Daysofthenap9

Days of the North American Post

“Alien Land Law Finally Abolished in 1966”

Original Issue Date: November 9, 1966
Reissue Date: November 9, 2011

The off-year election started under yesterday’s rare sunny skies as voting lines moved along at a steady pace.

This election is particularly important for Japanese Americans because of the Senate Joint Resolution (SJR20), the constitutional amendment that could once again allow foreigners to own land.

This is the third time after two efforts in 1960 and 1962 that both fell through. According to JACL Committee Head Tak Kubota, there is great support in favor of the SJR20 this year.

In King County, it was the communal effort of local citzens that brought in 165,034 votes in favor, and ultimately won over the 110,725 votes against. In Spokane, the center of Eastern Washington, the vote against surpassed that of the election four years ago.

On the district level, more districts continue to show a leading vote against, but the state count announced 385,955 votes in favor, and 357,404 votes against, concluding a 28,000 vote lead to amend the Alien Land Law.

About 50,000 votes from the rural areas of the states have not been accounted for, so the 28,000 vote lead is expected to decrease.

[Editor’s Note]

Washington State established the Alien Land Law in 1921 to not allow aliens ineligible to citizenship to own land. Asians were not allowed to be citizens at the time.