Vol. 52, No. 25, June 23, 1961. 4 pages. View this issue
The Berkeley JACL’s vacant Haste Street property was the lead story of this four-page issue. George Yasukochi reported that members would decide at a special meeting whether to sell the site of the chapter’s old headquarters, with the proceeds going to an endowment fund. Mike Masaoka’s series on the wartime decision-making, “Command Decision: Evacuation,” continued with its fourth part, covering February 1942 deliberations among War Department officials and General DeWitt. Bill Hosokawa gave Denver readers his views of the Kennedy-Ikeda talks.
Elsewhere, Larry Tajiri wrote about an Omaha JACL effort to repeal a Nebraska law voiding marriages across racial lines, and about Nisei actors in A Majority of One. Saburo Kido’s history series reached the 1934 national convention. Scholarship awards, graduate dinners and Nisei Week plans filled the community pages, and Masao Satow urged members to write their own letters to legislators about fair housing.
What’s in this issue
Community
- Berkeley JACL to Vote on Proposal to Sell Haste St. Property, by George Yasukochi, page 1. The Berkeley JACL membership will decide at a special meeting whether to sell its vacant Haste Street property, once the site of its headquarters. The board of trustees, building committee and chapter board recommend the sale, with proceeds going to an endowment fund.
- Two Graduates Cited by East L.A. JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Margaret Sumiko Kikuta of Roosevelt High and Linda Sugimoto of Garfield High received East Los Angeles JACL scholarships. The awards were selected by faculty advisers at both schools.
- Mrs. Kodani Re-elected Community Relations Chairman, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Ruth Kodani was unanimously re-elected chairman of the Community Relations Conference of Southern California for a consecutive term. The announcement was made at a banquet.
- Sacramento 1000 Club Member to Build 77-Unit Garden Apartment, by P.C. Staff, page 1. George Tambara and Associates will build the 77-unit, $700,000 Markston Apartments at Arden Way and Markston St. The development includes recreational areas and was designed by Seattle architect John Y. Sato.
- East L.A. Sansei Passes Exams for Naval Academy, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Gary Mayetani of Los Angeles passed the United States Naval Academy examinations and will begin his four-year course at Annapolis. A Garfield High graduate, he was active in student government, sports and the Key Club.
- JACLer Heads Schools Employees’ Council, by P.C. Staff, page 1. George Fujita of West Los Angeles was elected chairman of the United Classified Employees’ Council of the Los Angeles City School Districts. The council represents about 10,000 members.
- Nisei Scholarship Awarded Valued at $24,000, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Ken Muraoka of C.K. McClatchy High School received a scholarship worth $6,000 a year for four years to study science. The award was reported as the highest given to a high school graduate in the United States that semester.
- Cler Donates Land to City for Road Extension, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Fremont opened the Durham Road extension built on land donated by San Jose attorney Steven Nakashima. The road provides access to Fremont’s industrial areas and the planned General Motors plant.
- Gov. Brown to Lead Nisei Week Parade, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Governor Edmund G. Brown and Mrs. Brown accepted an invitation to serve as grand marshals of the 21st annual Nisei Week parade in Los Angeles on August 20. The Nisei Week queen committee also announced its contest entry deadline.
- Nisei Week Talent Show Issues First Call, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Jim Higashi, talent show chairman, issued the first call for amateur performers for the Nisei Week show at Koyasan Hall on August 21. Competition will be divided into three age groups with trophies for winners.
- Nisei Gives Views on Ikeda Visit, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A short item notes Nisei-related community news and events of the week. Additional local coverage appears on this page.
- Issei Story Project Chairmen Named, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. National JACL Director Harry K. Honda reports on meetings with local chapters about the Issei Story project and names chapter chairmen in the Idaho-Snake River district. He describes the project’s goals and progress.
- Nisei Attorneys on Both Sides of Key Civil Rights Case, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Gardena attorney Tosh Hiraide and Los Angeles attorney David J. Lee were on opposite sides of an appeal involving Marco D. Johnson, convicted of filing a false police report. The Appellate Department upheld the appeal, ruling that citizens have a constitutional right to petition for redress against police.
- Mrs. Ito Named Board Member for Santa Ana Retarded Children Group, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The So-Phis Nisei women’s group of Orange County donated $500 to the Orange County Association for Retarded Children. Dorothy Takai, installed as officer, led the cabinet for 1961-62.
- Judge Wong Guest of DILA Luncheon, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Delbert Wong, the first Chinese American appointed a judge in California, will speak at the Downtown Los Angeles JACL luncheon. He was appointed to the Los Angeles Municipal Court by Governor Brown in 1958.
- Fremont JACL to Honor 15 Local Graduates, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Fremont JACL will host a Chinese dinner at Mandarin Tea Gardens to honor 15 local graduates. The graduates range from grammar school to college.
