Hawaii’s Senate president and the push for Issei citizenship

Vol. 28, No. 5, February 5, 1949. 8 pages. View this issue

Two stories led this eight-page issue. In Hawaii, Wilfred C. Tsukiyama, a Honolulu attorney, was chosen by the Republican caucus as president of the Territorial Senate, as reported by Lawrence Nakatsuka. In Washington, a House subcommittee reported favorably on the Judd bill for equality in naturalization and immigration, in reports by I. H. Gordon that include Mike Masaoka’s reaction. The front page also covered the return of Pfc. Paul Horiuchi’s remains from France, where he served with the 442nd Combat Team, and a Nisei student’s scholarship from Brith Sholom.

Inside are Edward J. Ennis’s answers to reader questions on evacuation claims, an account of Atsuko Kiyota Szekeres’s journey through postwar Europe, and a look at Nisei on the University of Washington faculty. Commentary, bowling and boxing results, and news of artist Mine Okubo’s ship murals fill the later pages.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Japanese American Official Chosen as President of Hawaii Territorial Senate, by By LAWRENCE NAKATSUKA, page 1. Senator Wilfred C. Tsukiyama, a Honolulu attorney, was selected by the Republican caucus to serve as president of the Hawaii Territorial Senate, a first for a Japanese American. The honor reflects his popularity across party lines and his years of service in the legislature.
• Utah ADC Campaigns Extended As Result of Storm Conditions, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The deadline for the ADC fund drive in northern Utah was extended to Feb. 28 because snowstorms hindered solicitation. The campaign quota for Utah is $4,000.
• California Jury Awards $40,000 to Nisei Widow in Crash Case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Los Angeles Superior Court jury awarded $40,000 to Mrs. Nao Asakura of Santa Barbara in the 1946 traffic death of her husband, Takizumi Asakura. The suit was brought against Adohr Milk Farms and West Coast Truck Co.
• Japanese Americans Serve on Faculty at U. of Washington, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Nisei returning to the University of Washington after wartime removal have found more opportunities in academic and scientific fields than before. The article profiles several faculty members including professors in Japanese, mathematics, art, and sociology.
• Six Nisei Win Pasadena High Scholastic Awards, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Six Nisei students at Pasadena’s two junior colleges received cash awards for high scholastic achievement from the Pasadena Council of Social Agencies. Seventeen other Nisei students received letters of commendation.
• St. Louis Nisei Student Wins Scholarship to University, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Grace Yuriko Oshima was named one of eight St. Louis students awarded honor scholarships to Washington University. She had earlier declined a DAR-sponsored trip to Washington because of the organization’s undemocratic attitude toward minorities.
• Nisei Speaks Before B’nai B’rith Student Group in Chicago, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Kay Yamashita, a Chicago JACL member, spoke to a B’nai B’rith high school girls group on the subject of brotherhood. She is a University of California graduate working with the World Student Service Fund.
• Nisei Nurse Serves as Superintendent at Wyoming Hospital, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Yoshiko Hattori served as acting superintendent of nurses at Sweetwater County Memorial Hospital in Rock Springs, Wyoming, until a new supervisor arrived. The item notes her temporary leadership role.
• Floral Group Gives Check to ADC Campaign, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Southern California Flower Market donated $1,000 to the JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee, matching its donation of the previous year. The gift was presented to regional director Sam Ishikawa.
• Dentist in Ogden Wins Wide Recognition as Bird Fancier, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Dr. M. Yoshitaka of Ogden, a dentist, has earned master breeder rating among canary fanciers through many awards. He describes his methods for pairing birds and training young canaries to sing.
• Amy Toda Wins Intercollegiate Slalom Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Amy Toda of the University of Utah won the Class A women’s slalom race at the intercollegiate ski tournament in Brighton, Utah. Her victory gave Utah the women’s slalom title.
• Joe Masaoka Plans Capital JACL Installs New Cabinet, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Washington, D.C. JACL chapter installed its new officers at a dance honoring the 1949 cabinet. Ira Shimasaki was reelected president, and the event also featured entertainment and honored the new board members.

Military & Veterans

• Remains of Nisei GI Returned from France, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The remains of Pfc. Paul Horiuchi, killed in France in 1944 while serving with the 442nd Combat Team, arrived in Madrone, California. Interment was set for the Golden Gate National Cemetery.
• Lieut. Amy Uchimoto Works in Occupational Therapy at Hospital, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Lt. Amy Uchimoto, a Nisei commissioned in the Women’s Medical Specialist Corps, is serving as an occupational therapist at McCormack General Hospital in Pasadena. She is believed to be the first and only Nisei in that field.

JACL

• Jewish Group Awards Coveted Scholarship to Nisei Student, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Marthe Ono, denied admission to the University of Pennsylvania despite applying, was awarded an annual scholarship by Brith Sholom and enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania. The Midwest JACL office reported the story as an example of democracy in practice.

