Six-Minute Documentaries
Learn more about the individuals involved in the decision to incarcerate 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II and the individuals who worked to uncover the government misconduct. Check back here for new releases or follow us on social media.
Edward Ennis: The Case of the Missing Footnote and the Japanese American Incarceration
Edward Ennis, Director of the Department of Justice Alien Enemy Control Unit, was in charge of preparing the government’s brief for Korematsu v. United States. Contrary to the US military claim, Ennis concluded that Japanese Americans were not engaged in subversive activity based on numerous US intelligence reports. He included a footnote in the government’s brief to inform the court of findings of the US intelligence agencies. US Solicitor General Charles Fahey removed the footnote and subsequently provided a knowingly false argument before the US Supreme Court. Ennis is remembered as a whistle-blower who took actions to uphold he truth and the rule of law.
Earl Warren: Champion of Civil Rights, Dangers of Politics, and the Japanese American Incarceration
Earl Warren, Attorney General of California during World War II and best known for his US Supreme Court decision as Chief Justice in Brown v. Board of Education, played an instrumental role in the incarceration of the Japanese Americans. The most outspoken advocate in support of the incarceration of the Japanese Americans, he successfully campaigned on this platform to win the California governorship. Despite all of Warren’s great accomplishments his role regarding the incarceration of Japanese Americans would turn out to be one of his great regrets in life.
Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga: Discovery of Government Misconduct - WWII & Japanese American Incarceration
Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga was a researcher who uncovered "Final Report on Japanese Evacuation from the West Coast," which explicitly stated that intelligence sources agreed Japanese Americans posed no threat to U.S. security. That document provided undisputed evidence that US military leaders and government officials provided false testimony to the courts and lied to the public to justify the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans. Her discovery provided the evidence to reverse the over 40-year old criminal convictions of Gordon Hirabayashi, Fred Korematsu, and Min Yasui.