Housing refused to two Nisei veterans in Seattle, and a Washington update

Vol. 38, No. 24, June 11, 1954. 8 pages. View this issue

Two Nisei veterans of the 442nd Infantry Regiment were refused homes at Eastgate, a development near Seattle, and the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith protested what it called discrimination. That was the lead story on the front page. Mike Masaoka’s Washington Newsletter also looked at how much of President Eisenhower’s legislative program Congress might finish, and he met State Department officials about problems sponsors faced under the Refugee Relief Act. The House passed a Social Security bill with JACL-endorsed provisions for Japanese domestic and day workers.

Elsewhere in these eight pages, Glenn Kenge Matsumoto became the second Nisei graduate of West Point, and Lawrence Nakatsuka wrote about a court case over whether Okinawans are U.S. nationals. Bill Hosokawa and Larry Tajiri wrote columns, and the 442nd Goodwill troupe toured Western Germany. The back page editorials welcomed Tamotsu Murayama home and noted the defeat of Jack Tenney.

What’s in this issue

National

• Two Seattle Nisei Buyers Refused Homes at Eastgate, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith protested alleged discrimination against Japanese Americans in the sale of Eastgate housing near Seattle. Two Nisei World War II veterans were refused the right to purchase homes in the development.
• California Officials Slow to Aid Refugee Relief Act Applicants, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mike Masaoka met with State Department officials to address difficulties sponsors face in obtaining state certifications under the Refugee Relief Act. He charged California officials with technicalities making certification nearly impossible.
• House Okays Social Security Bill, Aids Japanese Domestics, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The House bill includes JACL-endorsed provisions bringing most Japanese domestic and day workers into the Social Security program. The changes would combine coverage qualifications into a single $50 quarterly wage test.

Military & Veterans

• Hanford-Born Musician Wins Composition Prize, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Higo H. Harada, a former internee, won second prize for an orchestral elegy in a Broadcast Music Inc. contest. The Cleveland student plans to use the prize money to advance his musical career.
• Second Nisei Commissioned at West Point, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Glenn Kenge Matsumoto became the second Nisei graduate of the United States Military Academy. He had served three years in the Army, including counter-intelligence duty in Japan, before entering West Point.
• JACL Participates in Memorial Day Services at Arlington, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The JACL Arlington Cemetery Committee joined the traditional Memorial Day ceremonies and placed wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Individual services honored 20 Nisei war dead buried at Arlington.
• 442nd Goodwill Troupe Tours Western Germany, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The 442nd Goodwill Ambassadors toured Western Germany, performing at venues along the Necker River. Members noted extensive postwar reconstruction in a country scarred by war.

