Nisei futures, citizenship rulings and a Kawakita editorial

Vol. 37, No. 22, November 27, 1953. 8 pages. View this issue

Citizenship and standing in America ran through the news of this eight-page issue. Tamotsu Murayama’s Tokyo Topics reported that Japanese Ambassador Seiichiro Yasui, after the Pacific Coast mayors’ conference in Seattle, believed the future of Japanese Americans was brighter than ever. A Honolulu judge cleared nine Nisei who voted in Japanese postwar elections, finding the votes were not voluntary. A December 3 hearing was set for Kazuichi Tsuji’s petition on Issei classified 5-F, with the JACL appearing as a friend of the court.

Columns by Mike Masaoka, Harry K. Honda and Larry Tajiri fill the commentary pages, and Allen H. Eaton wrote to the Mailbox. An editorial asked whether public opinion shaped the Tomoya Kawakita trial. Other pages tell of a 300-year-old stone lantern bound for Washington and a San Francisco JACL dinner held on Friday the 13th in the rain.

What’s in this issue

In-Depth

• Nisei in America, by By TAMOTSU MURAYAMA, page 1. Japanese Ambassador Seiichiro Yasui, reporting from his Seattle visit, believes the future of Japanese Americans is brighter than ever. He praises the Nisei and urges Japanese to avoid anti-American sentiment that could harm Japanese-American relations.

Community

• Woman killed by hit-run motorist, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mrs. Masue Fukuda, 48, of Morgan Hill was struck and fatally injured by a hit-run driver on Monterey highway. The motorist fled the scene, and she died four hours later at San Jose Hospital.
• 300-year-old stone lantern to be gifted to Washington, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A 300-year-old Japanese granite lantern, a gift from the governor of Tokyo, will arrive in Washington to commemorate the centennial of Commodore Perry’s landing. It will be placed near the Japanese cherry trees by the Tidal Basin.
• Lafcadio Hearn’s granddaughter ‘home’ from Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Ranko Koizumi, granddaughter of Lafcadio Hearn, arrived in Milwaukee from Japan as the wife of a U.S. Air Force officer. Hearn was known for his literary sketches of Japan and became a naturalized Japanese under the name Koizumi.
• Seattle Issei pioneer decorated in Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Heiki Okuda, 85, of Seattle received the Order of the Sacred Treasure from Japan’s foreign minister for promoting U.S.-Japanese relations. He has lived in the U.S. since 1893 and founded language schools and institutions for immigrants.
• Nisei youth nabbed for $4,100 holdup, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Four youths, including Nisei Kenji Hirata, were indicted for robbing a messenger boy of $4,100 in Portland. Hirata said he was desperate for money to support his young wife.
• Group donations low for Christmas Cheer fund, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Contributions to the 1953 Christmas Cheer fund reached $426, though group donations have lagged behind past years. Tats Kushida, general chairman, reported the status of the drive.
• Hawaii’s first educational film shows technique of Japanese print-making, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Honolulu produced its first educational art film, featuring printmaker Toshi Yoshida demonstrating Japanese woodblock printing. Other films in the series cover fresco painting and Hawaiian feather work.
• Friday the 13th and Rain No Deterrent, by HARUO ISHIMARU, page 5. A San Francisco JACL dinner meeting drew a large crowd despite rain and the unlucky date. George Inagaki and Mike Masaoka spoke on problems affecting Japanese Americans.

National

• Nine Nisei citizenship cases cleared by judge in Honolulu, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Judge Jon Wiig ruled in favor of nine Nisei who voted in Japanese postwar elections, finding their votes were not voluntary and did not cost them U.S. citizenship. The decision followed arguments by attorneys A. L. Wirin, Fred Okrand, and Katsuro Miho.

Commentary

• Good News for Pipe Smokers, by By HARRY K. HONDA, page 2. Honda discusses President Eisenhower’s decision to overrule the Tariff Commission on briar pipe imports. He reflects on the broader free trade versus high tariff debate and its economic implications.
• Criticisms of Congressional Investigations, by MIKE MASAOKA, page 2. Masaoka examines criticism of congressional investigations into internal security, comparing them with past inquiries into Japanese Americans. He outlines proposed reforms that would give witnesses counsel and the right to respond.
• Tokyo Topics: prescribed reading, page 3. A reader praises the Pacific Citizen as education and inspiration, singling out Tamotsu Murayama’s Tokyo Topics and Mike Masaoka’s Washington Letter. The writer also highlights coverage of the Medal of Honor presentation to Sgt. Miyamura.
• Mailbox letter from Allen H. Eaton, by ALLEN H. EATON, page 3. Allen Eaton praises the Pacific Citizen’s coverage, including Bill Hosokawa’s column on George Mizota and Larry Tajiri’s article on Bruyeres. He credits Japanese Americans with championing civil rights for all groups.
• This Idea of Loafing, by Larry Tajiri, page 7. A columnist describes a restful Sunday spent watching a football game while his daughter Christie kept him busy. The piece is a light family sketch.
• Era of Friendship, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Vice-President Nixon admitted in Tokyo that the U.S. made a mistake in disarming Japan in 1946. The editorial sees this as a step toward friendship between the two countries.
• Before You Know It, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The editors reflect on the rush to prepare the annual Holiday Edition and urge chapters to submit greetings and articles early. They admit the rush is largely their own fault.

Incarceration & Redress

• Tsuji petition to be heard in San Francisco, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A court hearing on December 3 will decide whether Issei men classified 5-F during World War II are eligible for naturalization. Kazuichi Tsuji, a San Francisco cleaner, is the petitioner, and the JACL will appear as a friend of the court.
• New York JACL in appreciation to Newspaper Guild, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The New York JACL thanked the Newspaper Guild for helping remove the word Jap from newspapers. The chapter presented copies of Allen Eaton’s Beauty Behind Barbed Wire to Guild members active in the campaign.

Obituaries

• Hawaii’s oldest Issei citizen dies at 89, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Seijun Asakura, Hawaii’s oldest naturalized Issei citizen, died Nov. 6, one week after his wife. He had been ordained a minister and was long associated with Hawaii’s Japanese language schools.

Military & Veterans

• Nisei wounded in Korea, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A report on Nisei soldiers wounded in combat during the Korean conflict. The item notes their service alongside other American troops.
• Two Issei return after being listed missing, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Two Issei fishermen, Jenmatsu Mio and Tomegoro Oka, were feared lost after their boat was overdue, prompting a Coast Guard search. They returned safely after sheltering from bad weather on the island’s protected side.
• Tried by Public Opinion, page 7. President Eisenhower commuted the death sentence of Tomoya Kawakita, convicted of treason for his wartime role as a camp interpreter. The editorial questions whether the trial was fair and whether public opinion influenced the verdict.

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