Convention preparations and the Walter-McCarran bill, June 1952

Vol. 34, No. 24, June 14, 1952. 8 pages. View this issue

The 12th JACL national convention in San Francisco was the subject most of this eight-page issue pointed toward. Close to 1,000 delegates were expected for June 26-30, with plans to move national headquarters and the Pacific Citizen to the West Coast on the agenda. Stories covered the banquet speaker George Togasaki, a souvenir booklet by Victor Abe, a chorus, and nominees for the Nisei of the Biennium award. On the national front, Congress sent the revised Walter-McCarran immigration bill to the White House, and Mike Masaoka commented on its naturalization provisions.

Also in this issue: checks totalling $12,500,000 for evacuation claims, a ruling in the Kawakita case, and a full military funeral for Cpl. Louis Mitsuru Hirata of the 442nd. Bill Hosokawa’s columns, Marion Tajiri’s short story “The Stranger Comes Home,” and Elmer R. Smith’s article on race incidents in Peru fill the inside pages, along with sports pages led by swimmer Ford Konno.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Aged Issei Women Killed by Motor Car, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Two elderly Issei women, Uta Michigami and Tatsu Hosokawa, were struck by a car driven by an 18-year-old in Berkeley on June 8. Both had attended a Father’s and Mother’s Day party at the Oakland Buddhist church before the accident.
• Nisei Receive Degrees from Tulane, Loyola, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Five Nisei received degrees from Tulane University and Loyola University in May 1952. Glenn Kokame, Tatsuo Asari and others were among those honored at commencement exercises.
• Nisei’s Quick Action Saves Life of Child in Utah Community, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Tom Shimizu, 19, pulled 4-year-old Donald Andrus from a swift irrigation ditch in Sandy, Utah, on May 29 after a neighbor raised the alarm. Donald’s brother Ronald drowned in the same incident.
• JACL Candidate Named Princess in Rodeo Fete, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Denise Houston, 7, the Salinas JACL candidate, was selected as one of four princesses in the 6th annual Junior Rodeo Festival. The chapter also entered a miniature float themed Freedom of Religion.
• George Togasaki Selected to Deliver Main Address at Mark Hopkins Banquet, by P.C. Staff, page 2. George Kiyoshi Togasaki, publisher of the Nippon Times, will speak at the JACL convention banquet on June 30 at the Mark Hopkins Hotel. He is chairman of the board of trustees of International Christian University in Tokyo.
• Yaye Togasaki Heads Nurses at New Hospital, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Yaye Togasaki, a San Francisco native and University of California graduate, took over as chief of nursing services at the new Veterans Administration Hospital at Fort Douglas, Utah. The hospital is scheduled to open in mid-September.
• Four Nisei Named to Phi Beta Kappa, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Four Nisei seniors at UCLA were elected to Phi Beta Kappa, the national honorary scholastic fraternity. The honorees were Yoshio Akiyama, Tommy T. Maeda, Katsumi Tawa and Robert T. Teragawa.
• Four Nisei Initiated Into Honor Society at U of Washington, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Four Nisei graduates of the University of Washington were initiated into Phi Beta Kappa. The new initiates were Isao Hoshiwara, Etsuko Ichikawa, Ted T. Jitodai and Mitsuyoshi Shimada.
• Nisei Student Wins Rotary Scholarship, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Aron Murai, a senior at Menlo Park High School, was selected as one of two recipients of the Menlo Park Rotary Club’s first annual $300 scholarship. The award recognizes academic achievement.
• Nisei Student Receives Japan Travel Fellowship, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Berkeley High School student Katsura, a standout halfback and diver, was awarded a $1,000 scholarship to visit Japan through a Free Asia committee program. He will sail with other scholarship recipients on June 17.
• Livingston Nisei Wins High Honors at Graduation, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Kenneth Kimura, valedictorian of Livingston High School, won four scholarships including a Rotary Club award and a UCLA scholarship. He also earned gold seal recognition from the California Scholarship Federation.
