“You can’t make me go to war if you put me in a prison camp.”

— Gene Akutsu, Minidoka Draft Resister

In September 1944, thirty-seven Japanese Americans unconstitutionally incarcerated at the Minidoka Relocation Center appeared in Federal Court in Boise for violating the Selective Service Act.

In September 2024, Friends of Minidoka, Minidoka National Historic Site, and our community partners, commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Minidoka draft resisters’ trials in Boise, Idaho Falls, and Twin Falls.

See the links below to explore the courage of these Nisei men who fought for restoration of their rights as U.S. citizens before serving in the U.S. military, the legacy of their actions, and the lessons for today.