Repealing Washington’s Anti-Alien Land Law, and the Issei Story project

Vol. 51, No. 11, September 9, 1960. 8 pages. View this issue

Washington’s Anti-Alien Land Law was the central cause in this eight-page issue. Sen. Warren G. Magnuson’s Senate floor address urged repeal of the constitutional provision, and the Seattle City Council endorsed repeal ahead of the November 8 vote. Another thread was the Issei Story project, launched with Mas Satow’s report. It will document Issei contributions, with Dr. T. Scott Miyakawa and Mike Masaoka leading it and each chapter asked to appoint a chairman.

Elsewhere are Bill Hosokawa’s column on digging a retaining-wall trench over Labor Day and Harry K. Honda’s account of a vacation through Northern California and Oregon. Mike Masaoka’s Congressional Boxscore reviews the 86th Congress. A report covers Col. James M. Hanley, former commander of the 2nd Battalion, 442nd RCT, joining Convair Astronautics. The Pacific Citizen also began planning its 72-page Holiday Issue.

What’s in this issue

Community

• JACL Accepts Governor’s Call to Attend Senior Citizens Talk, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Pacific Southwest District Council decided to hold a one-day conference on aging for persons of Japanese ancestry in Southern California. National JACL president Frank Chuman will attend the Governor’s Conference on Aging in Sacramento.
• New York Group Elects T. Matsuoka for 13th Year in Row, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Tokichi Matsuoka was re-elected president of the Japanese American Association of New York for a 13th consecutive year. The group also limited officers to two consecutive one-year terms beginning September 1.
• San Francisco Chapter to Fete Community Issei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The San Francisco JACL is planning a community-wide banquet on October 22 to honor Issei pioneers. The event will recognize their sacrifices for their children’s advancement in American society.
• Want Stories and Photographs of Old-Timers, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Pacific Citizen solicited stories and photographs of long-active JACL members for the 1960 Holiday Issue. Chapters were invited to nominate outstanding personalities.
• Salt Lake JACL Intercedes for Widow Facing Deportation, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Salt Lake JACL sought a stay of deportation for Mrs. Takimi Yamada, a 68-year-old widow facing removal to Mexico. Senator Wallace Bennett introduced a bill to protect her right to remain in the United States.
• IDC Chapters Polled for Change in Next Quarterly Meet Date, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Intermountain District Council chairman Joe Nishioka proposed postponing the summer quarterly session to late October in Salt Lake City. The meeting would coincide with the Salt Lake JACL’s Silver Anniversary and installation of officers.
• San Francisco JACL to Enter Community Float in City Parade, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The San Francisco JACL prepared a Japanese community float for the Pacific Festival parade on Market Street. Several hundred dancers trained by Rokushige Fujima will accompany the float.
• LA JACL Coordinating Council Greets West Los Angeles Chapter, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Los Angeles JACL Coordinating Council welcomed the West Los Angeles chapter and planned a beach picnic, 1000 Club dinner-dance, and mixed bowling league. The council also discussed Christmas Cheer and a Nisei Relays benefit dance.
• Nisei Mathematician Working for IBM Subsidiary Helps Japanese Weather Bureau, by Toru Kanazawa, page 6. Yomei Sawanobori, a Seattle-born mathematician at IBM’s Service Bureau Corporation in New York, wrote programs for an IBM 704 computer sent to the Japanese Meteorological Agency. The computer will help track typhoons in the Pacific.
• Frank P. Morishita Transferred to UC Riverside, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Frank P. Morishita, a UCLA horticulturist, has been transferred to the University of California branch at Riverside. He and his wife have been active in Los Angeles community organizations.