Community

• Nisei Citizens Attend Voters’ Information Night, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Over 100 new Issei citizens attended a voter information program in San Francisco before California’s direct primaries. The San Francisco JACL chapter served refreshments and assisted attendees.
• Denver and Seattle High School Graduates Among Nisei Honorees, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Denver Manual and Seattle high schools graduated large numbers of Nisei seniors this week. The article reports the counts of Japanese American graduates from each school.
• Honors Roundup: Scholarships and Achievements of Nisei Students, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Several Nisei students received honors including scholarships, fellowships and student body offices across the country. The roundup covers recipients from California, Utah, New Jersey and other states.
• Murayama Revisiting America on Scouting Grant, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Tamotsu Murayama, city editor of the Nippon Times, stopped in Los Angeles en route to New York for six weeks of Boy Scout leadership training. He said scouting in Japan can counter Communist influence among youth.
• Reservations Open for McCarran-Walter Act Anniversary Banquet, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Washington JACL chapter is accepting reservations for the second anniversary banquet of the McCarran-Walter Act on June 27. Speakers and guests include Senator McCarran and Representative Walter.
• Nisei Lawyer Norito Kawakami Appointed Deputy Attorney General, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 3. Norito Kawakami, a 42-year-old Nisei who earned his law degree from the University of Colorado, was appointed deputy attorney general of Hawaii. He previously served one term as a Republican legislator from Kauai.
• Webster City Doctor Elected High Twelve President, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Dr. Sam I. Kuramoto was elected president of the Webster City High Twelve Masonic club. He is the only person of Japanese ancestry in the community of 8,000.
• Sacramento Redevelopment Threatens Japanese American Businesses, by Haruo Ishimaru, page 5. The Sacramento JACL asked for help studying a redevelopment program that may damage Japanese American businesses. A Japanese American Redevelopment Study Association was organized to seek equitable treatment for affected residents.
• Denver Mayor Invites JACL to Inventory of Human Relations, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Denver Mayor Quigg Newton invited the JACL to participate in a city Inventory of Human Relations to be presented in November 1954. The inventory will reappraise housing, employment, education and public accommodations.
• Denver Area Issei Citizens to Be Honored at Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Mile-Hi JACL will honor newly naturalized Issei citizens of the Brighton-Denver area at a June 25 dinner. Gold American flag pins will be presented to the honorees.
• San Francisco JACL Retains Nisei Olympics Crown, by P.C. Staff, page 6. San Francisco JACL retained the perpetual trophy at the second annual Nisei Olympics at Kezar Stadium. Downtown Los Angeles won the open division championship with several records falling during the meet.
• Sacramento Baseball Coach Dies on Field, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Fred Toshiaki Yamamoto, 30, died of a cerebral hemorrhage while coaching a baseball game at McClatchy High School field in Sacramento. He was standing in the third-base coaching box when he collapsed.
• Presidency by Quarter-Years in Santa Barbara JACL, by Tats Kushida, page 6. The Santa Barbara JACL rotates its presidency among four vice-presidents, each serving a quarter-year term. The column describes the chapter’s cabinet, convention enthusiasm and membership progress.
• East Los Angeles JACL Leadership and Programs, by P.C. Staff, page 6. East Los Angeles JACL, led by president Wilbur Sato, has approached 400 members and provided many convention committee workers. The chapter also participates in community projects and plans a women’s events committee.
• Nippon Ambassador Iguchi Visits Los Angeles, by Henry Mori, page 7. Japanese Ambassador Sadao Iguchi visited Los Angeles and praised the progress of Japanese Americans since his last visit in 1938. Governor Goodwin Knight also spoke at a banquet honoring the Nippon Visiting Farmers project.

Commentary

• President’s Legislative Program Nears Midpoint, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. The Washington Newsletter assesses how much of President Eisenhower’s January legislative program Congress will pass before adjournment. It reviews taxes, foreign relations, defense, domestic items and stalled requests.
• Very Truly Yours: On Fighting Communism in Asia, by Harry Honda, page 2. Honda summarizes Gen. Carlos Romulo’s Seattle University speech on fighting communism in Asia. Romulo argued Asian peoples will only fight for freedom if they have a stake in it.
• Are Okinawans U.S. Nationals?, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 3. Attorney Shiro Kashiwa argues in federal court that Okinawans are U.S. nationals, not aliens, in defending a client charged with failing to register. The case is set for a non-jury trial on June 28.
• News Artist from Dayton, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Columnist Bill Hosokawa describes a visit from Pete Hironaka, a Nisei editorial artist from Dayton, Ohio. The column also notes the influence of Japanese architecture on American home design.
• Concern over a Movie, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Larry Tajiri describes JACL objections to the film Black Dragons, which portrayed Japanese Americans as traitors. The column notes the JACL advised the station rather than censoring the film.
• Welcome Tamotsu, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The editorial welcomes Tamotsu Murayama back to the United States after he renounced his citizenship to travel to the Philippines. It praises his longstanding commitment to Japanese American and U.S.-Japan relations.
• No More Bigotry, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The editorial welcomes the defeat of State Senator Jack Tenney in the Los Angeles County primary election. It sees the result as evidence that county voters reject bigotry.

In-Depth

• Final Resting Place of Commodore Perry Determined by N.Y. Times Writer, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Meyer Berger of the New York Times determined where Commodore Matthew C. Perry is buried. A search of the New York tomb found his body was transferred to Newport, Rhode Island in 1866.
• A-Bomb Radiation Impact on Unborn Children Detailed, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Three Los Angeles doctors reported in a medical journal on pregnant women exposed to Nagasaki atomic bomb radiation. The study found miscarriages, stillbirths and mental retardation among the affected pregnancies.

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