The 1969 holiday issue: a century of Issei pioneers

Vol. 69, No. 25, December 19, 1969. 60 pages. View this issue

A century of Japanese settlement in America filled this 60-page holiday issue. Feature after feature followed the Issei from the Wakamatsu Colony at Gold Hill to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Imperial Valley, Colusa County, Seattle, Omaha, Chicago and New York. Aki Yoshimura wrote on Colusa County, T. Scott Miyakawa on Boston, Henry Taketa on Okei Ito and the colonists, and Allan Beekman on the Japanese who came to Hawaii in 1868. National JACL President Jerry Enomoto looked back on the Centennial year in his column, and Bill Hosokawa wrote about the search for historical identity.

Elsewhere in the paper, Dr. Roy M. Nishikawa described how about 2,400 Wakamatsu Centennial medallions went to Issei over 80, and Ed Kado explained the design of the Wakamatsu Colony Monument. Other pieces covered the Military Intelligence Service and the 442nd, the postwar civil rights record, and the Issei chemist Jokichi Takamine. Holiday greetings from JACL chapters and families ran on about 31 pages.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• San Franciscans Greet First Issei, page 1. This feature traces the early Japanese immigrant settlement in San Francisco, from the first arrivals through the exclusion campaigns and the growth of labor contracting, boarding houses, and businesses. It describes how the Issei built a community despite mounting hostility and discriminatory laws.
• Japanese Immigrants in Early Los Angeles and Southern California, page 4. This article describes the growth of the Japanese community in Los Angeles, including its two colonies, businesses, churches, and agricultural contributions. It notes population figures from 1906 through 1940.

In-Depth

• Boston’s Culture Attracts Issei, by BY T. SCOTT MIYAKAWA, page 1. This article examines how Japanese interest in New England, from Niishima’s education at Amherst onward, shaped cultural and scholarly exchange. It also describes early Japanese students, scholars, and Boston shopkeepers who influenced American appreciation of Japanese art.
• Brief History of Japanese in Colusa County, by By AKI YOSHIMURA, page 1. The article recounts the earliest Japanese presence in Colusa County, including the Wakamatsu colonists, Kuni Masumizu, and Naotaro Yoneda’s landing. It follows the rise of rice farming and the Japanese community’s eventual dispersal after evacuation.
• Issei Introduce Oysters from Japan to Pacific Northwest, page 2. This history covers early Japanese settlement and labor in the Pacific Northwest, including railroad, sawmill, and canning work. It describes how Japanese immigrants pioneered oyster cultivation and farming in the region.
• Okei Memorial and the Wakamatsu Colony, by Henry Taketa, page 5. This article uses the 1870 census to identify the members of the Wakamatsu Colony and recounts the fates of Okei Ito and Sakurai Matsunosuke. It presents new details about the colonists’ lives at Gold Hill.
• Brief History of the Japanese in Colusa County, by Aki Yoshimura, page 7. This history covers the Japanese presence in Colusa County from the 1880s, including Yoneda Landing and the rice farming boom. It describes the Japanese town, community institutions, and evacuation.
• Boston Culture Attracts Issei, page 9. This piece explores Boston’s connection to Japanese culture, including Japanese students at New England schools and the scholarship of Okakura and Matsuki. It describes Issei contributions to art and Oriental studies.
• Japanese Immigration Centennial Essay, by Bill Hosokawa, page 9. Hosokawa reflects on his search for historical identity and on the Wakamatsu Colony as the start of Japanese settlement. He argues that understanding one’s heritage is essential to knowing where one is going.
• Pacific Northwest Issei Pioneers in Oregon and Washington, page 11. This article recounts Japanese settlement in Oregon and Washington from the railroad and cannery work of the 1890s through farming and business growth. It highlights Hood River, Salem, and Seattle communities.
• Railroads, Sawmills Lure Issei to Pacific Northwest, page 11. This companion feature describes Japanese labor in Washington’s railroad and farming work and the growth of Seattle’s Japanese community. It also discusses the anti-Japanese bias that shaped the community.
• Headed to Omaha for Meat Packing, page 13. The article traces the arrival of Issei in Omaha, first to work in meatpacking and later as businessmen and photographers. It notes early benefactors and the family histories of key community figures.
• Santa Claus in Japan, by Jim Henry, page 13. This feature examines how Christmas customs blend with Buddhist and Shinto traditions in Japan. It shows how Santa Claus has been adopted as a commercial symbol without religious meaning.
• How the Japanese Came to Hawaii in 1868, by Allan Beekman, page 13. This history explains how King Kalakaua’s government and planters recruited Japanese laborers for Hawaiian sugar plantations. It recounts the arrival of the Scioto and the conditions faced by the gannen-mono.
• Japanese Immigration Centennial Commemorative Plan, by Ed Kado, page 15. Architect Ed Kado describes the design of the Wakamatsu Colony Monument at Gold Hill, including its stone grouping and paving. He explains how the layout symbolizes Japan and the colonists’ spirit.
• Japanese Christians and the Wakamatsu Story, page 16. This article recounts the Wakamatsu Colony and the Issei who followed, including religious life and community development. It connects early religious contributions to later Japanese American churches.
• Civil Rights and Japanese Americans in the Postwar Era, page 18. This feature examines the JACL’s civil rights advocacy and the legal battles over alien land laws and naturalization. It summarizes key court victories that shaped Japanese American rights.
• Japanese Americans in Chicago: 15,000 Nikkei Sink Roots, by M. W. Newman, page 24. This article profiles the Japanese American community in Chicago after the war, describing its growth from wartime relocation to suburban dispersal. It examines the generational differences among Issei, Nisei, and Sansei.
• Washington, D.C.’s First Issei: Joseph Hikozo Heco, by Lillian Tateshita, page 26. This history covers Hikozo Heco, the first Japanese to visit Washington, D.C., and his meetings with Presidents Pierce, Buchanan, and Lincoln. It recounts his naturalization and later role as an interpreter.
• Issei in New York: Early Japanese Pioneers, by Joe Oyama, page 27. This article traces the early Japanese presence in New York, from diplomatic visitors in 1860 to businessmen such as Ryoichiro Arai and Momotaro Sato. It describes the silk and trade ventures that linked Japan and New York.

