Fair housing laws and unemployment worries in the May 1, 1959 issue

Vol. 48, No. 18, May 1, 1959. 8 pages. View this issue

Fair housing and fair employment ran through the front page of this eight-page issue. Colorado’s new Fair Housing Act got off to a shaky start over whether it covered private home sales, and California’s Assembly Bill 890 against housing discrimination, which passed the Assembly 67-9, was pending in the State Senate. California and Ohio passed fair employment laws in April, bringing the national total to 17 states. An editorial signed HLH looked at the danger of joblessness, and Harry K. Honda’s column praised a new safe-driving rating plan from Western Pioneer Insurance. JACL National President Shig Wakamatsu was scheduled to address the Pacific Southwest District Council convention in Long Beach.

Elsewhere, Larry S. Tajiri wrote on Japanese American actresses in Hollywood, and Henry Mori asked why Los Angeles had no community center. St. Louis Issei gave the city 200 cherry trees. Masao Satow’s national director’s report, chapter news from Idaho Falls to Omaha, and Nisei Week queen searches fill the inside pages.

What’s in this issue

National

• The Danger of Joblessness, by HLH, page 1. Congress is considering changes to the federal-state unemployment benefits system amid persistent joblessness. The editorial warns that prolonged unemployment endangers family life and invites class hatred, and that minorities would be first to be fired.
• Fair Housing Act in Colorado Off to Shaky Start, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Colorado’s new Fair Housing Act faces controversy because the state Anti-Discrimination Commission administrator reportedly believes it covers private home sales. The Denver Post warned that an all-inclusive interpretation could spark litigation and stall the law’s effectiveness.
• California Fair Housing Bill Pending in Senate Committee, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The California Committee for Fair Employment Practices urged community support for Assembly Bill 890, which bans housing discrimination and passed the Assembly 67-9. It also backed AB 113 on urban renewal projects, both now pending in the State Senate.
• Tsukiyama Announces Candidacy for U.S. Senate, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Hawaii Senate president Wilfred C. Tsukiyama announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate in response to urging from friends and associates. He is a Nisei Republican.
• Japanese Rated as Urgent Language for National Defense, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Dr. Theodore Andersson of the University of Texas argued that foreign language training, including Japanese, is a national security priority. He urged Hawaii to use its multilingual population in new accelerated teaching methods.

