1952: JACL seeks federal job-bias action and a million-dollar endowment

Vol. 35, No. 4, July 26, 1952. 8 pages. View this issue

JACL’s agenda in the summer of 1952 filled the front page. Abe Hagiwara told the Democratic platform committee that the War Relocation Authority’s wartime resettlement work showed federal action could fight job discrimination, and the JACL asked for a federal fair employment practices plank. Saburo Kido and Keisaburo Koda announced a National Committee to raise a million-dollar endowment fund, and Larry Tajiri’s editorial backed the plan. JACL ADC officials also prepared to meet immigration officials over the new Immigration and Nationality Act, with weekly releases to follow.

Sports pages followed Nisei athletes toward the Helsinki Olympics: swimmers Ford Konno, Yoshinobu Oyakawa and Evelyn Kawamoto, and the removal of weightlifters Richard Tomita and Richard Tom from the team. Columns by Larry Tajiri and Bill Hosokawa cover politics, business, Denver television and trout fishing. Elmer R. Smith’s history traces the first Issei in the United States.

What’s in this issue

National

  • Wartime Relocation Agency Work Recalled as JACL Asks for Federal Anti-Bias Action, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL representative Abe Hagiwara urged the Democratic platform committee to adopt a federal fair employment practices plank, citing wartime WRA resettlement experience. He argued that federal action can effectively combat employment discrimination.
  • JACL Officials Will Confer Over New Immigration Law, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL ADC representatives planned to meet immigration officials to seek favorable procedures under the new Immigration and Nationality Act. Proposals included allowing naturalization petitions to be filed before the law takes effect.
  • President Signs Private Bills For Japanese, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The President signed six private bills granting relief to persons of Japanese ancestry, including adoptions, marriages, and restoration of citizenship. The Washington JACL ADC announced the measures.
  • Salt Lake TV Station Regrets Showing of Anti-Nisei Movie, by P.C. Staff, page 1. KDYL-TV apologized for broadcasting the film Let’s Get Tough, which the JACL protested as anti-Nisei. The station said it would pre-check program material more carefully.
  • ADC Office Plans Weekly Releases on Immigration Law, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Washington JACL ADC announced weekly news releases analyzing the new Immigration and Nationality Act. Topics will include procedures for Issei citizenship and immigration provisions affecting persons of Japanese ancestry.
  • Government’s Claims Section Asks Cooperation of Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Department of Justice Claims Division in Los Angeles asked claimants to return compromise forms and attend conferences promptly. It also asked families of deceased claimants to notify the department.
  • No Severe New Restrictions Imposed on Dual Nationals in Omnibus Law, Says JACL ADC, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The JACL ADC said fears that dual nationals face new restrictions under the Immigration and Nationality Act are unfounded. It argued the new law actually liberalizes the dual nationality provisions compared with the old law.
  • Government Seeks Whereabouts of Two Claimants, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Department of Justice sought information on the whereabouts of two evacuation claimants, Takakichi Taira and Cpl. Kaikichi Machida. The JACL Regional Office forwarded the request.

