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Japanese American Citizens League audio-visual collection

 Collection
Identifier: A0286

Scope and Contents

The Japanese American Citizens League audio-visual collection (1926-1975) consists largely of black and white, silent 16mm films taken by Ogden resident Dr. Sanji Oda, who recorded parades, sporting events and other activities throughout Northern Utah as well as material specific to the Japanese American community and Oda's own family from the late 1920s through the 1930s. The colleciton also includes a 1927 newsreel and a 1975 audio recording of an appeal to obtain redress for the World War II evacuation and imprisonment of Japanese Americans produced by the Seattle, Washington chapter of the JACL.

Dates

  • 1926-1975
  • Majority of material found within 1927-1939

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Materials must be used on-site; no use of original material, access copies will be made available for viewing. Five business days advanced notice required. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law, condition of the material, or by donor.

Organizational History

Founded in 1930, the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) is a membership organization whose mission is to secure and maintain the human and civil rights of Americans of Japanese ancestry and others victimized by injustice. The JACL has 112 chapters nationwide and eight regional districts with over 24,000 members found in 23 states. In addition to its national headquarters in San Francisco, the JACL has five regional offices (Los Angeles, Fresno, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago), as well as an office in Washington D.C. and an organizational newspaper, the Pacific Citizen, distributed nationally from its office in Los Angeles. According to its official website, www.jacl.org, the JACL derives its effectiveness through its regional offices located in key cities and areas to serve the needs of the organization's members and to maintain the well-being of all Asian Americans.

Extent

18 16mm film

1 Audiocassette

Language of Materials

English

Japanese

Abstract

The Japanese American Citizens League audio-visual collection (1926-1975) consists largely of black and white, silent 16mm films taken by Ogden resident Dr. Sanji Oda, who recorded parades, sporting events and other activities throughout Northern Utah as well as material specific to the Japanese American community and Oda's own family from the late 1920s through the 1930s. The colleciton also includes a 1927 newsreel and a 1975 audio recording of an appeal to obtain redress for the World War II evacuation and imprisonment of Japanese Americans produced by the Seattle, Washington chapter of the JACL.

Arrangement

The majority of the materials are arranged by subject.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Most of the films are in poor condition due to age and inappropriate storage conditions prior to their arrival in Special Collections. They suffer from mold, warping and vinegar syndrome and have been relocated to a cold storage vault for preservation. Digital copies were made for patron access.

Related Materials

See also the records of the Utah chapter of the JACL (Accn 1852) and the JACL photograph collection (P1003).

Forms part of the Mitsugi M. Kasai Memorial Japanese American Archives.

Processing Information

Title
Guide to the Japanese American Citizens League audio-visual collection
Status
Completed
Author
Finding aid prepared by Tawnya Mosier.
Date
2004 (Last modified: 2024)
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collections Repository

Contact:
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City Utah 84112 United States
801-581-8863