Immigration bill passes the Senate, and a JACL convention in Philadelphia

Vol. 61, No. 13, September 24, 1965. 4 pages. View this issue

The U.S. Senate passed the Administration’s immigration bill 76-18, eliminating race as a prerequisite for immigration for the first time since 1882. Washington JACL Representative Mike Masaoka wrote to Sen. Thomas Kuchel urging his vote, and his column looked at how the bill moved through the Senate. The front page also recalled Issei and Nisei success stories from the Midwest and East, told at the EDC-MDC JACL convention in Philadelphia over Labor Day weekend by Joe Grant Masaoka of the Japanese American Research Project. Masao Satow described his travels with him in a column.

Other pages in this four-page issue include talks between Southern California JACLers and Negro community leaders after the Watts riots, a California Supreme Court test of Proposition 14, and Carol Hasegawa on what adult JACLers could learn from Jr. JACL. Elmer Ogawa wrote about young adult membership in Seattle, and Tamotsu Murayama reported from Tokyo. The item on Lt. Gen. Lucian Truscott’s death noted his command of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.

What’s in this issue

National

• Senate Passes Immigration Bill 76-18, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The U.S. Senate passed the Administration’s immigration bill by a vote of 76-18, eliminating race as a prerequisite for immigration for the first time since 1882. Full details of the historic action were promised for the following week’s issue.
• Sen. Kuchel Support Asked by JACL for Immigration Bill, page 1. As the Senate neared a climax in debate on immigration legislation, Washington JACL Representative Mike Masaoka addressed a letter to Sen. Thomas Kuchel of California urging active leadership and a vote for the pending immigration bill. The nine-page summary noted that the bill’s principles were consistent with the statesmanlike view Kuchel had espoused.
• Canadian Nisei Bids for Liberal M.P. Seat, page 1. A Nisei in Canada is bidding for a Liberal Member of Parliament seat in the Okanagan region. Details on the candidate’s campaign were reported briefly in the issue.
• High Court Test of Prop. 14 Scheduled, page 1. Proposition 14, California’s anti-fair housing initiative, is scheduled for a high court test before the California Supreme Court, with cases from Los Angeles, Santa Ana, Fresno, San Jose, and Sacramento consolidated for the hearing. Opponents argue the measure violates constitutional rights while both sides express optimism about the outcome.
• Visas Forbidden for Abortions in Japan, page 3. A recent referendum discouraging women from traveling to Japan for abortions prompted the local Japanese Consulate to clarify its visa policy. Abortions remain permitted under certain conditions in Japan, according to the report from Honolulu.
• Freer Medal Honoree, page 3. Professor Yukio Yashiro was awarded the Smithsonian Institution’s Charles Lang Freer Medal for outstanding work in Oriental Art, established in 1956. He is the first Oriental scholar to receive the award and will accompany a tour of Japanese national art treasures in North America.

In-Depth

• Issei-Nisei Success Stories in Midwest-East Recollected, page 1. At the recent EDC-MDC JACL convention in Philadelphia over Labor Day weekend, Japanese American Research Project History Project Administrator Joe Grant Masaoka discussed numerous success stories of Issei and Nisei in the Midwest and East. Examples included Issei horticulturist Kotaro Saito of Miami, recently inducted into the city’s Hall of Fame, and Dr. Jokichi Takamine, discoverer of vitamin B.