- Alameda JACL Fetes 21 Local Graduates, by Hi Akagi, page 4. The Alameda JACL presented graduation gifts to 21 Nisei June graduates, including high school and college students. Anna Towata chaired the gift committee.
- Sacramento JACL Announces Scholarship Plans, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Sacramento JACL will award a scholarship to an outstanding local Nisei high school graduate based on scholastic achievement, activities and need. Applications are accepted through Aki Muraoka at Sumitomo Bank in Sacramento.
National
- Nisei Gives Views of JFK-Ikeda Talks to Denver Readers, by Bill Hosokawa, page 1. Denver Post columnist Bill Hosokawa commented on the Kennedy-Ikeda talks, hoping they strengthen U.S.-Japan understanding. He reviewed issues including communism, trade with Japan and Red China, and Japanese defense expansion.
- Six Cases of Interest to Nisei Decided by Supreme Court, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Supreme Court’s final decisions of the 1960-61 term included rulings on religious freedom, race relations, loyalty security, free speech and criminal procedure. The analysis by the Washington JACL Office discusses their significance for Japanese Americans.
- Director’s Report: Los Angeles Office Changes, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. Honda reports on the resignation of Marie Sugita as Southern California regional office secretary and the appointment of Pearl Mugishima. He also notes the forthcoming arrival of Jim Hiraoka as regional director effective July 1.
Incarceration & Redress
- Command Decision: Evacuation, Part 4, by Mike Masaoka, page 1. This installment covers February 1942 deliberations among War Department officials and General DeWitt over removing Japanese Americans from the West Coast. It describes internal disagreement over mass evacuation versus limited measures.
Commentary
- Summertime in Central California as Breeding Ground for Juvenile Problems, by Thomas Toyama, page 1. Toyama argues that many rural Central California parents wrongly believe Nisei youth problems do not exist. He catalogs a series of serious juvenile crimes committed by local Nisei over the past decade.
- Letters to the Editor, page 2. Readers wrote in response to earlier coverage of Memorial Day grave decorations for Nisei soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The Washington D.C. chapter clarified that all 20 Nisei graves there were visited and decorated.
- Oriental Reticence?, by Masao Satow, page 2. Satow comments on the failure of a state Senate committee to pass a watered-down fair housing bill. He urges JACL members to write their own letters to legislators rather than relying on chapter leaders.
- Los Angeles Newsletter, by Henry Mori, page 4. Mori comments on the upcoming Los Angeles gubernatorial race and reports on Frank Omatsu’s return from a Sumitomo Bank-sponsored trip to Japan. Omatsu describes the bank’s facilities and the Sumitomo bronze collection he viewed.
- Nebraska Anti-Miscegenation Law Draws JACL Repeal Effort, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The Omaha JACL is organizing support to repeal a Nebraska statute voiding marriages between white persons and those of one-eighth or more Japanese, Negro, or Chinese ancestry. Chapter president Mike Watanabe outlines steps including lobbying senators and securing an attorney to draft repeal legislation.
Obituaries
- High School Award Named for Penryn Nisei Dr. Kay Kashiwabara, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A perpetual trophy was given to Del Oro High School in memory of Dr. Kay Kashiwabara, a Penryn dentist who died while serving as Boy Scout troop scoutmaster. He was also Placer County JACL chapter president.
- Sequoia JACL Membership Honors, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The East Palo Alto team won the Sequoia JACL membership drive by recruiting 31 new members. The chapter reached an all-time high of 276 members.
In-Depth
- The Mormon Hospitality Recalled, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A history column recounts the 1872 visit of 47 Japanese officials to Salt Lake City, where they were snowbound for three weeks. The article suggests the warm reception from Brigham Young and the LDS community may have shaped later Issei settlement.
- Part VI: Early JACL Convention Proceedings, by Saburo Kido, page 4. This installment of the JACL history series covers the 1934 National Convention in San Francisco, including debates over proportional representation and resolutions on anti-communism, headquarters location and the Pacific Citizen. It also records the first elected national officers.
Sports
- Nisei Rasslers Making Big Hit in Japan, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 2. Nisei professional wrestlers the Great Togo and Toshi Togo are drawing large crowds in Japan with their bloody, grueling matches. Japanese newspapers have praised their contribution to the growth of professional wrestling there.
Arts & Entertainment
- Vagaries: A Majority of One Film Preview, by Larry Tajiri, page 3. Tajiri reviews advance screenings at Warner Bros. of films including A Majority of One, which features several Nisei actors. He describes the casting and the production’s authentic Japanese sets.
JACL
- 1000 Club Notes, by P.C. Staff, page 4. National JACL Headquarters reported four new and 58 renewing members in the 1000 Club for the first half of June. Members are listed by chapter and years of membership.
- White River Valley Installation Inspires; Pre-War Presidents Attend, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The White River Valley Civic League installed its officers at the Farm Inn in Auburn, Washington, marking the reactivation of a chapter disbanded in 1942. Former prewar presidents attended the event along with 108 guests.
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.