Who were the students of the language schools? How were they recruited?
Most students of MISLS were Nisei (second-generation Japanese American) or Kibei (Japanese Americans who received formal education in Japan). Some Caucasian officers also took language training. At the time of matriculation, Japanese language ability of the students ranged from minimal to near-native fluency. Recruiters for the school screened students based on their personal files that contained information about their ethnic background as well as language training. Best candidates for MISLS were then interviewed. When the demand for more language specialists rose sharply as the war progressed toward the end of 1942, the U.S. Army turned to the relocation camps as well as Hawaii’s 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team for volunteers.
