The 1950 JACL convention in Chicago: claims, Issei citizenship, new leaders

Vol. 31, No. 14, October 7, 1950. 12 pages. View this issue

The 11th biennial JACL convention in Chicago filled this October 1950 issue. Delegates backed a lump-sum indemnity and a 25 per cent advance payment for evacuation claims, after hearing that the Justice Department’s program could take ten years or more. Senator Scott Lucas, Rep. Francis Walter and Rep. Walter Judd pledged action on Issei naturalization. Mike Masaoka was named the first “Nisei of the Year,” Dr. Randolph M. Sakada wrote as the incoming president, and San Francisco won the 1952 convention.

Outside the convention, Lawrence Nakatsuka reported on Hawaii’s heavy casualties in the Korean War, and short items followed Nisei soldiers there. Elmer R. Smith described how the JACL advised the War Relocation Authority in 1942. Bill Hosokawa wrote from Tokyo and about Cousin Willie’s television. Albert Kushihashi won the Henry Ohye Trophy air race, and Fuku Yokoyama was crowned Miss JACL.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• JACL May Ask Lump Sum Indemnity for Evacuees; Advance Payment Proposal Also Voted by Delegates at Evacuation Claims Session, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL national council proposed amendments to the Evacuation Claims Act, including a lump-sum indemnity for evacuees and a 25 per cent advance payment on claims. Delegates were told the Justice Department’s claims program was bogged down in slow, restrictive procedures.
• San Francisco Will Be Scene Of 1952 Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 1. San Francisco JACL’s bid to host the 1952 biennial convention was accepted unanimously by the national council. The Northern California and Western Nevada district council and the San Francisco Convention Bureau supported the invitation.
• JACL Recognitions Banquet Honors Officials, Individuals Who Aided Japanese Americans, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The JACL recognitions dinner honored government officials and individuals who aided Japanese Americans, with Dillon Myer as main speaker. Awards and new officer installations were presented during the five-day convention’s final event.
• ADC Will Retain Offices as $104,000 Budget is Approved, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Convention delegates approved a $104,000 budget for the Anti-Discrimination Committee to maintain its Washington office and regional offices. A $37,500 annual JACL budget was also set, with cuts to travel and legal fees.
• Name Mike Masaoka for “Nisei of Year” Award, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Mike M. Masaoka was named the first “Nisei of the Year” at the JACL convention banquet. Distinguished leadership awards also went to Setsuko Nishi, Larry Tajiri, Hito Okada, and Saburo Kido.
• Decision to Move JACL Headquarters Still Delayed, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The convention made no decision on moving national JACL headquarters from Salt Lake City, and a motion to move to San Francisco was withdrawn. A committee was named to study the possibility further and report to the national board.
• Public Relations Group Asks Stress on Nisei Contributions, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The JACL public relations committee recommended that chapters emphasize Nisei contributions in Japan Nights and cultural events and avoid involvement in international questions unless they affect Nisei. It also urged removing racially derogatory references from local newspapers.
• 1000 Club Adds 50 Members at JACL Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Fifty new members joined the JACL 1000 Club during the Chicago convention, which uses $25 annual fees to support the national JACL. The group also committed to raising membership to 500 in the next period.
• Future JACL Officers Will Be Elected at Biennial Meetings, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Delegates voted to end mail balloting for JACL national officers and return to election by delegates at biennial conventions. The change was adopted as an amendment to the constitution after officials called mail balloting cumbersome.
• Chicago JACL Members Work On Committees, by P.C. Staff, page 9. A list of Chicago JACL members who served on convention committees including finance, registration, banquet, and housing. The committees made the 11th biennial national convention possible.
• Fuku Yokoyama of Washington, D.C. Crowned Queen of JACL Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Fuku Yokoyama was crowned Miss JACL by Rep. Francis Walter at the coronation ball attended by 1,000 guests. Her attendants included queen candidates from districts across the country.
• Radio, Television Programs Cover JACL’s National Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Radio and television programs covered the convention, featuring interviews with Miss JACL, Henry Gosho, and other personalities. Forums on naturalization laws and Japanese American attitudes were also broadcast.
• Kushihashi Wins Henry Ohye Trophy Race; Sponsor Makes Forced Landing in Mexico, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Albert Kushihashi won the Henry Ohye trophy air race, with Albert Takahashi second and Thomas Takemura third. Sponsor Henry Ohye made a forced landing in Mexico, delaying news of his safety.
• Nisei Airmen In Ohye Race Form New Group, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Participants in the Ohye trophy race founded the Nisei Flyers of America in Chicago, with Albert Kushihashi as first president. The group voted to make the race an annual event and planned to seek JACL affiliation.
• Chicago Net Stars Dominate JACL’s Tennis Tournament, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Riku Asakura and Suzie Yawata of Chicago won the men’s and women’s singles titles at the national JACL tennis tournament. Chicago players also took top honors in the doubles events.
• JACL’s New President: Convention Has Given Group Insight Into Future Activity, by Dr. Randolph M. Sakada, page 12. Incoming JACL president Dr. Randolph Sakada reflects that the convention forced the organization to reexamine its goals after its wartime problems were solved. He pledges to lead the JACL in pursuing unfinished goals like naturalization equality.

