Evacuation claims, alien land laws and a gift of sight, 1947

Vol. 24, No. 25, June 28, 1947. 8 pages. View this issue

Postwar fights over the law and property loss ran through this eight-page issue. The House Judiciary Committee approved the Evacuation Claims Commission bill, H.R. 2768, after moving its administration to the Justice Department, and an editorial praised the change. Joe Grant Masaoka asked California Attorney General Fred Howser to hold off on new alien land law suits. Bill Hosokawa’s column reported on JACL staff changes in Denver, and Prof. Ikuo Oyama wrote a farewell to his American friends before returning to Japan. On the front page, doctors reported that the cornea from three-year-old Wayne Miyahara of Sunnyvale may enable a blind San Francisco woman to see.

Elsewhere are reports on a bill to stay deportation of certain aliens, Congress passing a private bill for Mrs. Tokawa Thurn, and George Shibata of Utah passing the West Point examinations. Graduation news came from Los Angeles, Boston, Washington and Berkeley. Rex Bison’s story of a Japanese acrobat appears on page 5.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

  • Eye of Child May Save Sight to Blind Woman, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Doctors reported that the cornea from the eye of three-year-old Wayne Miyahara, removed after a tumor was found, may enable a San Francisco woman to see. The Miyahara family agreed to donate the cornea and the Red Cross located a recipient.
  • New Cornea Put in Eye of Blind Woman, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A blind San Francisco woman was reported doing satisfactorily after receiving a cornea transplanted from a three-year-old Japanese American boy. The operation followed the child’s eye removal in San Jose.

Military & Veterans

  • Congress Passes Private Bill for Woman in Philadelphia, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Congress completed action on a private bill permitting Mrs. Tokawa Thurn to remain in the United States. The JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee called it the first such private bill for a person of Japanese ancestry since the war’s end.
  • House Will Vote on Citizenship for Parents of Nisei War Dead, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Gossett naturalization bill, H.R. 8555, was set for House action on July 7. It would grant naturalization to parents of American servicemen regardless of race, though it was later amended to cover only parents of those killed or died of wounds.
  • Nisei Soldiers in Italy Cited by Gen. Clark, by P.C. Staff, page 3. General Mark Clark, new commander of the Sixth Army, cited Nisei soldiers who fought in Italy as an example of racial harmony in the war. His speech called for a firm American policy toward Russia.
  • Utah Nisei Veteran, Appointed by Sen. Thomas, Passes Test for U.S. Military Academy, by P.C. Staff, page 8. George Shibata of Garland, Utah, passed the West Point examinations and was appointed by Senator Elbert D. Thomas. He became the first American of Japanese ancestry to enroll at West Point.