• Downtown Chapter in Los Angeles Plans Stocks Talk, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Downtown Los Angeles JACL chapter will host a June 19 luncheon presentation on stocks and bonds featuring a Merrill Lynch representative and a twenty-minute educational film. The public is invited.
• Sakamoto Elected Student Body Head at Fresno School, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Sidney Sakamoto, a star football player at Edison High School in Fresno, was elected student body president. It is the second time he has led a student body, having also served in junior high.
• Housewife Finds Hidden Treasure in Auction Buy, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Berkeley housewife Mrs. Tami Tanabe found $500 in currency hidden in a teapot she bought in a box of kitchenware for $1.50 at an auction. She may keep the money if no claimant appears within a year.
• Legion Helps Nisei Veteran Solve House-Moving Problem, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The American Legion helped Sgt. Kenichi Fujinami move his house from San Fernando to Van Nuys after a Los Angeles building board initially blocked the move. A second hearing reversed the decision on June 9.
• Ann Nisei’s Cookery: Japanese Food Recipes, by Ann Nisei, page 6. A columnist reviews a Japanese cookbook and shares a recipe for kai-nabe, a clam hot pot cooked at the table. The column praises Japanese cooking for preserving vegetable flavor and using less meat.
• Masaki Hattori Wins Trophy, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Masaki Hattori of Grenta High School in New Orleans won a trophy in a safety poster contest sponsored by the West Bank Lions Club.
• Rain Fails to Dampen Spirits at JACL Picnic, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Cincinnati JACL held its first outing at Mt. Airy Forest despite rain. Activities included baseball, volleyball, bingo and a drawing, with donations from local businesses.
• Fowler JACL Starts With 116 Members, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Fowler JACL, the newest of the National JACL’s 84 chapters, enrolled 116 charter members. Chapter officers organized the membership drive and plan to send delegates to the San Francisco convention.
• Community Center Tells Plans for Summer Activities, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Ellis Community Center in Chicago announced summer programs including a play group for children two to six and a vacation church school for children six to thirteen. Registration fees and schedules were provided.
• Long Beach JACL’s Queen to Be Introduced at Dance, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Candidates for the Long Beach-Harbor District JACL carnival queen will be introduced at a June 15 dance. The queen and two princesses will be revealed at the June 21 carnival dance.
• Salinas JACL Holds Annual Community Picnic, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Salinas JACL held its annual community picnic on June 1 at the local sheriff’s posse grounds. Games, races, gate prizes and bingo were enjoyed by attendees.
• Miyamoto Elected School Trustee, by P.C. Staff, page 8. James Miyamoto was elected to the board of trustees of Garfield grammar school in Clovis, California. He is the first Nisei to hold such a position in the community.
• Resettlers Tell Camp Schedule, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Chicago Resettlers Committee announced the summer camp schedule at Camp Reinberg for boys and girls in two age groups. Parents were directed to the committee for cost and registration details.
• Watsonville JACL to Honor Graduates, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Watsonville JACL will hold an annual barbecue in honor of Nisei public school graduates on June 21 at Sunset Beach. The event recognizes local students completing their education.
• Plan Dance for June Graduates, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Southern Alameda County JACL will host a graduation dance for elementary and high school June graduates on June 14 at Washington Union High School gymnasium. Former graduates are especially invited.

