Hawaii votes for statehood, and a Nisei congressman seems near

Vol. 49, No. 1, July 3, 1959. 8 pages. View this issue

Hawaii’s statehood vote led the news. Voters approved it by a 17-1 margin, and Americans of Japanese and Chinese ancestry advanced in the primaries for Congress and the state legislature. Bill Hosokawa wrote that the vote showed the Nisei had come of age politically, and Mike Masaoka wrote that Daniel K. Inouye was likely to become the first Japanese American congressman after winning Hawaii’s Democratic primary.

Elsewhere in these eight pages, a 16-year-old Eagle Scout named Roger Ito saved a boy from drowning in a Pasadena pool, and Joan Yasui was installed as Oregon Girls State governor. Stanley Uno was promoted to police sergeant in Los Angeles. JACL members will find word of the Pvt. Frank Masaoka Memorial Scholarship, a Kango Kunitsugu column urging debate over the organization’s purpose, plans for the New York convention, and California’s new civil rights bills. Cortez marked its 40th anniversary by honoring Issei pioneers.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Eagle Scout Ito Rescues Sansei From Drowning, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Roger Ito, a 16-year-old Eagle Scout, pulled 10-year-old Richard Fujikawa from a Pasadena swimming pool and administered artificial respiration. Fire rescue and doctors credited his quick action with saving the boy’s life.
• Chicago Advertising Designer Fred Nomiya Drowns in Motel Pool, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Fred S. Nomiya, 46, an active Chicago JACL member and advertising designer, was found dead in a motel swimming pool in Cortez, Colo. He could not swim, and he is survived by his wife and two children.
• Joan Yasui Elected Oregon Girls State Governor, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Joan Yasui, 16, of Hood River was installed as 1959 Oregon Girls State governor and selected to attend Girls Nation. She was also elected 4-H state president in the same week.
• East L.A. Sansei Waits Whole Year for Annapolis Call, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Gerald Nomura of East Los Angeles became the first Sansei from Los Angeles to enroll at the U.S. Naval Academy after a year of waiting. He had been denied consideration the previous year for filing a day late.
• Mas Satow Scheduled on KFI Broadcast, by P.C. Staff, page 1. National JACL Director Masao Satow was interviewed for the program Viewpoints, to be broadcast on KFI. The program airs July 7 at 10:30 p.m.
• Seattle Nisei Vets Hear Report From Boys’ State Pair, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Brian Kashiwagi and George Suyama, Franklin High juniors, attended Evergreen Boys State and reported on their experiences to the Nisei Veterans Committee. It was the first time the post sent two delegates.
• Stanley Uno Upped to Police Sergeant, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Officer Stanley T. Uno was promoted to sergeant in the Los Angeles Police Department, becoming the first Japanese American to hold that rank. He had joined the department in 1947 after a year with the county sheriff.
• Nine Girls Likely for Sacramento JACL Miss 1960 Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Sacramento JACL expects at least nine candidates for its Miss Sacramento JACL title in the Miss 1960 National JACL contest. The winner will be chosen at the July 11 Coronation Ball.
• Ken Kawaichi Candidate for Masaoka Memorial Scholarship, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Long Beach-Harbor JACL nominated Ken Kawaichi for the Pvt. Frank Masaoka Memorial Scholarship. The son of Dr. George Kawaichi, he was an honor student with many academic, music, and church awards.
• Long Beach Hits Membership Peak, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Long Beach-Harbor District JACL reached 501 members, meeting its 1959 goal and setting an all-time high. Additional renewals are anticipated.
• Cortez JACL Honors Issei Pioneers at 40th Anniversary, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Cortez JACL honored surviving Issei of the original 13 families who settled the colony in 1919 with special plaques. Speakers recalled pioneer hardship and the growth of land values and the growers’ cooperative.
• Early Reservations Urged for Auxiliary Barbecue, by P.C. Staff, page 5. San Francisco JACL Women’s Auxiliary urged early reservations for its July 19 barbecue outing at Adobe Creek in Los Altos. Afternoon games and dinner are planned for all ages.
• Orange County Clubs Slate Scholarship Benefit Carnival, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The fifth annual Orange County Interclub Council carnival and judo tournament will be held July 11 at Buena Park Recreation Park. Proceeds go toward a council scholarship for an outstanding county graduate.
• Mo Marumoto Attends Alumni Council Confab, by P.C. Staff, page 5. William Marumoto, director of alumni relations at Whittier College, attended the American Alumni Council conference on Mackinac Island. He led a panel on organizing alumni associations.
• Shonien Benefit Trick or Treat Ball Plans Underway, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Trick or Treat Ball, staged annually for Shonien, will be held October 31 at Fox Hills Country Club. Marvin Johnson’s orchestra has been engaged for the event.
• Cortez Japanese Community Holds 40th Anniversary Party, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Cortez JACL celebrated the 40th anniversary of the colony founded in 1919 with a dinner and program. Surviving Issei pioneers received commemorative plaques.
• Tom Ito Hires New York Convention Plans, by Akira Hayashi, page 6. Akira Hayashi previews the 1959 National JACL Convention in New York over Labor Day weekend and invites JACLers to write for information. He encourages advance registration and reservations at the Park Sheraton Hotel.
• Dr. Miyake of Fresno Accepted in Optometric Foundation, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Dr. George Miyake of Fowler was accepted into the active membership of the American Optometric Foundation. He is a past president of the Central California Optometric Society.
• Univ. of Hawaii Student President Visits L.A., by P.C. Staff, page 7. Melvyn Sakaguchi, student body president of the University of Hawaii, visited relatives in Gardena before attending a student presidents’ conference in Illinois. He is majoring in Oriental philosophy.
• Harvard Graduate School Names Nisei Landscape Professor, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Hideo Sasaki, a Reedley-raised landscape architect, was named professor of landscape architecture at Harvard Graduate School of Design. He is also partner in the firm Sasaki, Walker and Associates.
• Nisei Serving on California Lettuce Advisory Board, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A 17-member advisory board for the new summer head lettuce marketing order was organized, including Nisei members Isamu Minami and Tome Mine. The board’s first task was addressing an oversupply that caused major losses.

