HIGH COURT RULES JAPANESE-AMERICANS NOT ENTITLED TO U.S. CITIZENSHIP
Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) On November 13, 1922, the Supreme Court ruled that Japanese people are not entitled to United States citizenship because they "are not of the 'white' race."
Justice George A. Sutherland* based his decision on two cases originating in the courts of Hawaii and Washington state. The Supreme Court's decision upheld those of the lower courts.
Justice Sutherland said...
"In all of the naturalization acts from 1790-1906, the privilege of naturalization was confined to white people."
*George Alexander Sutherland (1862-1942) was born in Buckinghamshire,, England & moved to Utah as a child. GAS served in the U.S. House of Representatives 1901-1903 & U.S. Senate 1905-1917. He was associate justice of USSC 1922-1938.
On the high court, GAS was part of a group of conservative justices who voted to strike down New Deal legislation.
JFK+50 NOTE
In Ozawa v. United States (1922) the USSC ruled Tukao Ozawa, a 20 year resident of the U.S. who was born in Japan, was ineligible for naturalization.
SOURCE
"U.S. Bars the Japanese as Non-White," The New York Tribune, November 14, 1922, Chronicling America, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/
