Katsu and Grace Miya papers

Collection

Identifier: ACCN 2942

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Katsu and Grace Miya papers (1901-2008) consist of newspapers, notes, and various other documents regarding the Japanese internment during WWII, the 442 Regimental Combat Team, and Nisei life in the United States.

Dates

1901-2008

Creator

Miya, Katsu (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

Conditions Governing Use

The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library’s Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.

Historical Note

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the US government, by authority of Executive Order 9066, forced between 110,000 and 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast into internment camps ostensibly due to a fear of fifth column support of the Axis powers. However, the internment is now considered to have been driven out "race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership” (S 109, 100th Congress). Despite the intense racism they faced, many Japanese Americans, especially in Hawai'i, joined the US Armed Forces and eventually formed the 442nd Regimental Combat Unit, which became the most decorated regiment of WWII. During the presidency of Ronald Reagan, the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 was passed, which granted $20,000 in reparations to surviving internees. President George H. W. Bush also sent letters of apology to the internees in 1991. This collection contains documents that shed light on the experiences of the Nisei before, during, and after the internment.