Citizenship for Issei and the GI Brides bill, early 1951

Vol. 32, No. 8, February 24, 1951. 8 pages. View this issue

Immigration and citizenship law filled the front page. The House passed the Walter bill removing race restrictions from naturalization, which would open citizenship to about 88,000 resident aliens of Japanese and other Asian ancestry. Rep. Walter also described the Soldier Brides bill extension as an emergency measure meant to keep servicemen’s families from being broken up during the Korean War. Mike Masaoka urged the Senate to adopt the House version. Reports counted 2,310 GI marriages in Japan, and a Connecticut act validated a Shinto wedding so a soldier’s wife could enter the country in time.

Elsewhere in the issue, Bill Hosokawa wrote about brotherhood among minority groups and about turning forty. Larry Tajiri answered a commentator’s false claim about Hawaii’s Japanese residents at Pearl Harbor. The editorials took up evacuation claims and school segregation. Page 6 has the sports pages, with baseball and bowling, and the back pages carry chapter news, including a JACL push to repeal Idaho’s Alien Land Law and plans for hearings on the omnibus immigration bill.

What’s in this issue

National

• Sponsor Describes GI Brides Bill as Temporary Measure, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Walter described the extension of the Soldier Brides bill as an emergency measure intended to prevent the breakup of families of servicemen fighting in Korea. Masaoka urged the Senate to adopt the House version to avoid conference delays.
• House Passes Walter Bill on Citizenship for Issei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The House approved the Walter bill eliminating race restrictions from naturalization, opening citizenship to about 88,000 resident aliens of Japanese and other Asian ancestry. The measure now goes to the Senate along with an extension of the GI Brides Act.
• Rep. Walter Hopes for Senate Action During Present Session, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Rep. Francis Walter expressed hope the Senate would pass the naturalization equality bill this session, noting it might eventually be folded into omnibus immigration legislation. Masaoka said he was hopeful Congress would act this year.
• Citizenship Test Faces Denver Federal Court, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A suit was filed in Denver federal court on behalf of Kiyoshi Kawaguchi, a Seattle-born Nisei seeking to restore his U.S. citizenship lost through alleged involuntary Japanese nationality during the war. Attorneys A. Wirin and Min Yasui brought the case.
• Appeals Court Ruling Against Anti-Bias Statutes, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The JACL joined a dozen national organizations in an amicus brief opposing a municipal court ruling that Washington D.C.’s 1873 anti-discrimination laws were repealed by implication. The case arose from a Negro discrimination complaint against a cafeteria chain.
• JACL Invited to Conference on Citizenship, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Attorney General McGrath and NEA President Corma Mowrey invited the JACL to participate in the Sixth National Conference on Citizenship in Washington, May 16-20. The JACL has taken part in these conferences since 1946.
• House, Senate Groups Plan Hearings on Omnibus Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The JACL ADC will testify at House and Senate subcommittee hearings on immigration and naturalization bills March 6. Masaoka said the group will focus its testimony on restoring Asian immigration quotas and naturalization eligibility.
• Judiciary Committee Urges Senate to Approve Stays of Deportation for Japanese Aliens, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The House Judiciary Committee urged Senate approval of stays of deportation for about 600 aliens, including Japanese, who have lived in the U.S. seven or more years. The amendment was introduced at the request of the JACL ADC.

Incarceration & Redress

• Report 2,310 GI Marriages in Japan During Occupation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A total of 2,310 marriages between American servicemen and Japanese nationals were performed since V-J day, many involving Nisei soldiers. Six couples wed in the final hours before the GI Brides Act expired on Feb. 18.

Military & Veterans

• State Approves Shinto Wedding of U.S. Soldier, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Connecticut legislature passed a special act validating the Shinto marriage of Corp. Richard Sarrazin and his Japanese wife so they could enter the U.S. before the GI Brides Act expired. The act was rushed through both chambers and signed by the governor the same day.
• Korean War Vet Wants to Return to Front-Line Unit, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Cpl. Jack C. Arakawa, a 442nd veteran who was first reported killed in Korea and later found to be a POW, received the Silver Star. He has requested reassignment to rejoin his 19th Infantry Regiment still fighting in Korea rather than remain in a rear echelon job.
• GI Wins Honor, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sgt. 1st Class Yasutoyo Nagamine of Honolulu was chosen student commandant of the U.S. Army signal school in Ansbach, Germany.
• Medic Assists in Rescue of Wounded GIs, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Corp. Harry H. Okamoto of Glendale, Ariz., was one of six medical corpsmen who flew helicopter rescue missions evacuating wounded infantrymen in Korea on Feb. 15 and 16. The crews braved snow and high winds to land near enemy positions and brought out 40 wounded soldiers.
• Purple Heart Given to Veteran of Korea War, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Katsutoshi M. Mizumoto of Fresno received a Purple Heart at Letterman General Hospital for wounds suffered in Korea on Sept. 15. He had served as an interpreter in occupied Japan and lost much of the vision in one eye.
• Nisei Canadian Fights in Korea With Noted Unit, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Mas Kawanami of Hamilton, Ontario is serving in Korea with the 2nd Battalion of the Canadian Princess Patricia’s Regiment. He joined the special force organized as Canada’s UN contribution.

