Membership drives, a bowling record and a housing case, 1957

Vol. 44, No. 11, March 15, 1957. 8 pages. View this issue

Membership was the subject on the front page of this eight-page issue. JACL president Dr. Roy Nishikawa urged chapters to start their drives early, noting that the Southwest Los Angeles and San Francisco chapters had both passed 1,100 members the year before. Sports and civil rights ran alongside it. Yulene Takai of Sacramento won two titles at the 11th National JACL Bowling Tournament in Albany, and the JACL Board on Bowling accepted Los Angeles’s bid to host the 1959 tournament. Fred Hiraoka, a Nisei engineer, sued an Orange County builder who canceled the sale of a Costa Mesa home.

Columns include Larry S. Tajiri on actress Shirley Yamaguchi, Harry K. Honda on where Nisei families buy homes, and Mike Masaoka on four Nisei staff members in a Hawaii congressional office. Howard M. Imazeki reported on a Delano boy who stayed home from school over a slur in his textbook. The Philadelphia JACL celebrated its 10th anniversary, and the Seabrook JACL planned a chow mein dinner for about 1,000.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• Let’s All Get Our Feet Wet!, by Dr. Roy Nishikawa, page 1. The JACL president urges chapters to launch membership drives early in the year, citing the success of competitive drives among large chapters. He notes that smaller chapters often exceed national averages and that thorough door-to-door canvassing is the only reliable way to build membership.
• Los Angeles to Host 1959 Keg Classics, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL Board on Bowling accepted Los Angeles’s bid to host the 1959 national tournament and revised eligibility rules. Prize money distribution was also changed to a 50-50 split between grand and squad prizes.
• Thousand Club Notes, by Kenji Tashiro, page 5. Tashiro previews upcoming district council conventions, including PSWDC in May, EDC-MDC in Chicago, and IDC in Idaho Falls, and sets a goal of reaching 2,000 Thousand Club members. He also highlights the value of the 1000 Club Whing Ding events in boosting membership.

Sports

• Fem Keglers Smash Nat’l CL Mark, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Yulene Takai of Sacramento won two championships at the 11th National JACL Bowling Tournament in Albany, while Standard Produce of Salt Lake City took the men’s team title. Women bowlers broke several national tournament records during the event.
• Jockey Boots SWLAers, by Henry Mori, page 7. Jockey George Taniguchi spoke at a Southwest Los Angeles JACL meeting, sharing racing films and anecdotes about his career, including how he got into racing. Kango Kunitsugu was installed as chapter president at the same meeting.

Community

• Monterey Issei Celebrates 50th Year in U.S. by Donating Cherry Trees, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Unasuko Higashi, operator of the Azuma-Tei restaurant, donated 50 flowering cherry trees to the city of Monterey to mark his fiftieth year there. City officials expressed gratitude and planned to select a planting location with a landscape architect.
• Expect 1,000 Delegates at San Jose WYBL Conference, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Over 1,000 delegates are expected in San Jose for the 15th annual Western Young Buddhist League conference, dedicated to the late Mike Masaoka. The program includes a round-table on Buddhist, Catholic, Protestant and Jewish faiths and an outdoor memorial service.
• Youngster Didn’t Want to Go to School That Day Because of Word in Textbook, by Howard M. Imazeki, page 3. Gene Nakagama of Delano refused to attend school after learning that a reading assignment contained the slur ‘Jap’ many times. Following complaints by his mother and Japanese American community members, the district superintendent promised to address the textbook with the state Department of Education.
• Calif. PTA Life Member Honors Conferred to Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Mrs. Yo Arimoto, a charter member of the Sequoia JACL, received an honorary life membership in the Washington School PTA. Her service includes serving as PTA president, Girl Scout group mother, and JACL historian.
• Philadelphia JACL Celebrates 10th Anniv’y; Hear Masaoka Stress Continuing Need to Remain Vigilant, by P.C. Staff, page 4. At the Philadelphia JACL’s 10th anniversary dinner, Mike Masaoka urged members to remain vigilant to protect Nisei gains, citing discriminatory immigration and state laws. The chapter installed its 1957 officers, and guests included WFIL radio personality John Carlton.
• Chow Mein Dinner for 1,000 Planned by Seabrook JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Seabrook JACL is preparing its second annual chow mein dinner, expected to draw around 1,000 diners on March 19. The event includes kimono dance performances, Japanese displays, and a cake sale, and Mike Masaoka and other national leaders were introduced at the meeting.
• L.A. Nursing Group Launch Educational Program to Rid Race Bias in Nursing, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Los Angeles Nurses Association’s intergroup relations committee began an educational program against discrimination in nursing, with Dr. Roy Nishikawa speaking on a race relations panel. Other JACL community relations activities included a Japanese cultural program at a B’nai B’rith Brotherhood Week event.

