Supreme Court nominees, Issei citizenship and Nisei Soldiers Memorial Day

Vol. 39, No. 18, October 29, 1954. 8 pages. View this issue

The JACL’s nomination of California judges William Denman and Phil S. Gibson to President Eisenhower for the Supreme Court vacancy led the front page. Issei naturalization ran through the issue: officials assured Mike Masaoka that petitions filed before Oct. 12, 1954 would be processed for the Nov. 11 ceremonies, some aboard the battleship Missouri, and Pasadena and Venice chapters planned dinners for new citizens. Mike Masaoka also wrote about Nisei Soldiers Memorial Day, the 442nd, and a proposed monument to Nisei war dead in Washington, D.C.

Other pages carry columns by Bill Hosokawa on the coming election, Larry Tajiri on the Heart Mountain camp in Wyoming’s War Years, Marvin Uratsu on a trip to Japan, and John Yoshino on Chicago schools. Sports covers George Inai’s perfect 300 game and plans for the 1955 JACL bowling meet. This 8-page issue also reports the JACL Endowment Fund reaching $80,000.

What’s in this issue

National

• California Judges Denman, Gibson Proposed for Supreme Court Post, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL nominated California judges William Denman and Phil S. Gibson to President Eisenhower as candidates for the U.S. Supreme Court vacancy left by Justice Robert H. Jackson’s death. The organization argued both jurists are qualified by experience and their records on civil rights.
• First Nisei Called to Canadian Jury Service, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Frank Sadao Suga, a Smithers contractor, is believed to be the first Japanese Canadian summoned for jury duty in British Columbia. He was among citizens notified for the Fall Assizes in Prince Rupert County.
• Many Issei Called for Nov. 11 Mass Naturalization Ceremonies, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Commissioner Joseph Swing assured Mike Masaoka that Issei naturalization petitions filed before Oct. 12, 1954 would be processed for the Veterans Day ceremonies. Many Issei are expected to become citizens in Hollywood Bowl and other ceremonies nationwide.

Community

• JACL Endowment Fund in Trust Reaches $80,000, by P.C. Staff, page 1. National JACL President George Inagaki thanked contributors to the JACL Endowment Fund, which now holds $80,000 in trust. Treasurer Dr. Roy M. Nishikawa noted that more than $2,500 in interest is being placed in the regular operating fund.
• Nisei Student Presence Causes Interest Among Indonesians, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Isao Fujimoto, a UC Berkeley medical student, joined a Cal-Indo visit to Indonesia that aimed to strengthen cultural ties. The group reported a planned $50,000 student center to be funded jointly by Indonesia and the local group.
• Two Former Presidents Blocked Move to Intern Mexico Japanese, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Sanshiro Matsumoto reported that ex-presidents Lazaro Cardenas and Pascual Ortiz Rubio helped block a wartime plan to intern about 50 Japanese residents in Mexico. The Mexican government instead promised adequate internal security precautions.
• Several Community Items Briefs from Chicago and Denver, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Brief community notes report on Nisei parents’ concerns about Chicago public schools and a JACL education program. Additional items cover local chapter events and political forums.
• Pasadena CL to Honor Naturalized Issei at Dollar-a-Plate Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Pasadena JACL will honor local Issei who completed naturalization classes at a dinner on Nov. 13 at Cleveland Auditorium. Frank Hammond and Saburo Kido are scheduled speakers.
• Venice Issei Citizens to Be Honored Nov. 13, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Venice JACL will honor some 65 recently naturalized Issei at a dinner at Stearne’s Barbecue. National President George Inagaki will serve as toastmaster.
• Political Election Coverage: Nisei Candidates and Campaigns, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Local JACL chapters including Sacramento, Berkeley, Fresno, and Mile-Hi held political forums ahead of the Nov. 2 election. Speakers from both parties addressed issues and candidates.
• Ex-Californian Joins Olivet Institute Staff, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Lillian C. Kimura was added as group worker supervisor at Olivet Institute Community Center in Chicago. She is a graduate of the University of Illinois School of Social Work.

