Bills of rights, the Alien Land Law and Nisei bowlers in 1950

Vol. 30, No. 20, May 20, 1950. 8 pages. View this issue

Protection against another forced mass removal opened this eight-page issue. The National Japanese Canadian Citizens Association asked Canada to adopt a bill of rights, citing the 1942 removal from coastal British Columbia. The JACL, NAACP, ACLU and American Jewish Congress filed a brief backing the court decision that struck down California’s Alien Land Law, and the state asked for a rehearing. Lawrence Nakatsuka reported on Honolulu Supervisor Richard Kageyama and a perjury charge, and on Hawaii dollars flowing to Japan. Mike Masaoka was invited to a dinner honoring Yukio Ozaki.

The American Bowling Congress dropped the word white from its membership rules, and the sports pages followed Nisei bowlers across the West. Larry Tajiri’s columns looked at slow payment of evacuee claims and at The Jackie Robinson Story. Bill Hosokawa’s Vagaries and Mary Oyama’s column on a La Crescenta home fight are inside, along with plans for the JACL convention in Chicago on September 29.

What’s in this issue

National

• Canadian Nisei Seek Federal Bill of Rights Want Protection Against Another Mass Evacuation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National Japanese Canadian Citizens Association urged the Canadian government to adopt a bill of rights to prevent a repeat of the wartime forced evacuation from coastal British Columbia. The brief, presented to a Senate committee studying human rights, argued that the 1942 removal showed that citizenship rights were not deeply secured.
• Masaoka Invited to Attend Dinner Honoring Yukio Ozaki, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mike Masaoka, JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee legislative director, was invited to a May 24 dinner in New York honoring Yukio Ozaki, the long-serving Japanese Parliament member. Ozaki was noted as one of the few outspoken liberals in that body during the 1930s and 1940s.
• Persons He Accused May Help Supervisor Kageyama Escape Indictment on Perjury Charge, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 1. Honolulu Supervisor Richard Kageyama may avoid a perjury indictment because the prosecution must rely on independent evidence, and the people he named as Communists are refusing to testify. Impeachment efforts against him are also being prepared after the VFW called for his ouster.
• Chicago JACL Asks Retention of Federal Rent Controls, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Chicago JACL chapter, president Shigeo Wakamatsu, joined labor and civic groups in urging Congress to extend federal rent control beyond June 30, 1950. The coalition, called the Citizens Committee for Rent Control, sought effective limits on rents and evictions.
• JACL Joins Three Groups in Brief Upholding Court’s Decision Outlawing Land Law, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL, NAACP, ACLU and American Jewish Congress filed an amicus brief supporting the California appellate decision that the UN Charter rendered the Alien Land Law invalid. The brief argued that overturning the ruling would contradict international commitments and the U.S. Constitution.
• State Cites UN Authorities in Challenging Court’s Verdict, by P.C. Staff, page 1. California Attorney General Fred Howser petitioned for a rehearing of the Fujii decision, arguing the UN Charter is not self-executing and the Declaration of Human Rights is not a binding treaty. The petition cited statements from Eleanor Roosevelt, Edward Stettinius and Manley Hudson to support the state’s position.
• 21 Reluctant Nisei Witnesses May Face Contempt Citations, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A House Un-American Activities Committee vote sought contempt action against 39 Hawaii witnesses, including 21 Nisei, who refused to answer questions. The case is expected to test whether a witness alone decides what answers would be self-incriminating.
• Nisei Stranded Citizenship Cases to Be Heard, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Three Nisei whose American citizenship was questioned for serving in Japanese forces will have their cases heard in federal court in Los Angeles on June 12. They argue their service was the result of coercion and seek recognition of their American nationality.
• Hawaii Purses Drain as Japan-Bound Tourists and Visiting Artists Take Dollars, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 3. Hawaiian dollars are flowing to Japan through a mass exodus of tourists and payments to visiting theatrical talent, leaving the territory with an adverse balance of trade. The author argues the territory’s unemployment and economic weakness make such spending a serious problem for the whole community.
• Civil Rights Group Studies Omnibus Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The National Civil Liberties Clearing House named a three-member subcommittee, including Mike Masaoka, to study the McCarran Omnibus bill. The panel will produce a detailed analysis to guide the organization’s position on the measure.
• CIO to Fight Discrimination in Auto Clubs, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The CIO instructed its legal staff to sue the American Automobile Association over its ban on Negro members, following the American Bowling Congress decision to rescind its own ban. The CIO said the steelworkers union had first challenged the bowling group’s restrictions.

