1955: Issei pensions, lump-sum payment and vested property

Vol. 41, No. 4, July 22, 1955. 8 pages. View this issue

Money and rights ran through this eight-page issue. California’s new old age assistance law opened pensions to non-citizen Issei, and a front-page story laid out the eligibility requirements. Mike Masaoka’s Washington Newsletter explained the lump-sum payment provision of the Hillings Bill for evacuees, while another story followed four House resolutions on the return of vested property, with Masaoka testifying for JACL. JACL also urged Congress to pass pending civil rights legislation, and Haruo Ishimaru reported on his chapter visits.

Elsewhere, an editorial praised scholarships such as the Pvt. Ben Masaoka Memorial Scholarship as an investment in future leaders. Bill Hosokawa described Denver’s community picnic, Larry Tajiri looked at Hollywood films about Oriental-Caucasian romance, and Blanche Shiosaki reviewed Daughters of Changing Japan. The sports page followed Tommy Kono’s move to Hawaii and the Southern California Nisei tennis open.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Investment for Future, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The editorial praises the spirit of scholarships, which help outstanding students pursue higher education and become future leaders. It encourages groups and individuals with surplus resources to establish such scholarships as a worthwhile investment in the community.
• Lump-Sum Payment, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The editorial notes questions arising from the new Hillings Bill, which includes a lump-sum payment provision for evacuees. It directs JACL chapter presidents to the Washington Newsletter article for full details.
• The Anaheim Attraction, by Harry Honda, page 1. Honda reflects on Disneyland’s opening, the crowded summer weekends that make Nisei social events harder to schedule, and the cultural influence of the Davy Crockett craze. He argues that media stereotypes remain an area where JACL should continue its advocacy.
• Unsung Heroes of Picnics, by Bill Hosokawa, page 2. Hosokawa describes Denver’s annual Japanese American community picnic, attended by about 500 people including Japanese air force trainees. He praises the volunteers who organized and cleaned up the event.
• Tokyo Topics: Flag Confusion at Political Rally, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 2. Murayama recounts a Tokyo student’s letter questioning a political rally where a strange flag replaced the Rising Sun. He ties the incident to broader concerns about declining patriotism and respect for national symbols in postwar Japan.
• Burma Prime Minister Visits Hawaii, by Larry Nakatsuka, page 3. Nakatsuka reports on Burmese Prime Minister U Nu’s brief Hawaii stop, noting his friendly demeanor and Burma’s policy of neutrality. He describes the warm reception U Nu received in Honolulu before continuing to Tokyo.
• Summer Vacations From College Should Be Spent Doing Something Worthwhile, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Joan Shigekawa, a Bryn Mawr student, is working again in Senator Thomas Kuchel’s office during summer break. She describes her duties and campus activities.
• Book Review: Traditions of Japan Still Grip Young Women, by Blanche Shiosaki, page 5. Shiosaki reviews Earl Cressy’s Daughters of Changing Japan, which follows five young upper-middle-class women struggling with traditional marriage expectations. She finds the book intimate and revealing about the limits of postwar democratization within families.
• Nisei Week Talk Quiet, by Henry Mori, page 7. Mori observes that interest in the 1955 Nisei Week queen contest is low, partly due to the removal of merchandise stubs. He notes that Stella Nakadate has been chosen by the Tuesday Niters as their candidate.
• East Meets West on Screen, by Larry Tajiri, page 8. Tajiri surveys recent Hollywood films about Oriental-Caucasian romance, including House of Bamboo and The Gentle Sergeant. He argues that the more enlightened postwar outlook has replaced earlier unhappy-ending depictions of interracial love.
• Washington Newsletter: Idea of Lump-Sum Payment in Latest Hillings Bill Favored by JACLers, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. Masaoka explains that JACL has long sought indemnity for the 1942 evacuation and that the Hillings Bill includes a lump-sum payment provision of $150 or $50 per evacuee. He notes the proposal would simplify administration and reflects JACL’s continuing concern for all evacuees.

