Vol. 39, No. 24, December 10, 1954. 8 pages. View this issue
Dr. Harvey A. Itano led this eight-page issue. JACL’s Distinguished Achievement Award was to be presented to him at the Washington, D.C. chapter installation banquet, in recognition of his research on sickle cell anemia. National JACL also asked chapters to publicize the January alien registration program and help Issei with their forms. Columns came from Mike Masaoka, who looked ahead to the 84th Congress, Harry Honda, Larry Tajiri, Bill Hosokawa and Tats Kushida.
Other pages followed community life. Two Nisei Maryknoll priests returned to Japan, two Japanese couples became U.S. citizens in Rock Springs, Wyo., and the Midwest District Council voted to keep its Chicago office open another year. Bowling tournaments in Denver and Ogden, a fishing derby in Placer County and the Christmas Cheer drive in Los Angeles filled the sports and local news. The editorial marked the December 7 anniversary.
What’s in this issue
JACL
- JACL Achievement Award to Be Given to Dr. Itano at D.C., by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Harvey A. Itano will receive JACL’s Distinguished Achievement Award at the Washington, D.C. chapter installation banquet. His sickle cell anemia research is praised as a major contribution to medicine and public health.
Community
- Jigokumon Premiere in New York, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Daiei film Hell’s Gate (Jigokumon), a 1954 Cannes winner, opens its American premiere at the Guild Theater in New York on Dec. 14. The film was featured in a Life magazine issue earlier that month.
- New Citizens Sworn In at Rock Springs, Wyo., by P.C. Staff, page 1. Two Japanese couples became U.S. citizens at a Sweetwater County courtroom ceremony in Rock Springs on Nov. 27. Judge Glenn Parker presided over the naturalization.
- Issei Hotel Manager Killed by Robbers, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Hikoichi Hamamura, 56, manager of a Skid Row hotel in Los Angeles, was found dead apparently the victim of a holdup. Police sought further information from his son Yoshio.
- Christmas Cheer Nears $2,000 Goal; Now 76%, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Donations to the Club Service Bureau’s Christmas Cheer campaign reached $1,537.35 toward a $2,000 goal. Funds, canned goods and toys are accepted at the Downtown Los Angeles JACL office.
- Robbery Suspects Identified by Nisei Victim as Denver Teenagers, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Two Denver teenagers were arrested in Salt Lake City after a Nisei woman, Mrs. Kay June Aoki, identified them as the men who attacked her during a robbery attempt. Police booked them for investigation.
- Placer CL Head Wilson Makabe Elected, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Wilson Makabe, an amputee World War II veteran, was elected president of the Placer County JACL chapter. A supporting slate of cabinet officers was also named.
- Chicago Corner, by Smoky Sakurada, page 4. Smoky Sakurada’s column covers Elmer Poston’s appointment as Chicago immigration director and the Chicago JACL’s 1955 cabinet installation. It also reports on a City-Wider Christmas dance and the Midwest Regional Office remaining open.
- Midwest Regional Office to Stay Open for Another Full Year, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Midwest District Council voted to keep the Regional Office in Chicago open another year under its current arrangement. A proposed budget increase for a full-time director was tabled until chapter finances improve.
- Mile-Hi JACL Bowling Tournament Attracts 100, Fourteen Teams Vie, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The two-day Mountain-Plains Regional JACL bowling tournament drew over 100 Nisei bowlers to Bowl-Mor Lanes in Denver. Team, doubles, singles and all-events results were announced at the awards dinner.
- IDC Turkey Day Bowling Tournament Biggest to Date, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Intermountain District Council bowling tournament in Ogden drew over 150 participants and was jointly sponsored by the Ben Lomond JACL and Ogden Nisei Bowling League. Winners in team, doubles, singles and all-events categories were listed.
- 80 Anglers Contend in Placer Derby, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Ken Kozaiku won the grand prize in the Placer County JACL striped bass derby held over Thanksgiving weekend. Over 80 anglers took part in the four-day event.
