California’s FEPC bill and the last evacuation claims, April 1959

Vol. 48, No. 15, April 10, 1959. 8 pages. View this issue

California’s Fair Employment Practices Act was the lead story of this eight-page issue. The state Senate passed it 30-5, and Governor Edmund Brown called it one of the best things ever to happen to California. Nearby stories followed Assembly Bill 1, which would extend old-age assistance to Issei and was held in committee, and the Senate’s repeal of the anti-miscegenation law. On redress, the Treasury Department asked for $1,210,170.37 to pay 144 claimants under the Japanese American Evacuation Claims Act of 1948, the last awards of a ten-year program.

A second story reported that the Justice Department’s review of wartime citizenship renunciations was nearly complete. Mike Masaoka’s Washington newsletter took up NATO, a Tokyo court ruling and Tibet, and Harry K. Honda reviewed a study on preventing juvenile delinquency. JACL President Shig Wakamatsu’s message to Crown Prince Akihito is on the front page. Chapter news fills pages four to six, with Sacramento preparing for the 1960 national convention.

What’s in this issue

National

• Calif. FEPC Set, Senate Approves 30-5, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The California Senate passed a strong Fair Employment Practices Act by a 30-5 vote after rejecting changes proposed by Senate Finance Committee members. Governor Edmund Brown called the bill one of the best things ever to happen to California.
• Old-Age Assistance Bill to Aid Issei Held in Assembly Committee, by P.C. Staff, page 1. AB 1, which would include non-citizens with over 25 years of residence in old-age assistance, is stalled in the Assembly Ways & Means Committee. JACL supports the measure in its current form without a cut-off date.
• Cal. Senate Passes Miscegenation Law Repeal, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The California Senate was set to pass AB 7, repealing the anti-miscegenation law already declared unconstitutional by the courts. The bill had previously passed the Assembly in February.
• Salt Lake Housing: Utah Civil Rights Report, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Rep. Duncan’s report to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights finds equal treatment in voting and education in Utah but hardships in housing and employment for Negroes, Mexicans, and Indians. Japanese Americans are found to have equal acceptance.
• Colo. Fair Housing Bill on Gov.’s Desk, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Colorado’s legislature passed the state’s first fair housing bill, which bars corporations from racial discrimination in home sales and loans. An individual owner may still refuse to sell to anyone.
• Wartime Renunciant Program Review Nearly Completed, by JACL News Service, page 6. Justice Department review of wartime renunciations is nearly complete, with over 90 percent of non-repatriates expected to have citizenship restored. Birth certificates will be returned to those whose renunciations were set aside.

Incarceration & Redress

• $1.2 Million Appropriation Bill for Evacuee Claims Asked, by JACL News Service, page 1. The Treasury Department requested $1,210,170.37 to pay 144 claimants under the Japanese American Evacuation Claims Act of 1948. These are the last awards authorized by the Justice Department, concluding a ten-year program.
• Wartime Renunciant Program Review Nearly Completed by U.S., by JACL News Service, page 1. The Justice Department’s administrative review of citizenship renunciations made during war relocation is nearly complete, with over 90 percent expected to have citizenship restored. Cleared lists will be sent to the State Department and other agencies.

