Miss National JACL candidates and the 1956 convention

Vol. 43, No. 3, July 20, 1956. 8 pages. View this issue

Six candidates for Miss National JACL were pictured on the front page, ahead of the 14th biennial National JACL Convention in San Francisco, Aug. 31 to Sept. 3. Inside, Masao Satow listed convention delegates, and notices covered the golf tournament, the Women’s Auxiliaries meeting and the 1000 Club whing-ding. Susan Shiba was crowned Miss Stockton JACL, and the Southwest Los Angeles chapter reached 1,141 members.

The issue also followed the Japanese claims program: the Justice Department was reviewing all 24,000 evacuation claims and asked claimants not to write until September 15. Larry S. Tajiri profiled Michi Kobi of the Teahouse of the August Moon company, and Bill Hosokawa wrote about the Nakamura family. Dillon Myer called the segregation and renunciation policy a wartime mistake, and Mike Masaoka reported on the vested property bill.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Southwest L.A. Reaches New High in ’56 Membership, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Southwest Los Angeles JACL surpassed its 1956 membership goal of 1,000, reaching 1,141 members. Tom Shimazaki was credited with leading the successful membership drive under chapter president Roy Iketani.
• Mile-Hi Chapter Signs 542 Members, Ranks 4th, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Denver Mile-Hi JACL reached 542 members as of July 1, making it the fourth largest chapter in the United States. The article also lists other leading chapters and membership renewal information.
• Susan Shiba Crowned Miss Stockton JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Susan Shiba, 22, was selected as Stockton JACL’s candidate for Miss National JACL at a coronation dinner-dance. Mayor Fred Bitterman placed the crown after a panel of six judges made their decision.
• Mum Pool Organized by Mt. Eden Nisei to Provide Better Flowers Year Round, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A new chrysanthemum shipping facility called Mt. Eden Mums was organized under manager Yoshimi Shibata to improve flower shipping and supply. It uses vacuum cooling and involves numerous growers from the Bay Area.
• Dr. Koyama to Head Gardena Valley JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Dr. John Koyama was unanimously elected president of the Gardena Valley JACL for the balance of the year. Other officers were also installed at the July 14 meeting.
• Seabrook Chapter Honors Graduates at Separate Fetes, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Seabrook JACL feted 35 Bridgeton High and Seabrook Grammar graduates with spaghetti dinners. Fourteen students were noted for scholastic achievement.
• White Elephant Auction Proceeds Earmarked for Pasadena JACL Campaign Fund, by Mack Hamaguchi, page 4. Proceeds from the Pasadena JACL white elephant auction at the July 22 steak bake will go to the chapter campaign fund. Members are asked to bring gifts for the sale.
• Salinas Community Picnic Honors 21 Graduates, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Salinas Valley JACL sponsored a community barbecue at the Sheriff’s Posse grounds honoring 21 area graduates. Several students were recognized for scholarship awards.
• Seattle JACL Community Picnic Draws Large Crowd, by Elmer Ogawa, page 5. Nearly 1,000 people attended the Seattle JACL community picnic at Lal Wilderness, where prizes including rice, shoyu, and a radio were given away. Games and contests for children were organized, and the event was considered a success.
• Los Angeles Newsletter: Capitol-Flown Flags, by Henry Mori, page 7. Bob Kishita will carry a U.S. flag flown over the Capitol to Japan for the Japanese Boy Scout jamboree. The flag was obtained through Congressman Thomas Kuchel and Rollins MacFadyen, and Perry Post will supply additional flags for Little Tokyo merchants.
• Chicago Home for Aged Program Under Broad PR Initiative, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Japanese American Council plans a public relations and educational campaign on a proposed home for the aged this fall. A questionnaire survey of Issei residents will inform later fundraising efforts.
• 3,200 Issei Naturalized in Hawaii Since Walter-McCarran Act in 1952, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Gary Fujiwara, head examiner of the local INS, reported that 3,873 Japanese aliens in Hawaii became citizens since 1952. Statistics by year were presented at a Citizens Study Club meeting.
• ‘Teahouse’ Femme Lead Naturalized U.S. Citizen, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Mariko Niki, original Lotus Blossom in the Teahouse of the August Moon, was sworn in as an American citizen in Washington. She had recently concluded her role at the National Theater there.
• California Senators Extend Greetings to National Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Senators William Knowland and Thomas Kuchel sent greetings to the National JACL Convention praising JACL’s contributions to democracy. Their messages were delivered through National President George Inagaki.

