Violence in Winters, and a wreath for the Unknown Soldier

Vol. 25, No. 20, November 22, 1947. 8 pages. View this issue

Violence against Japanese Americans and the work of Nisei veterans filled the front page. Misdemeanor warrants were issued for two cattle herdsmen accused of beating two Nisei war veterans near Winters, California. The same page showed Jack Hirose laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Armistice Day, and reported that Yori Wada was named to a San Francisco rent control board and that John Tanaka became the first Japanese American to join an Alaska American Legion post. Larry Tajiri, Bill Hosokawa and Koji Ariyoshi wrote the columns.

Other pages covered the escheat cases, evacuee property claims, and a bill by Representative Emanuel Celler to allow naturalization regardless of race. Five Nisei and Sumiye Yuzuki recalled the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Photos from the dedication of the 442nd Combat Team memorial at Bruyeres run on page 3, and JACL chapters from Chicago to Idaho Falls reported on their work.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• Japanese Americans Beaten by Cattlemen in Winters District, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Misdemeanor warrants were issued for two cattle herdsmen accused of beating two Nisei war veterans near Winters, California. The attack was part of reported violence against persons of Japanese ancestry in the area.
• Nisei Veteran Named to Rent Control Board, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Governor Warren appointed Yori Wada, a war veteran and social worker, as a substitute member of the San Francisco Rent Control Board No. 2. Wada will replace Fred Parr on the board.
• First Nisei Joins American Legion Post in Alaska, by P.C. Staff, page 1. John Tanaka became the first American of Japanese ancestry to join an Alaska American Legion post when initiated into Juneau Post No. 4. Tanaka had served in Italy with the 442nd Combat Team after his family was evacuated to Puyallup.
• Munemori Kin Says Ship Naming Honors All Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Robert Munemori said the War Department’s renaming of a cargo ship after his brother Sadao Munemori, a Medal of Honor recipient, honors all Japanese Americans. Sadao was killed in action in Italy in 1945.
• Discuss Need for Nisei Specialists, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Lt. Col. Floyd H. Rockwell discussed the need for Nisei specialists for occupation duty in Japan with recruiting officer Spady Koyama. Rockwell served with the 34th Infantry Division in Italy.
• Army Will Present Japanese Film at Fort Douglas, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Japanese film Shina no Yoru will be shown to Nisei and Issei audiences at Fort Douglas theater in Salt Lake City on Dec. 6. An army bus will provide free transportation from the Buddhist church.
• Eleven Graduate Language Course at Army Presidio, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Eleven Nisei graduated from the army language school’s 31st commencement at the Presidio of Monterey. Katsumi Mori was honored as the top student.
• Minato Named Northwest JACL Council Head, by P.C. Staff, page 8. George Minato, former Seattle JACL president, was elected chairman of the Northwest District Council. The council endorsed national JACL policies, the President’s Committee on Civil Rights program, and the Washington D.C. memorial for Nisei war dead.

Community

• Native Sons File Protest Against Mrs. D’Aquino, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Grand Parlor of the Native Sons of the Golden West filed a protest opposing Iva Toguri D’Aquino’s permission to reenter the United States. Chairman Eldred Meyer argued that if she is a traitor she should not receive privileges granted to loyal citizens.
• 23 Issei Receive First Naturalization Papers at San Jose, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Twenty-three Issei residents of Santa Clara County received first naturalization papers since August with help from the JACL. Phil Matsumura reported that 45 Issei have received papers and nine more have been notified to appear.
• Minority Group Papers Plan Cooperation at Denver Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Representatives of seven minority newspapers met in Denver and agreed to exchange useful newspaper copy. They emphasized that instilling racial equality among minority groups is as important as teaching it to the majority.
• East Bay JACL Holds Election, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The East Bay JACL is conducting its 1948 cabinet election by mail, with balloting ending Nov. 30. Candidates for each office are listed on the official ballot.
• Freak Mishap Kills Student at Utah Home, by P.C. Staff, page 2. George Kubota, 15, was accidentally hanged at his Bingham, Utah home while helping his parents redecorate. He slipped from a ladder and his head caught in an automobile fan belt hanging on the wall.
• Break Discrimination Against Nisei in Denver Beauty School, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Izue Yamada was admitted to a Denver beauty school, breaking discrimination against Japanese Americans in private beauty schools. Rev. Clark Garman reported that another Nisei student was also registered for a full course.
• Photos Show Dedication of Memorial to Nisei GIs, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Photos document the October 30 dedication of the JACL monument at Bruyeres commemorating the 442nd Combat Team’s rescue of the Lost Battalion. More than 2,000 townspeople and officials attended the ceremony.
• Salt Lake Chapter Launches Fund Drive, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Salt Lake City JACL launched a four-way fund drive through the end of the month for ADC membership, the Pacific Citizen Christmas issue, national convention funds, and chapter membership. Letters in English and Japanese were sent to members and friends.
• New York Chapter Reports Success in Fund Drive, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The New York City JACL’s 1947 fund appeal raised total receipts of $4,401.54, with about $400 going to expenses. Several substantial donors were named for their contributions.
• Nisei Children in Denver Placed in New Foster Homes, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Eight Japanese American babies at the Colorado state home for dependent children have been placed for adoption after a newspaper appeal. Two have already been taken and three more are to be settled before Christmas.
• Cleveland Chapter to Sponsor First Semiformal Dance, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Cleveland JACL chapter will hold its first semiformal dance for Nisei of the city on Nov. 29 at the Society of Engineers building. The evening includes a recreation lounge and crowning of a dance queen.
• Congress Housing Committee Told Restrictive Covenants Perpetuate Ghetto Conditions, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Edward Howden of the San Francisco Council for Civic Unity told a congressional housing committee that restrictive practices perpetuate ghetto neighborhoods. He urged passage of general housing legislation and reform of FHA practices.
• Intermountain YPCC Sets 14th Conference, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The 14th annual Intermountain Young Peoples Christian Conference will be held in Denver on Nov. 28 to 30 under co-chairmen Sachiko Maruyama and Joe Ariki. Speakers include Rev. Alexander Bryans and Dr. Francis Brush.

