In what ways did our laws institutionalize racial prejudice against Japanese Americans?

Until 1952, U.S. laws denied Japanese immigrants the right to become naturalized citizens. (Naturalization Act of 1790; Ozawa v. United States.) Forced to remain non-citizens, Japanese immigrants could not vote and had no voice or representation in U.S. democracy.

States passed Alien Land Laws to prevent non-citizens from owning agricultural land and to restrict their ability to lease land. These laws were aimed directly at the Japanese: They were the only immigrants both ineligible for citizenship and largely dependent on farming for a living. Covenants against renting or selling homes to 'Orientals' were written into real estate contracts, anti-miscegenation laws barred marriage to Caucasians, and many children of Japanese ancestry attended segregated schools, even though most of them were U.S. citizens who had been born in the United States.

As with African Americans and other people of color, the Japanese Americans were refused admittance to restaurants, theaters and other establishments. As Japanese American children grew up, many faced discrimination. Even with high grades, a college or professional degree, they were often denied access to certain professions, unions and apprenticeship systems due to the discrimination that was legally permitted at the time.

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