Soldier brides, evacuation claims and a debate over the JACL’s future

Vol. 25, No. 2, July 19, 1947. 8 pages. View this issue

Congress and the JACL’s role in postwar America shared the news in this eight-page issue. The Senate passed H.R. 3149, amending the Soldier Brides Act so spouses of Japanese ancestry could enter the United States, and the House Rules Committee cleared debate on H.R. 3999, the Evacuation Claims Commission bill. Editorials took up a federal fair employment commission and naturalization for Issei parents of servicemen. Saburo Kido, Bill Hosokawa and Togo Tanaka wrote on why the JACL was still needed and how Nisei should think of integration.

Other items include the Orange County JACL’s float winning a prize in the Huntington Beach Fourth of July parade and Larry Tajiri’s column on housing for minorities. A report followed the Kihara family back to Seattle after surviving Hiroshima. Inside also: a frozen supply of soy sauce after arsenic was found, and three Colorado Nisei volunteering for Army service.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• JACL Float Wins Prize in Parade, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Orange County JACL’s Nisei float won first prize in its division and third place overall in the Independence Day parade at Huntington Beach, California. The float featured three veterans of units in which Nisei served during World War II.
• Nisei Girl Leaves for World Christian Conference, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Frances Maeda, formerly of Portland, Oregon, departed for Norway to attend the World Conference of Christian Youth. She has served as administrative secretary to the U.S. planning committee and will later join the New York staff of the World Council of Churches.
• Three Colorado Nisei Volunteer for Army Service, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Three Colorado Nisei volunteered for the Army Language School and occupation duty in Japan, according to recruiting officer First Lieut. Yeiji Kono. The men are en route to Fort Ord, California, for basic training.

National

• Senate Passes Amendment to Soldier Brides Act, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Congress passed H.R. 3149, amending the Soldier Brides Act to allow American servicemen’s spouses of Japanese ancestry to enter the United States. The bill was sent to President Truman for signature, though its 30-day marriage clause limits who qualifies.
• House Committee Clears Way for Debate on Evacuee Claims Proposal, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The House Rules Committee granted a special rule allowing one hour of debate on H.R. 3999, the Evacuation Claims Commission bill, likely on July 22 or 23. The bill would provide indemnification for property losses caused by the 1942 mass evacuation.
• Real Estate Operator’s Plan for Exclusion of Minorities Condemned by Civic Leaders, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Harry Carskadon, a Peninsula real estate dealer, proposed keeping minority racial groups out of the San Francisco Peninsula area. Civic leaders, clergy, and newspapers widely condemned the proposal as undemocratic and un-American.
• Illinois Firm Freezes Supply of Soy Sauce, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The A. E. Staley Company ordered all U.S. soy sauce stocks frozen after finding arsenic in a shipment to the West Coast. The action followed reports of illnesses among people in Los Angeles who had consumed the sauce.
• War Department Aide Denies Rumor of Possible Seizure of Assets of Japan Nationals, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Assistant Secretary of War Howard C. Petersen denied rumors that the War Department was considering confiscating assets of Japanese nationals in the United States for reparations. The denial was made in a letter to the JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee’s Washington office.

JACL

• JACL Committee in Japan Discusses Assistance to Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL committee in Japan met to discuss aid for stranded Americans of Japanese ancestry wishing to return to the United States. The group will act largely as a liaison between U.S. consular authorities and the Japanese government.

Community

• Nisei Company Sues to Regain Farm Property, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Winters Farm Company, composed of Japanese American members, filed suit in Solano County Superior Court against two fuel oil distributors over 13 acres of farmland. The plaintiffs seek title to the property and $166,000 in profits and rents.
• Mother of Four Nisei Veterans Killed in Wyoming Auto Crash, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mrs. Ura Shimizu, mother of four World War II veterans, died when she was thrown through a windshield in a three-car crash near Kemmerer, Wyoming. Two Nisei passengers and another woman were injured in the accident.
• San Mateo JACL Donates to ADC in Memory of Veteran, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The San Mateo County JACL sent $25 to the ADC in memory of Kenji Kato, the chapter chairman who died from illness resulting from injuries received during Army service in the Philippines. Sue Asai, corresponding secretary, said the donation honored Kato’s devotion to equality and justice.
• Survivors of Hiroshima Atomic Blast Return to Seattle, by Joe Miller, page 6. The Kihara family, who had been trapped in Japan since 1937, returned to Seattle after surviving the Hiroshima atomic bombing. Mrs. Tsueko Kihara and her four Nisei children are rebuilding their lives, though daughter Nobuko was lost in the blast.

Commentary

• Job for Congress, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial urges Congress to pass the Ives-Fulton bill creating a permanent federal fair employment practices commission. It argues that federal legislation is needed to prevent employment discrimination based on race, religion, or national origin.
• Issei Naturalization, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The House unanimously passed a bill extending naturalization rights to permanent resident parents of servicemen who died or were wounded in World War II. The editorial notes the JACL suggested including parents of wounded servicemen, expanding the bill’s reach to about 10,000 Issei.
• JACL’s Future, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial traces how wartime conditions led to the JACL’s centralized structure with national headquarters and regional offices. It argues the time has come to decentralize the organization and give more responsibility to local chapters.
• Housing For Minorities, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Larry Tajiri condemns Harry Carskadon’s proposal for an all-white Peninsula and examines restrictive housing covenants across the country. He argues that racial housing restrictions betray American democratic principles and affect Nisei and other minorities.
• Nisei Will Be Need for JACL, Other Groups as Long as Special Problems Remain, by Saburo Kido, page 5. Saburo Kido responds to Bayard Rustin’s criticism that the Nisei show little interest in other minority groups. He argues that organizations like the JACL remain necessary to address the special problems of Japanese Americans while still supporting broader civil rights efforts.
• A Lobby for Justice, Fair Play, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa praises the JACL’s shift from passing resolutions to lobbying Congress through Mike Masaoka in Washington. He describes how this approach produced legislative gains for persons of Japanese descent since the war.
• Let’s Banish Distinctions, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The editorial examines the origin and usage of the term Nisei and questions how to label later generations of Japanese descent. It suggests the ideal solution is to consider everyone simply as Americans.
• Dilemma for the Nisei: Integration or Assimilation?, by Togo Tanaka, page 5. Togo Tanaka discusses a debate between columnists Harry Honda and Mary Oyama over integration and assimilation of Nisei. He notes Honda’s skepticism toward integration advocates and contrasts it with Kojima’s view that racial segregation is an evil.
• Hawaii’s Success in Racial Relations Cited as Prime Reason for Statehood, by Blake Clark, page 6. Blake Clark’s article, summarized here, describes Hawaii as a successful racial experiment where people of different races interact as equals. He credits public education and intermarriage for democratizing race relations there.

Sports

• Ichinose Will Claim World’s Flyweight Title for Marino, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Sad Sam Ichinose, manager of Honolulu flyweight Dado Marino, announced he would claim the world flyweight championship after Marino defeated a substitute in Glasgow. Champion Jackie Paterson had collapsed before the scheduled bout.

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