Community

• Dinuba Nisei Elected National YBA President, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Kenji Osaki of Dinuba was elected 1959-61 president of the National Young Buddhist Association at the Western Young Buddhist League convention in Fresno. He succeeds Tsukasa Saneto of Los Angeles.
• $3,000 Stolen from Safe, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Burglars used an electric welding torch to open the Nisei Club safe in Sacramento and steal $3,000. The torch was left behind as evidence but no fingerprints were found.
• Felicitations to Crown Prince, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Voice of America broadcast JACL President Shig Wakamatsu’s congratulations to Crown Prince Akihito on his marriage to Michiko Shoda. The message hailed the wedding as a symbol of Japan’s democratization and friendship between the peoples.
• Tokyo Topics, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 2. San Francisco Mayor George Christopher was welcomed at a Tokyo luncheon attended by many Nisei from San Francisco. The column also discusses a proposed centennial celebration for the Kanrin Maru’s visit to San Francisco.
• Florin Outlines Programs for Year, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Florin JACL set its programs for the year at its first monthly meeting, including a membership drive, graduation observance, and community picnic. Chairmen were appointed for each event.
• 1959 IDC Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Intermountain District Council convention will be hosted by Mt. Olympus JACL over Thanksgiving weekend in Salt Lake City. National JACL President Shig Wakamatsu will be the convention speaker.
• Permanent Utah Citizens Group Formed to Push Civil Rights, by Alice Kasai, page 3. Nearly 100 representatives met in Salt Lake City to honor Rep. Adam M. Duncan for his civil rights bill and planned a permanent Utah Citizens Committee for Civil Rights. Speakers stressed the need for continued political action on the issue.
• Two Brothers Pinned Eagle Scout Together, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Brothers Arthur and K. Tanaka of Fresno received the Eagle Scout medal together at Troop 5’s court of honor. The elder brother attends Fresno City College and the younger is a junior in high school.
• Car Theft by Sansei Teenagers Foiled in Los Angeles, by Rafu Shimpo, page 3. A Sansei teenager and a Negro girl attempted to steal a car from a Los Angeles printing shop but were caught after a chase. The 16-year-old was released to her parents.
• Seabrook Fest a Huge Success, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Seabrook JACL’s fourth annual chow mein dinner drew nearly a thousand people, including dignitaries and Consul Katsuyoshi Nakamura. Proceeds will fund chapter community projects.
• Contra Costa Chapter Holds Welcome Social, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Contra Costa JACL held a welcome social featuring family folk dancing at the Diablo J.A. Hall in Concord. Ted Tashiro served as emcee.
• Philadelphia CL Sponsors Tea with Nippon Culture, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Philadelphia JACL hosted a monthly Sunday tea for the International Institute featuring kimono, flower arranging, origami, and Japanese tea. Mary and Tom Murakami organized the program.
• Sacramento JACL Prepares for National Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Sacramento is preparing to host the 1960 National JACL Convention in late June with ambitious plans for speakers including Dr. Milton Eisenhower and Ambassador Koichiro Asakai. Ideas for convention activities are being developed.
• Placer County JACL Community Picnic, by Roy Yoshida, page 5. Placer County JACL’s 11th annual community picnic at its Penryn recreation park will feature races, games, Japanese folk dances, and an evening Issei entertainment program. About 5,000 people are expected.
• Berkeley JACL Elects Satoshi Otagiri President, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Satoshi Otagiri was elected president of the Berkeley JACL at a board meeting, with a membership goal of 500 for the year. The local membership campaign begins April 13.
• Linguist-Psychologist to Address Chicago JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Norman Markel, a linguist-psychologist from the University of Chicago, will speak at the Chicago JACL general meeting on pronunciation differences between English, Japanese and Chinese speakers. The talk will include tape recordings.
• Parlier Community Picnic Plans Completed, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Final plans for the Parlier community picnic at Kearney Park were announced, with various races, volleyball, and other activities arranged by committee members.
• Fowler CLers Hear Speaker from BBB, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Mrs. Nina Martin of the Fresno Better Business Bureau warned Fowler JACL members about contract and salesman fraud at their first dinner meeting of the year. The chapter also planned its community picnic.
• Masaokas to Participate in Civil Rights Clearing House Conference, by JACL News Service, page 8. Mike and Tad Masaoka of the JACL Washington Office will take part in the 11th Annual Conference of the National Civil Liberties Clearing House. Mike Masaoka will chair a panel on segregation in the North and South.
• L.A. Agent Named to Million Dollar Group, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Bill T. Yamashiro of California-Western States Life Insurance was qualified for the 1959 Million Dollar Round Table after exceeding $1 million in new life insurance sales. He was also the company’s top producer in 1958.
• National JCCA Faces Crisis as Quebec Chapter Disbands, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Quebec chapter of the Japanese Canadian Citizens Association voted to suspend operations due to declining interest, threatening the national organization’s history project and finances. The national board must decide its future after Sept. 1.

JACL

• Chicago JACL Membership Challenge Remains Unanswered, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Chicago JACL challenged San Francisco and Southwest L.A. chapters to a 1959 membership contest with water-dousing penalties for the losers. As of press time neither rival chapter had responded.
• Board Column on Recognition Awards, by Dr. Roy Nishikawa, page 5. Immediate Past President Roy Nishikawa discusses the work of the National JACL Recognitions Committee in selecting honorees. He recommends that chapters and districts establish semi-permanent screening committees to ensure awards remain meaningful.

Commentary

• Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. Editor Harry Honda reviews a March 1959 Annals issue on juvenile delinquency prevention, focusing on Dr. Eva Rosenfeld’s community program proposal. He argues the recommended services and parent-child approaches offer lessons for JACL chapters.
• Holler at ‘Em, by Mrs. Georgene Sugiyama Horn, page 2. A Minneapolis-area letter writer urges the start of a Japanese language school for Sansei and suggests the J.A. Center as a possible site. The writer also criticizes Wilmington newspapers for using the word ‘Jap’ as a journalistic shortcut.
• Springtime in the Subdivisions, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A Denver column describes couples house-hunting on a spring Sunday and the reluctance of husbands compared to their eager wives. The column also addresses a Korean-sponsored newspaper advertisement and how Asian nations court American public opinion.
• Nikkei View: Honda’s Column on Juvenile Delinquency, by Harry K. Honda, page 7. Honda reviews the Annals volume on juvenile delinquency prevention, featuring Dr. Eva Rosenfeld’s community proposal. He highlights practical recommendations for JACL chapters.
• Washington Newsletter: International Tensions, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. Masaoka reviews NATO’s tenth anniversary and the broader network of Western defense alliances against Communist expansion. He argues the free world remains largely intact despite economic and military pressures.
• Washington Newsletter: Japanese Court Ruling and Tibet, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. A Tokyo District Court ruled the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty unconstitutional, a decision the government will appeal to the Supreme Court. Masaoka also comments on Red Chinese suppression of the Tibetan revolt.

Sports

• CYC May Expand to Include Girls’ Sports, by Kaz Watanabe, page 6. The Community Youth Council of Los Angeles launched its summer baseball program and hopes to add girls’ sports. The council is composed of several local service organizations and JACL chapters.
• Bowling Alley Declares Dividends; News Ones Coming Up, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Nisei-owned Holiday Bowl declared its first stockholder dividend and plans to expand by 32 lanes. New bowling centers are also under development in Sacramento and Eagle Rock.

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.