Naturalization

Unlike other immigrants to the United States, Japanese and other Asians were not permitted to become naturalized American citizens until 1952. Under existing laws, naturalization was limited to "free white persons and to aliens of African nativity and to persons of African descent." Despite many attempts by Japanese immigrants (Issei) to gain citizenship, they were usually rejected on the grounds that the Issei were neither white nor black. The 1922 Supreme Court case Ozawa v. U.S. cemented the status of the issei as "aliens ineligible to citizenship" once and for all. It wasn't until 1952 with the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act that Issei were finally allowed to become naturalized U.S. citizens.

Immigration and citizenship (431)
Naturalization (180)

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180 items

Japanese in Test Case. Hinkle Refuses Incorporation Articles. Natives of Nippon Who Claim Citizenship May Carry Suit to U.S. Supreme Court. (May 8, 1921) (ddr-densho-56-363)

doc Japanese in Test Case. Hinkle Refuses Incorporation Articles. Natives of Nippon Who Claim Citizenship May Carry Suit to U.S. Supreme Court. (May 8, 1921) (ddr-densho-56-363)

The Seattle Daily Times, May 8, 1921, p. 15

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-56-363/

T.R. Says Japs Cannot Obtain Their Papers. Viscount Kaneko Makes Public Letter Said to Have Been Written by Former President. (July 10, 1913) (ddr-densho-56-236)

doc T.R. Says Japs Cannot Obtain Their Papers. Viscount Kaneko Makes Public Letter Said to Have Been Written by Former President. (July 10, 1913) (ddr-densho-56-236)

The Seattle Daily Times, July 10, 1913, p. 8

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-56-236/

doc Entitled to Citizenship. United States Will Admit Orientals Who Fought in Army. (February 14, 1919) (ddr-densho-56-318)

The Seattle Daily Times, February 14, 1919, p. 20

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-56-318/

doc California Denies Vote to Naturalized Japanese (July 27, 1923) (ddr-densho-56-380)

The Seattle Daily Times, July 27, 1923, p. 11

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-56-380/

doc Refused to Make One. Chicago Judge Could Find No Precedent for Naturalizing a Japanese. (October 3, 1902) (ddr-densho-56-30)

The Seattle Daily Times, October 3, 1902, p. 12

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-56-30/

doc Japanese Drop Effort to Become Citizens (June 12, 1907) (ddr-densho-56-89)

The Seattle Daily Times, June 12, 1907, p. 5

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-56-89/

doc Deny Citizenship to Two Japanese Serving in Navy (April 13, 1919) (ddr-densho-56-322)

The Seattle Daily Times, April 13, 1919, pp. 1, 8

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-56-322/

doc Kay Kido Threw Her Trousseau Overboard to Become American (ddr-one-3-76)

November 5, 1953 issue of the Mt. Adams Sun, Volume XIX, Number 6. The newspaper contains an article on the front page titled "Kay Kido Threw Her Trousseau Overboard to Become American." The article is about the Kenjiro and Miyuki "Kay" Kida process for American citizenship and their experiences living in the United States.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-one-3-76/

doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 43, No. 3 (July 20, 1956) (ddr-pc-28-29)

Selected article titles: "Claimants requested to refrain from writing Dep't of Justice for 60 days as all claims being reviewed under 1955 amendment" (p. 1), "Kibei fired as security risk in plea to Eisenhower" (p. 1), "Action unlikely on committee ok'd bill to return war vested property" (p. 1), "Renunciation law and segregation termed by Myer …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-pc-28-29/

doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 44, No. 6 (February 8, 1957) (ddr-pc-29-6)

Selected article titles: "Nisei hopes for U.S.-Japan ties told to new envoy Masaoka confers with MacArthur II, newly U.S. ambassador to Japan" (p. 1); "See boost in Japan quota of immigrants" (p. 1); "Masaoka to speak at Philadelphia fete" (p. 1); "JACL urges early enactment of civil rights bill this session" (p. 1); "College Scholarship plus …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-pc-29-6/

doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 45, No. 3 (July 26, 1957) (ddr-pc-29-29)

Select article titles: "Almost 20,000 Mainland Issei Naturalized Within Past Decade" (p. 1); "Senate Takes Up Civil Rights Bill, 71-18 Vote" (p. 1); "Washington JACL Office analyses House Subcommittee report on Japanese farm labor" (p. 1); "Lonely airman's Japanese wife recovers from suicide attempt; steps to regain custody of children stirs interest in Kansas City" (p. …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-pc-29-29/

doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 44, No. 23 (June 7, 1957) (ddr-pc-29-23)

Select article titles: "26,000 Japanese War Brides in U.S. Group Told" (p. 1); "Senate Committee Amends Claims Supplemental Appropriation Bill" (p.1 ); "Non-profit groups listed for 1st time as claim awardees" (p. 1); "JACL participates in Memorial Day Rites at Arlington Cemetery; sagging Nisei interest in war dead scored by D.C. JACLers" (p. 1); "Rep Judd's …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-pc-29-23/

doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 44, No. 4 (January 25, 1957) (ddr-pc-29-4)