Military & Veterans

• Full Military Rites Held for Nisei GI, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A full military funeral was held in Los Angeles for Cpl. Louis Mitsuru Hirata, a 442nd veteran killed in action in Korea in 1951. He is survived by his wife and two-and-a-half-year-old son.
• Checks Totalling $12,500,000 Will Go to Claimants Under Compromise Plan, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Checks totalling $12.5 million for evacuation claims settled under the JACL ADC-sponsored compromise plan will begin reaching claimants within two weeks. JACL ADC legislative director Mike Masaoka said the Treasury and Justice Departments expedited the payments.
• Eight Pilots Await Start of Air Race, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Eight contestants are set to compete in the second biennial Henry Ohye trophy air race for Nisei flyers, starting June 22 at East Los Angeles airport and ending at the JACL convention. Brothers Noboru and Tadao Nishina of Fowler are among the entrants.

JACL

• Expect Thousand Delegates, Boosters to Attend 12th JACL National Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Close to 1,000 delegates are expected in San Francisco for the JACL’s biennial convention June 26-30, the first national conference on the West Coast since the evacuation. Key agenda items include relocating national headquarters and the Pacific Citizen to the West Coast and the JACL budget.
• Five Soloists to Sing with JACL Chorus, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Frank Ono, director of the Combined Bay Region Vocal Chorus, announced five soloists for the opening ceremonies of the National JACL convention. Rehearsal schedules and attendance requirements were also set.
• Informal Reception Will Be Held for Miss Homecoming, by P.C. Staff, page 2. An informal reception for Rose Kaji, Miss Homecoming, and her attendants is planned for June 22 at the Yamato Sukiyaki House. Kaji and her attendants will appear at key convention events.
• Souvenir Booklet Published for Convention, by Victor Abe, page 2. An 80-page souvenir booklet for the National JACL convention has gone to press and will be given to delegates at registration. It includes a presidential message, a feature by Larry Tajiri, and a pictorial JACL history.
• Convention Time Is Drawing Near, Delegates Enthusiasm Sparks Planners of JACL Parley Activities, by Jobo Nakamura, page 2. Planning for the five-day National JACL convention in San Francisco is complete, with more than a thousand delegates expected. Enthusiasm was demonstrated at pre-convention rallies in Redwood City and Guadalupe.
• Six Outstanding Nisei Win Nominations for JACL Award, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Six nominees for the JACL’s Nisei of the Biennium award were announced, including woodworker George Nakashima, silver designer Harry Osaki, and MGM art director Eddie Imazu. The award will be presented at the June 30 convention banquet.
• National JACL Buys Movie for Showing by Chapters, by Masao Satow, page 2. The National JACL purchased the Japanese feature film Kunisada Chuji for chapters to show as fundraisers. Chapters keep 45% of net profits, with 45% going to national headquarters and 5% to the district council.
• Bridge, Fishing, Tennis Among Convention Events On Schedule, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Special convention activities include tennis, golf, bridge, bowling, a deep sea fishing derby, and a Pioneer Night honoring Issei. The activities are designed to give delegates informal opportunities to socialize.

National

• Congress Completes Action on Walter-McCarran Bill; Measure Goes to President, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Congress completed action on the revised Walter-McCarran immigration and naturalization bill on June 11, sending it to the White House. The measure includes naturalization provisions for resident aliens of Japanese ancestry, and JACL-ADC legislative director Mike Masaoka said it was more liberal than the Walter bill.
• House-Senate Group Revises Omnibus Measure to Increase Chance for Truman Signature, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Senate and House conferees revised the Walter-McCarran bill to address legal and constitutional objections, according to the Washington Post. Sponsors hope the President will sign it or let it become law without his signature.
• Truman Names First Nisei to Hawaii Court, by P.C. Staff, page 1. President Truman nominated Magistrate Robert K. Murakami to be the first Nisei judge on the U.S. Circuit Court for Hawaii. Murakami, a veteran Democrat and Honolulu attorney, must be confirmed by the Senate.
• Coast Farmer Sues for Crop Payment, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Redwood City farmer Harry M. Higuchi filed suit to recover $8,747.70 from Hiroshi J. Yamamoto for produce delivered in 1950 for which he says he was never paid. Higuchi says Yamamoto misrepresented himself as an agent for two San Francisco firms.
• Note Effect of High Court’s Kawakita Case Ruling Upon Status of Strandee Group, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Supreme Court’s Kawakita decision held that registration in a Japanese family koseki does not by itself sever American citizenship, a ruling with major implications for stranded Nisei. Justice Douglas also ruled that working for a Japanese private firm during the war did not expatriate a Nisei.
• House Group Reports Four Private Bills, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The House Judiciary Committee reported four private bills for persons of Japanese ancestry, including bills to admit a Nisei who lost citizenship by voting in a Japanese election and to permit entry of a fiancee of an American serviceman. Two others concern Japanese minor children for adoption.
• Masaoka Seeks Cases of Bias in Defense Industry, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. JACL ADC legislative director Mike Masaoka asked persons of Japanese ancestry to report employment discrimination by companies holding government contracts. He will present such cases to the President’s Committee on Government Contract Compliance.