National

• Proxy-Adopted Child of Nagoya Admitted Under Refugee Relief Program, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A two-year-old Japanese American child adopted by proxy through Japanese courts arrived in San Francisco under a nonquota visa. The adoptive parents, Rev. and Mrs. Bertis E. White of Arkansas, were located and assisted by missionaries in Nagoya.
• Requirements of Calif. Pension for Issei Told, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Following passage of AB 2255 and Governor Knight’s signature, non-citizen Issei become eligible for California old age assistance. The Social Welfare Department pledged to process applications and outlined eligibility requirements.
• Vested Property Resolution Yielded to New House Group, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Jurisdiction over four House resolutions calling for full return of wartime vested property moved to the Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee. Mike Masaoka had testified for JACL as the only witness supporting return of Japanese property.
• Civil Rights Legislation Being Studied by House Subcommittee Endorsed by JACL, Particular Nisei Interest Emphasized, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL urged Congress to enact civil rights legislation pending before the House Subcommittee on Civil Rights, citing Nisei experience of discrimination. The organization argued that equal rights at home affect America’s standing with Asian nations.
• Ex-Portlanders to Meet at London YWCA Session, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Frances Maeda and Ruth Nomura Tanbara, both former Portland residents, are expected to meet in London at the World’s YWCA Council meetings. Maeda is touring Europe while working for the World’s Council of Churches.
• Appellate Court Reverses Strandee Cases Dismissed by Hawaii Federal District Judge, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The U.S. Court of Appeals ordered a Hawaii federal court to hear the cases of Junso Fujii and Hitaka Suda, two Nisei strandees. The court found the lower court had construed the law too strictly.
• Chapter Visitations, by Haruo Ishimaru, page 5. Ishimaru reports on visits to JACL chapters in Stockton, Berkeley, Gilroy, San Benito County, Reno, and Marysville. He highlights the Issei pension victory and the strong social integration of Nisei in Nevada.
• House Vested Property Resolution Continued, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee will decide action on four resolutions for return of vested property. Senator Olin Johnston’s subcommittee will begin preliminary meetings on related Senate measures.

