The 1960 holiday issue: JACL year in review, Issei stories and chapter reports

Vol. 51, No. 26, December 23, 1960. 80 pages. View this issue

The year’s end brought a look back at what JACL had done and who had done it. Mike M. Masaoka reported on the Washington office and on the completion of the evacuation claims program, and Masao Satow reviewed the national organization’s 1959-60 biennium. Bill Hosokawa wrote a fictional Issei story, and George A. DeVos and Sandy Ina turned to the Sansei generation and the cultural heritage they would inherit. The editors also announced that JACL members’ dues would include a Pacific Citizen subscription starting in January 1961.

Chapter reports fill much of the issue, from East Los Angeles, Cleveland, Seattle, Salt Lake City and Fowler, among others. Seattle JACL looked ahead to hosting the 1962 National Convention. Other pieces include Henry Mori’s profile of Gongoro Nakamura and an account of the 1909 Hawaii sugar strike. About 51 of the issue’s 80 pages carry holiday greetings.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Ye Editor’s Desk, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The editors thank their correspondents across the country for their work during 1960 and note that the Pacific Citizen will skip its last week of the year and change format in 1961. The paper also explains that JACL members’ dues now include a subscription to the paper starting in January 1961.
• Issei Story: Nobody Knows This Man, by Bill Hosokawa, page 1. Hosokawa tells the story of an aging Issei man attending a community appreciation night, reflecting on his youth in Japan, his struggles as an immigrant laborer, wartime incarceration, and postwar rebuilding. The piece is a fictional composite of Issei life across generations.
• Our Cultural Heritage, by Marie Kurihara, page 5. Kurihara introduces a speech by Sandy Ina and Dr. De Vos’s article on cultural traditions, arguing that understanding positive aspects of Japanese heritage helps Nisei and Sansei accept themselves. She urges readers to study and value their heritage.
• Cultural Traditions and the Acculturation Process of Japanese Americans, by George A. DeVos, page 5. DeVos discusses how Japanese cultural traditions such as family cohesion, educational emphasis, religious tolerance, artistic sensibility, and filial obligation shaped Japanese American acculturation. He argues these traditions have contributed positively to American society.
• Is This For My Kids?, by Elmer Ogawa, page 19. Elmer Ogawa profiles Eddie Shimomura, a Seattle JACLer appointed to the city’s Theatre Board of Supervisors, and describes how the board classifies films rather than censors them. The piece examines the history of movie censorship and the board’s work.

National

• Major Nisei Problems of WW2 Resolved, by Mike M. Masaoka, page 1. Masaoka’s Washington office report reviews the completion of the evacuation claims and citizenship recovery programs, and Hawaii’s statehood as a new chapter for JACL. He notes that the major remaining postwar legal problems appear largely settled.
• National Director’s Report: 1959-60, by Masao Satow, page 1. Satow reviews the national organization’s 1959-60 biennium, including the new 1960-70 Planning Commission, membership and 1000 Club growth, legislative work, scholarships, and budgeting challenges. He calls for greater chapter commitment and fuller support of national programs.

Incarceration & Redress

• Highlight of Past Biennium: Evacuation Claims Program, by Mike M. Masaoka, page 3. This section details the history of the Japanese American Evacuation Claims Program, from its 1948 enactment through the compromise amendments and final awards. It concludes that more than three times Dillon Myer’s estimated payout was ultimately awarded.
• Issei Story: Gongoro Nakamura, by Henry Mori, page 7. Henry Mori profiles Gongoro Nakamura, an Okinawan-born Issei leader who came to America in 1906, worked his way through school, and became one of the first naturalized Issei in Los Angeles in 1953. The profile covers his legal career, wartime hardship, and later community leadership.
• Chapter Report: Downtown L.A., by Eiji Tanabe, page 10. This is a continuation of the Downtown Los Angeles chapter history under Katsuma Mukaeda, covering early anti-Japanese agitation in San Francisco and the 1905 school segregation resolution. The report draws parallels between past and present segregation issues.
• Light in Darkness, by Sister M. Denise, O.P., page 15. Sister Denise describes the Maryknoll Hospital and Sanatorium in Monrovia, established for Japanese patients in 1930, and its work during evacuation. She highlights new hospital facilities, donations from Japanese friends, and a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes from Japan.

In-Depth

• Watch the Sansei Generation, by George A. DeVos, page 4. Sociologist George DeVos examines Japanese traditions in rural social organization, agriculture, education, and religion that continue to shape Japanese Americans. He argues that these traditions helped Japanese Americans adapt to American life and suggests the Sansei will face fewer barriers than earlier generations.
• Hawaii’s Great Japanese Strike, by Take and Allan Beekman, page 9. The article chronicles the 1909 Hawaiian sugar plantation strike led by Japanese workers demanding higher wages and equal treatment. It covers the Higher Wage Association, the opposition of newspaper editor Sheba, the arrests and trial of the organizers, and the eventual achievement of wage reforms.

