California drops its Alien Land Law appeal, and the Senate fights over immigration

Vol. 34, No. 20, May 17, 1952. 8 pages. View this issue

California’s Alien Land Law was the lead story of this 8-page issue. Attorney General Edmund G. Brown decided not to appeal the state Supreme Court ruling that struck it down, and JACL national director Masao Satow said the decision marked the end of legal persecution of Japanese Americans by the state. A staff editorial described the fourteen pending cases the state then dropped. Coverage of the Senate fight over Senator Pat McCarran’s omnibus immigration and naturalization bill also ran through the issue, with letters from JACL chapters read aloud and a forecast of a long, tough battle.

Elsewhere, Larry Tajiri wrote about Nisei performers on television, and Bill Hosokawa described a week spent as a homemaker. Elmer R. Smith looked at Japanese in Brazil’s economy. Page 4 also carried an editorial on a covenant signed in Southwood, and about half of the issue’s articles are sports reports, from Henry Aihara’s jump at the West Coast Relays to Nisei bowling titles.

What’s in this issue

National

• Attorney General Brown Drops Appeal of California Alien Land Law Ruling, by P.C. Staff, page 1. California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown decided not to appeal the state Supreme Court ruling that the Alien Land Law was unconstitutional. JACL officials praised the decision as a repudiation of racism and an end to legalized discrimination against Japanese Americans.
• Sponsor of Omnibus Bill Charges Opponents Attempt Filibuster by Amendment, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Senator Pat McCarran accused opponents of his omnibus immigration and naturalization bill of filibustering through nearly 90 amendments. Senators Lehman and Humphrey insisted they needed adequate time for section-by-section debate.
• Letters From JACL Groups Read in Senate, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Senator McCarran read endorsement letters from the San Mateo and Cleveland JACL chapters and from Mike Masaoka supporting his omnibus bill. The letters argued the bill would remove racial discrimination in naturalization and immigration.
• Observers Predict Long, Tough Battle Over McCarran’s Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Capitol observers expected a bitter Senate fight over the McCarran immigration bill, though its sponsor rarely loses. The opposition planned 150 to 200 liberalized amendments and a motion to recommit the measure.
• Yorty Seeks Citizenship for Issei Residents, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Rep. Samuel Yorty introduced a House bill to ban race discrimination in immigration and naturalization, aiming to open citizenship to resident Issei. He argued that liberal immigration policy is consistent with democratic values.
• Abandoning the Alien Land Act, by P.C. Staff, page 4. California dropped fourteen pending cases under the Alien Land Act after the state supreme court ruling. The editorial describes how the law hampered citizens and aliens alike, including in two Berkeley cases.
• Renunciants Committee Seeks $1,300,800 for Court Costs, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Tule Lake Defense Committee asked 4,336 renunciants to pay $300 each toward court costs in their citizenship case. Attorney Wayne Collins has handled the case for six years, and renunciants need court action to regain citizenship rights.

