Immigration bill, peace treaty and Nisei in Korea

Vol. 34, No. 18, May 3, 1952. 8 pages. View this issue

The House passage of the Walter immigration bill and the end of the war with Japan filled this eight-page issue. Mike Masaoka praised Congressman Francis Walter for steering the bill through the House, then cautioned that it still faced the Senate. When the Treaty of Peace with Japan took effect, Issei lost their enemy alien status, and Masaoka sent greetings to the Emperor and people of Japan. An editorial on “A Degree of Acceptance” read the muted West Coast reaction as a sign of change. Another page-one story told of Nisei in Korea, with two soldiers listed as wounded and the JACL investigating blackmail letters sent to a Chicago family.

Bill Hosokawa wrote of his son Mike and the trouble with fractions. Elmer R. Smith traced Japanese immigration to Brazil. Sports pages covered Ford Konno, jockey Tommy Maeda and a Philadelphia basketball title. A Nisei veteran’s television debut and George Nakashima’s craftsmanship award also appeared. Chicago’s JACL membership drive was reported too.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• JACL Investigates Report of Nisei War Prisoner Family Victimized by Blackmailers, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Washington office of the JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee is investigating whether families of Nisei reported as prisoners of Communists in Korea are being blackmailed. A Chicago family received letters and telegrams demanding money for their missing son’s supposed care, and the JACL asks other families to report similar cases.
• Stranded Nisei Wins Restoration of Citizenship, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Miss Sugine, a school teacher who lost her citizenship by voting in Japan’s 1946 and 1947 elections, had it restored by a federal judge. She testified she voted under coercion and threat of losing her job and home.

Military & Veterans

• Report Two Nisei Hurt on Korean Front, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Department of Defense informed the JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee of Nisei casualties in Korea. Two soldiers, including Sergeant First Class Allan T. Shishido and Corporal Tatsumi Aragaki, are listed as wounded.
• Veteran Takes Important Role in TV Play About War, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sho Onodera, a Nisei veteran with no prior acting experience, performed a lead role on NBC’s Philco TV Playhouse in The Basket Weaver. The play drew on his wartime experience as a military intelligence specialist in the Pacific.
• Nisei Veteran Takes Important Role in TV Play, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sho Onodera, a wartime military intelligence specialist, made his national network television debut in The Basket Weaver. Director Gordon Duff praised his performance despite his lack of prior acting experience.
• Strandee Asks Recognition of Citizen Rights, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Kiyoshi Kawaguchi, a Nisei wartime reporter in Japan, filed suit in federal court seeking recognition of his U.S. citizenship. He claims he was forced to renounce it in 1943 to obtain employment and food rations.
• Ailing Nisei War Veteran Wins Top Prize in Cartoon Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Don Oka, a hospitalized Nisei veteran of World War II, won first prize in the hospitalized veterans cartooning division. He was honored at a New York banquet attended by leading cartoonists.
• Veteran of 442nd Takes Post With Oregon Tax Agency, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Sagie Nishioka, a disabled and decorated veteran of the 442nd Combat Team, was hired as a junior accountant by the Oregon State Tax Commission after initially being denied the post due to his Japanese ancestry. Oregon Governor Douglas McKay criticized the original refusal.

