The 1945 holiday issue: coming home from the camps

Vol. 21, No. 25, December 22, 1945. 40 pages. View this issue

The end of the war and the closing of the camps ran through this 40-page holiday issue. The War Relocation Authority was still working to place about 7,000 people who had no permanent home on the Pacific Coast. Dillon S. Myer wrote on the Nisei’s future, and Vaughn Mechau told the story of Heart Mountain from its founding to its closing. Saburo Kido reported on nearly 40 California escheat suits and described the JACL’s plans to answer them. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team was remembered in Mark Martin Jr.’s account of its battles and in a Christmas message from Col. V. R. Miller.

Other pieces include essays on prejudice and Hawaii by Elmer R. Smith, Mineo Katagiri and John A. Rademaker, and fiction and drama by Jobo Nakamura, Toshio Mori and Bill Hosokawa. A report on the Fort Snelling language school and news of a Tule Lake rehearing plan are also inside. Holiday greetings fill 28 of the pages.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Holiday Greetings!, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Pacific Citizen extends holiday greetings to all people of good will, reflecting on the end of wartime evacuation and detention and the vindication of democracy through the Nisei’s wartime conduct. The editorial thanks a long list of individuals, organizations, soldiers, and public figures who supported Japanese Americans.
• For Tomorrow Is Another Day, by Jobo Nakamura, page 14. On Christmas Eve in Chicago, Masao, a jobless young Nisei, struggles with feelings of discrimination and insecurity while his friend Kenji tries to lift his spirits. The story recalls his father’s anger over registration and his decision to leave camp, ending with Masao resolving to face tomorrow.
• Prejudice and the Nisei, by Elmer R. Smith, page 18. Anthropologist Elmer Smith urges Nisei to examine their own prejudices toward other minority groups, noting that propaganda and social strain often turn ethnic groups against each other. He argues that democracy requires judging individuals rather than classifying people by group.
• The Situation in the Hawaiian Islands: A Report to Continental America, by Mineo Katagiri, page 18. Rev. Mineo Katagiri reports that racial tensions in Hawaii are growing, with fights between servicemen and civilians and discrimination at places like the Outrigger Canoe Club. He describes the labor movement, veterans groups, and Nisei participation in civic life as forces moving the islands toward greater democracy.
• Doughnuts and Coffee at Al’s: Time Out at Al’s, by Toshio Mori, page 19. A one-act play set in a modest Oakland lunch counter where the proprietor Al, his customers, and a young Japanese American named Yama gather before noon. When a bigoted stranger objects to sitting beside a Black customer, the regulars push him out and the scene closes on the community’s easy camaraderie.
• Some Notes for the Nisei: The Obligations and Rights of New Americans, by Fred Fertig, page 21. Fred Fertig argues that newer immigrants and their American-born children should not merely apologize for their presence but should demand equal treatment, while contributing their cultural gifts to American life. He urges minority groups to insist that democratic principles be upheld.
• Greetings, Our Future Secure: Pacific Citizen editorial on the Issei and citizenship, by Saburo Kido, page 33. Kido argues that naturalization rights for Issei are the fundamental question, since many West Coast discriminatory laws stem from their classification as aliens ineligible to citizenship. He calls for unity among Issei and Nisei to secure their future.

National

• Search for World’s Capital, by Larry Tajiri, page 2. Delegates at the United Nations raised questions about American racial discrimination as the UNO considered locating its world capital in the United States. The column argues that San Francisco and other American cities still practice segregation, and that the nation must revise its attitudes toward minorities if it is to host the world capital.
• California Attorney General Says Sheriff Attempted to Prevent Evacuee Employment, by P.C. Staff, page 3. State Attorney General Robert Kenny accused Nevada County Sheriff Carl Tobiassen of malfeasance in office for trying to block the employment of returned Japanese Americans by the Southern Pacific Railroad. Tobiassen denied the charge, saying he had only expressed a personal opinion that trouble might follow.

