Nisei move on Chicago’s south side, and the USGA golf ban

Vol. 39, No. 12, September 17, 1954. 8 pages. View this issue

Housing and neighborhoods led the news in this eight-page issue. Chizu Yama’s Chicago Corner described Japanese Americans leaving Chicago’s south side amid fears about changing neighborhoods, high rents and overcrowding, and she urged Nisei to support block groups working for stable, interracial communities. JACL National President George Inagaki pledged help for Nisei amateur golfers barred from USGA-sanctioned tournaments, and an editorial condemned the ban. Haruo Ishimaru wrote on California civil rights legislation and outlined JACL’s 1955 state goals.

The 13th Biennial National JACL Convention was reviewed by Mike Masaoka, Dr. Roy M. Nishikawa and Bill Hosokawa, who praised Hershey Miyamura, named Nisei of the Biennium. Elsewhere are citizenship stories for newly naturalized Issei, Hatch Kitamura’s retirement after 36 years at a Dodge plant, and Larry Tajiri on Japanese films.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Nisei Waking Up to Plight of Negro Discrimination in Federal Housing, by Chizu Yama, page 1. Japanese Americans in Chicago’s south side are moving out of changing neighborhoods due to fears about population shifts, high rents, and overcrowding. Some residents are organizing block groups to pursue interracial community stability instead.
• Issei Retires After 36 Years in Auto Plant, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Hatch Kitamura, 65, retired after 36 years assembling automobiles at the Dodge factory and said goodbye to more than 400 co-workers. He became a U.S. citizen last February and plans to live near his daughter in Marina City.
• Spokane Woman Killed as Auto Skids Off Road, Three Companions Injured, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mrs. Chitose Nitta, 55, of Spokane was killed when the car her daughter was driving skidded during heavy rain in Daniels Canyon, Utah. Three companions were injured in the crash.
• Stockton Photographer Found in Portland, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Gunji Watanabe, a Nisei photographer missing since August 14, was located working in a Portland restaurant after a tip reached his family. His wife had earlier traveled to Seattle to investigate a report he had been seen there.
• $500 Student Scholarship Fund Donated to JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Masujiro Hosoi donated $1,000 to various organizations in memory of his late wife Fuku, including $500 to the JACL for a student scholarship fund. Additional gifts went to the Shonien building fund and several community groups.
• Judge Aiso Thanks JACL Awards Committee for Biennium Recognition, page 1. Judge John F. Aiso of Los Angeles wrote to JACL National President George Inagaki expressing gratitude for being included among the Biennial Awards honorees for distinguished community leadership. He praised Sgt. Hiroshi Miyamura and credited JACL leaders for helping win recognition for Nisei.
• 250 Issei Citizens at Civic Event, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Chicago JACL will honor some 250 newly naturalized Issei citizens at a civic reception on October 2 at the McCormick YWCA. Three Illinois congressmen, including Sidney R. Yates and Barratt O’Hara, have confirmed attendance.
• Oakland Citizenship Day Observances, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Shigeo Aoki, a recently naturalized citizen, spoke on behalf of about 1,000 new citizens at Citizenship Day observances at Lake Merritt in Oakland. He said new citizens chose America for its freedom, democracy, and love of fellow man.
• 25 Nisei Teachers Named in Seattle School System, by Elmer Ogawa, page 3. Nisei teachers in Seattle Public Schools have grown from one four years ago to 25 among 3,000 teachers. Five Nisei were also assigned to Denver public school classes for the 1954-55 year.
• The 13th Biennial Was Like a Dream, by Dr. Roy M. Nishikawa, page 4. Convention chairman Dr. Roy Nishikawa recalls the 13th Biennial Convention as a blur, singling out the unanimous passage of the National Budget and Finance Committee report as a highlight. He credits numerous committee chairmen and volunteers for the convention’s success.
• Chapter Memo, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Brief updates from several chapters including San Jose JACL’s barbecue, a Downtown Los Angeles citizenship class for Issei, and a Parlier JACL post-convention meeting. Also includes news of Utah and San Francisco chapter activities.
• Over 100 High School, College-Age Nisei Organize Orange County Group, by P.C. Staff, page 5. More than 100 Nisei youth formed the Orange County Japanese American Youth group, sponsored by the Orange County JACL, to carry on social, cultural, and service activities. Bill Marumoto of Santa Ana was elected the first president.
• Pasadena Wills $8,400 for Japanese Church Work, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The late Chika Kikuchi of Pasadena left $8,400 in her will for youth work at the Pasadena Union Church, the Japanese Christian Church Federation of Southern California, and the National Christian Council of Japan. The will was probated through James Mitsumori.
• Chicago Corner (continued), by Chizu Yama, page 6. Chizu Yama continues her Chicago column, urging Nisei to support block groups working to conserve Woodlawn and Hyde Park. She argues that stable neighborhoods require increased housing for lower and middle income groups and freedom of residential choice.
• Fowler CL, Chamber of Commerce Push Community Display for Fresno Fair, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Fowler’s Japanese American Citizens League and Chamber of Commerce are co-sponsoring the community’s first agricultural display in class competition at the October 1-10 Fresno District Fair. Setsu Kikuta chairs the effort with a committee of local growers.

