Citizenship restored to Tule Lake renunciants, and Nisei heroes come home

Vol. 28, No. 15, April 16, 1949. 8 pages. View this issue

A federal judge’s ruling led the April 16, 1949 issue. Judge Louis E. Goodman signed a judgment restoring citizenship to 5,200 people who renounced their US nationality at the Tule Lake center in 1945, with 60 days left for the Justice Department to appeal. Also on the front page: the remains of three Nisei soldiers returned from the Pacific for reinterment, the JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee’s plan to oppose segregation in the Army, and a ruling that Robert T. Ishii could recover property seized during the war.

Inside this 8-page issue, an editorial on page 4 urged a pilgrimage to Bruyeres, France, the town the 442nd Combat Team liberated in 1944. Bill Hosokawa wrote about Nisei entering new job fields, and a page 6 column looked at the Little Tokyo underworld. Chicago and Los Angeles chapters traded membership challenges, and bowling and basketball results fill the sports pages.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• Three Nisei Heroes’ Remains Returned Home for Reinterment, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The remains of three Nisei soldiers who died in the Pacific were returned to the United States at the request of their next of kin. The Department of the Army notified the JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee of the reinterment arrangements.
• JACL ADC to Oppose Segregation in Army at Coming Committee Hearing, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee planned to appear before the President’s Committee on Equality of Treatment and Opportunity in the Armed Services to oppose military segregation. Nisei veterans were urged to submit statements by April 18 for inclusion in written testimony.
• Monument to Nisei GI Dead Erected in Seattle Cemetery, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A 15-ton granite monument honoring 54 Seattle Nisei who died in World War II was erected at Lake View cemetery on April 8. The monument lists the names and campaigns where the soldiers died and will be dedicated on Memorial Day.
• Pilgrimage of Nisei Veterans to French Battleground is Hope of Bruyeres Citizens, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The people of Bruyeres, France, hope to organize a pilgrimage for 442nd Combat Team veterans to the battlefield where they liberated the town in 1944. Acting Mayor Robert Valantin also thanked the JACL for the CARE packages sent to the town.
• Seek Recognition for Claims of Evacuees from Alaska Through Special Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Harry S. Kawabe of Seward, Alaska, is seeking recognition of evacuation loss claims for about 300 persons of Japanese ancestry evacuated from Alaska in 1942. He noted that Public Law 886 excludes internees from compensation.

Community

• Chicago JACL Challenges L.A. Area Chapters for Membership Lead, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Chicago JACL chapter voted to challenge the Los Angeles area chapters for the largest membership in 1949. The chapter has set a goal of 700 members and is dividing its district to recruit more Nisei.
• Tokyo Actress Says Hawaii, Mainland Nisei Lose Respect by Criticizing Each Other, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 2. Japanese actress Hideko Takamine said Nisei occupation troops from Hawaii and the mainland lose the respect of Japanese civilians when they slander each other. She praised the unique qualities Nisei possess and expressed hope they would combine Pacific civilizations.
• Nisei Student Wins Imperial Valley Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Dahlia Kakiuchi, a Nisei student, won first prize in the Imperial Valley section of a nationwide Elks lodge essay contest on democracy. Her essay stressed the role of public schools in maintaining democracy and teaching tolerance.
• Fresno Nisei Vets Install New Officers, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Dick Nakagawa and his cabinet were sworn in as officers of the United Veterans Organizations at a dinner-dance installation in Fresno. Local mayoral candidates attended the event.
• Gila River Barrack Building Rebuilt as Minister’s Home, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Rev. S. A. Stewart of Mesa, Arizona, converted a Gila River relocation center barrack into a home for himself and his family. The building was purchased in 1948 and reconstructed beside the Okuda Memorial church.
• UCL Prepares New Simplified Forms for Evacuee Claims, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Ray Taketa, executive secretary of the United Citizens League, drafted new simplified preliminary forms to help evacuee claimants understand the filing procedures. The forms are available at league headquarters in San Jose.
• Seattle Nisei Have Not Regained Economic Status of Pre-war Era, by P.C. Staff, page 6. University of Washington professor Robert W. O’Brien reports that Seattle’s Japanese Americans have not recovered their pre-war economic stability. Many former businesses have closed, and one in ten employable Nisei is unemployed.
• Los Angeles Officials Promise Aid to Little Tokyo Evictees, by P.C. Staff, page 7. City officials including Deputy Mayor Orville Caldwell promised to help tenants displaced by construction of a new police administration building in Little Tokyo. The tenants, many of them Negro and Japanese American, demanded concrete housing provisions.
• Denver Ministerial Alliance Opposes Discrimination by Policy at Crown Hill Cemetery, by Grace Andow, page 8. The Denver Ministerial Alliance expressed opposition to the whites-only burial policy of Crown Hill cemetery, which had refused reburial of a Nisei soldier. The alliance will consult member congregations on the discriminatory policy in effect since 1907.