Commentary

• The Sixties Pass on Historic Note, by Jerry Enomoto, page 2. National JACL President Jerry Enomoto reflects on the Centennial year, the JACL position paper on Okinawa, and the Wakamatsu Centennial activities. He calls for continued community betterment and intergroup understanding as the organization moves forward.
• The Christmas Story, Human and Divine, by Father Clement, page 2. A Christmas meditation contrasting the human tenderness of the nativity with its divine meaning in the Word made flesh. It concludes that Christmas must be lived in human hearts every day.
• Tuneful Reflections on the Issei Legacy, by Roy Yoshida, page 15. This commentary argues that JACL and the Placer chapter should honor the Issei pioneers and their sacrifices. It criticizes the failure of later members to sustain the memorial project.
• Enryo and Nisei Attitudes, page 20. This commentary discusses the Nisei tendency toward enryo, or self-restraint, and its effect on community participation. It argues that Japanese Americans must become more assertive in civic life.
• The Japanese American Attainment of Maturity, page 21. This essay urges Japanese Americans to move beyond self-preservation toward contributions in culture, international relations, and human affairs. It calls on the JACL to guide members toward civil rights involvement.
• Why the PC: A Message from the Editor, page 22. The editor explains the Pacific Citizen’s role in serving Japanese Americans and reporting community news. It urges readers to support the paper through subscriptions and contributions.

National

• New Pacific Era Inaugurated, page 2. This piece reviews the political maturity of JACL and the changed status of Japanese Americans during the year, including Japan’s rise as an industrial power. It also notes the Title II repeal effort gaining congressional support.

