Immigration bill, evacuation claims and the 1952 JACL convention

Vol. 34, No. 23, June 7, 1952. 8 pages. View this issue

Congress and the courts shaped the news in this eight-page issue. A White House directive reportedly told the State Department to withdraw its support for the Walter-McCarran Omnibus Immigration and Naturalization bill, hinting at a possible veto, and Mike Masaoka of the JACL ADC criticized the move. The House approved $12,500,000 to pay evacuation claims, and passed a JACL-backed bill restoring seniority to Nisei federal workers. The Supreme Court upheld the conviction of Tomoya Kawakita. Larry Tajiri wrote on the Nisei and U.S. propaganda in Asia.

Preparations for the 12th biennial National JACL convention in San Francisco ran through the issue, including a report that only 50 of 200 reserved hotel rooms were booked. Bill Hosokawa described a cross-country trip, and Elmer R. Smith wrote on anti-Japanese bias in Peru. Sports pages cover bowler Chiyo Tashima’s ninth straight title defense and weightlifter George Yoshioka’s American record.

What’s in this issue

National

• Hint Veto of Omnibus Bill, Report State Department Asked to Withdraw Support, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A White House directive reportedly told the State Department to withdraw its support for the Walter-McCarran Omnibus Immigration and Naturalization bill, hinting at a possible presidential veto. JACL ADC legislative director Mike Masaoka criticized the move, noting the Department’s expertise and the bill’s advances over existing law.
• Supreme Court Ruling Upholds Conviction of Kawakita, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the treason conviction and death sentence of Tomoya Kawakita on a 4-3 vote, with Justice Douglas writing the majority opinion. The dissent argued Kawakita had expatriated himself, while the majority’s ruling was viewed as favorable to Nisei citizenship rights.
• Japan Names Shimanouchi to Canadian Post, by P.C. Staff, page 3. George Naoshi Shimanouchi, a former San Francisco resident, was assigned to the Japanese embassy in Ottawa, Canada. He had left California for Japan in 1938 and later served as a Foreign Office official during the war.
• House Approves Suspension of Deportation of 81 Aliens, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The House approved a Senate concurrent resolution favoring suspension of deportation for 81 Japanese aliens under JACL ADC-sponsored legislation. Most were treaty merchants stranded in the United States at the outbreak of World War II.
• President Signs Four Private Bills for Japanese, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The President signed four private bills providing relief to persons of Japanese ancestry, including admission for adoption and for a fiancee of an American citizen. The Washington office of the JACL ADC reported the signings.

Incarceration & Redress

• House Approves $12,500,000 Supplemental Appropriation to Pay Evacuation Claims, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The House approved $12,500,000 in supplemental appropriations for evacuation claims settled under the compromise plan, moving payments closer. Mike Masaoka of JACL ADC expected Senate approval and said the group would keep seeking the balance of the $14,800,000 sum.

Military & Veterans

• House Passes JACL-Backed Bill to Restore Seniority to Nisei Federal Workers, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The House passed a JACL ADC-sponsored bill restoring seniority and related rights to Nisei civil service workers harmed by wartime evacuation. The bill now goes to the Senate Post Office and Civil Service Committee.
• Report Remains of Nisei Soldier Returned from War, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Department of Defense reported a Nisei soldier wounded in Korea and the return of Corporal Don Yumori’s body for burial in the United States. Both reports were relayed by the JACL ADC Washington office.
• Recover Body of One Nisei GI Victim in Air Crash, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The remains of Set. Y. M. Mikami were recovered in June after an Air Force C-47 crashed in northern California’s mountains in December. Mikami was among five servicemen and three crew members aboard the plane.
• JACL Pays Tribute to Nisei War Dead at Arlington Rites, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The National JACL Arlington Cemetery Committee decorated the graves of twenty Nisei soldiers buried at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day. A JACL wreath was laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
• Hawaii 442nd Veterans Meet Protest on Hollywood Film, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Officers of the Hawaii 442nd Veterans Club considered a resolution criticizing the film Big Jim McLain for its theme of subversion in Hawaii. The resolution was adopted by one chapter and was described as the view of only one of the club’s twenty chapters.
• Veteran of 442nd Elected to Head Patients’ Council, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Sam Nakasono, a 442nd Regimental Combat Team veteran, was elected president of the patients’ council at the National Jewish Hospital in Denver. The campaign was conducted with lighthearted posters and humor.

JACL

• Convention Date Approaches, but Rooms Go Begging, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Hotel reservations for the 12th Biennial National JACL convention in San Francisco are lagging, with only 50 of 200 reserved rooms booked. Delegates were told unclaimed rooms will be released ten days before the convention.

