Hood River, the AFL and the fight over Nisei return

Vol. 19, No. 24, December 16, 1944. 4 pages. View this issue

Debate over the return of Japanese Americans to the West Coast ran through this four-page issue. The Hood River American Legion’s erasure of sixteen Nisei soldiers’ names from a county memorial drew a rebuke from Secretary of War Stimson, an invitation from a New York Legion post, and a CIO leader’s attack on an AFL magazine. The AFL convention in New Orleans passed a resolution condemning discrimination, citing the mass evacuation under Presidential Order 9066. A California State Senate committee moved the other way and opposed their return, while Assistant Secretary of War John J. McCloy spoke of individual exclusions.

The front page carried an unofficial list of Nisei killed, wounded or missing in eastern France. Inside are Silver Star awards for three Salt Lake City soldiers, Lynn Fontanne and Alfred Lunt visiting wounded Nisei in England, and Bill Hosokawa’s column on how Japanese Americans were settling in Iowa. The editorial page looks at three incidents of discrimination and how fair-minded Americans answered them.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• Western Nisei Killed on French Front; 34 Others Wounded, Two Missing in Action in Europe, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Pacific Citizen compiled an unofficial list of Japanese American soldiers killed, wounded, and missing in action in eastern France. Next of kin and relocation center records were used to identify the casualties.
• Lunt and Fontanne Pay Tribute to Wounded Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Actress Lynn Fontanne and actor Alfred Lunt honored five wounded Japanese American soldiers at a U.S. Army hospital in England on Pearl Harbor Day. The soldiers were brought to the stage and received an ovation from their fellow patients.
• War Department Announces Five Killed, 24 Wounded, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The War Department reported five Japanese American soldiers killed and 24 wounded on the Mediterranean front, presumably in Italy. The report lists names with next of kin and addresses, including soldiers from Hawaii and relocation centers.
• Silver Star Medals Awarded Three Salt Lake Nisei Soldiers, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Three Japanese American soldiers from Salt Lake City received the Silver Star for gallantry in the European theater. Captain Shoichi Asahina, Pfc. Thomas T. Takao, and Pfc. Bunjerie Ochitani were honored for their actions.
• Nisei Battalion Sets Record in Training, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The 232nd Battalion at Camp Blanding, Florida, composed of Japanese American enlisted men, has had only one AWOL in its history. The Camp Blanding newspaper praised the unit as hard-working and serious soldiers.

National

• National AFL Convention Hits Discriminatory Treatment of Japanese American Group, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The American Federation of Labor convention in New Orleans passed a resolution condemning persecution and discrimination against Japanese American citizens. The resolution cited the mass evacuation under Presidential Order 9066 and the service of Nisei soldiers.
• Individual Exclusion Program Will Accompany Removal of Mass Restrictions, Says Army, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Assistant Secretary of War John J. McCloy told California congressmen that any lifting of the mass exclusion order would be followed by individual exclusions. He added that the government can now determine the loyalty of Japanese Americans and urged West Coast residents to show good citizenship.
• Sixteen Nisei Soldiers Invited to Join Legion, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A New York American Legion post invited sixteen Nisei soldiers from Hood River, Oregon, whose names were erased from a county war memorial, to join after the war. The New York officials said the Hood River action gave the Legion a black eye.
• State Senate Group Acts to Bar Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A California State Senate fact-finding committee adopted a resolution opposing the return of persons of Japanese ancestry to California, citing fears of riots and bloodshed. The resolution will be presented to the State Legislature in January.
• Secretary Stimson Condemns Hood River Legion’s Stand on Nisei GIs as Undemocratic, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Secretary of War Stimson said the Hood River American Legion’s erasure of sixteen Japanese American soldiers’ names was inconsistent with American democratic ideals. He praised the fighting spirit of Nisei soldiers in Italy.

Commentary

• Three Incidents, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The editorial argues that three recent incidents of discrimination on the West Coast were answered by fair-minded Americans who uphold democratic values. It cites the Arizona barbershop ejection, the Hollywood studio strike threat, and the Hood River Legion name removal as examples.
• Simple Prejudice, by Hollywood Citizen News, page 2. Reprinted from the Hollywood Citizen News, this editorial argues that fears about returning Japanese Americans are unfounded. It concludes that the opposition is simply prejudice.
• From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 2. Hosokawa reports on the occupations of Japanese Americans in Iowa, noting wide diversification and no dangerous concentration. He argues that this pattern favors assimilation and long-term settlement, and includes miscellaneous notes on Nisei activities.

Community

• CIO Leader Hits AFL Union’s Attitude on Nisei Americans, by P.C. Staff, page 3. CIO Wholesale and Warehouse Workers president Arthur Osman condemned an AFL Teamsters magazine article calling for the revocation of Japanese American citizenship. He called anti-Japanese incitement filthy race prejudice unrelated to patriotism.
• Hood River Legion Wants Clarification of Nisei Status, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Hood River American Legion post stated that persons of Japanese ancestry were returning to the West Coast against the wishes of most citizens. The post said its decision on the memorial would await clarification of their status.
• Hood River Legion Head Non-committal, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Post Commander J. B. Edington declined to comment on Secretary Stimson’s condemnation of the Hood River Legion. It was also reported that one of the erased soldiers, Pvt. Eichi Wakamatsu, had been wounded in action.
• Legion Urged to Back Rights of Nisei Group, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Six of seven members of San Diego County Hospital’s advisory committee voted against accepting Japanese American girls for nursing training after the Legion commander opposed it. The article reports the proposal’s rejection.
• Nisei War Veteran Reemployed by Hollywood Studio, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Walter Winchell reported on his broadcast that a Nisei war veteran was reemployed by a Hollywood studio despite a union strike threat. Winchell said the veteran’s return was secured through the personal intervention of the Paramount Pictures president.
• Berkeley Inter-Racial Committee Pledges Support for Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Berkeley Inter-Racial Committee passed a resolution pledging cooperation with other organizations and government agencies to sponsor the return of loyal Japanese Americans to the West Coast. Dr. Allan Newman chaired the meeting.
• Gresham Ministers Oppose Stand Taken by Anti-Evacuee Group, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Multnomah County ministerial association in Gresham, Oregon, opposed the newly formed Oregon Anti-Japanese organization. They adopted a statement by President Roosevelt affirming that no loyal citizen should be denied their rights regardless of ancestry.

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