Nisei delegates to the Hawaii statehood convention, and the fight over claims and bias

Vol. 30, No. 12, March 25, 1950. 8 pages. View this issue

Nineteen Japanese Americans were elected among the 63 delegates who will write the constitution of the future state of Hawaii, and that result led this eight-page issue. The convention opens April 4 in Honolulu. Lawrence Nakatsuka’s front-page analysis looked at how questions about Nisei loyalty might be raised there and at a congressional hearing. Mike Masaoka and the JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee appear throughout: asking Congress to restore a cut to the evacuation claims fund, preparing a friend-of-the-court brief on segregation, and urging action on bills for GI brides and citizenship.

Also inside: an account of a Nisei veteran in Denver refused a home loan because of a racial covenant, and a Larry Tajiri column on Nisei in the theater. Sports fill much of pages 6 and 7, from the Intermountain Nisei basketball tournament to Wally Yonamine’s baseball prospects. Page 8 carries chapter news from Idaho Falls, Montana and the Twin Cities.

What’s in this issue

National

• Nineteen Japanese Americans Win Election as Delegates to Hawaii Statehood Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Nineteen of the 63 delegates elected to write Hawaii’s future state constitution are of Japanese ancestry. The convention opens April 4 in Honolulu and will draft the territory’s basic law if statehood is granted.
• Expect Japanese Problem to Be Raised at Statehood Parley, House Red Probe, by By LAWRENCE NAKATSUKA, page 1. The Hawaii statehood convention and a congressional unAmerican activities hearing both opening in April may revive questions about the loyalty of Nisei. The author argues the hearings could clear the air if they stick to facts rather than unsubstantiated charges of Communist infiltration.
• JACL to File Brief in Cases on Segregation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Supreme Court will hear three cases challenging the separate but equal doctrine, and the JACL ADC is preparing a friend of the court brief in the McLaurin case. Mike Masaoka says all citizens, including Nisei, will be affected by the decision.
• House Appropriations Group Slashes 20 Per Cent from Evacuee Claims Payment Fund, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The House Appropriations Committee proposed cutting Justice Department evacuation claims funds from $5,304,000 to $4,000,000. JACL ADC warns that reduced administrative funds will slow adjudication of the 24,000 pending claims.
• JACL ADC Asks Congress to Restore Claims Fund Slash, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee asked House members to restore the million-dollar cut to evacuation loss payments. It warned that insufficient funding could drag the program out for 15 or 20 years.
• 500 Claims Filed by Evacuees for Loss of Contraband Goods, by P.C. Staff, page 2. About 500 claims were filed under Public Law 7 for contraband items such as radios and cameras held by the Justice Department. Mike Masaoka says the department expects to pay less than $30,000 and urged owners to claim items still in storage.
• Otsuka Slips Inside Atom City in Protest Against Armaments, by P.C. Staff, page 2. James Katsuki Otsuka, a Nisei conscientious objector, entered three miles into the restricted Oak Ridge atomic site on March 15 to protest tax money going to armaments. He was discovered by guards, removed, and promised to leave for Cincinnati.
• Art Yamada Elected President of Puyallup JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Art Yamada will lead the Puyallup Valley JACL in 1950 with a slate of new vice presidents and officers. Kaz Yamane headed the list of retiring officers.
• FEPC Debate May Defer Possible Senate Action on Walter Measure Until April, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Senate consideration of the Fair Employment Practices bill is expected to be deferred, delaying action on the Walter Resolution until April. Mike Masaoka said Sen. Russell may withdraw his objection to the resolution.
• Ask Democratic Policy Group to Support Walter Proposal, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Mike Masaoka wrote to Monroe Sweetland asking him to urge the Democratic resolutions committee to support the Walter Resolution removing race as a requirement for citizenship. He noted about 90,000 affected persons, most of them Japanese, who have lived in the country for an average of nearly 30 years.
• Sharp Debate Evoked by Issue of Race-Labeling by Police, by By LAWRENCE NAKATSUKA, page 5. A Honolulu law firm objected to police race-labeling of defendants as indecent and illogical, while Police Chief Dan Liu defended the practice as necessary for identification and statistics. The author finds the police justification practically sound while noting the complaint lacks evidence of oppressive bias.
• Urge Compassionate Action for Passage of GI Brides Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The JACL ADC wrote to Sen. Pat McCarran urging passage of legislation allowing GIs stationed abroad to bring spouses into the United States without immigration quota restrictions. Mike Masaoka cited the moral problem created by soldiers unable to marry Japanese nationals.