Community

  • Million Dollar Endowment Sought for JACL’s Future, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Saburo Kido and Keisaburo Koda announced a National Committee to raise a million-dollar JACL endowment fund. The fund would protect Japanese Americans, support the national office, and provide scholarships and economic aid.
  • Name First Nisei Teacher, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Kumi Ishida became the first Nisei hired by the San Mateo public schools as an elementary instructor. Her appointment broke the district’s color line.
  • Nisei Woman, Children Escape In Rescue Attempt at Beach, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Mrs. Joseph Yonai went to rescue a child at Alamitos Bay and her two children followed her into deep water. Five people were rescued, and Mrs. Yonai was revived by artificial respiration.
  • Civic Officials Join Nisei In Dedication of JACL Hall, by P.C. Staff, page 2. More than 50 officials and community leaders attended the dedication of the Glendale, Arizona JACL Community Hall. Speakers included regional director Tats Kushida, and films of camps and the 442nd were shown.
  • JACL Medallion Presented Sato at Chamber Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Carl Sato, president of the Arizona State Junior Chamber of Commerce, received a JACL Recognitions medallion in Mesa. Regional Director Tats Kushida made the presentation.
  • Teachers to See Nisei Community, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Members of a Northwestern University workshop will tour Japanese American community centers in Chicago. Speakers and a Buddhist church visit are included in the program.
  • Southwest Area Parley Set for Arizona City, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Plans were set for the 1953 Pacific Southwest District Council convention in Arizona next spring. Masao Tsutsumida was named convention chairman, with a two or three day event planned.
  • Issei Newsman Killed in L.A. By Hit-Run Driver, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Honko Matsumoto, a former Rafu Shimpo editorial staff member, died after being struck by a speeding car while waiting for a streetcar in Los Angeles. He is survived by his wife and six children.
  • Announce Program For Chicago Picnic, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Chicago’s annual Japanese American community picnic will be held July 27 at Dan Ryan Woods. The program includes races, a softball exhibition, entertainment, and folk dances.
  • San Francisco Discusses Bid For JACL Office, by P.C. Staff, page 2. San Francisco JACL members discussed a move to bring the national JACL headquarters back from Salt Lake City. Los Angeles groups had also submitted a bid, and the National Board will decide.
  • Nisei Mother Will Return After 11 Years as Strandee, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Mrs. Hisako Hiyama, a Hawaii-born Nisei stranded in Japan since 1941, will return with her children to testify in a citizenship suit in Chicago. She lost citizenship after voting in a 1947 Japanese election.
  • Handyman Charged with Deaths Of Five in Hawaiian Family, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Jose Aloag was charged with the stabbing deaths of the Richard Sumida family in Honolulu. The sole survivor was the eldest son, Anthony, who escaped the attack.
  • Two Nisei Subdue Would-Be Assailant, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Yoshiharu Yokogawa and Cpl. Kaneo Maechi subdued a hitchhiker who pulled a knife near Tracy, California. Both men are judo experts and released the man without charges.
  • Cleveland Chapter Helps Formation Of Mothers Club, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Cleveland JACL study committee helped form a mothers’ club focused on community service. The club planned a family picnic and possible cooking classes.
  • Veteran of 442nd Attends Sorbonne, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Wilson Makabe, an amputee 442nd veteran from Placer County, is studying at the Sorbonne in Paris. Mary Lou Kawasaki of Ohio is also a Nisei student there.
  • Annual Picnic Planned by ELA, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The East Los Angeles JACL announced its annual picnic at Brookside Park in Pasadena on August 31. Members of Pacific Southwest District chapters are invited.
  • Nisei Week Festival Queen Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Eleven aspirants entered the 1952 Nisei Week Festival queen contest in Los Angeles. The festival runs from August 15 for ten days.
  • Earn $50.00 to $150.00 a Day, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Advertisement-like content for the American Chick Sexing School is excluded; no article included.
  • Maui Girl Wins Scholarship from Veterans Group, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Betty Toshiko Nomura of Kihei received the Maui JA Veterans Club’s four-year University of Hawaii scholarship. The award is based on scholastic standing, financial need, character, and community service.
  • Nisei Judge Gets Interim Appointment, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Magistrate Robert K. Murakami of the Honolulu district court received an interim appointment as a federal judge in the First Circuit. The article reports the appointment by the President.
  • Fowlers JACLers Are Active in Civic Groups, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Fowler JACL members, including Tom Shirakawa, a newly named City Council member, are active in civic organizations. Several serve on Chamber of Commerce, school, Lions, and Scout committees.
  • Minnesotans Hold Fifth Fish Derby Sunday, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Japanese Americans in Minnesota held their fifth fishing derby at Lake Minnetonka on June 29. Winners in several divisions were announced.
  • Chicago’s Episcopal Dioceses Holds Two Japanese Services, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Two Chicago Episcopal churches hold Japanese services, according to Father Kitagawa. He described the church’s role for Issei and Nisei and its community work.
  • Nisei Pastor Appears on TV, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Dr. Jitsuo Morikawa, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Chicago, appeared as a guest on a television program. He discussed the Nisei church and its congregation.
  • Hears Reports on JACL Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Dr. George Miyake reported on the National JACL convention to the Fowler chapter. He praised Mike Masaoka’s ADC work and noted local donations to the ADC drive.