Obituaries

• Ogden Soldier Dies of Wounds in Beach Mishap, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Pvt. Toichiro Thomas Yoshitaka, 19, of Ogden died of injuries sustained when he struck his head on a rock at Monterey Bay. He had attended Weber College and was serving with the Sixth Infantry Division at Fort Ord.

JACL

• San Jose Readies for Meeting of District Council, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Final preparations were underway for the Northern California-Western Nevada district council meeting in San Jose on Feb. 25. Bob Takahashi will preside as council chairman.
• JACL Official Will Join Panel on Prejudice Topic, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Richard Akagi, JACL regional director, will serve on a City Club of Chicago panel asking whether Chicago is winning the battle against discrimination. Other panelists include representatives of the NAACP, Mexican-American Council, and Anti-Defamation League.
• Chapter Program Given Priority by East L.A. Cabinet, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The newly elected East Los Angeles JACL board set priorities for chapter programs and assigned committee responsibilities. The first chapter activity planned is an installation dinner and dance.

Community

• New JACL Blood Bank Makes First Loan in San Francisco, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The San Francisco JACL community blood bank, established less than a month earlier, provided two pints of blood for a Nisei mother after childbirth surgery. Half of future donations will go to the American Red Cross for Korean War casualties.
• Nisei Couple Misses $5,000 Jackpot on Groucho’s Show, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Henry Aihara and his wife Karie Shindo appeared on the Groucho Marx show, winning $306 but missing the $5,000 question. Mrs. Aihara, a singer, appeared in the film Tokyo Joe.
• Hosokawa Wins Urban League Honor Award, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Bill Hosokawa, editor of the Denver Post’s Empire magazine, was among seven Denver residents honored with the 1951 Urban League award. He was cited for his Korea correspondence and his contributions to the League’s programs.
• File Applications for Delayed Hawaii Birth Certificates, by P.C. Staff, page 2. More than 60 Hawaii-born persons, mostly of Japanese ancestry, filed applications in San Francisco for delayed birth certificates. Albert P. Medeiros, representative of the Hawaii territorial secretary, has been interviewing applicants in West Coast cities.
• Hail Chicago Nisei Minister, Interracial Congregation, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Rev. Jitsuo Morikawa, Nisei pastor of the First Baptist Church of Chicago, was cited during Brotherhood Week for leading an interracial congregation. Church members describe how the church has served the entire neighborhood.
• Nisei Attorney Wins Civil Rights Case for Two Negro Plaintiffs, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Attorney Mas Yonemura won a $200 damages judgment in Oakland for two Negro clients refused service at a bar under California’s civil rights law. The defense unsuccessfully tried to raise Communist affiliation questions about the plaintiffs.
• Tani Will Take Church Post in Philadelphia, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Henry Tani, former JACL national vice-president, was named director of youth work for the Evangelical and Reformed Church and will move to Philadelphia. He will supervise about 2,000 youth fellowships nationwide.
• Employe Dies as Fire Destroys Colorado Club, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Tami Kaku, 64, was one of two men trapped and killed in a fire that destroyed the Wolhurst club south of Littleton, Colorado. Employee Arthur Faust discovered the blaze and helped others escape.
• Photographer Named as Judge for School Queen Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Salt Lake City photographer Bill Inouye was named a judge for the University of Utah Founder’s Day queen contest. Six coeds will compete in the finals on Feb. 27.
• Bacteriologist Helps Develop Machine to Purify Water, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Nisei bacteriologist Noel Tsuneishi aided in developing a portable water purification machine tested by the Los Angeles City Health Department. The device can sanitize 50 quarts an hour and may prove valuable for civilian defense.
• Southern California Florists Give $1,000 to ADC, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Southern California Flower Growers contributed $1,000 to the JACL-ADC drive for the third consecutive year. President George Inagaki said the group supports the organization’s work to improve the status of Japanese Americans.
• Work of Nisei in Settlement Project Cited by Magazine, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Roy T. Kurahara, Nisei director of the non-sectarian Village House settlement in New York City, was highlighted in a Collier’s article. The project serves children of many faiths and backgrounds, and Kurahara is credited with resolving tensions among the boys.
• Northwest Buddhist Groups Hold Annual Confab in Ontario, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Representatives of eight Pacific Northwest Young Buddhist League chapters gathered in Ontario, Oregon for their fifth annual convention. The three-day event included a basketball tournament and selection of a queen.
