Vol. 35, No. 25, December 19, 1952. 76 pages. View this issue
The McCarran-Walter Act, which removed racial bars to naturalization, ran through this 76-page holiday issue. Senator Pat McCarran explained the law, Congressman Francis E. Walter traced the history of racial exclusion, and Congressman Walter H. Judd wrote of a 27-year effort to end discrimination in immigration law. Messages came from Attorney General James P. McGranery, Dillon Myer and Ambassador Eikichi Araki. Larry Tajiri looked back on the JACL decade after Pearl Harbor, and Bill Hosokawa recalled the 1942 emergency convention in Salt Lake City.
The issue also carried a run of short stories and a poem by Hisaye Yamamoto, Toshio Mori, Hiroshi Kashiwagi, Mitsu Yasuda and others. Sports pages profiled Olympic champions Ford Konno and Tommy Kono. About 68 of its 76 pages are holiday greetings.
What’s in this issue
In-Depth
- The JACL Decade, by Larry Tajiri, page 2. Larry Tajiri recounts the JACL’s coming of age after Pearl Harbor, its wartime stance on evacuation and military service, and its influence on WRA policy. He argues the organization’s decisions, though unpopular at times, proved right in the end.
- Things of the Earth, by Nelson Algren, page 34. Nelson Algren reflects on the conformity pressures of American life and the struggle of writers to remain true to their own experience. He contrasts emotionally engaged writing with detached, safe modes of expression.
Commentary
- The Senator Explains the Law, by Pat McCarran, page 3. Senator Pat McCarran explains the origins and principles of the McCarran-Walter Act, including the removal of racial bars to naturalization and the retention of the national origins quota. He credits organizations such as the JACL for their role in securing the law’s passage over the presidential veto.
- A 27-Year-Old Vow Fulfilled, by Walter H. Judd, M.C., page 5. Congressman Walter H. Judd recounts his decades-long effort to end racial discrimination in immigration law and the strategic steps that led to the McCarran-Walter Act. He argues the law is a major advance even though it is not a complete solution.
- Message from Ambassador Eikichi Araki, by Eikichi Araki, page 10. Japanese Ambassador Eikichi Araki calls the revision of the Oriental Exclusion Act a significant step toward lasting peace and friendship between the United States and Japan. He commends the JACL and Japanese American community for their sustained efforts.
- 25 Bucks and a Sensahumor, by Harold Tokuzo Gordon, page 25. Harold Tokuzo Gordon offers an informal history of the 1000 Club, the JACL’s fundraising group of $25 donors, and its lighthearted convention traditions. He explains how the club has supported the national organization.
- Is the JACL on the Right Track?, by Haruo Ishimaru, page 27. JACL Northern California regional director Haruo Ishimaru examines whether the JACL is fulfilling its purpose, arguing it is the only national Japanese American organization and should be improved rather than abandoned. He calls for unity and service to the broader American community.
National
- The End of Racial Exclusions, by Francis E. Walter, M.C., page 4. Congressman Francis E. Walter traces the history of racial restrictions on naturalization and the damage done by the 1924 exclusion law to U.S.-Japan relations. He recounts the legislative fight to remove racial bars, including the recognition earned by Nisei soldiers.
Community
- Greetings from Atty. Gen. James P. McGranery, by James P. McGranery, page 6. The Attorney General praises the loyalty and service of Japanese Americans, particularly Nisei soldiers, and welcomes the removal of racial barriers to naturalization. He expresses hope that newly eligible citizens will continue the tradition of opportunity.
- Congratulations from Dillon Myer, by Dillon Myer, page 8. Former WRA director Dillon Myer welcomes the removal of the last major legal barrier to naturalization for Japanese immigrants. He traces the discriminatory history of naturalization law and the state alien land laws it enabled.
- Message from President George Inagaki, by George Inagaki, page 22. JACL national president George Inagaki reflects on the completion of the organization’s major legislative objectives with the McCarran-Walter Act. He outlines goals for 1953, including Issei naturalization assistance and the JACL Endowment Fund.
- A Report from Hawaii, by Seiko Ogai, page 23. Seiko Ogai reports on how Hawaii’s Issei and other residents are responding to the McCarran-Walter Act, with many enrolling in citizenship classes. The article describes the act’s effects on Hawaii’s immigrants and families.
JACL
- Operation West Virginia, by Sam Ishikawa, page 16. JACL staff member Sam Ishikawa recounts a 1948 trip to Charleston, West Virginia, to win support from Senator Revercomb for naturalization and evacuation claims bills. He describes the networking and persistence needed to reach key figures.
- The Darndest Convention, by Bill Hosokawa, page 19. Bill Hosokawa recalls the 1942 JACL emergency wartime convention in Salt Lake City, where delegates from the WRA centers debated and adopted resolutions on military service and other issues. He notes the decision to seek military service for Nisei proved historic.
Sports
- Watch This Ford Go By, by Ken Misumi, page 32. Ken Misumi profiles Ford Konno, the Hawaiian Nisei swimmer who won the 1,500-meter freestyle at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. The article describes his race, training, and background.
- Olympic Gold Medal Champion Tommy Kono’s Alger Story, by Henry Taketa, page 33. Henry Taketa tells the story of Tommy Kono, a Sacramento weightlifter who overcame poor health to win the 1952 Olympic light-weight gold medal. The article traces his path from wartime Tule Lake to military service and world records.
Arts & Entertainment
- Mr. Matsuo, by Mitsu Yasuda, page 36. A short story about an elderly Issei man deeply invested in the McCarran Bill and his hope for citizenship, whose disappointment after the presidential veto is felt by the narrator. The story explores generational hope and the fragility of such expectations.
- The Map, by Hiroshi Kashiwagi, page 36. A short story told by a boy whose family runs a store and who plays a game of imagined travel by car. A wandering Issei man visits the family and speaks of his life, leaving the boy deeply moved.
- The Set-Up, by Paul Itaya, page 38. A short story about Taro Sato, who devises a scheme to pose as a generous man and deceive a shop clerk into giving two poor boys a toy train. The story turns on his calculated deception and its emotional consequences.
- Assault and Battery, by Allan Beekman, page 40. A Honolulu court case in which a woman testifies that Ken Kato, a census enumerator, assaulted her in her apartment. The story examines the couple’s history with Kato and the tensions of the trial.
- The Walk Home, by Fred S. Kai, page 41. In a historical story set in Japan during the persecution of Christians, the elderly Nagata San must decide whether to flee or protect his family and foreign priest. The tale centers on his refusal to save himself while others suffer.
- Morning Rain, by Hisaye Yamamoto, page 46. Sadako and her father share a quiet morning in which he discovers he cannot hear the rain, revealing his failing hearing. The story explores generational distance and the loss of a shared world.
- Time for Lightning, by Iwao Kawakami, page 49. A Nisei former English graduate, now back in Berkeley, recalls his years in Japan, Harbin, and his repatriation to Hiroshima. The poem reflects on exile, war, and displacement while playing a chess game.
- Homecoming, by Toshio Mori, page 52. Grandma travels from Topaz camp to Auburn, California, to visit her son Mamoru, who was wounded and is hospitalized at an Army hospital. The story recounts her journey, the hostility she encounters, and her emotional reunion with her son.
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