A response to Newsweek on the wartime evacuation, and new JACL chapter officers

Vol. 48, No. 3, January 16, 1959. 8 pages. View this issue

The wartime removal of Japanese Americans from the West Coast was back in discussion in this January 1959 issue. Harry K. Honda wrote about how JACL helped shape a Newsweek article on the subject. The Hokubei Mainichi answered the magazine’s “blessing in disguise” claim, an editorial from the Eugene Register-Guard looked back on the restitution paid, and Gene Sherman of the Los Angeles Times described Little Tokyo’s decline and recovery. Fair employment was also in the news: more than 50 California assemblymen co-authored Gov. Brown’s FEPC bill, and Mike Masaoka reported on the Senate’s vote on Rule 22 and the filibuster.

Much of this eight-page issue followed JACL chapters at the start of the year. Judy Maruyama, Steve Doi and Frank Yoshida were named chapter or youth group heads, and joint installation dinners were announced. Tom Kitayama won a Union City council seat. The sports pages covered bowling, judo and Olympic hopes, and Bill Hosokawa and Elmer Ogawa wrote columns.

What’s in this issue

National

• Racial Relocation to Ease Tension?, by H.H., page 1. Sen. Richard Russell proposed a bill to create a voluntary Racial Relocation Commission to redistribute white and Negro populations across states. The editorial questions how voluntary such migration would be given Deep South discrimination.
• Anti-Nisei Housing Bias Mooted by Utah Civil Righters, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A U.S. Civil Rights Commission fact-finding hearing in Salt Lake City heard that Japanese Americans still face housing discrimination in urban areas. The committee also discussed the state’s anti-miscegenation law and a 1943 alien land law that was later repealed.
• 50 of Calif.’s 80 Assemblymen Co-author FEPC, by P.C. Staff, page 1. More than 50 California assemblymen introduced Gov. Brown’s proposed Fair Employment Practices Commission bill to prohibit job discrimination. Supporters hope the Democratic majority in the Senate will finally pass the measure that previously stalled there.
• Social Security: Benefits for Dependents, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A Los Angeles Social Security office explains 1958 law changes that extend benefits to dependent parents using the example of a widowed mother. Dependent parents must file certificates within specified deadlines to preserve their benefit rights.

