JACL’s U.S.-Japan policy debate and a cross-country tour

Vol. 46, No. 24, June 13, 1958. 8 pages. View this issue

JACL’s role in U.S.-Japan affairs was the main matter inside this eight-page issue. Chapters and district councils were arguing over whether to change the organization’s 1954 policy before the 1958 convention in Salt Lake City, and Mike Masaoka pushed for a wider policy. The president’s column described a recent 10-day trip through the Eastern and Midwestern districts. Dr. Roy Nishikawa spoke in New York and Philadelphia, and Ayako Nakamura reported on the Philadelphia dinner. At the Pacific Southwest District Council, Frank Chuman’s motion for a standing committee on Japan-America relations passed.

Elsewhere, Dennis Okamoto of Snake River JACL won the Intermountain oratorical contest. Robert J. Matsumoto of Bakersfield graduated from West Point, and Tamotsu Murayama wrote about Japanese gardening. Film news covered Nobu McCarthy in Geisha Boy and George Shibata in Pork Chop Hill, with Dore Schary, producer of Go for Broke!, back in Hollywood.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• President’s Corner: Concerning 10 Days Fast and Midwest, page 1. The JACL president reflects on a recent 10-day trip to the Eastern and Midwestern districts, praising the members there. He also highlights the value of the Washington, D.C. visit and the Sho-Jo-Ji dancing troupe from Cleveland.
• Letter to the Editor on Frogs and Typesetting, by L. S. Wells, page 3. A Milwaukee reader writes with a humorous correction about a previous article on frogs and a garbled liver sandwich reference. The editor responds with a light-hearted note about the typesetting errors.

JACL

• Hassle Over U.S.-Japan Policy Continues Among Chapters and District Councils, page 1. JACL chapters and district councils are debating whether to change the organization’s 1954 policy on engaging in U.S.-Japan affairs before the 1958 convention in Salt Lake City. Pacific Southwest District Council action and Mike Masaoka’s push for policy expansion are central to the discussion.
• Snake River Youth Represents IDC in National Oratorical Contest, page 1. Dennis Okamoto of Snake River JACL won the Intermountain District Council oratorical contest held in Salt Lake City. He will represent the IDC at the national contest during the August convention.
• Township Council Rejects Proposal to Investigate Chinese Family Moving In, page 5. The Strongsville Township Council in Cleveland rejected a resident’s request to investigate a Chinese family moving into the area. Council law director Sam Sonenfield reprimanded the resident for un-American views.

