Evacuation claims amendment signed into law, 1956

Vol. 43, No. 2, July 13, 1956. 8 pages. View this issue

The big news of this eight-page issue was the signing of HR 7763, which amended the Evacuation Claims Act of 1948. President Eisenhower’s signature raised the Attorney General’s compromise limit from $2,500 to $100,000 and provided judicial review in the Court of Claims. George Inagaki’s editorial credited Mike Masaoka and JACL’s organizational support, and Masaoka marked a decade of the Anti-Discrimination Committee on page 8.

Looking ahead, the issue previewed the 14th biennial JACL national convention in San Francisco, where youth would take part officially for the first time. Jerry Enomoto and the youth co-chairs described the plans. Larry S. Tajiri praised the California American Legion for backing repeal of the 1920 Alien Land Act. Bill Hosokawa told the story of Manjiro, and Elmer Ogawa reported on Seattle’s Nisei veterans parading for General Mark Clark.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Much Needed Claims Amendment Signed, by George Inagaki, page 1. President Eisenhower signed HR 7763 amending the Evacuation Claims Act of 1948, a victory credited to Mike Masaoka and JACL’s organizational support. The editorial notes the chapters and delegates will carry this inspiration into the upcoming national convention.
• Manjiro: The Man Who Discovered America, by Frank Hosokawa, page 2. Bill Hosokawa recounts the story of Manjiro, the first Japanese to visit the United States, who was rescued at sea and later became a Unitarian churchgoer in New Bedford. The column also notes his later prominence in Japan despite prejudice encountered in America.
• In Place of Vacation, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. Editor Harry Honda reflects on summer leisure and describes attending an opening night at the Hollywood Bowl featuring Eugene Ormandy and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He praises the Tschaikowsky program and the performance of violin soloist Zino Francescatti.
• Tokyo Topics: The Nisei in Japan, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 2. Murayama observes that Nisei in Japan struggle economically compared to their counterparts in America, despite comparable talent. He argues Nisei businessmen in Japan need greater support from across the Pacific.
• Courageous Legionnaires, by Larry S. Tajiri, page 3. Tajiri commends the California American Legion for voting to support repeal of the 1920 Alien Land Act, reversing decades of anti-Japanese activity. He traces the Legion’s historical role in promoting alien land laws and the wartime evacuation.
• Profile a la Mac, by Tats Kushida, page 4. Kushida profiles Rollins MacFadyen, a non-Nisei American Legion housing director who has aided Nisei and Issei with housing, immigration, and political causes. The piece praises his sincerity and influence on behalf of the community.
• Perspectively Yours, by Jerry Enomoto, page 5. Convention chairman Jerry Enomoto urges chapters to finalize Souvenir Booklet ads and resume the Operation Mercury ticket drive. He also previews Miss National JACL competition and the NC-WNDC pre-convention rally at Rickey’s Studio Club.
• Los Angeles Newsletter: Quiet Fourth, by Henry Mori, page 7. Mori describes a subdued Independence Day spent gardening and caring for his children instead of traditional festivities. He reflects on the rising cost of family life and the contrast with neighbors’ fireworks.
• Decade of Achievement, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. Masaoka marks the ten-year anniversary of the Anti-Discrimination Committee, the JACL’s legislative arm, and reviews its major achievements. The list includes naturalization rights, immigration reform, evacuation claims payments, and Supreme Court victories against discriminatory laws.

National

• President Signs Claims Amendment, by P.C. Staff, page 1. HR 7763 raises the Attorney General’s compromise limit on evacuation claims from $2,500 to $100,000 and provides judicial review in the Court of Claims. The bill also validates certain corporate and internee claimants previously considered non-compensable.
• Survey Underway on Discrimination Against Nisei Home Buyers, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Harry Kitano of Oakland is directing a survey of housing discrimination against minorities including Japanese Americans, funded by the Fund for the Republic. Interviewers aim to study 500 families in San Francisco and Berkeley.
• Nixon Praises Nisei in Letter to Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Vice President Richard Nixon sent greetings to the 14th biennial JACL convention, praising Japanese Americans’ contributions and their political responsibilities. He called for stronger ties between the United States and Japan.
• Morimoto Nomination Unlikely to Be Confirmed This Session, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Senate confirmation of Masaji Morimoto to the Hawaii territorial supreme court appears unlikely this session due to its lateness. Masaoka praised President Eisenhower and Delegate Farrington for nominating Nisei barristers to Hawaii’s courts.
• Orientals Would Be Accepted in Segregated South, Says Editor, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Ralph B. Bienvenu, president of the Louisiana Press Association, told Honolulu newspapermen that Orientals would likely be accepted in the South due to their military and athletic records. He said Negro desegregation cases were likely to be prolonged.

Community

• Nisei Girl Selected for Air Force Academy, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Ben Furuta Jr. of Denver entered the second class of the U.S. Air Force Academy, becoming the second Nisei at the Academy. He had earned his appointment through strong scholastic and extracurricular records at Manual High School.
• Youth to Participate in National JACL Convention for First Time, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The national JACL biennial convention in San Francisco will officially include youth participation for the first time, with a program on Saturday, Sept. 1. Youth co-chairs Yaeko Yuki and Takashi Watanabe are leading the planning committee.
• Eden Township Community Picnic, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Eden Township JACL is holding its annual community-wide picnic at Roberts Recreational Area in Oakland Regional Park. Preparations are complete under general chairman Min Ando.
• Music in the Park Celebrates 60th Anniversary in Seattle, by Elmer Ogawa, page 6. Seattle marks sixty years of Music in the Park with a revival of the Miike Maru March, composed by Sol Asher in 1896 to honor the first Japanese steamship line. The article recounts Seattle’s frontier-era enthusiasm for Japanese shipping links.
• Southland Gardeners Chartered, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Southland Gardeners Federation has incorporated under state charter to expand its activities, according to attorney Robert Y. Iwasaki. Kiyoshi Kawanami and other directors will hold officer elections later this month.

Military & Veterans

• Nisei Vets Parade in Seattle Honoring Gen. Mark Clark, by Elmer Ogawa, page 6. About 100 Seattle Nisei veterans marched in the July Fourth parade, and General Mark Clark, former Fifth Army commander, stood as they passed. Clark tentatively agreed to attend the 1958 reunion of Nisei veterans in Seattle.

Incarceration & Redress

• Claimant’s Expense to Regain Clear Title Ruled Compensable, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Department of Justice ruled that an evacuee’s expense in clearing title to property after a tenant’s breach of lease is a compensable loss. The ruling followed a crop mortgage dispute that arose during wartime relocation.

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