Nisei in the voting booth: California’s 1956 primary and the road to convention

Vol. 42, No. 22, June 1, 1956. 8 pages. View this issue

Politics ran through the front page of this eight-page issue. An editorial said California’s Nisei were forming neighborhood political clubs and that more Nisei names would appear on ballots. Mike Masaoka’s Washington newsletter looked ahead to the June 5 primary and urged voters to repeal the Alien Land Law. Larry S. Tajiri argued against a judgeship bid by Jack B. Tenney. The paper also reported that a Senate committee had acted on a JACL-sponsored bill to speed remaining evacuation claims, and that over 1,300 Issei in the Northwest had become citizens.

Elsewhere are Memorial Day services in San Francisco and Los Angeles, and plans for the national JACL convention in San Francisco, including a choir for the opening program. Harry K. Honda wrote on big-time sports, Tamotsu Murayama reported from Tokyo, and the sports page followed the San Francisco JACL Olympics.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Nisei voters ready for party politics, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The editorial argues that California’s Nisei are maturing politically and beginning to organize neighborhood political clubs much like other voters. It notes that more Nisei names will appear on ballots, fulfilling a founding purpose of the JACL.
• Big time sports, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. Editor Harry Honda reflects on how big-time sports are creeping into Nisei athletics and the risks this poses to JACL chapters. He argues that athletics should serve members and that sponsorship and league fairness need careful administration.
• Tokyo Topics: Baishakunin acts, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 2. Murayama comments on the Japanese press’s excitement over eight Nisei bachelors who came to Japan seeking brides. He notes that matchmaking through baishakunin is a practice Issei once knew, and that Japanese journalists saw a new angle in the visit.
• Rabble rouser Tenney, by Larry S. Tajiri, page 3. Tajiri criticizes Jack B. Tenney, a former state senator whose committee fueled anti-Japanese hysteria during World War II, for seeking a Los Angeles municipal judgeship. He recounts Tenney’s role in the Alien Land Law push and Proposition 15 and argues voters should reject him.
• Perspectively yours, by Jerry Enomoto, page 4. Enomoto previews San Francisco’s convention preparations and reports on the chapter’s industrial basketball league and upcoming events. He highlights the JACL Olympics, community picnic, and the chapter’s busy summer calendar.
• Ringer, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The columnist explains that a planned alternating column with National Director Mas Satow was postponed because the director was touring chapters. The piece then offers a lighthearted note on the origin of the word ‘homon.’
• Return to Glocca Morra, by Mary Oyama, page 5. Oyama recounts a nostalgic return to Cordelia and the one-room schoolhouse she attended as a child. She reflects on how the places of her youth have changed beyond recognition.
• The northwest picture: Save the Salmon, by Elmer Ogawa, page 6. Ogawa writes about the economic and recreational importance of salmon in the Northwest and the threats from logging, dams, and pollution. He calls for a conservation program supported by all citizens.
• Los Angeles newsletter: Heroic skipper, by Henry Mori, page 7. Captain George Fukuzaki of the Stella Maris was honored for leading a rescue of Western Explorer crewmen off Socorro Island in a May storm. The Nisei-manned crew saved several lives, and Fukuzaki was nominated for the Carnegie Medal.
• Washington newsletter: California’s primary, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. The newsletter previews California’s June 5 primaries and the Democratic contest between Stevenson and Kefauver. It also notes growing Nisei and Issei political participation and urges voters to repeal the Alien Land Law this November.

National

• Amendment to Fulbright Act passed, plugs loophole for visiting students, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Congress passed an amendment requiring foreign exchange students to return home for two years before changing immigration status, closing a loophole in the Fulbright Act. The bill now awaits presidential signature and includes a waiver provision for the public interest.
• Over 1,300 Issei in Northwest naturalized, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Pacific Northwest District Council report revealed that over 1,300 Issei and Japanese brides were naturalized in the past year, about 800 of them in the Seattle area. The figures follow the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952.
• Actions speak as loudly as words, says Canadian judge ruling on discrimination, by P.C. Staff, page 1. An Ontario appellate judge upheld the conviction of restaurateur Morley McKay for refusing service to Black customers, rejecting the claim that the province was creating a new crime. The judge said the discrimination was plain from McKay’s actions.
• Hiroshima Maiden dies during plastic surgery, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Tomoko Nakabayashi, one of 25 Hiroshima Maidens brought to the United States for atomic bomb injury repair, died May 24 during surgery. Norman Cousins led the volunteer project, which expects the group to return in July.
• 2,500th anniversary of Buddhism begins, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The world’s Buddhists began a year-long celebration of the 2,500th anniversary of Buddhism. The observance marks the traditional date of Gautama Buddha’s death in 544 B.C.

