First quota immigrant visa to a Japanese national, and a new literary page

Vol. 36, No. 5, January 30, 1953. 8 pages. View this issue

Immigration was the main news of this 8-page issue. Tamotsu Murayama reported from Tokyo as Sozaburo Kujiraoka became the first Japanese to receive a quota immigrant visa under the new immigration laws, handed to him at the American Embassy on Jan. 21. Close to 400 Issei signed up for Americanization classes in Seattle, and Stockton and Lodi reported rising numbers in naturalization classes. The paper also covered the Senate Judiciary Committee’s new makeup and the House committee that must fund unpaid evacuation claims. Mike Masaoka marked the tenth anniversary of the 442nd, and the JACL reported 11,017 members for 1952.

Page 5 opens a new literary page. Kats Akunitsu traces Nisei writing, Naomi Kashiwabara reviews Monica Sone’s Nisei Daughter, and short stories by Fred S. Kai and Michi Kameda follow. Chapter profiles of Shigeru Richard Horio and Masao Narita, plus news of two new Japanese-owned banks in California, fill the rest.

What’s in this issue

Community

• First Quota Immigrant Visa Presented to Sozaburo Kujiraoka in Tokyo, by By Tamotsu Murayama, page 1. Sozaburo Kujiraoka became the first Japanese to receive a quota immigrant visa to the United States under the new immigration laws, presented at the American Embassy in Tokyo on Jan. 21. He plans to sail in February to join his cousins farming in California’s Central Valley.
• Close to 400 Issei Sign Up for Americanization Classes in Seattle, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Nearly 400 Issei have enrolled in Americanization classes at Edison Vocational School in Seattle, with fifteen classes in Japanese starting under Seattle Public School teachers. Additional bilingual instructors were sought to meet demand.
• James Imatani Named 1000 Club Chairman for Mountain-Plains District, by Min Yasui, page 2. James Imatani of Henderson, Colorado, was named 1000 Club chairman for the Mountain-Plains JACL district, replacing George Furuta. Columnist Min Yasui jokingly suggests a charter plane to cover the vast district.
• Youth Graduations and Student Achievements Highlighted in Los Angeles, by Henry Mori, page 2. Henry Mori notes that Nisei and Sansei students received diplomas and honors across Southland schools, including seven student-body presidents at junior highs. He also shares heartwarming stories of a Nisei veteran raising his infant daughter and a couple offering wheelchairs to Nisei.
• Second-Hand TV Sets From America Reach 4,000 Residents in Japan, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 2. Daily television telecasts are beginning in Japan, with about 4,000 second-hand American sets in use, and a major investment by Japanese businessmen and Nisei board member August Shigekazu Narumi. The column also profiles Nisei figures including Dr. Kikuo Taira, Miyoko Watanabe, and Senator Camilo Osias.
• Japanese Dancers Ready for ABC-TV Appearance, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Michiko and Fumiko Murayama, known professionally as Fujima Asasoga and Fujima Tomisoga, are visiting the United States at the invitation of opera singer Helen Traubel. They will appear on ABC-TV.
• Redevelopment Plans Slate Clearing of San Francisco Nipponmachi in Late 1954, by P.C. Staff, page 3. San Francisco’s redevelopment program will clear sections of the Western Addition beginning around October 1953 and continuing through 1956, affecting many Issei and Nisei businesses and families. The agency plans to sell cleared land to private builders starting in December 1954.
• Stockton and Lodi Issei Naturalization Classes Increasing, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Hundreds of Japanese are applying for naturalization in Stockton, with 130 enrolled in classes at Stockton College and 104 in Lodi. Instructor Marie DeCarli reports the classes are swamped with new students.
• Tokyo Bank of California and Sumitomo Bank of California Open with Nisei Directors, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Two new Japanese-owned banks in California, the Tokyo Bank and Sumitomo Bank, open with $1 million in capital, with JACL leaders George Inagaki, Dr. T. T. Hayashi, and Sumitomo Togasaki serving on their boards. The development is described as a welcome sign of economic strength for Japanese Americans.

National

• Composition of Crucial Senate Judiciary Committee Revealed for 83rd Congress, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Senate announced its committee assignments, with Sen. William Langer becoming chairman of the Judiciary Committee that handles immigration, naturalization, and civil rights. The JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee stressed the committee’s power to kill or advance legislation affecting Japanese Americans.
• House Appropriations Committee Under Rep. John Taber Will Handle Evacuation Claims Funding, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. John Taber, known as a budget cutter, heads the House Appropriations Committee, which must approve deficiency appropriations for unpaid evacuation claims. The committee’s makeup will influence whether the roughly $6.5 million in awards is funded.
• Pacific Citizen Holiday Edition Articles on Immigration Inserted into Congressional Record, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Louis E. Graham inserted articles from the Pacific Citizen holiday edition on the new Immigration and Nationality Act into the Congressional Record. The articles described the act’s background, provisions, and the congressional fight over it.
• Nisei Women Serve on Hawaii Jury for First Time, by L. Nakatsuka, page 3. Two Nisei women, Mrs. Pat M. Fujii and Mrs. Amy Komiyama, served on a mixed jury in Honolulu after a 1952 act of Congress extended jury service to women in Hawaii. The change removed one of the last discriminatory practices against women in the territory.
• Hawaii Statehood Prospects Discussed, by Ontario Argus, page 8. An editorial reprinted from the Ontario (Oregon) newspaper considers why Hawaiian statehood has been delayed given its diverse population. It argues Hawaii’s senators would be as loyal as any other senators.

