The Walter naturalization bill and Issei citizenship, 1950

Vol. 31, No. 22, December 2, 1950. 8 pages. View this issue

The Walter Naturalization bill ran through the front page of this eight-page issue. President Truman put it on the agenda for the lame-duck Congress, and the House Judiciary Committee approved it unanimously. Mike Masaoka reported on the new bill and on White House support for it, and Rep. Francis Walter said he would seek a floor vote the following week. The bill would remove race as a bar to naturalization for about 88,000 Asian resident aliens, most of them Japanese immigrants. Larry Tajiri’s editorial page took up evacuation claims and Walter’s kept pledge, and also previewed the MGM film Go for Broke.

Other pages carried news of Nisei in the Korean War, including Sgt. Sadato Tosaki’s burial in Hawaii and Taro Suzuki’s recommendation as a national cemetery superintendent. Floods hit Japanese American families near Sanger and Manteca. Page 6 is given over to Nisei athletes in football, basketball and bowling. Tad Masaoka’s column explained Social Security for older Issei.

What’s in this issue

National

• President Truman Includes Walter Naturalization Bill in Administration Agenda for Congress Session, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The White House priority list for the lame-duck Congress includes the Walter Naturalization bill along with statehood for Hawaii and Alaska. The bill would remove race as a bar to naturalization for legal Asian immigrants.
• White House Official Pledges Support for New Walter Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A White House staff member told JACL ADC legislative director Mike Masaoka that the administration will support the Walter Naturalization bill. Masaoka also urged White House backing for Hawaii statehood and faster evacuation claims payments.
• House Vote Seen on Issei Citizenship Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The House Judiciary Committee unanimously approved the Walter naturalization bill and sent it to the House floor. Rep. Walter planned to seek consent for a vote the following week.
• Walters Predicts Issei Citizenship Bill’s Passage, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Francis Walter predicted the naturalization bill for roughly 88,000 Asian resident aliens will pass the short session of Congress. Most beneficiaries are legally resident foreign-born Japanese.
• Hawaiians Trial Date Set on Congress Contempt Charge, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Hawaii’s Reluctant 39, including 21 Nisei, will go to trial January 4 on contempt of Congress charges stemming from refusing to answer questions at a House hearing. Most defendants are ILWU officials.
• Judiciary Committee Urges Passage of Legislation for Equality in Naturalization, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The House Judiciary Committee unanimously approved the Walter bill giving naturalization rights to 85,000 Japanese and other ineligible resident aliens. Sponsor Rep. Walter planned to seek a House vote as early as December 6.
• New Bill Introduced to Eliminate Race in Naturalization, by Mike Masaoka, page 1. Rep. Francis Walter introduced a new bill on Nov. 27 to eliminate race as a bar to naturalization. Because the session is short, its passage before Congress adjourns is uncertain.
• Calif. VFW Civic Unity Asks for Tests on Alien Land Law, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A Sacramento VFW resolution calls for court tests challenging the constitutionality of the California Alien Land Law. JACL ADC director Mike Masaoka said a copy will be filed with the California Supreme Court.
• Six Prominent Hawaii Nisei Arrive in Isle Delegation to Urge Statehood Bill Passage, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A 22-member Hawaiian delegation including Senator Tom Okino arrived in Washington to push for statehood before the session ends. Southern Democrats opposed the bills, fearing loss of their veto power over civil rights legislation.
• Judge Dismisses Battery Case Against Campaign Worker, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Akira Sanbonmatsu, a World War II veteran, was freed of assault and disturbing the peace charges after Judge Vernon Hunt found he acted in self-defense. He had been arrested while riding home from political campaign work.
• Canadian Weekly Hails Ruling Barring Restrictive Covenants, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Supreme Court of Canada outlawed racial restrictive covenants on property sales, as reported by the New Canadian. The paper called the ruling a significant step toward civil rights.

