Vol. 41, No. 19, November 4, 1955. 8 pages. View this issue
Naturalization and the Nisei community’s own gatherings ran through this eight-page issue. Seven more Issei were to be sworn in as citizens in Denver, a 93-year-old Issei from Stockton named Kotaro Kobayashi passed his test, and Selma JACL planned a dinner honoring new citizens. Mike Masaoka wrote on the Ozawa and Toyota cases and the long road to naturalization rights. On the front page, Sonoma County JACL prepared to host the Northern California-Western Nevada district convention, and Sen. Thomas Kuchel endorsed the Lane-Hillings bill on evacuation claims.
Elsewhere, an editorial asked who decides when a president is unable to serve. Larry S. Tajiri’s column looked at gambling discrimination in Nevada, and Mary Minamoto remembered Portland welfare worker Gertrude Lawson Robertson. Sports pages covered jockey George Taniguchi’s Bay Meadows title and Ervin Furukawa’s third straight Nisei golf win, and chapter news came from Chicago, Richmond-El Cerrito and Washington, D.C.
What’s in this issue
Commentary
- Editorial: Presidential Succession Question Raised by Eisenhower’s Illness, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The bulletin that President Eisenhower would leave the hospital for the White House and Gettysburg farm temporarily quiets questions about succession. The editorial argues that the constitutional procedure for determining presidential incapacity needs clarification.
- Japanese Home Life Changes Brought by Rural Electrification and Modern Conveniences, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Rural electrification and a bountiful rice harvest have led Japanese farm families to acquire home appliances and television sets. The column also notes changes in diet, with fish and meat now eaten more regularly.
- Portland Japanese Lose a Friend, by MARY MINAMOTO, page 3. Mary Minamoto recalls Mrs. Gertrude Lawson Robertson, a Portland welfare worker who helped returning Japanese Americans and joined the Portland JACL. Robertson died on August 14, and the writer describes her as an inspiration.
- Athletes Spread Goodwill, by B.F., page 5. Seattle Nisei athletes Yo Yo Konishi, a bowler, and Billy Ishida, a football player, are praised for their achievements. Royal Brougham of the Seattle Intelligencer saluted them.
- Gambling Discrimination in Nevada, by Larry S. Tajiri, page 8. Nevada is portrayed as especially hostile to Negro travelers, with gaming casinos and hotels denying accommodations. The column notes that Nisei-operated businesses sometimes adopted similar exclusionary practices.
Community
- Over 400 Expected at Sonoma NC-WNDC Confab, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sonoma County JACL is preparing to host the Northern California-Western Nevada biennial district council convention in Sebastopol, with 171 local members already registered. The convention theme is ‘A Quarter Century of JACL’ and includes a community dinner reception.
- Sacramento Nisei War Memorial Fund Campaign Nears $35,000 Goal, by P.C. Staff, page 1. VFW Nisei Post 8985 and Sacramento JACL members are completing personal solicitations for the Nisei War Memorial community center. Dedication is tentatively set for early December.
- Togasaki Conferred 33rd Degree Mason Rank, by P.C. Staff, page 1. George K. Togasaki, president of the Nippon Times in Tokyo, received 33rd Degree Masonic honors. He is the first person of Japanese ancestry in Scottish Rite history to receive the rank.
- Long Beach JACL Members Consider Constitutional Change in Election of Officers, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Long Beach-Harbor District JACL members were asked to consider letting members elect only the president, who would then appoint the cabinet. The proposal was first discussed at the October chapter meeting.
- Issei Dinner Nov. 8 Planned by Selma JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Selma JACL will honor recently naturalized Issei citizens at a dinner in Fresno on November 8. Tom Umade is serving as chairman.
- Denver Greets 7 More New Issei Citizens, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Seven Issei are to be sworn in as U.S. citizens in Denver’s federal court. The JACL reported that four other Issei had recently passed their naturalization examinations.
- Nonagenarian Passes Test, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A 93-year-old Issei named Kotaro Kobayashi from Stockton passed a naturalization test. The brief item notes his achievement.
- Mile-Hi JACL Bridge Club Party, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Mr. and Mrs. Min Yasui won overall honors at the second anniversary party of the Mile-Hi JACL Bridge Club in Denver. Summaries of the East-West and North-South results are provided.
- Nov. 18 Chicago JACL Inaugural Set at Tam O’Shanter, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The eleventh annual Chicago JACL Inaugural will be held November 18 at Tam O’Shanter Country Club in Niles. The program features an informal buffet supper, installation of new officers, and dancing.
- Richmond-El Cerrito JACL Host to City Mayor, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Mayor and Mrs. John Sheridan of Richmond were guests of the Richmond-El Cerrito JACL executive board before the mayors’ conference in Yokohama. The evening featured a Japanese dinner in San Francisco.
- New York JACL Prepares for 1956 Elections, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The New York JACL chapter held its final meeting before elections scheduled for next month. Agenda items included winter activities and the Pacific Citizen holiday edition.
- 1956 Candidates for Selma Cabinet Announced, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Selma JACL nomination committee revealed its slate of candidates for ten cabinet offices for 1956. The committee was headed by chapter president George Okazaki.
