War Department counts 33,330 Japanese Americans who served in the Army

Vol. 24, No. 19, May 17, 1947. 8 pages. View this issue

The War Department’s count of Japanese Americans who served in the Army in World War II led this eight-page issue: 33,330 people of Japanese ancestry, including 40 Japanese aliens. Utah veterans called a mass meeting in Clearfield against anti-Nisei discrimination, and Mike Masaoka told a House subcommittee that the GI brides bill still carried a discriminatory deadline. In California, Assemblyman Chester Gannon reversed himself on money to enforce the Alien Land Law, while Utah’s own land law repeal took effect. Larry Tajiri wrote on veterans’ groups and immigration, and Bill Hosokawa on what American citizenship means.

The editorials marked Citizenship Week, called for the release of about 300 Peruvians of Japanese descent still held in U.S. camps, and discussed local fair employment ordinances. Community pages covered new JACL chapters, bowling matches, a memorial to Nisei soldiers in Salt Lake City, and the Forty-Niners signing Wataru Yonamine.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• Served in Army, Reports War Department, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The War Department reports that 33,330 persons of Japanese ancestry served in the U.S. Army during World War II, including 40 Japanese aliens. Records on decorations and combat experience were not available because the machine records were not punched for those categories.
• VFW Plans Major Drive Against Anti-Nisei Sentiment Meeting in Clearfield, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Utah Veterans of Foreign Wars called a mass meeting in Clearfield to combat reported discrimination against Nisei veterans. Speakers included Bataan death march survivor Major Garry Anloff and other VFW and state officials.
• VFW Aide Says Group Will Seek Repeal of Land Law, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Al Fleming, national extension officer of the VFW, opposed the Alien Land Law appropriation at the Sacramento hearing and announced the Golden Poppy Council would seek repeal of the law. His delegation included 15 Nisei veterans.
• Sociology Class Hears of Nisei War Contributions, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Two Nisei veterans, Shig Teraji of the 442nd and Hank Tsuchiyama of military intelligence, spoke to a Denver University sociology class about Nisei wartime service. The course on Japanese American contributions is taught by Minoru Yasui and Dr. Prudence Bostwick.
• The Story of the 100th Battalion, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A serialized first-person account describes a night patrol near Velletri in Italy, the discovery of Italian civilians in a cave, and an artillery barrage that cut off radio contact. The narrator recounts the emotional toll on soldiers and the death of a comrade.

National

• Appellate Court Upsets Ruling in Bouiss Case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court decision that had allowed Helene Emi Bouiss, a half-Japanese wife of a veteran, to remain in the United States. The JACL’s A.L. Wirin urged a liberal interpretation of the war brides act.
• Alien Land Law Repeal Becomes Effective in Utah, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Utah’s wartime Alien Land Law, modeled on California’s statute, was repealed and took effect along with other new measures. The repeal was sponsored by veterans’ groups and passed unanimously in the state Senate and 48 to 2 in the House.
• Masaoka Says GI Brides Law Discriminatory, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mike Masaoka of the JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee urged a House subcommittee to remove the January 1, 1947 deadline from the proposed Soldier Brides Act amendment. He argued the deadline continued the discrimination the amendment was meant to correct.
• Chester Gannon Reverses Stand, Asks Reconsideration of Alien Land Law, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Former anti-Nisei leader Assemblyman Chester Gannon moved to strike a $75,000 state appropriation for enforcing the Alien Land Law at a hearing in Sacramento. Opponents including the JACL, VFW, and civil rights groups testified against the funding.
• New Bill Will Provide Race Bias Elimination, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A House subcommittee is drafting a bill to eliminate racial discrimination in the deportation law, giving the attorney general power to suspend deportation. The JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee considers the provisions consistent with its program.
• Open Postal Services to Ryukyu Group, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Post Office Department announced that regular and ordinary gift parcel service would resume to Okinawa and the Ryukyu islands effective May 15. The change followed repeated representations by the JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee.
• Gannon Reverses Stand on California Alien Land Law, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Continuing from page one, Nisei and civil rights witnesses testified against the Alien Land Law appropriation, including June Fujita of Sanger whose farm faced escheat. JACL’s Joe Grant Masaoka called the appropriation ill-advised and urged repeal of key provisions.

