Apartheid, a Sacramento convention and Nisei news, 1960

Vol. 50, No. 17, April 22, 1960. 8 pages. View this issue

An editorial on apartheid in South Africa led this eight-page issue. It described the police violence against protesters and argued that the system was built to keep the black majority subordinate for good. Elsewhere, Mike Masaoka reported that the Civil Rights Act of 1960 was nearly cleared for passage and outlined its six titles. News of the JACL included the announcement that Japan’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Dr. Kota Matsudaira, would speak at the Pioneer Night Banquet of the 16th Biennial JACL Convention in Sacramento on June 29.

Community news covered Kenneth Taira among 337 California scholarship winners, James Kanno’s re-election as mayor of Fountain Valley, and a small claims ruling in Stockton upholding motherhood. Columns include Larry S. Tajiri on early film pioneers and Richard Akagi’s satire on Nisei social habits. Elmer Ogawa wrote about a Seattle athletic club reunion.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• The ‘Apartheid’ — Diabolical System, by H.H., page 1. The editorial condemns South Africa’s apartheid system, describing the police violence against protesters and the laws that strip non-white citizens of freedom and dignity. It argues the system is designed to keep the black majority subordinate permanently rather than as a transitional measure.

Community

• Motherhood Upheld in Small Claims Ruling, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Stockton Municipal Judge Robert Sullivan ruled in favor of Mrs. Frank Sasaki, holding that an insurer could not cancel her medical policy because she became pregnant. The judge said the court favors motherhood and that the sanctity of pregnancy should not be violated by technical interpretations.
• Nisei Among 337 Students Winning State Scholarship, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Kenneth Taira, son of Rev. and Mrs. Kenmyo Taira of the Nichiren Buddhist Church, was one of 337 students chosen for California state scholarships. He was the only Bay Area Nisei on the list.
• James Kanno Re-elected Fountain Valley Mayor, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Fountain Valley city council re-elected James Kanno as mayor after canvassing the April 12 municipal election ballots. Kanno is an active Orange County JACLer.
• Nisei Bio-Chemist to Share in $86,000 Gov’t Health Grant, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Henry I. Nakada of Scripps Clinic and Dr. Anthony J. Andreoli of Los Angeles State College received an NIH grant of $86,250 for five years of research on mucopolysaccharides. Dr. Nakada, a Los Angeles native, has been on the Scripps staff since 1954.
• Sansei Voted AWS President at COP, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Thais Kishi, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Kishi of Livingston, was elected 1960-61 president of the Associated Women Students at College of the Pacific. She is a junior and the second Japanese American woman to hold the post.
• Sansei Named Delegate to Montana Girls State, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Carol Koyama, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Koyama of Hardin, was chosen by the Hardin High School faculty to attend the 1960 Montana Girls State in Bozeman. She sponsored by the local American Legion Auxiliary.
• Oakland’s Garden Near Completion, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Japanese gardens at Lakeside Park in Oakland are nearing completion and will be dedicated by the city in June. Frank Ogawa, the project co-chairman, said the local JACL chapter will participate in the ceremonies.
• Sonoma County JACL Chow Mein Dinner for High School Exchange Student Fund May 1, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Sonoma County JACL will hold a benefit chow mein dinner on May 1 in Sebastopol to raise funds for the Analy High School exchange student program. Proceeds will support the exchange program the chapter has sponsored for several years.
• Philadelphia JACL Installs 1960 Officers, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Philadelphia JACL installed its 1960 officers led by chairman Dr. Stanley K. Nagahashi at a March 26 dinner. Speakers Dr. Clarence E. Pickett and Mike Masaoka addressed the Nisei on peace, cultural understanding, and civic responsibility.

National

• Hawaii Democrats Impressed by Kennedy Win in Wisconsin, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Hawaii Democrats were impressed by Sen. John F. Kennedy’s strength in the Wisconsin primary, with national committeeman Dr. Ernest I. Murai saying he leans toward Kennedy. The Hawaiian delegates will go to the Los Angeles convention uninstructed.
• Civil Rights Act of 1960, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. Washington Representative Mike Masaoka reports that the Civil Rights Act of 1960 is nearly cleared for passage and outlines its six titles, including penalties for bombing and obstruction and the voting referee provisions. He notes critics doubt its effectiveness but says it marks a step forward.

JACL

• Japanese Ambassador to U.N. to Address JACL Pioneer Fete, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japan’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Dr. Kota Matsudaira, has accepted an invitation to speak at the Pioneer Night Banquet of the 16th Biennial JACL Convention in Sacramento on June 29. Convention chairman William Matsumoto said it would be the first time a Japanese ambassador addresses a National JACL Convention.

Military & Veterans

• Nisei Pioneer in Serigraphs Exhibits Works at Univ. of Maine, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Francis Hamabe, a New Jersey-born Nisei artist, is exhibiting paintings and serigraphs at the University of Maine’s Memorial Union Building through April 30. Hamabe is also known for his puppetry and has illustrated for national publications.
• Taiyo AC’s Reunion, by Elmer Ogawa, page 7. Elmer Ogawa recounts a reunion of the Seattle Taiyo Athletic Club, a Japanese American athletic club active from the 1920s through the evacuation. The members pledged to meet every four years, and the article recalls the club’s history and rivals.

Arts & Entertainment

• Vagaries, by Larry S. Tajiri, page 3. Tajiri writes about Sessue Hayakawa and Tsuru Aoki, early Japanese American film pioneers still active in Hollywood, and about the film Hell to Eternity featuring a Japanese American family. He also reviews the Denver Hilton’s Japanese-themed opening and the Japanese dancers and Kim Sisters performing there.

In-Depth

• Nisei Novelist in Milwaukee Says Writing Is No Simple Task, by Virginia Williams, page 3. Shelley Ota, a Milwaukee novelist, describes the struggles of writing her novels Upon Their Shoulders and Flower Bride. She reflects on how writing demands perseverance and how her community involvement enriched her life.

Commentary

• East of the River: How to Tell a Nisei from a Rhinoceros (Part II), by Richard Akagi, page 6. Akagi satirically compares Nisei social behavior to that of rhinoceroses, mocking both withdrawn and boisterous party conduct. He ties Nisei social anxiety to the wartime relocation experience that taught them the dangers of congregating.

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