A call to end the Senate filibuster, and a year’s end in 1958

Vol. 47, No. 26, December 26, 1958. 8 pages. View this issue

JACL’s push to amend Senate Rule 22 was the main subject of this eight-page issue from the end of 1958. Chapters were urged to write their senators before the 86th Congress convened on Jan. 7, 1959, and a national memo was being sent to 18,000 members. Harold Gordon explained the history of filibusters on page 6, and Mike Masaoka looked at the Judiciary Committees’ prospects for immigration, claims and civil rights bills.

Other pages mark the turn of the year. Bill Hosokawa recalled Christmases in Tokyo and at Heart Mountain, and the Los Angeles Christmas Cheer drive reported a record $2,530. Chapters named new presidents, including Joe Yasaki, Walter Miyao and Hisako Sakata. Larry S. Tojiri profiled Nisei performers on Broadway. Three of the eight pages carry holiday greetings.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• Will It Be a Happy New Year?, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL urges chapters to press senators to amend Senate Rule 22 and end filibusters when the 86th Congress convenes Jan. 7, 1959. A national memo is being circulated to 18,000 members to explain the need for reform.
• Holiday Lull at Headquarters, by Masao Satow, page 2. National Director Masao Satow reports on headquarters work including revising the Chapter President’s Notebook, membership leaflets, and a bequest brochure for the Endowment Fund. He also notes 45 chapters have exceeded their membership quotas.
• Senate Rule 22, by Harold Gordon, page 6. Harold Gordon, chairman of the JACL Legislative-Legal Committee, explains the history of filibusters and why Senate Rule 22 must be amended. He urges members to write their senators before the Jan. 7 opening of Congress.

National

• Filibuster Rule Up for Fight, JACL Urging Liberalization, by JACL News Service, page 1. JACL, working with the National Leadership Conference, launched a letter-writing campaign urging senators to end filibusters when Senate Rule 22 is debated. The memo details how filibusters have blocked Hawaii statehood and weakened civil rights legislation.
• Anti-Miscegenation Law Still on Books for Californians, by P.C. Staff, page 1. NAACP leader Franklin H. Williams noted California’s anti-miscegenation law remains on the books although the State Supreme Court struck it down in 1948. He criticized the legislature for refusing to repeal it.
• Future of Nation’s Prosperity Depends on Full Employment of Minority Groups, by P.C. Staff, page 1. John Y. Yoshino, a member of the President’s Committee on Government Contracts, told a Canton, Ohio audience that meeting 1965 production goals requires fully using minority workers. Speakers at an Equal Opportunity Day program outlined merit rating success stories.