Community

• Fowler Chapter Enters Organization With 116 Members, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Fowler JACL was organized with 116 charter members, becoming the National JACL’s 84th local chapter. Dr. George Miyake was named first president along with a full slate of officers.
• Arizona to Be Site of 1953 District Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Arizona was selected to host the 1953 JACL Pacific Southwest District Council convention after a bid by a delegation headed by chapter president John Tadano. The announcement was made by district council chairman Tut Yata.
• Midwest Delegates Pledge Continued Support of JACL Drive for Issei Citizenship, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Delegates to the JACL Midwest district council meeting in Milwaukee pledged continued support for Issei citizenship rights. They also voted to keep the Midwest regional office in Chicago and discussed strengthening the Pacific Citizen.
• Friends Across the Country, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Hosokawa recounts a cross-country trip through Omaha, Louisville, Indianapolis and Chicago, meeting old friends at each stop. He reflects on the advantages and drawbacks of big cities like Chicago compared with Denver.
• Invite Nisei Youths to Attend Experiment in Brotherhood, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The JACL Regional Office invited Nisei youths to the second Any Town, USA encampment at Idyllwild Pines Camp, sponsored by the National Conference of Christians and Jews. The camp offers leadership training and activities for Southern California students.
• Drive Solicitors Feted at Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Membership drive solicitors of the Cleveland JACL were honored at a chicken dinner for their record-setting drive of 321 members. Awards went to the top teams of Amy Uyemura and Aiko Kitahata.
• Northern California Christians to Hold Tahoe Conference, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The 1952 Northern California Young People’s Christian Conference will be held at Zephyr Point on Lake Tahoe from July 21 to 26. For the first time, invitations were extended to Nisei churches in other western states.
• Home Buying Clinic Held in Cleveland, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Cleveland JACL sponsored a clinic on home buying, with realtor Stanley F. Klein discussing physical aspects of purchasing a home. Pamphlets on home ownership were distributed.
• Nisei Named Valedictorian at Santa Clara, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Mamoru Inouye of Los Gatos will deliver the valedictory address at the University of Santa Clara commencement, the first Nisei ever chosen for that honor. He receives a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.

Commentary

• Nisei and U.S. Propaganda, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Tajiri argues that recent court and congressional actions improved U.S. standing in the Asian ideological contest, and that Japanese wartime propaganda exploited American anti-Asian discrimination. He notes that U.S. propaganda now effectively highlights Nisei reintegration, though it credits too little to the JACL’s organized efforts.
• The Homecoming, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A poetic reflection traces the lives of Issei farm workers in California, from their arrival and family life through the wartime evacuation and their return home. It closes with the image of these toilers coaxing seeds into life again.

In-Depth

• Anti-Nipponese Bias in Peru, by Elmer R. Smith, page 6. Smith traces Japanese immigration to Peru after the 1924 exclusion, showing how Japanese communities grew and became economically prominent by 1930. He describes how commercial competition and racial antipathy led Peru to pass restrictive immigration laws in 1936 and 1937.

Sports

• Placer JACL Beats Colfax in Slugfest, by Homer Takahashi, page 6. The Placer JACL ball club broke a long one-run losing streak by routing Colfax 20 to 8 in its final first-half game. Shortstop Bob Kozaiku hit a grand slam and went 5 for 6 at the plate.
• Chiyo Tashima Defends Title — Again, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Chiyo Tashima successfully defended her Western Challenge TV bowling championship for the ninth straight week on KTTV. Her 353 total beat challenger Lil Lentz’s 331.
• Report Hirayama May Sign Pro Baseball Contract Soon, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Fresno State centerfielder Fibber Hirayama is reported to be signing with the Stockton farm club of the St. Louis Browns after his collegiate season. He turned down offers from Japanese professional clubs.
• Yoshioka Tops U.S. Record in Weightlifting, by P.C. Staff, page 6. George Yoshioka broke the American weightlifting record in the clean and jerk at the Territorial AAU tournament in Honolulu. He is expected to compete at the National championships and Olympic tryouts in New York.
• Honolulu Nisei Hopes to Make U.S. Team as Broad Jumper, by P.C. Staff, page 7. George Uyeda, Hawaii’s top broad jumper, is training intensively to become a candidate for the U.S. Olympic team. Observers note his recent leaps make him a serious prospect.
• Yempuku Plans Rematch for Shirai’s Crown, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Promoter Ralph Yempuku announced plans for a return bout in Honolulu between Yoshio Shirai and Dado Marino within months. He also reported arrangements for a Roy Higa match in Tokyo.

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