Community

• Tom Kitayama Wins Union City Council Seat, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Nurseryman Tom Kitayama topped the field of 15 candidates in the special incorporation election for Union City in Alameda County. He is a past vice-president of the Eden Township JACL and his brothers are active in local JACL chapters.
• JACLers Donate Piano for New City Building, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Ft. Lupton JACL raised nearly $500 to purchase a new piano donated to the city’s new $60,000 municipal building. The gift replaced an old piano used for community activities.
• Ex-Judge Suyematsu’s Wife Appointed Deputy Attorney General in Wyo., by P.C. Staff, page 1. Ellen Crowley, wife of former Justice of the Peace Tosh Suyematsu, was appointed deputy attorney general of Wyoming. She is the first woman to serve as deputy attorney general in the state.
• Harry Masto Named to Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce Board, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Harry Masto of Iseri-Masto Produce Co., a JACL 1000 Club member, was appointed to the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce board of directors. He will serve one year representing agriculture.
• Judy Maruyama Elected Oakland Jr. JACL Head, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Judy Maruyama succeeded Kaz Sato as president of the Oakland Jr. JACL and other officers were named. The group recently delivered Christmas toys and clothing to the Juvenile Delinquent Hall in San Leandro.
• District Attorney Swears In Pocatello Chapter and Auxiliary Cabinet Officers, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Hugh Maguire, Bannock County prosecuting attorney, installed the new Pocatello JACL and auxiliary officers at a Country Club ceremony. Claire Yamaguchi presented a speech on what JACL means to Japanese American youth.
• Seattle JACL Ballots Show Incumbent Leader as Lone Candidate, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Official ballots for Seattle JACL show incumbent president Takeshi Kubota as sole nominee for another term. Other officer and board nominees are listed with ballots due January 20.
• JACLer to Address Adult Class on Minority Rights, by P.C. Staff, page 4. San Jose attorney Peter Nakahara will speak in a new San Jose adult education course on minority group rights. He will address legal aspects of citizenship for non-Caucasians.
• Five L.A. JACL Chapters to Combine Installation Rites, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Five Los Angeles-area JACL chapters will hold a joint installation ball at Old Dixie Hall on January 31. Former national president Dr. Roy Nishikawa will install the 1959 officers.
• Steve Doi to Head San Francisco JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Steve Doi was elected president of the San Francisco JACL chapter for 1959, succeeding Jack Kusaba. The chapter ended 1958 with 1,100 members, the largest of all 84 chapters.
• Frank Yoshida to Head Cortez JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Frank Yoshida was named 1959 president of the Cortez JACL at a Christmas party. The chapter was also recognized for donating $30 to the Turlock Fire Department toy repair program.
• Inagaki-Kido Team Up to Install WLA, Venice-Culver JACLers, by Steve Yagi, page 4. Former national presidents Saburo Kido and George Inagaki will headline the joint installation of West L.A., its auxiliary, and Venice-Culver JACL officers. The dinner-dance will be held at the Santa Monica Elks Club.
• Sanatorium Founded for L.A. Japanese by Maryknoll Sisters Becomes Hospital, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The new 49-bed Maryknoll Hospital building in Monrovia received its first patients. The facility, originally a sanatorium for persons of Japanese ancestry, will add surgical services.
• Blind Kotoist to Debut With L.A. Philharmonic, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Blind Japanese koto player Kimio Eto will make his debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra at the Shrine Auditorium on February 28. He will perform two pieces accompanied by the orchestra.
• Poultry Breeding May Be Copyrighted Soon, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Nobuo Inouye of U.C. Berkeley reported discovering the first chromosome translocation in chickens, which could protect breeders’ special crosses. The findings were presented at a Davis poultry roundtable.
• Nisei Elected Officer of Insurance Group, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Fred Yokoyama of Santa Rosa was elected vice president of the Sonoma County Life Underwriters Association. He is a member of the Lincoln National Life Insurance Co.
• Dayton JACL Installation Set, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Dr. James Taguchi will be installed as Dayton JACL president with his cabinet by national president Shig Wakamatsu. The chapter is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
• Hollywood Chapter Elects Mike Suzuki, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Shonien director Mike Suzuki was elected president of the Hollywood JACL chapter, succeeding Hide Izumo. The chapter plans to participate in the Coordinating Council installation dance.
• Election Cancelled as 15 Vie for 15 Seats, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Jack Obata was reappointed to the San Benito County Soil Conservation District Board after 15 candidates filed for 15 seats. The county supervisors made the appointments and cancelled the election.

Arts & Entertainment

• Univ. of Chicago Issei Artist Retires After 50-Year Association, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Kenji Toda retired from the University of Chicago at 78 after more than fifty years, having produced thousands of scientific drawings and become an authority on ancient Japanese art. He became a U.S. citizen in 1953.

