Background
Founded in 1917, the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is a social justice organization established by the Religious
Society of Friends (Quakers), that aims to end discrimination, build interracial peace, and fight for civil rights. During
WWII, they were one of the few organizations that actively opposed Japanese incarceration and made concerted efforts to help
the community. Members visited concentration camps to provide moral support and bring food and other necessities. The AFSC
established hostels during the resettlement period to provide short-term housing, help secure employment, and aid the transition
out of camp. They also assumed leadership of the National Japanese American Student Relocation Council (NJASRC) to resettle
more than 4,000 Japanese American students into universities nationwide. In 1947, the organization received the Nobel Peace
Prize for their efforts.
Restrictions
All requests for permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from materials in this collection must be submitted to the Collections
Management and Access Unit at the Japanese American National Museum (collections@janm.org).