Vol. 40, No. 15, April 15, 1955. 8 pages. View this issue
Intermarriage was the thread running through the front of this eight-page issue. Larry Tajiri’s Vagaries column looked at a new cycle of Hollywood films about Oriental-Caucasian love affairs and asked whether they pointed to a more realistic public attitude. On page 3, the JACL Washington office was checking Georgia law after a white sailor was told he could not live there with his Japanese fiancee. Mike Masaoka wrote to the state’s Attorney General and noted JACL’s role in the 1948 California decision striking down a similar ban.
Immigration policy ran alongside it. Inside are reports on the Refugee Relief Act and the new Joint Committee on Immigration and Naturalization Policy. Other pages carry JACL chapter membership drives, two new national recognition awards, Nisei sports, Henry Mori’s Los Angeles newsletter, and Harry Honda’s editorials on U.S.-Japanese relations and unemployment.
What’s in this issue
Commentary
- New Cycle of Oriental-Caucasian Romances, by Larry Tajiri, page 1. Hollywood’s upcoming films about Oriental-Caucasian love affairs may signal a more realistic public attitude toward intermarriage. The article surveys films including Madame Butterfly, Broken Blossoms, The Purple Plain, House of Bamboo, A Many Splendored Thing, and The Gentle Wolfhound.
- Snorpheus, by Tats Kushida, page 6. Tats Kushida confers a humorous award on JACL legal counsel Frank Chuman for enduring the author’s snoring during a hotel stay. The column also recounts a Santa Maria Valley JACL Issei testimonial banquet where Chuman spoke.
- Editorials: U.S.-Japanese Relations, by Harry Honda, page 8. The editorial questions how long the postwar honeymoon between the United States and Japan will last, citing trade problems and Japan’s interest in trading with Red China. It also criticizes Japan’s Prime Minister Hatoyama for his handling of a proposed foreign minister visit to Washington.
- Disaster of Unemployment, by Harry Honda, page 8. The editorial discusses the United Auto Workers’ push for a guaranteed annual wage and the inadequacy of unemployment compensation. It argues that workers’ dependence on wage income makes unemployment a serious threat to families.
- Washington Newsletter: Far East Peace Prospects, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. The column argues that official Washington does not believe war in the Far East is imminent, citing the President’s vacation and Congress’s Easter recess. It concludes that peace depends on Communist intentions.
- Easter Recess and the Congress, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. The column reviews the 84th Congress’s first three months, noting few enacted bills and a heavy backlog of pending legislation. It assesses the President’s wins and pending challenges including trade, statehood, and farm policy.
National
- Seek Operational Data of Refugee Relief Act After Recent Clarifications of Definitions in Measure, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL Washington office, led by Mike Masaoka, requested operational data on the Refugee Relief Act after new federal definitions were issued. Only 17 visas had been issued to Far East adult refugees through Feb. 28, and new regulations were expected to enable large-scale processing in Japan.
- Name Members of Joint Committee on Immigration and Naturalization, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Senate and House members were appointed to the Joint Committee on Immigration and Naturalization Policy under the Walter-McCarran Act. The committee was inactive in the previous Congress due to lack of appropriated funds.
- Calif. Gardener’s Bill Turned Down, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A bill to license maintenance gardeners and impose professional standards was rejected by the State Assembly committee on April 7. Opponents Mas Yonemura and Wayne M. Kanemoto argued gardeners don’t need state regulation, and the author hoped an interim study would revive it.
- JACL Checking Georgia Ban on Mixed Marriages, White-Japanese Pair Involved, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The JACL Washington office is investigating whether Georgia marriage laws prohibit interracial marriage and residence after a report that a white sailor was told he could not live there with his Japanese fiancee. Mike Masaoka wrote to the Georgia Attorney General requesting copies of the law and noted JACL’s role in the 1948 California decision striking down such a ban.
- Flower Equality in Air Shipment Bill at Hearing, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Mike Masaoka urged the Senate Aviation Subcommittee to support legislation allowing west coast flower growers to consolidate air shipments cooperatively. He argued the exemption already granted to surface transportation of agricultural products should extend to commercial aviation.
- House Rules Committee Blocks Statehood Bill, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. The House Rules Committee has held up the Alaska-Hawaii statehood package for over a month without granting floor debate. The President has indicated he would consider an Alaska bill with military reservations, while Senate action remains pending.
