Interracial marriage, a loyalty oath and the immigration debate

Vol. 41, No. 21, November 18, 1955. 8 pages. View this issue

Two rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court led the news. The court declined to decide the constitutionality of Virginia’s interracial marriage law in the case of Ham Say Naim, a Chinese American, and his white wife, and it refused to review a Wisconsin ruling against the federal housing loyalty oath. Tamotsu Murayama told the sad story of the Yanagi family, refugees from Manchuria turned back at the last moment. Mike Masaoka explained why the national origins quota formula was likely to be at the center of the immigration debate.

Other pages followed chapter life. Readers will find convention plans for the Central California, Intermountain and Mountain-Plains districts, and a report on the NC-WNDC convention in Sonoma County. Selma JACL honored thirteen newly naturalized citizens, and Bruyeres, France, honored the 442nd eleven years after its liberation. Sports and community notes fill out the eight pages.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Orange County JACL’s Santana Wind Praised as Outstanding Chapter Bulletin, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Orange County JACL’s monthly newsletter, The Santana Wind, edited by George Ichien, has become recognized as one of the outstanding chapter bulletins. Chapter president George Kanno’s column linked the Sammy Lee and Amy Motodani housing harassment cases to the broader issue of discrimination.
• Turlock Youth Wins Eagle Scout Honors, Initiated into Order of Arrow, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Eric Noda of Denair, Calif., became one of the youngest Boy Scouts to earn the Eagle badge, receiving it at a Court of Honor during Boy Scout Week in February 1955. He was then initiated into the Order of Arrow and is working toward the God and Country Award.
• Nisei Troop Celebrates 40th Year of Scouting, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Christ Episcopal Mission Boy Scout Troop 12 in San Francisco marked its 40th anniversary with a dinner and court of honor. The troop was established in 1915 by the late Keizo Sano, and his son Joseph was guest of honor.
• Dr. Katashi Oita Joins Standard Oil Research Staff, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Katashi Oita, a Watsonville native, has joined the Whiting Research Laboratories of Standard Oil Co. in Indiana. He earned his undergraduate degree at Swarthmore College and his Ph.D. in chemistry.
• Newspaper Artist Pete Hironaka Wins Dayton Purchase Award, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Pete Hironaka, staff artist for the Dayton Daily News, received a purchase award for his watercolor study ‘North of Ludlow’ at the 19th annual Dayton Artists’ exhibition. The award was offered by the investment firm Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Beane.
• Nisei Appointed Supervisor in Michigan County, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Joseph D. Sasaki, an Ann Arbor optometrist and former Fresno JACL president, was appointed by Mayor William E. Brown Jr. to fill a vacancy on the Washtenaw County board of supervisors. Mayor Brown praised him as a loyal American citizen who has done tremendous work for the community.
• Oakland Nisei Found Dead After Missing Fishing Trip, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Kiyoshi Okimoto, 41, of Oakland, was found dead in the tules near Terminous after going missing while fishing alone on a rented boat. A Coast Guard helicopter crew located his body after relatives and search parties had been organized.
• KEEP Youth Farm Camp Main Building Destroyed by Fire, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The main building of the Kiyosato Education Experiment Project, a youth farm camp in Japan supported by American donations, was destroyed by fire. Firemen estimated the loss at more than $27,000, including 5,000 books collected over 25 years.
• Asian American Press Club to Be Organized in San Francisco, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Bilingual Japanese dailies Nichibei Times and Hokubei Mainichi joined Chinese and Filipino publications at a preliminary dinner meeting to form an Asian American press club. Kwei Fong Chan of the Chinese Times was elected chairman.
• Kiwanis Man of the Year Award Given to Nisei George Ogata, by P.C. Staff, page 2. George ‘Heap’ Ogata was named 1955 Man of the Year by the Cypress Kiwanis for his long civic service and work with youth. He is also a charter Kiwanian and a 1000 Club member of the JACL.
• Kochiyama Elected Head of New York’s 442nd Club, by P.C. Staff, page 2. William Kochiyama of the Japan International Christian University Foundation was elected president of the New York 442nd Club for 1955-56, serving a second term. Other officers were also elected to his cabinet.
• Tractor Overturns, Killing Utah Issei Seikichi Miya, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Seikichi Miya, 71, was crushed to death when his tractor overturned in a ditch on his Warren, Utah farm. His son Shin discovered him and used a winch to pull the tractor off the victim.
• Fresno Nisei Boy Sings in San Francisco Opera’s Carmen, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Ernest W. Kazato, 11, was one of 23 boys chosen to sing in the first act of Carmen when the San Francisco Opera Co. presented it in Fresno. He was selected from 70 applicants at the summer auditions.
• Fowler Chapter Adds Second Vice-President Post for Issei, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Fowler JACL nominations committee created a second vice-president post reserved for a naturalized Issei and presented its 1956 slate. Ballots will be mailed to members, with officers to be installed at the Central California District Council convention on December 4.
• Selma JACL Honors Thirteen Newly Naturalized Citizens, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Selma JACL held a banquet in Fresno honoring 13 newly naturalized Issei, who were presented with copies of the Pledge of Allegiance. Speakers included Mayor Paul Nielsen, Kenji Tashiro, and Mike Masaoka.
• Idaho Falls JACL Elects Shoji Nukaya President, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Idaho Falls JACL chose Shoji Nukaya as president and set a December 2 installation dinner along with a December 16 Christmas party. The chapter’s cabinet will be installed at the dinner.
• Eleven Years After Liberation, Bruyeres Honors the 442nd, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A letter and photographs from the Mayor of Bruyeres, France, described a memorial park ceremony honoring the 442nd for the liberation of the village. The American Consul attended and an Army band provided music.
• CCDC Sets Pre-Registration Deadline for Central California Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Pre-registration for the Central California District Council convention closes November 28, with a $5 package covering registration and the December 4 banquet. Hugo Kazato, registration chairman, announced the committee members.
• Intermountain District JACL Convention Set for Ontario, Oregon, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The eighth biennial Intermountain District JACL convention in Ontario, Oregon will feature National Director Masao Satow and Japanese Consul Noboru Imajo, with bowling and a fashion show. Teams from several Utah and Idaho cities have already registered.
• Min.-Plains Convention Climax at Banquet-Dance; Issei Dinner Slated, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Mountain-Plains JACL convention in Denver will close with a banquet and dance at the Cosmopolitan Hotel, with Bill Hosokawa as toastmaster and Mike Masaoka as main speaker. A separate Issei and Evacuee Claims dinner will be held November 26.
• Mile-Hi Bridge Champions Named, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Joan Tolentino and Bud Uchida won the Mile-Hi JACL bridge tournament held at the Yasui residence. The annual Mixed-Pairs Tournament is scheduled for December 9.
• French Camp Chapter Announces Nominations for 1956 Cabinet, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The French Camp JACL nominations committee released its slate for the 1956 term, with ballots due November 30. Nominees were listed for each cabinet office.
• San Francisco Women Plan Laguna Honda Home Visit, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Members of the San Francisco JACL Women’s Auxiliary will visit Laguna Honda home for the aged on November 20 to distribute holiday gifts to the Issei residents. It is the Auxiliary’s third visit this year.
• Sonoma County JACL Hosts Successful NC-WNDC Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Sonoma County JACL hosted the NC-WNDC District Convention with 171 of its 249 members pre-registering and a strong community effort. The convention included a Silver Jubilee anniversary banquet and workshops on membership recruiting.
• San Francisco JACL Board Nominations Set for November 26 Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The San Francisco JACL will nominate candidates for its 1956 board of governors at a November 26 meeting. Members will also vote on a constitutional change reducing annual board elections from 20 seats to 10.
• Gilroy Chapter Nets $315 From Benefit Movie, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Gilroy JACL cleared $315.50 from a recent benefit movie and thanked the community for its contributions. A second annual Thanksgiving dance is planned for November 24.
• Nisei Women’s Bowling Team Wins Colorado State Class A Title, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A Nisei women’s team of Sally Furushiro, Betty Kawano, Joan Nishimoto, Mats Ito, and Tay Kondo won the Class A division of the state women’s bowling tournament. Their 2741 total was believed to be the first winning team total over 2700 in the tournament’s history.
• Southwest Los Angeles JACL Honors Assemblyman Edward E. Elliott, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Pacific Southwest District Council held a testimonial dinner for Assemblyman Edward E. Elliott, who helped repeal the 1913 Alien Land Law and pushed for old age assistance for long-resident aliens. Attendees included Assemblyman Augustus Hawkins and the event was followed by a lively chapter dance.

