Mainland jobs for Hawaiian Nisei and new citizenship bills

Vol. 32, No. 4, January 27, 1951. 8 pages. View this issue

Job openings on the mainland for unemployed Hawaiian Nisei led the front page. James G. Bryant, director of the California State Department of Employment, met JACL and Nisei Veterans Association leaders in Los Angeles about a revolving fund and hostels for workers. Citizenship was also in the news: Rep. Hugh B. Mitchell introduced a bill matching the Judd bill on equality in immigration and naturalization, and Rep. Gordon L. McDonough and Del. Joseph R. Farrington sponsored similar measures. Two California Senate bills, from Sen. Gerald O’Gara, would restore lands and liquor licenses seized during the war.

Elsewhere in these eight pages, Nisei soldiers in Korea received the Bronze Star and Silver Star, and the paper listed new casualties. Larry Tajiri wrote about Nisei writers and the novel, and Bill Hosokawa reviewed We of Nagasaki. The sports pages followed bowling, basketball and wrestling, with plans for the fifth annual National JACL Bowling Tournament in Los Angeles.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• Consider Job Opportunities on Mainland for Qualified, Unemployed Hawaiian Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. James G. Bryant, director of the California State Department of Employment, discussed mainland job opportunities for unemployed Hawaiian Nisei with JACL and NVA leaders in Los Angeles. Proposals included a revolving fund and hostels to house workers until they found accommodations.
• Sergeant Receives Medal for Heroism, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sgt. 1st Class Kiyoshi E. Okimoto received the Bronze Star with V device for heroism in Korea on October 13. The award was announced by the U.S. Army 1st Corps.
• Gets Bronze Star, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sgt. 1st Class Warren T. Nishihara of Los Angeles was awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious conduct in action in Korea. He served with the U.S. Army’s 10th Corps.
• One Nisei GI Dead, Three Missing in Korean Conflict, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Department of Defense reported five Nisei casualties including one killed, three missing, and one wounded in Korea. The list includes next-of-kin names and addresses.
• Hawaiian GI Wins Silver Star for Rescue in Korea, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sgt. Takeo Ono of Puunene, Maui, received the Army Silver Star for rescuing his wounded platoon leader during an ambush near Taegu on September 23. He then used grenades to destroy an enemy position.
• Army to Honor Nisei Killed in Korea War, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Pfc. Elmer J. Yoshihara, killed in action in Korea, will be posthumously awarded the Silver Star at a ceremony at Fort Lewis. He was cited for gallantry in action at Taegu on August 25.
• Arizona Nisei Join Army Air Force, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Six Salt River Valley Nisei volunteered for Air Force duty and are training at Lackland Field in San Antonio. Two Army reserves were also recalled to active duty.
• Nisei GI at Occupation Job, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Cpl. Bob T. Okabe, an Air Police clerk at the 8th Fighter-Bomber Wing in Japan, handles vehicle title transfers. He arrived in Japan in April 1950 after enlisting in the Air Force following his 1946 graduation from Glendale high school.
• Portland Girls Fete Nisei Inductees, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Nisei inductees from the Portland region were honored at a sendoff banquet by the Sorelle club. Dr. Toshi Kuge urged the servicemen to do their job willingly and well.
• Japanese American Soldiers Hold Many Air Force Posts, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Nisei Air Force personnel serve in Japan as interpreters and intelligence specialists, and some serve as athletes. Staff Sgt. Frank H. Miyaki of Spokane and Sgt. Tom Kamikido are highlighted.
• Three Nisei Architects Win Awards in National Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Dike Nagano, Kazumi Adachi, and George Matsumoto won prizes in a national home design competition sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders. Their designs featured glass walls and low-cost single-unit housing.

