Chapter clinics, convention plans and Sessue Hayakawa’s Oscar buzz

Vol. 46, No. 5, January 31, 1958. 8 pages. View this issue

JACL chapters and their work filled this eight-page issue. President Dr. Roy M. Nishikawa argued in his column that chapter clinics are essential, and the Pacific Southwest District Council announced its fifth annual clinic in Long Beach. Progress reports on the 15th Biennial National JACL Convention in Salt Lake City reached readers from two district council meetings. Harry K. Honda wrote about the public relations value of chapters, pointing to Cleveland’s tribute to Sgt. Charles Jordan and Calipatria’s flagpole for Helen Momita.

Elsewhere, Bill Hosokawa described the San Luis Valley of Colorado, and Tamotsu Murayama reported from Tokyo. Sessue Hayakawa was named a strong Oscar contender for The Bridge on the River Kwai. Mike Masaoka recalled the call for combat volunteers that led to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. The issue also carried chapter news from Chicago, Detroit, Reno and Philadelphia, and a voter registration service in Little Tokyo.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Assemblyman Grant to Speak at PSWDC Clinic, by P.C. Staff, page 1. State Assemblyman William S. Grant will be the principal dinner speaker at the fifth annual Pacific Southwest District Council chapter clinic on Feb. 9 in Long Beach. The day will include the announcement of the PSWDC Chapter of the Year award and a preliminary report on a Nisei personality survey.
• Mile-Hi JACLer Joins Panel Discussion on Denver Race Tensions, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Robert Maruyama, Mile-Hi JACL vice-president for public relations, took part in a panel on racial tensions in Denver at St. Paul Lutheran Church. The discussion focused on what churches could do to ease tensions in the metropolitan area.
• Southland Nisei Democrats Elect Kunitsugu President, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Design engineer Kango Kunitsugu was elected president of the Japanese American Democratic Club at a dinner meeting. The club aims to awaken Southland Nisei political interest and acquaint political leaders with Nisei voters.
• Merger Rumors Fill Fountain Valley, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rumors that Fountain Valley would merge with Huntington Beach or another city were disclaimed by Mayor James Kanno. He said he has heard talk of it around town but that it does not come from himself or the council.
• Clovis Nisei Named to State Agricultural Post, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Clovis Nisei was appointed one of three packer-shipper members of the California Fresh Peach Advisory Board for the term February 1, 1958 to January 1, 1959. The appointment was announced by the state Department of Agriculture.
• Tallest Flagpole in U.S. to Honor Helen Momita, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Calipatria is raising funds for a 184-foot flagpole, the tallest in the U.S., as a memorial to Helen Momita, who was killed in an auto accident. Donors receive certificates, and the project was started with money from Momita’s funeral flowers.
• Santa Barbara JACL First to Give to Helen Momita Flagpole Fund, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Santa Barbara JACL was the first chapter to respond to the Pacific Citizen appeal for the Helen Momita Memorial Flagpole Fund, donating $10. Contributions may be sent to the fund at Calipatria.
• Cleveland Honors Sgt. Charles Jordan for International Student Trust, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Cleveland JACL presented a plaque to Air Force Master Sgt. Charles Jordan for his International Student Trust, which helps Japanese students study in America. The chapter also donated $300 to the fund, and Jordan helped secure treatment for a student.
• Four Los Angeles Area Chapters Install Officers at Joint Dance, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Officers of the Hollywood, East Los Angeles, Downtown Los Angeles, Pasadena, and Southwest Los Angeles JACL chapters were installed at a joint dance at Park Manor. National president Dr. Roy Nishikawa administered the oaths and past presidents received pins.
• Los Angeles Coordinating Council Dance Committee Works in Shifts, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Committee members for the Los Angeles Coordinating Council installation dance are credited with its success. The article lists the chairmen and volunteers who worked in shifts.
• Los Angeles Newsletter: Chapters Frolic Despite Rain, by Henry Mori, page 4. Henry Mori recounts the installation dance of five Los Angeles chapters and describes a $100-a-plate Republican dinner he covered at the Palladium. He contrasts its menu with that of Japanese American community dinners.
• Fowler JACL Plans Active Year for City’s Jubilee, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Fowler JACL plans an active 1958, its city’s 50th anniversary, with representation at the silver jubilee celebration. The chapter will also manage the Fowler Japanese Community picnic.
• Progress of 15th Biennial National Convention Told at IDC Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 5. National Director Mas Satow joined the Idaho Falls JACL and the IDC meeting to discuss convention planning, including the Miss JACL contest and oratorical contest. Convention committees also reported on fundraising and booklet ads.
• Chicago JACL Record Attendance at General Meeting, by Smoky H. Sakurada, page 6. Chicago JACL’s first general meeting of the year drew a record crowd to view some 500 color slides of 1957 chapter activities. The article also notes the upcoming February ski trip to Caberfae, Michigan.
• Mrs. Maehara Named Philadelphia Chairman, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Louise S. Maehara was elected 1958 chairman of the Philadelphia JACL at its meeting of 1957 and 1958 board members. She is a supervisor at the Children’s Aid Society.
• Bud Fujii Named President of Reno Chapter, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Bud Fujii was installed as president of the Reno JACL chapter at a recent meeting. Assisting officers and board members were also named for the coming year.
• Detroit Teens Announce Tentative Calendar, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Detroit JACL Teen Club approved its constitution draft and outlined a social calendar for the year, including installations, parties, and outings. New club advisers were also named.
• Voters Registration Service Available in Li’l Tokio, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Two Nisei deputy registrars of voters are available at the Miyako Hotel in Little Tokyo to help Californians register for the 1958 elections. The article gives registration deadlines and eligibility requirements.
• BCA Special Projects Fund Goal Hit, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Buddhist Churches of America reported that its $50,000 special projects fund was oversubscribed. Funds support a ministerial training center, a retirement plan, and scholarships.
• Nisei Named to N.C. Appliance Dealers Board, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Richard M. Seiki of San Francisco was elected to the board of the Northern California Electrical Bureau, the first person of Oriental ancestry on its board. The bureau studies market conditions and oversees advertising for electric appliances.
• Nisei Elected as Potato Grower Group Director, by P.C. Staff, page 8. George Hironaka of Oregon Slope was elected a director of the Malheur County Potato Growers Association in Ontario, Oregon. He was among seven new directors chosen.
• Nisei Executive Appointed Far Eastern Manager, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Tom Yamashita, a civil engineer, was appointed manager of Far Eastern Operations for Intrusion-Prepakt, Inc., based in Hong Kong. He is believed to be the youngest Nisei to reach such a high executive position in an industrial organization.
• Toronto Japanese Canadians Plan $150,000 Community Center, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Toronto Japanese Canadian community has earmarked $150,000 for a new community center, with $100,000 for a building designed by architect Raymond Moriyama and $50,000 for a site.