Military & Veterans

• Kibei Fired as Security Risk in Plea to Eisenhower, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Naoye Suzuki, a San Francisco-born Kibei, appealed to President Eisenhower after being dismissed from his Bureau of Standards job in Boulder on loyalty grounds. He had been interned as an enemy alien during the war and later taught Japanese to military officers.

Incarceration & Redress

• Claimants Requested to Refrain From Writing Dep’t of Justice for 60 Days, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Japanese Claims Section of the Justice Department is reviewing all 24,000 evacuation claims under the new Lane-Hillings amendment. Claimants are asked not to write about their individual claims until September 15.
• Renunciation Law and Segregation Termed by Myer as 2nd Great Wartime Mistake, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Dillon Myer, former WRA director, called the mass evacuation and the segregation and renunciation policy the two great mistakes of World War II. He said legislation is the best solution for renunciants and that he would contact Mike Masaoka about it.

National

• Action Unlikely on Committee OK’d Bill to Return War Vested Property, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Senate Judiciary Committee bill to return wartime sequestrated property to German and Japanese owners is unlikely to pass this year, according to JACL Washington representative Mike Masaoka. Limited time and grassroots support make enactment doubtful.
• 1st Korean Nisei Enters West Point, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Grafton Jhung of Honolulu, the first American of Korean ancestry appointed to the U.S. Military Academy, reported to West Point on July 3. He received his appointment through Delegate Elizabeth Farrington.
• Vested Property Bill Would Pay War Claims and Return Property, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. The Johnston bill would fund payment of war damage claims and return of vested property from repayments of post-war economic aid to Germany and Japan. The legislation combines features of earlier Dirksen and administration proposals.

Commentary

• From the Frying Pan: ‘Teahouse’ Nakamuras, by Bill Hosokawa, page 2. Father Tura and daughter Eileen Nakamura, members of the touring Teahouse of the August Moon company, reunited with Tura’s twin brother in Denver. The column also describes their travels and the family’s long separation while Mrs. Nakamura recovered from a stroke.
• Very Truly Yours: American Indians, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. Honda recounts a luncheon conversation with former WRA director Dillon Myer about his later work with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He draws parallels between the struggles of American Indians and those of Japanese Americans.
• National Director’s Report: Convention Delegates, by Masao Satow, page 4. Satow lists official convention delegates and chapters that have sent registrations for the 14th Biennial convention in San Francisco. He also reports on honorees, the Proposition 13 endorsement campaign, and the Philadelphia chapter program.
• Perspectively Yours, by Jerry Enomoto, page 5. Enomoto recounts attending the Stockton Chapter Coronation Ball and praises the chapter leadership. He also previews the 1000 Club whing-ding and Youth Project plans for the national convention.
• Washington Newsletter: Adjournment of 84th Congress, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. Masaoka analyzes the likely adjournment date of the 84th Congress and the bills leaders intend to address before the national conventions. He discusses the Democratic party split over civil rights legislation.

Arts & Entertainment

• Michi Kobi, by Larry S. Tajiri, page 3. Michi Kobi, formerly Michiko Okamoto from Topaz, is profiled as the lead actress playing Lotus Blossom in the national touring company of Teahouse of the August Moon. The article traces her education and theater career in New York.
• Michi Kobi (continued), by Larry S. Tajiri, page 6. The continued profile covers Michi Kobi’s rise to Lotus Blossom in the Larry Parks touring company and her prospects for future roles. It notes the upcoming MGM film version of Teahouse.

JACL

• Deadline Nears for JACL Confab Golfers, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Convention golf tournament organizers remind participants of the July 31 deadline and $10 green fee for 36-hole play. Prizes and tournament format are outlined.
• JACL Women’s Auxiliaries to Meet at S.F. After Fashion Show, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The National JACL Convention Board scheduled a meeting of Women’s Auxiliary representatives on September 1 at the Sheraton-Palace. The San Francisco Auxiliary will host the informal gathering.
• 1000 Club Whing-Ding at 14th Biennial to Feature Zany District Council Skits, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The 1000 Club will hold its traditional whing-ding dinner dance on September 1 at the Surf Club during the national convention. Skits from each district council will entertain attendees.

Sports

• JACL Perseverance, ‘Good Bowling’ Cited by Bowling Proprietors Association Executive, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Howard Seehausen of the Bowling Proprietors Association praised JACL bowlers for their sportsmanship and ability in an article reprinted by a bowling magazine. He discussed the purposes of JACL bowling tournaments.

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