• Denver JACL Bridge Enthusiasts Raise $91 for Polio Fund, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A Denver JACL bridge benefit on Jan. 25 raised $91 for the local polio campaign. The contribution was the second largest by a bridge group in the city.
• Nisei Plumber Fetes Birthday With Gift to Service Groups, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Hajima Asanoma, a Honolulu plumber, donated $100 each to twelve community organizations on his 41st birthday. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin praised the gift as an example of World Brotherhood in action.
• Eight Teams Enter Idaho Cage Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Eight teams will compete in the Idaho Falls JACL invitational basketball tournament March 1-3 at Ammon high school gym. Individual awards and a dance are planned.
• Seek Return of California Liquor Licenses, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A bill introduced in the California assembly would restore hard liquor licenses to persons of Japanese ancestry who lost them when World War II began. The State Board of Equalization had withheld licenses from most returning evacuees.
• Camp Hobby Pays for Evacuee Couple, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Yogenuma and Kiyoko Takahashi of Garden Grove turned a relocation center hobby into a livelihood by making hand-carved, painted bird pins. Yogenuma carves about 30 bird designs and produces roughly ten a day.
• Nisei Performers Invited to Take Part in Brotherhood Show, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Nisei dancers and musicians from Fujima Kansuma’s school were invited to perform at a second brotherhood program in East Los Angeles. The Menorah Jewish Community Center event will feature classical Japanese dance and instrumental music.
• Red Cross Blood Bank Drive, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A Los Angeles community-wide committee organized a Japanese American blood donation program in cooperation with the Red Cross. Organizations including the JACL, Nisei Veterans Association, and Japanese Hospital are participating.
• Chicago Group Deplores Acts of Prejudice Against Chinese, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The City Club of Chicago board passed a resolution drafted by Richard Akagi condemning hoodlumism against Chinese Americans. The resolution noted that many Chinese Americans served in the armed forces and affirmed their loyalty as Americans.
• Fourteen Nisei Qualify for Placer Honor Society, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Fourteen Nisei were among fifty Placer Junior College students approved for temporary membership in Alpha Gamma Sigma. Masamune Kojima was one of three students with perfect records.
• U.S. Drops Case Against Nisei William Ishikawa, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The government dropped its appeal, restoring U.S. citizenship to William Ishikawa of Honolulu. Judge McLaughlin had ruled his service in the Japanese army was under coercion and did not forfeit citizenship.
• Shareholders in Chicago JACL Credit Union Get 4% Dividend, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Shareholders in the Chicago JACL credit union will receive a four percent return announced at the annual meeting. New officers and board members were also elected.
• Idaho Chapters Act to Obtain Repeal of Alien Land Law, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Intermountain District Council met in Pocatello and the Salt Lake City JACL bid for the Thanksgiving weekend convention was accepted. Chapters also agreed to pursue repeal of Idaho’s Alien Land Law.
• Arrest Solicitor in Alleged Intimidation of Issei Group, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Police in Berkeley arrested a magazine salesman after Japanese American complaints of intimidation when they refused subscriptions. The salesman had claimed prison camp suffering to demand payment.
• Colorado Chapter to Sponsor Intermountain Council JACL Parley in Salt Lake, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Denver JACL cabinet proposed sponsoring a regional conference in March or April, with Fort Lupton invited as co-sponsor. Regional officers and delegates discussed chapter fundraising methods.
• Arimoto Installed as San Mateo JACL President, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Richard Arimoto, a Redwood City nurseryman, was installed as president of the San Mateo JACL at its annual dinner. Mayor Carrol M. Speers conducted the ceremony and JACL regional director Joe Grant Masaoka spoke.
• St. Louis Chapter Installs Cabinet, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The St. Louis JACL installed its 1951 cabinet headed by Ed Koyama at a dinner dance. Mary E. Brooks of the Missouri Association for Social Welfare was the featured speaker.
• Japan Night Show Planned in New York for Relief Funds, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Japanese American Committee of New York will sponsor a March 9 benefit show featuring Nisei artists and five entertainers from Tokyo. Proceeds will go to Japan relief.
• Jimmie Masuda Wins Pruning Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Jimmie Masuda of the Selma Future Farmers of America won a second pair of pruning shears in the Fresno-Madera section pruning contest. He was a member of last year’s winning team.

