A Tule Lake renunciant loses his citizenship case, and the JACL protests blacklists

Vol. 36, No. 25, June 19, 1953. 8 pages. View this issue

A federal court in Oregon ruled against Yoshio Murakami, who was born in Seattle but renounced his U.S. citizenship at Tule Lake in 1945. The judge held that he had lost his citizenship and could not be readmitted as a citizen. Mike Masaoka wrote on the JACL’s protest against the Attorney General’s continued listing of 21 prewar Japanese organizations as subversive, and the issue’s editorial urged Issei leaders of those groups to file protests. Masaoka also reported the JACL’s endorsement of President Eisenhower’s refugee proposal, with a request that Peruvian Japanese brought to the U.S. during the war be included.

Other front-page items include the Supreme Court’s ruling on racial restrictive covenants, Hawaii’s tax exemption request while statehood was withheld, and five former 442nd Combat Team members cast in the film Beachhead. Larry Tajiri’s Vagaries column compared McCarthyism to the 1943 Dies Committee, and another column revisited Cody, Wyoming, and the Heart Mountain camp. Sports and Issei citizenship classes fill the inside pages.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• Seattle-born Expatriate Loses Citizenship Case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A federal court in Oregon ruled against Yoshio Murakami, who was born in Seattle but renounced his U.S. citizenship at Tule Lake in 1945. The judge held that he had lost his citizenship and could not be readmitted as a citizen.
• Proscribed Organizations, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. The JACL has protested the Attorney General’s continued listing of 21 prewar Japanese organizations as subversive. The column documents how this guilt-by-association listing harms citizens and aliens in employment, housing, travel and immigration.
• Justice Dept. Releases List of Unanswered Claimants, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Justice Department published a list of about 90 evacuation claimants whose addresses are unknown. Those listed were asked to notify the department immediately or risk dismissal or postponement of their claims.

National

• Exemption Asked from Federal Taxation While Hawaii Denied Statehood, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Ten Hawaiian senators, including Kazuhisa Abe and Joseph Nagaki, requested a resolution exempting the territory from federal taxes while statehood is withheld. The request reflects continued frustration over Hawaii’s political status.
• Supreme Court Rules on Racial Covenant Case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Supreme Court ruled that a homeowner cannot be sued for damages for violating a racial restrictive covenant. The decision extends a 1948 ruling that such covenants cannot be enforced in court.
• Four Tacoma Issei Sworn In as Citizens, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Three Issei and one Japanese war bride were sworn in as American citizens in federal court in Tacoma. Daitaro Fujita was the only one who had attended the local naturalization classes.
• Endorse Refugee Bill, Urge Peru Japanese in U.S. Be Included, by Mike Masaoka, page 1. The JACL endorsed President Eisenhower’s refugee proposal but urged that Asian displaced persons receive equal consideration. The organization also asked that Peruvian Japanese brought to the U.S. during the war be granted sanctuary.

Community

• Larry Tajiri Joins Denver Post Staff, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Larry Tajiri has joined the editorial staff of the Denver Post after serving as assistant managing editor at the Colorado Springs Free Press. The Tajiris plan to move permanently to Denver early the following month.
• Philippine-born Nisei Chosen Farrington Scholar for 1953, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Milly Fukumoto, a Philippine-born Nisei, was selected as a Farrington Scholar for 1953 in Honolulu. The scholarship honors the late Wallace R. Farrington and recognizes academic achievement.
• Canadian Firm Advances Fare for Nisei Stranded in Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 1. An Ontario mushroom company is employing 25 Canadian Nisei stranded in Japan and is paying their transportation. The returnees will repay the $517.11 fare at $25 per month.
• Judd to Speak at Tenth Anniversary Seabrook Banquet, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Walter H. Judd has agreed to be the principal speaker at the Seabrook JACL citizenship and tenth anniversary banquet on July 11. Mike Masaoka will also take part in the program.
• $7,000 Scholarship to Cornell Given to Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Richard A. Shigekane of Hilo won a $7,000 Cornell University national scholarship covering a five-year engineering program. He was chosen from 2,200 high school seniors on scholastic achievement and leadership promise.
• Citizenship Class for Summer Set, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Daytime Americanization and citizenship classes for Issei will run July 6 to August 12 at the Los Angeles Americanization Center. The classes are sponsored by the Downtown Los Angeles JACL chapter.
• Nearly Half of Scholastic Honors Won by Seabrook Farm Prep Students, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Nisei students won nearly half of the outstanding school awards at Bridgeton High School in New Jersey. Senior class president Toshimasa Hosoda completed a brilliant high school career by winning four awards.
• Shellfish Collector Given Fellowship, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Dr. Yoshio Kondo of Honolulu received a Guggenheim fellowship for his studies of Pacific island shellfish. He is attached to the Bernice P. Bishop Museum and has collected a major shell collection.
• Father of Son Killed in Korean War Made Citizen, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Ikuma Nishimura, a Japanese-born Honolulu man who lost a son in Korea, became a U.S. citizen before Judge J. Frank McLaughlin. He tearfully explained his reasons for naturalization.
• Nebraskan to Intern in Delaware Hospital, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Kenneth Sato, a 1953 graduate of the University of Nebraska medical school, will intern at a Wilmington, Delaware hospital. His wife will accompany him to the East Coast.
• Japanese Art Masterpieces Exhibit in Seattle, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Priceless Japanese art masterpieces loaned from temples, private collections and the Emperor’s own collection will be exhibited in Seattle. It is the only western display of these works.
• 14 Seattle Issei Become Citizens, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Fourteen Issei were naturalized at a June 9 ceremony in Seattle federal court, most graduates of the JACL-sponsored naturalization class. The group was the largest number of Japanese naturalized at one time on the mainland.
• Springfield Spotlight, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Progress on a state FEPC proposal in Illinois advanced to the House calendar after an amendment was defeated. The column also reports on other Illinois legislation.
• Southwest L.A. JACL Honors 200 Issei Naturalization Students at Tea, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Southwest Los Angeles JACL chapter hosted a tea honoring 200 Issei students of its Americanization and citizenship class. George Inagaki, National JACL president, was the principal speaker.
• Nisei Commercial Teacher Brings National Honors to Minnesota Prep School, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Osseo High School placed first nationally in a shorthand competition, with students coached by Nisei commercial teacher Mrs. Arthur Matsuyama. Her 14 students won 37 individual awards.
• Los Angeles Newsletter, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The column covers a Fujiwara Opera Co. production of Madame Butterfly in Los Angeles, a new gasoline tax, and graduation week in Los Angeles schools. It also notes a dog ownership dispute in Long Beach.
• Navy Issues Book on Perry Visits to Japan in 1853, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The U.S. Navy issued a booklet commemorating the centennial of Commodore Matthew Perry’s expedition to Japan. The publication draws on official records and illustrations from the original narrative.
• Oregonian Gains Four-Year Scholarship, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Hideyo Minagi, senior class president of Lincoln High School in Portland, won a four-year scholarship to Williams College. He plans to study medicine after a family history that included evacuation and the Vanport flood.

