Issei pensions and evacuation claims in the news, August 1955

Vol. 41, No. 6, August 5, 1955. 8 pages. View this issue

Legislation affecting the Issei and former incarcerees ran through the front page. State officials told JACL regional director Tats Kushida that Issei may not see payments under the Masterson Bill until next year. Rep. Thomas J. Lane introduced a new bill to correct language in the Hillings evacuation claims bill, and Rep. Emanuel Celler asked the Attorney General to protect remaining claimants from rushed decisions. Larry Tajiri reviewed the film House of Bamboo in his Vagaries column, and Mike Masaoka’s Washington Newsletter reported Congress adjourning sine die.

Elsewhere in the eight pages, Bill Hosokawa wrote about Nisei progress in the Pacific Northwest, and Smoky Sakurada reported from Chicago’s Trumbull Park housing project. Larry Nakatsuka compared race relations in Hawaii with segregation in South Africa. JACL readers will find the 1956 national convention set for San Francisco, and the National Endowment Fund at $85,400 of its $100,000 goal. Sports pages cover the Japan Davis Cup team.

What’s in this issue

In-Depth

• Vagaries: Picturesque Background of Japan in House of Bamboo, by BY LARRY TAJIRI, page 1. Larry Tajiri reviews 20th Century Fox’s House of Bamboo, praising its vivid postwar Japanese backdrops and Shirley Yamaguchi’s performance. He notes the film is the best American production made in Japan since V-J Day, directed by Samuel Fuller.

Community

• Boy in Family of 12 Attends Boys Nation, Chosen Chief Justice, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Richard Kono, a 17-year-old Missouri Nisei, was the sole Nisei delegate to Boys Nation and was elected chief justice. He met President Eisenhower and will be student-body president of his high school next fall.
• Sacramento Box Plant in Spectacular Blaze, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Seven engines and nearly 200 firefighters battled a large blaze at the Capital City Box Co. plant in Sacramento. Fire officials believe it began from a bonfire built by vagrants near the railroad tracks.
• Hawaiian Nisei Named Welfare Finance Officer, Director for West US, by P.C. Staff, page 2. John Miki, financial officer of the Territorial Department of Public Welfare, was elected western regional director of the National Conference of State Welfare Finance Officers. It is the first time an official from Hawaii has received the honor.
• Doctor Orders Editor to Quit, Paper Folds, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Vashon Island-based publication ceased publication indefinitely after editor Ricki Yasui retired due to ill health. Yasui cited an old war wound and advancing age in his July 15 farewell editorial.
• Colorado Times Publisher Dies, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Fred I. Kaihara, publisher of the Colorado Times for 25 years, died July 30 in Denver. He had been an influential leader in Colorado’s Japanese communities and served as an interpreter for Issei naturalization.
• Two Cars Collide, Drivers Blinded in Duststorm, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A dust storm caused two cars to collide on Highway 30 near Ontario, Oregon, injuring one driver who was hospitalized. Both drivers said dust impaired their vision so severely the accident was unavoidable.
• Trumbull Park After Two Years, by BY SMOKY SAKURADA, page 4. Smoky Sakurada reports on Mrs. Dora Gully, a Negro resident of Chicago’s Trumbull Park housing project, who describes improving neighbor relations after racial disturbances. She notes continuing hostility outside the project and nightly bombings.
• Yajiu Yamada Honored, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Yajiu Yamada, a sixth-dan judoist of Los Angeles, was honored for demonstrating his art for ten days at the Phoenix Boys Club. His daughter Tako was a Nisei Week queen attendant.
• Japanese Medical Society Founder Dies at 75, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Dr. W. Kaworu Iseri, founder of the Japanese Medical Society of Southern California in 1914, died July 23 at age 75. He had practiced medicine in Los Angeles for 43 years after graduating from Stanford Medical School.
• New Song, New Dance to Be Premiered at East L.A.’s Emerald Ball, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Vocalist Masao Karasawa and dancer Miss Ding Dong will premiere performances at the East Los Angeles JACL Emerald Ball on August 13. Karasawa has appeared on TV and in local night clubs.
• Roy Tanabe Voted Outstanding Boy at Stockton Music Camp, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Violinist Roy Tanabe of Los Angeles was named outstanding boy at the tenth annual Pacific Music Camp in Stockton. He served as concert master of the PMC symphony for most of the summer concerts.
• Scene from the Golden Gate Continued and Golf, Bowling and Sports Briefs, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Sports briefs cover Idaho and Denver golf tournaments, San Francisco Century Club golf, Sacramento softball, and Stockton bowling tournament results. Nancy Ito and Kaz Maseba are among the notable performers.
• Pension Continued from Front Page: Issei Old Age Assistance Qualifications, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The article lists six qualifications Issei must meet for California old age pension under the Masterson Bill. It also provides the district office locations for Bureau of Public Assistance applications across Los Angeles County.