Community

• Make Plans for Next Meeting of NCWN District, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Northern California-Western Nevada JACL district council will meet at the Hotel De Anza in San Jose on February 25. Certificates of recognition will be presented to local Issei for their support of the JACL-ADC program.
• Council to Meet in Visalia, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Central California JACL district council will meet in Visalia on January 28 with a program including business sessions, bridge, and bowling. A banquet at the Pagoda will follow, and chapters are urged to send large delegations.
• Dayton Chapter Installs Cabinet, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Dayton JACL held an installation dinner for its 1951 officers at the Chungking restaurant on January 21. Masaru Yamazaki was installed as president, succeeding retiring president Dr. James Taguchi.
• Northwest Area Chapters Plan Seattle Parley, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Pacific Northwest JACL district council chapters will meet in Seattle on January 28 to discuss opening a district council office and planning a district convention. The Pacific Northwest ADC fund drive will also be discussed.
• Japanese Americans Will Participate in Brotherhood Fete, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Soto-Michigan Community Center’s annual Brotherhood Program will feature odori, koto, and shakuhachi performances on February 11. Dancers from the classes of Fujima Kansuma will perform classical Japanese dances.
• Japanese Americans Urged to Take Tooele Depot Jobs, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Nisei representative Hiro Nakaji urged Japanese Americans to apply for emergency indefinite appointments at the Tooele ordnance depot. He noted 45 Nisei already work there in key positions with outstanding performance.
• Santa Clara UCL Installs Cabinet at Dinner Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The United Citizens League of Santa Clara County installed new officers led by Shigio Masunaga at ceremonies in Palo Alto. Retiring president Ruth Hashimoto was honored with a pearl-studded JACL pin.
• Sakurada Heads Davis Student Body, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Charles Sakurada, a senior, was elected student body president at Davis high school for the spring semester. He was also a star on the school’s football team.
• Nisei Model Among Four Finalists for Artists Ball Crown, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Frances Nakaya of West Los Angeles was one of four finalists chosen from 325 contestants for the queen court of the Artists and Models Ball in Long Beach. She models for the Dorothy Preble agency.
• JACL Tourney Officials Hope for Entries from 60 Teams, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Co-chairmen Harley Kusumoto and Dick Fujioka announced plans for the fifth annual National JACL Bowling Tournament in Los Angeles, with entries hoped from 60 men’s teams. Eleven permanent trophies and medals will be awarded at the Trophy Dinner Dance.
• Spectator Sues The Great Moto in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A spectator filed a $30,081 damages suit after allegedly being struck by the Nisei valet of wrestler The Great Moto during a brawl at Wilmington Bowl. The plaintiff, Richard Rembarz, alleges the valet hit him with a club.
• Trophy Dinner Dance Planned at JACL’s Bowling Tournament, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Trophy Dinner Dance concluding the National JACL Bowling Tournament will be held March 18 in Los Angeles. Dorothy Kikuchi of the JACL Club Service Bureau will chair the planning committee.
• Tellone Keglers Tie Liquors for Chicago League Lead, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Tellone Beauty Salon tied Nisei Liquors for the top spot in the Chicago Nisei bowling league after a match at Hyde Park Recreation. Jiro Kato led Tellone with a 555 series.
• Idaho Falls JACL Holds Winter Carnival, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Idaho Falls JACL held its annual winter carnival at the local armory on January 13 with games and Japanese and American box lunches. Proceeds will fund local expenses, maintenance of the JACL hall, and the National JACL ADC fund.
• First AAU Judo Championships Set for Berkeley in May, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The first AAU-sanctioned judo championships in the United States will be held in May in Berkeley under YMCA auspices. Many Nisei teams are expected to enter.
• Political Science Expert to Speak to Fresno Chapter, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Dr. Ridgeway Shinn of Reedley Junior College will speak at the Fresno American Loyalty League inaugural dinner on January 27. Past JACL presidents will also be honored at the event.
• Utah Chapter Starts Paper, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Murray-based Mt. Olympus Circulator, the official publication of the local JACL chapter, made its first appearance on January 26. It is edited by Lily Matsumori.
• First Dividend Announced by Credit Union, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Pacific Southwest JACL Credit Union declared its first dividend of two percent at its annual meeting in Los Angeles. The credit union reported a 1950 net profit of $736.03.

