Nisei win seats in Honolulu, and the push for Issei citizenship

Vol. 32, No. 2, January 13, 1951. 8 pages. View this issue

Two Nisei, Samuel M. Ichinose and Sakae Takahashi, were sworn in as Honolulu city-county supervisors, the largest number of Nisei to serve on that board, and Lawrence Nakatsuka reported the story on the front page. Washington news ran alongside it. Four Issei citizenship and naturalization bills were introduced in the new Congress, two House bills sought entry for the spouses of American servicemen, and Mike Masaoka wrote about the Soldier Brides Act and the conservative coalition in Congress. One report said only 210 of roughly 24,000 evacuation claims were adjudicated in 1950.

Elsewhere in this eight-page issue, Bill Hosokawa and Elmer R. Smith contributed columns. Editorials covered Race Relations Sunday and the position of Chinese Americans after China entered the Korean War. Sports pages followed Hawaiian swimmers Ford Konno and Evelyn Kawamoto and the coming national JACL bowling tournament. Chapter news came from Seattle, Denver, Chicago, Fresno and elsewhere, including help for Issei registering under the alien registration program.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Two Nisei Sworn Into Office As Supervisors in Honolulu, by By LAWRENCE NAKATSUKA, page 1. Two Nisei, Samuel M. Ichinose and Sakae Takahashi, were sworn into the Honolulu city-county board of supervisors, the largest number of Nisei to serve on that board. Several other Nisei were appointed to city boards and staff positions in the new administration.
• Open Campaign for Anti-Bias Law in Utah, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Gail Martin of the Utah FEP Committee expressed hope that the legislature would pass a fair employment practices bill this session. Several state senators agreed to sponsor the measure and funding came from local organizations including the Salt Lake JACL.
• Civic Unity Group Will Work to Prevent Another Evacuation, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The San Francisco Council for Civic Unity adopted a nine-point anti-discrimination agenda for 1951 covering employment, law enforcement, housing and education. The council pledged to prevent any group from suffering discrimination as Japanese Americans did during World War II.
• San Francisco JACL Members Initiate Blood Bank Project, by P.C. Staff, page 3. San Francisco JACL members began a blood bank project by donating at the Irwin Memorial blood bank. Half the donated blood will go to the Red Cross for armed forces in Korea and half will be credited to the local Japanese American community.
• Seattle Groups Help Issei File Under Security Act, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Seattle JACL and the Jackson Street Community Council assisted Issei with alien registration forms from January 1 to 10. The JSCC offered services during office hours while the JACL helped during evenings and Saturday.
• Seattle JACL Prexy Outlines Nisei Civil Rights Issues, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Seattle JACL president Harry I. Takagi spoke at a civil rights panel on the denial of rights to Japanese Americans, including the evacuation, alien land laws and slow evacuation claims progress. Other speakers addressed discrimination against Negroes and proposed expansions of Washington’s public accommodations law.
• Denver JACL Aids Registration, by P.C. Staff, page 3. About 30 Issei were registered by the Denver JACL under the alien registration program on January 6. A volunteer committee led by attorney Toshio Ando assisted, with a second registration held January 9.
• Four Chapters Advance Funds to Help National Headquarters, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Four Pacific Southwest JACL chapters advanced about $1,500 to National JACL and the ADC to address a financial crisis. The amounts will be credited to the chapters’ ADC fund drive quotas.
• Another First, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Levi Jackson became the first Negro named to the Ford labor relations review board, which handles grievances at the Ford Rouge plant. The brief notes the plant employs 90,000 workers.
• Denver JACL Honors Former Chapter Presidents, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Denver JACL presented pearl-studded pins to its past presidents at a recognitions dinner on December 31. Founding president George Kashiwagi and other former leaders were honored.
• Newlyweds Feted, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Friends and relatives held a reception for Mr. and Mrs. Ben Mayeda at the Pagoda restaurant in Salt Lake City. The bride, Chieko Akiyama, worked in the National JACL office.
• McWilliams Lectures at Community Center, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Author and race relations expert Carey McWilliams is giving a series of lectures at the Soto Michigan Jewish Community Center in Los Angeles on Wednesday evenings.
• City-wide Campaign Planned in Chicago for Tokyo School, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Chicago organizers are finalizing a city-wide fundraising drive for the Japanese International Christian University in Tokyo. The campaign will divide the city into 14 districts with 150 canvassers.
• Kiyo Kato Named Chapter Leader, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Kiyo Kato was elected president of the Southern Alameda County JACL in December elections. The cabinet and board of governors were also named.
• Milwaukee Chapter Holds Xmas Party, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Milwaukee JACL held its Christmas party and honored members for ADC and chapter service. Charles Matsumoto was among the new officers installed.
• Dr. Suda Succeeds Iwatsubo as Prexy of Fresno ALL, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Dr. George Suda was elected president of the Fresno American Loyalty League, succeeding Mike Iwatsubo. A full slate of cabinet officers was named.
• Stranded Nisei’s Suit Seeks to Recover Citizen Rights, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Fujiko Furusho, a Hawaii-born woman who lost citizenship by voting in Japanese elections, sued to recover her nationality. Federal Judge J. Frank McLaughlin heard the case on the question of whether Japan under occupation is a foreign country.
• Suit for Damages Filed Against Bus Company, by P.C. Staff, page 8. E. Hirata filed a $29,000 damages suit in Fresno Superior Court against Pacific Greyhound after being struck by a bus in January 1950. The complaint also names driver George R. Rogers.
• West Los Angeles Chapter Will Install Jeniye as President, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Richard Jeniye and his enlarged 1951 cabinet will be installed at the West Los Angeles JACL dinner on January 21 in Hollywood. Regional Director Tats Kushida will speak and install the officers.
• Alameda Chapter Pushes Membership, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Alameda JACL is running its annual membership drive and assisted Issei with alien registration forms. The chapter also set an installation dinner and general meeting.