National

• State Social Welfare Officials See Snag in Masterson Bill Granting Issei Alien Pensions, by P.C. Staff, page 1. State officials told JACL regional director Tats Kushida that Issei may not receive pension payments under the Masterson Bill until next year. Department offices are still preparing new forms and procedures for the special group made eligible.
• New Amended Evacuation Claims Bill Introduced by Rep. Lane, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Thomas J. Lane introduced a new bill to correct ambiguous language in the Hillings evacuation claims bill. The measure makes internees eligible and declares management, conservation, and fair rental losses compensable.
• Congressman Eases Justice Dep’t Pressure on Claimants to Adjudicate Claims Quickly, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Emanuel Celler wrote the Attorney General asking that remaining evacuation claimants be protected from rushed adjudication during the congressional recess. The request was first suggested by Mike Masaoka of the JACL.
• Amendments to Immigration Regulations Allow Japanese Immigrants to Visit U.S. Without Losing Quota Place, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The State Department announced prospective immigrants may visit the U.S. on non-immigrant visas without forfeiting their quota list place. The change benefits Nisei stranded in Japan, parents visiting children, and business travelers.
• Mainland Clarified, No Special Documentation Needed for Trip, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Alien Issei traveling from Hawaii or Alaska to the mainland no longer need special documentation, following the attorney general’s decision not to appeal the Haymes case. The JACL Washington office said the Ninth Circuit ruling supports its position.

Commentary

• From the Frying Pan, by BY BILL HOSOKAWA, page 2. Bill Hosokawa recounts a family visit from his brother Rube in Minneapolis and reflects on Nisei economic progress in the Pacific Northwest. He contrasts past exclusion from Boeing with today’s acceptance of Nisei engineers and workers.
• Minority Week, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The NAACP criticized Georgia’s attorney general over a proposal to fire teachers who join the organization. The column also notes the Office of Education will drop racial designations in its higher education directory.
• Tokyo Topics: Japan’s Press Keeps Watchful Eye on Russian Concentration Along Japan Sea Despite Geneva Glowing Prospects, by TAMOTSU MURAYAMA, page 2. Japanese newspapers gave extensive coverage to the Geneva Big Four summit, though Japan was not a participant. The author warns that Soviet military strength near Japan and the Communist party’s disarmament announcement deserve skepticism.
• American Democracy in Action, by BY LARRY NAKATSUKA, page 3. Larry Nakatsuka argues that Hawaii’s race relations demonstrate successful American democracy in action, contrasting it with segregation in South Africa. He urges Nisei to recognize their progress and the community’s openness.
• White Collar Gets Soiled, by BY HENRY MORI, page 7. Henry Mori responds to Larry Nakatsuka’s Honolulu column on white-collar versus plantation jobs, arguing white-collar workers are not automatically prosperous. He also discusses the proposed state licensing of garden maintenance workers in Southern California.
• Careers in Agriculture, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The editorial urges Nisei to consider agriculture as a career, citing about 15,000 open jobs and only 8,500 students. It notes openings in research, management, food processing, engineering, and conservation beyond traditional farming.
• Very Truly Yours, by BY HARRY HONDA, page 8. Editor Harry Honda describes the new Comet teletypesetter installed at the Shin Nichi Bei printing plant and its faster production. He also notes upcoming plans for the 1955 Holiday Issue and Washington JACL columnist scheduling.
• Washington Newsletter: 1st Session, 84th Congress Adjourns Sine Die, by BY MIKE MASAOKA, page 8. Mike Masaoka reports Congress adjourned sine die early Wednesday, leaving unfinished the President’s priority highways and atomic ship bills. He speculates whether Eisenhower will call a special session, weighing political considerations.

JACL

• Chapter Men, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Chapter news includes San Francisco JACL’s membership progress toward its 700 goal and its blood bank appeal. Southwest Los Angeles JACL also announced a square dance session at the International Institute.
• Eight-Year Schedule Set for 1956 JACL National Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 4. National JACL Headquarters announced that the Sheraton-Palace Hotel in San Francisco will host the 1956 biennial national convention, August 31 to September 3. The convention schedule was decided at the last National Council meeting.
• Scene from the Golden Gate, by BY HARUO ISHIMARU, page 5. Haruo Ishimaru honors the San Francisco JACL chapter for its historic role in naturalization efforts, the 1952 convention veto override, and California legislation. He calls the chapter outstanding and salutes its members.
• National Endowment Fund Nears $100,000 Goal, by BY MASAO SATOW, page 5. The National JACL Endowment Fund, conceived at the 1936 Seattle convention, has reached $85,400 toward a $100,000 goal. The fund generates income for JACL operations, and the principal may only be touched in a national emergency.
• It’s a Skewer (Kushi-da), by BY TATS KUSHIDA, page 6. Tats Kushida describes a barbecue shishkebab recipe prepared by Tom Ito, Pasadena JACL president, and updates on the PSW JACL office move and upcoming meetings. He also reports on a Calif. Dept. of Employment commendation and recent Issei deaths.

Sports

• Japan Davis Cup Team Faces Australia in Eastern-American Zone Playoffs, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Kosei Kamo and Atsushi Miyagi will represent Japan against Australia’s Ken Rosewall, Lewis Hoad and Rex Hartwig at Glen Cove, New York, August 5-7. Captain Takeichi Harada hopes to win at least one point.

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