Incarceration & Redress

• WRA Will Assist Returned Evacuees to Find Permanent Location on Pacific Coast, by P.C. Staff, page 3. With nine relocation centers closed, the War Relocation Authority faces relocating about 7,000 evacuees still lacking permanent housing, many living in trailers, barracks, and church-run hostels. Small businessmen are reported to have the greatest difficulty re-establishing themselves, and the WRA has spent $162 million on the program to date.
• Judge Grants New Hearing to Renunciant, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A federal judge in Los Angeles granted Mrs. Fumiko Tamura a hearing on whether she should be deported to Japan after she renounced her citizenship at Manzanar. Her attorney A. L. Wirin argued that the renunciation was made under duress.
• Placer Supervisors Will Grant Aid to Returned Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Placer County Board of Supervisors reversed its earlier opposition and agreed to provide county relief of $15 a month to returned evacuees of Japanese ancestry. Placer had been one of three California counties refusing such aid.
• Rehearings May Be Held for Tule Lake Group, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Justice Department is considering holding rehearings for many Tule Lake segregees who had renounced their American citizenship and now face deportation to Japan. Attorney General Tom Clark has the plan under consideration.
• The Future of the Nisei Is His Own, by Dillon S. Myer, page 9. WRA Director Dillon Myer writes that the relocation program is nearly complete and that the dispersal of Nisei across the country has been healthy for both them and the nation. He argues that wartime service and public exposure have won the Nisei acceptance, and that their future now rests in their own hands.
• The Story of a Relocation Center: Heart Mountain: In Life and Death, by Vaughn Mechau, page 10. Vaughn Mechau recounts the rise and fall of the Heart Mountain relocation center in Wyoming, from its founding in August 1942 through its closing in November 1945. He describes the hardships of the first winter, the community’s schools, service, and spirit, and the difficult return to West Coast communities.
• Hysteria Responsible for Rumors Among Hawaii Issei, Says Lind, by P.C. Staff, page 11. University of Hawaii sociologist Andrew Lind said rumors that Japan had won the war among some Hawaii Issei were a natural psychological reaction to Japan’s defeat rather than evidence of disloyalty. He noted the rumors had faded by September.
• From Evacuation to Relocation: The Cycle, by P.C. Staff, page 12. This photo-illustrated history traces the Japanese American evacuation from the spring of 1942 through the relocation centers, the formation of the 442nd, and the final announcement that the West Coast was open again. The article describes how families packed their lives into a few suitcases and endured the centers before returning home.
• Racial Discrimination: Our Last Big Problem, by Roger N. Baldwin, page 25. ACLU director Roger Baldwin argues that racial discrimination is democracy’s last big problem and that equality before the law must extend to citizens of all races. He reviews pending legal challenges to the Alien Land Laws, the Oriental Exclusion Act, deportation cases, and the restrictions on alien Japanese.
• Escheat Cases: A Threat to Nisei Security, by Saburo Kido, page 33. JACL President Saburo Kido reports that nearly 40 escheat suits have been filed by California against Japanese American landholdings, including lands given to Nisei children by their parents. He describes the JACL’s plan to organize a Civil Rights Defense Union and pursue test cases, including the Fred Oyama case.

Community

• Three Nisei Win Major Prizes in Hearst Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Three young Japanese American students shared the top prize in the Chicago Herald American’s Better Chicago Contest, along with other Nisei winners of smaller awards. The contest prizes totaled $12,500.
• Interracial Church Opens in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A new interracial church in Los Angeles was set to hold its formal opening services on Dec. 23 in the Los Angeles Church Federation building. The co-ministers include Royden Susu-Mago and other religious and civic leaders.
• Auto Workers Union Hails Nisei Record, by P.C. Staff, page 4. CIO United Auto Workers president R. J. Thomas said the union welcomes all employees regardless of race and praised the record of the 100th Battalion and 442nd Combat Team. The UAW’s Fair Practices Committee published a holiday advertisement in the Pacific Citizen.
• Skating Party, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A Nisei skating party held at the Coliseum roller rink in St. Paul on December 12 drew servicemen and civilian guests to raise funds for further dances for Fort Snelling soldiers. Plans are underway for a semi-formal dance as the next event.
• A Returnee’s Survey: Postwar and the Nisei, by Mary Oyama, page 25. Returnee Mary Oyama surveys the postwar problems facing Nisei in Los Angeles, including severe housing shortages, employment difficulties for businessmen, and continuing prejudice. She also notes the need for community organization, churches, and social activities to rebuild community life.
• Where Do We Go From Here? The Story of the JACL, by Saburo Kido, page 35. JACL President Saburo Kido describes how the organization grew from a one-man staff in 1941 to a national organization with offices across the country. He outlines the JACL’s wartime achievements, including the Navy policy reversal, and the postwar issues of naturalization, deportation, and evacuation claims.

