Reburials of Nisei war dead and the push for equal naturalization

Vol. 27, No. 23, December 11, 1948. 8 pages. View this issue

Nisei war dead returned home for burial and discrimination in cemeteries were the main subjects of this eight-page issue. On the front page, the California Councils for Racial Unity urged an end to racial bars in immigration and naturalization and voted to survey cemetery practices against Japanese American war dead. Lieut. Moe Yonemura was reburied at Golden Gate National Cemetery after being killed in Italy with the 442nd Combat Team, and the Alameda JACL planned rites for T/Sgt. Minoru Nakayama. Edward J. Ennis and Mike Masaoka pressed the naturalization bill in Boston and Washington, and Ennis answered readers’ questions on filing evacuation claims.

Page 5 carries Bill Hosokawa’s column on Chinese Americans and Nisei, and a humorous column by Boku Suhore. Page 2 looks at Hawaii’s mixed ancestry. Basketball and bowling fill the sports pages, including a Seattle tournament and a Salt Lake City record series.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• Civic Unity Group Will Survey Discriminatory Practices on Cemetery Plots, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The California Councils for Racial Unity convention in Santa Barbara urged an end to racial discrimination in immigration and naturalization and voted to survey discriminatory cemetery practices against Japanese American war dead. The convention also elected Saburo Kido to its board of directors.
• Nisei A-Bomb Survivors Send Flowers for Graves of U.S. Gls, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Nisei Center Hiroshima sent flowers to Japanese American war dead on behalf of atomic bomb survivors, and Rev. K. Tanimoto visited the graves in Los Angeles. The center also serves as a liaison for war-stranded Nisei in the Hiroshima area.
• Joe Masaoka Will Speak on Claims To Valley Chapters, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Joe G. Masaoka, West Coast ADC director, will hold public meetings in Livingston, Cortez, and Tulare County to explain evacuation claims filings. Talks will be given in English and Japanese, followed by question periods.
• Refusal of Chicago Cemetery Groups to Permit Burial of Nisei Dead Told Conference, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Tats Kushida of the Chicago JACL reported at the Chicago Conference on Civic Unity that cemeteries refuse burial to Japanese Americans. Officials pledged action, including a possible city ordinance barring such discrimination.

Military & Veterans

• Nisei Officer Reburied at San Bruno, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Lieut. Moe Yonemura, a 1942 UCLA graduate killed in Italy with the 442nd Combat Team, was reburied at Golden Gate National Cemetery with military honors. His mother received the American flag at the services.
• Final Burial Rites Planned for Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Alameda JACL and four other local groups will sponsor funeral services for T/Sgt. Minoru Nakayama, the only local Nisei killed in World War II, before his reburial at San Bruno. His body is returning with 54 other Nisei remains.
• Return Remains Of Nisei from Pacific Area, by P.C. Staff, page 1. T/Sgt. Russell Fujino’s name appears among 1,900 additional war dead returned to the United States aboard the USAT Dalton Victory. His next of kin is listed as his mother in Oxnard, California.
• Nisei Veteran Teaches Art at University of Maine, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Francis Hamabe, a 442nd veteran known for watercolor paintings, was appointed art instructor at the University of Maine in Orono. He also serves as art director of the Camden Hills theater.
• National Committee of Amvets Reaffirms Support of Measure To Amend Naturalization Law, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Amvets national executive committee unanimously reaffirmed support for legislation granting naturalization privileges to parents of Japanese American veterans. The committee also urged the American Bowling Congress to remove racial restrictions from its bylaws.
• Nisei Veteran Sought For Liaison Work by Sixth Army Command, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Sixth Army is seeking a Nisei veteran with Japanese language skills for short-term liaison work at the Oakland army base during shipment of war dead. The position was announced by the American Legion’s Townsend Harris post.
• Portland Nisei Soldier Buried At Arlington, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Pfc. Roy Tatsuo Morihiro, a Portland Nisei and member of the 442nd, was buried at Arlington National Cemetery after being killed near Milan in April 1945. Rev. Andrew Kuroda officiated at the graveside service.