Community

• Missions Establish First Language Schools for Issei, by R. Ackerman, page 4. The article traces the founding of Japanese language schools, beginning with the first gakuen in San Francisco in 1897. It explains how mission schools initially taught English and later added Japanese instruction to bridge generations.
• Issei Centenarian Nisabura Aibara Honored During Japan Week, by Lee Fremstad, page 4. Nisaburo Aibara of Turlock, one of the oldest Issei, received a testimonial from Japan’s consul general during San Francisco’s Japan Week. The article recounts his pioneering career as a veterinarian and community leader.
• San Mateo Issei Remembered, by William Nosaka, page 4. This piece describes the Japanese settlers of San Mateo, from early domestic and nursery work to the chrysanthemum industry. It highlights the community’s postwar return and growth.
• Eden Township JACL Honors Issei Pioneers, page 4. The Eden Township chapter lists its officers for 1970 alongside honors for Issei over age 80. The page also records local business and community notices tied to the centennial.
• Placer County Honors Pioneers, by Roy Yoshida, page 5. Placer County JACL revived its memorial project honoring Okei Ito and the Wakamatsu colonists after years of inactivity. The article describes the monument dedication and the chapter’s centennial observance.
• Imperial Valley Japanese Pioneers, page 5. The article traces Japanese settlement in Imperial Valley from 1904, when early arrivals leased land, through the growth of vegetable and cotton farming. It describes the community’s expansion and businesses.
• Sacramento Issei Barbers’ Union and Early Business, page 8. The article describes Japanese business organizations in Sacramento, including the barbers’ union and boarding house association. It notes the community’s organization and its prosperity by 1909.
• Stockton’s Delta Farming and George Shima, by Norman D. Shumway, page 8. This piece traces the growth of Stockton’s Japanese community and its delta farming, featuring George Shima, the ‘Potato King.’ It describes the community’s businesses and early institutions.
• Seabrook Farms and the Japanese Relocation Story, by Ellen Nakamura, page 9. This article describes the wartime resettlement of Japanese Americans to Seabrook Farms in New Jersey. It recounts the arrival of families, the JACL chapter’s formation, and the citizenship naturalization of Issei.
• Japanese Oysters Flourish in Washington, page 11. This article reports on Japanese oyster cultivation in Washington’s Puget Sound as an offshoot of Issei farming and fishing. It describes the role of the industry in the state’s economy.
• Japanese Christmas Greetings from Chapters Across the Country, page 14. This page is a collection of holiday greetings and roster listings from JACL chapters in Fresno, Sacramento, Oakland, and elsewhere. It primarily records names of members and supporters.

JACL

• JACL Token Wakamatsu Coins to Be Given to Issei Over 80, by Dr. Roy M. Nishikawa, page 5. The article explains that about 2,400 Wakamatsu Centennial medallions were presented to Issei over 80 and Nisei over 70 as tokens of gratitude. It thanks chapters and staff for assembling the names and distributing the coins.

Military & Veterans

• Japanese Language School in Colusa, page 7. This piece covers community life in Colusa, including the Japanese association, churches, and cultural programs. It notes the wartime evacuation and the loss of the community’s institutions.
• The Military Intelligence Service and the 442nd, by William Hosokawa, page 12. Hosokawa recounts how Nisei soldiers in the 442nd and Military Intelligence Service earned distinction in Europe and the Pacific. He argues that their record helped secure acceptance for Japanese Americans after the war.
• Japanese Immigrants in Early Imperial Valley and San Mateo, page 15. The article covers Japanese labor and farming in Imperial Valley and the Japanese presence in San Mateo. It includes figures on population and occupational patterns.
• Importance of Micronesia to the U.S., by Joshua C. Murphy, page 58. This article examines the strategic importance of Guam and the Micronesian islands to the United States and Japan. It describes the living conditions of Trust Territory islanders and the question of their future status.

Arts & Entertainment

• Japanese Christmas Cards and Holiday Traditions, page 22. This article describes Christmas holiday customs among Japanese American families and the cultural blending of traditions. It includes brief personal recollections from community members.

Obituaries

• Dr. Jokichi Takamine: Issei Scientist and Cultural Ambassador, by N. K. Songan, page 57. This tribute recounts the life of chemist Jokichi Takamine, who discovered adrenalin and worked to strengthen U.S.-Japan relations. It describes his industrial work, his cherry tree gift, and his final resting place in New York.

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