The 1948 hearings on naturalization for Japanese aliens

Vol. 26, No. 17, April 24, 1948. 8 pages. View this issue

Congressional hearings on the Judd bill (H.R. 5004), which would let Japanese aliens become citizens, filled this issue. Tosuke Yamasaki reported from Washington on nearly a dozen witnesses, including former Ambassador Joseph Grew, who urged Congress to act. Mike Masaoka spoke for Nisei veterans and their alien parents, Dillon Myer sent a statement of support, and an American Legion representative opposed the bill. Larry Tajiri’s column read the actions of the Los Angeles and San Francisco boards of supervisors as a turn away from California’s anti-Oriental past.

Elsewhere on the front page, Dean Acheson and A. L. Wirin argued the Takahashi fishing license case before the Supreme Court. Inside are Bill Hosokawa’s column on advice to Nisei students, Hideo Kuwahara’s account of sailing home from Japan on the General Meigs, and news of the American Bowling Congress dispute, JACL chapters and a 442nd and 100th Battalion veterans’ meeting in Salt Lake City.

What’s in this issue

National

• Witnesses Urge Congress to Pass Bill Giving Naturalization Privilege to Japanese Aliens, by By TOSUKE YAMASAKI, page 1. Congressional hearings on the Judd bill (H.R. 5004) heard nearly a dozen witnesses, including former Ambassador Joseph Grew, urging passage to grant naturalization to Japanese aliens. Opposition came from an American Legion representative, while State Department and Justice Department officials endorsed the measure.
• Aged Issei Dies While Waiting for Freedom Train, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Yosaku Tamane, a 70-year-old Japanese immigrant and Seattle second-hand store operator, died of heart failure while waiting in line to visit the Freedom Train. The coroner identified him.
• San Francisco Board Urges Judd Measure, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors urged passage of H.R. 5004 to make resident Japanese aliens eligible for naturalization. The resolution cited the wartime loyalty of Japanese Americans and the need for non-discrimination in America’s Far East relations.
• California Anti-Alien Fishing Code Challenged in Takahashi Case Before Supreme Court, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dean Acheson and A. L. Wirin, counsel for the National JACL, argued before the Supreme Court that California’s law denying commercial fishing licenses to aliens ineligible for citizenship violates federal policy and the Civil Rights Act of 1870. The state defended the restriction as within its legislative power.
• ACLU Attacks California Law Barring Japanese Fishermen, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a brief in the Supreme Court urging reversal of the California decision upholding the fishing license restriction against Torao Takahashi. The brief argues the classification is based solely on ancestry and violates the Fourteenth Amendment and United Nations Charter obligations.
• Dillon Myer Endorses Judd Naturalization Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Dillon Myer, former WRA director, gave unqualified support to the Judd bill in a statement to the House subcommittee. He argued that exclusion-era discrimination should be removed and that Japanese aliens who contributed to the war effort deserve naturalization.
• Japanese Labor Official Plans Tour of U.S., by P.C. Staff, page 4. Dr. Iwao F. Ayusawa, executive director of Japan’s Central Labor Relations Board, arrived in New York for a three-month tour sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee. He urged repeal of remaining racial barriers to naturalization.
• Ex-Ambassador Grew Urges Repeal of Ban on Japanese Immigration, Naturalization, by By TOSUKE YAMASAKI, page 4. Former Ambassador Joseph Clark Grew testified before the House Judiciary subcommittee that repealing exclusion laws would help restore friendship with Japan and strengthen confidence among Far Eastern countries. He argued the Japanese in America had proven themselves loyal during the war.

Arts & Entertainment

• Serisawa’s Art Exhibited by L.A. Gallery, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A one-man show of paintings by rising young artist Sueo Serisawa opened at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles and runs through May 8. Serisawa, born in Japan, was an evacuee who has since taught at art institutes and won several prizes.

Community

• Nisei Council Votes Unanimous Support for Judd Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Nisei Inter-Club Council of Los Angeles unanimously endorsed the Judd naturalization bill on April 13. The council called discriminatory naturalization and immigration laws contrary to American democracy and urged Congress to act.
• Takeno Attends UNESCO Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Roy M. Takeno of the Tri-State JACL ADC attended a UNESCO state conference in Colorado Springs. He secured support from Spanish American service clubs for the ADC program and H.R. 5004.
• Nisei Girl Wins Cocker Spaniel in Magazine Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Judy Ishimatsu, an eighth grade student at Cupertino school, won a cocker spaniel puppy in a national Young America magazine contest. Her winning entry was an essay on Hideki Tojo.
• Cleveland JACL to Hold Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Cleveland JACL chapter will vote on its revised constitution at a meeting on April 30 at the YWCA. Movies will follow the business meeting.
• Reno JACL Names First Cabinet, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Mas Baba was elected president of the newly formed Reno JACL chapter at a meeting in April. Other officers were installed, and the group enjoyed refreshments and dancing after the business meeting.
• Nisei Girls Participate in Japan Program at West High, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Nisei students at West High School in Denver presented a program on Japan that included koto playing, singing, and kimono displays. The items included garments brought from Tokyo by a public relations officer.
• Nisei Participates in Costume Fete, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Suzanne Tory Narahara, a Nisei singer-dancer, appeared in a Japanese kimono among seventeen usherettes at the annual luncheon of the Immigrants Protective League in Chicago. The event was attended by Adlai Stevenson.
• Takushi Places 20th in Cross-City Run, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Tako Takushi, running for the Spartans, finished 20th in San Francisco’s 38th annual cross-city run. He completed the distance in 56 minutes 10 seconds.
• Stockton Church Sponsors Programs on Racial Groups, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A series of inter-racial programs at Central Street Methodist Church in Stockton presents the cultural contributions of six ethnic groups. Speakers include Jun Agari, president of the Stockton JACL.
• Chicago City Club Supports Naturalization, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Chicago City Club wrote to Illinois senators and representatives urging support for pending naturalization legislation for persons of Japanese ancestry. The letter pointed out that naturalization bars remain for all Orientals other than Chinese, Filipinos, and Indians.
• Oregon Nisei End Bowling League, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Oregon Nisei bowling league ended its 28-week season in Portland. The Lucky Strikers won the women’s championship and Azumano Insurance won the men’s title.
• Cooking Class to Hold First Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Portland JACL Japanese cooking class will hold its first meeting at the JACL office on April 26. The public is invited to attend.
• Legion Post Gives Endorsement of Naturalization Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Joe Quesenberry Post No. 10 of the American Legion in Las Cruces, New Mexico voted official endorsement of H.R. 5004. Post commander Seaborn P. Collins said discrimination would result if the parents of Nisei veterans could not obtain citizenship.
• Queen Contestants in Fashion Show, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Contestants for the Miss Denver JACL title will model garments in a fashion show at the YWCA on April 28. The event is the first all-Nisei fashion show arranged by a local store.

