Vol. 53, No. 21, November 24, 1961. 4 pages. View this issue
Plans for the 1961 holiday issue and a call to teach the public about the wartime incarceration shaped this four-page issue. Editor’s Desk previewed holiday stories from Honolulu and Phoenix, and Mike Masaoka’s Washington Newsletter proposed that JACL run a nationwide public education campaign in 1962. Saburo Kido’s history series reached the 1938 Los Angeles convention, and Tomoko Yano reported that Raymond M. Uno was elected president of the Utah Citizens Committee on Civil Rights.
Elsewhere, about 400 people attended a San Jose testimonial dinner for Judge Wayne M. Kanemoto, and Fresno JACL honored Issei pioneers. Restaurants along U.S. Highway 40 agreed to serve Negroes, California adopted fair practices in apprentice training, and a reader’s letter debated the word Jap. Chapter news came from Milwaukee, Chicago, Sonoma County and the Northern California-Western Nevada District.
What’s in this issue
Commentary
- Editor’s Desk: Preview of Our 1961 Holiday Issue, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The editor previews upcoming Holiday Issue material, including stories from Honolulu and Phoenix about Issei pioneers and Japanese American history. The column also notes deadline changes for December issues.
- PC Letterbox: Nisei Not as Outraged as Before, by Dr. David Suzuki, page 2. A reader from Oak Ridge argues that the word Jap is a natural abbreviation and that critics should focus on more serious discrimination. He responds to a Nisei editor’s objection to the term.
- MDC: The Lost Girl, by Dr. Frank Sakamoto, page 4. The MDC chairman urges chapters to join hands and strengthen programming and membership efforts. He uses the story of a lost girl found too late to illustrate the value of unity.
Community
- Youth Section: Roster of Youth Group Presidents, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Holiday Issue youth section requests updated youth group presidents’ rosters from chapters. Several chapters have submitted complete rosters and others are asked to respond by December 4.
- Sword Polisher Coming from Japan to Practice Ancient Art for U.S. Collectors, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Master sword polisher Junji Nakashima will visit the United States to practice his craft for collectors. He is sponsored by the Japanese Sword Society of the United States.
- 400 Present at Judge Kanemoto Testimonial, by P.C. Staff, page 1. About 400 people attended a testimonial dinner in San Jose honoring Judge Wayne M. Kanemoto upon his appointment to the municipal bench. Speakers praised his humility and his commitment to the community.
- 150 Fresno Area Issei Honored by JACL, Hear Yoshimura Report on Issei Story, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Over 300 attended the Fresno JACL Issei Pioneer Night banquet, where Akiji Yoshimura reported on the JACL Issei Story Project. Speakers and performers honored the pioneers.
- Milwaukee JACL to Elect New Officers, Old Fashioned Christmas Party Planned, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Milwaukee JACL will elect new board members and hold a Christmas party with a children’s talent show and a Nativity painting contest. Details of the holiday program are provided.
- Haruo Ishimaru Elected Chairman of NC-WN District, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Haruo Ishimaru of San Mateo County JACL was elected chairman of the Northern California-Western Nevada District Council in San Jose. Other officers and directors were also named.
- Sonoma County Sukiyaki Reset for Coming Sunday, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Sonoma County JACL sukiyaki dinner has been rescheduled to November 25 due to conflicting community events. Membership cards may be turned in at the dinner.
- San Francisco Jr. JACLer Heads Explorer Scout Unit, by P.C. Staff, page 4. David Hara was elected president of the Golden Gate District Explorer Scout council. He is a member of Explorer Post 12 and the son of a local family.
National
- Two Nisei Named to Utah Civil Rights Citizens Group, by Tomoko Yano, page 1. Raymond M. Uno was elected president of the Utah Citizens Committee on Civil Rights, with Henry Y. Kasai as treasurer. The committee will push legislation on housing, public accommodations, and fair employment.
- California Adopts Fair Practices in Apprentice Training, by P.C. Staff, page 1. California became the first state to require nondiscriminatory selection of apprentices regardless of race, creed, color, or national origin. The Apprenticeship Council approved a statewide committee to implement the policy.
- 42 Restaurants Along Hwy. 40 Ends Race Bias, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Restaurants along U.S. Highway 40 in Maryland and Delaware agreed to serve Negroes, ending a planned CORE freedom ride. CORE set a December 15 deadline for remaining restaurants to desegregate.
Arts & Entertainment
- Nisei Composer to Pen Critics Column, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Composer Higo Harada will write the music column for the Cleveland Sun Papers during a absence of the regular columnist. Harada has written numerous works and studied in Rome.
Incarceration & Redress
- Washington Newsletter: Thanksgiving Weekend, 1961, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Masaoka urges Japanese Americans to give back to the nation for opportunities gained since World War II. He proposes that JACL launch a nationwide public education campaign in 1962 about the wartime evacuation.
- Living with JACL: Continued Effort, by Saburo Kido, page 4. This installment of the JACL history series covers the 1938 Los Angeles convention, the revised constitution, endowment fund, and new national leadership. It also recounts the vocational survey findings on Nisei employment.
Obituaries
- Issei Editor Honored by Japan Gov’t, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Ajano Tsuneo, a longtime Nichi Bei Times editor, received a Japanese government decoration for his contributions to US-Japan relations. The award was an unusual postwar honor granted to a living non-citizen.
JACL
- JACL Orientation Presented to Chicago Board, Old and New, and Jr. Officers, by Jim Higashi, page 4. Chicago chapter board and Jr. JACL officers attended an orientation on JACL history, legislation, and structure. Speakers included national officers who reviewed the organization’s past and future.
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