Community

• Japanese Canadians Evacuated from Winnipeg Flood Area, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Twenty-one Japanese Canadian families were among the St. Vital residents evacuated as the Red River flooded the area near Winnipeg. Japanese Canadian volunteers also joined residents in strengthening dykes along the flood front.
• JACL Council Will Sponsor Nisei Week, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Los Angeles JACL Coordinating Council will sponsor the 1950 Nisei Week Festival, with the former executive board resuming leadership. Proceeds from the festival will be deposited into the Community Center Fund established last year.
• Tom Kumagai Named to Phi Beta Kappa, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Tom T. Kumagai became the only Nisei elected to Phi Beta Kappa at the University of Utah for 1950. A physics major with a straight A average, he will graduate in June.
• New York Members Will Discuss Job Opportunities for Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The New York JACL education committee will host a panel forum on May 25 examining job opportunities for Nisei in the city. Speakers include professionals from teaching, engineering, business and an employment-service proposal.
• L.A.’s First Mother’s Day Baby Born to Nisei Couple, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Norman Kado was born at 12:35 a.m. on Mother’s Day and became the first baby born in the southland that day. He received a diaper made of Hawaiian orchids and an orchid lei for his mother.
• Dress Firms Express Interest in JACL Convention Fashion Show, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Fashion editors and dress manufacturers in Chicago showed enthusiasm for the Tea-Fashion Show planned for the National JACL Convention on September 29. Each chapter is encouraged to send at least one designer’s creation to be shown.
• Leading Chicago Citizens Will Select Nisei of the Year, by Dr. Thomas T. Yatabe, page 2. Distinguished Chicagoans joined a panel of judges for the National Recognitions Committee, which will choose the Nisei of the Year to be announced at the national JACL convention. The committee chairman, Dr. Thomas Yatabe, said the awards should reflect the views of the rank and file.
• Gardena Chapter Is Reactivated, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Gardena Nisei met with regional director Tats Kushida to reactivate the local JACL chapter and named a slate of candidates for chapter officers. A May membership drive will precede officer elections in June.
• Salt Laker Elected to Honor Society, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Lindy Kumagai was one of thirty graduate students elected to Phi Kappa Phi, an honorary scholastic society. He holds a straight A average and will begin medical school in June.
• Hawaii Y Man Will Assist on Education Committee, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Masao Isobe, boys’ work secretary at the Nuuanu YMCA of Honolulu, was named to the commission on education for world citizenship at the North American YMCA assembly. The commission will make recommendations to the National YMCA.
• 3-Year Old Twins Amaze TV Audience with Reading Ability, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Sheila and Cheryl Sunada, three-year-old twin daughters of a Murray family, demonstrated advanced reading and spelling on KDYL-TV’s Sandman Stories program. They learned the alphabet at age two and regularly check out about six books from the library.
• Placer JACL Dedicates Ball Park for Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Placer County JACL dedicated its baseball park in Penryn, California, with District Attorney C. E. Tindall praising the area’s Japanese American law-abiding record. The park was built to give Nisei teams a playing field.
• Art, Photo Exhibits Will Be Feature of JACL Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The National JACL Convention will host its first art and photo exhibit, open to Japanese ancestry artists and photographers across the United States, Hawaii and Alaska. Exhibit chairman Mas Nakagawa said the show will highlight creative work by Japanese Americans.
• Minnesota’s Treatment of Nisei Commendable, Governor Told, by Dick Kleeman, page 8. A report from Governor Youngdahl’s inter-racial commission praises Minnesota’s treatment of Japanese, Chinese and Filipino Americans, estimating about 200 Nisei families in the Twin Cities. The report notes some job and housing discrimination but concludes Orientals have prospered in the state.
• Gresham Chapter Is Feted by Mid-Columbia Group, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Members of the newly formed Gresham JACL were guests of the Mid-Columbia chapter for a blossom tour and social in Hood River, Oregon. About 100 people attended a potluck dinner followed by slides and dancing.
• Eastern Bussei to Hold Meet in Cleveland, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The fifth annual Eastern Young Buddhist League convention will be held in Cleveland from May 27 to 30 at the Hotel Hollenden. Planned events include a mixer, sightseeing, a bowling tournament, an oratorical contest and a banquet.

Military & Veterans

• Dr. Minami Named to High Post in Masonic Lodge, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Henry K. Minami, a District of Columbia Health Department dentist, was installed as Sword Bearer in the Brightwood Commandery No. 6, Knights Templar. It is believed to be the first time a Nisei has attained this rank in American history.
• Plaque Replicas May Be Ordered from Col. Hanley, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Lt. Col. James M. Hanley, who commanded the 2nd battalion of the 442nd combat team, is taking orders for replicas of the plaque honoring the rescue of the Lost Battalion. Replicas cost between $24 and $34 depending on the number ordered.
• Portland Doctor Named Army Captain, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The army appointed Barrie M. Kato, a Portland native and University of Oregon graduate, as a captain in the Medical Corps. Kato earned his medical degree from Hahnemann Medical College in 1943.

