JACL votes to incorporate: the June 1937 national officers’ meeting

Vol. 9, No. 9, June 1937. 4 pages. View this issue

National officers of the Japanese American Citizens League met in San Francisco and Santa Rosa and voted to incorporate the League and revise its constitution. Walter Tsukamoto submitted the articles of incorporation, and chapters were to receive copies of the revised draft. An editorial, “We Start Anew,” looked ahead to the League’s next phase, while a column by Romey Yamashita urged nisei to support the JACL as a tool for defending their rights. Delegate Samuel Wilder King wrote on Hawaii’s history and its ties to the United States.

The four pages also cover plans for the San Diego and Yakima district conventions, chapter news from Sacramento, Los Angeles, Watsonville and Seattle, and four Japanese girls named to festival courts near Seattle. Six Japanese World War veterans received citizenship in Sacramento, and four merchants gave rare swords to the League for those who helped pass the Oriental Veterans bill of 1934.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• JACL Officers Vote for Incorporation of National Body, by P.C. Staff, page 1. National JACL officers meeting in San Francisco and Santa Rosa voted to incorporate the League and revise its constitution. Walter Tsukamoto submitted the articles of incorporation, and chapters were to receive copies of the revised draft.
• National Historian Of Citizen Body, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Walter C. Turner of the Fresno chapter was appointed national historian of the JACL by national president James Y. Sakamoto. He will compile the early history of the League’s birth and development.

Community

• Council Approves State Committee, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Northern California District Council approved forming a State Central Committee to coordinate the northern and southern California district councils. The measure, introduced by Henry Taketa, was adopted unanimously.
• Southern District Conclave Program, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Southern California District convention in San Diego on July 4 and 5 will feature registration, speeches, discussion groups, a banquet, and a boat excursion. Monday’s program includes sightseeing in Agua Caliente, Mexico, and a farewell ball.
• Confab Speakers, Topics, Announced, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Discussion group leaders were named for the San Diego convention, including K. Sano on second generation economics and Miss Yock on social life. National officers, led by President James Y. Sakamoto, are expected to attend.
• Sakamoto Accepts Swords for JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Matsunosuke Tsukamoto presented one of the donated swords to James Y. Sakamoto, who accepted it on behalf of the League. The photo caption notes it courtesy of the New World Sun.
• Sacramento JACL to Sponsor Movie, State Fair Dance, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Sacramento chapter planned a benefit movie and a State Fair dance and decided to honor Edward J. Neron with a sword for his work on the Oriental veterans bill. A Los Angeles pastor also gave a lecture that the chapter hosted.
• Los Angeles JACL Sets Gay Festival Week August 3-8, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Los Angeles JACL will hold its Second Generation Festival Week from August 3 to 8, with a queen, talent revue, parade, fashion shows, and street dancing. Henry Tsurutani heads the arrangements committee.
• Louise Saiki Wins S.F. Fiesta Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Louise Saiki won the second generation talent revue at the San Francisco JACL fiesta, held at Scottish Rite auditorium before a crowd of nearly a thousand. June Ezaki and Harry Takahashi placed second and third.
• Matsushita to Head Watsonville Chapter, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Pat Matsushita was elected president of the Watsonville JACL, succeeding Louis Waki, and other officers and committee chairmen were named. Preparations are underway for the Northern California district convention with about 500 delegates expected.
• JACL to Try New Fund-Raising Plan, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Bay District JACL will begin a fund-raising plan in which members donate a day’s wages to the treasury. Employers, including first generation farmers and businessmen, expressed approval.
• Four JACL Chapters Hold District Debate, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Orange County JACL hosted a debate on unionization involving four chapters, with Bay District and San Gabriel on the negative and Los Angeles and San Pedro on the affirmative. Several officer and delegate appointments were also made.
• Reedley, JACL Holds Anniversary Banquet, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Reedley JACL held its second anniversary banquet with representatives from neighboring chapters, and development program committees were appointed. Members also took a one-day trip to Yosemite.
• San Mateo Chapter Sponsors Picnic, Talk, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The San Mateo JACL held a membership drive picnic at La Honda, with committees assigned for games, transportation, and refreshments. Mr. Bashor of San Mateo Junior College also spoke on second generation professionals.
• Seattle Chapter Bills Conference, Dance for Fourth, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Seattle JACL outlined its Independence Day plans, including a dance at Casa Italiana and a conference of Northwest District chapter officers. The conference will prepare proposals for the Yakima district convention.
• Northwest Board Formulates Plans for District Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Northwest District Council appointed supervisors for the second generation welfare program and selected Clarence T. Arai as keynote speaker for the Yakima convention. The council also agreed to study the draft constitution.
• Four Nipponese Girls Take Part in Famed Strawberry Festival, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Four Japanese girls served as princesses at the Lake Washington Strawberry Festival in Bellevue, reflecting the important role Japanese growers play in the district. The festival features the local Marshall strawberry.
• Japanese Appear in Festival Court, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Four Japanese girls served as princesses in the annual Kent Lettuce Festival, recognizing the large Japanese share of lettuce production in the White River Valley. The court also made public appearances before the festival.

National

• 2 Recent House Bills Affect Alien Japanese Living in U.S., by P.C. Staff, page 1. President Roosevelt approved House bills affecting aliens, including one that bars government-paid repatriation for destitute aliens regardless of how long they have lived in the country. Another allows deportation of aliens who repudiate marriages entered to gain admission.
• Six Sacramento Vets Get U.S. Citizenship, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Six Japanese World War veterans received American citizenship certificates in Sacramento under a recent congressional act. Four more were scheduled for citizenship in September, and Shuichi Fukuo was naturalized in Tacoma.

Military & Veterans

• Rare Swords Given to National JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Four Japanese merchants donated rare swords to the JACL for presentation to members of Congress and others who helped pass the Oriental Veterans bill of 1934. The swords were accepted by national president James Y. Sakamoto during the officers’ conference.
• Seven Northwest Orators Selected, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Seven chapter winners will compete in the finals of the Northwest oratorical contest at the Yakima district convention. The first-place speaker will go on to the national contest in Los Angeles.

Commentary

• We Start Anew, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The JACL has been incorporated, marking the start of a second phase built on its roughly 6,000 members and a spirit of cooperation. The editorial argues that the League can now better serve the second generation economically, socially, and politically.
• Laying the Cornerstone, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The three district conventions this year will lay the groundwork for the 1938 national convention in Los Angeles. Members are urged to make their needs known so the district meetings produce concrete recommendations.
• A Practical View, by Romey Yamashita, page 4. The author argues that the JACL must serve the broader interests of the nisei community rather than its own internal politics. He calls on all nisei citizens to support the League as a tool for defending their constitutional and social rights.
• The JACL, by Yoshimi Kawaguchi, page 4. A poem reprinted from the Washington Township JACL publication celebrates the League as a growing force born of conflict and built on loyalty, recognition, and unity. It envisions the organization lighting the way for generations yet unborn.

In-Depth

• Hawaii’s History Has Close Affinity With U.S., by Samuel Wilder King, page 2. Delegate to Congress Samuel Wilder King describes Hawaii’s governmental structure as a territory and explains its strategic importance as a naval outpost in the North Pacific. He traces how its history has long tied it to the United States.

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