Community

• Report Two Bay Area Congressmen Back Naturalization Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Representatives George P. Miller and John J. Allen Jr. pledged support for the JACL-ADC equality in naturalization legislation, according to East Bay JACL legislative chairman Mas Yonemura. The pledges were received before the congressmen left for Washington.
• First Denver Nisei Inducted in New Draft, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Harry Hiroshi Oshita became one of the first Denver-area residents inducted under the peacetime selective service law on Nov. 29. The article is brief and reports only his induction.
• Nisei Survivor of Hiroshima Blast Participates in Radio Forum on Atomic Energy Use, by P.C. Staff, page 2. May Tamura, a Nisei survivor of the Hiroshima bombing, joined a KNBC panel on atomic energy aboard the carrier Intrepid in San Francisco Bay. She described the injuries she witnessed at her cigarette factory job.
• New York JACL Aids Evacuee Claimants, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The New York JACL held a community meeting introducing evacuation claim forms, with chapter president Thomas Hayashi explaining the legislative background and filing procedures. The chapter is furnishing stenographic help to local claimants.
• Honolulu’s Mainland Nisei Group Initiates New Members, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Eleven new members were initiated into the Hui O’ Malihini, an organization of mainland Nisei women in Hawaii. A formal initiation dinner dance is planned for February.
• Masaji Eto Heads JACL Chapter in San Luis Obispo, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Masaji Eto was elected president of the San Luis Obispo JACL at its annual election meeting. The article also lists the other officers of the 1949 cabinet.
• Report Completion Of First Phase of Denver Fund Drive, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The initial phase of the Denver JACL ADC fund drive was completed, with Colorado’s goal set at $7,000 of a $140,000 national total. Local committees in Iliff and Rock Springs have already finished their campaigns.
• Induct Chicago Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 3. James J. Watanabe is one of 80 Chicago-area men inducted into the army under the new peacetime draft. He is now training at Camp Breckenridge, Kentucky.
• Evacuation Claims Clinic to Be Held In Eastern Oregon, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Boise Valley JACL members were directed to an evacuation claims clinic in Ontario, Oregon, on Dec. 12. The chapter also announced nominees for its 1949 cabinet.
• After Gun Duel With Police, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Hiroshi Nishida, a Japanese butler dismissed by his Sarasota employer, fired on police during a two-hour standoff and died by suicide. His employer had dismissed him after learning of a past murder conviction in New York.
• Student Attends Colorado Conference, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Eddie Mayeda, president of the boys’ league at Grand Junction high school, attended the Colorado Association of High School Student Councils conference in Fort Collins. The item is brief and reports only his attendance.
• Forecast Completion Of JACL ADC Drive In San Francisco, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Akimi Sugawara, executive secretary of the Kikaken Kisei Domei, forecast completion of the $35,000 JACL ADC fund drive by the end of December. The San Mateo district has met its $2,000 quota.
• Last Two Canadian Evacuees End Moose Jaw Sitdown Strike, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Two remaining Japanese Canadian evacuees ended their year-long sitdown strike protesting the closing of the Moose Jaw hostel and accepted relocation to New Denver, B.C. Their pup tent was returned to Ross Thatcher, who had supported their protest.
• Nisei Serves as Student Manager For Harvard Team, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Dwight K. Nishimura became the first Nisei student manager of the Harvard football team, completing his season as Harvard defeated Yale. He handed the post to Frank Jones, the first Black student selected for it.

JACL

• ADC Will Seek Amendment To Enemy Trading Act to Prevent Losses of Property, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL ADC will seek amendments to the Trading with the Enemy Act to protect property vested by the government from citizens, aliens, and internees who missed the August 1948 claim deadline. Persons affected are asked to send property details to the Washington office before year end.
• Early Filing of Evacuee Claims Urged by Ennis at Boston Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Edward J. Ennis urged early filing of evacuation claims at the JACL Eastern District Council conference in Boston. Mike Masaoka outlined the legislative program, centered on the Judd Bill for naturalization and immigration equality.
• Nozaki, Enomoto Elected to Posts In Ogden Amvets, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Bill Nozaki was elected provost marshal and Eddie Enomoto historian of Ogden Amvets Post No. 1. The brief item reports only the election results.
• Thomas T. Hayashi Elected Eastern District Chairman, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Ina Sugihara was named temporary chairman of the JACL Eastern District Council, replacing Thomas T. Hayashi, who later became national vice president. Ira Shimizu of Washington was elected secretary-vice chairman.

In-Depth

• Nisei Medic Makes Mercy Flight To Aid Victim of Bulbar Polio, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Kenneth Sugioka flew from St. Louis with a new oxygen inhalator to treat Mrs. Merlyn Stratman, a bulbar polio patient in Washington, D.C. The machine was put into operation immediately upon arrival.
• Hawaii–One People: The Melting Pot Still Boils, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 2. Sociologist Andrew W. Lind predicts that more than half of Hawaii’s population will be of mixed ancestry within 50 years, based on rising intermarriage rates. He also criticizes current census racial classifications as increasingly inaccurate.