- Sonoma County Hosts NC-WNDC Confab, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Sonoma County JACL chapter hosted the NC-WNDC convention with a Thousand Club luncheon and a banquet marking JACL’s 25th anniversary. Mike Masaoka was the main speaker at the banquet.
- Washington D.C. Chapter Approves New By-Laws, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Washington, D.C. JACL chapter adopted a revised constitution that retained the cabinet structure. Changes included transferring the board delegate role to the first vice-president and adding provisions for junior members.
- Fishing Derby Nov. 13 Planned by Richmond-El Cerrito JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Richmond-El Cerrito JACL will hold a bass fishing derby open to the public on November 13 at Frank’s Tract. Prizes include a gold trophy and a spinning reel.
- Alameda JACL Bass Derby Won by Bunju Marubayashi, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Bunju Marubayashi won the Alameda JACL bass derby on October 23 with a 22-pound catch. Shigetoshi Imazumi took third place with a 17-pound fish.
- Nisei Jockey George Taniguchi Wins Track Title at Bay Meadows, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Nisei jockey George Taniguchi won the jockey title at Bay Meadows with 43 winners in the 42-day season. He also finished first at Del Mar earlier in the year.
- Mt. Olympus JACL Turkey Shoot Set for Nov. 20, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Mt. Olympus JACL will hold its annual turkey shoot at the Salt Lake shooting range on November 20. A Winchester shotgun will be given as first prize.
- Christmas Cheer Fund Passes $600 Mark, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Los Angeles Christmas Cheer drive has passed $600 in donations, including funds carried over from 1954. Various groups are volunteering to help sort and wrap packages.
- Denver Nisei Mothers’ Club Reactivated, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Denver Nisei Mothers’ Club began its fall program with a party at the home of Mrs. George Ohara. The club has a history of contributing to CARE programs and aiding children’s hospitals.
- Tri-Villes Donates $100 Derived from Fun Night, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Tri-Villes junior JACL of the Sequoia chapter donated $100 to the Japanese Children’s Home of Southern California. The funds came from a Fun Night event.
- Junior Tri-Villes Plan Christmas Eve Dance, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Senior Tri-Villes of the Palo Alto JACL chapter plan their third annual Christmas Eve dance at the local American Legion hall. New cabinet officers were elected at a recent meeting.
Obituaries
- Sunnyvale Nisei Killed in Highway 101 Collision, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Yoichi Joe Uyeno, 24, of Sunnyvale died after his car collided with a truck on U.S. Highway 101 near Santa Barbara. Witnesses said he braked and lost control while passing other cars.
National
- Sen. Kuchel Endorses Lane-Hillings Bill for Expediting Remaining Evacuation Claims, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Senator Thomas Kuchel wrote to the House Judiciary Committee urging favorable consideration of the Lane-Hillings bill to settle larger evacuation claims. He noted that the wartime evacuation was hasty and costly and that no espionage was attributed to Japanese Americans.
- New Zealand Denies Discrimination in Issuance of Travel Visas to Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The New Zealand consulate-general responded to a Pan-American travel guide suggesting Oriental Americans were unwelcome, explaining that entry permits are a normal immigration requirement. The consulate said applications are judged on their merits.
- Success of U.S. Refugee Relief Program in Japan Told, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Seichi Henry Mikami and Frank Kawasaki conferred with State Department Refugee Relief officials on program needs and legislation. They also met Japanese government officials to discuss expediting processing.
- Ozawa and Toyota Cases Milestones in Japanese American Naturalization History, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. The 1922 Ozawa decision declared Japanese racially ineligible for naturalization, and the 1925 Toyota case reaffirmed that ruling. Both cases are milestones in the long struggle for naturalization rights that ended with the Walter-McCarran Act.
Military & Veterans
- Nisei Air Force Officer Given Key to Tokyo City, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Lt. George Rokuhara, a Nisei U.S. Air Force officer, was honored by the city of Tokyo for his work on a liaison committee improving relations between U.S. forces and the city. He received a Key to Tokyo Metropolis before returning to the United States.
- Sonoma County Nisei Memorial Service Honors War Dead, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Sonoma County JACL held its eighth annual Nisei Memorial Service at the local Buddhist church, honoring Nisei killed in World War II. About 200 people attended the service.
In-Depth
- Nisei Terrestrial Malacologist Wins Ph.D. Degree for Dissecting 745 Tree Snails, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Dr. Yoshio Kondo, land shell expert for the Bishop Museum in Honolulu, earned a Harvard Ph.D. for his anatomical study of Pacific Islands tree snails. His research included dissecting 745 animals from 14 species.
Arts & Entertainment
- Seattle Buddhist Church Publishes Commemorative Album, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Seattle Buddhist Church published an album commemorating its elevation to Betsuin status, with a pictorial history from 1901 onward. The album honors the early pioneers and shows church organizations and activities.
Sports
- Ervin Furukawa Wins Calif. Nisei Open for Third Straight Year, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Ervin Furukawa of Seattle won the fifth annual California State Nisei golf championship at Pebble Beach for the third straight time. Frank Yoshioka of San Jose finished second.
- Parlier Nisei Drives First Ace at Kings River Country Club, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Ken Tsuboi hit a hole-in-one on the 165-yard fifth hole at the Kings River Country Club, the first ace since the course was built two months earlier. He used a five-iron.
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