Commentary

• American Bowling Congress Expects Nisei Teams to Enter 1950 Tournament at St. Paul, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The American Bowling Congress voted to delete the word white from its membership rules, leaving eligibility to local associations. General counsel Michael Dunn warned that lawsuits threatened the organization’s existence unless discriminatory provisions were rescinded.
• A Visitor from Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial welcomes Yukio Ozaki, age 91, who is revisiting the United States to promote goodwill between Japan and America. It recounts his career as a democratic liberal in Japan, including his wartime opposition to militarism and his work for peace.
• McCarran Bill Arouses Opposition, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial reports that the 248-page McCarran omnibus immigration bill has drawn opposition from organized groups over its European immigration provisions. It urges Senate passage of the Walter Resolution, which would remove race restrictions from naturalization law.
• Roger Baldwin and One World, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial congratulates Roger Nash Baldwin on receiving the One World Award for his decades of work with the ACLU and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It notes his efforts to bring democratic principles to America’s minority groups.
• The Robinson Story, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The Jackie Robinson Story is the first film based on the life of a Negro, with Robinson playing himself. The column also notes Eagle-Lion invited its employees to invest in the picture.
• The High Cost of Evacuation, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Payment of evacuee claims under Public Law 886 has been stalled by a lack of precedent, with only a handful of claims paid so far. The column argues that the appropriation cut and slow processing threaten the program’s fairness to evacuees.
• Sentiment in Deep South, by Roku Sugchora, page 5. The author recounts a 1945 Jefferson Parish resolution that opposed locating Japanese colonists in Louisiana, which was passed during the war years. Five years later, the author reports that many local officials have since hired Japanese Americans, signaling a change in attitude.
• Vagaries, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa’s column covers a range of items, including Nisei actors playing Japanese soldiers in Hollywood films and Idaho Senator Glen Taylor’s praise of Hawaii’s racial harmony. It also notes the upcoming Chicago JACL convention air race and other notes.
• From the Frying Pan, by Larry Tajiri, page 5. A fishing column describes the author’s plan to visit a Colorado dude ranch to try trout fishing and write a feature on its facilities. The piece is light and humorous, admitting a materialistic interest in catching fish for the table.
• Citizen Miyahara’s Problem: You Are Not Alone, by Mary Oyama, page 5. Miss May Miyahara faced a protest meeting and pressure from neighbors after planning to build a home in La Crescenta. Community support from churches, Rotary and Kiwanis helped stand firm against the bigoted campaign.

Arts & Entertainment

• Two Veterans Open New Art Agency in Nation’s Capital, by I. H. Gordon, page 2. Jack Hirose and Henry J. Baysili, both ex-GIs, opened the Art Design Studio in Washington, D.C., which is believed to be the only agency in the nation owned by a Nisei and a Spanish immigrant. The firm has attracted clients including the American National Red Cross and Good Humor Ice Cream.
• Troupe from Japan Helps Break Ground for New Theater, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A musical troupe of six Japanese vocal and musical performers, led by song composer Masao Koga, helped break ground for a new Japanese motion picture and legitimate theater in Los Angeles. The group planned a United States tour after its California performances.
• Nisei Singer Mulls Offer from Japan Studio, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Kayle Shindo, a Nisei blues singer who sings in English and Japanese, is considering an offer from a Japanese film studio. Her appearance in Tokyo Joe and her Hawaii engagements led to several film studio inquiries.

Incarceration & Redress

• Wartime Evacuee Relocation Experts Join Dillon Myer to Tackle U.S. Indian Problem, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Former War Relocation Authority officials are moving into top posts at the Bureau of Indian Affairs after Dillon Myer was appointed Commissioner. Myer said it is not yet possible to say when Indians could take full control of their own affairs.

Sports

• Expect Utah Nisei to Enter ABC Play, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Salt Lake Telegram columnist Bill Coltrin reported that Utah bowling leaders expect around 200 Japanese American bowlers to be accepted into local leagues following the ABC’s removal of its race restriction. The article notes Nisei bowlers had been barred from ABC events since 1948 despite earlier participation.
• Yonamine’s Timely Hitting Aids Two Salt Lake Bee Victories, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Wally Yonamine’s clutch hitting helped the Salt Lake City Bees win two games against Idaho Falls. The former pro football star was hitting .341 for the Pioneer League club and played several positions during the week.
• Nisei Vues Win Championship of Chicago League, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Nisei Vues clinched first place in the Chicago JACL bowling league with a 4-0 win on the final night of play. Tak Fujii of the Vues held the season’s high average, and Jun Oishi had the high series.
• Idaho Falls Bowlers Open Ranks to Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Idaho Falls Bowling Association invited JACL bowlers to compete in its city tournament, anticipating the ABC’s removal of its white-only rule. Association secretary Mack Harris said the group would fully support the move to make the ABC democratic.
• Hank Matsubu Catches for Yuma in Sunset League, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Hank Matsubu, a Pittsburgh Pirates farm prospect who previously played for Modesto, is the second Nisei to play in the Sunset League for Yuma. He caught for the team in a loss to Porterville.
• Reno Slates First Singles Classic for Oriental Bowlers, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Reno Bowl will host the first annual Oriental Fourth of July handicap singles tournament from June 30 to July 4. The event offers a $200 first prize plus a trophy, with entries managed by tournament secretary Clint Harvey.

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