Community

• Detroit JACL Plans Blood Bank for Nisei Community, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Detroit JACL has set up a blood bank available to the Japanese American community through the American Red Cross. The first group of donors gave pints of blood on February 18 under the direction of Ray Kaneko and Setsu Fujioka.
• Ando Re-elected JACL President by Denver Group, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Tosh Ando was re-elected president of the Denver JACL with a slate of new officers. The chapter has reached about 60 percent of its ADC financial campaign goal.
• Nisei Veteran Seeks to Wed Girl in Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Army veteran James Y. Arima hopes to marry Asako Tsuchida of Japan under a private bill introduced by Rep. Thor Tollefson. The bill would allow her to enter the United States for three months and remain if they marry within that time.
• Albuquerque JACL Obtains Use of Rancho School Hall, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Albuquerque JACL chapter meetings and community activities will be held at the Rancho school hall, secured with help from the city superintendent of schools. Chapter president Sam Yonenisto made the announcement.
• New Mexico Group to Register Voters, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Albuquerque JACL will hold a meeting to register members who have not yet signed up for the national elections. The chapter recently completed its ADC drive and added fourteen new members.
• No Further Mass Eviction Notices, Says Seabrook Chief, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Seabrook Farms management told JACL officials that no further mass eviction notices will be issued to families there, though employment reviews will continue. Officials said eviction notices to Japanese American families were proportionally smaller than those issued to Caucasian employees.
• Nisei Employed as Teacher in Los Angeles School, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Kimiko Okanishi is now teaching the A2 and B3 grades at the 37th Street school in Los Angeles. A graduate of UCLA, she had her schooling interrupted during the war and finished high school at the Poston relocation center.
• Long Beach Chapter Installs New Cabinet at Dinner Dance, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Pres. Fred Ikeguchi and his cabinet were installed at the Long Beach JACL installation dinner dance on March 11. Mike Masaoka gave a report on the progress of evacuation claims at the event.
• Complete Drive for Membership, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The San Luis Valley JACL reported a successful membership drive reaching 87 members despite some members moving away. The chapter’s membership campaign concluded with this total.
• Tokyo Girl Will Marry Student at Ann Arbor, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Riyo Sato of Tokyo arrived in Michigan under a Congressional bill to marry William F. Corkery, a University of Michigan student she met while he served in Tokyo. The couple plans to marry on March 25.
• Two-Year Old Child Flies Pacific to Parents in Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Robert Joe, two years old, flew alone from San Francisco to Tokyo to join his parents, Pvt. and Mrs. Takaki Joe. He had been living with relatives in Sacramento after his father was stationed in Japan.
• Seeks Parents of Girl in Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Charles Moore of Dallas asked the JACL to help locate the parents of Tamiko Kudo, a girl now living in Sendai, Japan. She was left with relatives when her parents returned to Japan about fifteen years ago.
• Modern-Day Butterfly Weds GI Sweetheart in Washington, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Mitsue Shigeno, called Rainbow by the press, married Carrol Klotzbach in Washington after a special congressional bill allowed her entry into the United States. The couple met while Klotzbach was in Japan on a horticultural project.
• Legislative Conference Votes Support for Nisei American Rights, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The California Statewide Legislative Conference in Los Angeles voted to support the fight of Japanese Americans for equal rights and first class citizenship. The conference also condemned the so-called FEPC bill recently passed by the House.