Military & Veterans

• 442nd Infantry Still on Duty in Many Sections of Italy, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Although more than a thousand men of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team have returned home or are en route, the unit remains on duty in Italy guarding prisoner-of-war enclosures, hospitals, and supply depots. Companies of the 100th Battalion and 442nd are scattered across the Leghorn, Pisa, and Bologna areas.
• Nisei Veteran Wins Citation at L.A. Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Ex-Staff Sgt. Harry Tanouye, a four-times wounded Japanese American veteran, was among eleven young Americans honored at a Los Angeles dinner sponsored by American Youth for Democracy. His brother had been killed in Italy and posthumously decorated.
• Nisei Attend School in France, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Eight Japanese American soldiers were attending the Army’s University in Biarritz, France, and expected to return home to continue their education under the GI Bill. The brief reports on their studies abroad.
• Col. Moore Reveals Nisei GIs Saved Lives of Internees, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Lt. Col. Wallace Moore reported that Japanese American soldiers at the Santo Tomas prison camp in the Philippines persuaded a guard captain to spare prisoners when an attack threatened a massacre. Moore also argued that Japanese Americans would be essential to re-educating Japan in democracy.
• None of Them Wanted to Stay Out of the Fight, by Mark Martin Jr., page 6. Lt. Col. Mark Martin recounts the battles of the 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Combat Team in Italy and France, from the Volturno crossing to the advance north of Rome. He describes their remarkable combat record and the high regard other units held for them.
• Nisei Veteran of 442nd Returns to San Diego, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Lloyd Ito, a veteran of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and winner of the Bronze Star, returned to San Diego after the war. The item notes his service and return home.
• Col. V. R. Miller: A Christmas Message to the Men of the 442nd, by Col. V. R. Miller, page 15. Commanding officer Col. V. R. Miller writes a Christmas message to the men of the 442nd Combat Team, praising their courage and urging them to be as fine citizens in peace as they were soldiers in war. He wishes families of those still overseas well and sends holiday greetings.
• The Story of Fort Snelling: Eyes and Ears of the Pacific Forces, by P.C. Staff, page 26. The Military Intelligence Service Language School at Fort Snelling trained Nisei linguists whose translations of Japanese documents, interrogations, and radio intercepts gave Allied forces crucial intelligence throughout the Pacific campaign. The article describes their courage, decorations, and the high esteem of commanders.
• Training Ground for Our Japanese American Linguists, by P.C. Staff, page 26. The article accompanies a photograph of a classroom at the Military Intelligence Service Language School at Camp Snelling, Minnesota, where Nisei linguists were trained. It describes the school’s role in preparing interpreters for Pacific operations.
• Service Flags, by Bill Hosokawa, page 27. Helen Yamano and her son Jamie settle into a new Denver apartment, hanging two service flags for her husband and her dead brother-in-law Jim. Jamie is teased about being Japanese, and Helen urges him to stand up for his rights as an American.

Sports

• Nisei Cagemen Lose Overtime Tilt, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The 442nd Combat Team basketball squad lost an overtime game 35 to 31 in the opening match of the PBS basketball season. Conrad Kurahara led the Nisei with twelve points.
• Nisei Sports Star Will Swim for Washington State, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Miyake, a five-sport star from Spokane, has turned in remarkable times in the 50-yard freestyle and is expected to be a mainstay of Washington State College’s swim team. He was also an all-city football and baseball star at North Central High School.

In-Depth

• Hawaii Will Never Be Quite the Same Again, by John A. Rademaker, page 17. Sociologist John Rademaker argues that the war has permanently changed Hawaii’s social order, with haoles doing manual labor, Oriental-owned firms emerging, and new economic competition. He sees the changes as possibly leading toward greater racial and economic harmony.

Arts & Entertainment

• Yuriko Amemiya Will Make Debut as Solo Artist in New York, by P.C. Staff, page 35. Dancer Yuriko Amemiya, a member of Martha Graham’s troupe, will make her New York solo debut in a concert sponsored by the YMHA early next year. She is one of three young artists selected from 23 contestants.

Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.