Subscription cut-off, civil rights and Nisei in public life, 1963

Vol. 56, No. 10, March 8, 1963. 4 pages. View this issue

Civil rights ran through this four-page issue from March 1963. Mike Masaoka’s Washington Newsletter and a front-page analysis looked at President Kennedy’s message to Congress and the threat of filibusters. A front-page story reported that the Pacific Citizen’s March 31 subscription cut-off for JACL members was near, with processing expected to go faster than the year before. Nisei in public life were also in the news: Seiji Horiuchi was honored at a Denver banquet, Senator Daniel Inouye visited Seattle and Idaho, and Pat Okura reported on the interim National Board meeting.

Other pages carried an editorial on Mexican Americans and Nisei, Bill Hosokawa’s column From the Frying Pan, and a debate over a Washington state referendum on the Alien Land Law. There is also a Fremont chapter profile by Kaz Kawaguchi, a report on Nisei federal employment from the Washington D.C. JACL, and news of Nisei artists, architects and business people.

What’s in this issue

Community

• PC ‘Cut-Off’ Date of Mar. 31 Approaching, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Pacific Citizen subscription cutoff date for JACL members is March 31, and circulation processing will be faster than last year. The cutoff rule ties membership dues to a year’s subscription with a grace period for renewals.
• LA Artist Submits Entry for Christmas Seal Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Art Fujita of Los Angeles had his Christmas Seal design finish first in the local competition and submitted to New York for final judging. The entry represents a local Nisei artist’s achievement in a national contest.
• Colorado Joins Community in Honoring Rep. Seiji Horiuchi, by Tom Masamori, page 1. More than 300 guests attended a Denver banquet honoring Seiji Horiuchi, the first person of Japanese ancestry elected to a mainland state legislature. Governor John Love spoke, and Horiuchi credited Nisei community ties for his victory.
• Imperial Valley Installs Ike Hatchimonji as Head, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Ike Hatchimonji was installed as Imperial Valley JACL chapter president at a Brawley ceremony. The chapter also announced an annual picnic honoring Issei pioneers of the valley.
• Venice Nisei Realtor Achieves Milestone, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Jim Ariyasu of Oriental Realty became the first non-Caucasian realtor granted membership in the United Multiple Listing Service in West Los Angeles. He is a Venice-Culver JACLer and serves on the Mar Vista Chamber of Commerce board.
• JACLer Named CPA, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Cincinnati JACLer Joe S. Sugawara passed the statewide Certified Public Accountant examination. He works with the IRS appellate division.
• Shonien Director Mike Suzuki Resigns, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Acting director Mike Suzuki of the Japanese American Community Services resigned after 21 months, also vacating the Shonien executive director post. Satoshi Hayashi was named to serve on a part-time basis while a permanent replacement is sought.
• JACLers Greet U.S. Senators, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Idaho JACLers welcomed Senators Frank Church and Daniel Inouye at Idaho Falls airport during Jefferson-Jackson Day visits. Inouye addressed a breakfast meeting in Boise and received a painting of the Grand Tetons.
• Negi Appointed S.F. Deputy Attorney, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Donald K. Negi was appointed deputy city attorney in San Francisco by City Attorney Thomas O’Conner. Negi is a JACL board member and former deputy appraiser in the City Assessor’s office.
• Senator Inouye’s First Visit in Northwest, by Elmer Ogawa, page 2. Senator Daniel Inouye visited Seattle for a JACL banquet attended by nearly 200 people. He discussed the Cuban crisis, defending President Kennedy’s handling of it against congressional critics.
• Sumitomo Given Approval for New Branch in Oakland, by P.C. Staff, page 3. California state banking department approved Sumitomo Bank of California’s application for a downtown Oakland office. Bank president Makoto Sasaki announced the new location.
• Fountain Valley Discourages Sale of Goods from Iron Curtain Countries, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Orange County city of Fountain Valley passed an ordinance requiring a $1,000 license and warning signs for stores selling Communist-made goods. Legal challenges to such ordinances on interstate commerce grounds were expected.
• Gardena Issei Assists Introduction of Japanese Trout to California Waters, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A Gardena Issei businessman pledged funding to transport two million Ayu fish eggs from Japan for California waters. The project builds on a Humboldt State College experiment and is planned for late 1963.
• Role of Family Influence in Training Youth Emphasized by Monterey City Judge, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Monterey Municipal Judge Russell Zaches praised Japanese Americans for their low rate of intoxication and traffic violations at the Monterey Peninsula JACL installation dinner. He attributed good behavior to strong family influence.
• Fremont JACL Chapter Profile, by Kaz Kawaguchi, page 4. The Fremont JACL chapter, founded in 1931 and revived after World War II, serves Newark, Union City and Fremont. It holds annual events including a pioneer night and a Christmas party and maintains the local Japanese cemetery.

