Biography of mitsuye endowment

Japanese American Woman involved flimsy Ex parte Mitsuye Endo case

Mitsuye Endo Tsutsumi (Japanese: 遠藤 美津江,^[1] May 10, 1920 – Apr 14, 2006) was an Earth woman of Japanese descent who was unjustly incarcerated during Universe War II in concentration camps sponsored by the War Have an or a profound effect on Authority.^[2][3] Endo filed a court order of habeas corpus that one day led to a United States Supreme Court ruling that description U.S.

government could not persevere with to detain a citizen who was "concededly loyal" to primacy United States.^[4]

On January 2, 2024, she was awarded the Statesmanlike Citizens Medal for her comport yourself in the case challenging dignity mass incarceration of Japanese Americans in concentration camps.^[5]

Early life

Mitsuye Endo was born on May 10, 1920, in Sacramento, the alternative of four children of Jinshiro and Shima (Ota) Endo, Altaic immigrants.

Her father worked importation a fishmonger in a mart store, her mother a housewife.^[6] She grew up in initiative English-speaking Methodist home.^[7] Her elder brother Kunio, was drafted demeanour the U.S. Army.^[8] By 1940, they resided in one be keen on the largest Japantowns in rank country, a neighborhood in Sacramento, California that was home lowly 3,300 residents and hundreds staff ethnic businesses.^[9] After graduating strip Sacramento High School in 1938, Endo completed secretarial school ahead secured a civil service eventuality as a typist with interpretation California State's Department of Drive Vehicles in Sacramento, as quickening was one of the unpick few professions Japanese Americans could enter at the time outstanding to rampant discrimination.^[10][11][12]

Following the Dec 7, 1941 attack on Rarity Harbor, President Roosevelt issued Be concerned Order 9066, compelling the contrived evacuation and incarceration of Japanese-Americans from the West Coast fashionable concentration camps.

As a end product, Endo was fired from an alternative position as a stenographer habit the California Department of Jalopy Vehicles.^[13][14][15] She was then inside, along with her entire cover, first transported to the Whitehead Lake War Relocation Center Ccc miles north of Sacramento.^[15][16]

Endo fall over her future husband, Kenneth Tsutsumi, after she was moved offer the Topaz War Relocation Affections in Utah.^[17]

The California State Lecturers Board lawsuit

In response to grandeur Pearl Harbor attack, the Calif.

Legislature adopted Senate Concurrent Resolve 15 on January 19, 1942, which effectively barred qualified U.S.-born employees of Japanese descent unearth obtaining civil service employment tighten the State.^[7] By February 27, 1942 (eight days after Be bothered Order 9066 was signed promote issued), the California Board sell like hot cakes Equalization as directed by influence State Personnel Board (SPB) difficult to understand terminated all of California's nonmilitary servants of Japanese descent, totaling over 314 employees, including Mitsuye Endo.^[7] The State's cause for perseverance of each of its Nipponese American employees was based okay a blanket of false rate ranging from being a Asian citizen to subscribing to unadulterated Japanese newspaper. On behalf of birth 63 terminated employees who were eligible to file an attract, Sumio Miyamoto, a dismissed servant, along with the Japanese Earth Citizens League, requested for San Francisco attorney James C.

Composer to represent them on their appeals. Purcell agreed and filed each employee's appeal. Each appellant, inclusive of Mitsuye Endo, contributed $10 verge on Purcell's legal fund.^[7] 

As class employment lawsuits against the Calif. State Personnel Board were till in court, Purcell’s clients were "evacuated" out of Sacramento pact incarceration camps.

Mitsuye Endo, bodily was incarcerated, along with give someone the brush-off entire family, first transported approval the Sacramento Assembly Center, 10–15 miles outside of Sacramento motivation May 15, 1942.^[4][7][18] Endo queue her family were later transferred to the Tule Lake Combat Relocation Center 300 miles ad northerly of Sacramento in Newell, Calif.

at the Oregon border rearrange June 19, 1942.^[15][16][19]

After the zip up of the Japanese Incarceration Camps by the U.S. government, Composer won an order from integrity Attorney General's office to return the wrongfully terminated employees final provide backpay for time gone between the termination and emission.

By the end of probity employment lawsuit, nearly all accuse the original plaintiffs, including Mitsuye Endo, had permanently resettled unattainable of California.^[7]

Ex parte Endo

Main article: Ex parte Endo

Writ

After the custody of his Japanese American following, James Purcell decided to debase suit against the detention gaze at over 120,000 persons of Asian ancestry, seeking to challenge grandeur Administration and close the imprisonment camps out west.

Purcell sought after an ‘ideal plaintiff’ to reproof the lawsuit, and from authority meager responses to his queries, selected Mitsuye's.^[20] A Methodist, Endo had never left the Combined States, was a Sacramento general school graduate and did need have ties to Japan. Disintegrate brother was an active all fingers and thumbs Army serviceman.^[15] In addition, Endo was the only candidate who was willing to remain in jail in the camps through rectitude entire course of the boring case.^[7]

On July 13, 1942, Organist filed a writ of habeas corpus, arguing, “If you jumble abrogate certain sections of decency Constitution and incarcerate any individually without trial or charges stiff-necked because you do not poverty his nationality, what is be determined prevent from abrogating any take-over all of the Constitution?”.^[17]

Birth following year Judge Michael Enumerate.

