A Guide to the In Focus Newsletter Collection, 1984-2006.



Descriptive Summary

Creator: A Guide to the In Focus Newsletter Collection
Title: Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) Redress Video Collection
Dates: 1984-2006.
Language: Materials are written in English.
Accession No: 2013-01
Extent: ?? ft., ?? in.; digital files.
Abstract:

Creator Sketch

The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) is a civil rights organization founded by and for Japanese Americans in 1929. At the time of its founding, JACL addressed civil rights concerns that affected Japanese Americans. Currently, JACL focuses its attention on any segment of the American population that faces human and civil rights discrimination, with a particular focus on the Asian Pacific Islander American community. The JACL led legislative campaigns to combat bigotry and discrimination, such as the campaign for redress for former internees during World War II that led to the passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988.
In May 1989, JACL commissioned Visual Communications to produce a half-hour program called Redress: JACL Campaign for Justice, to document and tell the story of JACL’s role and activism contributing to the redress movement. The program was funded through the Minoru Yasui Trust Fund, as well as the Kawabe Memorial Fund and the Motoda Foundation. Work on the project was completed in the spring of 1992.

Scope and Contents

In Focus Newsletter Collection,1984-2006, consists of interviews conducted by Visual Communications, writer and director John Esaki, and producer Amy Kato. The collection consists of ¾” U-matic tapes, the majority of which are digitized.
Interviewees included JACL members, activists, and politicians (some of who were former internees during World War II) about their respective experiences of internment, the initial discussions about redress and reparations, the introduction of the “Seattle Plan,” mobilization efforts and legislative action toward redress, and the political processes involved in passing the Civil Rights Act of 1988. Other footage covers JACL Legislative Education Committee (LEC) meetings, annual dinners, and speeches.

Organization and Arrangement

The holdings are organized into four series: I. Interviews; 1988-1991; II. Events 1988-1991; III. Meetings 1988-1991; IV. Narrations, 1988-1991. All of the materials are in English. Synopses of video are available in repository. Series I. makes up for the bulk of the collection and consists of video interviews varying in length and detail. Series II. Contains footage of speeches at events. Series III. Consists of footage of JACL LEC meetings. Series IV. Includes short narrations by Tritia Toyota, who narrated the final program.

Alternate Format Available

Due to the fragility of the original U-matic tapes, the access DVDs should be viewed.

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research use. Advance notice required for access. Contact repository for appointment.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.

Index Terms

Subjects (Persons)

Abe, Frank
Akaka, Daniel K.
Benet, Tom
Bennett, Charles E., 1910-2003
Bingaman, Jeff
Bush, George, 1924-
Doi, Gene
Dolliver, James M., 1924-2004
Domenici, Pete
Duberstein, Kenneth M.
Enomoto, Jerry
Evans, Daniel J., 1925-
Ford, Gerald R., 1913-2006
Frank, Barney, 1940-
Glickman, Dan
Hasegawa, Hid
Hashimoto, Ruth
Inouye, Daniel K., 1924-
Kagiwada, Joanne
Kato, Chuck
Kean, Thomas H.
Kinoshita, Cherry
Levitas, Elliot
Lowry, Mike
McCain, John, 1936-
Macbeth, Angus
Marutani, William
Mass, Amy Iwasaki, 1935-
Masuda, Kazuo
Matsunaga, Spark M., 1916-1990
Masaoka, Mark
McCarthy, Leo T., 1930-2007
Mineta, Norman Yoshio, 1931-
Miyatake, Henry J.
Morimitsu, Arthur
Morita, Pat, 1932-2005
Nagano, Ken
Nakagawa, Cressey
Nakata, Mike
Neas, Ralph G. (Ralph Graham), 1946-
Noguchi, Tomio
Ondo, Howard
Ono, Edison
Reagan, Nancy, 1923-
Reagan, Ronald
Roberts, Glen L.
Sasaki, Joe
Sato, Frank, 1929-
Speier, Jackie
Suzuki, Joe
Swindall, Pat, 1950-
Takei, George, 1937-
Toyota, Tritia
Ujifusa, Grant
Uyehara, Grayce
Weiner, Ernest H.
Wong, Kathy
Wright, Jim, 1922-
Yasui, Minoru, 1916-

Subjects (Organizations)

Anti-defamation League.
Japanese American Citizens League
Japanese American Citizens League. Seattle Chapter.
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights.
Nikkei for Civil Rights and Redress
Random House (Firm)
San Francisco chronicle
United States. Army. Regimental Combat Team, 442nd
United States. Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians
United States. Congress
United States. Congress. House. Committee on the Judiciary. Subcommittee on Administrative Law and Governmental Relations
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on the Budget
United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation
Visual Communications/Asian American Studies Central -- Archives.

Subjects

Discrimination
Executive orders
Japanese Americans
Japanese Americans Evacuation and relocation, 1942-1945
Japanese American soldiers
Legislation
Lobbying
Political activists
Political letter writing
Political participation
Pressure groups
Race discrimination
Signing statements (Legislation)
Reparations for historical injustices
World War II

Places

District of Columbia
Georgia
Los Angeles (Calif.)
Rohwer Relocation Center (Ark.)
Minidoka Relocation Center
New Mexico
Salt Lake City (Utah)
San Francisco (Calif.)
Seattle (Wash.)
Sick’s Stadium (Seattle, Wash.)

Preferred Citation

The In Focus Newsletter Collection, 1984-2006, Visual Communications Archives and Media Resource Library.

Separated Material

Video footage from CSPAN newsreels was not digitized.

Related Material

See also In Focus Collection, Volume 7, No. 2. Summer 1991. “Reflections on the JACL Redress Video Project.”

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Helen Kim and Kimberly Zarate, August 2012.

 

Inventory

 

Interviews

dvd 2012-1/013189

Gene Doi interview

dvd 2012-1/013193

Ruth Hashimoto interview

dvd 2012-1/013133

Daniel Inouye interview

dvd 2012-1/013201

Amy Iwasaki Mass interview

dvd 2012-1/013191

Tom Kean interview

dvd 2012-1/013134

Norman Mineta interview

dvd 2012-1/013131, 013132

Henry Miyatake interview

dvd 2012-1/013192

Cressey Nakagawa interview

dvd 2012-1/013190

Ralph Neas interview

dvd 2012-1/013205

Grant Ujifusa interview

dvd 2012-1/013206

Grayce Uyehara interview

dvd 2012-1/013210

Redress Bill Passage interviews

dvd 2012-1/013195

National Coalition for Redress/Reparations interviews

 

Events

dvd 2012-1/013196

JACL “American Promise” Dinner in San Francisco

dvd 2012-1/013204

JACL Convention Reception in San Diego

dvd 2012-1/013203

Redress Check Presentation in Los Angeles

dvd 2012-1/013199

Redress Check presentation in Washington, D.C.

dvd 2012-1/013200

Minidoka Pilgrimage

 

Meetings

dvd 2012-1/013202

Legislative Education Committee meeting at National JACL office

 

Narrations

dvd 2012-1/013198

Tritia Toyota Narrations