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 (231)
Administration (217)
Registration and the "loyalty questionnaire" (275)

Related articles from the Densho Encyclopedia :
Japanese American Joint Board, Loyalty questionnaire, Segregation

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275 items
Arthur Ogami Interview Segment 18 (ddr-densho-1000-154-18)
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
John Kanda Interview Segment 4 (ddr-densho-1000-116-4)
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.

Mits Koshiyama Interview Segment 11 (ddr-densho-1000-130-11)
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
Seichi Hayashida Segment 29 (ddr-densho-1000-14-29)
vh Seichi Hayashida Segment 29 (ddr-densho-1000-14-29)
The so-called "loyalty questions": answering "yes-yes" to get out of camp
Taneyuki Dan Harada Interview Segment 16 (ddr-densho-1000-306-16)
vh Taneyuki Dan Harada Interview Segment 16 (ddr-densho-1000-306-16)
Being interrogated about answers on the so-called "loyalty questionnaire"
Frank Kitamoto Segment 12 (ddr-densho-1000-35-12)
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"
Frank Kitamoto Segment 15 (ddr-densho-1000-35-15)
vh Frank Kitamoto Segment 15 (ddr-densho-1000-35-15)
Stories of different responses and reactions to the so-called "loyalty questionnaire"
Rudy Tokiwa Interview II Segment 22 (ddr-densho-1000-92-22)
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.

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

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

Jim M. Tanimoto Interview Segment 19 (ddr-densho-1000-270-19)
vh Jim M. Tanimoto Interview Segment 19 (ddr-densho-1000-270-19)
Being jailed for refusing to sign the so-called "loyalty questionnaire"
Jim M. Tanimoto Interview Segment 16 (ddr-densho-1000-270-16)
vh Jim M. Tanimoto Interview Segment 16 (ddr-densho-1000-270-16)
Reasons for refusing to sign the so-called "loyalty questionnaire"
Jim M. Tanimoto Interview Segment 17 (ddr-densho-1000-270-17)
vh Jim M. Tanimoto Interview Segment 17 (ddr-densho-1000-270-17)
Picked up as part of a large group for refusing to sign the so-called "loyalty questionnaire"
Kunio Otani Segment 18 (ddr-densho-1000-75-18)
vh Kunio Otani Segment 18 (ddr-densho-1000-75-18)
The controversy surrounding the so-called "loyalty questions"
Chizuko Norton Segment 24 (ddr-densho-1000-73-24)
vh Chizuko Norton Segment 24 (ddr-densho-1000-73-24)
Deciding whether to leave: family and the so-called "loyalty questionnaire"
Fumiko Hayashida Segment 28 (ddr-densho-1000-15-28)
vh Fumiko Hayashida Segment 28 (ddr-densho-1000-15-28)
Husband's work in camp, his answers to the so-called "loyalty questions"
Yukio Kawaratani Interview Segment 16 (ddr-densho-1000-377-16)
vh Yukio Kawaratani Interview Segment 16 (ddr-densho-1000-377-16)
Family signs "no-no" on the so-called "loyalty questionnaire"

This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, finding, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior.

Toshikazu
vh Toshikazu "Tosh" Okamoto II Segment 2 (ddr-densho-1000-248-2)
The so-called "loyalty questionnaire" creates a split in the family
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