Community

• Reelect Min Yasui to Vice-Presidency of Denver Council, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Min Yasui was reelected first vice president of the Denver Unity Council at its annual meeting on Nov. 21. Toshio Ando was also reelected to the executive board.
• Nisei Student Wins Caltech Scholarship, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Kazuhiko Sato received a $600 chemistry scholarship at the California Institute of Technology. It is his third grant, following a Pasadena Community Chest award.
• Heads Chapter, by P.C. Staff, page 1. James Tabata, a local businessman, will head the Monterey Peninsula JACL during 1951.
• No Need for Special Nisei Aid Program Seen in Coast Floods, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Joe Grant Masaoka, JACL ADC regional director, said flood damage to more than a score of Japanese American farm families does not warrant a relief program. Local relief efforts can handle the limited damage.
• Residents of Home for Aged Forced to Evacuate by Flood, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Forty-eight residents of a county-supported home for aged Issei near Manteca were evacuated by flood waters. They were housed at the Stockton Buddhist church at county expense.
• Ten Families Evacuate Homes in Sanger Area, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Ten Japanese American families in the Sanger region were forced from their homes when the Kings River overran its banks. Several homes were under water and a barn was washed away.
• San Jose Will Be Host to Next JACL Council Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The United Citizens League of Santa Clara County will host the next Northern California-Western Nevada JACL district council meeting in San Jose in February. The bid was accepted at the Sacramento meeting last month.
• Nisei, Peruvians, DPs Attend New Kind of Public School, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Seabrook school in New Jersey was built to serve Nisei, Japanese Peruvian, Estonian DP, and migrant children. Teachers use field trips and student-written reading materials to bridge language and cultural gaps.
• Nisei Anthropologist Returns to Hawaii with South Sea Bride, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Harry Kaoru Uyehara returned to Hawaii with his Palauan bride Mariano, whom he met while serving as an interpreter for an anthropology expedition. The couple married in a Catholic church on the island.
• Ronald Shiozaki Heads Chicago JACL Chapter, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Ronald Shiozaki succeeds Shigeo Yokamatsu as president of the Chicago JACL chapter. Other 1951 officers and district representatives were also named.
• 4000 Canadian-Born Japanese Hope to Return to Dominion, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Roughly 4,000 Canadian-born persons of Japanese ancestry who left for Japan after 1945 are seeking to return to Canada. Returns are screened and Canadian officials have raised objections to some applicants.
• Civic Unity Delegates Meet to Follow Through on Drive for Race Equality, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Fifth Annual Convention of the California Federation for Civic Unity in Santa Barbara focused on fair employment, housing, public accommodations, and civil liberties. Delegates were to share practical techniques for correcting racial injustice.
• Nisei to Attend Midcentury Meet on U.S. Youth, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Several Nisei, including Bill Muramatsu of San Francisco, are expected at the Mid-Century White House Conference on Children and Youth. Hawaii sent a 23-member delegation.
• Name Harry Mayeda to Planning Group in Chicago District, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Harry Mayeda was elected to the executive committee of the Oakland-Kenwood Planning Association in Chicago. He previously chaired the Chicago Resettlers Committee.
• Marysville Buddhists Pick Queen Candidate, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Irene Yoshikawa was chosen as the Marysville YBA queen candidate for the Northern California Young Buddhists League convention. She is a 17-year-old Yuba City high school student.
• Resettlement Broadened Nisei Economic Horizon, Says Kido, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Saburo Kido told the Placer County JACL annual dinner that wartime resettlement broadened Nisei economic opportunities. He also criticized the slow adjudication of evacuation claims.
• Denver Chapter Plans Inaugural Ball, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Denver JACL will hold its New Year’s Eve inaugural ball at the Albany Hotel. A membership drive with team captains aims to exceed the 1950 total of 275.
• Cleveland Plans Year’s Final Event, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Cleveland JACL will hold its third annual inaugural ball on Dec. 22 with a Dreamer’s Holiday theme. National JACL president Randolph Sakada is scheduled to install the new officers.
• Los Angeles JACL Chapters Issue Challenge to Chicago, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Los Angeles JACL chapters challenged Chicago to a 1951 membership contest using a point system. The winning city would receive an annual trophy from the loser.
• Salt Lake Church Aids Japan Orphan, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A benefit at the Salt Lake City Unitarian church raised funds to care for a Japanese girl orphan in Hiroshima. The World Fellowship Committee sponsored the event.