National

• Judge Denies Request to Move Kawakita, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Federal Judge William C. Mathes rejected a government request to move Tomoya Kawakita from Los Angeles county jail to Santa Ana. Defense attorneys objected that the move would burden his parents and attorneys while the Supreme Court appeal is pending.
• Two Los Angeles Television Stations Accede to JACL’s Bid to Bar Anti-Nisei Films, by P.C. Staff, page 1. KNBH and KECA-TV agreed to stop broadcasting wartime films portraying Japanese Americans as villains after a JACL request. The stations declined to ban wrestling broadcasts the JACL said could provoke racism.
• Japan Peace Treaty Ends Enemy Alien Status for Issei in United States, by P.C. Staff, page 2. When the Treaty of Peace with Japan took effect April 28, resident Japanese aliens automatically lost their enemy alien status, the JACL Washington office reported. The office also argued Nisei renunciants could no longer be held under enemy alien provisions.
• House, Senate Groups Plan Conference on Evacuation Claims Fund, by P.C. Staff, page 2. House and Senate conferees will meet to resolve differences over the Third Supplemental Appropriation Bill, which includes funds for settled evacuation claims. The JACL will seek restoration of the full $14,800,000 approved by the House.
• Japan Peace Treaty Ends Enemy Alien Status, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The JACL ADC released the text of greetings Mike Masaoka sent to the Emperor and people of Japan upon the peace treaty taking effect. The message expressed hope that Japan would become a democratic partner with the United States.
• West Coast Little Reaction to Walter Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The New York Times reported little West Coast opposition to House passage of the Walter bill, which would make Asians eligible for naturalization. Critics said the bill had good and bad provisions, while a JACL representative hailed the House action.
• Masaoka Talks With Murphy Over Problems, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Mike Masaoka met with incoming U.S. Ambassador to Japan Robert D. Murphy to discuss issues affecting Japanese Americans in relations with Japan. Murphy expressed interest in the Walter-McCarran omnibus immigration bill.
• JACL ADC Official Cautions Against Premature Optimism on Issei Citizenship Issue, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Mike Masaoka warned that the omnibus immigration bill still faces Senate scheduling, Senate passage, conference, and presidential signature. He noted the Senate Majority Policy Committee has few members from areas with Nisei populations.
• House Beats Move to Drop Hawaii Alien Restrictions, by P.C. Staff, page 4. An amendment by Delegate Joseph Farrington to end travel restrictions on alien residents of Hawaii, mostly Japanese ancestry, was defeated by voice vote. Opponents argued the screening was needed for loyalty reasons.
• Masaoka Hails Walter’s Role in House Passage of Measure, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Mike Masaoka praised Congressman Francis Walter for steering the omnibus immigration bill through the House, which passed 206 to 68. He said the opposition’s arguments were answered and rejected in debate.
• Walter Refutes Arguments Against Omnibus Proposal, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Congressman Francis Walter rebutted CIO objections to his omnibus immigration bill point by point. He argued the bill had been thoroughly studied and that the charges were without basis.
• Supreme Court Denies Petition for Hearing in Mrs. d’Aquino’s Tokyo Rose Treason Case, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Supreme Court declined to hear Iva Toguri d’Aquino’s appeal of her 1949 treason conviction for wartime broadcasts over Radio Tokyo. She is serving a ten-year sentence at the federal reformatory for women in Alderson, West Virginia.

Arts & Entertainment

• Nisei Furniture Craftsman Will Receive Coveted Award, by P.C. Staff, page 1. George Nakashima, an architect turned furniture designer who developed his craft at Minidoka camp, will receive the American Institute of Architects craftsmanship medal. He is the first furniture craftsman to win the honor.

Community

• Chicago Attorney Wins Large Award in Train Death Case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Chicago JACL member Franklin Chino represented the three children of Dr. and Mrs. Anthony Ippolito, who received a $125,000 settlement from the Union Pacific railroad. The couple died in a 1951 train wreck in Wyoming.
• Wisconsin Widow Who Adopted Lonesome Nisei Soldiers Gets Warm Reception in Honolulu, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Nellie Kiefer, who hosted Japanese American soldiers of the 100th Battalion at her Wisconsin home during the war, was welcomed in Honolulu with a tour sponsored by her former boys. The veterans said they wanted to repay her wartime kindness.
• Milwaukee JACL Will Host Midwest District Council Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Milwaukee JACL will host the Midwest district council meeting over Memorial Day weekend at the Hotel Schroeder. The program includes a business meeting, banquet with Mike Masaoka as speaker, golf tournament, and sightseeing.
• Arizona Nisei Strawberry Growers Send Berries to Congressmen, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Arizona JACL sent Arizona-grown strawberries from Mutt and Floyd Yamamoto to Senate and House leaders to promote the state’s strawberry industry. Nearly all of Arizona’s berries are grown by Japanese Americans in the Glendale area.
• Resettlers Plan Discussion on Nisei Personality, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Chicago Resettlers Committee will hold a series of discussions on Japanese American personality and acculturation problems with psychiatric experts. The sessions are open to social workers and agency staff who work with Japanese Americans.
• Reno JACL Has Japanese Booth in YWCA World Fete, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Reno JACL operated a booth of Japanese novelties at the YWCA international festival, with items donated by chapters nationwide. All 300 novelties sold before the program ended.
• Little Reaction Seen on Coast to Walter Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Coast reaction to the House passage of the Walter immigration bill was muted. Critics on the West Coast came mainly from liberal groups.
• Credit Union Adds New Board Members, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Cal-Neva JACL credit union welcomed three new board members and re-elected its officers. The board set a goal of 500 members by year’s end.
• One-Armed Nisei Secretary Demonstrates Office Talents, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Kazuno Takeda, a Los Angeles honor student who lost her right arm as a child, demonstrated typing and shorthand skills at Los Angeles City College. She typed 52 words per minute on a standard typewriter using only her left hand.
• Bay Region Young People’s Christian Conference Plans Theme Event, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Bay Region Young People’s Christian Conference will meet May 3 and 4 at Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley under the theme Reality and Christian Living. Rev. Robert Boyd Munger will be keynote speaker.
• Seabrook JACL Installs 1952 Cabinet, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Newly elected officers of the Seabrook JACL, headed by President Jim Mitsui, were installed at a dinner April 20. Harold C. Emerson of Seabrook Farms gave the main address.
• Plan Discussion on Future of L.A.’s Children’s Home, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A public meeting will discuss the future of the Shonien, the Japanese Children’s Home of Southern California, which has been inactive since the evacuation. A survey is assessing needed changes and costs for reactivation.
• Orange County JACL Advances $500 for National JACL-ADC, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Orange County JACL advanced $500 from its treasury to the National JACL-ADC to meet urgent needs. The amount will be credited toward the chapter’s $1,250 quota in the spring campaign.
• Philadelphia Group Holds Spring Fete, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Coordinating Social Council held its annual spring festival in Philadelphia under chairman Shoji Date. The carnival netted $202.05, with proceeds divided among participating groups.
• Venice JACL Holds Square Dance, Social, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Venice JACL held a successful square dance and box lunch social at the Venice Community Hall. President James Yasuda served as auctioneer for the lunches.

