Nisei loyalty and the JACL’s early years, January 1938

Vol. 10, No. 16, January 1938. 4 pages. View this issue

Where Nisei loyalty lay was the question running through this four-page issue. On the front page, National Executive Secretary Walter T. Tsukamoto wrote that sympathy for Japan must not be confused with allegiance, and he condemned boycotts of Japanese residents and goods. JACL National President James Y. Sakamoto urged young Nisei to pursue their civic and political rights, and Edward M. Kitazumi wrote that Nisei were Japanese by race but American in nationality and loyalty. Judge William G. Long cited FBI figures on arrests among Japanese Americans in 1937.

Page 4 looks back at how the JACL began. One article traces the 1930 Seattle convention, and another follows Seattle’s claim to be the birthplace of the League. A third profiles early leaders including Clarence Arai, Saburo Kido and Susumu Togasaki. Page 3 carries news on chapter elections and plans for the national convention in Los Angeles.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• Fealty Must Rise Above Sympathies, by Walter T. Tsukamoto, page 1. National Executive Secretary Walter Tsukamoto argues that Nisei allegiance belongs solely to the United States despite sympathy for Japan. He condemns Chinese-American boycotts of Japanese residents and goods as unlawful and counterproductive.
• Young Must Rally To Obtain Rights, President Thinks, by James Y. Sakamoto, page 1. JACL National President James Sakamoto describes the second generation as pioneers facing discrimination and difficult opportunities. He urges Nisei to actively pursue civic and political rights with courage and patience.
• National Session Business Men To Join With JACL, page 3. Business leaders in Los Angeles pledged to help ensure the success of the JACL national convention. The convention is expected to draw a large crowd.
• Leaders Of League Have Seen Activity, page 4. The article profiles early JACL leaders including Clarence Arai, Saburo Kido, Susumu Togasaki, and Walter Tsukamoto. It credits their service with the organization’s success.

Commentary

• Bushido Is Visioned As Panacea For National Ills, by John C. Murrett, page 1. A Maryknoll priest contends that Japanese Bushido offers valuable principles that can counteract national deficiencies. He draws parallels between Bushido and Catholic teaching.
• Kitazumi States Integration Rule, by Edward M. Kitazumi, page 1. Edward Kitazumi asserts that Nisei are racially Japanese but American in nationality and loyalty. He advises that Nisei should speak out fearlessly on issues affecting themselves and the country.
• Young Must Rally To Obtain Rights, President States, by James Y. Sakamoto, page 4. JACL President Sakamoto continues his discussion of second-generation citizenship and political participation. He calls on young Nisei to meet challenges with courage and sacrifice.

National

• Japanese Observe Laws, Avers Judge, by William G. Long, page 1. Judge William Long cites FBI figures showing Japanese Americans had far fewer arrests per capita than native whites in 1937. He notes the Bailey Gatzert school district’s strong juvenile record as further evidence of good citizenship.
• Subject Of Fishing Again Seen In South, page 3. American Legion leaders urged a state committee to exclude alien-owned fishing boats, especially Japanese-controlled ones, from California waters. The committee announced inspections of San Pedro and Los Angeles harbors.
• Mrs. Powell Slaps Plan For Boycott, page 4. Seattle Councilwoman Mrs. F. F. Powell opposed a proposed city council boycott of Japanese-made goods. She argued that such action would harm Japanese residents and Americans of Japanese ancestry.

Obituaries

• Death Ends Romantic Career Of Kanno, Poet-Husband Of American, page 1. Takeshi Kanno, one of the last samurai, died in January 1938 shortly after his American wife Gertrude Boyle Kanno. Their 1906 marriage was a notable romance, and Kanno died while writing her biography.

Community

• League Officials For 1938 Elected By Many Chapters, page 1. Numerous JACL chapters across the coast have completed elections of 1938 officers. Chapters are preparing strong delegations for the upcoming national convention in Los Angeles.
• Fund Donated For Omoto’s Memory, page 3. Dr. Henry K. Minami donated money to a dental college memorial scholarship in honor of orchestra leader Shigeru Omoto. The college acknowledged the gift as a lasting tribute.
• Japanese Clubhouse Opened At Berkeley, page 3. The University of California Japanese Women’s Clubhouse opened after remodeling, providing a dormitory for twelve students. The club’s roughly eighty members will use it as their activity center.
• Masaru Masaoka New Salt Lake Official, page 3. Masaru Masaoka, a debater at the University of Utah, was elected president of the Salt Lake JACL chapter. Other officers were chosen at the same election.
• Two Notable Nisei Take Positions In U.S.-Japan Society, page 3. Dr. M.M. Horii and Dr. Kazuo Kawai were named to the Board of Council of the America-Japan Society. It was a first for second-generation members of that body.
• Put At 51,410 For Rural California, page 3. Professor George Peterson of UC Berkeley reports 51,410 rural Japanese in California, about 5.8 percent of the state’s rural population. He also finds Japanese farm families average larger than white or Negro families.
• Sunday School Folk To Back Convention, page 3. Japanese high school students held a rally at the Japanese YMCA to build support for the Northern California convention in San Francisco. Buddy Uno spoke about his Far East experiences.
• Japanese Chamber Plans To Promote National Session, page 3. The Japanese Chamber of Commerce in Los Angeles announced a ten-point program including support for the JACL national convention. Several second-generation members were named to chamber posts.
• Alien Business Man Defended In Council, page 3. Los Angeles councilman James Bolger defended awarding a city garbage disposal contract to Tim Kitahara despite objections over his alien status. Bolger stated there was no legal restriction on contracting with aliens.
• Lettuce Farmers Report Poor Year, page 3. Imperial Valley lettuce growers faced prices near one dollar per crate due to eastern cold weather and a 3,000-acre acreage increase. Some growers left fields unharvested while others sold for as little as $20 per acre.

In-Depth

• Eastern Conflict Problem Of Young In New Relations, by George Inagaki, page 3. George Inagaki, past Bay District JACL president, says the Sino-Japanese conflict forced Nisei to confront their position. He argues that Nisei must work to make Americans understand their true place in society.
• Citizenship Idea Conceived In 1930 Was League Start, page 4. The Japanese American Citizens League was founded at a 1930 Seattle convention by young Nisei leaders committed to good citizenship. The organization grew from eight chapters to forty-two and won early victories including the Cable Law amendment.
• Seattle Claiming To Be Birthplace Of Nippon League, page 4. Seattle claims to be the birthplace of the JACL, with its first nucleus forming in 1921 and reorganizing in 1928. The article traces the path from Fresno’s American Loyalty League to the 1930 national founding.

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