National

• Orange County Builder Denies Nisei Home; Sued for $10,000, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Fred Hiraoka, a Nisei research engineer, was denied purchase of a $21,500 Costa Mesa home after the builder reportedly canceled the sale out of fear of selling to a non-Caucasian. Hiraoka filed suit in Orange County Superior Court seeking enforcement of the contract and $10,000 in damages, with JACL counsel Frank Chuman representing him.
• Chinese Americans Feel Need of National Organization Like JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Some 200 delegates from Chinese benevolent societies formed a national association representing nearly 150,000 Chinese Americans. Observers noted the group’s interest in the effectiveness of the JACL as a model.
• Doub, Ellison Satisfied With West Coast Visit; JACL-COJAEC Cooperation Cited, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Justice Department officials George Doub and Enoch Ellison met with attorneys and claimants on the West Coast regarding evacuation claims and Nisei renunciants. Washington representative Mike Masaoka reported that both officials pledged to complete the programs by the end of 1958.
• News Photographer Saved, Covering Tidal Waves, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A tidal wave struck the northern coasts of Oahu and Kauai, killing two people when a Piper Cub carrying Star-Bulletin reporter Sarah Park and photographer Jack Matsumoto crashed. Matsumoto and pilot Paul Beam were rescued by a Marine helicopter, though Beam later died.
• Utah Civil Rights Bill Gets Shelved, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Utah House committee defeated HB 87, a civil rights bill that would have provided a $100 recovery for racial discrimination in public accommodations. The bill had been endorsed by the Salt Lake JACL and other civic groups.
• Story of JACL Certificates to Distinguished Oregonians for Wartime Support Placed in Congressional Record, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Oregon Senator Richard Neuberger entered into the Congressional Record a news account of JACL certificates of appreciation presented to E.B. MacNaughton, Monroe Sweetland, and Charles Sprague for their wartime support. Masao Satow, national director, praised the honorees as friends who stood by Japanese Americans during the resettlement era.

Commentary

• Vagaries, by Larry S. Tajiri, page 3. Tajiri profiles actress Shirley Yamaguchi, discussing her role in The Enemy, her frustrations with Hollywood stereotypes, and her thwarted New York stage opportunities. He also covers her multilingual background and her interest in a new White Shadows of the South Seas project.
• Southwester: Lingoof, by Tats Kushida, page 4. Kushida’s column playfully examines Japanese meanings of JACL officers’ names and comments on the Hernandez v. Texas Supreme Court victory and Mexican American civil rights. He also notes a Florists’ Association magazine feature crediting Mike Masaoka.
• Very Truly Yours: Home-Buying Patterns, by Harry K. Honda, page 5. Honda discusses housing discrimination in Orange County, referencing the Hiraoka case, and examines how traffic and commuting needs are shaping where Nisei families choose to buy homes. He notes that Nisei home-buying has historically moved outward from Little Tokyo and Boyle Heights.
• Washington Newsletter: Nisei Congressional Team, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. Masaoka profiles four Nisei staff members in Hawaii Delegate John Burns’s office and argues their presence demonstrates Hawaii’s Americanism and its readiness for statehood. He highlights Dan Aoki’s 442nd service and Mary Isa’s role on the Democratic platform committee.

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.