Community

• Nisei A-Bomb Survivors Will Aid Civil Defense Program, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Nisei atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki will participate in the Alert America civil defense exhibit in Los Angeles. The six-day show is free and intended to teach residents how to protect themselves and their families.
• Nisei Girl Leaves for Paris as Nurse for Ridgway Child, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Betty Watanabe, a Honolulu-born Nisei, accompanied General Matthew Ridgway’s family to Europe as nurse for their son. She had earlier trained in Japan and worked for a U.S. Army hospital in Tokyo.
• Los Angeles Nisei Legionnaires Give Blood to Red Cross, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sixteen members of Commodore Perry Post 525 of the American Legion donated blood for fighting men in Korea. The post also sponsored two high school juniors for the California Boys State program.
• Senate Passes Private Bills for Japanese, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Senate passed eleven private relief bills for persons of Japanese ancestry, eight of which had already passed the House and await the President’s signature. The bills admit spouses, fiancees, and adopted children.
• Seabrook Pushes Membership Drive, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Seabrook JACL membership drive reached a new total under chairman Bill Tsuguwa. The campaign remains in progress.
• Recall Nisei Woman’s Saga of Pacific Voyage in Junk, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Dr. E. Allen Peterson and his wife Tani, a Nisei, sailed a Chinese junk across the Pacific in 1937 in an 85-day voyage. The couple, returning to Hawaii for a visit, were once given up as lost at sea.
• Placer Squad Loses Close League Game, by Homer Takahashi, page 7. The Placer JACL baseball team lost 3 to 2 to the Lincoln Potters despite an errorless defense. Lincoln’s pitcher held the Nisei in check, and the loss left Lincoln with the only unbeaten record in the league.
• Chiyo Tashima Hits 278 Game to Defend TV Bowling Title, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Chiyo Tashima, the 1952 National JACL all-events champion, defended her women’s Western Challenge Bowling title on KTTV with a 278 game. Her two-game total of 446 was her highest in competition.
• National VFW Chief Lauds Nisei Soldiers at Installation, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Frank Hilton, VFW national commander, praised Nisei soldiers at the installation of officers for Sacramento’s Nisei Post 8985. He said the 442nd men volunteered to fight from camps where their families were imprisoned.
• Detroit Chapter Holds Dance, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Detroit JACL held an Easter Bunny Hop dance at the International Institute with WEXL disc jockeys providing music. Committee members and a floor show featuring impersonators were part of the event.
• Nisei Makes Regular Blood Donation Before Wedding, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Tadashi Kuwatani kept his regular Red Cross blood donation appointment in San Francisco on the day before his wedding. His brothers also make regular donations.
• Council to Hear Delegate to UN, by P.C. Staff, page 8. United States UN delegate Edith Sampson will speak at the annual meeting of the Chicago Council Against Racial and Religious Discrimination on May 21. The meeting is open to the public.
• Launch JACL ADC Fund Campaign in Pasadena Area, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Pasadena JACL president Ken Dyo announced a house-to-house fund drive for the JACL ADC following a meeting of Issei community leaders. The campaign will be conducted citywide.
• Two UCLA Nisei Win Scholarships, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Chizuko Omori and Susumu Uyeda were among 66 UCLA students awarded scholarships and prizes. The announcement was made in Los Angeles.
• Nisei Attitudes Discussed in Chicago Study, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Chicago Resettlers Committee held a second discussion series on Japanese American personality, led by psychiatrist Dr. Charlotte Babcock. The sessions examine Nisei attitudes and values compared with middle-class American standards.
• Women Hear Talk by Flower Expert, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Harry Kono gave a talk and flower arranging demonstration to the Selma JACL women’s auxiliary. He offered tips on corsages and arranging home-grown flowers.

JACL

• Western JACL Groups Claim Contest Victory, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The San Francisco JACL chapter claimed second-largest membership among national JACL chapters and led seven western chapters to a combined membership total exceeding Chicago’s challenge. The race deadline was May 1.

Military & Veterans

• Yasui Is Named to ACLU Board, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Attorney Min Yasui was elected to the executive board of the Colorado branch of the American Civil Liberties Union. He urged Nisei to support the organization, which has assisted persons of Japanese ancestry in civil rights cases.
• Sergeant Wins Decoration for Mail Service, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Master Sergeant Kazuo Sukekane of Watsonville received the Bronze Star for running air postal operations in Korea and was reassigned to the United States. The citation credited him with improving mail routing for United Nations forces.

