Tsukiyama’s second term and the Tule Lake renunciants ruling

Vol. 32, No. 3, January 20, 1951. 8 pages. View this issue

Two stories led the news. In Honolulu, Lawrence Nakatsuka reported that Senator Wilfred C. Tsukiyama was assured of a second term as president of the Hawaii Territorial Senate, after Republican colleagues chose him unanimously. On the same front page, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed Judge Louis E. Goodman’s ruling and required more than 3,000 Tule Lake renunciants to prove their loyalty one by one. An editorial argued that the renunciations had been coerced by wartime hostility and by pressure inside the camp.

Other pages held a Harold Gilliam profile of Ben Masaoka and the family’s test case against California’s Alien Land Law, and a Bill Hosokawa column about his sons. Rep. Samuel W. Yorty introduced a bill to end race as a bar to naturalization. Sports filled most of page 6, with bowling results and news of Wally Yonamine. The rest is chapter and community news from across the country.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Senator Tsukiyama Assured of 2nd Term as President of Hawaii Territorial Senate, by By LAWRENCE NAKATSUKA, page 1. Senator Wilfred C. Tsukiyama was unanimously selected by the Republican majority to again serve as president of the Hawaii Territorial Senate, making him the first Nisei to hold the post twice. The article also outlines the Nisei legislators in both chambers and the Republican control of the legislature.
• Suicide Verdict Returned in Texas Shooting Tragedy, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A verdict of suicide was returned in the death of Keizo Yamada, found shot in his Irving, Texas backyard, while his wife Iris was critically wounded. The couple had been separated, and the incident is described in detail along with the funeral and hospital updates.
• Residents of Flooded Area First to Give in ADC Campaign, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japanese Americans in French Camp, hard hit by recent floods, were the first to respond to the 1951 JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee fund drive. They contributed $150, nearly 85 percent of the area quota.
• Heads Fraternity, by P.C. Staff, page 1. David T. Kagiwada was elected president of the Beta Sigma Tau fraternity at Ohio Wesleyan University. The 21-year-old senior plans a career in social and religious work.
• Highest Civic Honor Given Joe Saito by Oregon City, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Joe Saito received Ontario, Oregon’s annual junior citizen award, the city’s highest honor for a man under 35. He is active in civic organizations, the JACL, and farm groups, and is a WWII veteran.
• Ninety Witness Installation of Ventura Officers, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Ninety people attended the Ventura County JACL chapter’s annual installation at the Colonial House, where Frank Chuman spoke on JACL-ADC litigation efforts. The new officers for 1951 were named.
• Await Decision in Court Case Over Building, by Toby Otani, page 2. The Ventura County JACL awaits a Superior Court decision on regaining use of the 7th Street Recreation Center after a December 29 hearing. The judge will decide based on agreed statements of facts submitted by both sides.
• West Coast Chapter Honors Issei Pioneers at Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Southern Alameda County JACL honored Issei pioneers at a combined recognition and installation dinner in Hayward. Speakers included Michel Rogers, who spoke on his Tibet trip, and Elizabeth McKinnon, who spoke on her 1949 return to Japan.
• Inagaki to Speak At CC Conference, by P.C. Staff, page 2. George Inagaki, chairman of the JACL 1000 Club, will be the main speaker at the Central California district council conference banquet in Visalia on January 28. The conference will be hosted by the Tulare County JACL.
• Wins Scholarship, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Tak Nakamura, an 18-year-old Hollywood high school graduate, won a $250 art scholarship from the Art Directors Club of Los Angeles. The award recognizes his artistic talent.
• Enlists in Air Force, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Shigeo D. Hara of Ontario, Oregon was one of 40 men who enlisted in the Air Force on Jan. 4 in Boise, Idaho. The item is brief.
• Issei Worker Wins Damages From Railroad, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A San Francisco court jury awarded Kaiichi Hotta of French Camp $8,000 in his suit against the Southern Pacific Railway. The Issei section hand was seriously injured in 1949 while working on a maintenance crew.
• Honor Colorado Leaders for Group Service, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The JACL-ADC presented 26 Colorado residents with Certificates of Recognition for leadership in supporting national legislation. Mountain-Plains JACL Director Roy M. Takeno and others were also honored.