JACL

• Essential, Valuable Service for Chapters, by Dr. Roy M. Nishikawa, page 1. The president’s column argues that JACL chapter clinics are essential for educating officers and members about the organization’s history and programs. It urges district councils to send more delegates and notes that informed, enthusiastic leadership keeps chapters active.
• Special Features of JACL Convention Revealed at IDC Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Progress reports for the 15th Biennial National JACL Convention in Salt Lake City, August 22-25, were presented at the Intermountain District Council meeting in Pocatello. Committees reported on the Miss JACL queen contest, oratorical contest, essay contest, and souvenir booklet.

National

• ACLU Backs Self-Rule for Okinawa Citizens, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The American Civil Liberties Union criticized the U.S. Department of Defense for interfering in Okinawan affairs and urged full self-government for Okinawans, limited only by military security. The protest arose from concerns over the Naha city elections.

Military & Veterans

• 100th Bn. Commander Wonders if U.S. Can Take It If Nation Is Ever Attacked, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Former 100th Infantry Battalion commander Farrant L. Turner, now Hawaii’s territorial secretary, said Soviet Sputniks have alarmed America out of complacency. He argued that the only defense against guided missiles and atomic attack is offense.

Commentary

• Public Relations Value of JACL, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. Two incidents in this issue, the Cleveland tribute to Sgt. Jordan and the Calipatria flagpole project, show the public relations value of JACL chapters. Local chapters that engage their communities enhance the standing of Japanese Americans nationwide.
• Tokyo Topics: Emigres Bring Japan Economic Boost, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 2. Murayama reports that a Japanese government-affiliated agency estimated overseas emigres gave Japan’s economy a large boost in 1956 through gifts, remittances, and tourism. He contrasts this with the historically disparaged image of emigrants and the treatment of Nisei in Japan.
• Lest We Forget, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. Masaoka recalls the January 1943 announcement that Americans of Japanese ancestry could volunteer for combat, which led to the formation of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. He urges Nisei to remember the roughly 2,000 original volunteers and proposes a monument at Arlington National Cemetery.

In-Depth

• Valley of Acceptance, by Bill Hosokawa, page 2. Bill Hosokawa describes the San Luis Valley of Colorado, where about 40 Japanese American families live and the local JACL chapter has many Caucasian members. Japanese Americans there are well integrated into civic life, including Rotary and the Farm Bureau.

Arts & Entertainment

• Comeback of Sessue Hayakawa, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Sessue Hayakawa is considered a strong contender for an Oscar for his role as Colonel Saito in The Bridge on the River Kwai. The article traces his long film career from silent-era stardom to his return to acting decades later.
• Once Played in Wings, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Heihachiro Okawa, who played Colonel Saito’s aide in The Bridge on the River Kwai, once acted in Hollywood films including Wings. The article also notes Japanese actresses Miiko Taka and Miyoshi Umeki as possible Oscar nominees for Sayonara.

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