Issei naturalization and Nisei war dead, spring 1955

Vol. 40, No. 22, June 3, 1955. 8 pages. View this issue

Issei citizenship ran through much of this 8-page issue. The Washington JACL office reported that 7,424 Issei were naturalized in fiscal years 1953 and 1954, and unofficial estimates put the total at over 10,000. The Reedley JACL honored its new citizens at a banquet, and the California Assembly passed a pension bill for Issei by a 70-0 vote. Mike Masaoka asked the White House to back the Hillings bill on remaining evacuation claims, and also urged readers to honor Nisei war dead. Judge John Aiso spoke at Memorial Day services.

On the front page, Larry Tajiri wrote about Otto and Mia Yamaoka and their plans to distribute the Japanese film Hiroshima. Inside, Tamotsu Murayama reported from Tokyo on war brides, Bill Hosokawa wrote about Denver’s Japanese restaurants, and Haruo Ishimaru continued his Cherry Blossom Tour. Masao Satow announced the 1956 national convention in San Francisco.

What’s in this issue

Arts & Entertainment

• Yamaokas Return to Entertainment World with ‘Hiroshima’ Distribution and Planned Film Productions, page 1. Otto and Mia Yamaoka, longtime Hollywood performers, are distributing the Japanese film Hiroshima in the United States and planning their own motion picture productions. The couple plans a biographical feature on Tesshu Yamaoka and a future film about pearl king Kokichi Mikimoto.
• ‘Hiroshima’ Not Period Piece, page 1. The 1953 Japanese film Hiroshima, directed by Hideo Sekigawa, was trimmed by about 15 minutes for U.S. release. Time magazine called it well worth seeing despite its amateurish quality.
• Receives Goldwyn Writing Award, page 7. Tokyo exchange student Reiko Hatsumi won second prize of $250 in the first annual Samuel Goldwyn Award for Creative Writing for her short story Rain and the Feast of the Stars. She is a UCLA graduate student who has lived in the United States since 1949.

Commentary

• This Prospect of Automation, by Harry Honda, page 1. Editor Harry Honda reflects on automatic pinsetters and the broader history of automation replacing human labor. He notes the Pacific Citizen will soon install an automatic teletypesetter at its printing plant.
• Japanese Restaurant Shortage, by Bill Hosokawa, page 2. Bill Hosokawa laments the loss of Denver’s Japanese restaurants after George Furuta left for Los Angeles. He describes new Oriental Garden restaurant opened by George Fukuma, betting on a sizeable Japanese-interested local population.
• Cherry Blossom Tour (Part 4), by Haruo Ishimaru, page 5. Ishimaru describes a tour of Pearl Island where visitors watched cultured pearl production and visited the Ise Grand Shrine. He also recounts a day with Sumitomo Bank in Osaka, including a Takarazuka revue performance and a lavish dinner.
• 10,000 Issei Naturalized, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The editorial praises the Issei for their naturalization achievements, noting the Japanese had the highest naturalization percentage of any group in a short period. It celebrates their perseverance through evacuation and long waits for citizenship.
• School Segregation, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The editorial comments on the Supreme Court’s decision to return school desegregation to local courts for a prompt and reasonable start. It expresses optimism that change will come as California demonstrated after past discrimination.
• Memorial Day Services, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The editorial quotes Judge Aiso’s Memorial Day address calling for gratitude to fallen Nisei heroes. It urges Issei and Nisei to honor the war dead.

National

• Over 7,000 Issei Naturalized in First 18 Months After Law Changed; Unofficial Estimates Figure Ten Thousand, page 1. The Washington JACL office reports that 7,424 Issei were naturalized during fiscal years 1953 and 1954 following the Walter-McCarran Act. Unofficial estimates put the total number of Issei citizens at over 10,000.
• White House Aid Sought by JACL, COJAEC to Urge Support of Hillings Bill Amending Evacuation Claim Law, page 1. Mike Masaoka asked the White House to endorse the Hillings bill, which would expedite remaining Japanese American evacuation claims. He argued that delays by federal agencies were stalling the legislation before the August adjournment.
• Peruvian Japanese May Apply for Restitution of Frozen Properties, page 1. Peruvian Japanese in the United States can now apply for restitution of frozen properties under procedures promulgated March 25. Non-residents must file through a delegated resident in Peru, with assistance from a committee in Lima.
• Calif. Pension for Issei Passes 70-0, page 1. The California State Assembly passed AB 2255, the Masterson bill providing old age assistance to Issei ineligible for citizenship, by a 70-0 vote. The bill now goes to the Senate, and JACL chapters were urged to contact their senators before adjournment.
• Minority Week, page 2. The California Senate Labor Committee killed three fair employment practice bills, while the Supreme Court ordered public school desegregation to proceed with all deliberate speed. The Illinois NAACP also organized a lobby for state FEPC legislation, with Chicago JACL member Robert Birchman directing the campaign.
• Tokyo Topics: 20,000 War Brides in America, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 2. U.S. Consul General Laurence Taylor disclosed that over 20,000 visas have been granted to Japanese war brides, with over 4,000 going in the past year. The article notes growing acceptance of such marriages despite discouraging press reports.
• Picture Hopeful, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 2. Nisei in Japan are having their U.S. citizenship reinstated and separated families are being reunited. The first group of 57 Japanese refugees received visas under the 1953 Refugee Relief Act.
• Five of 10 Eisenhower Proposals to Liberalize Refugee Relief Law Applicable to Japan, JACL Study Shows, page 3. The Washington JACL Office found five of President Eisenhower’s ten proposals to amend the Refugee Relief Act directly apply to Japan. Recommendations include eliminating the firmly resettled and usual place of abode limits, the two-year security check, and family separation rules.
• Urge Pay Boost for All Federal Gov’t, Postal Workers, page 3. The Washington JACL chapter unanimously urged Congress to pass pay increase bills for postal and classified federal employees, more than 5,000 of whom are Nisei. The resolution followed the Senate’s upholding of the President’s veto of an 8.8% postal pay bill.