Military & Veterans

• Congressmen Promise Action On Naturalization Proposal Before End of 1950 Session, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Senator Scott Lucas, Rep. Francis Walter, and Rep. Walter Judd pledged to JACL delegates that Issei naturalization legislation would move before the end of the 1950 session. Lucas also expressed support for Hawaiian and Alaskan statehood.
• Judd Pledge Issei Citizenship, by P.C. Staff, page 4. At the JACL-ADC testimonial dinner, Rep. Walter and Rep. Judd pledged action on Issei naturalization, with Judd predicting citizenship by Christmas. Speakers including Kido, Matsunaga, and Masaoka honored the Issei and urged continued efforts.
• Nisei Liberated By UN Troops in Korean Conflict, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Pfc. Mitsuru Mihara, a Nisei GI from Los Angeles, arrived in Tokyo as one of 80 American prisoners of war liberated in Korea. He was flown out by air evacuation plane to Tachikawa air base.
• Wartime Strandee Enlists in U.S. Army, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Masami Ono, a Nisei stranded in Japan by the war, was sworn into the U.S. Army in Kobe and will train at Fort Ord. He is believed to be the first strandee recruited in Japan for U.S. military service.
• One Missing, Two Nisei Hurt In Korea War, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Defense Department reported one Nisei missing in action and two wounded in Korea. The missing soldier is Corp. Bill Shimizu of Salt Lake City, and the wounded include Corp. Katsutoshi Mizumoto of Fresno and 1st Lt. Harry Iida.
• Delano Youth Hurt In Korean Battle, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Pfc. Tommy Yonaki of Delano was slightly wounded in action in Korea on Sept. 18. He had served 18 months of occupation duty before his unit was among the first sent back to Korea for combat.
• Nisei Flyers Race Winner Greeted, by I. H. Gordon, page 11. Albert Kushihashi, a Nebraska farmer and pilot, won the Henry Ohye Trophy air race from Los Angeles to Chicago. The article profiles his lifelong love of flying and his victory in the first Nisei air derby.

Community

• Delegates from 51 Chapters Attend Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Official delegates and alternates from 51 JACL chapters attended the 11th biennial convention in Chicago, with 17 additional chapters represented by proxies. Total registration including boosters reached 571.
• Enemy Trading Act Amended By Congress, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Congress amended the Trading with the Enemy Act to allow return of vested property to American dual nationals and women who regained citizenship. The JACL ADC supported the change to help Japanese Americans in Hawaii recover property.
• Chicago Chapter Members Aid Success Of National Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 9. A roster of Chicago chapter members who served on convention committees including special events, housing, and tours. Their work supported the 11th biennial national convention held at the Stevens hotel.
• Creations by Nisei Designers Feature JACL’s Fashion Show, by P.C. Staff, page 12. A fashion show and tea at the Congress hotel featured 56 garments by twenty Nisei and other designers. Trends included velvet, sophisticated draping, and rich new colors.

Commentary

• Blueprint for Tomorrow, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The editorial argues that the JACL’s 11th convention charted a future recognizing Nisei responsibility to prevent mass evacuations of any minority. It praises the Nisei’s maturity in viewing the evacuation historically while pursuing naturalization and claims legislation.
• Cousin Willie Tackles Television, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. A humorous column recounts Cousin Willie’s enthusiastic and costly adoption of television, from a botched aerial installation to repeated upgrades. His competitive rivalry with neighbors ends with him seeking a color set.
• “I Am a Nisei”, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Writing from Tokyo, the columnist describes a Japanese chauffeur who claimed to be Nisei after a robbery and how young Japanese try to emulate Nisei. He praises most Nisei occupation personnel as fair goodwill ambassadors.
• JACL Advised Government On Relocation Problems, by Elmer R. Smith, page 6. The article describes how the JACL advised the War Relocation Authority during 1942, handling public relations, fundraising, and labor placement issues. It also discusses JACL efforts on camp conditions and the controversial question of Nisei versus Issei control of camp self-government.
• Canada Nisei Better Off Now Than Before War, Says Tanaka, by P.C. Staff, page 8. George Tanaka of the Japanese Canadian Citizens Association reported that Canadian Nisei now enjoy better wages and employment and won franchise rights in 1948. He described Canada’s evacuation claims settlement as rough justice.
• Observer from Hawaii: Katsuro Miho Says Nisei Are “The Conscience of America”, by Marion Tajiri, page 12. Honolulu attorney Katsuro Miho, a special Hawaiian representative at the JACL convention, describes his path from youth in Salt Lake City to a law practice in Honolulu. He argues the Nisei serve as the conscience of America.

National

• Territory of Hawaii Suffers Heavy GI Casualties as Result Of UN Action in Korea War, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 4. Hawaii has suffered disproportionately heavy casualties in the Korean War, with 298 total losses by September 29. The article notes that casualties now come from a broader mix of racial groups than in World War II, when Nisei units bore most losses.

Incarceration & Redress

• Nisei Best Equipped of U.S. Citizens to Combat Present Hysteria, Declares Masaoka, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Mike Masaoka’s keynote address at the convention opening argued that Japanese Americans are uniquely positioned to resist rising national hysteria. He tied the lesson to the 442nd’s wartime record and the mass evacuation.

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