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Finding aid for the William M. Marutani Papers
98.9  
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Description
Philadelphia judge, the Honorable William M. Marutani (1923-2004), was the only Japanese American commissioner to sit on the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians (CWRIC). The CWRIC was a congressional commission established in 1980 and charged with studying the mass removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II and recommending an appropriate remedy. The collection documents Judge Marutani's participation in the CWRIC, especially the hearings held across the country as part of the commission's research. In addition to hearing transcripts, the collection includes written statements by individuals, organizations, and drafts of Personal Justice Denied (the CWRIC report).
Background
The Honorable William M. Marutani (1923-2004) was a second generation Japanese American (Nisei) born in the state of Washington. During the early part of World War II he was interned for six months in Pinedale and Tule Lake. Later during the war he served in the U.S. Military Intelligence Service as a second lieutenant with the Army of Occupation in Japan. In the summer of 1947, Marutani attended the University of Chicago Law School. With a law degree to his credentials he moved to Philadelphia where he practiced law and established a distinguished legal career as a lawyer and judge. In 1975, he was appointed to the Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia County making him the first Asian American judge in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. From 1980-1983, Judge Marutani sat as a commissioner for the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians (CWRIC).
Restrictions
All requests for permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from materials in this collection must be submitted to the Hirasaki National Resource Center at the Japanese American National Museum (collections@janm.org).
Availability
By appointment only. Please Contact the Collections Management and Access Unit by email (collections@janm.org) or telephone (213-830-5615).