Community

• Nisei Youths Serve as Supervisors for the Day, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Two honor students, Ken Kato of Fremont High and Kenneth Yagura of Wilson High, served as Los Angeles County supervisors during Boys Week. The 37th annual event gave them a day in local government.
• West L.A. Auxiliary Pushes Cancer Drive, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The West Los Angeles JACL Auxiliary helped raise $1,750 for the American Cancer Society through a two-hour canvass by 114 volunteers. Several community organizations participated in the drive.
• St. Louis Issei Give 200 Cherry Trees, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Local St. Louis Issei presented 200 Japanese cherry trees to the city for planting in Forest Park as an expression of gratitude for gaining citizenship rights. Sam Migita planted the first tree in a ceremony attended by JACL Camera Club members.
• Aged Issei Dies Without Known Survivors, Had Refused to Make Will, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Kensaburo Ishihara, an 82-year-old Issei domestic servant, died in San Francisco leaving about $50,000 in assets and no will. Attorney Victor Abe is searching for relatives in Japan, while a separate Issei died in Stockton leaving $14,000 with no known survivors.
• Canada Dedicated, Has Four Residents, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Nipponia Homes, a home for aged Japanese Canadians in Beamsville, Ontario, was dedicated April 18 after a decade of planning. The home was completed last December and currently houses four residents, with government matching half of funds raised.
• Ohio Joins California in Passing FEPC Law, by P.C. Staff, page 1. California and Ohio passed fair employment practices laws in April, bringing the national total to 17 states. California’s law takes effect in September, and Ohio’s House passed its bill 98 to 30.
• Mrs. Sho Iino Dies, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mrs. Sho Iino, the first Nisei Week queen in 1935, died at St. Vincent’s Hospital following a cranial hemorrhage. She is survived by her husband, a Pacific Coast JACL board member, and two sons.
• Racial Differences Noted in Cancer Rates, Japanese High in Stomach Cancer, by Gordon Bateman and Leon Wiltse, page 2. A California Department of Public Health report found striking racial differences in cancer patterns, with Japanese showing death rates from stomach cancer far above average. Further study will determine whether differences are racial or social.
• Inagaki, Uwate Named Area Managers, by P.C. Staff, page 2. George Inagaki was promoted to area manager and Matao Uwate to assistant area manager for Financial Industrial Fund, recognizing outstanding sales performance. Both are members of the FIF Presidents Club.
• Colorado NICC Elects Officers; Donald Furuta Named NICCer of the Year, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Intermountain Nisei Inter-Collegiate Conference held its 14th annual meeting in Colorado, electing David Furukawa as president. Donald Furuta was named NICCer of the Year for his academic, ROTC, and community service.
• Wayne Kanemoto Named Distinguished Citizen, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Attorney Wayne Kanemoto, an active JACLer, was named one of 10 distinguished citizens during San Jose Civic Week. Mayor Louis Solari presented the awards.
• Julia Kiyoguchi Named Finalist in Honorary Society, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Julia Kiyoguchi, a finalist in the national JACL essay contest, was selected for the University of Utah’s senior honorary society Beehive based on scholarship and leadership. She is the daughter of George Kiyoguchi of Salt Lake City.
• Idaho Falls Chapter Honors Issei, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Idaho Falls JACL hosted an Issei appreciation dinner honoring the valley’s oldest residents and longest married couples. Attendees enjoyed a recorded address by George Inagaki and entertainment including a sack dance.
• Full Dress Convention for Hi-Co Groups Staged at PSWDC, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Harbor Hi-Co planned a youth convention in Long Beach in conjunction with the PSWDC meeting, featuring discussions on dating, juvenile delinquency, and race. Registration cost $7 per delegate plus lodging.
• Imperial Valley JACL Claims Top Membership Gain, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Imperial Valley JACL claims the top percentage membership gain this year, with 64 members enrolled compared with 27 last year, a 137 percent increase. The membership drive was still in progress.
• Miss East L.A. to Be Introduced at Ball, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Miss East L.A. will make her debut at the fifth annual East Los Angeles JACL Emerald Ball on May 9 at the Old Dixie. She will represent the area in the 1959 Nisei Week queen contest.
• Long Beach Chapter in Search of Queen, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Long Beach Harbor District JACL is seeking a Nisei Week queen candidate with qualifications including age 18, single status, and full Japanese ancestry. The winner receives a $200 cash award.
• Family Potluck Supper Planned for Sacramento, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Sacramento WACL will host a family potluck supper at the Nisei Memorial Hall on May 2. The program is open to the public.
• Los Angeles JACL Coordinating Council Gets New Leadership, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Roy Yamadera was elected chairman of the Los Angeles JACL Coordinating Council, which sponsors the joint installation dance, Nisei Relays, and Christmas Cheer. The council includes presidents of six chapters.
• Kenwood-Ellis Community Church Serves Diverse Community, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Kenwood-Ellis Community Church in Chicago, led by Rev. George Nishimoto, serves an interracial congregation and runs community programs. It was formed from the merger of a young church and an older congregation.
• Parlier Auxiliary Meeting Features Cake Decorating, by P.C. Staff, page 5. William Bull of the Reedley Bakery demonstrated cake decorating at the April 21 meeting of the Parlier JACL Auxiliary. Mrs. Flora Doi won one of the cakes and the regular door prize.
• Omaha JACL Serves Sukiyaki to Raise Funds, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Omaha JACL held a sukiyaki dinner for over 50 guests and an Easter egg hunt for children in March. The projects were chaired by Mrs. Robert Nakadoi and Mary Misaki.
• No Community Center Here Yet, by Henry Mori, page 7. A new $150,000 recreation hall was broken ground in Pacoima by the San Fernando Valley Japanese American Club, ending a six-year fundraising effort. The article questions why Los Angeles proper still lacks a similar community center.
• Denver Commission on Human Relations Issues 1958 Report, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Denver Commission on Human Relations reported an increase in discrimination complaints in 1958 and urged more effort to combat prejudice in housing and employment. Among the findings, many motels would not accept Negroes.