Community

• Honolulu Nurse Will Study Polio Treatment in Detroit, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mildred Shigue Asato, a registered nurse from Honolulu, began a special polio treatment course at Herman Kiefer Hospital in Detroit. She was the first recipient of a polio scholarship from the Honolulu chapter of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis.
• Chicago Minister Meets Truman, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Rev. Jitsuo Morikawa of the First Baptist Church of Chicago was part of a Baptist ministers delegation that visited President Truman at the White House.
• Issei-Operated Shop Damaged in Nevada Collapse, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A two-story building in Elko, Nevada housing the Issei-operated De Luxe Cleaners collapsed, killing three and injuring four residents of the upstairs apartments. The collapse was attributed to a nearby excavation that had weakened the structure.
• Tad Hirota Named President of Oakland Chapter, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Tad Hirota, a Pacific theater veteran and former JAU president, was named first postwar president of the Oakland JACL chapter. Other officers were also elected at the same time.
• Alan Cranston Speaks to Joint Meeting of JACL Chapters, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Alan Cranston, former OWI foreign language division chief, spoke to a joint meeting of Santa Clara and San Mateo JACL chapters on the need for an effective United Nations. He also discussed the history and dangers of the atomic bomb.
• Child Drowns in Irrigation Ditch at Layton, Utah, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Two-year-old Wallace Wakayama, son of Gerry and Mrs. Wakayama of Layton, drowned in a highline irrigation canal after wandering from his grandparents’ yard. Volunteer firemen recovered the body but resuscitation efforts failed.
• Mary Kasai Dances at Pocatello Fete, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Mary Kasai performed a solo dance at Pocatello’s 10th annual Music Week observance, and her students also took part in the program. Kasai conducts a dancing school in Pocatello.
• Blue Cross Plan to be Adopted by United Citizens League, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The United Citizens League of San Jose will provide Blue Cross hospital and surgical coverage to its members, according to executive secretary Phil Matsuhara. Representative Dick Kuhl will explain the plan at a June meeting.
• Utah Graduates to be Honored at Ogden Dance, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Nisei graduates of Utah colleges and high schools will be honored at a semi-formal ball in Ogden on May 29. The dance is sponsored by several local youth and JACL groups.
• Utah Students Elect Misaka to School Post, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Wataru Misaka, a member of the University of Utah’s national championship basketball team, was elected vice-president of the student body. He is the second Nisei in the school’s history to hold an elective office.
• Nisei Girls Enter Beauty Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Three Chicago Nisei girls were entered in the Miss Chicago Area 1947 beauty contest sponsored by the American Veterans Committee. The contest was arranged with the help of the Chicago JACL.
• Seabrook Chapter Names Ichisaka Its First President, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Vernon Ichisaka was elected president of the newly formed Seabrook JACL chapter in Bridgeton, New Jersey. The chapter plans a membership drive to grow its roster of 50 members.
• Los Angeles YBA to Hold Picnic, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Los Angeles YBA will hold its second annual Gotanye service and outing at Solano Canyon in Elysian Park on May 18. The program includes a service, music, and games.
• Nisei Students Will Join Hawaii Group on Mainland Tour, by P.C. Staff, page 6. At least six Nisei students from Honolulu schools will join 36 Hawaiian teenagers on an 11-week summer tour of 37 states led by Frank Belding of Punahou School. The group will camp and travel through national parks and forests.
• Return of Evacuee Family Dramatized on Radio Program, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A nationally broadcast radio drama dramatized the true story of an evacuated family returning to California to find their home burned. The program was produced by a joint Protestant religious radio service and followed by an interview about church help for evacuees.
• ADC Chapter to Be Formed in Cleveland, by P.C. Staff, page 6. An organizing committee for an ADC chapter in Cleveland was formed at an Issei-Nisei meeting called by the local JACL. National JACL representative Scotty Tsuchiya explained the ADC’s functions and purpose.
• MISLS Presidio Band Wins Acclaim at Awards Dance, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The MISLS band from the Presidio of Monterey performed at a formal dance at El Estero USO in Monterey before 1000 guests. The band was led by Pfc. Yosh Murakami.
• Chicago JACL Presents Dr. Willard Townsend Speaking on Trade Unions, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Dr. Willard S. Townsend, international president of the United Transport Service Employees, will speak to the Chicago JACL on his trade union study of the Orient. He represented the UTSE and CIO in international labor conferences.
• Nyssa Resident Killed in Idaho Auto Accident, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Masao Nakagaki was held on a manslaughter charge after his panel pickup overturned in Idaho, killing J. Sugawara of Nyssa, Oregon. Four others, including Nakagaki’s wife and infant daughter, were injured.
• Canadian Nisei Will Attend New York Buddhist Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Delegates from Toronto, Hamilton, and Montreal plan to attend the second annual Eastern Young Buddhists’ League convention in New York City May 30 to June 1. The conference will discuss organizational matters, a ministers’ training program, and a scholarship fund.
• Prompt Action Saves Life of Child in Utah, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Two Springville, Utah firemen revived a two-year-old boy of Japanese ancestry who had fallen into a ditch on the family farm. The firemen applied the department resuscitator for 20 minutes until the child recovered.
• Memorial Will Be Dedicated to Nisei GIs, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A memorial shaft honoring Salt Lake area Nisei soldiers who died in World War II will be dedicated May 25 at the city cemetery. The memorial was erected by the Servicemen’s Family League of Issei parents.
• Nisei Keglers Will Open Eastbay Loop, by P.C. Staff, page 8. An eight-team Nisei bowling league sponsored by the Oakland JACL will begin play June 8 at Berkeley Bowl. The league is part of the local community’s postwar recreational activities.
• Nisei Girls Dance at St. Paul Festival, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Forty Nisei girls from the Twin Cities area performed Japanese dances at the four-day Festival of Nations in St. Paul. A photo accompanies the report on the opening night.
• Hawaiian House Supports 442nd Fund-Raising Drive, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Hawaii House of Representatives adopted a resolution supporting the 442nd Regimental Combat Team veterans’ campaign to raise funds for a memorial clubhouse. Representative James F. Gilliland offered the resolution.
• Nisei Track Meet Will Be Held in San Francisco, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The first postwar Nisei track and field meet in northern California will be held June 15 at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco. The meet is organized by the Nisei Athletic Union with officials from several local groups.