• Alameda Mayor Will Install New Officers of JACL Group, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Alameda JACL annual installation dinner will feature Mayor W. J. Branschied inducting the new officers. Joe Grant Masaoka is principal speaker and ADC committee members will receive scrolls.
• Nisei Helps Rescue GIs in Korea, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Sgt. Hisao Matsumiya, an Air Force clerk typist, has served as an interpreter on ground rescue missions behind enemy lines in Korea. He was born in Talbert, California and enlisted in 1948.
• Veteran Joins Police Force in St. Louis, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Mitsuo Saito, a 30-year-old 442nd Combat Team veteran, graduated from the St. Louis police academy as a probationary patrolman. He had previously worked as an auto mechanic and taught judo.
• Hirasaki Farms in California Will Cease Operations, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Hirasaki Farms, the largest packer of fresh vegetables in South Santa Clara valley, will close on Feb. 1. The firm grew from a 30-year-old row crop farm and at its peak employed 325 people.
• Nisei Girl Heads Student Body at Los Angeles School, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Jeanne Yamada became the first Nisei girl to be student body president of Roosevelt high school in Los Angeles. Alice Hashimoto and Margaret Utsumi were elected secretary and treasurer.
• Nisei Designs New Type Plow for Vineyards, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Ernest Yoshida, a Cortez district farmer, designed a new vineyard plow now in production by G & M Equipment Co. The plow has seen strong demand after performing well in tests.
• Community Chest Thanks Denverites for Campaign Help, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Denver’s Japanese American community raised more than $830 in the Community Chest drive, well above its $750 quota. Team members led by Min Yasui received individual letters of thanks.
• Art Major Elected President of L. A. College Students, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Tom Tamotsu Suzuki, a 20-year-old art major, was elected president of the Los Angeles City College student body. He had earlier won a poster contest and planned to enter the Air Force as a cadet.
• Alameda Mayor Will Install New Officers of JACL Group, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Alameda JACL will hold its annual installation dinner with Mayor W. J. Branschied inducting new officers. Joe Grant Masaoka will be the principal speaker, and ADC committee members will receive scrolls.
• Two Confess Issei Slaying In Sacramento, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Two teenagers confessed to the robbery-slaying of Fukumatsu Sasaki, 65, outside the Buddhist church in Sacramento. They also admitted to four other robberies of Japanese Americans in the area in December.
• Japanese Program Is Presented by Philadelphia JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Philadelphia JACL presented a program of Japanese culture at Gimbel’s Little Gallery at the invitation of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. Performances included singing, dance, a tea ceremony, and flower arranging.
• Two Nisei Paintings in Denver, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Paintings by Chiye Kuroiwa and Joe Kuroki are on exhibit at the Denver Art Museum among 65 works selected from over 800 submitted. Both artists have studied and exhibited in the West.
• Takagi Re-elected Chapter President By Seattle JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Harry I. Takagi was re-elected president of the Seattle JACL after mail ballots were tabulated. Other officers for the coming year were also named.
• Elect Yasuo Abiko President of JACL In San Francisco, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Yasuo Abiko of the Nichi-Bei Times was elected president of the San Francisco JACL chapter at the first board meeting of the year. Other officers were named and will be installed at a dinner on Jan. 26.
• Two Confess Issei Slaying In Sacramento, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Two teenagers confessed to the strongarm robbery and fatal beating of Fukumatsu Sasaki outside a Sacramento Buddhist church. They also admitted to four other December robberies of Japanese Americans in the same area.
• Love Conquers Distance for Utah Girl and Army Sergeant, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Mariya Yasuda of Orem, Utah moved to Tokyo for a Civil Service job to be near her fiance, Sergeant Shig Motoki, after his return was delayed by the Korean War. She was reassigned to an office a block from his.
• Salt Lake JACL To Aid Exhibit Of Japan Paintings, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Salt Lake JACL is planning to show paintings by Japanese schoolchildren sent as a goodwill gesture. The Salt Lake board of education has agreed to cooperate.