Community

  • 63 Nisei Graduate From High School in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sixty-three Nisei received diplomas at Roosevelt High School in Los Angeles on June 19, the largest number graduated from a single Los Angeles high school. The graduates marked a notable milestone for the community.
  • Lodi Girl Dies from Injuries in Auto Accident, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Ruth Shigeko Funamura, 15, died after the car she was driving overturned on South Orchard Road in Lodi. Two other passengers were injured in the accident.
  • 54 Nisei Leave for Alaska Cannery Work, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Fifty-four Nisei left Seattle aboard the SS Cape Victory as part of a second contingent of Alaska canned salmon workers. Before evacuation, about 800 persons of Japanese ancestry were employed each season in the industry from the Seattle area.
  • Chicago Nisei Artists Plan First Exhibition, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A newly organized Nisei artists group in Chicago, the Gaka-Artists, will hold its first exhibition on July 20. Members include Miyoko Ito, whose painting won a prize, and veteran George Shinkichi Tajiri.
  • Part of Former Assembly Center Destroyed by Fire, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Part of the former Walerga assembly center, later Camp Kohler, was destroyed by fire on June 20. About 100 buildings were lost in the blaze.
  • Kaelin Sisters Reunited With Mother in U.S., by P.C. Staff, page 2. The half-Japanese Kaelin sisters were reunited with their mother in San Francisco after immigration officials approved a bond. The girls had been detained at the alien detention ward after arriving from Japan.
  • Utah Governor Hails Citizenship of Nisei Residents of State, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Governor Herbert B. Maw praised the citizenship of Utah’s Japanese Americans at the Salt Lake JACL graduation dance. He hoped they would remain in the state and contribute to its future.
  • Northern California Groups Give $36,000 to ADC Campaign, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Northern California contributors have raised $36,000 toward the JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee’s quota of $66,300. Donations from communities across the region are listed.
  • Star Plugs Democracy, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Actor Andy Russell appeared on a Los Angeles radio program sponsored by the County Council on Human Relations that promoted intercultural understanding. The show featured Nisei employed in Los Angeles.
  • Honolulu Girl Will Aid Blind Persons, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Hideko Shimokawa, a partially blind Honolulu woman, left San Francisco to take charge of a public library for the blind in Hawaii. She visited the San Francisco Lighthouse for the Blind before departing.
  • New York Protestant Churches Endorse Evacuee Claims Bill, by Ina Sugihara, page 2. The Human Relations Commission of the Protestant Council of New York endorsed the Evacuation Claims Commission bill and the deportation bill. The group called restitution of evacuation losses a national responsibility.
  • CRDU Group Enters New Escheat Case, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Civil Rights Defense Union took up the defense of a Fresno County escheat case involving a vineyard held in the name of Yoshio Kaneichi. The state alleges the property actually belongs to his father.
  • Twelve Nisei Receive Washington Diplomas, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Twelve Japanese American students were among graduates at University of Washington ceremonies on June 14. Three received cum laude honors.
  • San Jose Hospital Fund Oversubscribed, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Santa Clara Valley’s Japanese American community exceeded its $8,000 quota for the Community Service hospital expansion and set a new goal of $12,000. The committee also planned to memorialize Nisei soldiers.
  • Merced VFW Post Favors Repeal of Alien Land Act, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Merced Veterans of Foreign Wars post passed a resolution favoring repeal of the California Alien Land law as racially discriminatory. The resolution followed a communication from the Nisei group in Sacramento.
  • Nisei Students Club to Reopen in Berkeley, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Japanese Student Club house in Berkeley will reopen for Nisei men students after a vote of former members. A committee was elected to prepare the clubhouse.
  • Co-ed’s Clubhouse Will Reopen Soon, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Japanese Women Students clubhouse in Berkeley will reopen for Nisei women with the summer session. Norma Engle will serve as housemother.
  • 12 Nisei Graduate From Boston Schools, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Twelve Nisei students graduated from colleges and universities in the Boston area this month. The list was compiled by the Boston Nisei Hospitality Committee.
  • Son of Dr. Opler Killed in Accident, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Six-year-old Richard Opler died in an automobile accident in Los Angeles. His father had headed the social analysis department at the Tule Lake segregation center.
  • Berkeley Freshman Wins Scholarships, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Richard Isamu Tanaka, a freshman at the University of California, won the David Bowerie and Kraft scholarships totaling $550. Yukio Uyeno won the $200 Levi Strauss scholarship.
  • Nisei Homeowner Wins Case on Race Restrictive Covenant, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A Los Angeles superior court judge held a racial restrictive covenant invalid, ruling in favor of Nisei homeowner Isami Miyadi and others. The decision affects a specific residential area of the city.
  • Selma Editor Feted by Nisei Americans in Community, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Japanese Americans in Fresno honored Lowell Pratt, former editor of the Selma Enterprise, with a dinner and a gold watch. Pratt spoke in support of equal rights for minority groups.
  • Issei Group Assails California Land Law in Speech, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Stockton attorney Joseph Omachi argued that the California Alien Land law violates constitutional guarantees and serves as a lever for bribery and race discrimination. He noted more than 70 escheat cases had been instituted.
  • Canadian Nisei Plan National Conclave Soon, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Japanese Canadian delegates in Ontario voted to form a provincial organization and planned a national conference in Toronto in late summer. The groups aim to remove race restrictions against Japanese Canadians.
  • Winona Camp Residents Will Receive Two Months Extension, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Returnees at the Winona emergency trailer camp in Burbank will receive a two-month extension to decide whether to buy their trailer homes. The Federal Public Housing Agency’s lease expires June 30.
  • Evacuee Movie to Be Revised, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Presbyterian Board of National Missions voted to revise the relocation film Barriers and Passes to delete misleading features. Additional footage will update the film.
  • Indigent Returned Evacuees Given Assurance of Shelter by San Francisco Officials, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Fifty indigent Issei residents of the Southgate war dormitory were assured they would not be left homeless when the project closes June 30. Negotiations with the Salvation Army were progressing toward providing temporary space.
  • Nisei Veteran Asks Chick-Sexing Training Through GI Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Hiroshi Osako, a Nisei veteran in Troy, New York, requested GI Bill on-the-job training as a chick sexor under his brother-in-law. He described the skill required for the work.
  • Northern California Bowling Meet Planned, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A Northern California Nisei bowling tournament will be held in San Jose in August. Invitations will go to bowlers in several cities.