National

• Four Issei Citizenship Bills Introduced in New Congress, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Three bills seeking equality in naturalization and immigration and one eliminating race in naturalization were introduced in the House, according to the JACL ADC. Hawaii statehood legislation was also reintroduced.
• JACL Official Hails Ban on Housing Bias, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Los Angeles City Council unanimously passed an ordinance prohibiting discrimination in redevelopment housing projects based on race, color, creed, national origin or ancestry. JACL ADC regional director Tats Kushida called it a major step toward non-discrimination in urban housing.
• Sen. Johnson Will Support Issei Citizenship, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Senator Ed C. Johnson of Colorado pledged support for eliminating race as a requirement for naturalization in a telegram to the Cathay American Legion Post. He said he would keep the issue in mind if a similar bill is reintroduced.
• Two New House Bills Seek Entry for Spouses of GIs, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Two House bills were introduced to allow Asian spouses and children of American servicemen and citizens to enter the United States. The Walter bill would extend the expiring Soldier Brides Act, while the Farrington bill offers a broader solution.
• ADC Priority Given to Bill for GI Brides, by Mike Masaoka, page 1. The JACL ADC is giving temporary priority to extending the Soldier Brides Act, which expires February 18. Masaoka said the Walter bill is the only measure with a realistic chance of immediate passage.
• Washington Post Urges U.S. Intervention in Masaoka Test of California Alien Land Law, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Washington Post editorially urged the Solicitor General to intervene in a test case challenging California’s Alien Land Law. The case involves a Nisei veteran’s land deeded to his Issei mother, who is ineligible for citizenship.
• Masaoka Says Conservatives To Run Congress, by Mike Masaoka, page 3. A coalition of Southern Democrats and Republicans in the House restored the Rules Committee’s power to hold up bills. Masaoka argued this confirms that a conservative coalition will control both houses of Congress.
• Canada Immigration Law Eased for Asian Relatives, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Canada relaxed immigration rules to allow husbands and unmarried children under 24 of Canadian citizens of Asian origin to enter. Japanese remain barred as enemy aliens until a peace treaty is signed.
• The Last Word, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Southern University does not offer equal facilities, paving the way for Roy S. Wilson’s admission to Louisiana State University’s law school. His entry will mark the school’s first Negro admission in 90 years.
• Note Change in Regulations Governing Deportation Stays, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Justice Department revised regulations so aliens may apply for stays of deportation as soon as a warrant is served, rather than waiting for a hearing. About 2,000 Japanese treaty residents are affected by the change.

Military & Veterans

• Two Hawaiian GIs Reported Killed in Korean War, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Defense Department reported the deaths of two Nisei soldiers from Hawaii in Korea, raising the territory’s Korean War death toll to 21. Pvt. Seiso Nakama and Pfc. Ralph T. Fukumoto were the two men named.
• Nisei Navy Man Escapes Death as Plane Crashes, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sonarman Eugene Nagasawa survived a non-scheduled airliner crash-landing and fire at Midway Airport in Chicago. He praised the stewardess and pilot for their actions in evacuating the passengers.
• Two Inducted, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Stanley T. Honda and William T. Takigawa were inducted into the Army at Monterey, California on January 2. The brief notice reported their induction only.
• Yorty Sponsors Citizenship for Parents of GIs, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Rep. Sam Yorty reportedly introduced an amendment granting citizenship to Japanese and other ineligible aliens whose children served in World War II. Yorty framed the move as a way to strengthen the nation against Communism.
• Four Nisei Enter Army from Seattle, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Four Nisei were among 182 King County men inducted into the Army on January 5. The men named were Lloyd K. Omura, Tokunari C. Kawada, Ben T. Yamamoto and Daiichi Tanabe.
• Chicago: Soldier Listed Prisoner by China Reds, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A Chicago Nisei GI, Pfc. Ray Hikida, was listed as a prisoner of war in a Communist Peiping radio broadcast. He had previously been listed as missing in action in Korea.
• Wounded Nisei GI Returns from Korea, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Sgt. Zenichi Ota, wounded in the leg in Korea while serving with the 25th Division, visited Los Angeles on convalescent furlough. He described the rough fighting just before his evacuation.
• Correction, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A correction clarifies that Florence Imaizumi entered the Women’s Air Force rather than the WACs, as previously reported. She will train at Lackland Air Force Base and is believed to be the first Nisei to enter this branch.
• Gifts for GIs, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Stockton JACL, Nisei Veterans and Issei Kai are planning sendoff gifts for four Nisei inductees from the Stockton area on January 15. The inductees are named in the item.