JACL

• Sakamoto Award Contest Period Opens for Chapter Newsletters, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Nominations for the 1963 Jimmie Sakamoto Memorial Award must now be submitted through District Councils rather than the PC Board. Categories include local reporting, editorial, feature, and cartoon, with winners to be announced in the fall.
• Interim Meeting Postscript, by Pat Okura, page 2. JACL National President Pat Okura reports on the interim National Board meeting in Los Angeles, praising the productive discussions and cooperation. He thanks board members for their diligence over three days.

National

• Nisei Senator Introduces Bill to Eliminate Christmas, Good Friday as Hawaii Holidays, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Hawaii Senator John Abe introduced a bill to replace Christmas and Good Friday holidays with a religious workers’ observance, provoking strong opposition from clergy. A companion bill proposed making Wesak Day a state holiday.
• Chinese Restaurant Sued for Race Bias, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Three Negro men filed a $4,590 damages suit against the Hong Kong Restaurant in Woodland after they say they were refused service. The complaint describes waiting over 15 minutes before being ordered to leave.
• Fair Employment Practices Commission Barred from Investigating Realty Board, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Contra Costa judge barred the State FEPC from investigating a racial discrimination complaint against the West Contra Costa Real Estate Board. The judge ruled membership in the board was not an employment matter within FEPC jurisdiction.
• Civil Rights Renewed in Kennedy Message, by Mike Masaoka, page 1. Masaoka analyzes the prospects for civil rights legislation following President Kennedy’s special message, noting congressional obstacles including filibuster threats. He argues meaningful action depends on sustained public support.
• Will SJR 5 Referendum Pass?, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Washington state JACLers debate whether to again campaign for repeal of the Alien Land Law via a 1964 referendum. Legislative committee action on SJR 5 is expected soon, but legislators fear too many ballot initiatives.
• Matsunaga Votes for HUAC Appropriations, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Rep. Spark Matsunaga voted for House Un-American Activities Committee appropriations while Rep. Thomas Gill opposed them. Gill and others who opposed the funding expected to be attacked as soft on communism.

Military & Veterans

• Cal Western Agent Earns MDRT Honor for 6th Time, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Bill T. Yamashiro of California-Western States Life Insurance was approved for life membership in the 1963 Million Dollar Round Table. It marks his sixth consecutive year qualifying for the honor.

Arts & Entertainment

• Yamasaki Credited for Arab Air Terminal Design Winning AIA Honors, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Minoru Yamasaki received credit as consulting design architect for the Dhahran international airport terminal, which won the American Institute of Architects first honors for 1962. The award will be presented at the AIA convention in Miami.
• JACL’s Fight Against Anti-Nisei Films Gets Assist, by P.C. Staff, page 3. San Francisco Supervisor William Blake called for television stations to stop airing World War II propaganda films that portray Japanese Americans negatively. The editorial supports removing such films and encourages stations to broadcast better material.
• Ceramicists Exhibit Pieces at Michigan Art Institute, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Ceramic works by Hiroko Oba, Dennis Ambo, and Toshiko Takaezu were selected for the 17th annual Michigan Artist-Craftsmen exhibition at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Takaezu received an honorable mention in ceramics.

Incarceration & Redress

• Federal Government Urged to Exercise More Concern for Nisei Employees, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Washington D.C. JACL presented a report to the Equal Employment Opportunity Conference recommending federal action to advance Nisei employment. The report noted a lack of information on discrimination but found progress among Nisei in professional government positions.
• Civil Service Nisei Employment Conference Report, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Washington D.C. JACL reported to a civil rights conference that about 2,000 Japanese Americans in the area are mainly federal civil servants, with most in professional positions. Survey results showed concentrations at intermediate grade levels.

Commentary

• Our Mexican Neighbors, by P.C. Staff, page 2. An editorial draws parallels between Mexican Americans and Nisei, citing the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo’s guarantee of cultural rights. It contrasts the Mexican American’s pride in bicultural identity with Nisei pressure to assimilate fully.
• Washington Newsletter, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Masaoka argues that Congress must be willing to endure filibusters to pass meaningful civil rights legislation. He says public support will determine whether the President and lawmakers pursue it.
• From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa mocks an outdated Colorado law regulating Chinese laborers by proposing equally absurd reports on other groups. He also describes Rep. Seiji Horiuchi’s campaign, in which voters knew Nisei families in the district.

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