National

• Hawaii Plebiscite Passes 17-1; 58 AJAs Win in Primaries, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Hawaii voters approved statehood by a 17-1 margin in the Saturday plebiscite. Numerous Americans of Japanese and Chinese ancestry advanced in the primaries for Congress and the state legislature.
• Civil Rights Measures Enacted in California, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Governor Edmund Brown announced he will sign civil rights bills banning discrimination in public accommodations and publicly assisted housing. The bills increase fines and damages for violations.

Military & Veterans

• Toshiyuki Suzuki Picks Coast Guard Over West Point, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Toshiyuki Suzuki of Haliimaile, Maui, passed entrance exams for both West Point and the Coast Guard Academy. He chose the Coast Guard and reports to New London, Connecticut, on July 6.
• West Point Reveals Honolulu Sansei Ranks 15th in Class, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Arthur Kubo, son of a Honolulu police lieutenant, graduated 15th among 495 cadets from West Point. He received awards for graphic and topography and electrical engineering.

JACL

• San Francisco Leads With 1,184 in Membership, by P.C. Staff, page 1. San Francisco leads the tricity JACL membership race with 1,184 members, followed by Southwest L.A. and Chicago. The losing chapters must provide photographic proof of their president being doused with water.

In-Depth

• Stomach Cancer Study on Orientals Started, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Researchers at Stanford University Hospital in San Francisco began a study comparing stomach cancer across racial groups. Volunteers of Japanese, Chinese, and Filipino origin are needed to donate blood, saliva, and gastric samples.

Commentary

• Time Approaches for Scholarship Selection, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The article announces the upcoming selection of the Pvt. Frank Masaoka Memorial Scholarship recipient and praises the committee’s work. It highlights former winner Seiji Itahara, who graduated with top honors in chemical engineering from MIT.
• Reason for Pride, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Reprinted from the Portland Sunday Oregonian, this editorial praises Joan Yasui’s election as Oregon Girls State governor as evidence of healing racial bitterness. It contrasts her election with wartime discrimination against Japanese Americans.
• Editor’s Desk: What Is Love?, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. The editor reflects on Shakespeare and draws a comparison between Elizabethan England and the American republic. He suggests JACL should consider new ideas and expansion as it plans its future.
• Frying Pan: Confirmation, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa argues that Hawaii’s statehood vote confirms that Nisei have come of age politically. He traces Nisei achievement from stereotyped labor to professional distinction and predicts the first Nisei congressman will be a symbol of democracy.
• NC-WNDC Board: Ten Year Plan and Stand on Issues, by Jerry Enomoto, page 4. NC-WNDC chairman Jerry Enomoto reports on the National Board meeting, including President Wakamatsu’s proposed ten-year plan and debate over whether JACL should take stands on broader issues. He also criticizes a Robert Ruark column as a reminder of lingering anti-Japanese sentiment.
• For the PC Record: 50th State Hospitality, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Honolulu bowling columnist Carl Machado described a farewell party for visiting West Coast bowlers and Mas Satow. Satow praised the warm hospitality shown to the mainland group.
• Pointing Southwestward, by Kango Kunitsugu, page 6. PSWDC chairman Kunitsugu argues JACL needs a new purpose, comparing the organization to a family car that has outgrown its needs. He urges a thorough debate in the Pacific Citizen before the 1960 Sacramento convention.
• Jewish Leader Declares Anti-Semitism Waning, Problem Now Cultural Survival, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Dr. Joachim Prinz of the American Jewish Congress says anti-Semitism is no longer the central concern in America. He argues Jews now face the challenge of cultural survival and must deepen their commitment to Jewish heritage.
• Northwest Picture: Cooking With Gas, by Elmer Ogawa, page 7. Elmer Ogawa reports on a natural gas advertisement featuring Seattle’s Bush Garden sukiyaki restaurant. He also reflects on a retraction concerning a chef’s delayed visa.
• Washington Newsletter: Nisei in Congress, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. Mike Masaoka writes that Daniel K. Inouye is likely to become the first Japanese American congressman after winning Hawaii’s Democratic primary. He also discusses other Japanese American candidates in the Hawaii elections.

Sports

• Olympic Hope Smashes U.S. Swim Record, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Wayne Fujisaka, a 16-year-old Maui swimmer, set a new national Junior Olympic breaststroke record at the Barber’s Point trials. He is considered a top Olympic prospect.
• Nisei Netter in Upset Bridgeton Victory, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Harvey Morita of Bridgeton High won the second annual Bridgeton Jr. Chamber of Commerce tennis tournament. He defeated Peter Papas of Blair Academy in the final and qualified for the state Jaycee tournament.

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