Orphan visas, evacuation claims and immigration reform, March 1955

Vol. 40, No. 9, March 4, 1955. 8 pages. View this issue

Legislation affecting Japanese Americans filled the front page. Japanese orphans were receiving American visas under the Refugee Relief Act of 1953 in growing numbers, with the 300th visa in Japan issued to 20-month-old Linda Sherriel. Sen. Everett Dirksen reintroduced a bill to void the 17,500 yen debt claims, and Mike Masaoka reported that $1,068,267 was sought to pay evacuation claims. Thirteen senators and eight House members also introduced a bill to revise the McCarran-Walter immigration law.

Elsewhere in the eight pages, Masaoka wrote on Hawaii statehood and Japanese election laws, and Bill Hosokawa and Larry Tajiri contributed columns. Haruo Ishimaru wrote about Nisei adoptions. Chapter news covered installation dinners in Richmond-El Cerrito and Livingston-Merced, a mixer for young adults in East Los Angeles, and the national JACL endowment fund passing $80,000.

What’s in this issue

National

• Refugee Relief Act Orphan Program Grows for Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japanese orphans are receiving American visas under the Refugee Relief Act of 1953 in increasing numbers, officials told the JACL Washington Office. The 300th visa in Japan was presented to 20-month-old Linda Sherriel at a ceremony at the U.S. Consulate General in Tokyo.
• Senate Bill to Dismiss 17,500 Yen Debt Claims Re-Introduced, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sen. Everett Dirksen reintroduced a bill to void the 17,500 yen debt claims filed by Issei and Nisei, identical to last year’s Senate-passed bill. The Government argues the claims are burdensome because individual amounts are small and administrative costs would exceed the sums returned.
• $1 Million Sought for 1955 Evacuation Claim Payments, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Supplemental Appropriation request includes $1,068,267 to pay evacuation claims awarded before July 1, 1955, according to Mike Masaoka. The funds cover claims awarded but unpaid last year and those expected to be awarded by the end of the fiscal year.
• Proposal to Revise McCarran-Walter Immigration Law to Be Studied, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Thirteen senators and eight House members introduced legislation to completely revise the 1952 McCarran-Walter Act, which the JACL Washington Office says will be carefully studied. The proposal would eliminate the national origins quota system and special barriers against Orientals and Negroes.

