Convention preparations and graduation season, June 1958

Vol. 46, No. 25, June 21, 1958. 8 pages. View this issue

Preparations for the 15th Biennial JACL national convention, set for Salt Lake City on August 22-25, filled this eight-page issue. Mas Horiuchi accepted the chairmanship of the 1000 Club ‘Whing-Ding,’ and a social calendar listed seventeen events. The paper also followed the debate over whether JACL should take a stand on U.S.-Japan questions. Wilbur Sato urged careful study before the convention, and Masao Satow’s director’s report looked ahead to the youth oratorical contests. Frank Chuman declined a second nomination for national president.

Chapters celebrated their graduates. Snake River held its 13th annual graduates’ fete, Contra Costa planned a graduation dance, and Fowler and Tacoma honored local students. Bill Hosokawa’s column recounted a Denver Post reporter’s meeting with a visiting Japanese journalist. On page 3, readers will find notes on The Barbarian and the Geisha and a novel set in Shanghai and Tokyo. Carl Omaye described his month as a page in the House of Representatives.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• 1000 Club ‘Whing-Ding’ in Capable Hands, by Kenji Tashiro, page 1. Mas Horiuchi of Salt Lake City has accepted chairmanship of the 1000 Club ‘Whing-Ding’ at the national convention, promising a hilarious evening. The article also reports on the drive to renew delinquent Thousanders, led by Snake River and West Los Angeles chapters.
• Social Calendar of JACL Confab Lists 17 Events, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The 15th Biennial JACL national convention in Salt Lake City, August 22-25, will feature seventeen social events alongside council deliberations on the theme ‘The Past is Prologue.’ Margaret Itami will reign as Miss National JACL.
• U.S.-Japan Question: JACL Likely to Assert Stand on Issues, Straw Vote Find, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Chicago and Midwest District Council discussions suggest JACL members favor moving beyond a hands-off stance on U.S.-Japan relations. Harold Gordon reported informal votes favoring JACL positions on international questions, with chapters to review a forthcoming memorandum.
• Chuman Declines National Presidency Nomination, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Frank Chuman, national JACL legal counsel, declined a second Pacific Southwest District Council nomination for national president, citing heavy professional and civic responsibilities. The PSWDC slate otherwise includes Kango Kunitsugu and Miwa Yamamoto.
• Utah Governor Welcomes JACL Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Utah Governor George D. Clyde sent an official welcome letter to the 15th Biennial JACL convention, praising the contributions of Japanese Americans. Miss National JACL Margaret Itami delivered the letter.

Commentary

• Puzzle Winner of $5,000 ‘Not Happy’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Henry Kohara, a Portland-born Nisei dental technician, won $5,000 in the Herald-Tribune Galaxy puzzle contest but narrowly missed the $75,000 top prize. Contest rules bar past winners of $1,000 or more from entering for five years.
• Ordinary Nisei Patriotism Shown in Wilbur Sato Editorial, by Wilbur Sato, page 2. Wilbur Sato, a Denver law student, argues that proposed changes to JACL policy on Japan-American affairs deserve careful study rather than stampede. He calls for national board supervision and invited debate before the convention.
• From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 2. Bill Hosokawa recounts a Denver Post reporter’s meeting with visiting Japanese journalist Fumiko Matsuda and her escort, and reflects on cultural differences in courtesy. He also relates anecdotes about Denver newsroom and AP colleagues.
• Economic Improvement Seen by Investment Counselor, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Y. Clifford Tanaka of Shearson, Hammill & Co. foresees economic improvement but cautions investors to be selective in the coming years. He suggests the current market rally may prove a technical recovery.
• Being a Congressional Page, by Carl Omaye, page 8. Carl Omaye of Jacksonville, Florida, describes his month serving as the first person of Japanese ancestry to be a page in the U.S. House of Representatives. He recounts daily duties and the impression government work left on him.