Community
- Dr. Noble to Address PSWDC at Santa Barbara, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Elmer R. Noble, dean of letters and science at UC Santa Barbara, will be the principal speaker at the PSWDC convention banquet on May 14. Born in Korea, he is a noted scientist and expressed delight at speaking before a Nisei assembly.
- 600 Mark Topped in Chapter Memberships, by P.C. Staff, page 1. San Francisco JACL has signed up 611 members for 1955, making a bid for top honors among the 87 League chapters. Several membership committee reports are still due, and the Issei group has not yet been solicited.
- Arkansas Valley CLers Irked by Bad Impression of Naturalization Examiner, by P.C. Staff, page 1. An El Paso immigration examiner was reported to have behaved rudely and insultingly toward Issei citizenship applicants at Lamar, Colorado. The Mountain-Plains JACL filed a protest, and Mike Masaoka pledged to raise the matter with the I&NS commissioner.
- Chicago Chapter Geared for Membership Push, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Chicago JACL will conduct a house-to-house membership solicitation from April 17 to mid-May, according to membership chairman Bill Fujii. The chapter hopes to be again the biggest and best chapter in the nation.
- Fumiye Nii, Mary Nakano, Sumiye Hirota Vie for Placer County Picnic Queen, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Three candidates are competing for queen of the Placer County JACL picnic, with the winner to serve as chapter hostess for the year. The candidates made their first public appearance at the picnic ball.
- Hollywood CL to Fete New Citizens Sunday, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Hollywood JACL will honor recently naturalized Issei citizens at a dinner at the Hollywood Community Center. Frank Chuman will give the principal address with entertainment by local dance and vocal performers.
- Dateline Northwest, by Budd Fukei, page 5. The author, temporarily out of full-time work, describes a one-year family economy plan in which he and his wife both contribute to a goal. He also shares personal notes about Seattle Nisei community figures and events.
- Los Angeles Newsletter: Worth of a Single Vote, by Henry Mori, page 7. A close 10th District City Council primary in Los Angeles may force a runoff between Charles Navarro and George L. Thomas, showing how a single vote can matter. Only 22,700 of 40,000 registered voters in the heavily Japanese American district went to the polls.
- Watkins Act Beneficiary, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Mrs. Frank Mizote, formerly Keiko Koga, became one of the first persons naturalized under the Watkins Act, which restores citizenship to those who voted in postwar Japanese elections. Her attorney David Yokozeki expedited her papers.
- Nisei Festival: Aug. 19-28, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The 15th annual Nisei Week Festival coronation ball will be held August 21 at the Hollywood Palladium, with queen finalists chosen by a panel of judges. The article previews the traditional festival events planned for the summer.
JACL
- Two New National Recognition Awards Announced at Joint EDC-MDC Parley, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Two new individual JACL awards were announced by National Director Mas Satow at the joint EDC-MDC Convention to honor outstanding service to the organization. One award recognizes chapter-level contributions and the other national-level contributions, with presentation planned at the 1956 national convention.
Arts & Entertainment
- Japanese Art and Entertainment, by Larry Nakatsuka, page 3. Honolulu’s Takarazuka Revue is presenting twice-nightly shows as part of the Cherry Blossom Festival, offering the community a rare taste of top Japanese theatrical entertainment. The article describes the troupe’s dance and musical program and its impact on local audiences.
Sports
- Stockton Trackster Wins ‘100’ in 9s (But…), by P.C. Staff, page 6. Jun Akaba led Stockton College to a 70-34 dual meet win over Turlock, winning two events and anchoring the relay team. His 100-yard dash was run 15 yards short, so the nine-second time was discounted.
- Chicago Saints Outscore Toronto Cagers 80-62 to Win Tournament, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Chicago Nisei Saints overcame an early deficit to win the fifth annual Chicago Nisei Athletic Association invitational basketball championship. Shig Murao scored 27 points to lead the champions, and Roland Texeira of Milwaukee was tournament high scorer with 61 points.
- San Francisco CL Opens Industrial Cage League, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The San Francisco JACL-sponsored Nisei Industrial Basketball League opened April 5 at the Buchanan YMCA gym before an enthusiastic crowd. Six merchant-sponsored teams are in the loop.
Military & Veterans
- Go For Broke Bulletin May Become Quarterly, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The 442nd Veterans Club’s Go For Broke Bulletin may shift from monthly to quarterly publication to give its committee more time to gather chapter news. The four-page bulletin is circulated to club membership.
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