JACL

• Wakamatsu to Explore Potential of PSWDC in Convention Address, by P.C. Staff, page 1. National President Shig Wakamatsu urged JACL to aim for 50,000 members and called Southern California’s Pacific Southwest District Council a key source of growth. He was scheduled to deliver a major address at the biennial PSWDC convention in Long Beach.
• Western Pioneer Insurance Rewards Safe Drivers, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Western Pioneer Insurance, founded on Japanese American capital, announced an Individualized Rating Plan giving discounts to safe drivers and higher rates to those with loss occurrences. The plan is more generous than the industry trend.

Commentary

• Very Truly Yours, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. Editor Harry Honda praises Western Pioneer’s safe-driving rating plan and lists over 50 Japanese words that have entered English, with definitions. He also comments on Japanese prefectural elections where conservatives won most seats.
• Letter: Vigilance Needed in JACL Membership, by A.A. Morioka, page 2. St. Louis JACL member A.A. Morioka urges continued support for JACL, warning that complacency can lead to costly setbacks. He argues the organization’s efficiency is why members enjoy present comfort.
• The Why of Hate Literature, by Christian Science Monitor, page 2. Senators Javits and Keating introduced a bill to curb hate mail through the Post Office, as hate literature has grown alarmingly. The editorial argues that social change causes unrest and that such hatemongers exploit people’s fear of what they do not understand.
• The National Director’s Report, by Masao Satow, page 4. National Director Masao Satow reports on new membership brochures, chapter growth, and planning for the national convention queen and election procedures. He also notes a 1958 deficit of $564.84 and plans for the Memorial Day service at San Bruno.

Military & Veterans

• Kenneth Yoshinari Named Milwaukee JACL Board Chairman, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Albert R. Popp, a Caucasian, was elected chairman of the Milwaukee JACL board, the first non-Japanese American to head a JACL chapter. He served four years in the Far East and married a Nisei wife.
• Special Hawaii Showing of Pork Chop Hill, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Tsugio Eddie Ohashi, vice principal in Waipahu, attended a private screening of Pork Chop Hill, a film in which he is a character based on the 1953 battle. His wife and friends remarked on his modesty about his wartime service.
• Gardena Valley JACL Enters Loyalty Day Parade, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Two Sansei, Joanne Nakamura and Mary Yoshioka, will ride in an open car representing the Gardena Valley JACL in the annual Loyalty Day parade. Ronald Shiozaki will serve as chauffeur.
• Golden Gate Nisei Memorial Post Installs Commander, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Kay Fujimoto was installed as commander of the Golden Gate Nisei Memorial Post 9879, VFW, in San Francisco. The post plans Memorial Day services at Golden Gate National Cemetery.
• D.C. Area Nisei Wins Four-Year National Merit Scholarship, by JACL News Service, page 8. Todd Isao Endo, son of Aiji Frank Endo of Kensington, Maryland, was named a National Merit Scholar among 850 seniors nationwide. He plans to major in mathematics at Oberlin College.

Arts & Entertainment

• Hollywood Spotlight Favors Japanese American Actresses, by Larry S. Tajiri, page 3. Japanese American actresses have fared better in recent Hollywood films than male performers, with stars such as Shirley Yamaguchi, Miiko Taka, and Nobu McCarthy gaining roles. The article profiles their careers and upcoming projects.

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