JACL gears up for the 1958 convention in Salt Lake City

Vol. 47, No. 6, August 8, 1958. 8 pages. View this issue

Preparations for the 15th Biennial JACL convention in Salt Lake City filled this eight-page issue. National President Dr. Roy Nishikawa opened the first of two installments of his report, outlining the many duties of his office. Four more names joined the list for Nisei of the Biennium, and Tom Aoki of Oakland won the NC-WNDC oratorical contest. Harry K. Honda traced JACL’s postwar policy on U.S.-Japan affairs, while Franklin Chino, Abe Hagiwara and Berry Suzukida weighed in on the debate. Mike M. Masaoka urged delegates to hear Congressman Dalip Singh Saund.

Elsewhere, Nisei veterans closed their Los Angeles reunion with a Sayonara Dinner, and Jean Yasui was crowned Nisei Week queen. Larry S. Tajiri wrote on Hollywood’s handling of Japanese characters, and Bill Hosokawa looked at the so-called Sansei problem. Congress was asked to pay over $2 million in evacuation claims. Sports pages covered Labor Day baseball and bowling.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• Functions of National JACL President’s Office Summarized, by Dr. Roy Nishikawa, page 1. National JACL President Dr. Roy Nishikawa outlines the wide range of duties of his office, including chapter visits, outside appearances, national committee work, administrative relations, and communications. The first of two installments, the report continues in the Aug. 22 issue.
• Four More ‘Biennium’ Candidates Named; Over 12 Expected, page 1. Four additional nominees, including Mrs. Lily Okura, Mrs. Mary Kawakami, Dr. Iwao Moriyama, and John Y. Yoshino, were named for the Nisei of the Biennium award. Five finalists will be announced at the 15th Biennial convention banquet in Salt Lake City.
• Tom Aoki of Oakland Named NC-WNDC Oratorical Representative; Delegates Discuss JACL Convention Issues at Sequoia Meeting, page 1. Oakland’s Tom Aoki won the NC-WNDC oratorical contest and will represent the district at the national contest in Salt Lake City. Delegates at the quarterly meeting also discussed Pacific Citizen distribution, Evacuation Claims Act amendments, and other convention agenda items.
• JACL Japan Policy: 1946-52, by Harry K. Honda, page 5. Honda traces JACL’s postwar policy on U.S.-Japan affairs through the 1946, 1950, and 1952 conventions, showing a consistent emphasis on domestic concerns. He notes the policy’s difficulty in application as Japan changed and urges a statesmanlike debate at the 1958 convention.

Community

• Nisei Named Acting Honolulu Postmaster, page 1. George T. Hara, a veteran postal employee, was named acting postmaster of the Honolulu Post Office. He will succeed Albert P. Lino, who retires Aug. 31, and is a strong possibility for permanent appointment.
• Mt. Olympus Candidate Accorded ’58 Memorial Scholarship Award, page 1. Ronald Inouye of American Fork, Utah, received the 1958 Pvt. Ben Frank Masaoka Memorial Scholarship. Supplemental JACL scholarships were also awarded to several other candidates.
• Burning Midnight Oil, by Rupert Hachiya, page 2. The Souvenir Booklet committee worked long hours to finish the 15th Biennial convention program, which Hachiya describes as outstanding. He credits staff artists, typists, and volunteers for the booklet’s quality.
• Nisei Week Festival Coronation Ball and Queen Selection, by Fred Takata, page 4. Close to 2,500 people attended the Nisei Week Coronation Ball at the Beverly Hilton, where Jean Yasui of San Francisco was crowned queen. The column also previews the upcoming JACL convention trip to Salt Lake City.
• Puyallup Valley CLers Ready for Sunday Picnic, page 4. The Puyallup Valley JACL chapter reserved Five-Mile Lake for a community picnic and sent a Pacific Citizen gift subscription to the Tacoma City Council. Membership campaigns continued in the Fife area.
• NC-WNDC Delegates Named Winners at Sequoia Meeting, page 4. Delegates from 24 of 25 chapters attended the NC-WNDC quarterly meeting hosted by Sequoia JACL. Bowling tournament winners and nominations committee members were also announced.
• Tokyo Judge Lenient With Nisei Defendant, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 8. Judge Akio Date of the Tokyo District Court gave Cappy Harada a light fine and suspended sentence for violating Japan’s exchange control law. The judge praised Harada’s contributions and encouraged him to promote U.S.-Japan goodwill.