In-Depth

• Effort for Americanization of Hawaii Japanese Group, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 2. Rev. Takie Okumura, a pioneering Hawaii minister who worked to Americanize the island-born Japanese, died Feb. 10 at age 86. His decades-long campaign through the New Americans movement emphasized assimilation and loyalty, though as an alien he was never able to become a citizen.
• Australian Soldier Writes Book on Japan Occupation, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A book review of Allan S. Clifton’s Time of Fallen Blossoms, an account of his experiences as an Australian interpreter in occupied Japan. The reviewer praises his sympathetic understanding of Japanese people.

Commentary

• The Evacuation Claims Problem, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial criticizes the Justice Department for slow progress on evacuation claims, noting only about $62,000 was paid in the first half of the fiscal year. It urges consideration of a lump-sum payment, especially for Terminal Island evacuees excluded from the claims program.
• A Test Case on Race Segregation, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial anticipates a Supreme Court challenge to separate-but-equal facilities, citing federal rulings in several states that ordered schools integrated. It argues that separate facilities inherently imply inequality.
• Shattered, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Chicago White Sox signed two Negro players, breaking a long tradition of exclusion. Hairston was delayed by his winter league season in Venezuela.
• Old Lies Are Hard to Kill, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Tajiri rebukes commentator Paul Harvey for repeating the false claim that Hawaii’s Japanese residents guided Japanese planes at Pearl Harbor. He notes that Gwenfread Allen’s research found all such wartime rumors to be false.
• Money, Money, Money, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial comments on Maryland repealing its old railroad and steamboat segregation law, noting it was largely symbolic. It describes the state’s remaining segregation as concentrated on a ferry system soon to be obsolete.
• Focus, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial argues that Japan’s wartime leaders underestimated the value of Japanese-speaking Nisei, whereas the U.S. used them extensively in intelligence work that shortened the Pacific war. It concludes that wartime fifth column rumors about Japanese Americans were fabricated.
• Do You Know?, by P.C. Staff, page 5. This column reviews JACL membership growth to 6,608 members in 63 chapters during 1947-48 and the organization’s activities centered on local chapters. It also covers the 1948 national convention in Salt Lake City and the JACL Committee for Japan.
• The Fruits of Age, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa humorously describes a doctor’s visit for back pain and reflects on the signs of aging as he approaches forty. He ends by wryly noting the doctor’s verdict.
• Toward Real Brotherhood, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa praises the growing willingness of minority groups to support one another, citing the Anti-Defamation League’s concern for Negroes and the Denver Urban League’s outreach to Japanese Americans. He views this as progress toward genuine brotherhood.
• Vagaries, by P.C. Staff, page 5. This column covers the University of Chicago Press dismissal of William Couch, linked to publication of Morton Grodzins’ Americans Betrayed, and notes the JACL bought 1,000 copies. It also reports on Nisei dancers, a Nisei article on the 442nd, and Hollywood roles.
• Your Social Security: Note Principal Changes in U.S. Old-Age Pension Law, by Charles H. Shreve, page 5. Shreve summarizes the 1950 Social Security amendments, including coverage of about ten million new workers and average benefit increases of 77.5 percent. He explains expanded eligibility and new benefits for dependents.

Sports

• Impending Spring Brings Baseball Talk, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The column previews the 1951 season for Nisei players, including Bill Yasui, Wally Yonamine, Hank Matsubu, and several college players. It also reports on four Japanese pro players joining the San Francisco Seals for spring training.
• Chiyo Tashima Rolls 572 Series, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Chiyo Tashima posted a 572 series for a new ladies’ league record at Vogue Bowl. Results from several Nisei leagues across the West Coast and Hawaii are also summarized.
• Taro Miyasato Holds 199 Average, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Taro Miyasato finished the Brewers league season in Honolulu with a 199.14 average, likely the highest ABC total ever by a Nisei bowler. Other Hawaiian Nisei bowlers and the upcoming WIBC tournament are also covered.
• Oyakawa Is Latest Hawaii Swim Star, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Yoshinobu Oyakawa of Hilo, the 1950 Hawaiian AAU backstroke champion, tied a record in the 100-yard backstroke. Other Hawaiian Nisei swimmers at Oregon and UCLA wrestling results are also mentioned.

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