Evacuation claimants organize and the first Japanese war orphans arrive

Vol. 40, No. 3, January 21, 1955. 8 pages. View this issue

Evacuation claims led the news. Larger claimants formed the Committee on Japanese American Evacuation Claims, chaired by George Inagaki, to seek changes to the 1948 claims law, with JACL support. Also on the front page, five war orphans from Japan landed in San Francisco under the Refugee Relief Act, the first Chinese family entered under the same law, and the Mile-Hi JACL set a goal of 1,000 members. Mike Masaoka’s Washington Newsletter described his return visit to Japan, and Haruo Ishimaru wrote about California Assembly Bill 841, which would repeal the Alien Land Law.

Much of the issue follows chapters as they began the year. Detroit, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Stockton, Salt Lake City, Marysville and others named new officers and set membership goals. Page 6 covers Nisei sports, and page 8 carries an editorial on organizing new chapters, Bill Hosokawa’s column and Larry Tajiri’s review of the novel Home Again.

What’s in this issue

National

• Larger Claimants Organize to Liberalize Law, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Larger evacuation claimants formed the Committee on Japanese American Evacuation Claims, chaired by George Inagaki, to seek amendments to the 1948 claims law. The JACL agreed to support the effort while the claimants agreed to fund the committee’s operations and contribute to the JACL Endowment Fund.
• Five GI War Orphans Arrive in San Francisco, First Group Admitted from Japan Under Refugee Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Five war orphans from Japan arrived by air in San Francisco under the Refugee Relief Act, bound for American adoptive families. The children were cared for by the Our Lady of Lourdes baby home in Yokohama, and another group of ten is due to arrive.
• First Chinese Family Admitted as Refugees, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Lieu family became the first Chinese family to enter the United States under the Refugee Relief Act of 1953, arriving in San Francisco from Hong Kong. Paul Lieu will work at the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station in Wooster.
• Washington Newsletter: Japan Two Years Later, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Masaoka describes his return visit to Japan, noting outward prosperity alongside an unsound economy, overpopulation pressures, and fear over the end of Korean War procurement. He reports that officials he met remain committed to close cooperation with the United States.
• Trust Japanese Good Judgment Rules Rearmament, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 2. Murayama reports on Japanese public debate over rearmament, citing Tokyo Asahi interviews with farmers who accept rearmament as necessary despite Socialist and Communist opposition. He warns that Communist groups are cultivating support in rural and fishing communities.
• California Legislation Outlined by JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The JACL will pursue two California bills: removing the Alien Land Law from the state constitution and obtaining old age assistance for aged Issei unable to meet naturalization requirements. Haruo Ishimaru has been assigned to study legislative work in Sacramento.
• Congress Gets Nomination for Nisei Foreign Service Officer, by P.C. Staff, page 3. James H. Ashida of Silver Spring, Md., was nominated as a Foreign Service Officer, Class 5, becoming the first Nisei to receive an executive nomination through the State Department’s integration program. A former Army interpreter, he has worked as a State Department economist since 1949.

