Letter from Lincoln Kanai, Executive Secretary, Japanese YMCA, to Edward J. Ennis, Director, Alien Enemy Control Units, May 9, 1942

DR. K. KITAGAWA

CHAIRMAN BOARD OF MANAGEMENT

LINCOLN KANAI

FRED Y. HOSHIYAMA

CHOJURO NUMAJIRI

Che Japanese Young Mens Christian Association

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1530 BUCHANAN ST., SAN FRANCISCO WH poundpound ros- sy Bae

TELEPHONE WEsr 8720 ies

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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

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