Chapter elections, claims advice and a tribute to Jimmie Sakamoto

Vol. 41, No. 25, December 16, 1955. 8 pages. View this issue

Chapter news filled this eight-page issue from mid-December 1955. Rep. Clair Engle spoke to some 300 people at the Placer County JACL goodwill dinner, where he tied the record of the 442nd RCT to Hawaii’s hopes for statehood. Detroit chose its first woman chapter president, Mrs. W. R. (Miyoko) O’Neill, and Fred Takata, George Matsubara, Edwin Ohki and George W. Ushijima were named to lead other chapters in 1956. Mike Masaoka advised evacuation claimants to consult their own attorneys before choosing a hearing type within ten days.

Bill Hosokawa and Mike Masaoka each wrote about Jimmie Sakamoto, and Masaoka also reviewed Allen Eaton’s book Beauty Behind Barbed Wires and the film Three Stripes in the Sun. Elsewhere, a Canadian ruling let aged parents join their children, and Christmas parties, dances and a bass derby rounded out the community pages.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Placer County JACL Goodwill Dinner Draws 300; Rep. Clair Engle Speaks, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Clair Engle addressed some 300 attendees at the 15th annual Placer County JACL goodwill dinner in Roseville on Nov. 21. He said the record of the 442nd RCT would contribute to statehood for Hawaii.
• Canadian Government Reunites Aged Parents With Nisei Children, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mr. and Mrs. Fujimatsu Tanaka, aged 78 and 70, became the first Japanese persons to benefit from a Canadian ruling allowing aged parents to enter Canada for permanent residence. The one-year experiment admits mothers over 60 and fathers over 65.
• Detroit Elects First Woman Chapter President, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mrs. W. R. (Miyoko) O’Neill was elected president of the 1956 Detroit JACL cabinet, becoming the first woman to head the chapter. She will serve during the Chapter’s 10th anniversary year.
• Fred Takata Named to Head East Los Angeles JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Fred Takata was unanimously elected president of the 1956 East Los Angeles JACL chapter. Most of his cabinet members are serving in chapter executive positions for the first time.
• Albuquerque JACL Installation Dec. 31, by P.C. Staff, page 1. George Matsubara was elected president of the Albuquerque JACL at its November meeting. Installation ceremonies for the new cabinet will be held later this month.
• Sonoma County JACL Elects Ohki Head, Plans Membership Push, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Edwin Ohki was elected 1956 president of the Sonoma County JACL at its Dec. 2 meeting. The chapter plans a door-to-door membership drive expanded to Ukiah and Napa, with Jan. 31 as the deadline.
• Alameda Names Ushijima as 1956 Chapter Prexy, by P.C. Staff, page 4. George W. Ushijima, a produce merchant from Oakland, was elected 1956 president of the Alameda JACL chapter. The cabinet will be installed at a banquet on Jan. 15.
• Christmas Party for South Alameda Youngsters, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Southern Alameda County JACL hosts a Christmas party for young Nisei at Warm Springs Grammar School auditorium. Committee members are listed for invitations, refreshments, entertainment, and gifts.
• French Camp Auxiliary in Gala Yuletide Party, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The French Camp JACL annual community Christmas party is held at the local JACL Hall, organized by the chapter women’s auxiliary. Numerous members are assigned to different phases of the event.
• New Year’s Eve Dance for Mile-Hi JACLers Set, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Irving Matsuda announced the Mile-Hi JACL Inaugural Ball on Dec. 31 at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Denver, featuring Lou Graco’s orchestra. The evening begins with a Recognitions Dinner honoring community contributors.
• Denver JACL Presents Naturalized Issei With U.S. Flag Pins, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Issei naturalized during the past year received gold-filled American flag pins from the Mile-Hi JACL at their citizenship receptions. Harry Sakata, chapter president, announced the pins would also be mailed to Issei who could not attend.
• Washington Lions Hockey: Frank Toyota, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Frank Toyota, a 23-year-old rightwing for the Washington Lions, is praised for his courage and hustle despite asthma attacks. The article describes his playing style and his off-season work as a cab driver.
• Okimoto Brothers Win State NASCAR Title, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Okimoto brothers of Detroit’s Stone Front Garage won the NASCAR Michigan state sportsman class title with their 1948 Mercury. Their car also held several other track championships and records.
• 17-Pounder Wins Florin JACL Striped Bass Derby, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Roy Kihara won the eighth annual Florin JACL bass derby with a 17-pound eight-ounce fish caught in the Kawashimo region. Dutch Mollet took second place and Roy Watanabe third.
• East Los Angeles Christmas Cheer Clears Goal, by P.C. Staff, page 6. East Los Angeles JACL president Jim Higashi led the eighth annual Christmas Cheer drive, which was expected to pass its $2,000 goal. Donations came from local organizations and individuals across the state.
• Christmas Cheer Sees $2,000 Goal, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The JACL Club Service Bureau’s 1955 Christmas Cheer campaign was expected to pass its $2,000 goal. The article lists donors and their contributions in cash and groceries.
• Monterey’s Best Social of Year Slated Jan. 1, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Monterey Peninsula JACL will hold its 22nd annual New Year’s dance at the Hotel San Carlos on Jan. 1, 1956. Committee chairman Mush Higashi is organizing the semi-formal event.