Military & Veterans

• Noted Witnesses Urge House to Grant Issei Citizenship, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Additional testimony at the Judd bill hearings came from Immigration Commissioner Watson Miller, Edward Ennis, and Mike Masaoka, who spoke for Nisei veterans and their alien parents. Opposition came from American Legion representative Harry Hayden, who was challenged on the Legion’s inconsistent position on displaced persons.
• Gen. Fellers Hails Wartime Role of Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 2. General Bonner Fellers, MacArthur’s former psychological warfare officer, told a congressional committee the United States owes the Nisei a debt for their service in the Pacific. He urged passage of the Judd bill as serving national interest.
• Col. Rockwell Will Speak at Nisei Veterans Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Lt. Col. Lloyd H. Rockwell, who was associated with the 100th Battalion and 442nd RCT in Italy, will welcome Nisei veterans to a meeting in Salt Lake City on April 30. Medals will be issued to qualified veterans.

JACL

• JACL Council Asks Action on Issei Citizenship, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Northern California JACL Council wired Rep. Fellows urging favorable action on H.R. 5004. The council also elected new officers and appointed a committee to study a permanent site for national JACL headquarters.
• Prepare Convention Souvenir Program, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The JACL national convention souvenir committee is preparing a 90-page souvenir booklet to be distributed at the September convention. Staff members are named for makeup, photography, and business.
• JACL-ADC Activity Promoted in Colorado and Texas, by P.C. Staff, page 8. New local chapters of the JACL and Japanese American Citizens League Domei have been established in several Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Texas communities. Roy Takeno, Tri-State representative, reports the chapters followed field trips since autumn.

Incarceration & Redress

• Restrictive Covenant Suit Seeks Nisei Ouster from Fresno Home, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A Superior Court judge granted Jack Ikawa a fifteen-day stay in a restrictive covenant suit seeking to remove him from his West Fresno home. The case may be affected by a pending United States Supreme Court decision on restrictive covenants.

Commentary

• Nisei USA: Racists Repudiated, by Larry Tajiri, page 5. Editorial argues that actions by Los Angeles and San Francisco boards of supervisors in support of Issei naturalization mark the repudiation of California’s long anti-Oriental racism. It traces the historical consequences of the 1924 Exclusion Act and debunks the population and loyalty myths used by exclusionists.
• The Nisei Student Looks Forward to the Future, by Elmer R. Smith, page 5. Anthropologist Elmer R. Smith reflects on the Nisei Intermountain Collegiate Conference in Denver, praising the students’ sincerity and commitment to social justice. He argues they are well positioned to be the leaders of tomorrow.
• Advice from Professor Smith, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Columnist Bill Hosokawa comments on Professor Elmer Smith’s advice to Nisei students to act as themselves rather than strive for assimilation. He weighs the advice against the need for Nisei to break out of their prewar insularity.
• Sakamoto May Help Train Olympic Team, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Hawaiian swimming coach Soichi Sakamoto has been invited to serve as associate coach of the U.S. Olympic team. He would go to London this summer if he can raise the necessary funds.

In-Depth

• On the General Meigs: A Nisei Comes Home from a War-Shattered Japan, by By HIDEO KUWAHARA, page 5. A Nisei returnee describes the voyage aboard the General Meigs from Yokohama to San Francisco, including conditions in third class and the mix of passengers. He reflects on uncertainties about readjusting to life in America after years in Japan.

Sports

• American Bowling Congress Charged with Intimidation of Bowlers Opposing Racial Bias, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The ABC delegates rejected a resolution to end the racial membership ban, and the CIO’s United Auto Workers charged ABC officials with intimidating proprietors and bowlers in Buffalo and Cleveland. Both cities saw All-American tournaments held open to all races despite ABC opposition.
• Hawaii Bowlers Score Clean Sweep Over Detroit Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Hawaiian Bowling Ambassadors swept three team matches against the Detroit Nisei All-Stars during a five-day visit. The Hawaiian team scored over 2,600 in each match.

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