Nisei in the Korean War, and the JACL’s convention plans

Vol. 31, No. 6, August 12, 1950. 8 pages. View this issue

The Korean War reached Japanese American families in this 8-page issue. Lawrence Nakatsuka reported from Honolulu that Hawaii’s casualty list already held 14 Nisei, including Pfc. Jack C. Arakawa, a 442nd veteran and the first Hawaii casualty. I. H. Gordon wrote that Nisei draftees would be called on the same basis as all other citizens, and Elmer R. Smith recounted how JACL fought for equal treatment of Nisei in the draft.

The JACL invited President Truman to its eleventh biennial convention in Chicago, and the Anti-Discrimination Committee pressed on evacuation claims funding and the Soldier Brides bill. Bill Hosokawa wrote from Alaska, and Hugo Yamamoto profiled a doctor in remote British Columbia. Page 6 and page 7 carry sports, with Ford Konno’s swimming, Wally Yonamine’s baseball and Evelyn Kawamoto’s national records.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• Eleven Hawaiian Nisei GIs Reported Missing in Action with U.S. Forces in Korea, by By LAWRENCE NAKATSUKA, page 1. Hawaii’s Korean War casualty list already includes 14 Nisei, including the first death, World War II 442nd veteran Pfc. Jack C. Arakawa. The article lists the wounded and missing Nisei soldiers and their families.
• Atom-Scarred Nisei Inducted Into US Army, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Wesley T. Shirai, 19, who still bears scars from the Hiroshima atomic bombing, was sworn into the U.S. Army on Aug. 9. He had previously served in the army and been on occupation duty in Japan.
• First Nisei Wins Commission as Air Force Pilot, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Robert S. Utsumi of Oakland became the first Nisei commissioned as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force after graduating from pilot training at Williams Air Force Base. He had previously attended the University of California at Berkeley.
• Report Draft-Eligible Nisei Will Be Called for Duty on Same Basis as All Other Citizens, by By I. H. GORDON, page 2. Selective Service officials confirmed that Nisei draftees will be classified and inducted without regard to race and will serve in no segregated units. The article traces how Nisei were excluded after Pearl Harbor and later earned distinction in the 442nd and in the Pacific.
• Nisei Army Nurse Serves With U.S. Army in Germany, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Lt. Tanaka, a Nisei army nurse at the 98th General Hospital in Munich, writes of her impressions of postwar Germany. She describes the hospital, the people, and the local culture.
• JACL Fought for Equal Treatment of Nisei in Draft, by By ELMER R. SMITH, page 5. The article recounts how JACL cooperated with government agencies after Pearl Harbor through war bond drives and registration assistance. It then describes JACL’s protests against the reclassification of Nisei in 4-C and its fight for equal treatment in the draft.
• War Correspondent Indicates Nisei GIs in Action in Korea, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A United Press dispatch reports Nisei troops in combat with the Fifth Regimental Combat Team in Korea, paired with other soldiers under a buddy system. The article notes the Fifth’s early setbacks and its history.

JACL

• President Sent Bid to JACL National Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL invited President Truman to attend its eleventh biennial convention in Chicago, the first time it has extended such an invitation to a sitting president. Organizers said his attendance was doubtful given the Korean situation but expressed gratitude for his civil rights leadership.
• JACL Awards Will Be Made at Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The JACL’s Distinguished Leadership Awards will be presented at the Chicago convention banquet, the first time such awards have been given. Spady Koyama is cited as a nominee for his work against veterans’ discrimination.

