Speech #920248613

Here also was organized under the astute and compassionate leadership of Hito Okada. the National JACL Credit Union to alleviate the financial problems besetting the Japanese American population. Throughout this trying wartime period. the Japanese Americans living in Utah and nearby Idaho as a district council of the JACL contributed immeasurably in terms of finances. manpower. leadership and plain good public relations work to further the cause of the Japanese Americans in America. Today. in 1972. the sons and daughters of the original Japanese immigrants- in Utah are involved in every facet of community life. In most vocational and professional fields. in many types of organizations. civic. religious. business. political or service oriented. there are Japanese Americans participating usually with responsibility and often with distinction. As the grandchildren of the original Japanese immigrants. still in school and just now coming of age begin to fulfill their individual destinies. no doubt the contributions of the Japanese Americans in Utah to the total community life will become greater and greater and hopefully more and more significant. This week. the members of the Japanese American Citizens League are meeting in a biennial convention in the Nations Capital. Though representing a relatively small segment of the total American population. the JACL through the years has been instrumental in influencing many significant legislations. court decisions. and national policies. especially those pertaining to Japanese Americans and other minority groups. Significantly for Utah and for the original band of Japanese immigrants in Utah. a goodly number of the leaders of JACL both past. present and hopefully the future hail from Utah. In Mike Masaoka. onetime executive director of JACL. war correspondent for the famed 442 all Nisei regimental combat teams. and later Washington representative for JACL. the JACL has had a leader and spokesman of unparalleled skill and devotion. A man of vision. a man with courage for his convictions and a man with unequaled eloquence with which to implement his visionary convictions.