National

• Rep. Mitchell Sponsors Bill for Citizenship, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Hugh B. Mitchell of Washington introduced a bill identical to the Judd bill, providing equality in immigration and naturalization for Japanese Americans. Mitchell praised the World War II combat record of the Nisei.
• Young Acrobats Zigged When They Should Have Zagged, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Three young children were injured when they fell from a moving car in Seattle after a door opened during a turn. They were treated at Harborview hospital and released to private physicians.
• 34 Defendants Win Acquittal in Contempt Case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Federal Judge Delbert E. Metzger acquitted 34 remaining defendants of Hawaii’s reluctant 39, including 18 Nisei, of contempt of Congress. The acquittal rested on their constitutional right to refuse testimony that might incriminate them.
• Two California Senate Bills Will Restore Lands, Licenses Seized by State During War, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sen. Gerald O’Gara introduced two bills in the California State Senate to restore lands escheated under the Alien Land law and liquor sale licenses suspended during the war. The bills address property and licenses held by persons of Japanese ancestry.
• Neighbor Objects to Nisei’s TV Aerial, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mrs. Aileen M. Leden filed a $5,000 suit in San Francisco Municipal Court against Mr. and Mrs. Homer Hiraga, claiming their television aerial extends over her property. She also requested a court order requiring its removal.
• Rule Evacuee May Collect for Unlisted Loss Claim, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Justice Department ruled that an evacuee who failed to list an allowable item under the Evacuation Claims Act may still collect for it if the total paid does not exceed the total claimed. The claimant was awarded $156.85 out of claimed losses of $283.
• Red China Radio Reports California Nisei Is POW, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Relatives of Cpl. Harry Mizoguchi, reported missing in Korea, learned via Peiping Radio that he is a prisoner of the Chinese Communists. The broadcast read a message and address associated with him, following a similar report about Marine Cpl. Sam D. Shimomura.
• Police Report Girl Wins at Track, Loses to Bandits, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Thelma Hirai of Oxnard won on the races at Santa Anita on January 20 but was robbed of between $1200 and $1600 by four men at her car. Police took the report.
• Deportation Stay Recommended for 15 Issei in Senate Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Senate Judiciary Committee recommended suspension of deportation for about 600 aliens, including 15 Japanese treaty merchants. The recommendations require approval by both House and Senate.
• Rep. McDonough Sponsors Bills to Aid Nisei, Issei, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Rep. Gordon L. McDonough introduced a bill granting naturalization rights to all legal permanent residents and making immigration quotas available to Asian peoples. He also introduced a bill restoring seniority to Nisei postal employees lost through evacuation.
• Five Nisei Postal Employees Seek Lost Seniority Rights, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Five Nisei clerks in the Los Angeles post office would regain seniority lost during 1942 evacuation under a bill introduced by Rep. George Miller. Nisei employees were forced to retake examinations after returning from camps.
• President Thanks JACL for Message Affirming Loyalty, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The White House expressed the President’s appreciation for a letter from Mike Masaoka reaffirming JACL loyalty during the national emergency. The letter was signed by William D. Hassett, secretary to the President.
• Del. Farrington Introduces New Naturalization Proposal, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Hawaii Delegate Joseph R. Farrington introduced bills to remove race as a naturalization requirement and to restore token immigration to Asian countries. One bill duplicates the Walter bill and the other the Judd bill.

Arts & Entertainment

• Yuriko Amemiya Wins Dance Role in Broadway Musical, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Yuriko Amemiya, soloist with the Martha Graham dance company, signed for a leading role in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The King and I. She will make her first Broadway appearance outside the Graham company, and another Nisei dancer, Michiko Iseri, also joined the production.
• Serisawa Exhibits in Eastern Show, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A painting by Southern California artist Sueo Serisawa, titled House of Cards, is on exhibit at the Pennsylvania Academy show in Philadelphia.
• Noted Sculptor Will Talk to Buddhists, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Sculptor Isamu Noguchi will be guest speaker at the first monthly town hall meeting sponsored by the Buddhist church educational committee in New York. He recently returned from a two-year round-the-world tour.
• Nisei Writers and the Novel, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. This column laments the scarcity of Nisei novels while noting talented Nisei writers. It highlights two forthcoming or recent novels with Hawaiian backgrounds, Shelley Ota’s Upon Their Shoulders and Larry Sakamoto’s Japanese-language Nisei Butai.
• Television Outlook, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The column reports that television ownership is rapidly growing on the east coast, with about half of Manhattan homes owning sets. It discusses audience measurement methods and predicts TV will overtake radio in advertising revenue.

Incarceration & Redress

• Restore Citizenship to Nisei Who Voted in Japan Election, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Federal Judge J. Frank McLaughlin ruled that Hawaii-born Fujiko Furusho did not lose her U.S. citizenship by voting in postwar Japanese elections. He held that occupied Japan is not a foreign state and its elections are not political elections of a foreign country.

JACL

• UN Interested in One-Time JACL Statue Project, by P.C. Staff, page 2. In 1940 the San Francisco JACL arranged to buy a Beniamino Bufano marble statue called Peace, but Pearl Harbor ended the plan. The United Nations has now expressed interest in the statue, and Bufano is traveling to New York to meet UN officials.
• Announce Officers of Cincinnati JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The 1951 Cincinnati JACL cabinet is headed by president Stogie Toki. Other officers were named for vice presidents, secretaries, and treasurer.
• Anti-Defamation League Contributes to JACL Campaign, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Denver Anti-Defamation League, a B’nai B’rith subsidiary, contributed $100 to the JACL’s fight against discrimination. ADL director Michael L. Freed made the donation to regional director Min Yasui.
• Three Chapters Sponsor Joint Installation in Watsonville, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Watsonville, Salinas, and Monterey JACL chapters held a joint installation of officers, with Assemblyman Donald Grunsky administering the oath. Nineteen members received National JACL recognition certificates for outstanding service.
• Satow to Visit Northwest Chapters, by P.C. Staff, page 2. JACL director Masao Satow will visit Portland to discuss reactivating the inactive chapter, install officers in Puyallup, and attend the Pacific Northwest district council meeting in Seattle. He returns to Salt Lake City on January 29.
• Opens Fund Drive, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The San Mateo JACL chapter opened its drive to raise its JACL-ADC fund quota of $1100.
• Fujiki Succeeds Bob Takahashi as JACL President, by P.C. Staff, page 3. John Fujiki of French Camp JACL will succeed Bob Takahashi as president for 1951. Fujiki previously headed the Issei relations and ADC committees, and other officers were also named.

