Chapter news, a Ford grant and Nisei in business, March 1958

Vol. 46, No. 13, March 28, 1958. 8 pages. View this issue

Chapter news filled the front page of this eight-page issue. San Francisco reported 1,002 paid members, leading the national membership race for a third year, while Sequoia and St. Louis also set membership marks. Dr. Roy Nishikawa noted installation invitations from several Southland chapters. Kenji Ito, a Nisei, was re-elected president of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California, and May Ebihara received a $7,250 Ford Foundation grant to study anthropology in Cambodia.

Harry K. Honda’s columns turned to family life, spring in Colorado and Japanese American entertainers such as Pat Suzuki and Miiko Taka. Inside are a report on the trade imbalance between the U.S. and Japan, news of temporary Japanese farm workers, Nisei students at Whittier College, and the national JACL essay theme, “What Does JACL Mean to Me.”

What’s in this issue

Community

• Nisei Active in Chamber of Commerce, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Kenji Ito, Nisei president of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California, was re-elected after the board rescinded its one-term rule. Several Nisei members of the chamber are JACLers, and cooperation between the JACL and the Chamber has been close.
• MRA to Help Remake the World, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Fred Wada invited the paper to a dinner and showing of the Moral Re-Armament play ‘He Was Not There.’ The article describes MRA’s volunteer-run Los Angeles building and its four principles of absolute honesty, fairness, unselfishness and love.
• Covering Southland Chapter Installations, by Dr. Roy Nishikawa, page 1. The article acknowledges installation invitations from the Orange County, Long Beach-Harbor, West Los Angeles and Venice-Culver JACL chapters. Several of these chapters may compete for Chapter of the Year awards for 1958.
• San Francisco Chapter Membership Surpasses 1,000 Mark for Third Consecutive Year, by P.C. Staff, page 1. San Francisco JACL reported 1,002 paid members, leading the national membership race for the third straight year. The chapter expects to exceed last year’s total of 1,089 and reach its 1958 goal of 1,200.
• Ken Dyo Appointed to Seed Research Staff, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Ken Dyo, a JACL member and president of the Pasadena Gardeners Association, was named special consultant to professional gardeners by O.M. Scott & Sons. He will help expand the company’s lawn research program.
• Pass 200 Mark for Best Membership, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Sequoia JACL reported an all-time chapter membership of 230 as of March 7, surpassing last year’s total by 51. The chapter also has 14 members in the 1000 Club, compared with eight the prior year.
• Nisei Consultant for Modern Tokyo Apartment, by P.C. Staff, page 1. San Francisco Nisei Robert Sumiyoshi Yamanaka is consultant for a 12-story earthquake-proof apartment hotel near the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. The building is designed for foreigners who plan to make Tokyo their semi-permanent home and is expected to be completed by April 1959.
• Seattle Nisei Named Curate of Chicago Church, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Rev. Paul Hiyama, a Seattle-born Nisei war veteran ordained an Episcopalian priest last December, is curate of St. Paul’s Church in Chicago. He began his ministry studies after returning from Japan in 1947.
• Sponsorship of Junior JACL to Be Questioned, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Washington, D.C. JACL president Jack Hirose asked members whether the chapter should sponsor a Junior JACL group for scattered Sansei teenagers. He noted that the young people want more frequent meetings and that some parents have begun hosting socials at home.
• St. Louis Chapter Bids for Record High of 250 Members, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The St. Louis JACL, led by Henry Hayashi, set a membership goal of 250 for the coming year, up from a historical range of 50 to 150. A full calendar of events was also announced following a successful Valentine dance.
• Sansei Selected as Page Boy in House for Florida Rep., by P.C. Staff, page 2. Carl Omaye, son of Florida lettuce growers, was appointed a House page by Congressman Charles E. Bennett. The 17-year-old Englewood High School honor student is also a school leader and has been offered a scholarship to Florida Southern.
• Reopening of Denver Gakuen Discussed, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Japanese Association of Colorado favors reopening a Japanese language school in Denver under its sponsorship. Director Arthur O. Iwasaki suggested this would help Nisei parents who want their children to learn Japanese language and customs.
• Whittier College Nisei Very Active, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The 15 Nisei students at Whittier College’s 1,100-student body are doing well academically, athletically and socially. Several are on the honor roll, and others hold class and team leadership positions.
• Livingston High Students Attend Freedom Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Mabel Morimoto, sponsored by the Livingston-Merced JACL, was selected by the American Friends Service Committee to attend a high school civil liberties conference at Asilomar. The article notes the conference’s focus on freedom and civic participation.
• Pat Okura Active in Omaha Civic Clubs, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Pat Okura, a three-year member of the West Omaha Rotary board, was elected its secretary. His wife Lily was elected to a three-year term on the Omaha YWCA board.
• Six Trophies Offered in San Jose Bridge Tournament, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The San Jose JACL will hold its first bridge tournament on April 5 at Hotel de Anza. Entry fees are $1.50 for members and $2 for non-members, and the public is invited.
• Blackfoot Chamber Accepts Donation for Airport Park, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Pocatello JACL vice president Hiro Shiosaki presented a $40 check to the Blackfoot Chamber of Commerce for Airport Park. The chapter made a similar donation the previous year, and the community project is nearing completion.