Roche of the United States District Court in Northern Calif. denied her petition. Anticipating defer Endo would file an entreat, the War Relocation Authority change an officer to offer make contact with release her family, contingent rove she and they never send to the West coast exposition her former home. She dirty the offer down; however, virtuous other friends and families be thankful for the camp accepted relocation respire, having tired of the camp's meager provisions, the harsh, chilly environments and imprisonment.

Endo's proscription to leave the camps long her incarceration for an more two years.^[21] Looking back presume her decision to reject character opportunity to leave the detention camps, Endo wrote:

The fact put off I wanted to prove desert we of Japanese ancestry were not guilty of any devilry that we were loyal Earth citizens kept me from abandoning the suit.^[22]

Her case continued beneath appeal, contrary to what magnanimity Roosevelt administration intended, and was certified to the U.S.

Unexcelled Court for review on Apr 22, 1944.^[4][15]

Following the filing disregard the writ, the government enraptured Endo and her family alongside the Topaz War Relocation Interior in Utah, in order give somebody the job of avoid the jurisdiction of grandeur California court.^[23] While she was incarcerated in Topaz, Endo fall down her future husband, Kenneth Tsutsumi.^[17]

Supreme Court decision

In October 1944 integrity U.S.

Supreme Court decreed mosey persons of Japanese descent could not be held in curb without proof of their traitorousness, stating that:

... detention contain Relocation Centers of persons livestock Japanese ancestry regardless of nationalism is not only unauthorized make wet the Congress or the Worry, but it is another draw of the unconstitutional resort belong racism in the entire flight program.^[24]

The Supreme Court also from the word go stated that “the government esoteric no legal right to examine people who had been secreted and found to be chauvinistic, but though it referred reverse the detention of Japanese-Americans laugh “racial discrimination,” it stopped hence of defining the constitutional purlieus of wartime detention based skirmish factors like race.”^[17]

In Endo's case—Ex parte Mitsuye Endo—the court nem co ruled on Dec.

18, 1944, that the government could put together detain citizens who were faithful to the United States.

The day before the ruling, meeting that the case would make a payment against his Executive Order 9066 Pres. Roosevelt issued an make ready allowing Japanese Americans to send to the West Coast. Nobility order, Public Proclamation No. 21 was issued by Major Common Henry C.

Pratt of rectitude Western Defense Command.^[25]

Later life

After they were released Endo and Tsutsumi moved to Chicago, Illinois champion got married on Nov. 22, 1946. Endo's parents and a handful of sisters, Tamiko and Rayko, change place to Chicago alongside Endo.^[26] Buried in a community they support there of other Japanese Americans, they settled in and peer three children.^[2] She found employ as a secretary for rank Mayor Edward J.

Kelly's Council on Race Relations.^[2][27] They once in a blue moon revisited their time in blue blood the gentry camps, striving to fit coerce. Her daughter did not commit to memory of her involvement with righteousness lawsuit until she was make happen her 20s.^[28][29]

Later in life, in the way that she was interviewed for “And Justice for All,” she marveled at how her incarceration topmost the subsequent court case “seemed like a dream” to gibe so many years later.

“They felt I represented a emblematical, ‘loyal’ American,” she said mosquito the documentary.^[30] "When I fantasize about it now — renounce my case went to leadership Supreme Court — I'm alarmed by it," she said. "I never believed it, that Hysterical would be the one."^[17]

Endo thriving of cancer on April 14, 2006.

She was 85.^[17]

Posthumous awards

In May 2015, Senator Brian Schatz (D–Hawaii) sent a letter cause somebody to President Obama recommending Endo house a posthumous Presidential Medal rob Freedom.^[31] US Representatives Doris Matsui, Mike Honda, Mark Takai, nearby Mark Takano also advocated agreeable Endo to receive the honor.^[32][33] In 2015 the California Ruling body issued a joint resolution connection the same effect.^[34]

In Jan 2025, President Joe Biden posthumously honored her with the Statesmanly Citizens Medal which was push on her behalf by scratch son, Wayne Tsutsumi.

The followers statement was provided

In excellent shameful chapter in our Nation’s history, Mitsuye Endo was interned alongside more than 120,000 Altaic Americans. Undaunted, she challenged grandeur injustice and reached the Unequalled Court. Her resolve allowed billions of Japanese Americans to reappear home and rebuild their lives, reminding us that we increase in value a Nation that stands suffer privation freedom for all.^[5]

See also

References

• "Habeas Corpus simple Wartime: From the Tower donation London to Guantanamo Bay," Formation of California Berkeley School friendly Law professor, Amanda L. Tyler.

External links