Vol. 38, No. 8, February 19, 1954. 8 pages. View this issue
Plans for the National JACL bowling classic in Chicago opened this 1954 issue, with Miss Marji Kikuchi crowned Miss JACL Tournament Queen of ’54. Washington news ran alongside it: the National JACL was dissolving its Anti-Discrimination Committee, Masao Satow announced, and President Eisenhower signed a JACL-endorsed bill giving another year to file vested property claims. George Inagaki described his eight days in Japan, and the JACL Washington Office prepared to testify again for FEPC legislation.
Elsewhere in the eight pages, Mike Masaoka wrote about lobbying fights in Congress, and Bill Hosokawa reported on life in Korean prison camps and the Nisei prisoners who returned. Larry Tajiri looked at Kabuki on television. Lawrence Nakatsuka covered unemployment in Hawaii, and an editorial urged support for Hawaiian statehood. Chapter news covered the Sacramento district council and a Feb. 28 chapter clinic in Santa Monica.
What’s in this issue
JACL
- Marji Kikuchi Crowned Miss JACL Tournament Queen of ’54, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Miss Marji Kikuchi, 22, was crowned Miss JACL Tournament Queen of ’54 at the pre-Tournament dance in Chicago. She will serve as official hostess for the Mar. 5-7 bowling classic.
- Satow to Visit Midwest Chapters, by P.C. Staff, page 1. National JACL Director Mas Satow will visit Midwest chapters in early March, attending the Chicago bowling tournament and the Eastern District Council meeting in Philadelphia. His itinerary also includes stops in Salt Lake City, Colorado, and several Midwest cities.
- Sou’Wester: All-Day Chapter Clinic Feb. 28, by Tats Kushida, page 5. Kushida previews the Pacific Southwest District Council chapter clinic scheduled for Feb. 28 at the Chase Hotel in Santa Monica. The day-long session will cover JACL background, chapter programming, and leadership training.
In-Depth
- Those Eight Days in Japan, by George Inagaki, page 1. Inagaki recounts his whirlwind eight-day visit to Japan, filled with receptions, banquets, and sightseeing in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Nagoya. He describes the welcome he received and the hectic schedule arranged by his cousin Akira.
National
- JACL-ADC in Process of Dissolution; Final Report to Be Released Soon, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National JACL is dissolving its legislative arm, the Anti-Discrimination Committee, and compiling a seven-year report, Masao Satow announced. The JACL believes it can handle remaining Washington matters on its own.
- President Signs Bill Extending Time for Vested Claims Filing, by P.C. Staff, page 1. President Eisenhower signed a JACL-endorsed bill extending by one year the deadline for filing claims to recover wartime vested property. The extension applies to persons of Japanese ancestry, alien or citizen, wherever they reside.
- JACL Ready to Present Testimony in Support of FEPC Legislation Again, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Senate sponsors of fair employment practices legislation see little chance of passage this year, though hearings are proceeding. The JACL Washington Office will present supporting testimony and invites Nisei facing employment discrimination to write by Feb. 22.
- Four Japanese Take Naturalization Oaths in First TV’d Rites, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Four Japanese nationals became citizens in Washington, D.C., in the first televised naturalization ceremony. Among them were Thomas Hayakawa and Mrs. Ichi Sato, who passed the English test.
Military & Veterans
- 700 California Nisei VFWers Conference-Bound, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Up to 700 Nisei veterans who served overseas are expected at the fourth annual state Nisei VFW convention in Sacramento. Business sessions and a health program for auxiliary ladies are scheduled.
- Issei Who Toured World as Circus Acrobat Naturalized in Michigan, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Hachiro Hatch Okamura, 64, a former circus acrobat from the Kitamura troupe, became a naturalized citizen in Utica, Michigan. He plans to retire from the Dodge plant in August after working there since 1918.
Commentary
- $25,000 for Congressmen, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. The article traces congressional salary history and notes a federal commission’s recommendation to raise congressmen’s pay from $12,500 to $25,000. It suggests the figure is reasonable if paired with reforms or tax relief for voters.