Commentary

• Editorial: Postal Employees Aided, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The House approved legislation restoring privileges to Nisei postal employees who were removed from their jobs due to the wartime evacuation. The editorial praises the JACL-ADC and sponsoring congressmen for correcting this injustice.
• Editorial: Mississippi Stays Pure, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial criticizes Mississippi lawmakers for refusing to recognize interracial marriages between servicemen and Japanese or Korean war brides. It argues that the state values segregation laws above the principle of brotherhood.
• Lines from San Francisco: Di Provenza Maril Suol, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial uses the aria from La Traviata to reflect on the JACL convention’s Homecoming theme. It argues that the convention marks the Nisei coming of age and calls for the JACL to address broader national well-being.
• Tip to June Graduates, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. The columnist recalls the difficult job market facing Nisei graduates a decade earlier and suggests public relations and promotion as promising fields. He argues Japanese exporters need Nisei expertise to market products like silk effectively.
• From the Frying Pan: Togasaki May Shape Japan Future, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa profiles George Togasaki, an American-educated publisher of the Nippon Times, as an influential figure in postwar Japan. He also praises the Pacific Citizen for its wartime advocacy for evacuees.
• A Short Story: The Stranger Comes Home, by Marion Tajiri, page 6. A young Nisei-American veteran at a party is rebuked by a Japanese American woman after he speaks Japanese to her by mistake. The story explores his wartime trauma and the alienation he feels in postwar America.

In-Depth

• Japanese in the Americas: Race Incidents in Peru, by Elmer R. Smith, page 5. This article examines anti-Japanese agitation in Peru during 1937-1941, which was influenced by California propaganda and international events. It describes the 1940 outbreak of violence against Japanese businesses and the subsequent compensation dispute.

Arts & Entertainment

• Nisei War Films and Vagaries, by P.C. Staff, page 5. This column notes Hollywood’s history with Nisei war stories, including John Garfield’s interest in playing Ben Kuroki and MGM’s Go for Broke. It also reports on Nisei actors and art directors working on current film projects.

Sports

• Japanese Expect Furuhashi-Konno Duel, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Japanese swimming experts expect a historic duel between Hironoshin Furuhashi and Hawaiian Nisei Ford Konno in the Olympic 1500 and 400-meter freestyle races. Furuhashi holds the world records in both events.
• Bright Future Seen for Hawaiian Boxer, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Hawaiian welterweight Philip Kim is viewed as a future world champion after impressive mainland knockouts. His manager Eishio Toyama plans further mainland bouts, including a June 14 fight against Ernie Greer.
• Hirayama, Zenimura Miss Omaha Series, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Fresno State College lost the NCAA regional finals to Oregon State, ending its chance for the College World Series. Fibber Hirayama and Harvey Zenimura scored most of Fresno’s runs, and Hirayama has been drawing pro interest.
• Fujimoto Named to League All-Stars, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Tets Fujimoto, outfielder for Santa Clara High, was named to the all-Santa Clara Valley Athletic League team after batting .333. Johnny Kimura and Min Ikeda received honorable mention on the Peninsula league team.
• Konno Enters Three Races in Hawaii Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Ford Hiroshi Konno returned to competition in the Hawaiian AAU outdoor swimming championships, entering the 200, 400 and 1500 meter races. He is America’s top hope in the middle distances for the Olympics.
• Name Ford Konno to All-America Swimming Team, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Ohio State swimmer Ford Konno was named to the All-American team in the 1,500-meter and 400-yard freestyle events. He set a Big Ten, American and NCAA short course record in the 1,500 meters.
• Yonamine Returns to Lineup After Freak Accident, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Wally Yonamine returned to the Tokyo Giants lineup after missing games due to a finger cut from opening a bottle. He doubled, stole third and scored as the Giants beat the Shochiku Robins.
• Jim Thorpe Award Given Hirayama, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Fibber Hirayama, captain of the Fresno State College baseball team, received the Jim Thorpe All-American trophy as the outstanding Fresno State athlete and scholar.
• Kim Furuya Takes Bowling Meet Honors, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Kim Furuya of San Francisco won the all-events championship at the Northern California Oriental Girls bowling tournament in Sacramento. The Sacramento Higakis took the team event.
• Enterprisers Win Annual Golf Meet Over 20 and 5, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Chicago Enterprisers defeated the Twenty and Five club 35 to 25 in their fifth annual golf tournament at Nordic Hills country club. Dr. Roy Morimoto won the low gross trophy.

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