Sports

• Wataru Yonamine, Hawaiian Football Star, Signs Contract With San Francisco Forty-Niners, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Wataru Yonamine, a 174-pound halfback from Honolulu, signed a 1947 contract with the San Francisco Forty-Niners of the All-America Football Conference. He will be the first Nisei star to play major league pro football.
• Nisei Team Will Meet Negro Stars in Bowling Match, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A five-man Chicago Nisei bowling team will face a Negro bowling team at Triangle Bowling on May 21. The match was arranged through the Midwest JACL office with a Pittsburgh Courier representative.

Incarceration & Redress

• Congress Asked to Terminate Internment of 300 Peruvians of Japanese Descent, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Attorney Wayne Collins of the ACLU of Northern California asked Congress to end the internment of 300 Peruvians of Japanese ancestry held in U.S. camps and to restore them to Peru. He argued the internees had been forcibly removed and remain political prisoners.

Commentary

• Citizenship Week, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial marks National Citizenship Week and ‘I Am an American’ Day, noting that some 100,000 Japanese-born U.S. and Hawaii residents remain barred from naturalization. It argues that their wartime service and loyalty warrant recognition as Americans.
• Kidnapped Peruvians, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial recounts how Peru seized persons of Japanese ancestry and turned them over to U.S. authorities, who interned them despite their clearance. It calls the continued internment of about 300 people, two years after hostilities ended, a source of embarrassment to the country.
• Fair Employment, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial discusses local fair employment practices ordinances adopted by Chicago, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis following the defeat of FEPC legislation at higher levels. It cites a Yale Law Journal study arguing that city-level ordinances can be more effective than state laws.
• Nisei Vet Groups Change Policy, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Tajiri examines the American Legion and VFW testimony opposing a Justice Department bill to remove racial bars from deportation law. He argues the organizations’ national stance toward Nisei veterans has shifted even though their immigration positions have not.
• On Being a Citizen of the U.S.A., by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa reflects on I Am an American Day and contrasts American citizenship with the situation of Canadian Nisei, who remain restricted by wartime powers in British Columbia. He argues that American naturalization laws still carry a racist taint that must be addressed.
• Co-op Official Presents Case in Nisei Student Club Issue, by George Yasukochi, page 5. Yasukochi, a co-op official, responds to criticisms of the University of California Students’ Cooperative Association’s lease of the Japanese Students Club dormitory. He defends the rent and upkeep arrangement and calls for a more representative alumni board.
• My Business Manager, Yvonne, by Rex Bison, page 5. Bison recounts how he needed a Nisei stenographer for the union office on short notice and recruited a ten-year-old girl named Yvonne Fukuhara after a series of visits. The humorous column ends with a mock power of attorney appointing her his business manager.

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.