Rabbit in the Moon

              RABBIT IN THE MOON
Generally, Rabbit in the Moon, written by Emiko Omori, is a good documentary of evacuation and internment,
but, in our opinion, it is generally anti-JACL and marred by the strong anti-JACL remarks of Shosuki Sakai, Chizuko
Omori, older sister of Emiko., and others who were called on to testify against the JACL.
Shosuke Sakai, Chizuko Omori and Emiko Omori insist that JACL is responsible for the evacuation and
internment of Japanese Americans and resident aliens in 1942. Sakai states that the U.S. government collaborated with the
JACL in having Issei community leaders picked up, leaving community organizations leaderless, and choosing JACL as
spokesman for Japanese, citizens and aliens. Sakai states that Japanese Americans and aliens did not authorize JACL to be
their spokesman and that JACL betrayed them by cooperating with the authorities in the evacuation. The Omoris spoke
along the same lines. It might be asked who authorized Sakai and Omori to speak for Japanese Americans.
The author, Emiko Omori, shows her disregard for the accomplishments of the Nisei generation and the JACL in
her dedication of the film to ". . .our mother and father, to James Omura, Ernest Besig, Michi Weglyn, Morris Opler and the
Issei whose presence and courageous spirit have become a part of this America." We believe that the omission was
deliberate. There is nothing in her film about the Nisei contribution to the general welfare of the Nikkei in America. She
blames JACL for the evacuation and internment. Many witnesses are featured casting JACL as a principal promoter of
evacuation and internment.
This may be repetitious on our part, but evacuation and internment were decided by the army before March of
1942.. The Tolan Committee hearings were merely window dressing for public consumption. The decision had
already been made. The conference of Japanese leaders in San Francisco with army authorities in March of 1942 meant
nothing.    The decision had already been made.
Nothing that JACL, or any other organization or individuals, did at that time mean anything. The decision
had already been made. Knowing this, JACL decided to make the best of the situation and collaborated to secure as
many concessions as possible to ease the burden on our people.
Other than protest JACL actions, what did Sakai and Omori do for our group? What did James Omura do? If they
were sincere, why didn't they have the courage that Minoru Yasui and Gordon Hirabayashi had and risk their safety to
protest evacuation publicly, not just by words, but by action?
What if the JACL had protested and advised Japanese Americans to resist evacuation
physically, and forced the U.S. army to use guns and bayonets to forcibly evacuate us? What if
JACL had advised our people to refuse to cooperate in any way with camp life? What if JACL had
advised our people to do nothing in the war against Japan, refuse to serve in the U.S. mililtary
forces in any capacity-no 100th Infantry Battalion, no 442nd Regimental Combat Team, no MIS-
-no participation in the teaching of the Japanese language in U.S. military schools, and no
participation in Japanese propaganda broadcasts to Japan? After the war, what would have been
the reception in the schools for our school children? What would have been the reception for all
Japanese   in   American   society?
Of   course,   our   constitutional   rights   were   violated.   Of course, there should have been   no need to