Incarceration & Redress

• Hardship Immigration Cases Cited in JCCA Brief Evoke Sympathy from Canada Legislators and Prime Minister, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A July 19 brief from the Japanese Canadian Citizens Association cited restrictive immigration rules that separate families. Canadian legislators and Prime Minister Diefenbaker expressed sympathy and said the cases were under review.
• Seattle City Council Urges Repeal of Anti-Alien Land Law, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Seattle City Council endorsed repeal of Washington’s constitutional restriction on alien land ownership, to be decided by voters on November 8. Major newspapers, governors, senators, and both political parties also supported repeal.
• Kawakita’s Attorney Seeks Presidential Clemency for Client, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Attorney Morris Lavine appealed to presidential aide Gerald Morgan for further clemency for Tomoya Kawakita, convicted of treason in 1948. Lavine argued Kawakita should be released on condition he return to Japan, noting others convicted of wartime crimes had received lesser sentences.

Military & Veterans

• Ex-442 Leader Joins San Diego Firm, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Col. James M. Hanley, former commander of the 2nd Battalion, 442nd RCT, retired after 30 years and joined Convair Astronautics in San Diego. He had served at the Pentagon and helped negotiate the U.S.-Japan status-of-forces agreement.
• Tokyo Giants Win State Nisei Baseball Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Li’l Tokyo Giants won the first state Nisei baseball championship held in Los Angeles by defeating Nisei Trading 2-1 in the finals. Henry Ota pitched the win and Ken Takahashi hit the inside-the-park homer that decided the game.
• Congressional Boxscore, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. Mike Masaoka reviews the legislative record of the 86th Congress’s first and second sessions and highlights bills of interest to Japanese Americans. These include the Japan security treaty, the East-West Center, and extension of civil rights protections.

National

• Text of Sen. Magnuson’s Address on Senate Floor Urging Land Law Repeal, by Sen. Warren G. Magnuson, page 2. Senator Magnuson urged repeal of Washington’s Anti-Alien Land Law, a discriminatory provision that remained in the state constitution. He argued it contributed to prejudice leading to the wartime evacuation and called for voters to approve repeal in November.
• Hawaiian Nisei Heads Research Section on Radiation Immunology at Oak Ridge, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Dr. Takashi Makinodan, a Hilo Nisei, heads radiation immunology at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He presented research at the International Congress of Hematology in Tokyo and lectured in Honolulu.

Commentary

• Getting Away from It All, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. Editor Harry Honda describes a vacation trip through Northern California and Oregon, including Crater Lake and the Feather River Canyon. He reflects on the scenery and the relaxation of time away from work.
• Mr. Sugimoto Is Nominated, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The New Canadian praises Yasushi Sugimoto’s nomination as a Conservative candidate in the Grand Forks-Greenwood riding. The editorial sees it as a sign of political maturity in British Columbia.
• From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa describes manual labor on his home, including digging a trench for a retaining wall over Labor Day. He reflects on labor, mechanization, and the history of Japanese immigrant workers and unions.
• Central California District Council Report, by Fred Hirasuna, page 4. CCDC Chairman Fred Hirasuna reports on the agricultural base of the district’s chapters. He calls for Labor Day national conventions and urges support for the Issei Story project and enforcement of membership quotas.
• Does It Make a Difference?, by Richard Takechi, page 4. Omaha JACL member Richard Takechi reflects on whether the Sansei identity differs from the Nisei. He argues that young people should retain Japanese interests while being proud Americans.
• Convention Potpourri: Observations from Delegates, by Ronald Misaki, page 6. Omaha Jr. JACL delegate Ronald Misaki recounts the message to younger members at the Youth Dinner-Dance urging them to wake up and grow up. He argues that young members must take responsibility for the JACL’s future.

JACL

• Issei Story Project Officially Launched, by Mas Satow, page 5. The JACL Issei Story project, approved at the national convention, will document Issei contributions to America. Dr. T. Scott Miyakawa and Mike Masaoka will lead the project, and each chapter must appoint a chairman.
• 1961 Membership Drive, by Mas Satow, page 5. Beginning in 1961, members will receive the Pacific Citizen with their membership, and the dues increase is tied to the Issei Story project. Chapters must submit 1960 memberships by December 15 to ensure full-year delivery.

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