A war hero denied burial, and an Honolulu supervisor’s filibuster

Vol. 27, No. 21, November 20, 1948. 8 pages. View this issue

Racial covenants led the news. On the front page, the burial of Sgt. Kazuo Masuda, who won the Distinguished Service Cross, was barred from a desirable plot at a cemetery in Midway City, California, because of a restrictive covenant. Beside it, Honolulu Supervisor Richard Kageyama, a World War II veteran, spoke for 20 minutes against such covenants and won a pledge of no racial restrictions in the Aina Haina development. Inside, Larry Tajiri wrote about the 1943 Dies Committee investigation of Japanese Americans, and J. Rupert Mason cited Shelley v. Kraemer in arguing against the California Alien Land Law.

Page 2 reports on 442nd Combat Team soldiers reburied at Arlington National Cemetery. Bill Hosokawa wrote on Thanksgiving and on the war crimes decisions, Edward J. Ennis answered questions on evacuee claims, and Angus and Grace MacInnis looked at the Japanese Canadians. Other pages cover Issei naturalization legislation, Pasadena scholarships, and plans for the 1950 JACL convention.

What’s in this issue

National

• Sgt. Kazuo Masuda’s Burial Barred by Racial Covenant at Cemetery, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Nisei war hero awarded the Distinguished Service Cross was denied burial in a desirable plot at Westminster Memorial Park in Midway City, California, due to a racially restrictive covenant. The cemetery board president stated that persons of Japanese ancestry could only be buried in a plot without trees or lawn.
• Nisei Supervisor’s Filibuster Obtains Non-Discrimination Pledge for Honolulu Housing, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Honolulu Supervisor Richard Kageyama, a World War II veteran, spoke for 20 minutes against restrictive covenants and secured a pledge from developers of the Aina Haina subdivision that there would be no racial restrictions in deeds or leases. His filibuster came as the board voted for A-A zoning in the Wailupe Valley development.
• Los Angeles Chamber Backs Judd Naturalization Proposal, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce board endorsed the Judd bill to end racial discrimination in naturalization, arguing that Asiatic racial discrimination undermines America in its struggle against Communist propaganda. The federal affairs committee also supported the measure.

Military & Veterans

• Nisei War Hero Will Be Buried at Arlington, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Pfc. Victor K. Hada, killed in action in Europe with the 442nd Combat Team, will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery on November 22. He was the son of Karoku Hada of San Benito, Texas.
• 442nd Hero Laid to Rest at Arlington, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Pfc. John Y. Tanaka, killed in combat with the 442nd Combat Team in 1945, was reburied at Arlington National Cemetery on November 17. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and Silver Star for gallantry.
• Veteran of 442nd Unit Gets British Medal for Heroism, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Barney F. Hajiro, a 442nd Combat Team veteran, received the British Military Medal for heroic actions in France during World War II at a shipboard ceremony aboard the Canadian destroyer Cayuga. The citation described his repeated attacks on enemy machine gun nests.
• Captain Nishimura Recalled to Duty with U.S. Army, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Capt. Bert Yoboru Nishimura, who served in Europe with the 442nd Combat Team, has been recalled to active duty as an information and education officer with occupation forces in Yokohama. He holds the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Combat Infantryman’s badge.
• Pfc. Hiroshi Nagano and Others Buried in Arlington, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Four Nisei soldiers from the 442nd were buried at Arlington National Cemetery, and the Washington JACL noted the courage of all persons of Japanese ancestry who fought for the United States. Jack Hirose, chairman of the JACL Arlington Cemetery Committee, delivered remarks at the rites.

Incarceration & Redress

• Court Actions Taken by Nisei Stranded in Japan by War, by P.C. Staff, page 2. At least nine Americans of Japanese ancestry stranded in Japan during the war filed federal suits seeking recognition of their American citizenship. The petitioners argued that their loss of citizenship resulted from coercion, forced enlistment, or undue pressure.

Arts & Entertainment

• Sessue Hayakawa to Receive Offer for Role in Tokyo Joe, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Producer Robert Lord plans to offer veteran silent film star Sessue Hayakawa a major villain role in the Bogart film Tokyo Joe, which has an occupation-era Japan setting. The film will have no Nisei characters but will feature three major Japanese roles.

Community

• Kaimuki Students Hold National Election Mock Vote, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Students at Kaimuki High School in Honolulu held a mock national election in which President Truman won 517 of 1,119 votes, forecasting the national result. The campaign was managed by student Wesley Takara over two months.
• Declares He Was Forced to Serve in Japanese Army, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Solano County resident Tetsumoto petitioned federal court to compel the Secretary of State to issue him a passport, arguing he was drafted into the Japanese army under threat and should retain his American rights. The passport had been denied by consular authorities in Japan.
• Chicago Chapter Awaits Replies on Convention Date, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Less than half of the 64 JACL chapters polled by the Chicago chapter about preferred dates for the 1950 biennial convention have replied. Chapters are asked to send their first, second, and third choices by November 30.
• Keetley Story Ends as Last Family Leaves for West Coast, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The last of 140 Japanese Americans who settled at the Fisher ranch in Keetley, Utah, after the evacuation has returned to the Pacific coast. The colony was noted for producing thousands of tons of foodstuffs and saving the government significant costs.

JACL

• Scholarships Given Eighteen Pasadena Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Fifteen students in Pasadena junior colleges and three in universities of Japanese ancestry received scholarships from the Pasadena Council of Social Agencies. Awards ranged from $10 to $75 based on scholarship, economic need, and achievement.

Commentary

• Curtains for the Inquisitors, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Tajiri examines Rep. J. Parnell Thomas’s role in the 1943 Dies Committee investigation of Japanese Americans, which was driven by Hearst press and Pacific coast racists. He argues the committee’s hearings delayed the evacuees’ return to the West Coast by nearly a year.
• Outlook Promising for Issei Naturalization Legislation, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The article argues that federal law denying naturalization to Issei is a product of racism and that Caucasian allies are joining the fight for repeal. It expresses optimism that the 81st Congress will pass legislation granting Issei citizenship.
• Primary Requisite, by J. Rupert Mason, page 5. In a letter to the editor, Mason argues that the right to own and occupy land is a fundamental equal right under the Constitution, citing a recent Supreme Court decision in Shelley v. Kraemer. He contends the California Alien Land Law violates this equal right.
• Reason to Give Thanks, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Hosokawa reflects on the meaning of Thanksgiving for Nisei, urging readers to count their blessings of health, family, freedom, and the sacrifices of those who made postwar peace possible. He emphasizes gratitude for America’s plenty and the courage of those who fought.
• The War Crimes Decisions, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Hosokawa comments on the impending execution of Tojo and other war criminals, observing that the militarists’ spirit died long ago. He questions whether executions will deter future aggressors and suggests they serve little purpose now.
• Washington ADC Answers Questions on Evacuee Claims, by Edward J. Ennis, page 6. This installment of a question-and-answer series on the evacuation claims law addresses whether farmers can combine crop and household losses, whether medical and other pre-evacuation expenses are claimable, and related eligibility questions. Answers are provided by JACL ADC special counsel Edward J. Ennis.
• The Japanese Canadians: Political Opportunism, Prejudice, Combine to Destroy Economic, Social Roots in Canada, by Angus and Grace MacInnis, page 8. The MacInnises review the wartime evacuation of Japanese Canadians from British Columbia and argue that political opportunism and prejudice were used to destroy their economic and social roots. They anticipate the removal of remaining restrictions by March 31, 1949, and call for full social integration.

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