Commentary

• Frisco and Holly, by Bill Hosokawa, page 2. Hosokawa contrasts two Chinese American friends with differing views on their children’s friendships and marriage prospects. He concludes that the so-called Sansei problem must be addressed individually, as all human problems are.
• Dick Powell and the Nisei Romance Cliché, by Larry S. Tajiri, page 3. Tajiri reports on Hollywood’s treatment of Japanese and Japanese American characters, including changes made to a GI-Japanese romance in The Hunters. He also previews upcoming films such as Bridge to the Sun and a Japan-set spy picture.
• Biennial Underlines, by Rupert Hachiya, page 3. Hachiya reports on convention preparations including the banquet MC, Mayor Earl Glade’s invocation, and Queen Margaret’s publicity. He also notes a Seabrook JACL project story in the Philadelphia press.
• Let’s Not Meddle, by Franklin Chino, page 5. Chino argues that JACL should not take positions on U.S.-Japan relations, warning that the organization could be captured by outside interests as the Chicago chapter nearly was. He says involvement would expose all Japanese Americans to backlash.
• JACL Can Do Both, by Abe Hagiwara, page 5. Hagiwara agrees that the U.S.-Japan question has been overblown but says any policy change will be seen by long-time members as a major departure. He believes JACL can address international relations while first strengthening its domestic program.
• Don’t Be Hoodwinked, by Berry Suzukida, page 5. Suzukida offers a satirical list of conference tactics drawn from Tulane Professor Sitz’s parody to warn delegates against being manipulated at the convention. The editor responds that repeat delegates ensure stable proceedings.
• Convention Speaker Saund, by Mike M. Masaoka, page 7. Masaoka highlights a Saturday Evening Post profile of Congressman Dalip Singh Saund and urges delegates to hear him at the convention banquet. He draws parallels between Saund’s struggles against discrimination and those of Japanese Americans.

Arts & Entertainment

• Pat Suzuki’s Role in ‘Wizard of Oz’ Hit With Audience, page 3. Nisei performer Pat Suzuki received enthusiastic response for her role as Dorothy in the Starlight Theater production of The Wizard of Oz in Kansas City. Her performance was seen as a sign of changing attitudes since the war.
• Another Nisei Signed for ‘Flower Drum Song’ Part, page 8. Goro Suzuki, performing as Jack Soo, was cast in a top role in the Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway musical Flower Drum Song. Gene Kelly was impressed by his audition.

Military & Veterans

• Nisei Vets Conclude 1958 Reunion With Sayonara Dinner, by Fred Takata, page 4. The Nisei Veterans held their reunion dinner in Los Angeles, with speaker Dore Schary praising Mike Masaoka’s work. Resolutions for Hawaii statehood were passed and Medal of Honor recipient Hershey Miyamura was honored.
• Cleveland JACLers to Meet on U.S.-Japan Question, page 4. The Cleveland JACL chapter held a special meeting to determine its stand on JACL policy regarding U.S.-Japan affairs, a major issue for the upcoming convention. Members received a special issue outlining the arguments on both sides.
• Nisei Vets Reunion and Sayonara Dinner, page 4. Reunion coverage describes the Nisei Veterans’ final dinner in Los Angeles. Speaker Dore Schary addressed the audience on cultural contributions to American life.
• Pacific Northwest Seafair Pageantry, by Elmer Ogawa, page 6. Ogawa describes Seattle’s Seafair festival, including the Chinese community night, Buddhist Bon dances, and Troop 252’s drum and bugle corps. He calls for greater Nisei participation, including a Japanese queen representative.
• Japanese Claims Awards Total Over $2 Million, page 8. Congress was asked to appropriate $2,371,517.75 to pay evacuation claims awarded between February and June 1958. The Washington JACL and COJAEC office expressed confidence in approval before the August recess.

Sports

• Nisei Baseball Teams Prepare for Labor Day Series, page 6. Li’l Tokio Giants and Nisei Trading are considered the teams to beat in the Labor Day baseball series, with other Northern and Southern California teams also invited. Fresno and San Jose squads are also expected to compete.
• Fish & Game Commission Stocking Lake for 15th Biennial Convention Fishermen, page 6. Utah’s Fish and Game Commission is stocking Silver Lake with rainbow trout for the convention fishing derby on Aug. 24. Prizes will be awarded in adult and children’s divisions.
• Fuzzy Shimada Socks 298 Game to Lead, page 6. Fuzzy Shimada of the California Bowlers took first place in the Singles Classic at Sherman Oaks Bowl with a four-game series of 946. He received a $200 check for his performance.

National

• Virginia School Desegregation Date Set Tentatively for September 1965, page 8. Federal District Judge Sterling Hutcheson set a tentative date of September 1965 for desegregating Prince Edward County schools. The date was set in response to a higher court order in the long-running case stemming from the 1954 Supreme Court decision.

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