Description
Consists of selected material remaining from Collins' San Francisco legal practice. Major portion of collection is devoted
to his work as legal representative for the Tule Lake Defense Committee from 1945 to 1960. Includes correspondence, litigation
documents for mass civil and equity suits filed for renunciants, individual case files, and financial files for the Committee's
trust accounts.
Also includes Collins' legal files representing his civil liberties and general law practice, including case files and other
materials concerning East Indian deportation, Levering Act/Loyalty Oath controversy, estate files of Astaroth Haskell and
Bruce Porter, and the Berkeley Free Speech Movement. Also includes a small amount of personal papers, including family correspondence,
genealogical, other biographical materials, and ephemera.
Background
In late 1944 and early 1945, over 5,000 native-born United States citizens of Japanese ancestry interned at Tule Lake Segregation
Center renounced their U.S. citizenship. As a result, these renunciants were classified "alien enemies" under the provisions
of the Alien Enemy Act. On July 14, 1945, President Truman issued Public Proclamation No. 2655 authorizing their removal to
Japan. San Francisco attorney, Wayne M. Collins, began advising the renunciants of their legal rights during August 1945.
For those desiring to remain in the United States, the first step was an appeal by letter to the Attorney General, withdrawing
their renunciation on the grounds that it had been the direct result of governmental duress, private coercion, and undue influence.
Extent
Number of containers: 33 boxes, 4 cartons
Linear feet: 18.75
Microfilm: 38 reels
Restrictions
Publication Rights Materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition,
the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of University of California gift or purchase agreements, donor
restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected
by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public
domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively
with the user.All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from, or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing
to the Head of Public Services, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley 94720-6000. See: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/reference/permissions.html.
Availability
Collection is open for research.