Hawaii statehood, citizenship and civil rights in 1953

Vol. 36, No. 12, March 20, 1953. 8 pages. View this issue

Statehood for Hawaii and the push for citizenship led the news in this 8-page issue. The Senate Interior and Insular Affairs Committee postponed its hearings on the state’s boundaries until April 13, though Sen. Butler said the House-passed bill would still be approved. Mike Masaoka wrote about racist undercurrents in the House debate. Other front-page stories covered Nisei citizenship restored by a San Francisco court, a bill from Sen. Arthur V. Watkins for stranded citizens, and nearly 100 Issei graduating from a citizenship course in Stockton.

Civil rights work ran through the paper. The Reno JACL lobbied to repeal Nevada’s ban on interracial marriage, and Masaoka chaired a national conference on civil liberties in Washington. Bill Hosokawa and Harry K. Honda wrote columns, and a tribute remembered Raymond V. Darby, Inglewood mayor. Page 6 carries sports, including the Tokyo Giants on tour, and chapter membership drives fill page 4.

What’s in this issue

National

  • Boundaries of New State of Hawaii Delayed in Senate, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Senate Interior and Insular Affairs Committee postponed hearings on Hawaii statehood boundaries until April 13. Sen. Butler said the House-passed bill would still be approved and enacted, with Johnston and Midway islands tentatively exempted.
  • Sen. Watkins Introduces Bill to Restore Stranded Citizenship, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sen. Arthur V. Watkins introduced JACL-requested legislation restoring citizenship to those who voted in postwar Japanese elections under occupation. The bill allows affected persons to regain status by taking an oath of allegiance abroad.
  • Stockton Graduates 100 for Citizenship, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Nearly 100 Issei completed a four-month citizenship course at Edison High School in Stockton. Judge Bill Dozier and JACL director Haruo Ishimaru spoke at the graduation ceremony.
  • Canada Nationality Laws Permit Return of Voting or Drafted Nisei Strandees, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 3. Canadian Ambassador Robert W. Mayhew explained that Canadian law keeps citizenship for Canadian-born persons regardless of foreign voting or military service. More than 3,000 Canadian Nisei minors in Japan now wish to return to Canada, with ship fare as the main obstacle.
  • Masaoka Chairman of National Confab on Civil Liberties, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Mike Masaoka chaired the fifth National Conference on Civil Liberties in Washington, attended by more than 100 non-Communist organizations. The conference evaluated civil liberties trends and discussed immigration in a free society.

