OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Throughout the decades, the JACL has been a beacon of light for the Japanese American community.

In the 1930's, the JACL advocated passage of the Lea-Nye bill, which granted citizenship to 500 World War I veterans of Asian ancestry, and took part in the successful effort to repeal the Cable Act, which had revoked the citizenship of American women married to aliens.

In the 1940's, the JACL initiated action to recover property losses caused by the internment camps of World War II, and filed a legal brief with the Supreme Court arguing against any reasonable basis for the internment.

In the 1950's, the JACL advocated for passage of the 1952 Immigration and Naturalization Act, which allowed for citizenship for the Issei.

In the 1960's, the JACL urged the elimination of discriminatory barriers in determining immigration quotas from Asian and Pacific nations.

In the 1970's, the JACL led the effort to urge President Gerald Ford to rescind Executive Order 9066, the act that led to the removal and detention of individuals of Japanese descent from the West Coast.

In the 1980's, the JACL successfully advocated for the passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, providing for redress to nearly 80,000 Japanese American World War Il internment camp survivors.

TODAY, the JACL continues its advocacy role in areas of defamation, anti-Asian sentiment, hate crimes, and issues of public policy that affect our community.