Community

• Henry Suyehira Named to Idaho Advisory Group on Civil Rights, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Henry G. Suyehira of Emmett was elected vice-chairman of the Idaho Advisory Committee for the Intermountain Civil Rights Commission. He is the second Nisei in the nation appointed to assist the national civil rights commission.
• Seabrook Scholar Wins Post-Doctoral Award, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Richard M. Ikeda of Seabrook received a National Science Foundation post-doctoral fellowship in chemistry. He previously earned his B.S. in chemistry and was active in scouting and youth programs.
• Delano Pharmacist Attacked, Robbed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Ernest Takaki, a Delano pharmacist and JACL member, was slugged, bound, and blindfolded by armed robbers who took between $6,000 and $8,000 from his store safe. Police said four men, three Filipinos and one Caucasian, were involved.
• Join Chicago Human Rights Celebration, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Chicago JACL joined human relations groups in celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The civic dinner featured Eleanor Roosevelt as speaker and Adlai Stevenson as emcee.
• Chicago Scholarship Fund Named for Late Matsunaga, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Chicago Jr. JACL scholarship fund was renamed the Tahei Matsunaga Memorial Fund in honor of the late Issei leader. Matsunaga died Nov. 2 in San Francisco after serving six years as Anti-Discrimination Committee leader.
• Gardena Valley JACL Membership Push Set, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Gardena Valley JACL launched an all-out membership campaign starting Jan. 1 led by co-chairmen Tosh Hiraide and Yo Kobata. Plans include a team-captain door-to-door canvass and new youth programs.
• Japanese Sounding Names Not Always So, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Pacific Citizen’s request for Christmas greetings drew a 30 percent response, and one respondent revealed his Japanese-sounding name was actually of Lithuanian origin. The anecdote illustrates how surnames can mislead.
• Nisei Named Hawaiian Senate President, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sen. Nelson K. Doi of Hawaii was named president of the Territorial Senate at a Democratic caucus, though supporters of Herbert Lee predicted his victory would be short-lived. The dispute will be resolved when the Senate reconvenes in February.
• Long Beach Chapter Holds Yuletide Frolic, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Long Beach-Harbor District JACL closed its year with a family Christmas party featuring caroling, movies, and Santa Claus distributing gifts. Grace Nakahara and Fukugi Hirashi organized the event.
• Hits All-Time High at $2,530, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Los Angeles Christmas Cheer Committee reported a record $2,530 in donations, helping about 300 needy Japanese Americans. George Fujita thanked churches, clubs, and individuals for the best drive yet.
• Los Angeles Board Elects Joe Yasaki Chapter President, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Southwest Los Angeles JACL board elected Joe Yasaki, a state deputy attorney general, as 1959 chapter president. Kenny Washington will be the guest speaker at the installation dinner-dance on Jan. 18.
• Roy Okahara to Lead Livingston-Merced, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Livingston-Merced JACL elected Roy Okahara as 1959 president at a December potluck supper. Other officers were named to assist him.
• Capacity Audience Frolics at Eden Township Party, by P.C. Staff, page 4. About 250 youngsters and adults attended the 10th annual Eden Township JACL Christmas party in San Leandro. The program included children’s performances and a visit from Santa.
• Washington D.C. JACLers Approve Slate Headed by Hisako Sakata, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Washington, D.C. JACL members approved the 1959 slate with Hisako Sakata as president. Installation is set for Jan. 16 with Bill Gold as principal speaker.
• Detroit JACL Elects Walter Miyao President, by Bebe Horiuchi, page 5. Walter Miyao, a Detroit Health Department medical technologist, was unanimously elected Detroit JACL president for 1959. The chapter also held a Christmas party for children and planned a New Year’s Eve dance.
• Retail Clerks Union Seeks Anti-Race Employment, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Joseph T. DeSilva of the Retail Clerks Union Local 770 said a strike may be necessary to enforce demands to eliminate hiring discrimination based on race, color, creed, age or sex. Three hundred smaller employers had already signed interim agreements.
• Central California District Council Sponsors Jan. 1 Dance, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Central California District Council will hold its first semi-formal New Year’s Ball at the Rainbow Ballroom in Fresno. Door prizes will be contributed by the nine member chapters.
• Regret Race Bias Against Nisei at Chinese Restaurant, by Abe Hagiwara, page 8. Chicago JACL public relations chairman Abe Hagiwara reported a racial discrimination incident at a Loop Chinese restaurant involving a Nisei and his Negro companion. The restaurant’s owner expressed regret and promised an investigation.
• Hawaiian Nisei to Attend New Jersey High School as Ambassador, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Eric Shinseki, a Kauai High School junior, was selected to attend Hunterdon Central High School in New Jersey for a semester as the island’s goodwill ambassador. The Key Club and Kiwanis Club will cover his costs.
• U.S.-Born Buddhist Priests Would Decline Oaths With God, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Two American-born Buddhist priests in Honolulu said they would decline legal and patriotic oaths containing the word God but would not campaign to change them. The discussion included constitutional scholar J. Garner Anthony.

Obituaries

• Funeral for Hood River Nisei One of Biggest, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Harold Y. Okimoto, 41, a prominent Hood River orchardist and 442nd veteran, died Nov. 30 after a long illness. One of the largest funerals in the valley’s history was held in his honor.

Commentary

• Bachelor Orphans’ Christmas Party, by Elmer Ogawa, page 2. Seattle columnist Elmer Ogawa recalls Pat Suzuki hosting a Christmas party for a group of unattached people and notes Keye Luke’s Seattle roots. He celebrates the Nisei entertainers now gaining national attention.
• Pocatello JACL President’s Farewell Message, by Novo Kato, page 2. Outgoing Pocatello JACL president Novo Kato reflects on the hardships of the Issei and Nisei and the importance of JACL. He urges new blood in leadership to keep the chapter progressive.
• Thoughts on an Approaching Christmas, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Bill Hosokawa reflects on memorable Christmases in Tokyo and at Heart Mountain, and on the enduring warmth of the holiday season. He also recalls learning poker from his father during the curfew of 1941.
• Pointing Southwestward, by Fred Takata, page 4. Fred Takata reflects on the year’s close and thanks volunteers for the Holiday Issue and Christmas Cheer drive. He urges each member to recruit one new Pacific Citizen subscriber.
• Salute to the MDC People, by Kumeo Yoshinari, page 5. MDC Chairman Kumeo Yoshinari praises the members and leaders of the Midwest District Council chapters he visited over the year. He highlights individuals across St. Louis, Twin Cities, Detroit, Cincinnati, Dayton, Cleveland, Milwaukee, and Chicago.
• Los Angeles Newsletter: Good News and the Bad of 1958, by Henry Mori, page 7. Henry Mori reviews the year’s news including a gang-related killing of a Sansei youth, the deaths of several Issei leaders, and Joe Yasaki’s appointment as deputy attorney general. He also covers Nisei Week and the new parking meters in Little Tokyo.
• JACL’s Legislative Prospects, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. Mike Masaoka analyzes the membership of the Senate and House Judiciary Committees and their prospects for handling immigration, claims, and civil rights legislation in the 86th Congress. He notes that Senator Dirksen will become Minority Leader.

Arts & Entertainment

• Oriental Talent, by Larry S. Tojiri, page 3. Larry Tojiri profiles the Nisei and Asian American performers in Broadway’s Flower Drum Song and The World of Suzie Wong. He notes the success of these shows may encourage more productions featuring Asian talent.

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