Vol. 40, No. 18, May 6, 1955. 8 pages. View this issue
Larry Tajiri’s front-page column took on a 1948 college textbook, Modern World Politics, which repeated discredited wartime charges of Japanese American treachery seven years after the war. He wrote that JACL representatives and attorneys had protested, and warned that such falsehoods could fuel future race-baiting. His second column, “Another Campaign About Books,” described Mrs. Ann Smart’s effort in Marin County to remove books on interracial relations, including Mine Okubo’s Citizen 13660, from schools and libraries.
Elsewhere in these eight pages, Seichi Henry Mikami reported hope for a break in the refugee backlog, with a group expected in San Francisco in June. The JACL said it would push a combined Alaska and Hawaii statehood bill, and a drafting error threatened a bill to repeal the 1920 Alien Land Law. Mike Masaoka covered the tariff-trade debate, and Judge John F. Aiso spoke to the Los Angeles Urban League.
What’s in this issue
Commentary
- Perpetuation of Lies, by Larry Tajiri, page 1. A 1948 college textbook, Modern World Politics, repeated discredited wartime charges of Japanese American treachery seven years later. JACL representatives and attorneys protested, and the column warns such falsehoods could fuel future race-baiting.
- Another Campaign About Books, by Larry Tajiri, page 1. Mrs. Ann Smart of Marin County sought to remove books on interracial relations, including Mine Okubo’s Citizen 13660, from schools and libraries. The column argues the real issue is the public’s right to access information free of censorship.
- A Page from House Beautiful, by Bill Hosokawa, page 2. House Beautiful magazine ran a feature on Japanese cooking with recipes by food editor Poppy Cannon. The column notes the sampler offered by Joe Oyama’s Oriental Food Shop in New York, an evacuated Californian.
- Tokyo Topics, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Haruo Ishimaru, after a brief visit to Japan, observed stark economic contrasts and high living costs. The writer announces a committee to collect relief items for 3,000 mixed-blood war orphans in Japan.
- Cherry Blossom Tour, by Haruo Ishimaru, page 5. Ishimaru describes the flight with the Aki Hotel tour group from San Francisco to Honolulu, where a five-hour delay gave time for a visit with Tets Oi. The column recounts the airport stopover at Wake Island before arriving in Tokyo.
- Very Truly Yours, by Harry Honda, page 8. Honda observes that Nisei graduate students more often need research help on Japanese American topics than on other subjects. He suggests studying similarities among human groups rather than differences, in the spirit of Brotherhood Week.
National
- Break in Japanese Refugee Logjam to U.S. Seen, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Seichi Henry Mikami, after a visit to Japan, reported improved conditions under the Refugee Relief Act program following new State Department interpretations. He expects a group of refugees to arrive in San Francisco in June, which may ease the backlog.
- Calif. Gardener’s License Bill Slated for Interim Study, by P.C. Staff, page 1. AB 1671, which would license maintenance gardening, was referred to an Assembly interim committee after a heated hearing. The JACL has taken no position but will sponsor gardener meetings before summer hearings.
- JACL to Push Combined Bill on Hawaii Statehood, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The House Rules Committee cleared a package bill combining Alaska and Hawaii statehood under a closed rule, and the JACL will urge its passage if no alternative exists. Advocates debated whether separate bills would have better odds of passing.
- Technical Error Discovered on Measure May Set Back Repeal of Alien Land Initiative, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A drafting error listing a Sunday election date in AB 841, a bill to repeal the 1920 Alien Land Law, may delay the measure two years. The governor signed the bill without the technical correction.
- Refugee Program Break Expected, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Seichi Henry Mikami, after conferring with officials in Japan and Washington, reported cautious optimism about the Refugee Relief program. He expects a group of about 58 refugees to arrive in San Francisco in early June.
- More on Tariff-Trade, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. President Eisenhower warned that defeat of the three-year extension of the Reciprocal Trade Agreements program would harm peace and free-world defenses. Senator Albert Gore criticized the textile industry’s opposition and urged stronger presidential leadership.
- House OKs $200,000 for Claims Agency, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The House approved $200,000 in operating expenses for the fiscal 1956 evacuation claims program. The sum matches the prior year’s appropriation and now goes to the Senate.
Incarceration & Redress
- Dr. Sakada Still Critically Ill, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Randolph M. Sakada, past JACL national president, remains critically ill at home after surgeries in January. Messages of support have poured in from friends across the country.
Community
- Marysville JACL Sets Up $150 Scholarship, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Marysville JACL will award a $150 scholarship to a Yuba College student, open to residents of Sutter, Yuba, Butte, or Colusa County. The award honors opportunities provided through Yuba Evening College classes for foreign-born residents.
- Ohio Wesleyan Students Name Scholarship Fund in Memory of Nisei Coed, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Students at Ohio Wesleyan established the Kiyo Ito Memorial Fund for foreign student scholarships after Ito died of cancer. She was buried in a companion plot beside another student from New York.
- Expect 200 Delegates for PSWDC Confab May 14-15 at Santa Barbara, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The biennial Pacific Southwest JACL District Council convention is expected to draw 200 delegates to Santa Barbara. The program includes organizational business, election of officers, and a banquet with a Japanese consul speaker.
- Alameda JACL Honors New Issei Citizens, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Nearly 120 people attended a banquet honoring 44 newly naturalized Issei in Alameda. Mayor Raymond T. Kranelly and other officials extended congratulations, and certificates of recognition were presented.
- Los Angeles Newsletter: Urban Leaguers Hear Judge John Aiso, by Henry Mori, page 7. Judge John F. Aiso addressed the Los Angeles Urban League, reviewing notable human relations advances from 1945 to 1955. He cited the striking down of restrictive covenants, repeal of the Alien Land laws, and the unconstitutionality of school segregation.
Military & Veterans
- Honolulu Newsletter: Handicap of Introvert Psychology, by Larry Nakatsuka, page 3. The column argues that Nisei, sensitive to race discrimination, sometimes adopt defensive attitudes that blind them to other sides of issues. Using Southern segregation as an example, it urges fair-minded listening before forming conclusions.
JACL
- Good Planning Pays Off, by Masao Satow, page 5. The Cincinnati chapter’s Nite in Hawaii program drew a sold-out crowd of 275 despite having fewer than 100 members. National director Satow notes the chapter’s success reflects careful planning and promotion, and reviews membership drive results.
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