National

• California’s Democratic Party Convention Calls for Repeal of State’s Alien Land Statute, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The California Democratic state committee called for repeal of the Alien Land Act and for equal opportunity in employment at its convention. JACL and other civil rights representatives attended the convention and urged the adoption of these planks.
• President Signs 22 Private Bills for Japanese Wives and Children, by P.C. Staff, page 1. President Truman signed 22 private bills admitting Japanese wives and minor children of soldiers and veterans, according to the JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee. Congress was expected to pass a Soldier Brides Act to eliminate the need for such bills.
• JACL Urges No Further Cuts in Proposed Allocation for Evacuation Claims Program, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee urged appropriations conferees to avoid further cuts to the Evacuation Claims program. The Senate reduced claims funding while raising administrative funds, and the JACL argued the claims payments line is the more important figure.
• Twelve Los Angeles Area Nisei Report for Draft Physicals, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Twelve Nisei from the Los Angeles area reported for army physicals as part of a group of 223 men called for examinations. The article names the Nisei called from the West Los Angeles draft board and others.
• Nisei Progressives Ask Nehru to Continue Mediation for Korea, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Nisei Progressives wrote to Indian Prime Minister Nehru asking him to keep pressing for mediation of the Korean war and for assurance the atom bomb will not be used. The letter also endorsed his call for admitting Communist China to the UN.
• Nisei Pacifist Participates in Peace Plea at Atom City, by P.C. Staff, page 3. James Otsuka, a member of the Peacemakers, joined a demonstration at the Oak Ridge atomic plant on the anniversary of Hiroshima calling for no more Hiroshimas. It was his second visit to the site, following an earlier protest where he burned part of a dollar bill.
• Congress Reviews Wartime Soldier Brides Law With Passage of McCarran Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The House passed a Soldier Brides bill admitting spouses and minor children of GIs and veterans regardless of race for up to six months, after the Senate passed a version unanimously. The bill would resolve some 700 cases of Japanese wives and children of American servicemen.

Community

• Quick-Thinking Issei Saves Life of Boy in Oakland, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A 62-year-old Oakland Issei, Kakuichi Sadamune, rescued six-year-old William Ward from a flooded culvert on Aug. 7. He gave the boy artificial respiration before police and medical help arrived.
• JACL Invites Rep. Walter to Speak at Convention Fete, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The JACL invited Rep. Francis E. Walter to address its Anti-Discrimination Committee testimonial banquet at the Chicago convention. The banquet will honor congressmen who helped JACL legislative efforts, and Walter is credited with the Walter Resolution removing racial naturalization barriers.
• Seattle JACL Picks Miss Tsutsumoto, by P.C. Staff, page 2. May Tsutsumoto was chosen Miss Seattle JACL by a panel of judges and will represent the Pacific Northwest at the national queen contest in Chicago. She will also serve as the Nisei queen for Seattle Seafair and appear at the Seattle International Carnival.
• Nisei Supervisor Continues to Make News in Honolulu, by By LAWRENCE NAKATSUKA, page 2. Honolulu Supervisor Richard M. Kageyama faces criticism after admitting past Communist Party membership and reportedly planning reelection. Newspaper editorials question his fitness to hold office and his legal status as a supervisor.
• New York Names JACL Delegates to Chicago Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Akira Hayashi and Frank Kuwahara were named to represent the New York JACL chapter at the national convention in Chicago. Yoshiteru Kawano and Ina Sugita were named as alternates.
• Eastbay Chapter Hears Noted Artist, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Mine Okubo, painter and author of Citizen 13660, was guest of honor at an Eastbay JACL chapter reception in Berkeley. She spoke informally about her experiences in the art field to a gathering of 75 members and friends.
• Townsend Harris Post Supports Resolution for Land Law Change, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The all-Nisei Townsend Harris post of the American Legion in San Francisco will present a resolution to the state convention calling for amending the Alien Land Act to exempt parents of Japanese American servicemen. The resolution was already approved by the district council.
• Petite Secretary Crowned as Queen in San Francisco, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Florence Ohmura, a petite ACLU secretary, was crowned Miss San Francisco JACL at the chapter’s coronation dance. She will represent the chapter in the district council finals.
• Twin Cities Group Raises ADC Quota, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The United Citizens League of Twin Cities met its $1,000 Anti-Discrimination Committee fund quota this year. Chairman H. Leslie Abe credited the work of the fund drive committee and Mike Masaoka’s record.