Commentary

• Ye Editor’s Desk, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. Editor Harry Honda describes how JACL helped shape a Newsweek article on evacuation and how the story reached the Los Angeles Times. He also corrects the past presidents rolls for the Fort Lupton and Portland chapters.
• Story Ends, by Eugene (Ore.) Register-Guard Editorial, page 2. A reprinted editorial notes the $36.9 million restitution paid to Japanese Americans evacuated during World War II. It argues that the Northwest must reflect on its own failures while acknowledging the government’s correction.
• ‘Blessing in Disguise’, by San Francisco Hokubei Mainichi, page 2. A reprinted Hokubei Mainichi editorial responds to a Newsweek article calling wartime evacuation a blessing in disguise. It argues that while the evacuation benefited America’s conscience, the injustice itself cannot be justified.
• Kenichi Hi Thanks St. Louis JACL Members, by Kiichi Hi, page 2. Outgoing St. Louis JACL president Kiichi Hi thanks members and cabinet for a successful year. He wishes the incoming leadership continued success.
• Some Last Words, by Southwest L.A. JACL outgoing president, page 2. The outgoing Southwest L.A. JACL president congratulates Joe Yasaki and his new board. He reflects on the chapter’s youth program progress and stresses that member participation is key to success.
• From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa reflects on a visit by Russian hockey players to Denver and on a Korean journalist’s observations about American life. He concludes that Americans love their country because it embodies their ideals.
• Columnist in L.A. Times Comments on Their Nisei Evacuation Views, by Gene Sherman, page 3. Los Angeles Times columnist Gene Sherman recounts how Little Tokyo declined during the wartime removal and recovered after the Nisei returned. He discusses the Pacific Citizen’s response to Newsweek’s blessing-in-disguise article.
• Job Bias Continued, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Assemblyman Joseph Shell objected to the Rumford-Hawkins FEPC bill’s exclusions and suggested the measure be put to voters directly. The bill would cover employers of five or more persons and empower a commission to issue cease and desist orders.
• Our Waistline Will Widen, by David Yokozeki, PSWDC Chairman, page 4. The PSWDC chairman previews early-year chapter installations and board meetings in Southern California. He also describes plans for the upcoming district chapter clinic and bowling tournament.
• By the Board, by David Yokozeki, PSWDC Chairman, page 5. The PSWDC chairman reports on the Legal-Legislative Committee’s work on FEP and housing discrimination. He also outlines upcoming district events including the chapter clinic and national bowling tournament.
• Howzabout a Dish of Hangtown Fries?, by Elmer Ogawa, page 7. Elmer Ogawa traces the origin of Hangtown Fries, an oyster and scrambled egg dish, to a Placerville, California legend involving a condemned prisoner. He also notes the comeback of Olympia oysters from the Pacific Northwest.
• Washington Newsletter: Anti-Filibustering Drive Collapses, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. Mike Masaoka reports that the liberal drive to revise Senate cloture rules collapsed after Majority Leader Johnson seized the initiative. He explains the procedural maneuvers that left the filibuster largely intact.
• Senate Adopts Johnson Compromise on Rule 22, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Senate adopted Senator Johnson’s proposal to amend Rule 22 by a 72-22 vote, requiring two-thirds of members present to halt filibusters. JACL viewed the outcome as a disappointing setback for civil rights legislation.

Incarceration & Redress

• Affidavits of Support From Kin Favored by State Dep’t on Visa Issuance, by Mas Yonemura, page 3. A State Department policy change makes consular officials give less weight to affidavits of support from sponsors who lack a close relationship with the visa applicant. Attorney Mas Yonemura explains that such affidavits are considered moral rather than legal obligations.

Sports

• Tournament Bowling Opens on Three Fronts, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Nisei bowlers in Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles open tournament play with record entries. The winners are encouraged to compete in the national JACL tournament at Holiday Bowl.
• Nisei Prospects for ’60 Olympics, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Several Nisei athletes, including weightlifter Tommy Kono and swimmers Ken Nakasone and Wayne Fujisaka, are considered candidates for the 1960 Rome Olympics. Island Nisei athletes appear especially promising.
• AAU Boxing Champ Decisioned, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Heiji Shimabukuro, AAU southpaw champion from the College of Idaho, defeated T.C. Chung of San Jose State in a feature bout at the East-West boxing matches. The event took place at the University of San Francisco gym.
• Pot Bowling Game at State Lanes, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Tony Miyasako of Adrian, Oregon rolled a perfect 300 game while pot-bowling at State Lanes in Salt Lake City. It was the first perfect game at State since 1956.
• Six Teams to Collide at Northwest Keglers Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Forty-six Northwest bowling teams compete in the 12th annual Invitational at Fred Takagi’s Main Bowl in Seattle. Defending champions from Caldwell, Idaho return with the same roster.
• Joe Sato Representing Idaho at National Kegfest, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Joe Sato, Idaho state match game champion, represents the state at the 18th annual BPAA All-Star Tournament in Buffalo. The final hour will be televised nationally on ABC-TV.
• Boise Valley Judo Club Hosts Intermountain Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Victory honors were distributed among participants from Idaho, Utah, and Oregon at the Boise Valley Judo Club tournament. George Koyama of Boise Valley won the grand championship.

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