Registration and the "loyalty questionnaire"

To help administer the military draft and work release program, the U.S. Army and the War Relocation Authority (WRA) produced "loyalty questionnaires" for all Japanese Americans seventeen years of age and older. The questionnaires contained two questions that caused confusion and controversy. Despite serious problems with the wording and meaning of the questions, government officials and others generally considered those who answered "no" to these two questions to be "disloyal" to the United States, and they were transferred to the Tule Lake concentration camp which was designated a segregation camp. "Yes" answers to these questions made Japanese Americans eligible for service in the U.S. Army, and some became eligible for release and resettlement in areas outside of the West Coast exclusion zones.

World War II (240)
Administration (220)
Registration and the "loyalty questionnaire" (282)

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282 items

vh George Fugami Segment 36 (ddr-densho-1000-7-36)

The conflict of the "loyalty questionnaire": being a good American and a good Japanese

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-7-36/

vh George Fugami Segment 38 (ddr-densho-1000-7-38)

Understanding how some of the other Kibei felt about the so-called "loyalty questions"

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-7-38/

vh Mits Takahashi Interview Segment 20 (ddr-densho-1000-207-20)

Confusion over the so-called "loyalty questionnaire"

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-207-20/

vh Yuri Kochiyama Interview Segment 9 (ddr-densho-1000-257-9)

Impact of the so-called "loyalty questionnaire"

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-257-9/

vh Hitoshi "Hank" Naito Interview Segment 15 (ddr-densho-1000-286-15)

Uproar in camp over the so-called "loyalty questionnaire" (audio-only)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-286-15/

vh Hitoshi "Hank" Naito Interview Segment 16 (ddr-densho-1000-286-16)

Family discussion of father's decision to sign "no-no" on the so-called "loyalty questionnaire" (audio-only)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-286-16/

vh Tosh Yasutake Interview Segment 8 (ddr-densho-1000-138-8)

Deciding to volunteer for the army in hopes that father would be released; feeling conflicted upon being placed in a segregated unit

William Toshio Yasutake was interviewed together with his sister Mitsuye (Yasutake) Yamada and surviving brother, Joseph Yasutake, in group sessions on October 8-9, 2002. He was interviewed individually on November 14, 2002.

Before being …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-138-8/

vh Arthur Ogami Interview Segment 18 (ddr-densho-1000-154-18)

The so-called "loyalty questionnaire": mother wants Arthur to answer "no-no" to questions 27 and 28, has his answers changed by the reviewing officer

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-154-18/

vh Arthur Ogami Interview Segment 19 (ddr-densho-1000-154-19)

Making the decision to move to Japan per mother's wishes

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-154-19/

vh John Kanda Interview Segment 4 (ddr-densho-1000-116-4)

Responding to the so-called "loyalty questionnaire" at Tule Lake concentration camp, California

This interview is part of a collaborative effort of the Puyallup Valley Japanese American Citizens League and Densho.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-116-4/

vh Mits Koshiyama Interview Segment 11 (ddr-densho-1000-130-11)

Receiving draft classification 1-A; responding to so-called "loyalty questionnaire" with a qualified answer

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-130-11/

vh Seichi Hayashida Segment 29 (ddr-densho-1000-14-29)

The so-called "loyalty questions": answering "yes-yes" to get out of camp

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-14-29/

vh Victor Ikeda Interview Segment 17 (ddr-densho-1000-487-17)

Introduction of the so-called "loyalty questionnaire" in camp

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-487-17/

vh Taneyuki Dan Harada Interview Segment 16 (ddr-densho-1000-306-16)

Being interrogated about answers on the so-called "loyalty questionnaire"

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-306-16/

vh Taneyuki Dan Harada Interview Segment 15 (ddr-densho-1000-306-15)

Deciding to answer "no-no" on the so-called "loyalty questionnaire"

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-306-15/

vh Noboru Kamibayashi Segment 10 (ddr-densho-1000-477-10)

Being transferred to Tule Lake

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-477-10/

vh Frank Kitamoto Segment 12 (ddr-densho-1000-35-12)

Family's struggle over the so-called "loyalty questions": "I'd rather hang myself than go to Japan"

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-35-12/

vh Frank Kitamoto Segment 15 (ddr-densho-1000-35-15)

Stories of different responses and reactions to the so-called "loyalty questionnaire"

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-35-15/

vh Rudy Tokiwa Interview II Segment 22 (ddr-densho-1000-92-22)

Attending a meeting to decide how to answer the so-called "loyalty questions"

This interview was conducted at the 1998 Americans of Japanese Ancestry Veterans National Convention, held in Honolulu, Hawaii.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-92-22/

vh Frank S. Fujii Segment 22 (ddr-densho-1000-8-22)

Attending Japanese language school in camp

This interview was conducted over two days due to electrical problems. The majority of the interview was completed on the second day, September 5.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-8-22/

vh Ken Yoshida Interview Segment 9 (ddr-densho-1000-428-9)

Answering "yes-yes" on the so-called "loyalty questionnaire but deciding to resist the draft

This interview is incomplete. It ends after the first hour of taping, when Mr. Yoshida is describing serving time at the road camp for resisting the draft. This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1000-428-9/