Veterans benefits, Issei naturalization and Nisei voting bills in 1954

Vol. 39, No. 1, July 2, 1954. 12 pages. View this issue

Bills in Washington drew the most attention in this 12-page issue. The Senate sent the JACL-supported bill restoring Veterans Administration benefits to former recipients living in Japan to the White House, as Mike Masaoka explained. Naturalized Issei were honored at a Washington banquet, with Sen. Pat McCarran and Rep. Francis Walter among the speakers. The House Judiciary Committee approved the Watkins Nisei Elections bill, which would restore citizenship to Nisei who lost it by voting in Japanese elections. Masaoka also explained the Nisei of the Biennium award, and National Director Masao W. Satow and president George Inagaki looked ahead to the 13th Biennial National Convention.

Other items cover discrimination and community life. The Menlo Park Exchange Club gave up its charter rather than remove a Chinese member, and a Chinese family was pressured out of a Palo Alto home purchase. Columns by Tamotsu Murayama, Harry Honda, Smoky Sakurada and Mary Oyama fill the inside pages.

What’s in this issue

National

• Bill Restoring V.A. Benefits Goes to White House, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Senate approved and sent to the White House a JACL-supported bill restoring Veterans Administration benefits to former Japanese recipients residing in Japan. The measure passed both chambers quickly after identical bills were introduced by Rep. Craig Hosmer and Sen. William Knowland.
• Slowaway Spends 11 Days Without Water, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Manji Tamura stowed away in the chain locker of the Canadian Pacific steamship Mapledell at Yokohama and remained hidden for 11 days. He was found near Vancouver, cold, hungry and nearly dead after the crew opened the padlocked locker before anchoring.
• Korean Nisei Ex-Red Testifies at Seattle, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Harold Sunoo, a Korean American intellectual and former Communist, testified before the House Committee on Un-American Activities about his break with communism after a disillusioning 1949 trip to Czechoslovakia. He had served as an instructor in the University of Washington Far East department and was a government witness in a communist conspiracy trial.
• Washington Honors Issei at Huge Fete, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Naturalized Issei were honored at a banquet in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the JACL chapter, with Sen. Pat McCarran, Rep. Francis Walter and Ambassador Sadao Iguchi speaking. The speakers praised the 1952 law that extended naturalization to Issei and urged friendship between the United States and Japan.
• Nisei of the Biennium Award Explained, by Mike M. Masaoka, page 2. Mike Masaoka explains the history and selection process of the JACL Nisei of the Biennium award, to be presented at the 1954 Los Angeles convention. He lists his nominees and urges chapters and individuals to submit nominations by August 15.
• Vote Bill Okd by Full Committee, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The House Judiciary Committee approved the Watkins Nisei Elections bill, which would restore citizenship to Nisei who lost it by voting in Japanese elections during the Occupation. Approximately 2,000 Nisei, mostly women, would benefit, though House floor action may be difficult before adjournment.
• Naturalization Ceremony Speeches Honor New Issei, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Sen. McCarran and Rep. Walter spoke at the Washington banquet honoring newly naturalized Issei, praising the 1952 law as a measure of justice and calling Japan a vital ally. Both legislators urged Issei to help strengthen American unity against communism.

Community

• Exchange Club Votes to Turn in Charter Rather Than Oust Member, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Menlo Park Exchange Club surrendered its charter rather than oust Chinese member Robert U. H. Ting, a choice that defies the national organization’s whites-only membership rule. Local members said they were unaware of the restriction, and the national district governor said the matter should be raised at a national convention.
• Miss National JACL Candidate Profile, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Janet Okimoto, a 22-year-old secretary from Lancaster representing East Los Angeles chapter, is a candidate for Miss National JACL. She is a graduate of Los Angeles City College and Lancaster High School.
• Tokyo Topics: Praises of Salt Lake City, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 2. Tamotsu Murayama describes arranging the shipment of four stone lanterns from Japan for a Japanese garden in Salt Lake City, a gesture of gratitude to the community for its wartime hospitality. He also recounts honoring naturalized Issei at a local JACL event.
• Watkins Nisei Who Began No. Calif. YPCC, Now 25 Years Old, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Northern California Young Peoples Christian Conference, begun in 1925 by Rev. S. Kato, is celebrating its 25th year. The conference has grown steadily since its founding and continued after World War II.
• 80 Japanese Language Schools in Hawaii Revived, by Shurei Hirozawa, page 3. Japanese language schools have revived in Hawaii since 1947, with an estimated 74 Japanese schools enrolling more than 13,500 students. Schools now emphasize character training and conversation, and more Nisei parents are enrolling their children.
• Chicago Corner: Commencement Exercises, by Smoky Sakurada, page 4. Chicago column reports on Nisei who received degrees from the University of Chicago and other schools. It also covers local news including a Chinese family’s experience in Menlo Park and other community items.
• Chinese Family Pressured Out of Tract Home, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A Chinese family of five was pressured out of buying a home in the Sunshine Glen subdivision in Palo Alto after other prospective buyers threatened to refuse purchase. The developer had initially assured Dr. William Lee that there were no objections, and the family later rented a home in Menlo Park.
• 39 Livingston Area Issei Feted by Legion, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Thirty-nine new Issei citizens were honored at a reception sponsored by American Legion Post 728 in Livingston. Judge Gregory Maushart spoke on the rights and duties of citizenship, and Legion certificates were presented.
• City Council Waives Race Restrictions on All City Deeds, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Redwood City council unanimously voted to waive racial restrictions in city deeds, following City Attorney Cuthbert Currie’s advice that such clauses are unenforceable after the Supreme Court ruling. The action covers past and future deeds.
• Prof. Obata of U.C. to Lead Special Tour to Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Chiura Obata, professor emeritus of the University of California art department, will lead a tour to Japan departing October 31 via Pan American World Airways. The itinerary includes Nikko, Kyoto and Katsura Imperial Palace, and Obata’s wife will join.
• National Director’s Report, by Masao W. Satow, page 5. National Director Masao Satow reports membership gains led by Seattle, which enrolled 500 naturalized Issei members, and the dissolution of the New England and Rio Grande chapters. He also previews the 13th Biennial National Convention and its committee meetings.
• Callahan’s Corner: Encouraging Memos, by George Inagaki, page 6. JACL National President George Inagaki highlights encouraging developments including Seattle’s 720-member chapter, the National Planning Committee’s work, and the 1000 Club’s progress toward its goal. He also reports on preparations for the 13th Biennial Convention.
• Two Sisters Initiated into Phi Beta Kappa at U.C., by P.C. Staff, page 9. Joy Ohno and Violet Nozaki, sisters from Los Angeles, were initiated into Phi Beta Kappa at the University of California at Berkeley. Their parents are Mr. and Mrs. Kiyoshi Nozaki of Kyoto, formerly of Arroyo Grande.
• Phoebe: Life Aboard a Ship, by Mary Oyama, page 9. Mary Oyama recounts her seasick ocean voyage to Japan and a reunion with an older Montreal society woman named Phoebe. The two discuss passengers, tipping, and the pleasures of meeting people aboard ship.

Commentary

• Very Truly Yours: An Oscar for ’55, by Harry Honda, page 2. Harry Honda reviews the Japanese color film Jigokumon, the Cannes first-prize winner, praising its color photography and story. He notes its expected American distribution as Hell’s Gate and compares it with the earlier prize-winner Rashomon.

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