Community

• Michigan ex-GI adopts Japanese citizenship, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Robert Sager, a former GI who fought Japan in the Pacific, became a Japanese citizen in Tokyo after falling in love with the country during the Occupation. He is believed to be the first American naturalized as a Japanese citizen since World War II and teaches English at Waseda University.
• Santa Barbara JACLer wins in school election, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Richard Tokumaru, head gardener of Dos Pueblos Co., was elected to the Ellwood Union School District board of trustees for a four-year term. He is an active member and vice-president of the Santa Barbara JACL chapter.
• Sacramento Nisei win in school post elections, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Two of three Nisei candidates won school trustee posts in the Sacramento County elections. William K. Kashiwagi ran unopposed for re-election and Albert Mende won a seat in the Washington-Kelly district.
• Nisei priest named, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Rev. Bryce T. Nishimura, the third Nisei ordained into the Maryknoll Fathers, was assigned to Japan after his June 9 ordination. His first solemn Mass is scheduled for July 1 at St. Francis Xavier Chapel in Los Angeles.
• Pioneering Nisei farmers, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Ishibashi brothers of Torrance used polyethylene film mulch on their strawberry beds after heavy fruit losses to rot. The method increased their harvest by about one-third and supplied 10 percent of the Los Angeles market’s berries in spring.
• Nisei Buddhist minister returns, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Daitetsu Unno, son of Rev. Enryo Unno of Guadalupe Buddhist Church, returned to San Francisco after five years of study in Japan. He is the second Nisei Buddhist minister to return from Japanese studies since the war.
• Pasadena girl wins two scholarships, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Mae Kosobayashi of Pasadena received a $300 State of California scholarship and a $100 Pasadena Education Association scholarship for study at UC Berkeley. She is an active member of the local JACL.
• Gladys Ishii, Sacramento JACL candidate for Miss National JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Gladys Ishii was introduced to NCWNDC delegates at a quarterly meeting in San Jose as Sacramento JACL’s candidate for Miss National JACL. Bill Matsumoto, who won the 1000 Club golf trophy that weekend, introduced her.
• New citizens to be honored at gala June 9 affair in Cleveland, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Cleveland JACL will honor recently naturalized Issei at a New Citizens Night at the Hollenden Hotel on June 9. Invitations went to Ohio Governor Lausche and other officials, and National Director Mas Satow is expected to attend.
• S.F. Jewish weekly editorial blasts Gardena letter as tactics of bigots, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A San Francisco Jewish Community Bulletin editorial condemned vicious letters sent from Gardena under a fictitious ‘Nisei for Kawakita Society’ name. JACL National Director Masao Satow had written to the Bulletin denouncing the letters as an attempt to set Jews against Japanese Americans.
• Buddha-head Stomp dance apology, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A Stockton Nisei social group publicly apologized for naming a dance ‘Buddha-head Stomp,’ a letter published by the Hokubei Mainichi reported. The Mamselles’ secretary Joann Hayashi said the theme was not meant to insult Buddhism.
• Madera girl awarded top Bank of America prize, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Lucille Inami of Madera High School won a $1,000 first prize in the Bank of America Achievement Awards liberal arts category. She plans to study education at Fresno State.
• Chicago Corner: Aged Issei, by Smoky H. Sakurada, page 4. Chicago’s Committee to Study Problems of Aged Issei surveyed needs for a community home and nursing care for Japanese Americans. The committee is considering questionnaires and existing facilities, and may disband if no need is found.
• June 23 graduates dance; five queen candidates, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Sequoia JACL and its junior groups will co-sponsor a graduation dance June 23 at the Palo Alto Buddhist Hall. Five candidates were introduced for the chapter’s queen to represent it at the next NCWNDC meeting.
• San Francisco JACLers to hear talks on wise investments at June meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The San Francisco JACL’s June 8 membership meeting will feature talks on wills, estate planning, and safeguarding families against economic loss. Attorney Jack Kusaba and Marshall Sumida will speak, followed by discussion.
• Detroit community picnic scheduled, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Detroit community picnic is scheduled for July 15 at Middle Rouge Park with an odori among its main features. Rehearsals begin June 5 at the International Institute, and committee members from several Detroit groups are listed.
• Choir to open 14th biennial, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The West 10th Methodist church choir under Frank Ono will perform at the opening program of the 14th biennial National JACL convention on Friday, August 31, at the Sheraton Palace. Ono previously directed a massed choir at the 1952 San Francisco convention.
• 20 Japanese brides feted by Sonoma Auxiliary, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Sonoma County JACL Auxiliary honored war brides from the area with a dinner in Petaluma attended by about 50 members and 20 guests. Alyce Sugiyama chaired the event, and the group planned a benefit project to fund activities.
• Sonoma County JACL summer events and bulletin, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Sonoma County JACL announced a June 16 graduates dance, the first issue of its chapter bulletin, and a July 1 community picnic at Doran State Park. Members were also invited to the June general meeting.
• Express need for JACL building, by Roy T. Yoshida, page 5. Columnist Roy Yoshida argues that the JACL national headquarters on Sutter Street is inadequate and undignified for the organization. He urges members to provide better office facilities for dedicated staff such as Masao Satow and Daisy Uyeda.
• Architecture subject for Fresno Auxiliary, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Fresno architect Allen Lew spoke to the Fresno JACL Auxiliary on Oriental influence on modern architecture. The auxiliary then paused activities for the summer and planned to resume in September.
• Sequoia JACL to discuss summer season calendar, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Sequoia JACL’s general meeting was to address the graduation party, an outing, a district council report, and hosting the next district meeting. Chapter president Pete Nakahara announced the agenda.
• Nisei elected to high San Francisco keg post, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Grace Yonezu was re-elected second vice-president of the San Francisco Women’s Bowling Association. Norma Sugiyama was also re-elected as a house delegate from Downtown Bowl.
• Nisei weekly celebrates eighth publication year, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Crossroads, the English-language Nisei weekly founded by Robert Uno, began its ninth year of publication with a 12-page edition. Editor William T. Hiroto marked the milestone.
• ELA JACL has princess in festival, by P.C. Staff, page 7. June Yoshiko Tsukida, sponsored by the East Los Angeles JACL, was a finalist and princess in the Festival of Friendship queen contest at Fresno Playground. The chapter has supported candidates in the festival in several previous years.
• Nisei federal civil service workers to eliminate discrimination in government employment, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The President’s Committee on Government Employment Policy met with agencies and groups to find ways voluntary organizations can help end job discrimination. JACL representatives Ben Nakao and Helen Mineta attended.
• California Assembly candidate visits Washington JACL office, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Republican Assembly candidate Robert L. Meyer met with Mike Masaoka at the Washington JACL office to discuss the evacuation claims bill, air transport issues, and the alien land law repeal. Meyer pledged to urge Republican senators to support the claims bill.
• Colorado Issei, Mile-Hi JACL tender letter of appreciation to Rep. Walter, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Mile-Hi JACL and Japanese American Association of Colorado sent thanks to Rep. Francis E. Walter for co-authoring the Walter-McCarran Immigration and Nationality Act. The message recognized the 600 Issei in the region who became naturalized citizens.

