Evacuation claims, citizenship bills and a Miss National JACL candidate

Vol. 38, No. 25, June 18, 1954. 8 pages. View this issue

Congress and the evacuation claims program filled the news in this eight-page issue. Mike Masaoka reported that the Senate Appropriations Committee approved $200,000 for the claims office, and a JACL survey found about nine in ten remaining larger claimants would take the compromise settlement. The House passed the Hosmer bill on veterans’ benefits, and JACL urged action on the Watkins bill for Nisei who lost citizenship by voting in a Japanese election. Ruth Kosaka, 25, appeared on the front page as a candidate for Miss National JACL of 1954.

Elsewhere, Sacramento’s Japanese community told the city council about its worries over a redevelopment plan, with Haruo Ishimaru writing on the JACL statement. Columns came from Bill Hosokawa, Larry Tajiri and Harry Honda, and Tats Kushida wrote on convention planning and the Ventura County chapter.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Nisei Couple Miraculously Escape Death as Train Demolishes Truck, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Nurseryman Dan Nakata and his wife Agnes Mae survived a collision with the California Zephyr near Tracy on June 8. Mrs. Nakata was seriously injured while her husband suffered minor injuries.
• Sympathetic Regard for Japanese in Sacramento Redevelopment Area Told, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Representatives of the Sacramento Japanese community appeared before the city council to voice concern over the proposed Capitol Mall redevelopment project. They cited hardships facing residents and businessmen who would be relocated again.
• Nominations Open for CL Scholarship, by P.C. Staff, page 1. National JACL is accepting nominations for the 1954 Pvt. Ben Frank Masaoka Memorial Scholarship worth $200. Nominees must be 1954 Nisei high school graduates nominated by a JACL chapter by July 17.
• Ambassador Iguchi, Deputy Commissioner Mackey Accept Invitation for McCarran-Walter Banquet, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Washington D.C. JACL chapter announced that Japanese Ambassador Sadao Iguchi and Deputy Immigration Commissioner Argyle Mackey will attend its June 27 banquet. The event marks the second anniversary of the McCarran-Walter Act and honors new Issei citizens.
• Nisei Model in Universe Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Ruby Yamamoto, a local model and designer, is entered in the 1954 Miss Universe contest representing the San Francisco John Roberts Powers school. She is the daughter of a family from McDonald Island Village near Stockton.
• Ex-Yakima Son, Daughter Studying Medicine, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Yoichi Oikawa graduated from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and will intern at Cincinnati General Hospital. His sister Dr. Katsu Oikawa begins a pediatrics residency in Detroit.
• Conference on Race Relations, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The University of Hawaii, California and Chicago will host thirty social scientists in a four-week conference on race relations in global perspective. The conference is research-oriented rather than action-oriented and is funded by the Ford Foundation and the Hawaii foundation.
• Fashion Show and Other Convention Events, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Convention committee notes list Official Events chairs and planned activities including the opening ceremonies and banquet. The article also describes the Chicago Old Town Holiday arts fair featuring Nisei artists.
• Sacramento Redevelopment, by Haruo Ishimaru, page 5. Ishimaru describes the Sacramento JACL statement to the city council on the proposed redevelopment plan. The statement endorses improving the city while asking for protection of small minority businesses and low-income residents.
• Onto L.A.!, by Roy Nishikawa, page 5. Nishikawa urges chapter presidents to submit ads for the national convention souvenir booklet, as convention financing is in jeopardy. He emphasizes that the national convention is a national responsibility.
• Reactivate CL in San Fernando, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The San Fernando JACL chapter was reactivated with Dr. Chibo Sakaguchi elected as its first postwar president. The Pacific Southwest District Council will soon have seventeen chapters.
• Ventura County JACLers, by Tats Kushida, page 6. Kushida profiles the Ventura County JACL chapter, a seldom-heard group of about 300 Japanese residents centered in Oxnard. The chapter has nearly doubled its membership and plans a bowling league, a July 4 picnic and convention participation.
• $425,000 Fellowship for Prepster, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Robert Akira Nakamura, a John Marshall senior, received a $12,500 fellowship to Pepperdine College from the Los Angeles Examiner scholastic association. He was selected for his journalism and news photography work.