National

• $7,250 Ford Foundation Grant Awarded to Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. May Ebihara, a Columbia University graduate student from Portland, received a $7,250 Ford Foundation grant for a year of anthropology study in Cambodia. She will first complete linguistic study at Columbia and a Paris research visit before departing.
• International Relations Asked, by P.C. Staff, page 1. At the Philadelphia chapter’s installation dinner, national third vice-president Harry Takagi urged a separate JACL group to handle U.S.-Japan international relations. Guest speaker Charles Shaw described how his prejudice against Japanese turned to friendship after a visit to Japan.
• Unemployment Situation in California May Stop Resumption of Temporary Farm Labor, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Consul General Akira Nishiyama observed a Sacramento conference on alien farm worker programs, where officials expressed doubt that job clearances would be granted this year. Rising unemployment makes it increasingly unlikely that Japanese temporary farm workers will come to the United States.
• Temporary Farm Worker Held for Crossing Border, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japanese temporary farm worker S. Taniguchi was arrested for crossing into Tijuana, Mexico, and is awaiting transportation home. The article notes that workers are repeatedly warned that border crossings can lead to trouble.

Commentary

• Big Leaguers, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. Honda praises Japanese American entertainers such as Miiko Taka, Pat Suzuki and Miyoshi Umeki for reaching the top of American show business. He compares their achievement to Jackie Robinson’s breaking the color barrier in baseball and asks when a Nisei will reach the major leagues.
• Cleaning the Muffin Tins, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. Honda recounts how his 17-year-old son baked muffins from a mix but left the cleanup undone. He uses the episode to argue that young people must learn that the unglamorous cleanup follows the fun.
• Note to Mom, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. Honda describes his 7-year-old daughter Christie coming home late and leaving a penciled apology note instead of facing a scolding. He remarks that she is learning early the usefulness of the printed word.
• Springtime in the Rockies, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. Honda describes the signs of spring in Colorado, including greening lawns, swelling lilac buds, tulips and returning robins. He says the surest sign is boys playing ball with their fathers.
• Trade Imbalance Between U.S. and Japan Threatens Friendship, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The article examines Japanese complaints that American buyers push prices too low while Japan depends heavily on American raw materials and markets. A Foreign Office spokesman urged American businessmen to be more sympathetic to Japanese industry.
• A JACL Discovery, by Tokuzo Nagai, page 2. The writer says singer Pat Suzuki was discovered at the 1952 JACL convention in San Francisco, where she sang at an outing and drew calls for encores. He notes that she is now a rising star with a national album and television appearances.
• Hooray for Venice-Culver, by Florence Dobashi, page 2. Dobashi praises the Venice-Culver JACL for working to keep its community free of pool halls and beer parlors. She sees this as a practical application of the JACL goal of promoting better citizenship.
• What Does JACL Mean to Me, by Harry Honda, page 5. The article presents the theme for the national JACL oratorical and essay contests and explains the basic American principle of the dignity and equality of the individual. It argues that this principle is the foundation for what JACL means to its members.

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