Community

• Southern California JACLers Implement Grass-Root Level Dialogues on Negro-Japanese Relations, page 1. Following the Watts riots, JACL held an exploratory meeting with Negro community leaders, including Rev. James Hargett of the Congregational Christian Churches and Frank Chuman of the L.A. County Commission on Human Relations, to discuss Negro-Japanese relations tensions and ways to improve communication. Topics discussed included business opportunities, intra-professional meetings, and joint community projects such as scholarships and tutorial programs.
• Japanese Brush Painting Entitled ‘Glorious Struggle’ Displayed at EDCMDC Convention, page 1. A Japanese brush painting titled ‘Glorious Struggle’ was displayed at the recent EDCMDC JACL convention in Philadelphia. Frank Oda served as NC-WNDC History Project chairman for the related Japanese American Research Project.
• Immigrant Documentary Being Filmed in Hawaii, page 1. In Honolulu, filmmaker and cameraman Shigeru Yamashiro is filming a documentary of Okinawan immigrant life on the island of Kauai, focusing on the Okinawan community. The Okinawans recently celebrated the 60th anniversary of their immigration to Hawaii, and the film aims to preserve a record of immigrant tradition and the hardships they faced, including farming and labor.
• Promotion in IRS, page 1. George Kato of Bountiful, Salt Lake City, was recently promoted to group supervisor with the local Internal Revenue Service district office. The brief item notes his new position within the IRS.
• Nisei Back at Books After Spending Summer at Vietnam Aid Mission, page 1. William Kishaba and Mrs. Teresa Kishaba are mentioned regarding their return from a summer spent in Vietnam performing aid mission work before returning to academic life. The item notes their involvement over the summer break before resuming their studies.
• Little Tokyoite: Silk, Subscriptions, and Dr. Kobayashi’s New Medical Building, page 3. A column covering several topics: American teenage girls’ unfamiliarity with silk per a textile trade association report, a humorous account of escalating magazine subscription renewal offers, and a note on Dr. Thomas K. Kobayashi’s new $600,000 Fillmore Medical Building construction in Denver with a target completion of July 1966. Dr. Kobayashi, a Nisei native of a Colorado coal-mining town, is noted as prominent in bridge-playing circles as well as medicine.
• Army Couple Seek Aloha from Hawaii for Orphan, page 3. An Army couple stationed with the 25th Infantry Division’s Wolfhound regiment adopted a child from the Osaka Holy Family Home who came to Hawaii in May as guests. The couple decided to adopt the girl after seeing her dressed up during a visit.
• American Chick Sexing School Enrollment, page 3. Students from Latin America, Canada, and the U.S. are enrolled at the American Chick Sexing School in Lansdale, Pa., with demand for the school’s 1,000th graduate students increasing worldwide according to director George Okazaki. Lucrative jobs remain open and awaiting graduates as the enrollment period nears closing.
• Holiday-Stardust Bowl Open House Set Oct. 2, page 3. Holiday-Stardust Bowl near the Freeway Department store in West Covina will host an open house on Oct. 2 at 1 p.m. with refreshments and hors d’oeuvres, according to Harley Kori. The bowling establishment in West Covina is among the Los Angeles area’s bowling centers.
• NC-WNDC Executives in Action, by Bill Matsumoto, page 4. A column covering Northern California-Western Nevada District Council executive committee activities, including discussion of Blue Cross hospital plans and 1000 Club membership drives. Chairman Taketa announced plans for the fourth quarterly meeting to be held in Reno, with various chapter officers and committee members mentioned.
• Northwest Picture: Young Adult Memberships Eyed, by Elmer Ogawa, page 4. The Seattle JACL has created a new ‘president-elect’ position to groom young adult leadership, with Dr. Terry Toda re-elected and Frank Iwasaki, an electronics engineer, chosen for the new role. The column discusses efforts to attract young adult membership and increase involvement beyond just the Nisei generation.
• History Project Author Notes Issei and Nisei Stories Nearing Completion, page 4. Joe Grant Masaoka of the Japanese American Research Project discusses his ongoing efforts collecting Issei and Nisei stories for the history project, including interviews conducted during his trip to Philadelphia for the EDC-MDC convention. He notes several community contacts helping with his research across various chapters.
• Philadelphia Story Winner Enrolls at FSC, page 4. A winner of the Philadelphia essay contest has enrolled at Fresno State College following the recognition of their work. Brief details on the student’s academic plans were included.