Commentary

• Seoul City Sue, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A Denver newspaper story proposed June Serizawa, a Denver JACL queen candidate, as a counter to a Korean propaganda broadcaster, which she denied volunteering for. The article notes the publicity gained by the Denver JACL queen contest.
• Prejudice for Export, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial cites a report that American occupation troops in Japan are spreading racial discrimination, including segregated facilities and deference to white customers. It argues the Army should enforce its own anti-discrimination policy abroad because prejudice undermines American democracy in Asia.
• Quota, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The column reports that a survey found Philadelphia medical schools reduced Jewish enrollment by half through quotas and questionnaires about ancestry. It also notes a Vermont program in which children of different races vacation in each other’s homes.
• Country Doctor, by By HUGO YAMAMOTO, page 4. Dr. Masajiro Miyasaki, believed to be the only Japanese doctor in his area, serves a remote district of British Columbia covering over 4,000 square miles. The article describes his travel by horseback, boat, train and snow, and his work as police doctor.
• The Ordeal By McCarthy, by By I. H. GORDON, page 4. The columnist urges readers to buy Owen Lattimore’s book Ordeal by Slander, suggesting profits help offset the costs Lattimore suffered from Senator McCarthy’s attacks. He proposes using the proceeds to aid others harmed by McCarthyism.
• The Bitter Tea of the Tokyo Club, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The writer examines the Tokyo Clubs, gambling operations in Japanese American communities that drained Issei earnings and fostered crime and vice. He argues the Issei should have prevented their growth and warns that a new Nisei syndicate may be forming.
• Bill Hosokawa: From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa reports on former Heart Mountain residents Harry and Peanuts Main, who now live in Anchorage, Alaska, and describes the Nisei farmers in the Matanuska valley. He notes Anchorage’s lack of racial prejudice alongside its very high living costs.
• Vagaries, by P.C. Staff, page 5. This column notes news about Hideyo Noguchi’s upcoming biography, the Kanazawa Trio’s run at the Latin Quarter, and Nisei roles in Hollywood and Korea. It also mentions MGM’s casting interviews for the film Go for Broke.

In-Depth

• A Nisei Pioneer in Aviation, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Henry Ohye, a pioneer Nisei pilot who in 1934 led a goodwill flight, is promoting an all-Nisei trophy air race from Los Angeles to Chicago in September. The article recounts his career and his hopes for Nisei participation in aviation.
• Nisei Angle in Far Alaska, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The article describes Anchorage as a boom town with high prices and few racial barriers, where Indians and Negroes are accepted on individual merit. It contrasts the town’s lively summers with its expensive, lengthy winters.

Sports

• Konno Shows Furuhashi Is Only Human, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Seventeen-year-old Honolulu Nisei Ford Konno came within three yards of Japan’s Hironoshin Furuhashi in an 800-meter race, setting a new world record in the process. The column projects Konno as a top middle-distance contender for the 1952 Olympics.
• Seals Scout Watches Yonamine Perform, by P.C. Staff, page 6. San Francisco Seals scout Al Floresi watched Wally Yonamine play for Salt Lake in a Pioneer League game where he led the Bees to a win. The article details Yonamine’s hitting, outfield play, and stolen base total.
• Yonamine Wins Applause for Outfield Play, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Wally Yonamine’s outfield catches drew praise from Salt Lake fans during a week when his batting slumped. The article lists his season statistics through 95 games.
• Tazoi Sisters Hit Home Runs For Salt Lake, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Mickey and Faye Tazoi hit successive home runs for the Salt Lake Shamrocks in a softball game against the Phoenix Ramblers. Salt Lake lost 6 to 3 in twelve innings.
• Evelyn Kawamoto Retains Medley Title, Ties for First in 200-Meter Breaststroke, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Hawaiian swimmers Evelyn Kawamoto and Evelyn Kalama retained their AAU individual championships at High Point, N.C. Kawamoto also tied for first in the 200-meter breaststroke, a dead heat that set a new national record.
• Ford Konno Plays Major Role in U.S. Victory Over Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Ford Konno won the 1500-meter freestyle and anchored key relay performances as the American swim team defeated Japan in a Tokyo dual meet. His performances against Furuhashi and Marshall drew attention to his prospects.
• Roy Higa Will Meet Mitchell in Sacramento, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Hawaiian boxers Roy Higa and Johnny Efhan are scheduled to fight at the Sacramento Civic Auditorium on Aug. 18, with trainer Shig Takahashi. Efhan meets Harold Dade in the main event and Higa faces James Mitchell in the semi-windup.
• Nisei Chick Sexing Pioneers, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The article traces the introduction of chick sexing to the United States from Japan in the 1930s and the role Nisei played in building the industry. It highlights S. John Nitta’s school, founded in 1937, as the first chick sexing school in America.

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