Community

• War Bride’s School, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 2. The American Red Cross has run a brides’ school in Tokyo and Yokohama since 1948 to prepare Japanese women for American life. Classes cover homemaking, religion, child care, history, and customs.
• U.S. Flag Flown Over Nation’s Capitol to be Presented to Japan Boy Scouts, page 2. An American flag that flew over the U.S. Capitol is awaiting presentation to the Boy Scouts of Japan at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo. The gift was arranged through Rep. Sidney Yates and Mike Masaoka as a symbol of scouting brotherhood.
• Freshmen Legislators Disappointing, by Harry Nabatsuka, page 3. Honolulu Nisei generally expressed disappointment in the performance of the young freshman legislators during the 28th Territorial Legislature. Their reform platform fizzled amid practical setbacks and a lengthy overtime session that ended May 27.
• Nisei War Dead Cited as Men Who Removed Second-Class Citizenship, page 3. Judge John Aiso spoke at Evergreen Cemetery Memorial Day services honoring Nisei war dead, calling them the men who freed Nisei from second-class citizenship. He noted the work remained unfinished for living Nisei facing discrimination.
• Chicago Corner, by Smoky Sakurada, page 4. Hawaiian-born artist Joseph Goto won $1,500 at the Art Institute of Chicago for his welded steel sculpture Struggle. The column also previews the Chicago JACL 1000 Club Whing Ding and New Horizons dance for graduates.
• The Sow’Wester, by Tats Kushida, page 6. Kushida reports on a San Diego chapter testimonial honoring eighty new Issei citizens and on the Downtown Los Angeles chapter presenting Frank Chuman with the JACL Sapphire Pin. The column also covers Gardena Valley’s upcoming Issei testimonial dinner.
• Cultural Center Dream Busts Again, by Henry Mori, page 7. Yaemitsu Sugimachi’s plan for a $300,000 Oriental Cultural Center in Los Angeles failed amid community indifference. Mori suggests the idea was impractical and leaves a sense of frustration.
• Perplexed Burglars Set Fire, by Henry Mori, page 7. Nurseryman Joe Kishi lost a West Los Angeles building to a fire set by burglars who failed to crack his safe. Kishi estimated his losses at $7,000 to $8,000.

JACL

• Reedley CL Fetes New Issei Citizens, page 4. The Reedley JACL honored newly naturalized Issei at a banquet where Fresno County Superior Court Judge Philip Conley praised their hardships and determination. The event was attended by local officials and included a Japanese American Creed presentation.
• National JACL Endowment Fund Boosted to $83,000, page 4. Recent contributions raised the National JACL Endowment Fund to $83,606.01, with $80,000 held in trust. Donors from multiple states contributed in honor of family members and to support the fund.
• Salinas CL Prepares for Aug. 7 DC Meet, page 4. The Salinas Valley JACL chapter will host the third quarterly NC-WNDC session on August 7 at Hotel Cominos, followed by a dance and a golf tournament. Committee chairmen were named for the event.
• ’56 Nat’l JACL Convention, by Masao Satow, page 5. National Headquarters will host the 1956 National JACL Convention in San Francisco over Labor Day weekend, marking the first biennial of JACL’s second quarter century. The column also announces new national board district council chairmen.

Military & Veterans

• Memorial Day, 1955: Have We Forgotten So Soon?, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. Masaoka urges Issei and Nisei to honor Nisei war dead beyond Memorial Day, noting declining turnout at Arlington graves decorating. He argues the sacrifices of Nisei soldiers made their acceptance and prosperity possible.

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