1949: Citizenship suits for strandees and a Radcliffe scholarship

Vol. 29, No. 20, November 12, 1949. 8 pages. View this issue

Nisei stranded in Japan were a main subject of this eight-page issue. Six lawsuits were filed in Seattle, Sacramento and Los Angeles to restore citizenship lost through military service or voting in Japanese elections, and a federal judge in Los Angeles ordered depositions of 21 strandees in Yokohama. Gracia Taketa was named the 1949 Private Ben Masaoka scholarship winner and began studies at Radcliffe College. Iva Toguri d’Aquino began serving her 10-year sentence, and the JACL protested to the Australian government and the State Department over discrimination against Nisei technicians in Japan.

Also inside: an editorial on the January 2, 1950 deadline for evacuation claims, Larry Tajiri’s column on Hollywood and the Nisei, and Bill Hosokawa’s profile of Joseph Heco. JACL district conventions in San Francisco and Denver are covered, along with a page of sports, including Frank Kebo’s perfect game in Chicago bowling.

What’s in this issue

National

• Nisei Scholarship Winner Selected for Radcliffe, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Gracia Taketa, a Washington, D.C. Nisei, was selected as the 1949 Private Ben Masaoka scholarship winner and began studies at Radcliffe College. The scholarship, established in memory of a fallen 442nd soldier, was opened to Nisei high school graduates for the first time this year.
• JACL Protests Discriminatory Treatment of Nisei Technicians in Japan by British Forces, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee formally protested to the Australian government and U.S. State Department over a BCOF policy that allows Caucasian Americans but not Americans of Japanese ancestry to use its facilities in Japan. The letter warned the matter could be brought before the UN Commission on Human Rights if not rectified.

Incarceration & Redress

• Court Cases Seeking U.S. Citizenship Restoration for Strandees Filed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Six lawsuits were filed in Seattle, Sacramento, and Los Angeles seeking restoration of citizenship for Nisei stranded in Japan who lost it through military service or voting in Japanese elections. Plaintiffs argue their actions were coerced or, in the case of voting, influenced by U.S. occupation headquarters.

Community

• Mrs. d’Aquino Begins Serving Prison Sentence, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Iva Toguri d’Aquino, convicted of treason for wartime Tokyo Rose broadcasts, began serving her 10-year sentence in county jail after the Ninth Circuit denied bail. She was to be transferred to the Women’s Federal Prison at Alderson, West Virginia, and attorney Wayne Collins planned to seek bail from the U.S. Supreme Court.
• Appellate Court of Los Angeles Lauds Ethics of Nisei Realtor, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Los Angeles Superior Court appellate department vindicated realtor John T. Saito, who refused to collect a forfeited deposit after reselling a house. The court described him as being in the business of selling houses rather than collecting forfeitures.
• San Francisco Supervisors Approve Policy of Non-Bias, Non-Segregation in Housing, by P.C. Staff, page 2. San Francisco’s board of supervisors approved amendments barring racial discrimination and segregation in the city’s low-rent public housing program. The amendments were offered by Supervisor George Christopher and supported by Edward Mancuso.
• Silk Stocking Drive to Aid Destitute in Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Women’s Welfare Service Organization of Los Angeles launched a campaign collecting old silk stockings to make into cloth for destitute war families in Japan. Two tons of stockings had already been sent through donations including from actor Sessue Hayakawa.
• Minnesota Youth Wed Tokyo Girl in Ceremony, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Toshie Okutomi of Tokyo married Orren Lucht of Mora, Minnesota, on a farm in a ceremony after immigration laws had delayed her joining him for over two years. A special bill signed by President Truman finally allowed her to enter the United States.
• Northern California-Western Nevada JACL District Council Convention in San Francisco, by Setsu Asano, page 3. More than 125 delegates from 22 chapters attended the first postwar NCWN JACL district convention in San Francisco under the theme ‘The JACL Plans Ahead.’ Resolutions urged speedy adjudication of evacuation claims and a Northern California claims field office.
• Mountain Plains JACL Regional Meet Opens in Denver, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Delegates from eight Mountain Plains JACL chapters gathered in Denver for the district’s first regional convention. National JACL leaders including Mike Masaoka and Hito Okada were scheduled to speak and present charters.
• G. E. Promotes Nisei to New Product Post, by P.C. Staff, page 3. G. K. Iwashita was appointed manager of product planning in General Electric’s air conditioning department. He previously served as manager of product research at Seeger Sunbeam and had been an intelligence officer in the U.S. Army.
• Hawaii’s Japanese Americans Participate in Aloha Festival, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 3. Japanese Americans in Hawaii contributed prominently to the multi-racial Aloha Week festival, with floats and costumed dancers in parades. The celebration also drew 32,000 service members from Exercise Miki, who witnessed the islands’ racial harmony.
• Hawaii Nisei Girl to Attend 4-H Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Jane Kamisate of Kaneohe, Oahu, was selected as Hawaii’s first delegate in a decade to the National 4-H Congress in Chicago. She won the territorial 4-H clothing contest and is a sophomore at Benjamin Parker high school.
• Chicago Recreation Council Will Drop Northside Activities, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The City-Wide Recreation Council in Chicago voted to eliminate Northside recreation committee activities since the need no longer exists. It adopted a three-point program for 1950 focusing on education, adult social recreation, and further study.
• Chicago JACL Will Sponsor Inaugural Ball on Nov. 19, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The fourth annual inaugural ball of the Chicago JACL will be held November 19 at the Stevens Hotel with music by Jim Barclay. Dr. Thomas T. Yatabe will install officers for the year of the 11th biennial national convention in Chicago.
• Los Angeles Issei Wins Right to Remain in United States, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Shigeki Robert Nakaguchi, a Los Angeles Issei who entered illegally 25 years ago, was granted permanent residence under the stay of deportation act. He is the first Southern California Issei to benefit from the measure.
• San Jose Buddhists Observe Temple’s Golden Anniversary, by P.C. Staff, page 8. San Jose Buddhists celebrated the golden anniversary of their church with a three-day event including a parade, talent show, and memorial service honoring Nisei war dead. The festivities concluded with a dance at the Palomar ballroom.
• Strandee Cases Move Closer to Trial in L.A., by P.C. Staff, page 8. Federal Judge William Mathes ordered depositions of 21 Nisei strandees in Yokohama and expert witnesses on conditions in Japan, to be taken December 4. The order advances cases brought by attorneys A. L. Wirin and Fred Okrand.
• Salt Lake JACL Will Select Queen for Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Salt Lake JACL queen contest will select Miss Nisei Salt Lake City at the Harlem A.C. dinner dance on November 20. The winner will represent the chapter at the Intermountain district convention in Ogden.
• Three-Day Program Awaits Delegates to IDC Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Intermountain District Council convention in Ogden will feature a farewell dance, queen contest, and bowling tournament over three days. The schedule includes business sessions, a banquet, and a farewell ball.