Arts & Entertainment

• Warbride Singing Cho Cho San Role for PNW Grand Opera, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japanese warbride Mariko Saito Samuelson of Tacoma has been cast in the title role of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly by the Pacific Northwest Grand Opera Co. She previously sang with the Tokyo Philharmonic and came to Tacoma in 1952 to study music.

National

• JACL Objectives in ’55 California Legislature Told, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Haruo Ishimaru of the JACL San Francisco regional office outlined the organization’s 1955 state legislative priorities at a California Federation for Civic Unity meeting. Goals included removing the alien land law and obtaining old age assistance for Issei unable to pass citizenship exams.
• Los Angeles INS Office Examines 100 More Issei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Los Angeles Immigration and Naturalization Service office has caught up, now scheduling citizenship candidates for examinations about two weeks after filing. On September 10, some 100 Issei took oral examinations with interpreters provided by the JACL office.
• State Legislation, by Haruo Ishimaru, page 5. Haruo Ishimaru reviews California civil rights legislation, noting the failure of numerous bills in the 1953 session including fair employment and anti-discrimination measures. He argues the JACL must remain vigilant on civil rights even when Japanese Americans are not directly involved.
• JACL Prepared to Assist Nisei Golfers Gain USGA Recognition, by George Inagaki, page 6. JACL National President George Inagaki pledged the organization’s support for Nisei amateur golfers barred from USGA-sanctioned tournaments. He compared it to the JACL’s earlier successful effort to open the American Bowling Congress to Nisei.

Military & Veterans

• Chicago Legionnaires, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Chicago Nisei Post 1183 of the American Legion installed Thomas C. K. Kaihara as commander at a ceremony at the local Buddhist church. James Shimashita is the retiring commander and other officers were named.
• Physical Scars of War: Disabled Veteran Visits Los Angeles, by Henry Mori, page 7. Former Japanese Army Major Fukuzo Yasui, representing the Japanese Disabled Veterans Association, visited Southern California to describe conditions facing about 50,000 needy disabled Japanese veterans. He carried messages of goodwill and a request for early release of war criminals held at Sugamo Prison.

Commentary

• Tokyo Topics: Overstaying in U.S. Worth It, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 2. Tamotsu Murayama reflects on his three and a half month tour of the United States and thanks those who hosted him. He describes a memorable reunion with a former American POW, Capt. Edwin Kalbfleisch Jr., in St. Louis.
• Washington Newsletter: Reflections, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Mike Masaoka reviews the 13th Biennial National JACL Convention, praising Los Angeles organizers and naming Sgt. Hiroshi Miyamura Nisei of the Biennium. He also comments on the Council’s planning, budget decisions, and a concern about power politics in the organization.
• Sou’wester Column, by P.C. Staff, page 6. This Sou’wester column profiles the convention committee members who handled the budget, the Hospitality, and other tasks, plus local golfer Ken Dyo and other JACL volunteers. It also includes lighthearted anecdotes about JACL leaders.
• Editorials: November Elections, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The editorial urges newly naturalized Issei to register and vote, noting their growing presence in the electorate since the McCarran-Walter Act. It argues that upcoming off-year elections should motivate them to be ready when voter registration reopens.
• USGA Ban on Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The editorial condemns the United States Golf Association’s ban on Nisei golfers from handicap tournaments and praises the JACL’s effort to open the USGA. It argues that arbitrary bans based on skin color or eye shape deny the spirit of sportsmanship.
• From the Frying Pan: Miyamura Named Nisei of the Biennium, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. Bill Hosokawa praises Hershey Miyamura, the Medal of Honor recipient, for being named Nisei of the Biennium, comparing him favorably with previous honorees Minoru Yasui and Mike Masaoka. He notes Miyamura’s modesty and his willingness to make personal sacrifices for the community.
• Vagaries: Movie Fame Growing, by Larry Tajiri, page 8. Larry Tajiri traces the evolution of Japanese cinema from the cheap pre-war films shown at Li’l Tokio’s Fuji theater to internationally acclaimed works like Rashomon and Ugetsu. He attributes the change partly to postwar freedom from militarist constraints on artists.

JACL

• Honolulu Newsletter: What to Tell College Freshmen, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 3. Lawrence Nakatsuka offers advice to incoming University of Hawaii freshmen, stressing academics first before extracurricular involvement. He also urges students to build initiative and personality rather than being held back by rigid home environments.

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