Vol. 57, No. 9, August 30, 1963. 4 pages. View this issue
Immigration reform led this four-page issue. Senator Hiram Fong of Hawaii spoke at length in the Senate against the national origins quota system, calling the law outdated and racially discriminatory, and described two pending bills to change it. JACL also turned toward civil rights. The Pacific Southwest District Council formed a civil rights committee, the San Francisco chapter planned its own, and a short item said JACLers marched with 200,000 people in Washington on August 28. Mike Masaoka’s column asked whether Negro Americans deserved preferential treatment.
Other pages cover community news. Lance Ito received the Ben Frank Masuoka Memorial Scholarship, Archie Miyatake and Roy Hoshizaki were named 1964 Nisei Week co-chairmen, and the Eden Township center announced a new building. Larry Tajiri wrote about the Hollywood film of Michener’s Hawaii, and Kenneth Miyoshi reported on a road trip promoting the 1964 convention.
What’s in this issue
National
- Sen. Fong Pledges New Immigration Law in Longest Speech of His Senate Career; Change Would Aid U.S. at Home, Abroad, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Senator Hiram Fong of Hawaii urged Congress to replace the outdated, racially discriminatory immigration law in a lengthy Senate speech. He argued that the national origins quota system hurts the United States at home and abroad and outlined two pending bills to reform it.
Obituaries
- One-Man USO Who Befriended Nisei GIs in Washington, D.C., During WWII Passes, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Joe Seiko Tasaka, 73, known as the ‘One-Man USO’ of Washington, D.C., died after a long illness on August 19. He was remembered for befriending Nisei soldiers, operating businesses in the capital, and aiding the Japanese American community.
Community
- $75,000 Community Center Announced for Eden Township, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Eden Township Japanese Community Center announced construction of a new multi-purpose community building in the Ashland area of San Lorenzo. The facility, estimated at $75,000, is targeted for completion by November 1, 1963.
- Lance Ito Presented $300 Scholarship Check, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Lance Ito, recipient of the 1963 Ben Frank Masuoka Memorial Scholarship, received his $300 check at the PSWDC luncheon in Hollywood. He is a candidate of East Los Angeles JACL.
- Nisei Week Picks Co-Chairmen for 1964; Finances of Last One Look ‘Pretty Good’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Archie Miyatake and Roy Hoshizaki were named co-chairmen of the 1964 Nisei Week Festival. Festival board secretary Frank Hirata reported that 1963 finances were strong, with donations and souvenir booklet sales exceeding goals.
- Documentary to Depict Hawaiian Life for Japanese Being Produced by Cinema 50, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Cinema 50, a Honolulu group of Nisei filmmakers, plans a $100,000 documentary showing Japanese viewers Hawaii’s attractions and business opportunities. The 90-minute film, Sands of Pele, is the firm’s first major production.
- Eleven-Year-Old Nisei Baseball Tournament Schedule Announced, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The 11th annual Nisei baseball championship tournament opens in Los Angeles with several teams competing over Labor Day weekend. Game schedules and participating teams are listed.
- Yonemitsu Named Medical Social Work Director at San Diego Hospital, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Mrs. Dorothy M. Yonemitsu was named director of medical social work at Childrens Hospital in San Diego. She will assist patients and families with financial and social welfare needs.
Incarceration & Redress
- History Project to Commence Survey Interviews in L.A., by P.C. Staff, page 1. Seven bilingual interviewers were hired in Los Angeles for the JACL-HOLA Japanese History Project, which will survey Issei. Dr. Gladys Ishida Stone said the project seeks broad documentation of Japanese American life, not just community leaders.
JACL
- Special Civil Rights Committee Formed by Pacific Southwest District Council, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Pacific Southwest District Council created a civil rights committee at its quarterly session in Hollywood, reaffirming the national JACL civil rights statement. The committee was formed in response to requests from local NAACP and United Civil Rights Committee groups.
- JACLers March with 200,000 in Washington, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A report on the August 28 March on Washington is promised for the upcoming JACL national convention in Cleveland. The march is described as the greatest rally for Negro rights in history, with Japanese Americans participating.
- San Francisco JACL Plans Own Chapter Civil Rights Committee, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The San Francisco JACL board endorsed the national JACL civil rights statement and voted to appoint a local civil rights committee. A general membership meeting was planned to gather member views.
Commentary
- Special Treatment, Appeal, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Mike Masaoka’s Washington Newsletter examines whether Negro Americans deserve preferential treatment to compensate for centuries of deprivation. He discusses the Urban League’s position and the debate over equal treatment versus compensatory measures.
- Tub-Thumping Out West, by Kenneth Miyoshi, page 4. Kenneth Miyoshi describes a road trip through the West, during which he invited JACL members to attend the 1964 national convention in Detroit. He also reports on chapter contacts and upcoming publication plans.
Arts & Entertainment
- Hollywood Production on ‘Hawaii’ Moves Ahead With Japanese American Characters, by Larry Tajiri, page 3. United Artists and the Mirisch Brothers are moving ahead with a film adaptation of James Michener’s novel Hawaii, which features a major Japanese American family. Director Fred Zinnemann is involved and the project has been delayed by financial and script questions.
Sports
- Rick Ishida Signs With Indiana University, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Rick Ishida, a 225-pound lineman from Marion, Indiana, signed to play football at Indiana University. He was a first-team All-Buckeye Conference selection and an honorable mention All-Ohio player.
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