Community

  • Reno JACL Supports Bill to Repeal Miscegenation Law, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Reno JACL chapter lobbied for passage of AB 5 to repeal Nevada’s law banning interracial marriage. The chapter worked with the Nevada Council of Church Women to push the measure forward.
  • Arizona JACL Joins Glendale Chamber of Commerce, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Arizona JACL chapter joined the Glendale Chamber of Commerce in an unprecedented move in March. The chapter hopes to raise its membership from 85 families toward the estimated 800 Japanese Americans in the area.
  • Sacramentans Give to Endowment Fund, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Contributions from Sacramento donors totaling $723.60 were acknowledged for the JACL Endowment Fund. Regional director Haruo Ishimaru urged other claimants who have not contributed to support the fund.
  • Nisei Citizenship Restored by San Francisco Court, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Judge Oliver Cartier restored U.S. citizenship to Shigetoshi Serizawa, who had voted in 1947 Japanese elections under pressure. The judge found his participation involuntary due to fear of losing food rations.
  • Toronto Ready to Buy $60,000 Japanese Community Center, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Toronto JCCA will lead a campaign to purchase a building for a Japanese community center costing $50,000. Another $10,000 would be needed to convert it into a gymnasium with offices.
  • Faulty Wiring Blamed for Florin Barn Fire, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Florin firefighters attributed a barn fire on Masatoshi Abe’s farm to faulty electric wiring. The fire destroyed the barn and equipment inside.
  • Cherry Blossom Queen to Win Japan Vacation, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The first annual Cherry Blossom Festival in Honolulu will award a round trip to Japan to its queen. The festival runs April 18 through April 25.
  • Little Girls Will Be Little Girls Regardless of Race, Creed, Color, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Japan’s consul general Ken Yoshida’s five-year-old daughter Kazuko is learning English. The item notes the universality of childhood across cultures.
  • Ex-YMCA Secretary Named Chicago Resettler Worker, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Kenji Nakane, former executive secretary of the Japanese YMCA in Chicago, was appointed associate director of the Chicago Resettlers Committee. He also teaches a naturalization class for 60 Issei.
  • Northwest YBL Elects Tacoma Bussei President, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Tets Tamaki of Tacoma was elected president of the Northwest Young Buddhist League at its sixth annual conference. Spokane will host the 1954 convention.
  • 442nd Club Executive Heads Hawaii Bank Group, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Akira Fujiki, executive secretary of the 442nd Club in Honolulu, led a group of 12 businessmen filing a prospectus for the Central Bank of the Pacific. The bank would be a Nisei-led institution in Hawaii.
  • PSWDC Convention Preparations in High Gear, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Arizona JACL is hosting the Pacific Southwest District Council convention May 1-3 at the Hotel Westward Ho in Phoenix. Organizers expect registration of at least $16 and have invited dignitaries including the governor and mayors.
  • Civic Center Planning to Affect Li’l Tokio, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Charles B. Bennett, director of city planning, will speak at the Downtown Los Angeles JACL luncheon about long-range Civic Center planning affecting Li’l Tokio. Charts and sketches will supplement the presentation.
  • Masaoka Chairman of Civil Liberties Confab, by P.C. Staff, page 4. JACL representatives participated in regional civic events and membership drives. The Omaha and Seattle chapters reported record membership totals for 1953.
  • Seattle JACL Registers 350 Members for 1953, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Seattle JACL doubled its 1952 membership with a campaign led by Miss Kazie Yokoyama. The chapter credited the drive with showing public support for the JACL.
  • Detroit JACL Membership Hits All-Time High of 213, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Detroit JACL chapter reached 213 members, exceeding its goal of 200. A membership contest between two teams produced the record total.
  • Masaoka Makes Civil Liberties Remarks, by P.C. Staff, page 4. JACL leaders discussed civil liberties and chapter activities across the country. Reports described membership campaigns and chapter events.
  • Mike Hagiwara and Chicago JACL Corner, by Smoky Sakurada, page 4. Chicago JACL participated in the Council Against Racial and Religious Discrimination luncheon where Sen. Wayne Morse spoke. Chapter members noted committee work and upcoming social events.
  • Civic Center Planning Topic for CL Luncheon, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Downtown Los Angeles JACL chapter will host Charles B. Bennett on long-range Civic Center planning and its effect on Li’l Tokio. The luncheon takes place at Lem’s Cafe.
  • Omaha CL Reelects Jack Tamai President, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Jack Tamai was re-elected president of the Omaha JACL, with installation held at the Ronre Hotel. Other 1953 cabinet officers were also named.
  • Colorado’s Five-Star Farmer Kiyoshi Otsuka, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Kiyoshi Otsuka and his brothers farm 560 acres in Sedgwick, Colorado, and were recognized as top sugar beet growers. The Denver Post profiled their operation and soil conservation work.
  • Stevenson Happy Over Association with Nisei of America, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Former Illinois Governor Adlai Stevenson said during a Tokyo visit that he was proud of his associations with Nisei. He cited his support for a fair employment bill during the war.
  • New Mexico Students Head School Clubs, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Good manners and citizenship clubs were organized at Alameda school in Albuquerque. Students Jill Fukuzawa and Kiyoko Yamamoto were named officers.
  • NYBA Re-elects Mike Maruyama President, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Mike Maruyama was re-elected president of the National Young Buddhist Association at a meeting in Los Angeles. All five regional leagues were represented for the first time.
  • Livingston-Merced Signs Up 153 Members for 1953, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Livingston-Merced chapter reached 153 members through competitive team drives. The winning team captained by Frank Shoji will help run a community picnic.

Incarceration & Redress

  • Clerks to Attend Statewide Mobilization for FEP, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL delegations planned to attend the California Committee for FEP meeting in Sacramento to press for Fair Employment Practices legislation. The JACL in Northern and Southern California had already endorsed statewide FEP.