Incarceration & Redress

• Senate judiciary committee acts on bill to push claims program, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Senate Judiciary Committee reported out a JACL-sponsored bill to expedite final determination of remaining evacuation claims, raising the compromise limit from $2,500 to $100,000. The bill still requires Senate passage and House concurrence before going to the President.

Military & Veterans

• San Francisco Memorial Day rites observed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Nisei Memorial Day services at Golden Gate National Cemetery honored nearly 100 Issei and Nisei servicemen buried there. Veterans and a Boy Scout troop placed flowers on the graves, and VFW official Ernest Cox was the main speaker.
• 3,000 hear Sen. Kuchel at L.A. memorial rites, by P.C. Staff, page 1. About 3,000 Southland Nisei gathered at Evergreen Cemetery to honor their war dead at the Nisei War Memorial Monument. Senator Thomas Kuchel paid tribute to Japanese Americans who died defending freedom, citing Pvt. Sadao Munemori’s Medal of Honor.

JACL

• PNWDC delegate, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Pacific Northwest District Council appointed George Azumano of Portland as its representative to the forthcoming national JACL convention in San Francisco. The appointment followed the council’s April district meeting.

Arts & Entertainment

• Denverites await Nisei performers in Teahouse of the August Moon, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A touring production of The Teahouse of the August Moon coming to Denver in July features several Nisei performers in key roles. The writer welcomes the artists and notes that Oriental settings are often the only route to such opportunities.
• Daughter of rose grower wins Hoe Club award, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Flora Ninomiya received the $100 Hoe Club of Santa Monica award as the outstanding senior in floriculture at UCLA. She plans to return to Richmond to help her father’s wholesale rose operation.

Sports

• San Francisco JACL Olympics draws 150 athletes, by P.C. Staff, page 6. About 150 athletes from across California are expected at the June 3 San Francisco JACL Olympics at Kezar Stadium. The meet has several record threats, especially in the shot put, discus, sprints, and hurdles.
• Nisei hurdlers set meet marks, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Gordon Nagai of Livingston High set a 9.5 record in the class B 75-yard high hurdles at the Modesto prep relays. Reedley hurdler Takemoto also set a meet mark in the 160-yard lows at Bakersfield.
• Coalinga JC nine bows, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Coalinga Junior College, featuring several Hawaiian Nisei, lost its 35-game winning streak when Orange Coast College won the state junior college baseball title. Orange Coast took the three-game series with close wins.
• Oregon kegler, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Taylor Tomita of Hood River finished second in the Oregon State class C bowling tournament with a 619 series. He also placed third in the all-events with a 1643 total.
• Shinzato sets USC freshman scoring record, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Kae Shinzato, a USC freshman basketball player, was named the team’s most outstanding freshman and set school freshman records. He scored 317 points in 15 starts for a 21.1 average.
• Nisei trackmen score in L.A. city finals, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Eight Nisei athletes earned points in the Los Angeles City High School track and field championships at the Coliseum. Gerry Osumi, Sadao Yotsuyka, and others placed in shot put and relays.

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