Military & Veterans

• Wounded Sergeant Now Recuperating in U.S. Hospital, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Master Sgt. Hideo Okanishi, a 442nd veteran wounded in Korea, is recuperating at Letterman General Hospital in San Francisco. He was wounded in both hands and his left wrist.
• California Nisei Reported Killed in Korean War, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Defense Department announced the death in action of Sgt. Shigetoshi Kusuda of Los Angeles, previously reported missing. He was the son of Mrs. Koma Kusuda.
• Nisei Soldier Laid to Rest in Hawaii Rites, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sgt. Sadato Tosaki of Honolulu, the first Korean War casualty interred at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, was buried with full military honors. He died of combat wounds received in Korea on Aug. 22.
• Recommend Nisei War Veteran as National Cemetery Head, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Taro Suzuki, a 100th Infantry Battalion veteran of Honolulu, is being recommended for superintendent of a national cemetery. He was the first American of Japanese ancestry called into service from the Organized Reserve in Hawaii before Dec. 7, 1941.
• List Nisei Among GI Released by China Communists, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sgt. Fumio Hidano of Honolulu was among the wounded American soldiers released by Chinese Communist captors in Korea. He reported he was well treated and is now in a U.S. Army hospital.
• Nisei Veteran of 100th Battalion Recommended as National Cemetery Superintendent, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Taro Suzuki, a wounded 100th Battalion veteran who has served with the Disabled Veterans Administration since 1948, was recommended for superintendent of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. His name was selected after screening about 100 applicants.
• Truman Cites Casualties of Hawaiian GIs, by P.C. Staff, page 4. President Truman urged Senate action on Hawaiian statehood, noting Hawaii’s Korean War casualties are about five times its population share. Of 68 war dead from Hawaii, 20 were of Japanese ancestry.
• Army Inducts 263 Nisei in L.A. District, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Two hundred sixty-three Nisei have been processed through the Los Angeles Selective Service headquarters in recent months. The latest group of 29 reported for Army training.

Commentary

• Ruby Yoshino Presented JACL Ruby Pin for Service, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Soprano Ruby Yoshino Schaar received the JACL’s ruby-studded pin for her wartime goodwill concert tours with Dr. T. T. Yatabe. The citation recognized her service to Japanese Americans during relocation.
• Editorials: The Evacuation Claims Problem, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Recent precedents set by evacuation claims decisions suggest faster adjudication of smaller claims. The editorial also commends Los Angeles’s preferential hearings for elderly Issei.
• Rep. Walter Keeps His Pledge, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Rep. Francis Walter introduced a naturalization equality bill on the first day of the lame-duck session as he had promised JACL delegates. The House Judiciary Committee approved it within the week.
• Go for Broke Film Recalls Kotonks and Boodaheads, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial previews MGM’s 442nd film Go for Broke, noting its portrayal of rivalry and unity between mainland and Hawaiian Nisei. It praises the script’s authenticity and the Hawaiian casting.
• Your Social Security: Some Issei Problems, by Tad Masaoka, page 7. A new law requires only six quarters of covered work for many older Issei to qualify for benefits. The column explains how the quarters are counted and how wages are credited.