- Hartnell Nisei QB Named to All-Star Team, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Tak Hirahara, Hartnell College quarterback, was named to the all Coast Junior College first team after leading his team to three straight wins. His passing helped turn around the season.
- Cover Girl Weds Nisei Pharmacist in Salt Lake City, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Life magazine cover girl Mitsuko Kimura of Tokyo married Ken Toshio Fukunaga, a Salt Lake City pharmacist, in Japan. The couple is expected to settle in the United States after his tour of duty ends.
Commentary
- New Book Tells of Work of Two Nisei Maryknoll Priests from L.A., by P.C. Staff, page 1. Father W. Takahashi and Father James E. Tokuhisa, both Nisei Maryknoll priests from Los Angeles, have returned to Japan, as recounted in a new book on the Maryknoll society. Father Tokuhisa became known for aiding victims of the 1953 Kyoto flood.
- Very Truly Yours: Football Season, by Harry Honda, page 2. Harry Honda reflects on the football season and a controversy over women reporters being excluded from the Yale press box. He notes the broad public agreement that women should be allowed to cover the games.
- Pacific Citizen Holiday Issue Preview: Chapter Ads and Notes, by Tats Kushida, page 5. Tats Kushida explains how the Holiday Issue was printed and thanks chapters for timely advertising support. He also recounts a UCLA alumnus’s unsuccessful effort to get President Eisenhower to arrange a football game benefiting the Olympics.
- Editorials: Thirteen Years Ago, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The editorial reflects on the December 7 anniversary and how far Japanese Americans have come since the wartime evacuation. It also responds to a Pasadena reader who urged focusing on future fights rather than past wrongs.
- Shopping Days ‘Til Christmas, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. Bill Hosokawa describes crowded Denver stores and criticizes the commercialization of Christmas. He reflects on his son’s remarks about first-grade crushes to close the column.
Incarceration & Redress
- Alien Registration Time in January Nearing, Nat’l JACL Advises Chapters, by P.C. Staff, page 1. National JACL urged chapters to publicize the January alien registration program and help Issei complete forms. Guidance was given on address changes and replacing lost registration cards.
National
- Aged Issei Passes Citizenship Exams Within Three Minutes, by P.C. Staff, page 1. An elderly Japanese woman in Chicago passed her naturalization test after a three-minute oral examination answering two questions. The brief exam drew attention to the process.
- Anti-American Feelings in Japan Viewed Slight, by P.C. Staff, page 1. J. Ballard Atherton, president of the Pacific and Asian Affairs Council, reported little anti-American feeling in Japan after a six-week trip. He cautioned the United States against insisting other countries share its priorities.
- Stranded Nisei Regain U.S. Citizenship Status, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Akira Nagaoka and Tetsuo Yujiri, American-born Nisei stranded in Japan during World War II, were ruled still U.S. citizens by Judge William M. Byrne. Both had been threatened with penalties for refusing wartime military service.
- Washington Newsletter: JACL and the 84th Congress, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Mike Masaoka analyzes the incoming 84th Congress and its committee leadership for foreign relations and trade. He argues Democratic control may bring more liberal international policy, important for Japan’s economic future.
- Honolulu Newsletter: Bloc Voting, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 3. A House committee plans to examine racial bloc voting while in Hawaii, with Nisei candidates at the center of the concern. Local observers offer varied views on whether bloc voting is unique to any group.
In-Depth
- Sheep Year: 1955, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 2. Tamotsu Murayama reviews past Sheep Years in Japanese history, from the Taika Reformation to the Meiji era and later wartime events. He closes with hope that 1955 will be a happier year.
Arts & Entertainment
- The Rice in Me, by Larry Tajiri, page 8. Larry Tajiri discusses a renaissance of interest in Japanese culture among Nisei artists and writers in the United States. He points to the success of Kabuki, Rashomon, Sayonara and related works.
Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.