Vol. 37, No. 4, July 24, 1953. 12 pages. View this issue
Evacuation claims and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team filled the front page. Lawrence Nakatsuka reported from Honolulu on the 10th anniversary reunion, where Hawaii welcomed a mainland delegation with a motorcade, a luau and memorial services. In Washington, the House approved $8,072,696 to pay evacuation claims, and JACL pressed the Senate to act before adjournment. Sen. Dirksen’s bill to bar yen deposit claims drew JACL’s opposition. Mike Masaoka’s column explained why the appropriation bills mattered this session.
Also inside: the return of National JACL headquarters to San Francisco, with Larry Tajiri’s reflections and a timeline from 1942 to 1953. Tamotsu Murayama and Harry K. Honda wrote about Joseph Heco, naturalized in 1858. Bill Hosokawa looked at the 442nd as a showcase unit, and Tommy Kono prepared for a weightlifting meet in Stockholm.
What’s in this issue
Military & Veterans
- Hawaii Extends Hospitality to 150 Mainlanders at 442 Reunion, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 1. Veterans and visitors gathered in Honolulu for the 10th anniversary reunion of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Territorial officials welcomed the mainland delegation with festivities including a motorcade, luau, and memorial services.
- Seeing Heco Story: Photo Essay on Nisei Life, by P.C. Staff, page 9. A short story follows a Nisei student hitchhiking through the South who is picked up by a white woman and her Japanese war bride daughter-in-law. The two talk about the difficulties of adjusting to life in America.
- Under Bill Aiding Aliens in Uniform, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Sozaburo Kujiraoka, a Japanese immigrant in Air Force training, is eligible for expedited naturalization under the McCarran-Walter Act. Officials concluded he qualified because he was a lawfully admitted permanent resident.
- 442nd Showcase, by Bill Hosokawa, page 12. The 442nd became the showcase unit representing Nisei military service, while the work of 6,000 Nisei in military intelligence remained little publicized. The article traces the 442nd’s origins at Camp Shelby and the debate over Nisei military service.
National
- Dirksen Seeks Amendments to Void Yen Deposit Claims Against U.S. Property, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sen. Dirksen introduced a bill to bar certain debt claims against seized enemy assets, including yen deposit claims. JACL opposed the bill, arguing it would strip thousands of Japanese Americans of recovery rights.
- Senate Action on Claims Pay Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The House approved $8,072,696 in supplemental appropriations to pay evacuation claims. JACL’s Washington office pressed the Senate to approve the full amount before adjournment.
- House Committee Drops Japanese From D.P. Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The House Judiciary Committee approved admitting 240,000 European refugees but removed provisions admitting 3,000 non-quota Japanese immigrants. The amendment for Asian admissions was eliminated by Rep. Celler’s motion.
- CL Urges Equal Pay for Hawaii Civil Service Employees, by P.C. Staff, page 2. JACL protested a House-approved 20 percent differential paying mainland civil service workers in Hawaii more than local residents. JACL urged Sen. Ferguson to extend equal pay to all federal employees regardless of residence.
- Dirksen’s Statement on Trading With the Enemy Act Amendments, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sen. Dirksen’s full statement explains his bill to exclude certain debt claims from Trading With the Enemy Act remedies. He argues these claimants could expect little recovery and that yen certificate claims should not be paid from seized assets.
Commentary
- Appropriation Bills, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Masaoka explains that supplemental appropriations for evacuation claims are of major interest this session. He also notes how last-minute appropriations invite waste and legislative blackmail.
- Equal Pay Plus Rodgers and Keating Proposals, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The column reviews proposals by Reps. Rodgers and Keating to require recorded votes on appropriations and grant the President item veto power. It argues both would improve accountability and economy in government.
- Four Key Policies Affecting Japanese Americans, by Mike Masaoka, page 5. Masaoka identifies four JACL policy decisions that most benefited Japanese Americans: cooperation with evacuation, military service, resettlement, and equality under law. He credits JACL leadership and member support for their success.
- Very Truly Yours: Joseph Heco, by Harry K. Honda, page 12. Honda summarizes Joseph Heco’s early life, from his shipwreck and rescue to his naturalization and return to Japan. He notes Heco was probably the first Japanese schoolboy in the United States.
Incarceration & Redress
- Joseph Heco: First Issei to Be Naturalized, Back in 1858, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 3. Heco became the first Japanese naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 1858 and later met President Lincoln. His life included founding the first Japanese-language newspaper.
Community
- Judge Greets New Issei Citizens, by P.C. Staff, page 4. 182 Japanese immigrants were naturalized in a mass ceremony before Judge Louis Goodman in San Francisco. Judge Goodman greeted them in Japanese and congratulated them on their test results.
- Objects to Chinese Nisei Home Plans, by P.C. Staff, page 4. An anonymous letter objected to a Chinese American couple building a home in a Watsonville subdivision. The couple publicly responded that they would move in with open hearts, and the local paper editorialized against intolerance.
JACL
- Cycle Complete, Former P.C. Editor Comments on Return, by Larry Tajiri, page 5. Tajiri reflects on the Pacific Citizen’s history, including its wartime move to Salt Lake City and its return to the coast. He notes the National JACL headquarters now returns to San Francisco, completing the cycle.
- Out-of-Town National JACL Officers Attend Aug. 9 Homecoming Fete, by P.C. Staff, page 5. National JACL officers plan to attend the Aug. 9 homecoming banquet in San Francisco celebrating headquarters’ return. The event coincides with the Northern California-Western Nevada District Council meeting.
- From Evacuation to Acceptance: Homecoming Timeline, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A year-by-year timeline traces JACL and community milestones from 1942 evacuation through 1953 headquarters return. Key events include the 442nd’s formation, legal victories against discriminatory laws, and the Walter-McCarran Act.
Sports
- Kono to Compete in Stockholm Weight Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Tommy Kono of Sacramento departs for Europe to compete in the Stockholm weightlifting event beginning Aug. 28. He has gained weight since his Olympic triumphs and now competes in the middleweight division.
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