JACL

• Youth in Future of JACL, by Sandy Ina, page 5. Sandy Ina’s speech traces the history of Japanese immigrants from the Issei pioneers through the founding of JACL and the wartime evacuation. She calls on Sansei youth to maintain their citizenship rights and support JACL and their cultural heritage.

Community

• Chapter Report: East Los Angeles JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The East Los Angeles chapter closed its 12th year under its first female president, Mabel Yoshizaki, with an installation dinner, an Easter egg hunt, scholarship awards to Roosevelt High School, and a successful teriyaki booth at the International Day Festival. Members also attended the national convention in Sacramento.
• Chapter Report: Cortez JACL, by Mae Kajioka, page 8. Cortez JACL, under president Frank Yoshida, revived a community swimming pool project and held a range of activities including a fishing derby, a community picnic, scholarships, and a Striped Bass Derby. The chapter placed third in the NCWNDC chapter-of-the-year award.
• Chapter Report: Downtown L.A. JACL, by Eiji Tanabe, page 10. The Downtown Los Angeles chapter’s outgoing president Katsuma Mukaeda led the chapter through the centennial of U.S.-Japan friendship. The report also traces the early history of Little Tokyo and the anti-Japanese agitation of the 1900s.
• Chapter Report: West Los Angeles JACL, by Emi Tokunaga, page 16. The West Los Angeles chapter, led by Akira Ohno, served youth and community through a forum on juvenile delinquency, a family fun night, an Issei appreciation night, and a junior track meet. Its 1961 planning looked ahead to continued service.
• West L.A. Auxiliary Enjoys Full Year of Varied Fun, Activities, by Chieko Inouye, page 16. The West Los Angeles JACL Auxiliary reports on a year of community service including Girl Scout troop sponsorship, a cancer fund drive, a benefit dance, and visits to Issei patients. The Auxiliary also elected new officers for 1961.
• Chapter Report: Sonoma County JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 17. Sonoma County JACL marked many firsts in 1960, including a chow mein benefit dinner for a high school exchange fund, a record early membership drive, and a national youth oratorical win by William Hayashi. The chapter also held picnics, bowling, and holiday events.
• Chapter Report: Seabrook JACL, by Ayako Nakamura, page 18. The Seabrook JACL reports a year of events including Issei recognition, Brotherhood Week participation, an oratorical contest, a community picnic, and the installation of new officers. The chapter also highlighted its Eagle Scout and youth activities.
• Monterey Peninsula JACL Honors 165 Issei, by P.C. Staff, page 20. The Monterey Peninsula JACL held a testimonial banquet for 165 Issei pioneers in October, presenting each with a scroll. The chapter also held a New Year’s Eve party, a Kaiwo Maru visitors picnic, and other community events during the year.
• Fowler JACL 1960 Activities, by P.C. Staff, page 21. The Fowler chapter reports a busy 1960 with a fishing derby, a Japanese movie benefit, a community picnic, a scholarship presentation, and a Christmas children’s party. Members also attended the national convention and a testimonial for Congressman Daniel Inouye.
• Chapter Report: Cleveland JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 22. Cleveland JACL’s 1960 program included a Board of Advisors, a trip to Washington D.C., an Issei honoring night, the formation of a Junior JACL chapter, and the Sho Jo Ji children’s dance troupe. The chapter also expanded its scholarship and fundraising efforts.
• Chapter Report: Mt. Olympus JACL, by Pat Kiyoguchi, page 22. Mt. Olympus JACL in Salt Lake City reports on the 1960 year, including installation dinners, Parents Appreciation Night, a Jr. JACL group, the sudden death of president Kiyo Matsumori, and the installation of new 1961 officers.
• Chapter Report: Salt Lake City JACL, by Pat Kiyoguchi, page 23. Salt Lake City JACL marks its 25th anniversary, tracing its history from a 1935 founding through wartime service and legislative work on Utah’s alien land law. It honors past presidents and friends who supported Japanese Americans.

Military & Veterans

• Chapter Report: Seattle JACL, by Elmer Ogawa, page 19. Seattle JACL prepares to host the 1962 National Convention during the Century 21 World’s Fair and Seafair festival. The report describes the Mayor’s welcome and the chapter’s plans for the convention.
• Mike Masaoka Presents Twenty Years of Washington JACL Work, by Mike M. Masaoka, page 24. Masaoka’s Washington office report covers the 1959-60 period, detailing legislation on immigration, civil rights, vested property, the Japanese Treaty, derogatory films, census race questions, and public relations efforts. He concludes with a reflection on the ongoing challenges facing Japanese Americans amid renewed anti-Japanese sentiment.

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.