JACL

• 1952 JACL Membership Reaches 11,017, Largest Postwar Figure, by P.C. Staff, page 1. National JACL membership for 1952 reached 11,017, the highest of the postwar years, with about one-third from Northern California. Chicago was the largest chapter with 1,119 members.
• Richard Akagi Resigns from JACL-ADC Post, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Richard Akagi, assistant Washington JACL-ADC representative, submitted his resignation after working in the Washington office during the immigration fight. He plans to return to New York.
• Official 442nd RCT History Available for Last Time, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Washington JACL-ADC office is offering the last 900 copies of Maj. Orville C. Shirey’s official 442nd history, Americans, at a reduced price of $2.50 to mark the unit’s tenth anniversary. The 151-page book includes campaign maps, photographs, and a roster of the unit.
• JACL-ADC Pledges Cooperation to Eisenhower Administration, by P.C. Staff, page 3. National JACL President George Inagaki and Mike Masaoka sent letters to President-elect Eisenhower and Vice-President Nixon pledging cooperation with the new administration’s efforts toward a stable peace. The letters recalled the service of the 442nd.
• Shigeru Richard Horio Profiled as San Francisco JACL Chapter President, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Dr. Shigeru Richard Horio, a 32-year-old physician, is profiled as San Francisco JACL chapter president, with plans to draw in younger members. He is active in several community organizations and is expecting a call to Army medical service.
• Masao Narita Profiled as Long Beach-Harbor District JACL Leader, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Masao Narita, a 32-year-old gardener and former Army instructor, is profiled as Long Beach-Harbor District JACL chapter president. His plans include increasing membership and expanding chapter activities.
• Salinas Valley JACL Cabinet Installation Set for Jan. 31, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Salinas Valley JACL will install new officers at a dinner-dance at Loma Linda, with John Terakawa as incoming president. Local officials and the Salinas Californian publisher are invited as honored guests.

Commentary

• Now It Can Be Told: Stories of Personalities Who Changed Army Attitude to Organize 442nd, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Mike Masaoka marks the tenth anniversary of the 442nd’s creation, recounting Secretary Stimson’s announcement and President Roosevelt’s endorsement. He also profiles the officials and congressional figures who persuaded the Army to open its ranks to loyal Nisei volunteers.
• Anti-American Sentiment Growing in Japan Must Be Checked to Stop Reds, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 3. The column argues that rising anti-American feeling in Japan, driven by occupation resentment, rearmament pressure, and trade issues, must be addressed to keep Japan as a Western ally. It also offers travel tips for Nisei visiting Japan.
• Writers Then & Now, by Kats Akunitsu, page 5. This column introduces the Pacific Citizen’s new literary page and traces the history of Nisei creative writing from the 1930s to the postwar revival. It highlights young writers such as Hiroshi Nishiwagi and Albert Saijo.
• Odd Masquerade, by Bill Fukuba, page 6. Watsonville JACL member Bill Fukuba responds to a letter by Dr. M. M. Horii, arguing that Horii’s defense of a barber’s refusal to serve Nisei veteran James Yoshida amounts to adopting prejudice. He notes the local community strongly condemned the incident.
• Editorial: More Leaders, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The editorial argues that dividing large chapters, such as Eastbay JACL into three, strengthens membership and leadership opportunities. It cites precedents in Southern California, Salt Lake City, and Los Angeles.
• Times Call for Toughness, by Harry K. Honda, page 8. Columnist Harry K. Honda worries that Americans are growing soft, contrasting American overeating with the discipline of the Apache and noting his children’s television habits. He reflects on his own experiences with language and identity.
• Machine Age Translators, by Harry K. Honda, page 8. The column describes a proposed electronic translator for Russian technical material that could reduce the need for human translators. It considers whether front-line interpreters will still be needed in the machine age.

Military & Veterans

• Cpl. Robert I. Yugawa Receives Army Commendation Ribbon in Korea, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Cpl. Robert I. Yugawa of Hawaii received an Army commendation ribbon for meritorious service in Korea at a ceremony. The brief item notes his recognition for his service.

Arts & Entertainment

• Book Review: Nisei Daughter by Monica Sone, by Naomi Kashiwabara, page 5. The reviewer praises Monica Sone’s autobiography Nisei Daughter for its humor, optimism, and vivid recollections of Nisei life before and during evacuation. The review calls it a book Nisei can be proud of.
• Gin Sour, by Fred S. Kai, page 5. A short story in which a bartender’s racist taunts escalate against a Chinese customer who visits his bar. The piece depicts prejudice and an uneasy confrontation that ends with the customer leaving.
• Bent Twig, by Michi Kameda, page 5. A short story set in a bleak, snowy setting about a narrator confined and haunted by memories of a domineering mother. The narrator reflects on the mother’s cruel words and the lasting damage they caused.

In-Depth

• Winnemac in Retrospect, by Naomi Kashiwabara, page 5. Naomi Kashiwabara reflects on how college idealism has given way to practical materialism among postwar young people, responding to Nelson Algren’s piece in the holiday edition. The essay contrasts the idealism of Sinclair Lewis’s Martin Arrowsmith with the practicality of today’s students.

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