Remembering Mitsuye Endo’s sacrifice to end Japanese American incarceration

President Joe Biden posthumously awarded Mitsuye Endo the Presidential Citizens Medal on Jan. 2 — a long-overdue recognition of a quiet hero whose name should echo in American history.

Endo’s courage in challenging the U.S. government during World War II not only secured the release of thousands of Japanese Americans, it also reaffirmed the principle that justice must prevail, even in the darkest times.

Endo was, by all measures, the ideal American. Born in Sacramento, California, in 1920 to Japanese immigrant parents, she graduated from Sacramento High School, attended secretarial school and worked as a clerk for the California Department of Employment. She was Christian, spoke only English and had a brother serving in the Army. But when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, none of that mattered.

After President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, over 120,000 Japanese Americans were forcibly removed from their homes and sent to incarceration camps. Endo and her family were among them, enduring harsh conditions in camps like Tule Lake, California, and Topaz, Utah. Her loyalty to the U.S. was unquestionable, but that loyalty was betrayed by a nation gripped by fear and racism.

Amid this injustice, Endo’s resolve never wavered. Fired from her state job alongside hundreds of other Japanese American employees, she became part of a legal battle supported by the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL). Atty. James Purcell, who represented Endo, initially sought to challenge these wrongful terminations but soon realized a larger fight loomed: the legality of Japanese American incarceration itself.

Purcell needed a plaintiff whose loyalty to the U.S. would be unimpeachable. Endo’s impeccable background made her the perfect choice. At first hesitant, Endo ultimately agreed, saying years later, “They said it’s for the good of everybody, and so I said, ‘Well if that’s it, I’ll go ahead and do it.’”

Endo’s legal journey began in 1942 with a habeas corpus petition challenging her imprisonment. For two years, she remained confined in the camps, even declining the government’s offer of early release to ensure her case could continue. Her decision demonstrated extraordinary selflessness; she stayed behind bars so others might one day walk free.

On Dec. 18, 1944, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in Ex Parte Endo that the government could not detain loyal citizens without cause. This landmark decision effectively ended the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans. However, the ruling stopped short of declaring the incarceration itself unconstitutional, leaving other injustices, like Fred Korematsu’s conviction, unresolved for decades.

After her release in 1945, Endo moved to Chicago, where she worked for the Mayor’s Committee on Race Relations. She married, raised three children and lived a quiet life, rarely speaking of her role in history. Even her own children did not learn about her pivotal lawsuit until adulthood. Unlike figures such as Korematsu, who gained renewed attention in the 1980s, Endo remained largely out of the public eye.

Yet her contributions were no less monumental. As U.S. Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) remarked, “Mitsuye’s story should be told and retold… It’s a story of strength and resilience. It’s a story of justice and principle.”

The Presidential Citizens Medal acknowledges individuals who have performed exemplary deeds for their country. For Endo, this honor comes at a particularly meaningful time — just weeks after the 80th anniversary of her Supreme Court victory.

“As it was with JACL’s urging that Endo brought forth her case, we have long advocated for Presidential recognition of Endo for her actions, including passing a national council resolution in 2014,” JACL said in a statement. “We thank President Biden for acknowledging and recognizing such a monumental case and the woman behind it all.”

This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter — a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices.

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