Immigration, Issei old age aid and a Nebraska editor, June 1955

Vol. 40, No. 24, June 17, 1955. 8 pages. View this issue

Immigration questions ran through this eight-page issue. The Immigration and Naturalization Service reinstated pre-examination procedures that may help certain aliens with Nisei wives, and the JACL office explained how Issei could use the process. Haruo Ishimaru thanked the people behind California’s Issei old age assistance victory, and Mike Masaoka’s column also noted the Senate confirmation of Benjamin M. Tashiro as a federal judge. Larry Tajiri followed Ben Kuroki’s newspaper career, from buying a weekly in York, Nebraska, to later papers.

Also inside: Bill Hosokawa’s evening with a Japanese Air Self-Defense Force captain, a $100 million surplus farm products agreement with Japan, and seven Nisei named John Hay Whitney Opportunity Fellows. Sports pages cover swimmers Ford Konno and Yoshi Oyakawa, and columns by Tats Kushida, Henry Mori, Budd Fukei and Harry Honda.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Soviet-Japan Peace Talks, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The editorial warns that Soviet peace talks with Japan could expand Russia’s neutral belt and weaken the free world. It suggests Russia could offer territorial and trade concessions to win Japanese neutralism, so the United States must make counter-offers.
• Haymes and Hawaii, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A federal judge ruled singer Dick Haymes cannot be deported for re-entering the states from Hawaii because Hawaii is a geographical part of the United States. The editorial argues this confirms what most Americans already considered a fact.
• Boy from Nebraska Sequel, by Larry Tajiri, page 1. Larry Tajiri reports on what Ben Kuroki has done in the decade since Boy from Nebraska, including buying a weekly newspaper in York, Nebraska. Fellow Nebraska editors put out his first issue for him in a volunteer effort called Operation Democracy.
• A Friend of a Friend Calls, by Bill Hosokawa, page 2. Bill Hosokawa describes an evening with Captain W. Ohtsuka of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, a former Imperial Navy officer now studying at Lowry Air Force Base. Ohtsuka reflects on Japan’s wartime navy, its postwar rebuilding, and his impressions of American life.
• Stockton Congressman Introduces Private Bill to Admit Fiancee of Hospitalized Nisei Veteran of Korean War, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Rep. Leroy Johnson introduced a private bill to admit Miyoko Kamiyama, fiancee of Korean War veteran Raymond Itaya, who contracted tuberculosis in Korea. Itaya is receiving treatment at a Veterans Administration hospital in Livermore.
• A Grand Family Reunion, by Thomas Sashihara, page 4. Thomas Sashihara of Cleveland argues that the annual community picnic gives Cleveland’s Japanese Americans a sense of belonging even after resettlement. He contends that loyalty to one’s ethnic group makes a person a better member of the larger society.
• Scene from the Golden Gate, by Haruo Ishimaru, page 5. Haruo Ishimaru thanks the San Francisco Hokubei Mainichi for coverage of the California legislative victory on Issei old age assistance. He credits a broad team of JACL chapters, attorneys, churches, and vernacular newspapers, and dedicates the success to the Issei pioneers.
• The Sow Wester, by Tats Kushida, page 6. Tats Kushida reports on the Gardena Valley JACL testimonial dinner honoring new naturalized citizens and installs the 1955 chapter cabinet. He also notes news from Orange County and Southwestern Los Angeles chapters and a failed fair employment ordinance in Los Angeles.
• Nisei Pioneers: A Businessmen’s Group, by Henry Mori, page 7. George S. Ono was installed as president of the Nisei Pioneers, a longstanding Little Tokyo businessmen’s group. The column also covers plans for a Central Gardeners Council and the 1955 Nisei Week queen contest changes.
• Dateline Northwest, by Budd Fukei, page 7. Budd Fukei offers a column of Seattle community notes, including Nisei engineers employed by the City of Seattle and the new Seattle JACL leadership. He also comments on the proposed tollway affecting Jackson Street businesses.
• Very Truly Yours, by Harry Honda, page 8. Editor Harry Honda reflects on the lack of flags displayed on Flag Day in Los Angeles and reminds readers of proper flag display customs. He also comments on the tuna trade dispute between Southern California canners and Japanese imports.
• Milestones in Nisei History, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. Mike Masaoka highlights the Senate confirmation of Benjamin M. Tashiro as a federal judge and California legislative repeal of the alien land law. He credits Haruo Ishimaru for effective lobbying that produced the state’s old age assistance bill for Issei.

National

• Pre-examination Procedures Reinstated by Immigration Office, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Immigration and Naturalization Service reinstated pre-examination procedures that may help certain qualified aliens with Nisei wives adjust their status. The Washington JACL office praised the move as an example of liberalizing the 1952 Immigration Act.
• Equal Pay Raise for Classified Gov’t Workers Urged, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Washington JACL chapter urged that the postal pay raise be extended to classified federal employees, including over 5,000 Nisei. It warned that discriminatory treatment between the two groups would cause morale problems.
• 100-Million Agreement Signed by Japan, U.S. for Surplus Farm Products Will Help Needy School Children in Japan, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 2. A $100 million agreement under which Japan receives American surplus crops will supply school lunches and uniforms for nearly two million needy children. The author warns the program must be administered free of Communist influence, citing Red-leaning teachers’ groups.
• Sate Agencies Help Adoption of Japanese Orphans Under RRA Program, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Prospective parents seeking to adopt Japanese orphans under the Refugee Relief Act must contact their own state child welfare departments. The Washington JACL office provided a list of state contacts and voluntary agencies.

