Outland’s decision to not join the mess of other representatives who called for punishing the WRA earned the rancor of his anti-Japanese constituents. Newspapers like the Carpinteria Herald labelled Outland as “our alien-loving mis-representative.” Pacific Citizen editor Larry Tajiri wrote in his Nisei USA column that fellow Japanese Americans should be proud of politicians like Outland, Voorhis, Rogers, and Holifield, who “had the guts to vote against the Dies committee and who will not be stampeded by mere appeals to race prejudice.”
Throughout his congressional career, members of the Pacific Coast Committee on American Principles and Fair Play lobbied Outland to take action on behalf of Japanese Americans, in part because of his previous record of defending Japanese Americans’ rights. Committee chair Ruth Kingman struck up a personal relationship with Outland—both had backgrounds in education—and frequently wrote to Outland about personal matters. In July 1944, Kingman asked about organizing a meeting for Outland with students at UC Berkeley to discuss politics.
As a politician, Outland balanced between supporting the rights of Japanese Americans and dealing with the vocal anti-Japanese residents in his district. At times his desire to satisfy both groups came to a head. In 1944, West Coast white residents demanded that the government keep Japanese Americans from returning to the region. In this case, Outland joined the chorus of anti-Japanese politicians when he released a statement in favor of not having Japanese Americans return to the West Coast until after the war ended.
In December 1944, in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Korematsu vs. United States and Ex Parte Endo, the Western Defense Command preemptively ended the exclusion of Japanese Americans from the West Coast. Hundreds of letters from constituents poured into Outland’s office demanding action to keep Japanese Americans out of the region.
In response to this anger, Outland penned an article for several newspapers in his district, such as the San Luis Obispo Tribune and Santa Barbara News-Press, arguing that the decision was out of the hands of Congress and was a military order. Outland then quoted at length a letter from Assistant Secretary of War John J. McCloy outlining the War Department’s policy toward Japanese Americans and praising the all-nisei 442nd Regimental Combat Team’s distinguished record. Although Outland underlined several key parts of McCloy’s letter, his use of the letter can be seen as avoiding the issue and not taking a strong position in support of Japanese Americans.
Ironically, Outland’s article generated backlash from anti-Japanese constituents. One letter to the Santa Barbara News-Press cautioned Outland for trying to antagonize anti-Japanese constituents: “If Congressman Outland continues to center his interest upon ideals as he has done so definitely as to break down most party barriers in connection with his support—he is pretty sure to regret that he did not say what he taught about this Japanese question when it was dangerous.”
Beyond his civil rights record, Outland also supporter the rights of workers. In May 1945, he co-sponsored a full employment bill that was initially proposed by Secretary of Commerce (and future Progressive Party candidate) Henry Wallace. In the hope of preventing the economic misery of the Great Depression, the full employment bill would guarantee jobs for all Americans, with a particular emphasis on returning veterans.
In his regular newsletter, Outland outlined the bill, H.R. 2202, as not just careless government spending, but as a structured plan to provide all Americans with economic opportunities and financial security. Although Outland and other Democrats worked hard to make the bill a reality, Republican resistance led to compromises that prevented it from becoming a true full employment act. The final bill, which became the Employment Act of 1946, created the Council of Economic Advisors and the Joint Economic Committee in Congress to advise the president on addressing unemployment and produce relevant legislation.
Outland’s other major economic initiative was his support of the Bretton Woods Agreement. In July 1944, members of 44 nations met in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, to outline a postwar international monetary system. As part of the conference, the nations outlined the creation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (now known as the World Bank).
In May 1945, a bill, titled the Bretton Woods Monetary Bill, was proposed in Congress for the U.S. to join the IMF and the World Bank. Outland touted the bill as ‘the most important single piece of legislation to come before the 79th Congress,” and spoke to the press in support of its passage. The bill passed in July 1945. Ruth Kingman wrote to congratulate Outland on his contributions to the Bretton Woods bill.
Even after the war, Outland remained interested in the issues facing Japanese Americans. In May 1946, the Immigration and Naturalization Service apprehended Shiro George Nakamura, a noncitizen, and ordered his deportation. Throughout his deportation trial, Outland kept up a steady correspondence with Nakamura’s children about the status of their father. Outland played a role in helping to secure the release of Nakamura from INS custody. Working with War Relocation Authority officials, Outland authored a private bill for Nakamura that would grant him an exemption from immigration law and avoid deportation. The private bill passed the House Immigration Committee and Nakamura remained with his family in Camarillo.
In October 1946, California Democrats suggested Outland as a candidate to fill the Senate vacancy left by Hiram Johnson. He instead chose to run for re-election in his own district against Republican Ernest Bramblett. Outland ran on a platform as someone who advocated for veterans and supported workers. He received endorsements from veteran’s groups along with unions like the AFL. In allusion to his condemnation of anti-Japanese prejudice, Outland’s campaign staff chose for his campaign slogan: “For a Statesman Who Works On Our Problems Instead of Our Prejudices.”
Unfortunately, Outland’s defense of Japanese American was not enough to secure victory. Bramblett’s campaign attacked Outland on economic issues such as supporting the Office of Price Administration, and touted his endorsement from Governor Earl Warren. Outland lost his reelection bid to Bramblett by 5000 votes as part of a wave of Republican victories in Congress. He exited the House in January 1947.
After his time in Congress, Outland returned to his academic career. He became a political science professor at San Francisco State University in 1947. He remained a vocal advocate for equal treatment for minorities. At several points during his time at San Francisco State, Outland gave lectures to his students about his experience with the treatment of Japanese Americans during World War II.
As he told students at SFSU in 1967, around the time of the Third World Liberation strikes: “Our own history abound with similar sorry episodes, such as the treatment of the Wobblies after World War I, or the craven fears and actions engendered by the McCarthy accusation. Even now one often fears we could be headed toward even more disgraceful episodes of violence, hatred, and injustice in white and colored relationships.”
Outland retired from San Francisco State University in 1972, and later moved to Anacortes, Washington. He died there on March 2, 1981 at age 74, and his ashes are now interned at Santa Paula Cemetery, near where he was born.
As one of the members of the West Coast delegation, Outland was a rare instance of a West Coast politician who did not vocally support stripping Japanese Americans of their rights. He did not, for example, call for deportations and defended the WRA against anti-New Dealers, and he found small ways to present his support to Japanese Americans when few members of Congress did so.
On the other hand, his inability to take a strong position in support of Japanese Americans can be seen as a compromise of ideals. As one of the youngest members of Congress at the time, his failures to defend civil rights could be interpreted as political inexperience and not wanting to stand out to critics. Often forgotten, his career is a fascinating study of someone who balanced between his ideals and dealing with the vicious anti-Japanese movement in California.
© 2024 Jonathan van Harmelen
