Civil Rights / Redress

Social Justice

JACL has a long history of advocating for policies that protect and promote the welfare of Japanese Americans, Asian Americans, and other communities. This history of social justice includes the repeal of the Cable Act during the 1930s, which caused Americans to lose their citizenship if they married an Issei (first generation), to the Redress campaign in the 1980s, which provided remedies for the injustice of the internment during World War II.

JACL’s advocacy has included participation in transformational events in American history such as joining in an amicus brief in the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 and supporting the 1965 Immigration Law, which equalized immigration quotas for Asian countries, providing a pathway to America for many Asians in the years that followed.

Today, the JACL continues its rich history of civil rights advocacy by initiating action or by monitoring important issues in partnership with other major civil rights organizations.