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The was formed in 1929 out of existing Nisei organizations in California and Washington, and spread to become the largest and most well-known Japanese American organization in the United States. In its early years, it lobbied for legislation that expanded the citizenship rights of Japanese Americans, and local chapters organized meetings to encourage Nisei to become more politically active. During and leading up to World War II, the JACL was criticized for its decision not to use its political influence to fight the incarceration of Japanese Americans, aiding U.S. intelligence agencies in identifying "disloyal" Issei, and taking a hardline stance against draft resisters in camp. These issues remain a source of division within the Japanese American community and the organization itself. After the war, the JACL returned its primary focus to civil rights legislation, lobbying Congress and bringing lawsuits to overturn or amend laws regarding interracial marriage, segregation, and race-based restrictions on immigration and naturalization. In the 1970s, after some initial disagreement among leaders,〔Cherstin Lyon. ("Japanese American Citizens League," ) ''Densho Encyclopedia'' (accessed Feb 14 2014.)〕 the organization became involved in the movement for redress for the wartime incarceration. The influence of JACL lobbyists was a key factor in the passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988,〔Leslie T. Hatamiya. ''Righting a Wrong: Japanese Americans and the Passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988'' (Stanford University Press, 1993), 145.〕 which formally acknowledged the unconstitutionality of and provided reparations for the incarceration. A younger generation of JACL leadership has made an effort to acknowledge the consequences of its wartime actions, officially apologizing for its condemnation of Nisei draft resisters in 2002. Today, the national organization consists of 108 chapters, mostly located in major cities and metropolitan areas across the country. These chapters are separated geographically into seven district councils, each of which is headed by a district governor. The organization is guided by a board of elected officials, consisting of the officers and district governors. As demographic and political shifts change the face of the Japanese American community, the JACL has expanded its mission to protect the rights of Asian Pacific Americans and people of all ethnic groups, and to focus on issues important to the ''hapa'' identities of younger, mixed-race members. The JACL is also a strong supporter of marriage equality. ==Pre-war history of the JACL== In 1929, several already-established Nisei organizations merged to form the Japanese American Citizens League, most prominent among them Fresno's American Loyalty League (headed by Nisei UC educated dentist, Dr. Thomas T. Yatabe b1897-d1977), the Seattle Progressive Citizens League, and the San Francisco-based New American Citizens League.〔 The nascent JACL held its first national conference in Seattle in 1930〔JACL. ("History of the Japanese American Citizens League" ) (accessed Feb 14 2014)〕 and soon after began work to expand the citizenship rights of Japanese and Asian Americans, who were considered unassimilable to American society and therefore ineligible for naturalization under the Immigration Act of 1924. Their first target was the Cable Act of 1922, which revoked the citizenship of women who married men ineligible for citizenship, namely Asian immigrants. After a successful lobbying campaign, Congress amended the act in 1931. Next, the JACL began a campaign to allow Issei and other Asian American veterans of the First World War to become U.S. citizens. In 1935, the Nye-Lea Act secured citizenship rights for these men. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Japanese American Citizens League」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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