Cherry Blossom queens, a San Jose Japanese garden and JACL membership drives

Vol. 60, No. 11, March 12, 1965. 4 pages. View this issue

Beauty contestants from Los Angeles were greeted in Honolulu on the front page, where Cherry Blossom Festival queen candidates were profiled. Nearby, Phil Matsumura reported on a 6.5-acre Japanese garden taking shape at Kelley Park in San Jose. JACL growth ran through the page too: nearly 1,500 people had enrolled in the JACL-CPS health plan, and the San Francisco chapter reached 1,505 members. Delano’s chapter worked toward a sister-city tie with Arita City.

Inside, Mike Masaoka wrote from Washington about Senator Thomas Kuchel and farm labor policy. Bill Hosokawa’s three columns looked at a Denver street changing hands, the word banzai, and how Japanese taxis cut gasoline use. A Detroit resident’s donation of a WRA film and rescued Masaoka-Ikawa papers went to the Japanese American Research Project. Sports pages covered the Berkeley Jr. JACL basketball tournament.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Cherry Blossom Queen Contestants Arrive in Honolulu for Nisei Week, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Miss Los Angeles Nisei Week contestants were greeted in Honolulu, where Cherry Blossom Festival queen candidates were profiled. The contestants discussed their backgrounds, hobbies, and goals ahead of the Nisei Week festivities.
• Japanese Garden Taking Shape at Kelley Park in San Jose, by Phil Matsumura, page 1. Construction of a 6.5-acre Japanese garden in San Jose’s Kelley Park is progressing, with Oriental shelters and grading completed. Volunteers will plant about 1,800 shrubs and trees donated by local Nisei nurserymen.
• Delano Chapter Works to Affiliate City with Arita City as Sister City, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Delano JACL chapter laid groundwork for Delano to become a sister city with Arita City in Wakayama. A meeting with the mayor is planned for April 2 to discuss the affiliation.
• Troop 12 Celebrates 50th Anniversary, by P.C. Staff, page 1. San Francisco’s Boy Scout Troop 12 will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a banquet at the Scottish Rite auditorium. Former troop members were invited to write for program details.
• Orange County Japanese Become Millionaires as Land Values Rise, but Hard Times Strike Imperial Valley Growers, page 1. Orange County Japanese Americans grew wealthy as land values rose with subdivision growth, while Imperial Valley growers faced hard times. The article traces the history of Japanese American celery, goldfish, and strawberry farming in the region.
• Chapter Presidents Shine as P.R. Agents, by P.C. Staff, page 1. St. Louis JACL chapter presidents have served as public relations figures, including a pediatrician who appeared in a panel discussion. The article highlights local JACL leaders’ civic involvement.
• San Francisco Chapter Enrolls 1,505 Members, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The San Francisco JACL chapter reached a membership of 1,505, the highest for any individual chapter. The growth reflects strong enrollment in the group insurance program.
• Beating Taxes, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. A Japan Air Lines contact investigated mixing gasoline with industrial alcohol in Japan to avoid high taxes, but the idea failed because alcohol is also taxed. Japanese taxis instead switched to liquified propane gas, reducing gasoline consumption by 10 percent.
• Kawana Exhibits Work at Los Angeles Gallery, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Artist Raichi Kawana exhibited his works in Los Angeles. The exhibition drew attention from the local Japanese American community.
• Groundbreaking Rites Set for March 18, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Groundbreaking ceremonies for a new San Francisco Japanese community center were scheduled for March 18. Community leaders were invited to attend the event.

National

• Almost 1,500 in JACL-CPS Health Plan, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Nearly 1,500 people have enrolled in the JACL-CPS health insurance program, with a goal of 600 set for the drive. The enrollment period was extended to April 15 for chapters that requested it.
• Ventura County Lemon Growers Authorized Limited Foreign Farm Worker Use, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Labor Secretary W. Willard Wirtz authorized Ventura County lemon growers to use 600 Japanese and Filipino farm workers for a three-week period. Wirtz also urged growers to recruit American workers and improve wages and conditions.
• Another Stay of Deportation Granted to Cancer Specialist, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Masaaki Kawarski, a Canadian-born Nisei cancer specialist in St. Louis, received another stay of deportation. A private bill introduced by Rep. Thomas B. Curtis would have allowed permanent residency for him.
• Yamanaka Named Chairman of Human Rights Commission, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Washington correspondent Mike Masaoka discusses Senator Thomas Kuchel’s ordeal during a Senate investigation and defends the senator’s record. Masaoka also comments on farm labor policy and the Mexican worker program.

Incarceration & Redress

• Detroiter Contributes WRA Documentary Film to Assist Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Detroit resident donated a WRA documentary film to the Japanese American Research Project at UCLA. The donation supports the project’s collection of wartime evacuee documentation.
• Masaoka-Ikawa Rescued Documents Preserved for History Project, page 2. Documents concerning the Masaoka-Ikawa family and wartime records were rescued and forwarded to the Japanese American Research Project. The materials will assist historians studying the wartime evacuation.

Commentary

• Tested Method for Renewing JACL Membership, by Wild Bill Matsumoto, page 2. A reader describes a membership renewal method used by a Northern California chapter, reporting that drop-outs are few and continuity strong. The approach relies on personal contact with friends and neighbors to recruit members.
• Letter to the Editor: Snoopy’s Pedigree, page 2. A reader writes to the editor in appreciation of the Pacific Citizen and comments on community matters. The letter offers personal perspective on Nisei life.
• Cherry Street Revisited, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Columnist Bill Hosokawa recounts how a Denver neighborhood on Cherry Street changed from white to Black residency as white families sold their homes. He reflects on the fear and panic that accompanied the transition.
• How Times Do Change, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa observes how the word banzai, once associated with Japanese wartime charges, has become a benign term for a miniature tree. He uses the anecdote to reflect on changing American attitudes.

Sports

• Wakabayashi Dies, Former Pitcher, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Former Wakayama pitcher Wakabayashi, a star in Japanese baseball, died after a career with the Yomiuri Giants and other teams. His record and coaching career were recounted in the report.
• Berkeley Jr. JACL Invitational Cage Tourney Set for March 26-28, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Berkeley Jr. JACL will host its annual invitational basketball tournament for high school teams March 26-28 at the Garfield and Berkeley YMCA facilities. The tournament will conclude with an awards dance.

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