National

• Supreme Court Refuses Ruling on Virginia Interracial Marriage Ban, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to rule on the constitutionality of Virginia’s interracial marriage statute in the case of Ham Say Naim, a Chinese American, and his white wife, and remanded the case to lower courts. The JACL had joined an earlier writ of certiorari and expressed disappointment that the court evaded the constitutional question.
• Supreme Court Refusal to Review Loyalty Oath Casts Doubt on Constitutionality, by P.C. Staff, page 1. By declining to review a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling that tenants in federal low-rent housing cannot be evicted for refusing a loyalty oath, the U.S. Supreme Court cast doubt on the requirement’s constitutionality. The JACL has long opposed use of the Attorney General’s list of defunct Japanese organizations to deny Nisei federal housing.
• Virginia Interracial Marriage Case Continued from Page 1, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Ham Say Naim case involved a Chinese American husband whose North Carolina marriage to a white woman was annulled under Virginia law. The Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals later affirmed the annulment, framing the issue as whether the statute exceeded state power under the Fourteenth Amendment.

Commentary

• Sad, Sad Story, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 3. Murayama describes how the Yanagi family, refugees from Manchuria, were denied passage to America under the Refugee Relief Act at the last moment because Mrs. Yanagi was born in Hawaii and thus not eligible as a refugee. He argues the reversal damages U.S.-Japan goodwill by mistreating former citizens.
• Loyalty Oath Continued from Front Page, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Wisconsin Supreme Court held that the federal housing loyalty oath violated both federal and state constitutions by suppressing First Amendment freedoms. The article notes the U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to review leaves that ruling standing and that similar cases in several states may yet reach the high court.
• National Origins Formula Likely to Be Center of Immigration Debate, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. Masaoka explains that the Walter-McCarran Act of 1952 kept the national origins quota formula from the 1924 law, which was originally designed to preserve discrimination against Japanese immigrants. He traces the history of Asian exclusion and the quota system to explain the stakes of upcoming Senate hearings.

Sports

• Yankees Pursue Japanese Players for Denver Affiliate, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The New York Yankees are reportedly signing a Japanese third baseman and relief pitcher for their Denver Triple-A affiliate. The deal is seen by the State Department as a step toward goodwill between the two countries.
• Yoshikawa Shoots 80 to Win Valley Invitational Nisei Golf Tournament, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Fred Yoshikawa of Fresno won the first leg of the Valley Invitational Nisei Golf tournament with a low gross of 80 at Swanson Park. Fresno’s team also took the team event.

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