National

• ADC Officials Optimistic Over Naturalization Equality Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Edward Ennis, Robert Cullum, and Mike Masaoka met with Rep. Emanuel Celler, who pledged support for the naturalization equality bill. Celler, slated to chair the House Judiciary subcommittee on immigration, also hoped to eliminate remaining anti-Asian immigration barriers.

Obituaries

• Wyoming Nisei Rancher Dies Despite Heroic Mercy Flight, by P.C. Staff, page 3. John Hayashida, a Worland, Wyoming ranch owner, was flown through a storm to Denver for brain tumor treatment but died after a relapse. His wife accompanied him on the flight.
• Final Rites Held in Berkeley For Nisei GI Killed in Italy, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Thomas T. Sagimori, a University of California forestry graduate, received full military services in Berkeley after being killed in Italy in April 1945 with the 442nd. He had earned two Purple Hearts and a posthumous Silver Star.
• Nisei Soldier Given Final Rites at San Bruno Cemetery, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Pfc. Charles Kiyoshi Nakaya, the only Nisei in the 168th infantry regiment, was buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery after being killed in northern Italy a week before the German surrender. He was a graduate of Elk Grove high school.
• Double Funeral Rites Held For Two Spokane Soldier Dead, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Pfc. Tom S. Haji and Pvt. Ted Watanabe, both killed in the Po Valley campaign in Italy, received a joint military burial in Spokane. The Spokane JACL arranged the funeral details.

Commentary

• A Check-list of Discrimination, by P.C. Staff, page 4. An editorial praises the California Federation for Civic Unity and endorses Joe Masaoka’s checklist of discriminatory practices against Japanese Americans and other minorities. It notes that discrimination in insurance, trades, welfare, and employment persists across the state.
• Law on Intermarriage, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial criticizes Los Angeles County’s request for U.S. Supreme Court review of the California intermarriage ban ruling, calling it inconsistent with the impartial duties of county counsel. The state supreme court had already ruled the ban unconstitutional.
• When The Nisei Needed a Friend, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial recalls individuals and organizations who defended Japanese Americans during the 1942 evacuation, from farmers and newspaper editors to national figures. It argues that the hatemongering groups have disappeared while democratic defenders remain active.
• Reprint, by New York STAR, page 4. A reprinted letter from the New York STAR argues that the term ‘Jap’ is racist, tracing its wartime use to California newspaper campaigns. The writer notes the New York Times never used the term.
• Pert Nisei Gossip Column, by Boku Suhore, page 5. A humorous column recounts the narrator’s struggles after cousins sent a crate of California grapefruit to his New York apartment for their anniversary. The narrator complains about the hassle of distributing the fruit and the cost.
• An Accident of History, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa reflects on how Chinese Americans distanced themselves from Japanese Americans during the war and sometimes discriminated against Nisei. He notes that China’s declining world standing now leaves Nisei in a stronger position.
• Washington ADC Answers Questions on Evacuee Claims, by Edward J. Ennis, page 5. Edward Ennis answers reader questions on evacuation claims, covering evidence from TFR forms, tax treatment of recoveries, lost hotel value, insurance lapses, and crop losses. He also notes that non-Japanese businesses cannot recover under the statute.

Sports

• Teams Enter Seattle Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Teams of Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, and Hawaiian descent will compete in the second annual Oriental basketball tournament in Seattle over the Christmas holidays. St. Mary’s Saints of San Francisco won the previous year’s title.
• Berkeley Nisei Team Wins S.F. Nisei Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Berkeley Nisei Gang defeated the San Jose Zebras 45 to 41 to win the San Francisco Drakes tournament and qualify for the All-Oriental tournament in Seattle. Johnny Oshida was named outstanding player.
• Okadas Record 3034 Series in Salt Lake Match, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Okada Insurance team set a new mainland Nisei team scratch series record of 3034 in a Salt Lake City match. Four members made the Salt Lake Telegram honor roll.
• Hawaii Stars Scheduled for Salt Lake Games, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Hawaii Nisei All-Stars will play two games in Salt Lake City in January under JACL league sponsorship. A New Year’s dance honoring the team is also planned.

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