Arts & Entertainment

• Ruby Yoshino to Give Recital in New York, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Soprano Ruby Yoshino will make her New York debut at Times Hall on Dec. 11, accompanied by her husband Rudolf Schaar. The Alameda-born singer has performed widely and toured for JACL during the war.
• Times Square Sideshow, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A columnist describes the sights, sounds, and hustlers of Times Square in New York. The piece portrays the street spectacle as the greatest free show on earth.

JACL

• Recall JACL’s Participation in Public Relations Program for Return of Evacuee Group, by Elmer R. Smith, page 5. The JACL worked with the WRA and civil rights groups to ease race tensions when evacuees returned to Los Angeles and San Francisco in 1945. The program established regional offices and pursued Navy and alien land law challenges.

Sports

• Modesto’s Nisei Tackle Named to All-League Team, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Jim Kajioka, Modesto College’s 250-pound tackle, was named to the first team of the Stockton Record’s all-Northern California Junior College Conference football team. He reportedly received scholarship offers from major Pacific Coast colleges.
• Domoto Played on Unbeaten Fresno Team, by P.C. Staff, page 6. George Domoto, a 1930 Fresno State guard, was honored at a reunion of the unbeaten Far Western conference team. The column also notes other Nisei athletes at Fresno State and recent Arizona State basketball results.
• Coach Kajikawa’s Sun Devils Open Season, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Arizona State coach Bill Kajikawa opened his basketball season with a tuneup win over Flagstaff. The team then travels to California to face USC and UCLA.
• Coaches Name Herb Imanaka on All-Star Team, by P.C. Staff, page 6. College of Idaho passer Herb Imanaka, a former Kaimuki high school player from Hawaii, was named quarterback on the all-Northwest Conference first team. The honor was chosen by conference coaches.
• Stan Ozaki Named to All-City Squad, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Stan Ozaki, halfback for Poly’s city champions, was named to the second team of the San Francisco News all-city squad. The honor followed Poly’s championship season.
• Jim Yokota Plays for Placer College, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Several Nisei athletes were featured, including Jimmy Yokota at Placer College and Cliff Hayashida of Berkeley. Other Nisei stars at area high schools and colleges were also noted.
• Drakes Sponsor Annual Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The fourth annual San Francisco Drakes basketball tournament features eight teams including St. Mary’s Chinese Saints and the Berkeley Nisei. Play is scheduled for Dec. 2 and 3 at the YBA gym.
• Chicago to Start Basketball Play, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Thirty teams in four leagues will compete in the 1950-51 Nisei basketball season in Chicago. Shig Murao, president of the Chicago Nisei Athletic Association, announced the schedule.
• Six Nisei Will Start Against Utah, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The University of Hawaii may start six Nisei players against Utah on Dec. 16 in Honolulu. Utah’s quarterback was close to a national passing record.
• Kubota Enhances Reputation as Scatback, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Compton high school’s Ralph Kubota starred as the team swept to a league title and CIF playoff run. Herb Isono led Los Angeles Western league scoring.
• Nishimi Scoots for Sacramento School, by P.C. Staff, page 6. John Nishimi helped set up touchdowns as C.K. McClatchy lost its Thanksgiving game to Sacramento high school. Other Nisei players and teams were also noted.
• Coach Praises Hash Taketa’s Line Play, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Guard Hash Taketa is favored to repeat as an all-Peninsula Athletic League selection. The column also covers other Peninsula basketball and football players.
• Report Konno Gets Invitation to Join New Zealand Tour, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Honolulu swimmer Ford Konno, 17, was invited to join a U.S. swim team touring New Zealand for the centennial sports show. His coach indicated he might decline to keep his school and university plans.
• Salt Lake Okadas Win Team Title at Caldwell Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Okada Insurance team of Salt Lake City won the men’s team title at the Intermountain JACL district bowling tournament in Caldwell. Individual champions and other team results were also announced.
• Nisei Liquors Hold Lead in Chicago League, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Nisei Liquors team continued to lead the Chicago Nisei Bowling League with a 2985 handicapped series. Several other teams and bowlers were also reported.

Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.