JACL

• Claimants Urged to Consult Own Attorneys on Ten-Day Choice of Hearing From Gov’t, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mike Masaoka advised evacuation claimants to consult their attorneys before electing formal or informal hearings within ten days. He also suggested claimants request that final action be withheld pending congressional decision on the Lane-Hillings Bill.
• Second Edition of Beauty Behind Barbed Wire Published, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Allen H. Eaton’s book on arts and crafts in the relocation centers is available in a second edition with a postscript crediting JACL. The postscript describes the organization’s post-war work to correct evacuation wrongs.

Commentary

• From the Frying Pan: Anything I Can Do, by Bill Hosokawa, page 2. Hosokawa recounts how Seattle Times photographer John Closs photographed Jimmie Sakamoto after a car accident, and Sakamoto’s selfless response. Sakamoto later died of his injuries, and the column reflects on his character.
• Chicago Corner: Hospital Race Bias, by Smoky H. Sakurada, page 4. Francis McPeek of the Chicago Commission on Human Relations called discrimination against Negro patients by private hospitals one of the city’s worst human relations problems. The column also notes Chicago JACL’s upcoming Christmas Nocturne social.
• Dateline Northwest: Babe of Bethlehem, by Budd & Arlene Fukei, page 4. The columnists reflect on the true meaning of Christmas as the celebration of Christ’s birth, and on the influence of his teachings. They encourage readers to give generously to the less fortunate rather than to those who need nothing.
• Yours: Something New, by Harry K. Honda, page 5. Honda discusses the challenge of producing two issues in one week and proposes a possible JACL membership and friends directory replacing the traditional holiday issue. He also asks chapters to include background details about their election winners.
• Los Angeles: Nisei Puckster on Washington, by Mas Satow, page 5. The National Director’s fortnightly report covers district conventions in Tacoma, Ontario Oregon, Central California, Placer County, and Denver. It also commends Idaho’s repeal of its alien land law and eulogizes Ted Nakamura.
• Los Angeles: Economic Outlook for 1956, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The column forecasts bigger take-home pay and fewer price increases in 1956, though farm prices continue to decline. It notes that election-year politics will focus on the farm problem.
• Smogiites: Christmas and New Year, by Mary Oyama, page 6. Oyama reflects on holiday traditions, past New Year’s celebrations, and the JACL’s value to members. She argues that the organization’s diverse membership and democratic character make it worthy of support.
• Washington Newsletter: Jimmie Sakamoto Especially Remembered, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. Masaoka pays tribute to James Y. Sakamoto, recalling how Sakamoto recruited him into the National JACL and encouraged frank discussion. He describes Sakamoto’s pre-war contributions and enduring inspiration.
• Three Stripes in the Sun, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. Masaoka reviews the film Three Stripes in the Sun, starring Aldo Ray, which tells of an embittered GI who learns to love the Japanese. He recommends it to Nisei and Issei as a contribution to better understanding.

Obituaries

• Jimmie Sakamoto, by Bill Hosokawa, page 2. Hosokawa remembers Jimmie Sakamoto as a selfless man devoted to helping others, whose newspaper was never financially successful. His last words, Anything I can do for you, serve as an epitaph.

In-Depth

• Overpopulation in Japan Poses Critical Problem; But Not Many Want to Emigrate, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 2. Murayama describes Tokyo’s population growth from a village in 1590 to over seven million by 1939. He argues that Japan’s overpopulation crisis persists, and that emigration to Brazil has stalled for lack of pioneering spirit.

National

• Supreme Court Decision Invalidating Separate But Equal Public Parks, Beaches Hailed by JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Supreme Court ruled that segregation at Baltimore and Maryland public parks and beaches was unconstitutional, and vacated a decision allowing segregated Atlanta golf courses. JACL praised the ruling, which extends the 1954 school desegregation principle to public recreational facilities.

Arts & Entertainment

• Beauty Behind Barbed Wires, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. Masaoka reviews Allen Eaton’s documentary on arts and crafts created in the relocation camps, now in second printing. He calls it an essential book for Issei and Nisei libraries and a fitting holiday gift.

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