Community

• Bakersfield Nisei Graduated from West Point, page 1. Robert J. Matsumoto of Bakersfield graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the infantry. He follows his brother Glenn, who graduated in 1954 as the second Nisei to do so.
• Dr. Akio Hayashi to Head Sacramento Senator Lions, page 1. Nisei dentist Dr. Akio Hayashi was elected president of the Senator Lions Club in Sacramento. The item briefly reports the election.
• Sansei Appointed Dean of Mathematics at Seattle University, page 1. Dr. Theodore Chihara, 29, is believed to be the youngest dean appointed to head a department at Seattle University. He will assume the post in September.
• Chuck Kashima Earns Yale M.D. Degree, page 3. Haskins Kazunori Kashima of Palo Alto received his Doctor of Medicine degree from Yale, a achievement made possible through hard work and his widowed mother’s support. He will begin surgical training at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis.
• Florin Nisei Ordained Buddhist Priestess, page 3. Flora Shiohama, a Florin-born Nisei, was ordained a Buddhist priestess at Higashi Hongwanji Temple in Japan. She is the first Nisei to complete the priesthood course of that sect.
• Los Angeles County Conference on Community Relations Holds 12th Anniversary, page 4. The LACCCR marked its 12th anniversary with over 300 representatives, with JACL represented by Kango Kunitsugu and Roy Yamadera. Chairman Joseph Shane reported on his visit to Russia and emphasized human relations work in local communities.
• American GI Forum Holds First State Convention, page 4. JACL attended the first state convention of the American GI Forum, a Mexican American organization with goals similar to JACL’s. Councilman Edward Roybal addressed the group.
• Continuing Need for JACL Cited by Nishikawa in New York, page 5. At the New York JACL installation dinner, national president Dr. Roy Nishikawa argued that continued JACL work is needed for public relations and vigilance against discrimination. He stressed the organization must remain adaptable and flexible.
• Southwest L.A. Queentime Ball Draws College Students, page 5. Southwest Los Angeles JACL expects over 200 college students at its Queentime Ball at Zenda Ballroom on June 20. The event features guest vocalist Dorothy Iseri and Teep Smith’s orchestra.
• Long Beach JACL Chapter Reaches 370 Members, page 5. The Long Beach JACL membership count reached 370, surpassing its 1957 total. The chapter also released its calendar of events for the remainder of the year.
• Judge John Aiso Installed as Hollywood High Alumni President, page 6. Superior Court Judge John F. Aiso was installed as president of the Hollywood High School alumni association. The article recalls his 1926 oratorical win and the lost opportunity that followed.
• Minnesota Settlement House Led by Family Man Franklin Hijikata, page 6. Franklin Hijikata became the first family man to head St. Paul’s Neighborhood House in its 60-year history. He brings a cosmopolitan background and plans to proceed carefully in his new role.
• Hawaii Murata Named Director of Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, page 7. Dr. Murata, a Nisei geochemist with the U.S. Geological Survey, was named director of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. His work on the mineral niobium contributed to jet engine alloys.
• Insuranceman Kiyoharu Yamato Weds in Tokyo, page 7. Kiyoharu Yamato, director of Western Pioneer Insurance Co. in Los Angeles, married Kimie Nakazawa in Tokyo. He is working to establish a casualty underwriters branch in Japan.
• Fukuoka Miss Selected as Japan’s Miss Universe Entry, page 7. Tomoko Moritake, 20, of Fukuoka was selected as Miss Japan for the 1958 Miss Universe pageant in Long Beach. She was chosen from national competition.
• Chicago Japanese Mutual Aid Society Seeks Donations for Mausoleum Expansion, by Smoky H. Sakurada, page 7. The Japanese Mutual Aid Society in Chicago needs at least $6,000 to expand its mausoleum at Montrose Cemetery. The society has conducted Memorial Day services and funeral arrangements for the community.
• Dr. Nishikawa Urges Nisei to Improve U.S.-Japan Relations in Philadelphia, by Ayako Nakamura, page 8. JACL president Dr. Roy Nishikawa addressed a joint Philadelphia and Seabrook chapter dinner, stressing that Nisei must promote better international relations. He also called for a youth program and greater member involvement.
• Chuman Motion on International Relations Passes at PSWDC Meeting, page 8. Frank Chuman’s motion passed at the PSWDC quarterly meeting to create a standing committee on Japan-America relations and refrain from political intervention. Both sides of the policy debate reportedly approved the motion.
• Dr. Lloyd Taiji Iseri Elected Fellow of American College of Physicians, page 8. Dr. Lloyd Taiji Iseri, head of internal medicine research at Rancho Los Amigos County Hospital, was elected a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. His cardiovascular research was recognized by the fellowship.

Arts & Entertainment

• Nobu McCarthy Selected as Sweetheart in Geisha Boy, page 3. Jerry Lewis chose Nobu McCarthy to play his sweetheart in the film Geisha Boy, to be shot in California. The article also notes plans to cast a Japanese boy for a role after a Nisei child was released.
• Dore Schary Back in Hollywood, page 3. Dore Schary, who produced Go for Broke! about the 442nd, is returning to Hollywood with new projects. His stage play Sunrise at Campobello has been successful on Broadway.
• Nisei Future to Introduce Traditional Japanese Gardening in America, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 3. Ken Dyo of Pasadena led a tour of Japanese gardens and sees an opportunity for Nisei to bring traditional Japanese landscaping to America. The writer argues Nisei gardeners should study in Japan.

Military & Veterans

• Exploits of Nisei Vet in Japan and Fuller’s 442nd Connections, page 3. Samuel Fuller plans a TV series about two ex-GIs, one a Nisei, who go to Japan after World War II. Fuller previously wrote a 442nd veteran character into The Steel Helmet.
• First Nisei West Pointer Wins Feature Role in Pork Chop Hill, page 3. George Shibata of Garland, Utah, the first Nisei to graduate from West Point in 1951, has a speaking role in the film Pork Chop Hill. He plays Nisei executive officer Ohashi opposite Gregory Peck.
• Robert K. Kishita Elected Commander of Dawn Post 380, page 6. Robert K. Kishita became the first Nisei to lead Dawn Post 380 of the American Legion, a post whose members meet after midnight. He is also an official photographer for the Miss Universe pageant.

National

• Congressional Primary Results Signal Democratic Gains in California, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. California’s June 3 primary results were seen by Democrats as confirming a national trend toward their party. The article notes Nisei-friendly candidates such as Attorney General Pat Brown and Congressman D.S. Saund were renominated.

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