Commentary

• Boxman’s Holiday, by Masao W. Satow, page 1. National JACL Director Masao Satow reflects on his recent travels through the Midwest and East, accompanying Joe Grant Masaoka to Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia, New York City, and Washington D.C. for JACL meetings. He recounts the warmth and hospitality shown by chapter members and reminisces about visiting historic sites including the Washington Monument and Mount Vernon with the group.
• Washington Newsletter: A Good Deal, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Mike Masaoka’s column discusses the progress of the Senate immigration bill, noting that by the time readers see the column the Senate will likely have passed its version of the immigration legislation. He highlights Sen. Edward Kennedy’s role managing the floor debate on behalf of his late brother President Kennedy’s original 1963 immigration reform proposal.
• Frankly Speaking: Learning from the Jr. JACLers, by Carol Hasegawa, page 2. Carol Hasegawa suggests that adult JACLers could learn from the categories of activities being considered by Jr. JACL, including service, civic responsibility, education, and culture operating within the framework of the broader community. She argues JACL energies should extend beyond membership betterment to serve community and personal problems of non-Japanese as well.
• Tokyo Topics: Anti-Communist League Conference, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 2. Murayama reports on the 11th Asian Peoples Anti-Communist League conference held in Taipei beginning Sept. 7, drawing delegates from numerous Asian nations plus observers from the Americas and Europe including ex-Congressman Walter Judd. He notes concerns about communist propaganda influencing Japanese youth and misreporting by Japanese vernacular press of the conference proceedings.

JACL

• MDC-EDC Continue Support for Youth Aims, page 1. The Eastern and Midwest District Councils of JACL continue to emphasize youth programs and involvement, with renewed enthusiasm following the joint EDC-MDC convention in Philadelphia over Labor Day. Despite earlier organizational difficulties after the Detroit convention, youth spirit and drive now appear to be building toward stronger participation.
• JACL, Jr. JACL Delegates Attend National Conference on Citizenship, page 3. Alice Sano, Joyce Fujii and Karen Sami represented National JACL at the 21st Annual National Conference on Citizenship in Washington, while Jr. JACL delegates represented the Eastern and Midwest district councils. Speakers included Chancellor Franklin D. Murphy of UCLA, who also praised Japanese Americans for their support of a UCLA fund-raising effort acknowledging over $25,000 from Nisei alumni.

Incarceration & Redress

• Francis E. Walter Memorial Fund Contributions Acknowledged, page 1. The $600 contribution gathered through JACL for the Francis E. Walter Memorial Hall at the Moravian Seminary for Girls in Bethlehem, Pa. was acknowledged by the fund director. Sen. Dan Inouye, honorary national co-chairman along with Yeaman Minami of Guadalupe, Calif., was pleased to note the classroom will be used to teach Japanese among other subjects.

Arts & Entertainment

• Seiji Ozawa Starts as Toronto Symphony Conductor, page 3. Seiji Ozawa began his job this week as the new permanent conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, though he will maintain a multi-country existence as his trans-Atlantic career continues. After October he stays in Toronto until December when he leaves for guest appearances in Philadelphia and Tokyo.
• Canadian Nisei Artist Exhibited at Sao Paulo Show, page 3. Fay Kiyooka of Vancouver, B.C. won honorable mention in the eighth Sao Paulo Biennale art exhibition, one of only a few Canadian artists representing Canada in the show. Kiyooka, born in 1912 in Moose Jaw, Sask., was represented by eight paintings in the exhibition.

Military & Veterans

• Lt. Gen. Truscott, Who Commanded 442nd Men, Dies, page 3. Lt. Gen. Lucian Truscott, who commanded the 442nd Regimental Combat Team in Europe during World War II, died recently. The brief notes his military career and connection to the Nisei soldiers under his command.

Sports

• Cal Nisei Championship Golf Tourney Set, page 3. A California Nisei championship golf tournament has been scheduled, according to a brief announcement. Details of the event location and date were provided in the item.

Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.