Commentary

• Justice Department Settles Claim by Housewife in L.A., by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Attorney General ruled that a wife may file an Evacuation Claims Act claim when her husband relinquishes his interest. A Los Angeles woman was awarded $950 out of a claim for $1150 for forced sale and abandoned property losses.
• In Hawaii Feel Uneasiness Because of War Situation, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 3. Chinese Americans in Hawaii are anxious about how Chinese Communist actions in Korea might affect them on the home front. Their community has been more peaceful and integrated than the west coast Chinese, and they have publicly reaffirmed loyalty.
• Editorial: Toward Democracy Unlimited, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial argues that although Supreme Court rulings have ended enforcement of restrictive covenants, housing discrimination against Nisei, Negroes, and other minorities persists through subterfuge and covenants. It praises a Los Angeles council ordinance prohibiting discrimination in redevelopment plans.
• Minority Week, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A column of brief items on minority issues covers discrimination against Sioux veteran Clifford Bordeaux, the integration of Negro troops in Korea, and Hollywood actor Bill Walker’s influence on MGM’s portrayal of Negro pullman porters. It also notes the disbanding of the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses.
• Bill Hosokawa: A Reminder from Nagasaki, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Hosokawa reviews We of Nagasaki, a book compiling survivor accounts of the Nagasaki atomic bombing compiled by Dr. Takashi Nagai. He emphasizes the survivors’ psychological wounds and self-blame described in the book.
• Do You Know? JACL Brief in Covenants Case Noted Housing Bias, by Elmer R. Smith, page 6. This historical column recounts the JACL’s amicus curiae brief in the Hurd v. Hodge restrictive covenants case before the Supreme Court. It also describes JACL activities around 1947, including the Oyama alien land law decision.

In-Depth

• Your Social Security: Term Employee Redefined, by Charles H. Shreve, page 2. Under new social security law, full-time life insurance salesmen, certain commission drivers, and home workers are now covered. Coverage requires individual performance without substantial business investment and continuous employment.

Sports

• Two Nisei Coach College Cagers, by P.C. Staff, page 6. This sports roundup reports on Nisei coaches and players in college basketball, including Bill Kajikawa at Arizona State and Danny Fukushima at Contra Costa College. It also notes Hawaii’s Nisei players and Placer College’s Jim Yokota.
• Isono Makes L.A. Tourney All-Stars, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Herb Isono was named to the all-tournament guard squad after the Los Angeles all-city high school basketball tournament. Ralph Kubota was also honored by the Helms Athletic Foundation as outstanding player in the Coast conference.
• Hal Sakata Plans Tour of Northwest, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Wrestler Hal Sakata will wrestle in the Utah-Idaho area before heading to the Pacific Northwest. The column also covers Eugene Machida’s Intermountain college wrestling title defense and Nisei basketball and bowling news.
• Towatas May Not Defend Championship, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The John S. Towata Florists of Alameda may be unable to defend their national JACL bowling title because the tournament falls the week before Easter, a busy time for the floral business. Several teams from other regions may also be unable to attend.
• Jun Kurumada Holds High Averages, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Bowling results from Salt Lake City and other cities are reported, including high series by Jun Kurumada, George Sonoda, and others. Standings are given for Nisei leagues in San Francisco, San Jose, and Stockton.
• Three Japanese to Train with Seals, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Three Japanese professional players will join the San Francisco Seals for spring training as a goodwill gesture arranged by Lefty O’Doul. The column also discusses Wally Yonamine’s prospects for advancing to the Coast League.
• Hugo Ogawa Leads Field in Stockton’s Oriental Pin Classic, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Hugo Ogawa of Sanger leads the Oriental Singles Classic at Stockton Bowl after two weekends of competition. The defending champion, Gene Chun, sits in fourth place.

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