Military & Veterans

• Nisei Schoolteacher Drafted into Army, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Kazuo Muraoka, the first San Francisco Nisei to win a public-school teaching position, gave up his post after less than a semester to report for army induction. He had taught sixth grade at Pacific Heights elementary school.
• Nisei Witnesses UN Bombardment From Korean Hill, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sgt. Kiyoshi Masuda of Wahiawa, Oahu, a Nisei GI in a UN infantry unit defending Wonju, was interviewed by a United Press correspondent. He described the combined air and ground bombardment against enemy reinforcements.

National

• Renunciants Must Prove Loyalty, Says U.S. Court, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed Judge Louis E. Goodman’s ruling, requiring more than 3,000 Tule Lake renunciants to individually prove loyalty to regain citizenship. The decision clouds their status and raises the possibility of deportation for many of them.
• Rep. Miller Asks Restoration of Seniority Lost by Nisei Postal Workers During War, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Rep. George B. Miller introduced a bill at the JACL ADC’s request to restore seniority to about a dozen Nisei postal employees who lost jobs during evacuation. Mike Masaoka explained that the affected workers were forced to retake civil service exams after reentering the service.
• Rep. Yorty Introduces Bill for Equality in Naturalization, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Rep. Samuel W. Yorty introduced a bill to remove race as a barrier to naturalization, arguing it would demonstrate commitment to justice. The bill mirrors the Walter Naturalization bill first introduced at the JACL ADC’s request.
• National JACL Bowling Meet Will Start March 16 in L. A., by P.C. Staff, page 6. The fifth annual National JACL bowling tournament will be held March 16-18 at the Vogue Bowling Alleys in Los Angeles. Entries are due by March 3 and are limited to JACL members in good standing.
• Attorney General Rules Loss From Sale of Leasehold Payable Under Claims Law, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Attorney General ruled that losses from selling a leasehold interest are claimable under the Evacuation Claims Act. The claimant, a Los Angeles hotel lessee, was awarded $1300 of a $1440.50 claim.

Incarceration & Redress

• Court Dismisses Contempt Charges in Honolulu Cases, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Federal Judge Delbert E. Metzger acquitted the first five defendants among Hawaii’s reluctant 39 on contempt of Congress charges. Prosecutors may seek dismissal of the remaining cases.

Commentary

• Editorial: The Tule Lake Renunciants, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial condemns the circuit court’s decision requiring individual loyalty proof from Tule Lake renunciants, while noting its exemptions for minors and others. It argues the renunciations were coerced by wartime anti-Nisei hostility and the threats of pro-Japanese elements at the camp.
• Bill Hosokawa: Mike and The Thing, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa humorously describes his 10-year-old son Mike’s obsession with a song and his struggles with multiplication tables. He also recounts his three-year-old Pete’s unpredictable behavior and a visit to the pediatrician.
• Your Social Security: Farm Workers Eligible for Old-Age Insurance, by By CHARLES H. SHREVE, page 5. The San Francisco Social Security manager explains which kinds of agricultural labor count toward old-age and survivors insurance. He covers regularity tests for farm work and the coverage of off-farm agricultural jobs.
• The Lonely Man, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The column profiles Judge J. Waties Waring of South Carolina, ostracized for ruling that Negroes must be admitted to the Democratic primary. It describes the threats and social isolation he endures for defending constitutional rights.