Community

• Nishita Making Rapid Recovery From Illness, by P.C. Staff, page 1. George Nishita, a veteran JACL member, is recovering at home in San Juan Bautista after a heart attack. He is active in local boating and business circles.
• Wedding Reception Guests Suffer Food Poisoning, by P.C. Staff, page 1. About 90 guests at a San Jose wedding reception fell mildly ill from food poisoning at a Chinatown restaurant. Health authorities investigated and the owner offered to cover medical expenses.
• Share-Croppers Covered by Social Security, by P.C. Staff, page 1. An Internal Revenue Service ruling holds that farm share croppers are independent operators who must pay self-employment social security taxes if earnings reach $400 in 1955. Land owners receiving rental income are not covered under the same ruling.
• Colorado Times Changes Hands, Kaihara Retires, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Colorado Times, Denver’s bilingual English-Japanese vernacular paper, changed ownership July 1 after 25 years under founder Fred I. Kaihara. Ted K. Ogasawara became the new president when publication resumed.
• Bay Area Wholesale Flower Market to Break Ground on $1,000,000 Construction, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The California Flower Market, an Issei-Nisei owned mart, will begin a $1,000,000 terminal on Brannan Street in August. Relocation is needed because the present San Francisco quarters will be demolished for parking.
• Sumitomo Bank Plans Sacramento Branch Office, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Sumitomo Bank of California received state permission to open an office in Sacramento, pending Federal Reserve approval. Executive vice-president Shigeo Urano made the announcement.
• Youth Wins Fowler JACL, Lions Scholarships, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Floyd Hida, a Fowler High School student active in sports and student services, won the Fowler JACL and Fowler Lions scholarships. He plans to major in pre-nursing at Fresno State.
• New York Obon Festival Scheduled for July 30, by P.C. Staff, page 3. New York’s Buddhist community will hold its annual Obon festival on July 30 in front of the New York Buddhist Church. The event features lanterns and Obon dancing honoring the spirits of the dead.
• 496 Japanese Reside in Sac’to Capitol Mall Area, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A fire department survey found 496 Japanese residents in the 15-block area slated for razing for the Capitol Mall project. They made up 18.7 percent of the area’s 2,652 residents.
• Hospital Anti-Bias Bill Signed, by Smoky Sakurada, page 4. Illinois Governor Stratton signed a bill stripping tax-exempt status from hospitals that deny admission based on race, color, or creed. An amendment requiring court proof before revocation weakened the measure.
• Closing Gap Between Court and Community Theme of Fisk Institute, by John Y. Yoshino, page 4. Yoshino describes the Fisk Institute on human relations, where he met minority leaders including Native Americans, a former Rohwer camp recreation director, and Nisei-connected sociologists. He concludes that the gathering broadened his view of shared minority problems.
• San Benito CL Float Wins Parade Prize, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The San Benito County JACL float, featuring three Nisei girls in kimono on a Mission San Juan Bautista theme, won first place in the amateur division of the San Juan rodeo-fiesta parade. The chapter received a cash award and trophy.
• 40 Pints of Blood in Salinas Valley CL Bank, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Salinas Valley JACL chapter blood bank, established in 1953, has accounted for 40 pints of blood. About five persons have used the bank so far.
• NC-WNDC Salinas Meeting Committeemen Selected, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Committee chairmen were named for the August 7 third quarterly session of the Northern California-Western Nevada District Council in Salinas. The meeting includes a golf tournament and dinner-dance.
• Shigeta to Head Autumn Japan Tour for Photogs, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Chicago camera artist Harry K. Shigeta will lead a photographers’ tour of Japan departing October 15 via Japan Air Lines. Details are available from Shigeta or Kusano Travel Bureau.
• Hollywood JACL Set for Playa del Rey Frolic, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Hollywood JACL annual picnic on July 24 at Playa del Rey will honor new members and recently naturalized Issei. Games, watermelon, and a weenie bake are planned.
• Fashion Interlude Date Shifted, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The second annual San Francisco JACL Auxiliary Fashion Interlude moved from August 21 to August 14 at Gyosei Hall. The show will spotlight Japanese and American creations modeled by Auxiliary members.
• Scene from the Coast Front, by Haruo Ishimaru, page 5. Ishimaru reports on his chapter visitations to Stockton, the Northern California-Western Nevada council meeting, and the Gilroy and San Benito joint meeting. He also describes the Reno chapter as the district’s healthiest and notes Assemblyman Masterson’s Issei pension bill.
• Gardena Valley Gardeners to Organize Association, by P.C. Staff, page 7. About 50 gardeners met in Gardena to oppose the Maloney bill licensing maintenance gardeners. They agreed to form a Gardena Valley Gardeners Association.

Military & Veterans

• Minneapolis Picnic, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A record crowd of about 350 attended the Japanese American community picnic at Webber Park in Minneapolis on June 19. The event drew families from across the community.

Sports

• Su-Mogu: Japanized Smog, by Tats Kushida, page 6. Kushida traces the origin of the word smog to a Japanese term for moxibustion, using it as a playful way to describe Los Angeles air pollution. He ties the term to his childhood punishment memories.
• Tommy Kono Leaves Sacramento Behind, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Olympic weightlifting champion Tommy Kono is leaving Sacramento to run a health food business in Hawaii because he could not afford to remain an amateur. He had been docked pay by the state for absences.
• Southern California Nisei Tennis Open Nearing Title Matches, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Upsets marked the Southern California Nisei Open tennis tournament, with several favorites eliminated in the semifinals. Feature matches and final pairings were set for the coming weekend.
• Japan Davis Cup Team Arrives for N.Y. Play, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Japanese Davis Cup team arrived in San Francisco en route to New York for competition. Takeichi Harada, a former Japan Davis Cup player, accompanied the team.
• Chiyo Tashima Honored as Top Bowler, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Chiyo Tashima of Los Angeles was named among the five best women bowlers of the year by the Southern California Bowling Writers Association. Nobu Asami also won a tournament top score.

Obituaries

• Vital Statistics and Deaths Listings, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Routine listings of births, engagements, weddings, and deaths reported in the Los Angeles and Santa Ana communities. Names of families and survivors are recorded.

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.