Hawaii statehood and a Senate hearing, March 1959

Vol. 48, No. 10, March 6, 1959. 8 pages. View this issue

Hawaii’s bid for statehood led this eight-page issue. The Senate Interior Committee unanimously advanced the statehood bill, and Mike Masaoka testified for the JACL as the final witness, answering charges about Hawaii’s population and Communism. An editorial looked at the Islands’ many ancestries, where no group is a majority, and a second piece by Masaoka set out reasons Hawaii should become a state. Elsewhere on the front page, Idaho repealed its 92-year-old anti-miscegenation law, and supporters of California’s Assembly Bill 91 on fair employment warned of efforts to weaken it in the state Senate.

Most of the inside pages report on JACL chapters: installation dinners in Seattle, Contra Costa, Santa Barbara and Imperial Valley, where 21 newly naturalized Issei were honored, and Selma’s gift of 30 cherry trees to a high school. Lorry S. Tojiri wrote about casting Oriental performers for Flower Drum Song, and Henry Mori wrote that Sansei seldom speak Japanese.

What’s in this issue

National

• Hawaii’s Multi-Racial Population Intricate, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The editorial examines Hawaii’s diverse population of Japanese, Polynesian, Caucasian, Filipino, Chinese and other ancestries, noting no racial majority exists. It argues that opposition to statehood on racial grounds would harm U.S. prestige in Asia.
• Hawaii Statehood Passes Senate Group; JACLer Hopes Future Pleas Unnecessary, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Senate Interior Committee unanimously advanced the Hawaii statehood bill, and Mike Masaoka testified for the JACL as the final witness. Masaoka rebutted charges about Hawaii’s population and Communism, citing assimilation records and Hawaii’s constitutional bar on Communists holding office.
• Photo Taken by Nisei Boosts Red Cross Drive, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A tornado-damaged house photographed by Nisei photographer Paul Iida is being used on billboards for the 1959 American Red Cross campaign. The photo was taken in Colfax, Wisconsin, last June.
• Idaho Governor Signs Marriage Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Idaho repealed its 92-year-old anti-miscegenation law when Governor Robert E. Smylie signed the bill passed by both houses of the legislature. The change removed a remaining vestige of discriminatory law in the state.
• Calif. FEPC Legislation Faces Fight in State Senate, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Supporters of Assembly Bill 91, a fair employment practices measure, warned that efforts to add crippling amendments in the state Senate were now public. The bill prohibits employment discrimination based on race, religion, or national origin.
• Encampment for Citizenship, by Judy Aoyama, page 4. Judy Aoyama reports on her experience at the 1958 National Encampment for Citizenship at the International House, University of California. She describes the six-week program on democracy, human relations, economics, and foreign policy.
• Reasons for Hawaiian Statehood, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. Masaoka quotes the House Interior Committee report listing reasons Hawaii should become a state, including its population, economic contributions, and voting rights. He argues statehood would strengthen U.S. standing in Asia.

Community

• Lip Service to Brotherhood Idea Not Enough, Clergy Told, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Percy Julian challenged the Chicago JACL Brotherhood Dinner audience to move beyond lip service to brotherhood ideals. The Rev. Gyomay Kubose received the 1959 JACL Brotherhood Award for his community work.
• Seattle JACL Installation Dinner, by Elmer Ogawa, page 3. Seattle JACL installed officers at a dinner attended by Governor Rosellini, Mayor Clinton, and Mike Masaoka, who spoke on civil rights and repeal of discriminatory laws. Takeshi Kubota was reelected chapter president.
• Imperial Valley JACL Re-elects Harry Momita; Honors Naturalized Issei, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Imperial Valley JACL, the only chapter below sea level, re-elected Issei president Harry Momita and honored 21 newly naturalized Issei at a banquet. Plans include a membership drive and participation in the county fair.
• Board Picks Straws to Determine Term Lengths, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Orange County JACL board drew straws to set one- and two-year director terms following its installation. Plans for an Easter egg hunt at Irvine Park were also announced.
• Salinas Chapter Adopts Board System, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Salinas Valley JACL adopted new by-laws establishing six directors elected to two-year terms at its first meeting under president Kiyoshi Hirano. George Kanno will lead a membership drive with a goal of 300.
• Parlier Welcomes New JACLers, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Parlier JACL held a membership party for new members and welcomed a junior JACL group modeled on Tulare County and Sanger chapters. The annual community picnic was set for April 12 at Kearney Park.
• Contra Costa JACL Installation Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Contra Costa JACL installed Dr. Yoshiye Togasaki as president at a dinner in Richmond attended by 48 people. A humorous skit and questionnaire were among the program features.
• Santa Barbara JACL Re-installs Mike Hide, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Mike Hide was reinstalled as Santa Barbara JACL president at a dinner where Fred Takata served as installing officer. Harumi Yamada was named first vice president among the new cabinet members.
• Mt. Olympus JACL Issei Parents Night, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Mt. Olympus JACL hosted over 150 members and parents at a buffet with entertainment, dances, and games. George Tamura and Mary Matsumori were the evening co-chairmen.
• Watsonville JACL Plans Community Picnic, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Watsonville JACL is organizing the first postwar Japanese community picnic for April 12 with local churches and veterans groups. The chapter’s membership campaign has reached 103 paid-up members.
• Selma JACL Donates Cherry Trees to School, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Selma JACL presented 30 Japanese cherry trees to Selma Union High School in appreciation of the school’s classes that helped naturalized Issei obtain citizenship. Vernon Vickers had previously spoken to the chapter on wills.

Arts & Entertainment

• Call for Oriental Talent, by Lorry S. Tojiri, page 3. Rodgers and Hammerstein sought Oriental performers for a London production of Flower Drum Song after casting about 30 such performers in the New York company. The column highlights several Nisei and Asian American performers and possible future casting.

Commentary

• Lip Service to Brotherhood, by Smoky H. Sakurada, page 6. The column notes the Olivet Institute’s $5,000 modernization campaign in Chicago and reports on appointments to the Japanese American Service Committee. It also references ongoing JACL financial and membership efforts.
• Sansei Seldom Speak Japanese, by Henry Mori, page 7. Henry Mori reports on the Japanese Chamber of Commerce scholarship winners and observes that most Sansei rarely speak Japanese at home. He warns the language may be lost within a few generations.

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