Military & Veterans

• 442nd Veterans Win Roles in ‘Beachhead’ Film Story of Marines, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Five former 442nd Combat Team members were cast in the Aubrey Schenck production Beachhead, filming on Kauai. Akira Fukunaga, George Miki, Ken Okamoto, Daniel Aoki and Benjamin Ono were selected after interviews.
• Denver Dentist Clears Himself of Malpractice Charge, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Issei dentist Dr. Genta Nakamura was vindicated when a Denver court dismissed a malpractice suit brought by a patient. The court found the evidence did not show he was responsible for her later difficulties.

Arts & Entertainment

• Short Story Writer Wins Award for Second Time, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Patsy Saiki won the Charles Eugene Banks creative writing contest for the second time with her short story The Warm Garden. The University of Hawaii Teachers College student also won the first prize last year.

Commentary

• Color Lines Disregarded in Party Politicking in Hawaii Convention, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 1. The Republican Party convention in Honolulu drew delegates of many races who mingled freely without regard to racial lines. The writer notes that Hawaii’s party politics offers a model of interracial participation unmatched on the mainland.
• Seen from Golden Gate, by Haruo Ishimaru, page 5. The writer reviews California legislative bills affecting Japanese Americans, including old age assistance, fair employment and discriminatory real estate sales. He urges Nisei to follow legislation and support favorable measures.
• Power for Peace, by Haruo Shigezawa, page 7. This winning essay from Hawaii’s American Forces Day contest argues that armed strength protects freedom and deters tyrants. It honors the men and women of the armed forces who keep watch over the free world.
• For The Record, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The editorial urges Issei leaders of the 21 proscribed organizations to file protests against their listing. It notes that the JACL has taken steps to help clear their names and criticizes the Kashu Mainichi for opposing such action.
• No Damages, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The editorial welcomes the Supreme Court’s ruling that damages cannot be collected for violating racial restrictive covenants. It notes the decision could open housing developments previously closed to minorities.
• Very Truly Yours, by Harry K. Honda, page 8. Harry Honda’s column comments on corporate tax burdens, inconsistencies in the tax code affecting families, and the Senate’s juvenile delinquency study. He also replies to a Hollywood reader about all-Nisei veterans posts.
• Heart Mountain Today, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A columnist revisits Cody, Wyoming, recalling Mayor Paul Stock’s order restricting evacuees from the Heart Mountain camp and describing the town’s changes. The piece contrasts the camp’s harsh conditions with the surrounding scenery.
• Vagaries: Ministry of Fear, by Larry Tajiri, page 8. The column praises President Eisenhower’s denunciation of book burners and compares McCarthyism to the 1943 Dies Committee investigation of the JACL and WRA. It recalls how the committee’s tactics failed to halt the resettlement program.

JACL

• Around Chicago, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Chicago news includes new water-use restrictions, the appointment of a new school superintendent, and the victory of Dr. and Mrs. Arthur Falls in becoming the first Negro home owners in Western Springs. Personal notes on local Nisei are also included.

Sports

• Arakawa Cops Hawaii Amateur Golf Honors, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Billy Arakawa won the 47th annual Manoa Cup by defeating Tom Nieporte one up in the 36-hole final at Oahu Country Club. His clutch putting on the final hole secured the victory.
• Oregon Grid Coach to Make Japan Trip, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Oregon football coach Len Casanova will travel to Japan in July for coaching clinics sponsored by the Far East Army Forces. He will join Ray Elliot and Rusty Russell on the trip.
• Tominaga Hurls 12 Frames for Springfield College Win, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Hawaiian pitcher Hank Tominaga pitched twelve innings to lead Springfield College past Rhode Island 5-0. The game was decided in the twelfth inning on five unearned runs.
• Negro Softballer Rejects Tokyo Offer, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Manager Syd Pollock turned down a $25,000 offer from a Japanese league representative for his female secondbaseman Toni Stone. Pollock said he was negotiating a fall exhibition tour of Japan.
• San Francisco CL Wins First Track Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 6. San Francisco chapter won the first JACL track meet at Kezar Stadium, with Stockton winning the B division. Tommy Kono was noted as a visitor who planned to make his home in Hawaii.

Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.