Military & Veterans

• Tacoma Area Issei Due Citizenship on Battleship, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Several Japanese aliens among 80 petitioners will be naturalized aboard the battleship Missouri at Bremerton on Nov. 11. It is reported as the first federal court session held aboard a warship for naturalization.
• In Memoriam, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The editorial marks Nisei Soldiers Memorial Day on Oct. 31, honoring Nisei war dead and the 442nd rescue of the Lost Texas Battalion. It frames their sacrifice as the basis for the acceptance Japanese Americans now enjoy.
• Reason for Observance, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Masaoka explains why Nisei Soldiers Memorial Day matters, tracing Nisei demands to fight after Pearl Harbor and the evacuation that followed. He credits the 442nd and intelligence troops with securing postwar rights and calls for remembrance.
• Nisei GI Memorial, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The editorial recalls that the people of Bruyeres honored the men of the 442nd as liberators ten years earlier. It presents the Nisei soldier as a symbol against racial discrimination.

Commentary

• Voting Responsibility, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Masaoka argues that Nisei and Issei votes could decide close congressional contests and urges every qualified voter to cast a ballot. He notes each vote effectively counts twice in its impact on the outcome.
• Proposal: A Monument, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Masaoka proposes that the Japanese American community place a monument to Nisei war dead in Washington, D.C. He argues it would remind Americans that racial intolerance is costly and that patriotism is common to all.
• Very Truly Yours: World Perspective, by Harry Honda, page 2. Honda argues that Nisei should develop a true world perspective beyond Japanese American goodwill, including Atlantic affairs. He discusses the atomic bomb’s role in shaping modern thinking about war.
• Anti-Statehood Lure, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 3. Nakatsuka criticizes commonwealth promoters in Hawaii who claim it would bring federal tax exemption. He argues Puerto Rico’s exemption does not apply to incorporated Hawaii and urges continued pursuit of full statehood.
• Corner: Education Concerns, by John Yoshino, page 4. Yoshino writes that Nisei parents are concerned about the quality of Chicago public schools attended by Sansei children. He previews a Chicago JACL meeting on Nov. 12 devoted to education.
• Scene from the Golden Gate: Yukata & Tempura, by Marvin Uratsu, page 5. Uratsu recounts a three-week trip to Japan with his wife aboard the SS President Wilson, describing Yokohama, Tokyo, Nikko, and Kyoto. He concludes that aiding Japan economically and encouraging travel serves American interests.
• Newsletter: Naturalization Statistics and Campaign Notes, by Henry Mori, page 7. Mori reports 550 Japanese aliens were naturalized in Los Angeles during the first nine months of 1954, with 350 in the last two months. He also notes Nisei campaign committees and the appointment of Hiroshi Hisago as the first Japanese descent Los Angeles Municipal Court marshal.
• Vagaries: Election Prospects, by Bill Hosokawa, page 7. Hosokawa predicts a Democratic victory in Colorado and across the nation, noting Carroll and Johnson as likely winners. He also discusses Nisei interests in Utah and Idaho races and supporters of civil rights legislation.
• Denver Column: Wyoming’s War Years and Heart Mountain, by Larry Tajiri, page 7. Tajiri reviews Prof. T. A. Larson’s book chapter on the Heart Mountain camp in Wyoming’s War Years. He highlights the hardships of evacuees and their contributions to the state’s wartime production.
• Editorials: Voters’ Apathy, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The editorial criticizes low-level personal attacks in political campaigns that discourage voters from participating. It calls for more constructive discussion of issues instead of destructive attacks on opponents’ character.

JACL

• National Conference on Citizenship Granted Federal Charter; JACL Only Nat’l Group Representing Asians, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The National Conference on Citizenship received a federal charter with the JACL as a charter member. JACL President George Inagaki said the organization will also serve other Asians and that the National Citizenship Committee will outline a program for new Issei citizens.

Sports

• Long Beach Prepares for ’55 National CL Bowling Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Long Beach will host the ninth annual JACL National Bowling tournament March 4-6, 1955. Planning will be discussed at a meeting with National JACL Director Mas Satow attending.
• Inai Seventh Nisei Kegler Rolling 300, by P.C. Staff, page 6. George Inai of San Francisco rolled a perfect 300 game in league play, the seventh such score by a mainland Nisei bowler. It is believed to be the first in regular sanctioned league play since the ABC dropped its all-white clause.

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