Military & Veterans

  • Hawaii Nisei Cadet Likes West Point, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Kenneth K. Ikeda, the first Nisei from Hawaii appointed to West Point, said he still wants a military career despite freshman hazing. He described the hard first year and his boxing activity.
  • Two Hawaii Nisei Receive DSCs, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Sgt. Robert S. Kobashigawa (posthumously) and Second Lt. Toshio Aoyagi received the Distinguished Service Cross for valor in Korea. Both acted heroically under heavy fire in 1951.

Commentary

  • Editorial: National JACL Endowment Fund, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The editorial supports the JACL’s plan for a $1,000,000 endowment fund to finance its work and end yearly chapter fund drives. It argues the fund would secure the organization’s future and economic stability.
  • Finch, Friend of Nisei GIs, Plans Aid to Japan Students, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 4. Earl Finch helped establish an American-Japanese Youth Foundation in Honolulu to fund scholarships for Japanese students at the University of Hawaii. The foundation hopes later to send Hawaii students to Japan.
  • The Nisei and Politics, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The column examines Nisei political participation, including Hawaiian delegates at the national conventions and JACL work in the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. It notes the JACL’s influence on the omnibus immigration law.
  • Search of the Golden Fleece, by Larry Tajiri, page 5. Tajiri reflects on why Nisei in New York work relentlessly to get ahead, comparing their drive to that of the Issei. He describes the ambitions of Nisei artists, doctors, lawyers, and writers.
  • In the Business World, by Larry Tajiri, page 5. A Nisei foreign trade broker describes the many large deals that fail to close and the thin commissions earned. The column stresses the constant hustle with rarely a killing.
  • Television Comes to Denver, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Hosokawa describes the arrival of television in Denver during the Democratic convention and the rush to buy sets. He jokes about his family’s pressure to get one.
  • From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Hosokawa recounts a trout fishing trip with Kenji Nogaki, who baited him with flies that quickly wore out. He also reviews the novel Stockade, which features a Nisei GI interpreter.

In-Depth

  • Japanese in the Americas: First Issei in the U.S., by Elmer R. Smith, page 6. Smith traces the 1858 US-Japan treaty, the 1860 Japanese envoy’s visit, and early Japanese emigration. He describes how commercial and diplomatic tensions developed between Japan and the West.

Sports

  • Nisei May Win Olympic Gold Medals, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Four Nisei athletes, Ford Konno, Yoshinobu Oyakawa, Evelyn Kawamoto, and Tommy Kono, are favored in the Helsinki Olympics. The article also covers the controversy over weightlifters Richard Tomita and Richard Tom being scratched.
  • Umeda Wins NBA Rating Among World Flyweights, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Tommy Umeda, a 442nd veteran, became the first Nisei named to the National Boxing Association’s world flyweight ratings. He is a claimant to the California bantamweight title.
  • Coach Withdraws Nisei Lifter From Olympic Competition, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Coach Bob Hoffman dropped Hawaiian Nisei weightlifters Richard Tomita and Richard Tom from the Olympic team. Hawaii officials protested the decision, which Hoffman defended as a strategy to concentrate on heavier classes.
  • Three Nisei Named Favorites In Olympic Swimming Events, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Ford Konno, Yoshinobu Oyakawa, and Evelyn Kawamoto were rated pre-meet favorites in Olympic swimming events. Konno’s chances in the 400 and 1500 meter freestyle were highlighted.

Obituaries

  • Dies of Illness in California, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Mrs. Alice Mary Urishida, a Negro woman whose Japanese husband died in the Hiroshima atomic blast, died in Los Angeles at 76. She had been ill since returning to the United States six years earlier.
  • Super-Sleuth Nisei Scout Found Safe, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A missing Nisei Boy Scout, Kazuo Nakano, was found alive at a camp in Placer County after disappearing during a swimming session. The article reports the boy was recovered several hours later.

Arts & Entertainment

  • Yamada Paintings Win Acclaim at California Gallery, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Paintings and pastels by Lillian Yamada, a UCLA art graduate, were exhibited at a Los Angeles gallery. One work was purchased by the Los Angeles County Museum.
  • Nisei’s Cookbook: Names and Recipes, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The column explores Japanese cooking terminology and presents recipes for Japanese cabbage rolls and other dishes. It invites readers to send their favorite recipes.

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