Interviews

1. Loyalty questionnaire

2. Fair Play Committee

3. Speaking out in camp

4. Wanting to take a stand

5. Ostracized by the camp newspapers

6. On trial for draft evasion

7. Draft resisters sent to jail

8. Fair Play Committee charged with conspiracy

9. Prison

10. Meeting other Americans in jail

11. Would do the same again

12. Arrested in camp for trying to leave

13. Becoming involved with the NCRR and redress

14. Apologies from the JACL

15. Different feelings from veterans about the draft resisters

16. “No more shikataganai”

Emi,Frank

(1916-2010) draft resister, helped form the Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee

On trial for draft evasion

Before our trial, they had a trial of the 63 resisters. During that time, I, when the boys heard the judge address them as you Jap boys, he says oh, haven’t got any chance with this judge. Which was true, they, he found them guilty, and sentenced three years in a federal penitentiary. And uh, during that trial they had a whole bunch of newsmen there, biggest trial in Wyoming history. Biggest draft trial in U.S. history!

So uh the newsmen were fairly, very supportive of the resisters. In fact, uh this was in the Wyoming Evening newspaper quoted one newsman as saying “If I were treated like the evacuees, I’d be damned if I would serve in the army.” So, we heard about all this news so when it came to our trial we thought we’d have a better, fairer shake with the jury trial. So we opted for a jury trial. But the result was the same, they found us guilty and sent us, four of us, to four years in a penitentiary, at Leavenworth. And sent us three of them to two years. Two years was in concurrent uh serving the original three year sentence. And then the uh, Japanese translator, the non-citizen, he was given two years.

draft resisters Heart Mountain Heart Mountain concentration camp Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee resistance resisters United States World War II World War II camps Wyoming

Date: May 9, 2006

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Lisa Itagaki

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

Interviewee Bio

Frank Emi was born on September 23, 1916 in Los Angeles, CA. He ran the family produce business until life was interrupted by war. Emi was sent to Heart Mountain, Wyoming with his young wife and two kids.

Emi, along with many others, openly questioned the constitutionality of the incarceration of Japanese Americans. He helped form the Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee and protested against the government’s actions by organizing a draft resistance. Emi was not even eligible for the draft because he was a father.

The Fair Play Committee argued that they were willing to serve in the military, but not until their rights as U.S. citizens were restored and their families released from the camps. The government convicted Emi and six others leaders of conspiracy to evade the draft. He served 18 months in jail. 86 others from Heart Mountain were put on trial and imprisoned for resisting the draft.

Following the war, Emi and other draft resisters were ostracized by Japanese American leaders and veterans. It was not until the fight for Redress, some forty years later that the Fair Play Committee was vindicated for taking a principled stand against injustice.

He passed away on December 2010 at age 94. (December 2010)