Immigration equality and a farewell from the editor, July 1952

Vol. 35, No. 2, July 12, 1952. 8 pages. View this issue

Mike Masaoka’s review of the 82nd Congress led this eight-page issue. He pointed to the Walter-McCarran Immigration and Naturalization Act, which ended the last racist bars in American law for persons of Japanese ancestry, and to faster progress on the evacuation claims program. Editorials and Bill Hosokawa’s columns took up the same victory and asked what the JACL should do next. The California Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that the state’s Alien Land Law violates the 14th Amendment, and the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to consider a rehearing petition from Tomoya Kawakita.

On page 4, editor Larry Tajiri told readers the paper would move from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles under new operating management on October 1. Elmer R. Smith wrote about Japanese in Peru during World War II. Lawrence Nakatsuka reported on the 100th Infantry Battalion’s tenth anniversary in Honolulu. Sports pages covered five Nisei on the U.S. Olympic squad bound for Helsinki, including three swimmers from Hawaii.

What’s in this issue

National

• Masaoka Hails Record of Eighty-Second Congress on Remedial Legislation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mike Masaoka, former JACL ADC legislative director, praised the 82nd Congress for enacting more legislation benefiting persons of Japanese ancestry than any previous Congress. He highlighted the Walter-McCarran Immigration and Naturalization Act and progress on the evacuation claims program.
• Supreme Court Will Consider Kawakita Rehearing Petition, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to consider a rehearing petition for Tomoya Kawakita, sentenced to death for treason. His attorneys argue the court’s prior rulings on expatriation and intent were overlooked.
• California Supreme Court Says Alien Land Law Violates Constitution in Masaoka Case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The California Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that the State’s Alien Land Law violates the 14th Amendment. The decision upheld a lower court ruling in a case involving a home held for a Japanese alien mother by her citizen sons.
• House Passes Eight Private Bills for Japanese, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The House passed eight private bills for relief of persons of Japanese ancestry, including four admitting minor children for adoption. Other bills addressed marriage, permanent residence, and status adjustment.
• Weed Killer Blamed for Child’s Death, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sixteen-month-old Duane Keith Watanabe of Caldwell, Idaho died July 3 from a weed-killing chemical, according to authorities. The child apparently came into contact with the poison while playing near onion fields.
• Institute Plans Assistance for Japanese Aliens, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The International Institute of San Francisco offered free help to Japanese and other aliens seeking citizenship under the new McCarran act. Its staff includes professional social workers, including one who speaks Japanese.
• Nisei Survivor of A-Bomb Wins Army Bars, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Henry Nakagawa, a Hiroshima survivor, was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army Reserve at the University of California. He had been 1.5 miles from the blast center and later served as an Army interpreter.
• Air Force Seeks Auditors Who Speak Japanese, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The U.S. Air Force needs auditors and accountants who can read, write and speak Japanese for positions in Japan. Salaries range from $5,000 to $11,000 per year depending on experience.

Military & Veterans

• Nisei Veteran Leads Pledge at GOP Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Hawaiian delegate Jack Mizuha, a retired 100th Infantry Battalion captain, led the pledge of allegiance at the Republican National Convention in Chicago. Two Nisei from Hawaii attended as delegates.
• Report Eleven Nisei Casualties in Korean War, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Department of Defense reported 11 Nisei casualties in Korea, including two killed in action and eight wounded. The names and hometowns of the casualties were listed.
• Mother Informed of Son’s Death from Illness in Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Pfc. Tetsuo Kunitomi, 22, died of illness in Japan while on active duty, according to a report to his mother in Los Angeles. He had served three years in the U.S. Army.
• Famous 100th Battalion Holds Tenth Anniversary Celebration, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 2. Club 100 of the 100th Infantry Battalion dedicated a new $85,000 clubhouse in Honolulu during a four-day anniversary celebration. Veterans honored 350 fallen comrades at a memorial service at Punchbowl Cemetery.

