Issei citizenship classes and new naturalization rules in 1953

Vol. 36, No. 8, February 20, 1953. 8 pages. View this issue

Issei naturalization ran through this eight-page issue. In Spokane, a JACL citizenship class meant for about 80 students drew more than 200 Issei, and instructors and the school board scrambled to keep up. Mike Masaoka’s Washington newsletter paid tribute to Senator Elbert Thomas, who died Feb. 11, and a JACL opinion held that Issei who claimed exemption from World War I military service because of alienage are not barred from naturalization. An editorial defended the new law’s waiver of the English requirement for long-resident aliens over 50.

Other pages followed chapters at work: a 48-hour Americanization course from the Hollywood JACL, the first Issei naturalized in California, and Seattle’s membership card for Rev. Thomas Machida. Also inside are a Honolulu Nisei junior chamber, Bill Hosokawa’s column, Joe Oyama’s Manhattan notes, and Harry K. Honda’s tips for club publicity chairmen.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Spokane JACL Helps Issei Prepare for Naturalization Classes, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Spokane JACL citizenship committee organized a naturalization class that drew far more students than expected, with over 200 Issei signing up. Volunteers, instructors, and the school board worked together to help Issei complete citizenship paperwork.
• Nisei Businessmen Up to 35 Years of Age Form Junior Chamber in Honolulu, by L. Nakatsuka, page 1. The Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce, a Nisei group of about 160 young professionals, has gained public recognition through active community service and public relations. Its major upcoming project is the Cherry Blossom Festival, featuring a queen contest and extensive publicity.
• Gas Explosion Wrecks Tractor, Nisei Unhurt, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A tractor was nearly destroyed when gasoline being poured by driver Ted Kawata exploded and caught fire on the Frank Blake ranch in Watsonville. Kawata was not injured.
• Mannahatta: Tenth Anniversary in New York and Notes on the City, by Joe Oyama, page 2. Columnist Joe Oyama reflects on living in Manhattan for ten years and on visiting artist Tatsuo Arai and sculptor Isamu Noguchi. He describes the energy of New York’s jazz scene and social life.
• Tokyo Topics: Wesley Ichiro Fujioka’s Business Success in Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A profile of Sacramento Nisei Wesley Fujioka, who has built a large import-export and construction business in postwar Japan. The article describes his contracts with the Army and his plans for American-style housing.
• Hollywood JACL Plans 48-Hour Americanization Course for Issei, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Hollywood JACL chapter is sponsoring a 48-hour Americanization class for Issei in the northwest Los Angeles area, with registration on Feb. 24 and instruction starting Mar. 3. The Los Angeles Board of Education supervises the free course.
• San Mateo Issei Gonkichi Yanagi Becomes First Naturalized Issei in California, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Gonkichi Yanagi of San Mateo became the first Issei in California to be naturalized under the new law, sworn in by Federal Judge Michael J. Roche in San Francisco. Some 130 prospective citizens took the oath at the same ceremony.
• Wada, Asato and Omatsu Named Franklin Life District Managers in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Franklin Life Insurance Company appointed George Wada, Ted Asato, and Oliver Omatsu as district managers in the Seinan area of Los Angeles. The agency now has more than 20 Nisei agents in the region.
• Mile-Hi JACL Student Award Plans Progress in Denver, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Denver’s Mile-Hi JACL chapter is developing an annual student award and considering an endowment fund for Nisei scholarships. Co-chairmen Robert Horiuchi and Haruko Kobayashi invited suggestions from the community.
• Date Bureau Set Up for Los Angeles JACL Joint Installation Dance, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A date bureau has been arranged for the JACL joint installation dance at the Riviera Country Club on Feb. 27. The event will install officers from nine Los Angeles County chapters and feature a Hollywood USO show.
• Detroit JACL Announces Tentative Social Calendar, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Detroit JACL chapter released its planned social events for the year, from an Easter dance and Mother’s Day banquet to a children’s Christmas party. The calendar was announced at the February cabinet meeting.
• Seattle JACL Presents Membership Card to Newly Naturalized Issei Minister, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Rev. Thomas Machida, the first Japanese to be naturalized on the West Coast under the new law, received a JACL membership card from the Seattle chapter. The chapter also plans teen athletics and civic programs.
• No. Wyoming JACL Installs Cabinet at Fun Night, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Northern Wyoming JACL chapter installed Warren Ujifusa and his 1953 cabinet at a Fun Night program in Worland. Guests attended from Montana, Colorado, and Wyoming.
• Cleveland JACL Meeting on Issei Naturalization Filing, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Some 80 Issei attended a Cleveland JACL meeting about filing for naturalization and were told the process would take about four months. The chapter is working with the local federal office to assist applicants.
• Fresno JACL Participates in Chest X-Ray Survey, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Fresno JACL chapter took part in a chest x-ray survey, with dentist Sumio Kubo conducting house calls and physicians Emma Hatayama and Kikuo Taira assisting with medical aspects. The survey was active that week.
• Chicago JACL Member Robert Birchman Speaks on Underground Railroad, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Chicago JACL member Robert L. Birchman, researching abolitionist activity in Illinois, spoke on the underground railroad at a Negro History Week program. The article is a brief news item about his talk.
• Publicity Chairmen: Tips for Club Publicity, by Harry K. Honda, page 6. Harry K. Honda offers guidance for club publicity chairmen on preparing news items for newspapers, including deadlines, formatting, and the five Ws. He notes the Pacific Citizen’s own deadlines.