National

• House Subcommittee Favors Issei Citizenship Proposal, by By I. H. GORDON, page 1. The House Subcommittee on Immigration and Naturalization reported favorably on the Judd bill for equality in naturalization and immigration as its first act. Mike Masaoka said the action should speed House consideration and remove the need for hearings.
• Congressional Record Publishes Article by Cullum on Exclusion, by P.C. Staff, page 1. An article by Robert M. Cullum on ending Oriental exclusion was published in the Congressional Record. Cullum argued the Judd bill could become law before the close of the Eighty-first Congress.
• Favorable Vote as First Action of Newly-Constituted Group, by By I. H. GORDON, page 1. The House Subcommittee on Immigration and Naturalization reported favorably on HR 199, the Judd equality bill, on Feb. 3. JACL ADC officials praised the speed and favorable consideration and noted the bill may soon reach the full Judiciary Committee.
• JACL Delegates Attend Conference on Social Legislation, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Mrs. Mike Masaoka and Lily Yasuda represented the JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee at a conference on unfinished business in social legislation in Washington, D.C. Topics included housing, social security, fair labor standards, and civil rights.
• Civic Unity Group Seeks State Laws for Better Race Relations, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The California Federation for Civic Unity gave top priority to legislation creating a state commission on political and economic equality and other civil rights measures. The board also authorized regional conferences on interracial and interfaith relations.
• ADC Seeks Removal of Race Ban in Admitting GI Fiancees, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee urged Congress to extend the GI Fiance Act and remove its racial exclusions so that fiancees of all races could enter the United States. The act had expired Dec. 31.
• Seek Better Treatment for Issei Traders, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee asked army and government officials to end discriminatory treatment of resident Japanese businessmen traveling to Japan. These men are denied PX privileges, car purchases, gasoline rations, and adequate hotel accommodations.

Incarceration & Redress

• Charge Home Illegally Seized by Government, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sunao Yoshimura filed suit in federal court charging the government illegally confiscated his San Francisco home while he was stranded in Japan in 1941. He asked the court to quiet title and to bar the Alien Property Custodian from selling the property at public sale.
• Questions on Evacuee Claims, by Edward J. Ennis, page 3. JACL ADC special counsel Edward J. Ennis answers reader questions on the evacuation claims law, covering partnerships, car purchases, rental losses, furniture, and hotel business claims. The answers explain how losses may be measured and who should file.

In-Depth

• Strange Journey of Atsuko Kiyota, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Los Angeles Nisei Atsuko Kiyota Szekeres, who married a Hungarian Jew, traveled through Austria and Germany posing as a Jewish DP to reach her husband in a displaced persons camp. She had lost her American citizenship by voting in Hungary and sought JACL help to return to the United States.

Commentary

• Segregation in Washington, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This editorial describes the racial segregation of Negro citizens and foreign officials in Washington, D.C., and the findings of a National Committee on Segregation study. It argues that the color bar persists because the least tolerant white people set the policy.
• Notes on Nisei and Video, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This column surveys how Nisei and other Oriental performers have been portrayed on radio and in film, and considers opportunities for them in the emerging television medium. It notes that visual identification requirements could open roles for talented Nisei actors.
• Negroes Have Developed High Standards of Culture in U.S., by New York City, page 5. The writer argues that Negro Americans have created a distinguished literature and spirituals, while the Nikkei community has not yet achieved comparable cultural development. He urges Nikkei to pursue creative culture grounded in group identity and the goal of a society free of race prejudice.
• Saga of the Shrimp, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A columnist recounts a shrimping trip on the Gulf of Mexico arranged by a stranger who knew former Japanese consul Sato in New Orleans. The piece describes the shrimp catch, processing, and marketing, and notes the Issei shrimpers who worked the Gulf before the war.

Sports

• Takeshita, Cruz Bout in Hawaii Ruled No Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Robert Takeshita and Rudy Cruz fought to a no-contest decision in Honolulu after the referee stopped the bout in the eighth round. The referee said both fighters performed poorly, and the Territorial Boxing Commission considered action.
• Takai Stars in Northwest Classic Bowling Tournament, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Yulene Takai of Ontario, Oregon, won the all-events championship at the third annual Northwest Nisei bowling tournament with a record 1860 score. The Jaekel and Rogers team of Ontario also took the team title.
• Honolulu Promoter’s Month of Misfortune, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Promoter Mackay Yanagisawa lost money on the East-West football games in Honolulu and then sponsored a girls basketball tour by the Ogden Shamrocks that netted little. He then covered the team’s return fares after the girls were stranded.

Arts & Entertainment

• Mine Okubo’s Murals Grace Salons of Four New U.S. Ships, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Artist Mine Okubo was commissioned to paint a mural for the salon of an American Export Lines ship serving the Mediterranean. Critic Aline B. Louchheim praised the work as an excellent wall decoration.

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