• Masaoka Lauds Bill Stern for Anti-Bias Talk, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Mike Masaoka praised NBC sportscaster Bill Stern for criticizing the American Bowling Congress and American Motorcycle Association over their exclusion of minorities. Masaoka noted that Nisei veterans of the 442nd were still banned from ABC competition.
• Junko Shimizu Places Third in Oratorical Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Junko Shimizu, a San Pedro high school senior, placed third in the Los Angeles Daily News oratorical competition and won a semester’s tuition to Chapman college. The competition was held March 15.
• Nisei Veteran Refused GI Home Loan Because of Race Covenant, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Katsuto K. Gow, a Nisei veteran in Denver, was denied full VA and RFC financing on a $9,000 home because of a racially restrictive covenant. Gow and his family were unable to move into the house despite having saved for it.
• At Americanism Meet in Michigan Capital, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Dr. Mark Kondo and Ray Kaneko represented Michigan’s Japanese Americans at a state commission meeting in Lansing promoting Americanism. Dr. Kondo spoke about the work done by Nisei Americans.
• Ex-State Department Official Will Speak to New York JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Dr. Hugh Borton will address the New York JACL on March 31 on whether Japan is ready for a peace treaty. A panel of Columbia graduate students will also present.
• Nisei Vues Gain Top Rung in Chicago Nisei Bowling Play, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Nisei Vues took first place in the Chicago JACL bowling league by defeating the Sakada Optometrists. Several teams and bowlers posted notable series in the 27th round of play.
• Nisei Is Named Coach of the Year by Cage League, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Dr. Toshio Furukawa was named outstanding coach of the year by the Helper, Utah city basketball league. He is also the league president and chairman of the Kiwanis invitational tournament.
• Twin Cities Plan Golf Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Twin Cities JACL announced its second annual golf tournament for late spring, with co-chairmen Hank Omachi, Ray Tachibana and Tom Ohno. About forty Nisei from Minneapolis and St. Paul are expected to take part.
• Vandals Wreck Headstones in Utah Cemetery, by P.C. Staff, page 8. At least thirty headstones in the Japanese section of the Price city cemetery were mutilated or toppled over the March 4 weekend. The city offered a reward for information leading to the arrest of the vandals.
• 20-40 Club Tops Goal in ADC Fund Drive, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The West Los Angeles JACL ADC fund drive exceeded its goal of $1,650 by nearly $200. Elmer Uchida and Gisuke Sakamoto led the campaign, which will issue a financial report listing all contributors.
• Montanans Push Membership Drive, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Montana JACL launched its membership drive with a dance and box lunch social at the IOOF hall. Pres. Tom Koyama announced the campaign committee led by three vice presidents.
• Idaho Falls Boosts JACL 1000 Club, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Idaho Falls JACL showed strong support for the 1000 Club at a March 18 dinner attended by over sixty members from several chapters. National director Mas Satow spoke on lesser publicized JACL accomplishments.
• Wins $1,000 in Homes Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Gyo Obata, a Nisei designer, won the $1,000 first prize in the Chicago Tribune’s fourth annual better homes competition for his kitchen design. He also placed fourth in the extra room section.
• Minnesota Asked to Seek Injunction, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Minnesota state conference of the NAACP asked the state attorney general to seek an injunction against the American Bowling Congress until it removes its racially restrictive membership provision. Attorney General J. A. A. Burnquist confirmed the request.