National

• Survey Shows Most Evacuees Prefer Big Claim Compromise Plan, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A JACL survey found about nine in ten remaining larger evacuation claimants would choose the compromise settlement under the Hillings Amendment. Satow noted the bill may not be considered before adjournment this year.
• House Passes Hosmer Bill Restoring Veteran Benefits to Former Enemy Nationals in Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The House approved a bill restoring Veterans Administration benefits cancelled for Japanese nationals living in Japan. JACL argued affected veterans and widows deserve restored pensions since the peace treaty has been signed.
• Senate Committee OKs $200,000 for Evacuation Claims Office Expenses, by Mike Masaoka, page 1. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved $200,000 for administration of the evacuation claims program for fiscal 1955. Masaoka warned the reduction will delay adjudication and urged passage of the Hillings bill.
• Chief Justice Warren’s First Term, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Masaoka reviews Chief Justice Earl Warren’s first term on the Supreme Court, noting his productivity and his role in the unanimous school segregation decision. He describes Warren’s clear, forceful writing and his majority and dissenting opinions.
• Social Security Proposals Under Study, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Washington JACL office is studying the House-passed social security bill, which extends coverage to farm operators and most farm employees. The article explains the reporting options available to self-employed farmers and the $200 wage threshold for farm workers.

Commentary

• Congressional Passage of Watkins Elections Bill Before Adjournment Sought, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL urged House action on the Watkins bill, which would naturalize about 2,000 Nisei who lost citizenship by voting in a Japanese election. Masaoka argued the measure would help clear up nationality problems for stranded Nisei.
• Letting the Wind Out, by Harry Honda, page 2. Honda argues that democracy works when those who grow too powerful are checked, citing Senator McCarthy’s proposal that federal employees leak secret information. He notes that Republican critics are beginning to speak out against him.
• Yashima Moves West, by Larry Tajiri, page 7. Tajiri describes a visit from artist Jun Iwamatsu, known as Taro Yashima, who is moving his family from New York to Southern California. The column traces Iwamatsu’s career from his anti-militarist cartoons in Japan to his postwar books and paintings.
• From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. Hosokawa humorously describes his kindergartner Pete’s report card and the challenges of counting and tying bows. He reflects on grading differences between generations and wonders whether Sansei students are being Americanized into less academic commitment.
• Editorials: Urban Redevelopment and Under God, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The editorial on urban redevelopment traces federal housing policy from the New Deal through the 1949 Housing Act and argues that slum clearance must not outpace housing for low-income residents. A second editorial notes Congress’s addition of ‘under God’ to the Pledge of Allegiance.

In-Depth

• Revisiting America, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 2. Murayama recounts his return to America for the first time in 16 years, traveling via Honolulu, Portland and Seattle. He reflects on reunions with old friends and notes the decline of Japanese language schools in Hawaii.

Military & Veterans

• Teenage Nisei Robber Sentenced to Maximum 60-Year Prison Term, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Edward Yamaguchi, 19, received a maximum 60-year sentence in Honolulu for participating in an armed robbery of a Kapiolani cafe. Two associates also received sentences for the holdup in which the cook was wounded.

JACL

• Deadline Nears for National Recognition of Biennium Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Chapters are urged to nominate candidates for the Nisei of the Biennium award by August 15 based on distinguished community leadership. Five finalists will be chosen, with special consideration for Hershey Miyamura and Dr. Harvey Itano.
• Mike’s Valuable Suggestions, by Tats Kushida, page 5. Convention planners met with Mike Masaoka and staff to discuss guests, protocol and public relations for the 13th Biennial National Convention. Assignments were made to several committee chairmen, including Min Yasui for public relations.

Sports

• Sportscope, by P.C. Staff, page 6. This roundup covers Nisei athletic achievements, including the Hawaiian AAU boxing team’s tour, Kikuo Moriya’s NCAA two-mile title, and Nisei baseball and golf results. It also notes a Japanese Davis Cup team lineup and Hawaiian weightlifting entries.

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