The First to Cry Down Injustice? Western Jews and Japanese Removal During WWII

The First to Cry Down Injustice explores the range of responses from Jews in the Pacific West to the removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. While it is often assumed that American Jews-because of a commitment to fighting prejudice-would have taken a position against this discriminatory policy, national Jewish and liberal groups largely ignored the treatment of Japanese Americans. For those on the West Coast, however, proximity to the evacuation made it difficult to ignore.

Ellen M. Eisenberg is Dwight and Margaret Lear Professor of American History at Willamette University, Oregon