Incarceration & Redress

• Confidence Expressed That San Francisco Board Will Approve Anti-Discrimination Redevelopment Provisions, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Council for Civic Unity executive director Howden expressed confidence that the San Francisco Board of Supervisors will approve anti-discrimination provisions in the urban redevelopment program. The program affects thousands of Japanese, Negro, and other minority residents of the Western Addition.
• Judge Goodman Signs Judgment for Renunciants; Citizenship Rights of Tule Lake Group Restored by Verdict, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Federal Judge Louis E. Goodman signed a judgment restoring citizenship to 5,200 persons who renounced their US nationality at the Tule Lake center in 1945. The Justice Department has 60 days to appeal, after which restoration becomes final if no appeal is filed.
• Right of Nisei to Regain Confiscated Property Upheld, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Alien Property Office Director David L. Bazelon ruled that Robert T. Ishii is entitled to return of real property seized during World War II. The property had been vested on the claim that it belonged to his Japan-born father, who was ineligible to own land under California’s Alien Land law.
• The Four Evacuees Who Filed, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Of the 120,318 persons under WRA jurisdiction from 1942 to 1946, only four made unauthorized departures. The article describes each of the four cases and presents this as evidence of the evacuees’ good citizenship.

National

• Ten Canadian Returnees Will Enter Fishing Industry, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Ten Japanese Canadians have taken out commercial fishing licenses since the ban was lifted on March 31. Before the war, Japanese Canadians were an important part of the commercial fishing industry.
• Assembly Group Approves Ban on Insurance Bias, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The California assembly finance and insurance committee approved two nearly identical bills prohibiting racial discrimination in motor vehicle liability insurance premiums and applications. One bill would also suspend the license of insurers that repeatedly discriminate.
• Sen. McCarran’s Statement Brightens Prospects for Early Senate Action on Judd Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Senator Pat McCarran, chairman of the Senate immigration subcommittee, said he personally favored the principle of the Judd bill, improving prospects for Senate action. The JACL opposed two controversial sections affecting British West Indian immigration and Chinese wives’ quota status.
• 217 Strandees Return Aboard Gen. Gordon, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A record 217 persons of Japanese ancestry returned from Japan aboard the APL liner Gen. Gordon, docking in San Francisco on April 7. The group included 153 Nisei and 22 Issei along with Canadian and Mexican returnees, listed by hometown.
• JACL ADC Official Deplores House-Approved Appropriation for Evacuees as Inadequate, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The House approved $1,200,000 for paying wartime evacuee claims under Public Law 886, which Mike Masaoka called inadequate. He noted the appropriation was the first under the claims law and that more funding would likely be needed.

Commentary

• A Pilgrimage to Bruyeres, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial notes that the French town of Bruyeres continues to honor the Japanese American soldiers who liberated it in 1944. It urges that a pilgrimage be organized for 442nd veterans and parents to visit the memorial, and suggests continuing gratitude projects for the town.
• Nisei Futures in Mid-Continent America, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial reports that JACL regional representative Roy Takeno believes the mid-continent states offer Nisei the best opportunity to be accepted as individuals. It cites examples of Nisei achieving professional recognition across the region.
• Nisei Enter New Job Fields, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Bill Hosokawa describes how Nisei are now succeeding in diverse professional fields, citing Helen Nakamura’s acceptance into the Denver Symphony. He also profiles Eddie Luke as an example of persistence in finding work despite discrimination.
• The Little Tokyo Underworld, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The column suggests that the history of Japanese gangsters in the United States is an underexplored subject for writers and researchers. It describes gambling syndicates, gang wars, and corruption of police in the Little Tokyo underworld.

Arts & Entertainment

• Stories of Sunlit Loneliness, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The article reviews Toshio Mori’s short story collection Yokohama, California, praised by critics including Lewis Gannett and Joseph Henry Jackson. It notes one dissenting review by Albert Saijo and quotes Gannett on the book’s natural-born writing talent.

Sports

• San Jose Mayfair Team Wins Northern California Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Mayfair Nursery team of San Jose won the team event in the Northern California Nisei bowling tournament held at Downtown Bowl on April 9. Individual winners in singles and doubles events were also listed.
• Chicago Huskies Win Midwest Cage Tourney for Third Year, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Chicago Huskies defeated the Marushos 62-46 to win the Chicago Invitational Basketball Tournament for the third straight year. Tak Hiyama led the tournament in scoring and received the Most Valuable Player award.
• Mat Stars, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Two young Nisei wrestlers, Charles Shiranuhi and Hisao Tanaka, completed a six-month tour of the mainland in Salt Lake City. The article also notes other Nisei wrestlers still competing in Hawaii and abroad.

Obituaries

• Final Rites Held for GI Killed in Occupation Accident, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Final rites were held in Seattle for T/4 Ben K. Hara, killed in an accident in Tokyo in 1945 while serving with occupation troops. He was buried at Veterans Memorial cemetery after a requiem mass.

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.