Commentary

  • Anti-Japism Still Noted in Congress, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Masaoka describes racist undercurrents in House debate on Hawaii statehood, with opposition from the Deep South and some Midwest and East members. He notes that Hawaii statehood passed 274 to 138 after a recommittal motion was defeated.
  • Letter: If You Don’t Like Japs Answer in Hands of Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A Vancouver Sun letter writer suggested Japanese Canadians who dislike being called Japs should eliminate the Japanese label and become Canadians. The item is a reprint of a letter from the newspaper’s editorial pages.
  • Freedom of Choice, by Alton L. Hay, page 7. A letter reader praises the newspaper’s editorials and criticizes Sen. Jack Tenney’s SCA 21, which would allow discrimination. Co-authors of the measure have begun withdrawing their names.
  • Harmony and Unity, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Editorial notes the improving relationship between Issei and Nisei and the benefits of the Walter-McCarran Act granting citizen status to Issei. The JACL is urged to encourage Issei to become active citizens.
  • 12 Page Issues, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Editors report growth in advertising, circulation, and chapter news flow since moving the paper to Los Angeles. They hope to expand to a 12-page edition as financial stability improves.
  • A Child’s Faith, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. Columnist Bill Hosokawa recounts his daughter Susan asking whether he could beat up Buster Crabbe. He reflects on how children’s idealized views of their parents eventually fade.
  • You’ve Got to Be Taught, by Harry K. Honda, page 8. Columnist Harry K. Honda critiques Georgia legislators who attacked the musical South Pacific for its song denouncing racial prejudice. He argues their stance plays into Communist propaganda about white supremacy.
  • Opinions from Other Newspapers: Didn’t Know It Was Loaded, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The editorial criticizes California state senators who co-authored Sen. Jack Tenney’s constitutional amendment permitting discrimination. Some senators, including Sen. Fred Weybret, are now withdrawing their names.

Military & Veterans

  • Nisei Strandee Teaching in Japan Keeps U.S. Status, Judge Rules, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Judge Michael Roche ruled that Akiyo Oye, a Nisei who taught in Japanese public schools, did not lose U.S. citizenship. He found her teaching was not voluntary and the government’s evidence was insufficient.

Obituaries

  • Berry Farmer Dies in Gasoline Explosion, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Masaru Yamamoto, 36, died after gasoline exploded while he refueled a tractor on his berry farm. His mother was also killed in an automobile accident weeks later.
  • Raymond V. Darby, by Harry Masunaga and Henry Ishida, page 7. Friends pay tribute to Raymond V. Darby, Inglewood mayor and the lone dissenting vote on Japanese evacuation on the Committee on Evacuation. Darby also helped returning Japanese Americans find jobs, housing, and school admission.

Arts & Entertainment

  • Tokyo Topics: Gomen Nasai, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 3. The song Gomen Nasai, with lyrics by Dr. Benedict Mayers and music by Raymond Itsuro Hattori, has become a hit in Los Angeles. Proceeds go to charity for mixed-blood children of Japanese women and American servicemen.

Sports

  • Tokyo Giants Set for Rematch with Hollywood Stars, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The visiting Tokyo Giants baseball squad was honored in Li’l Tokio before facing Hollywood Stars at Gilmore Park. The Giants stood at 6 wins and 8 losses on their exhibition tour.
  • Japan Olympic Ski Ace Wins US Title, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Chiharu Igaya, Japanese Olympic ski team member and Dartmouth student, finished third in the men’s slalom at Aspen and won the U.S. amateur championship in the event. Stein Ericksen of Norway won the race.
  • Live Oak High Nisei Wins Outstanding Player Commendation, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Yorchi Mukai of Live Oak High was named outstanding player on the All-Santa Clara Valley basketball squad. He scored 99 points and was valued for rebounding and defense.
  • Fuzzy Shimada Rolls Eighth 700 Series Since October, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Nisei bowler Fuzzy Shimada rolled a 729 series, his eighth 700-plus series since October. He threw 11 consecutive strikes in one game.
  • Sacramento Stags Cop NC AAU Cage Title, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Sacramento Stags won the Northern California AAU Class AA basketball title, defeating the San Francisco Fogs 61-31. Willie Osada scored 16 points for the losing side.
  • Moriya Wins Mile and Two-Mile Central AAU Indoor Titles, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Kikuo Moriya, a Tokyo-born Wheaton College student, won both the mile and two-mile events at the Central AAU indoor championships. Bradley University edged Wheaton for the team title.
  • Seattle Youth Earns Sun Valley Vacation, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Kenny Takeuchi, a ninth grader at Marshall Junior High School, was graded the top pupil in a ski school sponsored by the Post-Intelligencer. He won a week’s vacation at Sun Valley.
  • Frank Hironaka to Head Placer JACL Baseballers, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Frank Hironaka was appointed director of the Placer JACL baseball entry in the Placer-Nevada league. He succeeds Bunny Nakagawa, who served two years.

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