National

• Tenney Introduces Bill to Eliminate California Civil Rights Code, by P.C. Staff, page 1. State Senator Tenney proposed Senate Constitutional Amendment 21, which would wipe out the California Civil Rights Code by adding “freedom of choice” language. Opponents warn it would legalize discrimination in public accommodations, employment, and housing.
• Exemption from Military Service No Bar for Issei Citizenship, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL concluded that Issei who claimed exemption from World War I military service because of alienage are not barred from naturalization under the new Immigration and Nationality Act. The opinion rests on analysis by Edward Ennis and Mike Masaoka.

Military & Veterans

• Decade Ago: Nisei Camouflage Work and Citizenship Rulings in 1943, by P.C. Staff, page 1. This recurring feature recalls 1943 events, including Nisei workers producing camouflage nets at Poston and a court ruling upholding Nisei citizenship rights. It notes continued efforts to disfranchise Nisei voters.

Obituaries

• Elbert D. Thomas: A Great Friend of Persons of Japanese Ancestry, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Former Senator and High Commissioner of the Trust Territory Elbert D. Thomas died Feb. 11 in Honolulu. He was remembered for his labor, military, and foreign relations legislation and for defending Nisei rights during World War II, including the 442nd and against evacuation.

Commentary

• Washington Newsletter: Thomas and the Nisei, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Mike Masaoka pays tribute to Senator Elbert Thomas, describing his advocacy for labor, Nisei military service, and humane treatment during the war. Masaoka notes Thomas’s support for JACL and his role in opposing mass incarceration.
• From the Frying Pan: Be It Resolved, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Columnist Bill Hosokawa reports on Guyo and Larry Tajiri’s move to Colorado Springs, where Larry works at the Free Press. He describes their new home and Larry’s busy work schedule.
• Exemption from English Requirement for Issei Naturalization Is Sound Law, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The editorial argues that Section 312 of the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act wisely waives the English requirement for long-resident aliens over 50. It urges federal judges to honor Congress’s intent and allow Issei to naturalize.
• Thankful Issei, by Wm. Tadashi, page 7. A letter writer expresses appreciation for the Pacific Citizen’s efforts to help Issei and laments Issei who act with bad attitudes. The writer hopes for a more democratic world.
• Degree in Humanities, by Willard S. Townsend, page 7. Willard Townsend, president of the CIO United Transport Service Employees, responds to Dr. Horii’s letter by criticizing his attitudes toward Japanese Americans. He cites prewar land discrimination and Dr. Adams’s writing on minority perception.

Arts & Entertainment

• Eddie Imazu Works on Film Productions; Rashomon Honored, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Short notes report on Japanese American film figures, including Eddie Imazu’s art direction work and recognition of the film Rashomon. Other items mention Hollywood productions and awards.

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