Community

• Mile-Hi JACL Bids for 1,000 Memberships, Challenges Chicago, L.A., by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Denver Mile-Hi JACL chapter set a 1955 membership goal of 1,000 and challenged the Chicago and Los Angeles chapters to keep pace. Chairman Betty Suzuki pledged the chapter would again lead the nation.
• 400 Colorado Issei Naturalized, More in ’55, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Over 400 Colorado Issei became naturalized American citizens during the past year, according to local naturalization office figures. Many Nisei volunteers and community instructors helped with citizenship classes, and many applications remain pending for 1955.
• Stockton Nisei Killed in Auto Collision, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Ray T. Hiratsuka, 25, was killed in a head-on collision on fog-shrouded Borden Highway, becoming the first San Joaquin County traffic fatality of 1955. Three other Nisei occupants of the other car were seriously injured.
• Nisei Measure Up, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 3. Nakatsuka highlights the appointments of Rev. Hiro Higuchi as education director for Oahu Prison and Mrs. Shizue Yoshina to the Territorial School Commission. He argues both appointments reflect the Nisei’s growing ability to match widening opportunities in Hawaii.
• Selma JACL Honors Naturalized Issei; Mayor Guest Speaker, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Selma JACL honored eighteen newly naturalized Issei at a December dinner with Mayor Paul Nielson as main speaker. Chapter president George Okazaki welcomed the honorees and volunteers were recognized for their instruction.
• Chicago JACL Meeting Features Impressions of Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Rev. Jitsuo Morikawa, recent Nisei of the Biennium award recipient, described his two-month visit to Japan at the Chicago JACL January meeting. He reported rapid reconstruction, the strong desire of Japanese Nisei to return if jobs existed, and the need for Nisei to share with others.
• Sud Kimoto Head of Detroit Chapter, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Detroit JACL installs its 1955 cabinet headed by Sadao Kimoto at a dinner-dance, with John Laub of the Detroit Commission on Community Human Relations as guest speaker. The article lists the new officers and members-at-large.
• Delegates to Inspect Sun Valley for 1956 Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Intermountain District Council delegates will inspect Sun Valley, Idaho, on January 30 to decide whether to bid for the 1956 National JACL convention. The agenda also includes the revised IDC constitution, membership and fund drives.
• Philadelphia CL Picks New Board, by P.C. Staff, page 4. William Marutani was elected chairman of the Philadelphia JACL board at its January meeting, with Hana Fujii as secretary and Dick Horikawa as treasurer. The board also held a Christmas party for members and families.
• Stockton CLers Name Henry Kusama President, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Henry Kusama was elected president of the Stockton JACL, with installation of the new cabinet planned soon. The chapter’s first general meeting was scheduled to plan programs for the year.
• S.F. CL President Jerry Enomoto Re-elected, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Jerry Enomoto was re-elected president of the San Francisco JACL, the first president to serve a second term since the chapter’s 1945 reactivation. Cabinet officers and Women’s Auxiliary officers were to be installed at the annual dinner.
• Hilltop Home Site of ELA Installation, by P.C. Staff, page 4. East Los Angeles JACL members installed their 1955 cabinet at the hilltop home of Fred Takata, with Jim Higashi as new president. Guests included representatives of the International Institute and the Jewish Community Center.
• Flight ’55 Zooms for L.A. CL Socialites, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Los Angeles area JACL chapters launched their joint installation dance, Flight 55, at the Institute of Aeronautical Sciences. Lily Otera and Mack Hamaguchi served as co-chairmen of the event.
• West Los Angeles Names Cabinet, Sets 500 Membership Goal, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The West Los Angeles JACL installed a new cabinet under president Steve K. Yagi and set a membership goal of 500. The chapter also plans a welcoming program for newly naturalized Issei on February 26.
• Okazaki to Chair Selma CL Again, by P.C. Staff, page 5. George Okazaki accepted another term as president of the Selma JACL after president-elect Dr. Tom Umade resigned. George Baba was appointed membership chairman, aiming to surpass the 1954 total.
• Point System Initiated in Salt Lake Membership Drive, Shooting for 400, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Salt Lake City JACL set a goal of 400 members and introduced a point system with cash prizes for top solicitors. Committee appointments were announced at the first 1955 board meeting.
• Kenji Fujii President of Eden Township CL, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Kenji Fujii was to be installed as president of the Eden Township JACL at a dinner-dance in Oakland. The article lists the supporting cabinet officers and board members.
• Yoshida Re-elected Cortez CL Head, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Ernest Yoshida was re-elected president of the Cortez JACL and the article lists the other officers and board of directors. No specific chapter activities are described.
• Marysville JACL to Hear Air Force Officer at Jan. 30 Inaugural Fete, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Lt. Col. Darrell Reed of Beale AFB will speak at the Marysville JACL installation dinner-dance on January 30, where 33 recently naturalized Issei will be honored. Haruo Ishimaru will serve as installing officer.
• Montana CL Prepares Feb. 12 Installation Rites for Cabinet, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The new Montana JACL cabinet under president Sam Shirasago will be installed on Lincoln’s birthday, February 12, at the Shangri-La Club in Billings. The article also notes a pre-Christmas party attended by about 50 Issei, Nisei and Sansei.
• Chicago Nisei Ministers Fellowship Discusses Church and Community Cooperation, by Tats Kushida, page 5. Tats Kushida describes meeting with Nisei ministers of Southern California at their annual retreat to discuss church and community cooperation. The ministers expressed willingness to help with community projects of concern to JACL.
• Fashioned Jobs in Los Angeles Newsletter: Student Honors, by Henry Mori, page 7. Mori reports that Katsuhei Takayanagi was selected as one of fifteen prize winners in the Emperor’s New Year’s poetry contest. He also describes City of Hope accepting a Japanese tuberculosis patient and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce electing new officers.
• Charter Approved for J.A. Democratic Club, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Japanese American Democratic Club received an official charter from the Los Angeles Democratic County Central Committee, giving it four delegates to the state convention. Frank Chuman, club president, said the approval was unique in being based on political rather than ethnic considerations.
• Proposed Freeway to Cut Up Seattle Nipponmachi, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Community members in Seattle’s Japanese town launched Operation Crossroad, a development study with the University of Washington, in response to a proposed freeway through the Jackson Street area. The group has 20 charter members and planned a membership drive.
• Chicago GIs Assist Orphan at College, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Members of the 437th Troop Carrier Wing from Chicago raised funds in 1951 to support William Kizuka, a Japanese orphan who had served as a messboy. Kizuka is now attending the University of Hawaii with a straight A average.