Community

• Straight A Student Nominated by Salt Lake CL for Masaoka Scholarship, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Julia Kiyoguchi, who had a straight A average at West High School in Salt Lake City, was named the Salt Lake JACL nominee for the Pvt. Ben Frank Masaoka Memorial Scholarship. She accepted a commercial art scholarship to the University of Utah.
• Professional Code for Calif. Gardeners Unlikely ’til 1957, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A bill to license maintenance gardeners in California is dead until the legislature reconvenes in 1957, according to JACL regional director Haruo Ishimaru. Japanese American gardeners plan a June 26 meeting in Berkeley to organize a statewide association.
• Judge Tashiro to Be Sworn In June 21, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Territorial Attorney General Ben M. Tashiro will be sworn in as judge of the Fifth Circuit Court at Lihue, Kauai, on June 21. Governor Samuel Wilder King praised his legal competence, integrity and military service.
• Sociology Students Urged to Attend Race Relations Institute, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Rev. Tom Fukuyama urged Nisei sociology students to attend the Race Relations Institute at Fiske University from June 27 to July 9. Three college credits may be earned for the program.
• Utah Congressman Cites SLC Chapter of Tree Project, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Congressman William A. Dawson commended Utah’s Japanese community for donating eighteen cherry trees to the State Capitol grounds. The Salt Lake JACL also thanked the organizations that supported the project.
• Scholarships Awarded to Japanese American Students Abroad, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Several Nisei including Donald Yamaguchi and George Tokuyama received John Hay Whitney scholarships for graduate study in public health, medicine and related fields. The winners plan to apply their training to serving Hawaii and American-Asian relations.
• Denver Nisei Participate in Study of Bias, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Many Nisei took part in a year-long Mayor’s inventory of race relations in Denver, with Min Yasui serving on the panel. The final report recommended eliminating discriminatory practices based on race, color or creed.
• Double Amputee Okinawan in Denver Granted Permanent Residency, by P.C. Staff, page 3. President Eisenhower signed a private bill granting permanent residence to Chokichi Iraha, a double-amputee Okinawan who lost his arms in a 1948 electrical accident. Denver’s Seventh Day Adventist Church and the JACL office helped secure the bill.
• Use of Radioactive Iodine on Fungus Diseases Reported by Nisei at Medical Confab, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Dr. Juro Shintani, a Los Angeles dermatologist, presented research on using radioactive iodine to treat fungus diseases at the American Medical Association convention. He is a faculty member at the USC Medical School.
• Snake River CL Honors Graduates, by Fumi Mita, page 5. The Snake River JACL honored twenty-one Nisei graduates at its tenth annual graduation dinner-dance in Ontario, Oregon. Principal Robert McConnaha urged the graduates to use the moral and spiritual foundations they learned in high school.
• Immigration Pre-examination Procedure Explained, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The JACL office explained the pre-examination procedure allowing certain Issei aliens to adjust status through Canada, with a medical exam and immigration review. Quota backlogs for Japan mean many applicants will still need nonquota status as spouses of U.S. citizens.
• Cleveland Community Picnic Organizations Assist, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Co-chairmen Tom Sashihara and Harry Kaku announced committee assignments for Cleveland’s annual community picnic on July 3 at Wiegand’s Lake. Several local groups are contributing food, games and program support.
• Nisei Relays Deadline Extended to June 20, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The deadline for entries in the Nisei Relays at Rancho Cienega Stadium on June 26 was extended to June 20. Entry fee is $1 per contestant for the entire meet.

Military & Veterans

• Seven Nisei Awarded 1955 Opportunity Awards from John Hay Whitney Foundation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Seven Nisei were named 1955 Opportunity Fellows by the John Hay Whitney Foundation, which supports young people held back by race, culture, or economic status. The winners include scholars, a musician, and a painter pursuing research and study abroad.
• Graduate Hawaiian Nisei at West Point, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Kenneth K. Ikeda of Honolulu became the first Nisei from Hawaii to graduate from West Point, commissioned as a second lieutenant in the artillery. He will report to anti-aircraft and airborne schools.
• Commentary on Ben Kuroki’s Newspaper Career, by Larry Tajiri, page 8. Ben Kuroki’s newspaper career continued after the York, Nebraska paper, including work at the Blackfoot Daily Bulletin and later the North Platte Telegraph-Bulletin. He hopes to own a paper again someday.

Sports

• Konno, Oyakawa Named Double All-Americans, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Ford Konno and Yoshi Oyakawa, both from Hawaii and swimming for Ohio State, were named to the 1955 College Swimming Coaches Association All-America team. Each earned honors in multiple events.

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