Nisei in the Navy and in Korea, and a debate over JACL’s future

Vol. 31, No. 1, July 8, 1950. 8 pages. View this issue

Nisei serving in uniform led the news in this eight-page issue. Ann Agawa of Santa Maria was named honor student of her WAVE company after enlisting in the Navy, and an AP dispatch described Private First Class James H. Kobayashi among GIs in South Korea. Also on the front page, Saburo Kido urged that the JACL continue as a national organization at the Pacific Southwest District Council convention in Santa Monica, where Mike Masaoka also spoke on Nisei support for the country during the Korean conflict. A report told how limited funds had slowed adjudication of evacuation claims.

The editorial page took up the California Alien Land Act and the pace of the claims program. George Grim told the story of Frank Shigemura, and Bill Hosokawa wrote about a family weekend at a Colorado dude ranch. Sports pages followed Hawaiian swimmers Evelyn Kawamoto and Ford Konno, and baseball players Hank Matsubu and Wally Yonamine.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• First Nisei Girl in Regular Navy Wins Top Honors in Training, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Ann Agawa, daughter of Santa Maria parents, was named honor student of her WAVE company at Naval Air Station training. She enlisted in the Navy on May 1 and will be honored by Rear Admiral Austin K. Doyle on July 9.
• News Report Tells of Nisei GI in South Korea, by P.C. Staff, page 1. An AP dispatch reported Private First Class James H. Kobayashi among GIs scrounging food in South Korea. The report noted he and another soldier brought in chickens for their mess.
• Nisei Army Nurse Post in Germany, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Second Lieut. Ruth Tanaka of Denver, one of few Nisei in the Army Nurse Corps, visited Washington before leaving for an overseas assignment in Germany. While there she visited the grave of her brother, Pfc. John Tanaka, killed in action with the 442nd.

JACL

• National JACL’s Continuance Under Present Status Urged by Kido at Southwest Parley, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Saburo Kido urged continuation of the JACL as a national representative organization in his keynote at the Pacific Southwest District Council convention in Santa Monica. Mike Masaoka also urged Nisei support for the nation during the Korean conflict.

Community

• Saves Life of Girl in Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Pfc. Mitsuru Goto of Denver rescued eight-year-old Yoshiko Akiyama from a swift mountain stream near Mount Fuji. He pulled her to safety by grasping her feet after she was trapped under water.
• Chicago Newspaper Resumes Publication, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Chicago Shimpo resumed publication with its June 29 issue after a three-month suspension and reorganization. Ryoichi Fujii returns as editor and Eugene Konomi joined as managing editor.
• Name Dr. Taguchi Chief of Cardiology at Dayton Hospital, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. James T. Taguchi, formerly of Rocky Ford, was appointed chief of cardiology at Brown General Hospital in Dayton. He is also the president of the Dayton JACL chapter.
• Report 141 Arrive on General Gordon, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The General Gordon docked in San Francisco with 141 passengers, including war-time strandees and Nisei and Issei returning from visits to Japan. The ship carried people from several Japanese population centers.
• Ruby Takayama Named YBA Queen, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Ruby Takayama of Parlier was crowned queen of the Central California YBA carnival on June 30. She was selected at the coronation ball.
• Conscientious Host Offers to Pay County for Medic Bills, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Myoshi Yamanaka of Concord offered to pay the county part of medical bills after guests were poisoned at his April dinner party. County Counsel Fred Felton recommended a compromise with the Board of Supervisors.
• Long-Sought Nisei Suspect Indicted for Forgery in East, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Nisei wanted in several California cities for passing bad checks was indicted in New York for forgery in an attempt to swindle $450 from a St. Louis Nisei. Police said he posed as a war veteran to victimize families of soldiers killed in action.
• Nisei Woman Teller Thwarts Attempt of Bandit to Rob Bank, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Mrs. Mae Natori, a Nisei bank teller in Seattle, helped foil a $2300 robbery by alerting the alarm and joining a chase. Her actions led to the capture of the robber, James E. Sweeney, within minutes.
• Maui Veterans Hold Carnival for Scholarship, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Maui AJA Veterans held their annual carnival at Kahului Fairgrounds to raise funds for the Maui AJA Gift Scholarship to the University of Hawaii. Tatsuo Fujimoto, a 1950 graduate of Lahainaluna Technical High School, was named the scholarship winner.
• Japan Agency Says Many Nisei Ask to Erase Birth Registry, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Many Nisei are asking to be removed from Japanese birth records through the Japanese Overseas Agency office in San Francisco. Director Atsushi Uyama said most notices received were expatriation requests from Nisei registered without their knowledge.
• Pacific Northwest Council to Hold Meeting in Seattle, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Pacific Northwest district council will meet in Seattle on July 16 to discuss JACL matters for the national convention. Chapters will also report on ADC fund drives and plan a district council queen candidate.
• Hagiwara Family Sells Art Treasures of Famed Garden, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Hagiwara family, who operated the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park before WWII, is liquidating treasures from their former home. They hope to raise money to buy a house after losing their garden in 1942.
• Dayton JACL Holds Picnic, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Dayton JACL chapter sponsored a picnic for Nisei and Issei in the area with softball, croquet and bridge. A large group attended the afternoon event.
• Seattle’s Housing Authority Proves Non-Segregation Race Policy Works in Public Projects, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Seattle Housing Authority has maintained a strict nonsegregation policy in its twelve public housing projects for nearly ten years. The Christian Science Monitor reported that Nisei returning from relocation centers live harmoniously with other racial groups.
• San Francisco JACL Plan Queen Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The San Francisco JACL is accepting entries for its queen contest to select representatives for the Northern California-Western Nevada district finals. The queen will be chosen at a dance on August 5.
• Mazawa’s Camera to Document JACL Convention Activities, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Ken Mazawa, an award-winning Nisei photographer, will film about an hour and a half of footage at the national JACL convention in Chicago. He is a free-lance photographer whose work appears in Scene magazine and Chicago newspapers.