Military & Veterans

• Hawaii Veterans Seek to Register All War Orphans, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The 442nd Veterans Club in Honolulu is requesting registration of all World War II war orphans in Hawaii to build a ten-year scholarship fund. The first fundraising step was a University of Hawaii-Fresno State football game, and a slogan contest was also launched.
• Two Nisei Names Will Be Placed on Auburn Memorial, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The names of two Nisei veterans of the 442nd Combat Team, Mike Iseri and Tetsuo Shigaya, will be inscribed on a proposed World War II memorial in Auburn, Washington. The memorial honors war dead from the city.

JACL

• JACL Lays Wreath at Arlington Tomb of Unknown Soldier, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Japanese American Citizens League placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery on Armistice Day. The wreath was laid by Carol Tsuda of the Washington JACL chapter.

Arts & Entertainment

• Sessue Hayakawa May Be Nominated for Best Supporting Actor Award, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sessue Hayakawa’s performance in 20th Century Fox’s Three Came Home may earn him a best supporting actor Oscar nomination, according to reports. The film, based on a memoir of a North Borneo internment camp, stars Claudette Colbert.
• Tomiko Kanazawa to Sing Butterfly in Opera Production, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Soprano Tomiko Kanazawa will sing the title role in the Pacific Opera Company’s production of Madame Butterfly in December. The performance is scheduled at Memorial Auditorium.
• Beatrice Griffith Speaks on Minorities in California Tour, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Author Beatrice Griffith began a statewide lecture tour on California’s minority groups, sponsored by the California Federation for Civic Unity. Her talks addressed the state’s undiscovered wealth in its diverse populations.

Commentary

• Deadlines Near on Evacuee Claims, by P.C. Staff, page 4. With the January 2, 1950 deadline approaching, roughly 9,000 evacuation claims totaling $46 million had been filed, though many larger claims may still be pending. The editorial urges evacuees to file even when in doubt and supports expediting small household claims.
• Roger Baldwin and Civil Liberties, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial marks the upcoming resignation of Roger Baldwin as director of the American Civil Liberties Union after three decades of leadership. It notes that the ACLU opposed the wartime mass evacuation of Japanese Americans.
• Hollywood Looks at the Nisei, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. 20th Century Fox withdrew its planned Nisei film I Am a Nisei from MPAA registration, reflecting that the Nisei are no longer a controversial subject. The column contrasts Hollywood’s wartime anti-Japanese films with its more affirmative attitude today.
• Cross-Cut, by Iwao Kawakami, page 4. A poem reflecting on how easy it is to follow the mob in hate rather than watch and wait for understanding. It contrasts the ease of judgment with the harder path of individual insight.

In-Depth

• Visitors from Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A visiting Buddhist abbot and his wife from Japan toured the United States and made observations on democracy and the Negro problem. The writer notes the couple were impressed by American hospitality and the strides in Japanese women’s emancipation.
• Rich in Anecdote and Drama: The Man Who Met Lincoln, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Bill Hosokawa profiles Joseph Heco, the first U.S. citizen of Japanese ancestry, who met President Lincoln and founded Japan’s first Japanese-language newspaper. The column argues Nisei should record the history of their Issei parents.

Sports

• Nisei Prepsters Star on Gridirons, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A roundup of Nisei athletic achievements highlights Dick Karasawa’s passing for Caltech and Jim Yokota’s touchdowns for Placer high. Other notes cover Nisei players at several high schools and the college ranks.
• George Kita Returns to Football, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Former Drake University halfback George Kita joined the Chicago Indians, an all-Nisei semi-pro team. Ken Tatsumi also joined the squad.
• Hawaii Baseball League Gets Charter, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Hawaii Baseball League received a charter in the National Baseball Association, allowing its teams including two all-Nisei clubs to compete in the national tournament. The Hawaiian All-Stars placed fourth in 1947 with several Nisei players.
• IDC Bowling Meet Planned at Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A scratch bowling tournament is planned at the Paramount Bowl in Ogden alongside the fifth annual JACL IDC convention. Entry fees and event details for men’s, women’s, and mixed divisions were announced.
• Frank Kebo Rolls First 300 Game in Chicago Nisei League, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Frank Kebo of the Plaisance Cleaners rolled the first perfect game by a Nisei in Chicago league play, leading his team to a victory. The result lifted his squad into first place.
• Miyasato Stars as Weber Wins from Fullerton, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Quarterback Jimmy Miyasato scored all four touchdowns to lead Weber College to a 30-26 victory over Fullerton College. He is a former McKinley high star from Honolulu.

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.