A Denver cemetery refuses a Nisei soldier, and Oregon strikes down its alien land law

Vol. 28, No. 13, April 2, 1949. 8 pages. View this issue

A Denver cemetery’s refusal to bury a Nisei soldier led this issue. Crown Hill Cemetery turned away the family of Staff Sgt. Kenneth Okata of the 442nd Combat Team, citing a 1910 charter that limited burial to Caucasians. A second front-page story reported that the Colorado American Legion was reconsidering a national cemetery at Fort Logan. Also on page 1, the Oregon Supreme Court declared the 1923 Alien Land law unconstitutional. The editorial praised that ruling, and Edward J. Ennis answered readers’ questions on evacuation claims.

Elsewhere, Seattle held memorial services for seven Nisei war dead, and Arlington National Cemetery held reinterment services for Pfc. Tomotsu Kuge. Canadian MP Angus MacInnis spoke in the House of Commons about the 1942 removal of Japanese Canadians. Bill Hosokawa wrote about the people of Los Alamos, and the sports pages covered a Nisei basketball tournament in Salt Lake and a fencing win by Grace Makabe.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• Denver Cemetery Barred Nisei GI Burial Under Racial Covenant, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Crown Hill Cemetery in Denver refused burial to Staff Sgt. Kenneth Okata of the 442nd Combat Team because its 1910 charter limits interment to Caucasians. A newspaper survey found monuments to Japanese and Chinese persons buried there, and officials said the policy had always existed.
• Los Angeles Police Wrongly Arrest Issei for Old Murder, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Los Angeles police held Kiso Masuda, an Issei hotel operator, for three days after mistaking him for a “K. Masuda” wanted for a 1924 double murder. A municipal judge dismissed the case with apologies and the file was recommended for removal.
• Boards of Trade in Evacuated West Coast Area Approve Return of Japanese Canadians, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland boards of trade in British Columbia defeated a resolution opposing the return of Japanese Canadians to the coast. The wartime orders barring their return expired on March 31.
• Canadian MP Angus MacInnis Rebukes Japanese Canadian Evacuation, by P.C. Staff, page 3. In the Canadian House of Commons, Angus MacInnis declared that Japanese Canadians should not have been moved from their homes in 1942 and their property should have been protected. He clashed with Howard Green over the CCF party’s earlier position.
• ADC Answers Questions on Evacuee Claims, by Edward J. Ennis, page 4. This installment of the question-and-answer series on the evacuation claims law addresses claims for property lost in a garage fire, calculation of car value losses, and personal expenses during relocation. Edward J. Ennis, JACL ADC special counsel, gives the answers.

Military & Veterans

• Colorado Legion May Back New National Cemetery at Fort Logan, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Colorado American Legion is reconsidering a proposed national cemetery at Fort Logan after Crown Hill refused a Nisei soldier’s burial. Commander Harold Ferris argued the refusal shows the need for a second Arlington.
• Seattle Pays Tribute in Mass Rites for Seven Nisei War Dead, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Hundreds attended memorial services in Seattle for seven young men of Japanese ancestry killed in Italy and France while serving with the 442nd. A speaker said the best memorial was righting the wrongs of the coastal evacuation and employment discrimination.
• 300 Veterans of Combat Team Renew Wartime Acquaintances, by P.C. Staff, page 3. About 300 Hawaii veterans of the 442nd gathered at the Waikiki Lau Yee Chai to mark the sixth anniversary of their enlistment. Guest speaker David Fleming urged them to remain alert to threats to the American way of life.
• Reinterment Services Held at Arlington for Member of 442nd, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Services were held at Arlington National Cemetery on March 28 for Pfc. Tomotsu Kuge, killed at Carrara, Italy, while serving with the 442nd. He was a native of Bridal Veil, Oregon.
• Nisei Veterans Near End of Reburial Project, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Nisei Veterans Association will complete its reinterment project in May, with 43 soldiers of Japanese ancestry to be buried in a plot at Evergreen Cemetery in Los Angeles. Thirty-four have been reburied so far.

