Naturalized Issei and the 1955 JACL bowling tournament

Vol. 39, No. 20, November 12, 1954. 8 pages. View this issue

Issei becoming citizens ran through this eight-page issue. President Eisenhower greeted Issei Kenjiro Tanaka and 21 other aliens at a White House reception, the Gilroy JACL planned a dinner for newly naturalized Issei, and an editorial welcomed Japanese faces at Veterans Day ceremonies. On the front page, JACL National Director Mas Satow clarified who could bowl in the 1955 National JACL Bowling Tournament in Long Beach, and Portland chapters remembered Oregon Nisei of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team at Rose City Cemetery.

Columns include Mike Masaoka on Congressional control, Larry Tajiri on Nisei in politics, Bill Hosokawa on his young son, and Harry Honda on historical movies. Other stories cover Hawaiian election results, a Chinese orphan who entered the U.S. under the Refugee Relief Act, and a Coast Guard Academy call for Nisei applicants.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• JACL Bowling Eligibility Clarified, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL National Director Mas Satow announced revised eligibility rules for non-Nisei bowlers in the 1955 National JACL Bowling Tournament in Long Beach. The revisions tie eligibility to participation in Nisei leagues or continuous JACL membership.

Military & Veterans

• Oregonians Remember Nisei War Dead at Portland Observances, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Portland and Gresham-Troutdale JACL chapters and the Oregon Nisei Veterans held a Nisei Soldier Memorial Day observance at Rose City Cemetery on Oct. 31. Major Fred J. Walton gave the address and wreaths were placed for Oregon Nisei of the 442nd who died in service.
• Nisei Should Help Other Minorities, Veterans Urged, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Rev. Israel Yost, chaplain of the 100th Infantry Battalion, urged Nisei to help newer minority groups like Puerto Ricans establish themselves in American society. Col. Kai Rasmussen noted that the Military Intelligence School graduated 7,000 Nisei.
• Go for Broke Screened for Last Time in D.C., by P.C. Staff, page 4. A special showing of the film Go for Broke was held for JACL members in Washington on the tenth anniversary of the rescue of the Lost Texas Battalion. Mike Masaoka, who consulted on the production, was present.

National

• Coast Guard Academy Seeks Nisei Applicants; Examinations Set Feb. 28, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The U.S. Coast Guard is accepting applications for its nationwide competitive entrance examination for the Academy at New London, Conn. Nisei aged 17 to 22 meeting health and education requirements may apply by the January 15 deadline.
• Issei at Pre-Naturalization Reception Meet President Eisenhower, by P.C. Staff, page 1. President Eisenhower personally greeted Issei Kenjiro Tanaka and 21 other aliens at a White House pre-naturalization reception. The President told the group their records convinced him they would be good Americans.
• Chinese Girl First to Enter U.S. Under Refugee Relief Act, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Tak Oi Shi, a Chinese orphan later adopted by a Tacoma family, arrived in Seattle as the first person to enter the U.S. from the Far East under the Refugee Relief Act of 1953. She joins her four new siblings.
• New Immigration Clearance Method Set, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A new immigration clearance program was permanently established when the SS President Cleveland docked in Honolulu. A U.S. Immigration inspector boarded at Yokohama and cleared passengers for immediate docking.
• Young Japanese Facing Deportation Due to Residence Ruling, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Guy Robert Gordon, 24, born in Japan to a U.S. veteran father and Japanese mother, faces deportation under a federal residence technicality. A Utah congressman offered to introduce a special bill to prevent the deportation.

Community

• Sac’to Merchants Happy Over Results, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Proposition B, a $1,500,000 fund for Sacramento’s West End redevelopment, was defeated when it failed to get a two-thirds majority. Japanese American merchants, about 300 of them, had opposed the measure, which could have led to another evacuation without compensation.
• Hawaiian Elections, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 3. Democrats won control of both houses of the Hawaii Legislature for the first time in the territory’s history, with many newly elected Nisei candidates. Republicans retained the Delegate to Congress seat and the Honolulu mayoralty.
• Six Candidates Vie for NCYBL Queen Honors, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Six candidates from six of seven member chapters of the Northern California Young Buddhist League will compete in the queen contest at the Elks Club in Marysville on Nov. 21. The chairman of the judging panel is Akiji Yoshimura.
• Seattle-Born Tokyo Girl Revisits U.S., by P.C. Staff, page 4. Taeko Sakami, born in Seattle but raised in Tokyo, is studying business education at the University of New Mexico. She credits American friends she met while working for the Far Eastern Air Material Command for her opportunity.
• Gilroy JACL to Honor Naturalized Issei Nov. 13, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Gilroy JACL will hold a recognition dinner for newly naturalized Issei citizens from Gilroy, San Martin and Morgan Hill. Haruo Ishimaru of San Francisco is the scheduled speaker.
• Placer County JACL Hosts District Council and Goodwill Banquet, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Placer County JACL chapter hosted the NC-WNDC fourth quarterly meeting in Auburn, with new board members installed by National President George Inagaki. Over 450 attended the goodwill dinner, where Dr. Harold S. Jacoby urged fuller community participation by Japanese Americans.
• Long Beach Prepares for Biggest Nat’l JACL Bowling Tournament, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Committee chairmen were named for the ninth annual JACL National Bowling Tournament to be held in Long Beach March 3-6, 1955. Organizers expect over 100 teams, which would make it the largest national tournament ever.
• Wildcat Kim Charged by Police as Mastermind of Young Burglars, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Professional boxer Philip Kim, 28, was charged with first-degree burglary in Honolulu as the alleged master-mind of a gang of young thieves. Detectives say he drove the getaway car and was linked to a burglary ring operating since February.
• Ishimaru Autumn Tour Postponed Until Spring, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The autumn tour of Japan sponsored by Aki and Kusano travel bureaus was postponed until spring. Many Issei applicants would not receive their naturalization certificates in time for the fall trip.

Commentary

• Tokyo Topics: Formal Report on JACL and Nisei Activities, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 2. The author reports on a formal lecture at the Nippon Club in Tokyo on JACL and Nisei activities, which drew interest partly due to Mike Masaoka’s efforts for war criminal release. He lists the Nisei and Issei notables in Tokyo who attended.
• Congressional Control, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Democratic control of the 84th Congress places Southern Democrats in key chairmanships in both chambers. Texans Sam Rayburn and Lyndon Johnson will be the most influential figures in the House and Senate.
• Historical Movies, by Harry Honda, page 2. The columnist criticizes the film Sign of the Pagan for distorting historical facts about Attila the Hun. He notes the film gets his death, appearance and other details wrong.
• Editorials: New Citizens, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The editorial praises the presence of Japanese faces at Veterans Day naturalization ceremonies, a result of the Walter-McCarran Immigration and Nationality Act. It urges Nisei to appreciate their birthright and the obligations of citizenship.
• First Grader’s Comment, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. The columnist describes his young son Pete’s humorous remarks about the newspaper and his school reluctance. He also recounts a trip through Colorado plains towns where Japanese farmers once settled.
• Nisei in Politics, by Larry Tajiri, page 8. Carl Sato, a Nisei farmer, ran for an Arizona state legislative seat on a major party ticket and lost by only 170 votes. The editorial also discusses the election of 22 Nisei to Hawaii’s territorial legislature.

Arts & Entertainment

• Wise! Dress Designer Directs Nippon-Designed Fashion Show, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Chicago dress designer Kow Kaneko directed a fashion show at the Palmer House featuring Japanese fabrics in Western clothing designs from six Japanese cities. She had earlier sold five top Japanese designers on creating a line for American buyers.

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