National

• Report Limited Administrative Funds Slow Down Adjudication of Japanese American Claims, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Limited administrative funds have slowed the Justice Department’s indemnification program for evacuation claims, with only Los Angeles and San Francisco field offices established. Plans call for temporary field offices to interview claimants in other localities.
• House Group Cites Hawaiian Nisei Witnesses, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Thirty-nine witnesses, including Nisei who refused to answer questions on political affiliations, were cited for contempt by a House Un-American Activities subcommittee. Many were members or former members of the CIO longshoremen’s union in Hawaii.

Obituaries

• Death of Former Hawaiian FBI Chief Recalls Vigorous Defense of Loyalty of Nisei, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 2. Robert L. Shivers, former FBI chief in Honolulu, died June 28 after a career defending Nisei loyalty during WWII. He refused to act hastily against Japanese Americans and publicly debunked sabotage rumors after Pearl Harbor.

Arts & Entertainment

• Lionel Hampton Band Honors Nisei Trombonist Paul Higaki, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Lionel Hampton band will honor Nisei trombonist Paul Higaki with a testimonial night at the Golden Gate theater in San Francisco. The event marks his first anniversary with the band.
• Higaki Appears on TV Broadcast in San Francisco, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Paul Higaki, trombonist with the Lionel Hampton orchestra, appeared on the Del Courtney TV show over KSFO. He discussed celebrating his first year with Hampton and his previous work with other bands.
• Shirley Yamaguchi Considered for Hollywood Roles, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Actress Shirley Yamaguchi is reported to be under consideration for several Hollywood film roles including Macao and East Is East. The column also notes MGM’s planned film Go for Broke about the 442nd Combat Team.

Commentary

• Minority Week: Racial Provincialism and the New Negro, by P.C. Staff, page 2. This column reflects on how no racial minority can remain isolated, quoting Rabbi Irving Miller on shared struggles against discrimination. It also discusses the case of G. W. McLaurin, a Negro guinea pig who challenged segregation at the University of Oklahoma.
• Editorials: A Noxious and Offensive Law, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial examines the California appellate court’s decision invoking UN Charter commitments to declare the Alien Land Act unenforceable. It urges the California Supreme Court to strike down the discriminatory statute.
• Speeding Up Adjudication, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial argues that the evacuee claims program under Public Law 886 has bogged down in administrative uncertainties and insufficient funding. It warns that cutting administrative appropriations will drag out adjudication for decades.
• The Shigemura Story, by George Grim, page 4. George Grim recounts the story of Frank Shigemura, a Japanese American student from Seattle who was relocated to Carleton College and later killed in Italy with the 442nd. His parents’ generous donations to Carleton honored their son’s memory.
• Bill Hosokawa: From the Frying Pan / Between Carbons, by Al T. Miyadi, page 5. Columnist Al T. Miyadi describes the good life in California, from Palos Verdes to Orange County to San Juan Capistrano. The column playfully contrasts California living with other regions.
• The Kids Go to a Dude Ranch, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa describes a weekend at a Colorado dude ranch where his children rode horses in a rodeo parade. He notes the children were proudest of a silly jingle picked up from a Chicago kid.

Sports

• Versatile Matsubu Catches, Plays Outfield, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Hank Matsubu, an Idaho star in his second year of pro ball with Yuma in the Sunset League, has played catcher, outfield, infield and pitcher. He was signed by Pittsburgh Pirates scout Babe Herman.
• Yonamine Slumps But Fielding Sparkles, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Wally Yonamine, centerfielder for the Salt Lake Bees, saw his average drop to .305 facing left-handed pitching. He nonetheless made several key catches including a diving one-handed grab against Billings.
• San Jose Zebras Defeat Fresno, Lodi Ball Teams, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The San Jose Zebras defeated the Fresno Nisei All-Stars 8 to 2 and the Lodi A.C. 8 to 2 in the race for the unofficial mainland Nisei baseball championship. Jiro Nakamura pitched five-hit ball in the Fresno win.
• Kawamoto, Konno Set New U.S. Records at Honolulu Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Evelyn Kawamoto and Ford Konno set new American swimming records at the Hawaiian AAU championships in Honolulu. Kawamoto broke her own record in the 300-meter individual medley.
• Coach Sakamoto’s Hawaiian Girl Stars Prepare Defense of National Swimming Honors, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Coach Soichi Sakamoto’s Hawaiian swimmers, who won the 1949 National AAU women’s outdoor team title, prepared for the High Point meet. Thelma Kalama and Evelyn Kawamoto set records in time trials.
• Substitute Golfer Frank Rutkiewiez Enters Semi-Finals of National Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Frank Rutkiewiez, a Honolulu truck driver, replaced Sukeyoshi Kushi in the National Public Links tournament at Louisville. He advanced to the semi-finals after defeating Ken Ventur 1 up.

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.