シアトルにおける日系人帰還問題

By the order of the United States Government, Japanese and Japanese Americans were removed from the Pacific Coast early in the World War II. When the victory of allies became not so far away, therefore, the return of evacuated people to their former homes turned up as the problem. Many groups began their activities for and against the return of Japanese and Japanese Americans to the Pacific States. The purpose of this note is to analyze the activities of some of these organizations, especially in Seattle. One of the organizations that helped the peaceful return of Japanese to Seattle was the Civic Unity Committee. It was established in February 1944 by Seattle Mayor William F. Devin to alleviate the racial tensions. The Seattle Times, which had supported the removal of Japanese from the Seattle early in the war, cooperated the CUC and helped the return of Japanese in its editorials and articles. The articles that emphasized the activities of Nisei soldiers who were fighting in Europe were especially effective. Some labor unions and councils that affiliated to the American Federation of Labor opposed to the return of Japanese to Seattle. The antagonistic campaign by the Teamsters, which was led by Dave Beck, was especially serious and harmful for the successful return of Japanese. The unions and councils that belonged to the Congress of Industrial Organizations, on the other hand, supported the return ofJapanese to the Pacific Coast. The International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union, which was led by Harry Bridges, suspended the Stockton Unit of Local 6 when some leaders of the unit refused to work with returned Japanese.

研究ノート (Note)