National

• Oregon Court Outlaws Alien Land Laws, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Oregon Supreme Court declared the 1923 Alien Land law unconstitutional in the Namba test case brought by a Nisei veteran and his father. Justice Rossman’s opinion held the law and its 1945 amendments violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.
• California Civic Unity Group Backs Bill for Equality Study, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The California Federation for Civic Unity endorsed Assembly Bill 739, which would create a state commission to study political and economic inequality. The bill was introduced by Assemblyman Thomas Maloney and backed by Governor Warren.

Community

• Los Angeles May Revive Nisei Week, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Los Angeles JACL will vote on April 4 whether to sponsor a revival of Nisei Week, the prewar festival. The meeting will also consider membership, a new chapter constitution, and the 1949 cabinet slate.
• Chicago Buddhists Plan Mammoth Hana Matsuri Celebration, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Chicago Buddhists will hold their third annual Hana Matsuri at Mandel Hall on April 9, observing Buddha’s birthday. The program includes a sermon, a talk by Dr. Sunder Joshi, and Japanese and Hindu music and dance.
• Hawaii Attorney General Says Alien Fishing Laws Invalid, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Territorial Attorney General Walter Ackerman declared that Hawaiian fishing laws discriminating against aliens should be repealed and not enforced, citing the Supreme Court’s Takahashi decision. The laws affected in particular residents of Japanese ancestry.
• Issei Pioneer Night To Be Celebrated at San Jose Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The United Citizens League will honor Issei aged 70 and older at a dinner in San Jose this month. The event will also mark the UCL’s 21st anniversary and is expected to draw many former Santa Clara County residents.
• Story of Stiles Hall: University YMCA in Berkeley Aids Nisei During War Years, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A report by William J. Davis describes how Stiles Hall, the University of California YMCA, assisted Japanese Americans from 1941 to 1948. The report was prepared to support the San Francisco JACL’s fundraising for a memorial building.
• Pacific Northwest Areas to Support JACL ADC, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Masao Satow and Sam Ishikawa received financial pledges from Seattle, Tacoma, and Spokane during their tour of the Pacific Northwest. A Seattle goal of $8,000 was set for the JACL ADC campaign.

Commentary

• Alien Land Law Invalid, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial praises the Oregon Supreme Court for striking down the 1923 Alien Land law as an example of punitive race-based legislation. It notes that similar laws remain in several other states and that the Oregon ruling is the first such law wiped out by a court.
• The Guidebook: Chicago, 1949, by M.O.T., page 4. The review praises the Chicago Guidebook, edited by Masamori Kojima, as a directory of Japanese Americans and a guide to the city. It highlights the excellent offset printing, layouts, and articles such as Bronzeville.
• Cousin Willie and His Evacuation Claim, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The columnist recalls the frantic 1942 sale of household goods and cars by his cousin Willie before evacuation. He then works through the documentation problems Willie faces in filing his evacuation claim.
• People of Atom City Are Normal, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Hosokawa describes Los Alamos residents as ordinary people despite their work on atomic weapons, noting their strong interest in world affairs. He reports that the scientists he spoke with felt a duty to continue their work while criticizing the bombing of Nagasaki.

Sports

• Hawaii AJA Stars Sweep Nisei Basketball Meet in Salt Lake, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Hawaii AJA All-Stars won the 14th annual Intermountain Invitational Nisei basketball tournament, beating Harlem Seagulls 56 to 44 in the final. Hal Tome led the tournament with 56 points and was named to the all-star team.
• Grace Makabe Wins First Place in Coast Fencing Tournament, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Grace Makabe took first place in the women’s Intermediate Open Foils at the Olympic Club in San Francisco and qualified for the Pacific Coast championship in May. She is also a practitioner of naginata, the Japanese martial art.

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