Military & Veterans

• Italian Farmer Finds Remains of 100th Battalion Soldier, by P.C. Staff, page 3. An Italian farmer discovered the remains believed to be those of Pfc. Richard M. Honda, a 100th Battalion soldier killed at Cassino in 1944. The body was taken to the American cemetery and the family hopes to bring him home to Punchbowl.
• Nisei Linguists Play Integral Role in Success of American Occupation of Japan Islands, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Nisei linguists of the First Cavalry Division interrogation section have translated thousands of documents and supported courts-martial and investigations in occupied Japan. Several Nisei soldiers describe reuniting with relatives during their service there.

Commentary

• A Nisei Veteran and Race Covenants, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial condemns the VA and RFC for refusing Katsuto Gow’s home loan because of a racial covenant, noting FHA had ended such practices. It argues veterans should not be denied democratic rights because of race.
• A Commendable Appointment, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial praises the nomination of Dillon S. Myer as Commissioner of Indian Affairs, citing his successful leadership of the WRA. It expresses confidence he will bring the same courage and ability to the problems facing American Indians.
• An Agenda for Action, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial endorses a seven-point 1950 agenda released by the San Francisco Council for Civic Unity covering housing, employment, recreation, health, law enforcement, education, and public information. It argues prejudice must be attacked on every level of activity.
• Nisei and the Theater, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Tajiri examines the lack of dramatic roles and material for Nisei writers and actors on the American stage. He highlights a new Los Angeles Nisei experimental theater group as a potential path forward.
• Press Myopia Ignores Facts, by I. H. Gordon, page 4. Gordon criticizes newspapers for predicting a Republican victory in 1950 based on a narrow sampling of Western farmers. He argues that press reporting remains too distant from ordinary citizens.
• Dollars for Kiyosato, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The editorial describes the Kiyosato Community project in Japan, a Christian democratic model village sponsored by the Brotherhood of St. Andrew. It praises Paul Rusch’s cross-country fundraising tour and urges support for the effort.

Sports

• Morinaga Named on All-Star Team, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Several Nisei athletes received recognition in high school sports, including Benny Morinaga on the all-Snake River Valley basketball team. Other Nisei were noted in state tournaments and varsity lineups across the West.
• Yonamine May Sign with Salt Lake, Phoenix, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Roger Williams reported that Wally Yonamine may sign with either the Phoenix or Salt Lake City farm team after impressing San Francisco Seals manager Lefty O’Doul. The Seals’ crowded outfield may make it difficult for him to break into the lineup immediately.
• Nancy Ito Plays in National AAU Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Denver’s Nancy Ito played forward in the Women’s National AAU basketball tournament, scoring eight points as the Hudsonettes advanced. The article also notes a Denver man barred from a Wisconsin bowling tournament by the ABC race rule.
• Salt Lake Teams Place in Veterans Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Two Nisei bowling teams from Salt Lake placed second and third in a state veterans invitational tournament open to all veterans. The item also notes Nisei bowlers gaining WIBC membership despite the ABC’s exclusionary rules.
• Seeded Teams Win First Round Games in Salt Lake Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Top-seeded teams advanced to the semifinals of the Intermountain Nisei invitational basketball tournament. The Hawaii AJA All-Stars, San Jose Zebras, Salt Lake Zephyrs and Denver All-Stars all won their first round games.
• Nisei Boxers Win Titles at Idaho Tournament, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Gene Machida of Idaho State and Dave Miyagawa of DePaul won championships in the fourth annual Intermountain intercollegiate boxing tournament. Both won by decision in their respective weight classes.
• Watanabe Wins Two Races for UCLA Team, by P.C. Staff, page 7. UCLA sprinter Watanabe won both the 100-yard and 200-yard dashes as UCLA defeated San Diego State. His 9.8-second century tied a meet record.
• Two Nisei Win Coast College Mat Crowns, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Hosh Watanabe of Washington State and Joe Kimura of San Francisco State won Pacific Coast collegiate wrestling championships. Kimura was named the meet’s most outstanding wrestler.
• Coast Lifting Titlist Learned Sport in Relocation Center, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Tom Kono broke four Northern California weightlifting records in the welterweight class after learning the sport at a WRA relocation center. He is preparing for state championships and hopes to make the 1952 Olympics.
• San Jose Zebras Beat Sacramento to Take Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The San Jose Zebras won the YBA invitational tournament title by defeating the Sacramento Stags 50 to 42. Frank Yoshioka was named the tournament’s most valuable player.
• Kawamoto Gets Most Valuable Award in Prep Hockey League, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Gene Kawamoto, a senior at Cheyenne Mountain high school, was voted the most valuable player in the high school hockey league. He scored 20 goals and recorded eight assists during the season.
• Hawaii All-Stars Win Six Straight on Japan Tour, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Hawaii All-Stars extended their winning streak to six games during their eight-game tour of Japan. They defeated the Japan All-Stars and regional teams in Nagoya and Kyoto.
• Nishita Hits Homer, Pitches 5-Hit Ball, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Bill Nishita, an 18-year-old pitcher from Honolulu, won his second straight game for Santa Rosa Junior College with five-hit pitching. He also hit a home run in the seventh inning.

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