Selected article titles: "Builders using gov't financing sued for race bias in selling tract homes" (p. 1); "Eisenhower urges statehood for Hawaii & Alaska" (p.1); "Japan refugee returns home after year stay in California, in Uncle Sam uniform" (p. 1); "Nisei opera soloist set for S.F. season" (p. 2); "Temporary farm worker program extended for Mexicans; …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-pc-29-4/

doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 44, No. 7 (February 15, 1957) (ddr-pc-29-7)

Selected article titles: "Justice Dep't officals to visit West Coast to investigate claims" (p. 1); "Dr. Rusch decorated at Embassy for promoting Japanese American friendship" (p. 1); "Rev. Kano retires from active ministry among Japanese in Nebraska; helped Issei with Americanization instructions" (p. 2); "Brotherhood Week program in L.A. set" (p. 3); "JACL joins 48 Nat'l …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-pc-29-7/

doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 48, No. 1 (January 2, 1959) (ddr-pc-31-1)

Selected article titles: "War bride studies for naturalization while in hospital, discharged as citizen" (p. 1), "Sansei youth return $4,000 found in bag given them to wrap small purchase items" (p. 1), "Race bias charged in employment of clerical workers" (p. 1), "Mass naturalization rites of 126 Issei, integration of evacuees into So. Jersey community recalled …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-pc-31-1/

doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 49, No. 14 (October 2, 1959) (ddr-pc-31-40)

Selected article titles: "President signs amendment to immigration bill" (p. 1), "Elderly Issei in 80s and 90s sworn in as new citizens" (p. 1), "Few Japanese farm laborers able to save million yen from three-year U.S. stay" (p. 1), "Nisei discrimination topic of Yoshino speech" (p. 1), "Nisei administrative assistant to Burns steps into political job …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-pc-31-40/

doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 48, No. 14 (April 3, 1959) (ddr-pc-31-14)

Selected article titles: "Walter bill liberalizes Immigration Act" (p. 1), "Nisei newcomer in Arizona successful in nursery business" (p. 1), "Tule Lake center may be youth honor camp" (p. 1), "UCLA medical research reports success with measle vaccine, Nisei doctor aids" (p. 1), "Bent on suicide, Nisei speeds into busy intersection kills one, maims two" (p. …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-pc-31-14/

doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 66, No. 2 (January 12, 1968) (ddr-pc-40-2)

Selected article titles: "Race not important in determining whether one tolerates or rejects transplanted organ, says Nisei" (p. 1), "JACL can take on part of Negro problem, Marutani tells CCDC" (p. 1), "An unselfish Issei who comforted the needy, the sick for 50 years honored by Salt Lake" (p. 1), "Four couples cited for giving comfort …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-pc-40-2/

doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 81, No. 25 (December 19-26, 1975) (ddr-pc-47-50)

Holiday issue organized into sections A 1-12, B 1-12, C 1-12, D 1-12, and E 1-6. Selected article titles: "Samurai of the Wine Country" (pp. A-1, C-1, C-5, C-8, C-10-D-1), "The Forgotten Nisei" (pp. A-1, A-3-A-5, A-8), "Tokie Was Naturalized 'Twice'" (pp. A-10, B-4), "Anti-Nisei Discrimination in the Mormon State" (pp. B-10-B-11), and "WW2 Gov't Cover …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-pc-47-50/

doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 89, No. 2056 (August 17, 1979) (ddr-pc-51-32)

Selected article titles: "Issei Naturalization Class Reactivating" (p. 1), "Job Bias Cases by Japanese Firms in U.S. Viewed" (p. 1), "Assemblyman Mori's Day of Remembrance Bill Signed" (p. 1), and "Question and Answer Fact Sheet: Didn't Pearl Harbor Justify Your Detention?" (pp. 5, 7).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-pc-51-32/

doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 89, No. 2050 (July 6, 1979) (ddr-pc-51-26)

Selected article titles: "U.S. Leadership May Be Compromised: Eskimo Whaling vs. Moratorium Major IWC Issue" (pp. 1, 5), "East Wind: A Point of View: Redress" (p. 4), "From the Frying Pan: Tragedy of Vietnam's 'Boat People'" (p. 5), and "Pacific Sq. Marks Tanabata" (p. 8).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-pc-51-26/

doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 122, No. 7 (April 5-18, 1996) (ddr-pc-68-7)

Selected article titles: "What's Growing Fast, Creating Wealth and Voting? It's the AP Community, Study Says" (pp. 1, 12), "27th Trek to Manzanar Is Set for April 27 as Site Is Developed" (p. 5), "Naturalization Program Begun by APA Group" (p. 5), and "East Wind: The Asian Candidacy" (pp. 8, 12).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-pc-68-7/

doc Naturalization certificate for Koharu Maruki (ddr-manz-10-157)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-manz-10-157/

doc Naturalization certificate for Shinkichi Maruki (ddr-manz-10-160)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-manz-10-160/

img "The graduation exercise of the Americanization School sponsored by Japanese Ancestral Society" (ddr-densho-259-394)

Front of photograph: "The graduation exercise of the Americanization School sponsored by Japanese Ancestral Society Portland, Oreg. May 28, 1953." Caption by Homer Yasui: "Group portrait of the Issei in the Portland area who graduated from the Americanization school, in preparation for taking their citizenship examinations."

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-259-394/