Equality in immigration law, and the first evacuation claims rulings

Vol. 33, No. 20, November 24, 1951. 8 pages. View this issue

Immigration and naturalization equality led this eight-page issue. Senator Robert A. Taft of Ohio told a Cincinnati JACL delegation, with Richard Akagi as spokesman, that he supported the principle of equal treatment in the McCarran Omnibus Bill. Another front-page story covered a test case on the Nationality Act that reached the Supreme Court. Judge Thurman Clarke spoke to convention delegates in a talk reported by Tats Kushida, and JACL members accepted a $25,195 ADC quota for 1952.

Two Justice Department rulings on evacuation claims appear on pages 2 and 4. Bill Hosokawa’s column profiled two Korean War heroes who toured the United States. Elmer R. Smith wrote on segregation and South Africa. The editorial on page 4 traced Governor Earl Warren’s changing record. Page 3 follows Henry Nakamura, who played Tommy in Go for Broke!, into Army basic training.

What’s in this issue

National

• Sen. Robert Taft Promises Support of Equality Principle in McCarran Omnibus Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Senator Robert A. Taft of Ohio pledged support for equality in naturalization and immigration in the McCarran Omnibus Bill during a meeting with a Cincinnati JACL delegation. The bill is pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Taft may urge quick action when Congress reconvenes.
• Supreme Court Will Consider Test Case on Nationality Act, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A test case challenging a section of the Nationality Act that stripped citizenship from Americans who served in foreign armies or voted in foreign elections has reached the Supreme Court. The Honolulu federal court had ruled the provision invalid in restoring citizenship to two Nisei, and oral argument is expected next spring.

Military & Veterans

• Nisei GI Helps Prepare Meals for Truce Crew, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Pvt. George Mukai of Morgan Hill, Calif., is one of four GIs assigned to cook meals for United Nations and North Korean truce delegates at Panmunjon. The delegates were too busy to eat the meals prepared during the week.
• Korean War Hero Wed in Coast City, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Corp. Hideo Hashimoto, cited for heroism at Razorback Ridge in Korea, married Konami Fujita in San Francisco. He is stationed at Camp Stoneman.
• Tommy of 442nd Film Gets Real-Life Army Training, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Henry Nakamura, who played Tommy in the film Go for Broke!, was inducted into the Army and is in basic training at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. He won a trainee of the week award and is set to appear in MGM’s Westward the Women.

Community

• Dr. Oniki Named President of Kiwanis Group, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Dan Oniki was named president for 1952 of the Park City Kiwanis Club. He is believed to be the first Nisei elected president of a Kiwanis organization in the continental United States.
• Eight Indicted By Grand Jury In Bunco Cases, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A San Francisco County Grand Jury indicted eight persons of Japanese ancestry on grand theft and conspiracy charges tied to a bunco racket that defrauded three victims of more than $26,000. Three ring members remain in custody.
• Nisei Girl May Ride Coast City Parade Float, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The City of Long Beach invited Nisei girls to compete for a place on its float in the Tournament of Roses parade. Qualifications include age, height, and the ability to wear a kimono.

JACL

• National JACL President Makes Tour to Coast, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL national president Dr. Randolph Sakada traveled to California to confer with evacuation claims officials and attend district council conventions. He also held meetings with national staff in Salt Lake City on immediate organizational problems.
• Delegates Accept Raised ADC Quota in Financial Campaign, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Delegates to the PSWDC convention in Santa Ana unanimously accepted a 1952 ADC fund drive quota of $25,195. The quota was set amid remaining JACL-ADC objectives including immigration equality and evacuation claims.
• Pacific Southwest JACL Asks Facilitation of Claims Program, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Resolutions adopted at the Pacific Southwest District Council convention urged faster evacuation claims payment and proposed restructuring of JACL regional offices. Other resolutions addressed JACL publications and chapter assessments.

Incarceration & Redress

• Judiciary Must Speak Out if Democracy to Survive, Judge Clarke Tells JACL, by Tats Kushida, page 1. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Thurman Clarke told PSWDC convention delegates that courts must speak out on constitutional issues, citing his rulings striking down restrictive covenants and the alien land law. He traced the history of anti-Japanese legislation in California and the Masaoka alien land case.
• Claim for Evacuation Loss on Interrupted Education Ruled Uncompensable Item, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Department of Justice ruled that out-of-state fees and higher costs of relocated education are not compensable under the Evacuation Claims Act. However, tuition paid for an unfinished semester at the University of California was allowed as a compensable loss.
• Justice Department Rules: Departure Prior to Army’s Order Not Covered by Act, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Department of Justice denied a claim for carriage expenses from San Pedro to Los Angeles in February 1942, finding the move preceded any military area designation. The JACL had argued unsuccessfully for a more liberal reading of the Act.

Commentary

• The Education of a Governor, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial reviews Governor Earl Warren’s evolution from his wartime hostility toward Nisei to his more progressive record, now that he is a presidential candidate. It credits his stand on the University of California oath and his support for restoring Japanese American liquor licenses.
• Two Korean War Heroes, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Columnist Bill Hosokawa profiles two Korean War heroes, Kim Chun Bea and Yoon Chi Hyun, who toured the United States to promote the UN war effort. He shares their observations on American size, gratitude for aid, and their views on Americans and Communism.
• Two Score on Race Relations: Policy of Race Segregation Contradicts American Dream, by Elmer R. Smith, page 5. Elmer Smith examines how segregation arises from economic and political conflicts, using South Africa’s rigid apartheid system as the example. He argues that segregation on South African scale would be incompatible with American democracy.

Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.