Commentary

• Dilemma in the Senate, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Both the McCarran bill and the Humphrey-Lehman substitute would remove race restrictions from naturalization and immigration. The editorial notes the debate obscures this shared agreement, recalling how the 1950 Walter resolution failed over unrelated amendments.
• Last Act in Southwood, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Sixty Southwood residents signed an agreement forbidding sale of property to non-whites after the Sing Sheng incident. The editorial notes such covenants are unenforceable in court but reveal entrenched prejudice.
• The Nisei on Television, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Television has shown more courage than radio or motion pictures in presenting minority performers and avoiding stereotypes. The column highlights Nisei actors and actresses who have appeared in TV dramas and variety shows.
• Foreign Trade Slumps, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Japanese business expansion into New York has lagged, with far fewer offices opening than expected. High prices, limited financing, outdated machinery, and quality problems are cited as causes.
• Homemaking Is Tough, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Columnist Bill Hosokawa spent a week as a homemaker and found the daily routine exhausting. He reflects on his new respect for housewives and on the difficulty of making beds.
• Japanese in the Americas: Future in Brazil’s Economy, by Elmer R. Smith, page 6. Brazilian Japanese faced wartime suspicion and arrests similar to those on the West Coast, often based on exaggerated rumors. Since the war they have become efficient and respected agriculturists in Brazil’s economy.

Arts & Entertainment

• Three Nisei Women Artists Exhibited in San Francisco, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Works by Nisei women artists Miyoko Ito, Emiko Nakano, and Mine Okubo are included in the San Francisco Museum of Art’s 16th annual drawing and print exhibition. The show runs through June 1.
• Kuniyoshi’s Paintings Will Be Shown at Venice Art Festival, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Yasuo Kuniyoshi will be one of four American artists representing the United States at the 26th Venice Biennale. He will be shown in a one-man gallery featuring sixteen paintings and drawings.
• First Nisei Soprano With Metropolitan Company, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Tomi Kanazawa became the first Nisei soprano to sing the title role of Madame Butterfly with the Metropolitan Opera Company, performing in Minneapolis on May 18. She had previously sung the role with several American opera companies and on television.

Sports

• Kim’s KO Recalls Jo Tei Ken’s Days, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Hawaiian welterweight Philip Kim made his mainland debut with a second-round knockout in Hollywood. The column recalls Korean-ancestry boxer Jo Tei Ken, who fought main events in California during the 1930s.
• Zenimura Lifts Average to .400 Mark, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Harvey Zenimura and Fibber Hirayama of Fresno State pulled off a double steal in a game against Castle Field. Several Nisei players were highlighted in college and summer league baseball.
• Nisei Trackmen Perform in Coast Relays, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Several Nisei athletes competed in the West Coast Relays and regional meets, though none won blue ribbons at the Fresno event. The column lists qualifiers for district and city championships.
• Aihara Wins Hop, Step, Jump, Trains for Olympic Tryouts, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Henry Aihara, former NCAA broad jump champion, won the hop, step and jump at the West Coast Relays with a leap of 46 feet 4 inches. The performance established him as a candidate for the U.S. Olympic team.
• Washington State Nisei Wins Army Boxing Crown, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Private Mas Umemoto of Camp Roberts won the bantamweight championship at the Sixth Army boxing tournament. He advanced to the Army finals in New Jersey.
• Hood River Nisei Win Bowling Title, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Hacketts, an all-Nisei team, won the Hood River, Oregon commercial bowling league championship. It is the first year Nisei teams have won the title there.
• Cpl. Hutch Aoki Enters Boat Race on Lake in Utah, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Corporal Hutch Aoki, a powerboat racer, will compete in a race on a Utah lake. He is returning from Army service in Korea.
• San Leandro Team Captures East Bay JACL Bowling Title, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Toe Yoshioka’s 641 series led the San Leandro Tire Service team to the East Bay JACL bowling championship. Several other Nisei teams and bowlers placed in the tournament.
• Aratani Named to Coach Backs at Hawaii U, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Jimmy Asato, former star halfback for the University of Hawaii Rainbows, was named assistant backfield coach. Seventeen Nisei gridders were among the 48 players who reported for spring practice.

Obituaries

• Coast Nurseryman Killed in Collision, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Hiroshi Ioki, a floral nursery operator, died after his truck collided with a passenger car in downtown Los Angeles. He was en route to the Flower Market and is survived by his wife and two daughters.

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