Obituaries

• Dr. Albert Palmer Dies in Altadena, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Albert Wentworth Palmer, a longtime friend of Japanese Americans in Hawaii and on the mainland, died suddenly at his Altadena home on Dec. 16. He was the author of The Oriental in American Life and had served as a Congregational minister.
• In Memoriam: Rev. Dr. Palmer, by Harry K. Honda, page 5. Honda remembers Rev. Dr. Albert W. Palmer, former president of Chicago Theological Seminary and a staunch champion of Japanese Americans. He recounts Palmer’s role in establishing a student relocation grant and his ordination sermon for the author.

Incarceration & Redress

• Committee on Japanese American Evacuation Claims Formed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The newly formed Committee on Japanese American Evacuation Claims, chaired by George Inagaki, will pursue legislation to expedite larger evacuation claims. Its executive board includes Dr. Roy Nishikawa, Tad Masaoka, Mike Masaoka, Edward Ennis and Sho Iino.

Commentary

• Overpopulation, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. Honda examines Thomas Malthus’s theories on population and the claim that Japan’s troubles stem from overpopulation. He argues Malthusian thinking served to shift blame onto the working classes and notes that American abundance reflects individual freedom.
• From the Golden Gate: Making History, by Haruo Ishimaru, page 5. Ishimaru discusses California Assembly Bill 841, introduced January 12 to repeal the 1920 Alien Land Law and place the question before voters in 1956. He notes the law was already nullified by court decisions and federal legislation but remained in the state statutes.
• Sportscope, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Brief sports notes cover Kikuo Moriya’s second-place finish at the Chicagoland indoor track meet, Erv Furukawa’s golf round in Seattle, Martin Ota’s all-city football selection in Spokane, and Mo Katow’s bowling series. Reports include scores and results from several Nisei athletes.
• Editorials: New JACL Chapters, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The editorial encourages communities without JACL chapters to organize, noting that the minimum charter requirement could be met with non-Nisei members. It cites Omaha’s example of inviting neighbors and suggests the 100th chapter is within reach.
• From the Frying Pan: Imagination, 1st Grade, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. Hosokawa humorously describes his son Pete’s imaginative play, then recounts Frank Torizawa’s costly air mail newspaper subscription from Japan. He also reviews James Edmiston’s novel Home Again and reflects on Japan’s economic plight.
• Vagaries: Home Again, by Larry Tajiri, page 8. Tajiri reviews James Edmiston’s Home Again, a documentary novel following the Mio family from Japanese immigration through wartime incarceration and return to San Jose. He praises the book’s portrayal of WRA official Sam Morgan and the resettlement struggle.

Arts & Entertainment

• Japanese Koto Played with N.Y. Orchestra, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Shinichi Yuize’s Capriccio for Koto, percussion and orchestra was performed for the first time in New York with a Western-style orchestra at Cooper Union. The orchestra was directed by David Brookman and the piece was commissioned by the American Composers Association.

Sports

• Nisei Coaches Vale to Oregon A-2 State Title, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Melvin ‘Dutch’ Kawasoe coached Vale High to the Oregon Class A-2 state football championship in his first season. Vale went undefeated in its conference and won the title game 14-7 on a late touchdown pass.
• Chinese Nationalist Five Edge Chicago Nisei All-Stars, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Chinese Nationalist basketball team beat the Chicago Nisei All-Stars 84-53 in a game co-sponsored by the Chicago JACL. The Nisei squad, led by Shig Murao’s 25 points, held close until fatigue overwhelmed them in the final quarter.
• Chiharu Igaya Wins Giant Slalom Title, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Dartmouth student Chiharu Igaya of Tokyo won the eighth annual Louise Orvis giant slalom at Manchester, Vt., adding another U.S. skiing championship. He is the son of Kunio Igaya, considered the father of Japanese skiing.

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