Last call for Yokohama Specie Bank claims, and the UCLA evacuation symposium

Vol. 64, No. 23, June 9, 1967. 6 pages. View this issue

Claims on pre-war yen deposits in the Yokohama Specie Bank led the front page. Issei and Nisei who held certificates were urged to file with the Office of Alien Property right away, and Mike Masaoka explained that people unsure of their eligibility or paperwork should file anyway. A UCLA symposium on the 1942 forced removal drew coverage from Joe Grant Masaoka, who reported historian Roger Daniels and Harry Kitano on why Japanese Americans complied. Jeffrey Matsui, who attended, wrote about it in his column.

Masaoka’s column covered two Supreme Court decisions of May 29, including Afroyim v. Rusk, and suggested the Court might one day revisit Korematsu. Elsewhere, Orange County JACL kept its Nisei Relays cup, San Jose looked for a Miss National JACL for the August 1968 convention, and chapters named scholarship winners. Columns by Bill Hosokawa, Alan Kumamoto and Masao Satow fill out the six pages.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• Yokohama Specie Bank Yen Deposit Claimants Get Final Chance to File, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Issei and Nisei with pre-war yen certificate deposits in the Yokohama Specie Bank were urged to file claims with the Office of Alien Property immediately. Mike Masaoka explained that claimants should file even if uncertain about eligibility or documentation.
• UCLA Symposium on Evacuation: Japanese Tailor-Made for Army Order, Says Kitano, by Joe Grant Masaoka, page 2. A day-long UCLA symposium examined the 1942 Evacuation, with historian Roger Daniels and others describing how military leaders drove the mass removal. Harry Kitano argued the Japanese Americans’ compliance stemmed from political powerlessness, low expectations, and cultural factors.

Community

• Watsonville JACL Project to Beautify Japanese Cemetery, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Watsonville JACL asked the Santa Cruz County Cemetery District to improve the neglected Japanese section of Pioneer Cemetery in Freedom. The plan includes removing damaging trees, re-erecting fallen tombstones, and addressing deteriorated wooden grave markers.
• Five Vie for Miss Harbor, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Five candidates for Miss Harbor will be introduced at the Long Beach-Harbor JACL garden party, with the final judging set for the June 24 coronation ball. The event will also feature sumi-e, crafts, games, and an Aikido demonstration.
• Stockton JACL Honors Scholars, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Stockton JACL awarded $100 scholarships to Ralph Ken Nitta of Stagg High and Gary Fujino of Edison High. Both students were recognized for academic achievement and leadership.
• Sansei Grads Shine, by Hideo Harada, page 3. Snake River Valley JACL highlights Sansei students who were named valedictorians or salutatorians at area high schools despite making up a small percentage of enrollment. The article lists the honorees by school.

JACL

• Miss National JACL Convention, 1968 Being Sought, by P.C. Staff, page 1. San Jose JACL is seeking candidates for Miss National JACL 1968, who will host the August 1968 national convention. Candidates must be single, at least 18, live in Santa Clara County, and join San Jose JACL.

National

• Orange County JACL Retains PSW JACL Nisei Relays Cup, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Orange County JACL’s open-division squad, led by the Nishimoto brothers, retained the Pacific Southwest JACL Nisei Relays championship at Venice High School. Several lower-division records were broken and Orange County retained the Capitol Life Insurance perpetual trophy.

Commentary

• Supreme Court Rule, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Masaoka analyzes two May 29 Supreme Court decisions: Afroyim v. Rusk, restoring citizenship to stranded Nisei and affirming citizenship cannot be stripped without consent, and a ruling striking California’s Proposition 14. He suggests the Court may eventually reverse the Korematsu decision upholding Evacuation.
• The Long Road, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa reflects on his daughter Susan completing her university studies in Boulder and his other children’s educational progress. The column ties their accomplishments to the long journey of raising a family.
• Stepping Stones, by Alan Kumamoto, page 4. Kumamoto questions the role of ethnically oriented Nisei service clubs and whether they serve as stepping stones toward integration or a source of security. He raises whether Sansei will continue these organizations.
• It Did Happen Here, by Jeffrey Matsui, page 4. Matsui recounts attending the UCLA Evacuation symposium and reacts to speakers, including Rev. William Shinto. He takes issue with Shinto’s suggestion that the Bill of Rights may not be reliable, arguing that law is the only protection for minorities.
• We Are People, by Yosh Hotta, page 4. Hotta reflects on attending Sacramento housing hearings and admires Assemblyman McMillan’s fair handling of a charged issue. The column also offers light commentary on a dissenting letter and a family matter.
• Gentlemen’s List, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 4. Murayama describes the Japanese Who’s Who publication Shinshiroku and asks for nominations of Issei and Nisei from the mainland. He lists existing mainland entries grouped by city.
• The East, by Harry K. Honda, page 6. Honda reviews The East, a Japan-published English-language bimonthly magazine, praising its articles on Noh theater, Japanese cuisine, and cultural features. He recommends it as a reference for JACL cultural heritage committees.
• Fair Housing Hearing, A Friend Is Honored, Chapter Birthdays, JACL Japan Tour, by Masao Satow, page 6. National JACL Director Satow reports on fair housing hearings in Sacramento, honors Edward Howden with a Catholic Interracial Council award, and notes Cortez and Omaha chapter anniversaries. He also reports the JACL Japan tour is oversubscribed.
• Kuroki’s Stand, by Berry Suzukida, page 6. A reader responds to Ben Kuroki’s criticism of Nisei intermarriage, disagreeing with his position while defending his right to hold it. The letter reflects on Kuroki’s wartime legacy.

Obituaries

• Tributes to Hawaii Residents Who Passed Away, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Deaths listing notes several residents of Los Angeles and Honolulu who passed away in May 1967. Survivors and family relationships are noted for each.

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