Community

• Sen. Magnuson to Address Delegates at Joint Eastern-Midwest JACL Council Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sen. Warren G. Magnuson will be principal speaker at the joint Eastern and Midwest District Council convention banquet March 26 at the Hotel Washington. Ethel Fukuyama, banquet chairman, praised his longtime support of persons of Japanese ancestry.
• Livingston Nisei Named to Grand Jury, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Roy Kishi of Livingston was impaneled as a member of the 1955 Merced County grand jury by Superior Court Judge Gregory Maushart. He will chair the health committee, which will investigate mosquito abatement.
• Nisei CIC Officers Promoted to Captaincy, by Alice Nishida, page 2. Lt. Charles Tatsuda and Lt. Noboru Yamada were promoted to captain by the Minnesota Military District headquarters. Both are members of the 75th Counter-Intelligence Army Reserve Corps detachment at Ft. Snelling.
• Home Buyer Gripes Over Hawaii Land Leases and Estates, by Novo Kato, page 3. A Honolulu Nisei complains that the Bishop Estate leases land rather than selling it in fee simple, frustrating families who want to own homes. He also warns that breaking up large estates could fuel anti-Japanese sentiment given the many Nisei legislators.
• Nisei Membership Sought by Idaho Grange Chapter, by Novo Kato, page 3. The Portneuf Grange No. 229 in Pocatello voted unanimously to open membership to Nisei farmers after years of effort by Lester Selders. The National Grange had already changed its policy after the war.
• Many Liberalizations Added to Claims Amendment Draft Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 3. George Inagaki revealed that the draft amendments to the Evacuation Claims Law include formal adjudications, elimination of the 75 percent ceiling, and recognition of additional loss categories. He invited unjoined claimants to join the Committee on Japanese American Evacuation Claims.
• Hearings on Two Bills Scheduled in Sacramento Assembly, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Assembly Social Welfare Committee and Judiciary Committee will hear bills affecting Issei, including old age pensions for those unable to naturalize and repeal of the Alien Land Law. Haruo Ishimaru urged JACL members to write their assemblymen in support.
• Chicago Corner, by Smoky Sakurada, page 4. Sakurada reports on a Brotherhood Day exercise at Roosevelt University and brief local items including a new Issei minister and civic honors. The column also notes Chicago real estate tax increases and low voter turnout in primaries.
• Palo Alto Author Edmiston Views JACL’s Importance to Democracy, by P.C. Staff, page 4. James Edmiston, author of Home Again, presents a monograph arguing that the JACL’s gains for Japanese Americans must be protected and strengthened. He credits the organization’s membership and leadership with broader democratic victories.
• Richmond-El Cerrito JACL Installation Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Judge S.C. Masterson, author of the Issei old age assistance bill, praised the Japanese American community’s loyalty at the chapter’s installation dinner. Marvin Uratsu and his cabinet were installed by regional director Haruo Ishimaru.
• Livingston-Merced JACL Installs New Cabinet, by P.C. Staff, page 5. George Yagi was installed as president of the Livingston-Merced JACL at its annual dinner, with National Director Masao Satow as guest speaker. The chapter also honored retiring president James Kirihara.
• Eastside Experimixture Brings Diverse Young Adults Together, by Tats Kushida, page 6. A steering committee organized a social mixer at the Soto-Michigan Jewish Community Center to build understanding among Caucasian, Mexican, Negro, Jewish, and Japanese young adults. The event was led by East L.A. JACL president Jim Higashi and planned as the first of regular programs.
• Nat’l JACL Endowment Fund Passes $80,000, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The National JACL endowment fund totals $81,652.01 with $3,366.93 in dividends applied to operations. Memorial contributions are being placed into the permanent fund.

Commentary

• Very Truly Yours: Juvenile Delinquency, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. Harry Honda discusses rising juvenile arrests among Japanese residents in Los Angeles, drawing on Officer Stanley Uno’s police column. He urges parents to exercise more control over their children’s dress and behavior.
• Washington Newsletter: Action for Hawaii Statehood, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Masaoka examines conflicting administration testimony on statehood for Hawaii and Alaska, with the State Department endorsing both, Defense restricting Alaska, and Interior qualifying its position. He notes Sen. Jackson’s push for quick action on a combined bill.
• Japanese Election Laws Restrict Campaigns, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. The column describes strict limits on campaign posters, speeches, loudspeakers, gifts, and spending in Japan’s House of Representatives elections. It contrasts these with American practice and notes the expected conservative victory under Premier Hatoyama.
• Nisei Adoptions, by Haruo Ishimaru, page 5. Ishimaru reflects on smaller Nisei family sizes and the adoption of his daughter Jackie, then describes difficulties Nisei couples face adopting. He reports the formation of a committee to share information on adopting Japanese orphans.
• Ninth Annual JACL Bowling Tournament Editorial: Welcome to Bowlers, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The editorial praises the Long Beach-Harbor District JACL for preparing the ninth annual national bowling tournament with a record field. It notes sports foster both competition and friendship across the community.
• Kindness Repaid, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. Hosokawa uses Michener’s Life magazine story of Sachiko Pfeiffer to reflect on Japanese reciprocity customs versus American casualness about gratitude. He concludes that a balance between the two cultures would serve Americans well.
• Vagaries: Home Again Sequel, by Larry Tajiri, page 8. Tajiri reports that James Edmiston plans a second book centered on the JACL and Mike Masaoka after Home Again condensed out the organization’s story. He also notes Sono Osato’s return to the stage and Sessue Hayakawa’s appearance in House of Bamboo.

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