Commentary

• A Degree of Acceptance, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial argues that the muted reaction to California’s Alien Land Law being struck down and to the House Walter bill shows Japanese Americans have gained acceptance. It traces how the land law and exclusion act were products of Yellow Peril hysteria.
• Issei and the Land Law Decision, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial warns Issei against immediately buying land in California despite the state supreme court ruling. Title insurance companies may refuse policies until final legal disposition of the case.
• Sidelined by Surgery, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The columnist recounts a four-week hospital stay in New York for an operation tied to stress from evacuation and wartime insecurity. He reflects on faith, recovery, and the generosity of blood donors.
• Mike Meets Up With Fractions, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Columnist Bill Hosokawa describes his son Mike struggling with fractions and his wife recalling her own childhood arithmetic difficulties translating problems from English to Japanese. The column reflects on the language struggles many Nisei children faced in school.
• Japanese in the Americas: Immigrants in Brazil, by Elmer R. Smith, page 6. The article traces Japanese immigration to Brazil from 1898 and the large-scale migration beginning in 1907 under contract labor agreements. It notes Japanese colonies in Sao Paulo became prosperous through agriculture while remaining largely separate from Brazilian society.

Sports

• Placer JACL Wins Second League Game, by Homer Takahashi, page 6. Placer JACL baseball defeated Truckee 8-7 in extra innings at James Field in Auburn. Kozaiku’s single in the tenth inning scored the winning runs after the locals rallied from behind.
• Hawaii Honors Ford Konno, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Honolulu swimmer Fred Hiroshi Konno was named Hawaii’s Athlete of the Year at a banquet sponsored by the Honolulu Quarterbacks Club. Five other Nisei athletes also received certificates of merit.
• Young Tommy Maeda May Be First Nisei Jockey to Win Race on Major U.S. Track, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Seventeen-year-old apprentice jockey Tommy Maeda from Hawaii won a maiden race at Gulfstream Park in Florida on Air Pine at 35 to 1 odds. He is believed to be the first Nisei to win a race at a major U.S. track.
• Chicago Nisei Wins YMCA’s Lifting Title, by P.C. Staff, page 6. James Kuzuhara of the Duncan YMCA of Chicago won the 132-pound championship in the National YMCA weightlifting meet with a total lift of 625 pounds. The meet was held in Cincinnati on April 19.
• Philadelphia Nisei Celebrate Victory in Canada Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Philadelphia Nisei Athletic Club won the Japanese Canadian Citizens Association basketball tournament in Montreal, defeating the Toronto Whiz Kids in the final. Eddie Takesue led the late rally that secured the championship.

Obituaries

• Fabulous Potato King’s Feats Recalled at Widow’s Funeral, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Final rites were held for Mrs. Shime Shima, widow of California potato king George Shima, who died April 22 at age 85. The article recounts Shima’s rise from a 1889 arrival with under $1,000 to controlling much of the state’s potato market.

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