Community

• Miss Charmin Crowned at Chicago JACL Event, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Kiko Yamashiro was crowned Miss Charmin at the climax of the Chicago JACL’s Operation Octopus fundraising drive. The campaign raised funds to operate the Chicago chapter.
• Southern Alameda JACL Group Takes Top County Fair Award, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Nisei Growers, agricultural members of the Southern Alameda County JACL, won first prize at the Alameda County Fair agricultural exhibit. Their display was a bean-outlined map of the county, and members won many other ribbons.
• Karl Taku Named Lion of the Year in San Luis Obispo, by P.C. Staff, page 2. San Luis Obispo rancher Karl Taku was named Lion of the Year by the Lions Club for his chairmanship of a district convention. He was also installed as first vice-president of the club.
• Congress Approves $745,000 for Evacuation Claims in 1953, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Congress approved $745,000 for the evacuation claims program for fiscal 1953, with $500,000 for payments and $245,000 for administration. The amounts match prior-year appropriations, bringing total expected payments to $13,500,000.
• Nisei War Veteran Heads Department at General Electric, by P.C. Staff, page 3. George K. Iwashita, a World War II veteran and 442nd captain, was named general manager of General Electric’s new commercial products department. He holds 36 patents in air-conditioning and refrigeration.
• Two Nisei Given Fellowships for Tour of Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Ernest Bokura and Yoshiro Katsura, Nisei youths, received $1,000 Committee for Free Asia travel awards to tour Japan with a YMCA group. The trip includes shared activities with Japanese youth and home stays.
• Ruth Miyako Okura Receives Canine Eyes at School, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Ruth Miyako Okura, a blind Nisei woman from Los Angeles, became the first Japanese American girl to graduate from the Guide Dogs for the Blind school in San Rafael. She received a Boxer guide dog named Duchess and plans to attend junior college.
• Mother Informed of Son’s Death from Illness in Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Shinobu Hatashita, a deaf-mute Nisei woman, overcame her disabilities after being taken to Japan as a child and later returning to the U.S. With help from the International Institute, she learned to read, write and work independently.
• Arizona Nisei Women Fete Nine War Brides, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Arizona Nisei Women’s Club honored nine Japanese war brides at a potluck supper in Glendale. Guests played canasta and bridge and the club planned benefit work for a children’s home.
• Architects Award Craftsmanship Medal to Nisei Designer, by P.C. Staff, page 8. George Nakashima received the American Institute of Architects Craftsmanship Medal for his furniture design and craftsmanship. He was evacuated during the war and later founded his furniture practice in New Hope, Pennsylvania.

JACL

• Masaoka Will Write History of Naturalization Bill Fight, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Newly elected JACL president George Inagaki announced that Mike Masaoka will write a history of the fight for equality in immigration and naturalization. The history will be translated into Japanese and distributed in Japan.

Incarceration & Redress

• Wartime Seniority Losses Restored to Nisei Workers in Federal Agencies, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Senate passed JACL ADC-sponsored legislation restoring civil service rights lost by Nisei workers due to wartime treatment, which now goes to the President. Approximately 200 Nisei, mostly in the postal service, are affected.

Commentary

• The Pacific Citizen Final Note to Readers, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The Pacific Citizen announced it will move from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles under new operating management effective October 1, with the hope the paper continues. The editor thanked subscribers, JACL chapters, and the printing company for their support over the past decade.
• Mike Masaoka, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial credits Mike Masaoka with securing landmark remedial legislation on naturalization, immigration, and evacuation claims for Japanese Americans. It argues his work transformed public goodwill into concrete law.
• Conventions and Civil Rights, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial examines the FEPC plank in the Republican platform, which promises federal action against unfair employment practices but leaves details vague. It anticipates a more contentious civil rights fight at the Democratic convention.
• Quickie, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A brief column quotes NAACP executive secretary Walter White criticizing politicians over patronage and promotes his radio show. It also includes a quote on how the Middle East views American democracy.
• Year of Hate Bomb, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The column notes that NAACP calls 1951 the year of the hate bomb and reports a mob in Chicago wrecking and burning a house. It urges action to prevent similar incidents.
• Misa Mauki Ilan, by Roku Sujchore, page 5. The author describes a Fourth of July trip to Cape Cod, comparing its scenery to California and noting its summer theater, artists, and history. He also observes the prevalence of Japanese-made souvenirs and an Issei-run shop in Hyannis.
• From the Frying Pan: The Impossible Realized, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Hosokawa celebrates the granting of Japanese naturalization rights and credits many individuals beyond Mike Masaoka. He questions the future role of the JACL now that its major goal has been reached.
• Whither the JACL?, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Hosokawa argues the JACL should eventually work itself out of existence while noting continuing needs. He suggests Nisei may someday act through non-segregated groups.
• An Issei in Need, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Hosokawa describes an elderly, isolated Issei who came to his office confused about evacuation claims and lacking support. He raises concern about the need for care for such aging individuals.

In-Depth

• Reprisals Taken Against Nipponese Group in Peru, by Elmer R. Smith, page 4. Japanese in Peru faced increasing hostility during World War II, including land-lease annulments and the seizure of about 400 persons who were transported to U.S. internment camps. Many were held without trial and later faced deportation disputes.

Sports

• Shimada, Kurumada Make All-Star Roll, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Fuzzy Shimada and Dr. Jun Kurumada were named honorable mention on the All Western bowling team. It marks the first time two Nisei received such recognition.
• Five Nisei Make U.S. Olympic Squad, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Five Nisei athletes, including swimmers and weightlifters, qualified for the U.S. Olympic team headed to Helsinki. It is the largest delegation of Japanese Americans to date.
• Three Hawaiian Nisei Win Places on U.S. Swim Team for Olympics in Helsinki, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Ford Konno, Yoshinobu Oyakawa, and Evelyn Kawamoto earned places on the U.S. Olympic swim team at the tryouts. Oyakawa set an Olympic record in the 100-meter backstroke heat.
• Nisei Jockey Escapes Death in Fall from Race Horse, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Apprentice jockey Tommy Maeda was thrown against the rail and dragged by his horse Air Pine at Narragansett but escaped serious injury. He suffered only facial scratches.
• San Jose Nine Claims State Baseball Title, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The San Jose Zebras claimed the unofficial California Nisei baseball championship by sweeping a Fourth of July doubleheader against Los Angeles. They won 6-5 and 9-0 in the series.

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