagawa,Mako

A child's memories of activities at Crystal City, Texas

(1937 - 2021) Teacher

Nakagawa,Mako

Thoughts on relationship between Japanese Peruvians and Japanese Americans at Crystal City, Texas

(1937 - 2021) Teacher