National

• Supreme Court Authorizes Government to Oppose Race Restrictive Housing Covenants, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Supreme Court granted Attorney General Tom Clark time to argue against racially restrictive real estate covenants in cases from Washington, Detroit, and St. Louis. The Justice Department argued such covenants are unconstitutional and contrary to public policy.
• Federal Grand Jury Returns Second Indictment in Case of Kawakita in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A federal grand jury returned a second treason indictment against Tomoya Kawakita for allegedly causing the death of a U.S. Marine in a Honshu prison camp. Prosecutors say he refused medical permission to the marine, who then died after being assaulted.
• Dillon Myer Resigns National Housing Post, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Dillon S. Myer, commissioner of the National Public Housing Administration and former WRA director, resigned on Nov. 20. He said he would take another government post at the request of President Truman.
• Rep. Celler Sponsors Bill to Give Naturalization Right to Resident Japanese Aliens, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Representative Emanuel Celler introduced H.R. 4478 to permit naturalization regardless of race, color, or national origin. The bill implements recommendations of the President’s Committee on Civil Rights.

In-Depth

• Hiroshima Survivor Recalls Day Atom Bomb Blasted City, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sumiye Yuzuki, a 26-year-old Nisei survivor of the Hiroshima atomic bombing, recounts her experience on the streetcar and aftermath in the city. She returned to Sacramento and says she intends to stay in the United States.
• Five Nisei Recall Great Flash When Bomb Hit Hiroshima, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Five Nisei survivors who arrived in San Francisco on the Marine Adder describe the atomic bombing of Hiroshima as a bright flash followed by an earthquake. Chiyoko Nishioka was knocked unconscious and burned, while the others were miles away.

Incarceration & Redress

• Civil Rights Group Enters Escheat Case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Civil Rights Defense Union of Northern California will handle the Yamaguchi and Ishisaki escheat case, set for hearing in Madera Superior Court. The state seeks to confiscate about 40 acres of farm property held by Japanese American defendants.
• Escheat Cases, by P.C. Staff, page 4. More than fifty California escheat actions against persons of Japanese ancestry await the Supreme Court’s decision in the Oyama case. The editorial argues the outcome will affect many other cases under the discriminatory Alien Land Law.
• Evacuee Claims Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial urges Congress to act on evacuee property loss claims before the special session recesses. It notes the bill passed the Senate in the 79th Congress but was never acted on by the House.

JACL

• JACL Takes Part in National Conference on Minorities, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The JACL, represented by Midwest regional representative Tats Kushida, took part in a national conference on local race relations held at the University of Chicago. The conference led to the founding of the National Association of Inter-group Relations Officials.
• Eastern District Council Will Hold Leadership Workshop, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Eastern District Council of the JACL will hold its first workshop in New York City on Nov. 29 and 30, focusing on local organizational problems. A business meeting will elect district council officers.
• Initiate Campaign for ADC Funds in Detroit Area, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Detroit JACL chapter is conducting a fundraising campaign for the JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee through Dec. 13. Taizo Kokubo and Willis Hirata are co-chairmen, leading Issei and Nisei committees.
• Elect Mari Sabusawa as New President of Chicago JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Mari Sabusawa was elected president of the Chicago JACL chapter for 1948 at its annual meeting. Other officers and sectional representatives were also elected.
• Intermountain JACL Prepares for Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Members of the Idaho Falls JACL made preparations for the Intermountain district council convention on Nov. 28 and 29. Special features include air trips over Yellowstone and a showing of the Japanese film Shina no Yoru.
• Special Features Planned for Intermountain JACL Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The fourth biennial Intermountain district council convention in Idaho Falls will feature a bowling handicap tournament, air excursions, and a film showing. Opening ceremonies and a public meeting are scheduled at the senior high school.

Arts & Entertainment

• An Anthropologist Studies Hawaii’s Japanese Americans, by Elmer R. Smith, page 2. Elmer Smith reviews Edwin Burrows’ book Hawaiian Americans, which examines how people of Japanese parentage became American in one generation. The review praises the book’s clear writing and its analysis of cultural exchange and the peaceful record of Hawaii’s Japanese Americans.

Commentary

• Price of Segregation, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial cites San Francisco Council for Civic Unity director Edward Howden’s testimony that housing segregation is a major source of prejudice and discrimination. It highlights the decades-long wait of San Francisco’s Chinese Americans for a public housing project.
• Nisei Vagaries: Film Front Against Prejudice, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Larry Tajiri examines how Hollywood films have stereotyped Japanese Americans and other minorities and how recent films like Crossfire and Gentleman’s Agreement began confronting prejudice. He notes the wartime portrayal of Nisei as spies and the upcoming RKO film Honored Glory.
• From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa comments on the film Shina no Yoru, a Japanese propaganda movie from 1940 now being shown in the United States by army recruiters. He reflects on its propagandistic content and its glamorous leading lady.
• Return of an Exile: Ikuo Oyama Returns to Japan, by Koji Ariyoshi, page 5. Koji Ariyoshi profiles Ikuo Oyama, the last notable Japanese political exile, who returned to Japan in October after fifteen years in the United States. Oyama had opposed militarism and the emperor system before fleeing persecution in 1932.

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.