Community

• O.C. JAY Members Win Anaheim Student Posts, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Three active Orange County JAYs won student body offices at Anaheim Union High School. Joe Nakamura became the first Nisei elected student body president there.
• Seattle Sansei Honored as Boy of the Month, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Akihiko Mihara, a Garfield High senior, was named boy of the month for May by the Capitol Hill Lions Club. He plans to study architecture at the University of Washington.
• Snake River JACL Names Boys State Delegate, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Snake River Valley JACL sponsored Ed Takahashi as its delegate to the Oregon Boys State program. Takahashi is vice-president of the 1959 senior class at Ontario High School.
• Oxnard Ordinance Outlaws Lethal Castor Bean Plant, by P.C. Staff, page 1. After a 21-month-old child died from eating castor beans, Oxnard outlawed the decorative castor bean plant by ordinance. Two other children were saved by emergency treatment after eating the beans.
• Midwest District Council Convention Held at Cleveland, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Midwest District Council convention in Cleveland focused on JACL policy regarding U.S.-Japan relations. Delegates held lively discussion and workshops covering Japanese American cultural background, integration, and youth.
• Santa Barbarans Invite L.A. JACLers to Picnic, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Santa Barbara JACL invited Los Angeles-area members to a chapter picnic at Goleta Beach on June 29. Food and games will be provided.
• Contra Costa JACL to Fete County High School Grads, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Contra Costa JACL is hosting a graduation dance for West County high school graduates at the Richmond Civic Center. The article lists the honorees and scholarship winners such as Jean Muraoka.
• Fowler Valedictorian Awarded JACL Scholarship, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Shigeru Tokubo, Fowler High valedictorian, received the Fowler JACL scholarship at commencement. Glenn Nakaguchi received the Fowler Lions scholarship and several other Nisei graduates were recognized.
• Snake River Holds 13th Annual Graduates’ Fete, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Snake River JACL held its 13th annual graduation banquet, featuring an address by Dr. Burt Curtis Westfall on education for life. Graduates were recognized and young Sansei performers entertained.
• Seattle Vet Auxiliary Plans Scholarship, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Seattle NVC Auxiliary announced a scholarship covering one year of tuition for a deserving Nisei high school graduate or enrolled University of Washington student. Selection will be made by the university.
• Tacoma Community Honors Local Area Graduates, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Tacoma community groups hosted a smorgasbord dinner-dance honoring eight high school seniors and one college graduate. Judge Billy Richmond addressed the graduates.

Military & Veterans

• Dayton Sansei to Represent Midwest at National JACL Convention Oratoricals, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Daryll Sakada of Dayton won the Midwest District Council oratorical contest and will compete at the national convention in Salt Lake City. His speech addressed what JACL means to Japanese American youth.
• Capistrano Nisei Earns Nat’l Guard Commission, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Shigeru Kinoshita of San Juan Capistrano was commissioned a second lieutenant in the California National Guard as the honor graduate of his class. Maj. Gen. Earle M. Jones named him.
• Passport Given to Strandee Previously Denied by State Dep’t, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A Nisei stranded in Japan who was denied a U.S. passport for wartime Japanese Army service has now been reclassified as a citizen following the Nishikawa Supreme Court decision. Attorney Joseph Morozumi represented him.

Arts & Entertainment

• The Time of the Dragons, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A German novel by Alice Ekert-Rotholz set in Shanghai and Tokyo, published in the United States by Viking, features Japanese characters and is being considered for a Columbia Pictures film. The story spans 30 years from prewar Asia through American occupation of Japan.
• Reserved Seat Policy Determined for The Barbarian and the Geisha, by P.C. Staff, page 3. 20th Century Fox will use a reserved seat policy for John Huston’s film about Townsend Harris, which stars Miiko Taka’s counterpart Miko Ando as Okichi. The film is expected as a summer release starting in New York.
• Theater’s Attitude Toward Minorities, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Critic Richard Watts praised American theater for moving beyond racial stereotypes in casting and writing. The article notes Nisei performers in productions of Teahouse of the August Moon and discusses sensitivities around its portrayal of Okinawans.

National

• Youth Survey Launched by Interim JACL Committee, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The interim JACL Committee on Youth, chaired by Sue Joe, distributed a 33-question survey to chapters to compile a manual on youth activities. Responses are due June 30 for presentation at the Salt Lake City convention.
• Director’s Report: Accent on Youth, by Masao Satow, page 4. National Director Masao Satow previews youth oratorical contests across districts leading to the national finals and outlines Convention preparations. He also notes scholarship awards and the 1000 Club activities.

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.