In-Depth

• Masaoka Test Case: Brother Ben Gave His Life For a Democratic Ideal, by By HAROLD GILLIAM, page 4. Reprinted from the San Francisco Chronicle, the article profiles Ben Masaoka, killed in France with the 442nd, and the family’s test case challenging California’s Alien Land Law. The brothers deliberately violated the law by deeding their mother a home to challenge its constitutionality.

Arts & Entertainment

• Vagaries, by P.C. Staff, page 5. This entertainment column reports on Nisei actors cast in the Allied Artists film I Was an American Spy, and on Yasuo Kuniyoshi’s painting reproduced in Life. It also notes Sono Osato’s Broadway debut in Peer Gynt.

JACL

• JACL Plays Active Role in Return of Evacuee Group, by Elmer R. Smith, page 5. This installment reviews JACL’s role in helping evacuees resettle on the Pacific Coast in 1946 and in its 1947 program. It describes the ADC’s legislative efforts and the Legal Defense Fund’s work for other minorities.
• Name Chairmen of JACL’s National Standing Committees, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Dr. Randolph M. Sakada and Masao Satow announced the chairmen of JACL’s 17 national standing committees. Each committee’s nucleus will come from the national chairman’s chapter to facilitate its work.

Sports

• Sakaharas Capture Team Title at Northwest Classic, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Sakahara Insurance team of Seattle won the team championship at the fifth annual Northwest Nisei Classic bowling tournament. Other winners in men’s and women’s singles, doubles, and team events are listed.
• Yonamine Has .438 Average in Hawaii, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Wally Yonamine, batting champion of the Honolulu AJA baseball league with a .438 average, is expected to play professionally soon. Teammates Harry Kitamura, Jimmy Wasa, and Jun Muramoto are also highlighted.
• Nisei Liquors Maintain Lead in Chicago League, by Ray Tsurui, page 6. The Nisei Liquors kept a one-game lead in the Chicago Nisei bowling league after their Jan. 10 matches. Frank Kebo and Speed Shiba posted strong series, and several other teams’ results are reported.
• Kawano Helps Train Chicago Cubs, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Yosh Kawano, a Nisei assistant trainer of the Chicago Cubs, will help the team get into shape at Catalina Island. The item also briefly reports on several Nisei wrestlers and athletes at Cal Poly, San Jose State, and other schools.
• Nishiguchi Leads All Reno Keglers, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Art Nishiguchi carries a 198 average as the top bowler in Reno, Nevada this season. The item also notes results from several bowling leagues and tournaments in California and Utah.
• Last-minute Goal by Yokota Wins Game, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Jimmy Yokota scored 16 points to help Placer College win its Golden Valley conference opener over Vallejo College. Several other Nisei high school and college basketball players are noted in brief reports.
• Nisei Dominate Salt Lake Honor Roll, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Nisei bowlers dominated the Salt Lake Telegram’s bowling honor roll, led by Tak Kojima and George Sakashita. The item also reports on Nisei basketball and football players, including the University of Hawaii football captains.
• Sacramento JACL Receives First Entries in Tournament, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Two leading Sacramento Nisei bowling teams, General Produce and Blossom Shop Florists, are the first entrants in the third annual Nisei Valley bowling tournament. The handicap event is scheduled for Feb. 10-11 at Sacramento Bowl.
• Dr. Furukawa Coaches Kiwanis Team to Utah City Title, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Dr. Toshio Furukawa coached the Kiwanis basketball team to the first-half championship of the Helper, Utah league. The B team he coaches is in fourth place.
• Salt Lake Bees Will Sell Yonamine to Higher Minors, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Salt Lake Bees owner Eddie Leishman is reportedly arranging to sell Wally Yonamine to a higher-classification club. Yonamine, a fast outfielder who hit .335 last season, is praised for his play and popularity.
• Football Player Heads Student Body at School in L.A., by P.C. Staff, page 7. Hajime Uyehara, an 18-year-old halfback, was elected student body president at Belmont high school in Los Angeles. He is the third Nisei to lead the student body there.

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