- Washington Newsletter: Danger, Lobbies at Work, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Masaoka surveys the lobbying battles forming in Congress over trade, farm supports, public power, labor, Social Security, housing, veterans, and taxes. He notes that major organizations are increasingly unwilling to compromise.
- Very Truly Yours: Chicago Corner, by Smoky Sakurada, page 4. Sakurada’s column covers Illinois primary voter registration requirements and community events in Chicago. It also notes a Chinese laundryman’s violent confrontation with police following neighborhood harassment.
- From the Frying Pan: Life Behind Barbed Wires, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Hosokawa reports on AP photographer Frank Noel’s account of life in Korean Communist prison camps, including propaganda, starvation deaths, and punishments. He praises the resilience of the returning prisoners, particularly the Nisei.
- Editorials: Statehood Action, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The editorial urges readers to contact senators in support of Hawaiian statehood, which has passed committee with a 14-1 vote. It argues statehood would demonstrate American democratic principles to Asian nations.
- Editorials: Chapter Programming, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The editorial praises the Berkeley JACL chapter for assigning different members as chairmen of individual events in its 1954 calendar. It suggests this approach prevents overburdening a few leaders.
Community
- Hawaii Unemployment Problem Stirs Concern; Young People Urged to Seek Jobs Outside Islands, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 3. Roughly 12,000 Hawaii job seekers, about 6 percent of the labor force, are unemployed amid layoffs and economic decline. The article argues for an expanding island economy while noting young people may need to look to the mainland for work.
- August Narumi, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 3. August Shigekazu Narumi, a Nisei businessman in Tokyo, leads Raifu Shokai and is active in Japanese scouting and the Olympic Association. The article profiles his influential social and business connections.
- Assert 20,000 GI Babies in USA, by P.C. Staff, page 3. U.S. consular authorities report that about 13,000 American soldiers have married Japanese women since occupation began, with nearly 10,000 brides emigrating to America. About 3,289 mixed-ancestry babies were left in Japan.
- Regional Cooperation in Asia Needed for Survival of Democracy, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Japanese Minister Ryuji Takeuchi told a Cleveland Council on World Affairs institute that regional cooperation is essential to preserve democracy in Asia. He warned that communism poses an immediate threat and that economic stability is key.
- Unemployment Problem Stirs Hawaii, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 3. Hawaii faces rising unemployment, with roughly 12,000 seeking work, mainly due to military layoffs and a sugar and pineapple slowdown. The article calls for an expanding economy and better planning.
- Scene from Golden Gate, by Haruo Ishimaru, page 5. Ishimaru reports on the NCWN District Council meeting in Sacramento, which drew over 100 delegates and adopted a $21,000 budget quota. He also highlights the Gilroy chapter joining as the 25th member and the chapter of the year awards.
- Berkeley Team Wins Sacramento NCWNDC Cup, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Mt. Eden Nursery team from Berkeley JACL won top honors at the NCWN District Council bowling tournament in Sacramento. Results for singles, doubles, and all-events competition are also reported.
- Southland Young Buddhist Conference Held Despite Downpour, by Henry Mori, page 7. The seventh annual Southern District Young Buddhist conference was held in Gardena despite heavy rain. Activities included elections, tournaments, an oratorical contest, and a dinner-dance, with Michi Suzukawa named Miss Southern District.
Arts & Entertainment
- Vagaries: Kabuki on Television, by Larry Tajiri, page 6. Tajiri reviews CBS Omnibus’s introduction to Japan’s Kabuki theater and the upcoming New York engagement of the Azuma Kabuki troupe. He also recalls his own experience watching a Kabuki performance in Tokyo.
Sports
- 67 Teams Vie in Chicago’s National JACL Bowling Classic, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Fifty-five men’s and 12 women’s teams are scheduled to compete in the eighth annual National JACL Bowling Tournament at Hyde Park Bowl, Mar. 5-7. The article lists team standings and top bowling scores.
Obituaries
- Vital Statistics: Deaths, by P.C. Staff, page 7. This listing reports deaths of several community members including Kiyoshi Asatani, Isohei Hatashita, and Yeizo Shiota, with survivors noted. The entries are brief name-and-survivor listings.
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