National

  • Kawakita Case Continued on Defense Appeal, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Tomoya Kawakita was arraigned on treason charges in Los Angeles, and the proceedings were continued on motions by his attorney. Counsel plans to request transfer of the trial to Tokyo so witnesses can be called.
  • Proposal Redrafted to Give Justice Department Authority in Indemnification Program, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The House Judiciary Committee approved the Evacuation Claims Commission bill, H.R. 2768, after shifting its administration to the Justice Department. The bill would indemnify evacuees for business and property losses from the 1942 evacuation.
  • House Committee Approves Bill to Stay Deportation of Aliens, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The House Judiciary Committee unanimously approved H.R. 3566, which would let the attorney general cancel deportation of certain aliens, affecting more than 2,000 Japanese. The bill now awaits House action.
  • Commonwealth Club’s Members Favor Immigration Quota for Aliens of Japanese Ancestry, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Members of the San Francisco Commonwealth Club voted 798 to 770 in favor of an immigration quota for Japanese aliens. The club had rejected a similar proposal fourteen years earlier.

Commentary

  • Masaoka Condemns Alien Land as Legal Bigotry; Requests Howser Withhold Filing Suits, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Joe Grant Masaoka asked California Attorney General Fred Howser to withhold new alien land law suits and sanction a five-year statute of limitations. He called the law class persecution directed at citizens of Japanese ancestry.
  • Oyama, Political Refugee, to Return to Former Japan Home, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Prof. Ikuo Oyama, a Japanese liberal who opposed militarists and lived in exile in the United States, plans to return to Japan in July. He hopes to engage in civic activity in the new Japan.
  • Revised Claims Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial praises transferring administration of the Evacuation Claims Commission bill to the Justice Department and notes the bill’s chances before Congress recesses. It observes that Attorney General Tom Clark had a role in the wartime evacuation.
  • Naturalization Notes, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial argues that repealing racial ineligibility in naturalization law is a matter of justice rather than immigration. It criticizes pending bills for excluding parents who did not have children in the armed services.
  • Gunther on Evacuation, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial quotes John Gunther’s view that the wartime evacuation violated individual rights and the principles of democracy. It notes that hostility toward returning Nisei was largely economic in origin.
  • Illegal Undertaking, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial commends Assemblyman Chester Gannon for opposing California’s Alien Land laws. It reprints a Sacramento Union argument that the mass evacuation was an illegal undertaking.
  • Movies With a Message, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The column examines Hollywood’s distorted portrayals of Nisei during the war and the reluctance of studios to make films about race prejudice. It notes a recent cycle of films about anti-Semitism and calls for a Nisei-centered film.
  • From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa comments on rising pork and beef prices and reports on Min Yasui’s departure as JACL Tri-State representative. He describes Roy Takeno’s new role in Denver.
  • Oyama’s Farewell: Ashes of Military Defeat and Japan’s People Face a Future of Democracy in a New World, by Ikuo Oyama, page 5. Prof. Ikuo Oyama bids farewell to his American friends and argues that the Japanese people can build democracy after military defeat. He outlines economic and political challenges facing postwar Japan.
  • The Prettiest Girl I Ever Saw: The Japanese Acrobats, by Rex Bison, page 5. Rex Bison recounts leaving Kentucky as a young man and falling in love with a Japanese acrobat he saw at a carnival in Somerset. He recalls his plans to marry her and take her to Montana.

JACL

  • Roger Baldwin, Back From Japan, Confers With JACL on Stranded Nisei Problems, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Roger Baldwin of the American Civil Liberties Union met JACL leaders after returning from Japan to discuss over 10,000 U.S.-born Japanese Americans stranded there. He described complications over citizenship and the bar on marriages between American servicemen and Japanese wives.
  • Watsonville JACL Starts Campaign, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Watsonville Citizens League launched a membership drive with canvassing in every district of the valley. Results were to be announced at a forthcoming meeting.
  • Hayashi Elected as Chairman of Eastern District of JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Tom Hayashi was elected temporary executive chairman of the newly organized JACL Eastern District Council in Washington, D.C. The council approved a memorial service for Nisei war dead and an Issei naturalization drive.

Arts & Entertainment

  • Martha Raye Returns From Engagement, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Comedienne Martha Raye arrived in San Francisco after performing before more than 100,000 people at a Honolulu carnival for the 442nd Veterans Club. The event raised funds for a memorial clubhouse.
  • Nisei: USA On Movies, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The column argues that Hollywood’s star system limits opportunities for Nisei-centered films. It suggests the film industry needs another figure like Sessue Hayakawa before studios will invest in such stories.

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