Incarceration & Redress

• Report Only 210 Evacuation Loss Claims Adjudicated by Justice Department in 1950, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Justice Department adjudicated 210 of roughly 24,000 evacuation claims in 1950, paying out $32,968.65. Mike Masaoka said at this pace the process would take more than 100 years.
• Justice Department Rules Against Expenses of Nisei in Preparing for Evacuation, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Justice Department ruled that evacuees cannot be reimbursed under the Evacuation Claims Act for pre-evacuation expenses such as luggage, lost earnings and return train fare. The JACL ADC is considering sponsoring amending legislation to allow such claims.

Obituaries

• Hold Final Rites for Lodi’s First Korea Casualty, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Funeral services were held in Lodi for Pvt. Shizu Motoyama, the city’s first Korean War casualty, who died of wounds in a Japanese hospital. He was survived by his parents, brothers and sisters.
• Obituary: John F. Embree, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Nisei who knew him from the Granada relocation center mourn anthropologist John F. Embree, killed in an auto accident with his daughter in New Haven, Connecticut. Embree had studied a Japanese village after V-J day and authored many books.

Commentary

• Your Social Security: Issei Farmer Gets Facts On Amendment to U.S. Law, by Charles H. Shreve, page 2. Charles Shreve, manager of the San Francisco Social Security office, explains that hired farm workers become covered under the amended Social Security Act starting January 1, 1951, but farm operators remain excluded. He outlines the qualifying quarter and 60-day continuous employment requirements for farm workers.
• Legislative Aid for Brides of GIs, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial welcomes the JACL ADC’s push to extend the Soldier Brides Act for servicemen whose marriages cannot be completed by the February 18 deadline. It argues that equal treatment for soldiers in Japan requires ending racial restrictions on bringing home foreign wives.
• Race Relations Sunday, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial marks the 29th annual Race Relations Sunday on February 11 and criticizes the gap between American democratic ideals and continued racial discrimination. It notes progress in education and public life while urging genuine commitment to equality.
• The Chinese Americans, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial examines the tension faced by Chinese Americans after Communist China’s intervention in Korea, drawing parallels to Japanese Americans’ wartime experience. It describes their history of discrimination and their public declarations of loyalty and anti-Communism.
• Gussie Says, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Tennis player Gussie Moran praises Althea Gibson, the first Negro to play in the National tournament, calling her the most promising player of the year. The item argues her presence would stir up the game.
• Lesson, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Visiting foreign delegations from former allies and enemy nations have focused on American race problems, particularly the treatment of Negroes. The item argues America must clean up its own discrimination before lecturing others.
• Cargo from Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The columnist describes the flood of Japanese imports arriving at New York’s ports, valued at around $400 million a year. He profiles the types of goods Nisei importers handle and the difficulties they face.
• Most Americans Are Realistic, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa observes that Americans he has met are realistic about the Communist threat, though some call for dropping the atom bomb preemptively. He previews a book by Dr. Takashi Nagai on the Nagasaki bombing and reflects on his daughter’s illness.
• Legislative Activity Started With Evacuee Claims Bill, by Elmer R. Smith, page 5. Smith traces the JACL-ADC legislative program from the 1946 evacuation claims bill through the defeat of California’s Proposition 15 and the naturalization bill. He quotes national president Hito Okada on the JACL’s commitment to other minorities’ civil rights.
• Vagaries, by P.C. Staff, page 5. This column notes Nisei in the arts and public life, including mystery writer Milton Ozaki, actress Sono Osato, and Sgt. Hideo Hashimoto featured in Time magazine. It also reports on the upcoming release of the film Go for Broke!

Arts & Entertainment

• Nisei Strong Man: Pro Wrestler Sakata Was Member of Olympic Team, by L.S.T., page 2. Harold Sakata, a Hawaii-born Nisei weightlifter who placed second in the 1948 London Olympics, became a professional wrestler in 1949. The profile covers his rise from a thin youth in Kona to a popular mainland wrestler known as Mr. Sakata, The Human Tank.
• Vital Statistics, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Births, deaths, marriages and marriage licenses reported in Japanese American communities. Entries cover California, Seattle, Denver and Los Angeles.

Sports

• Hawaiians Swim for Mainland Schools, by P.C. Staff, page 6. At least 13 Nisei swimmers from Hawaii will compete for mainland collegiate teams, including Herbert Kobayashi at Ohio State and Joe Nishimoto at Oregon. The column also discusses prospects for Ford Konno and Evelyn Kawamoto in the 1952 Olympics.
• Nisei Gridder Plays for Tokyo School, by P.C. Staff, page 6. David Tsukamoto starred for Narimasu high school, which won the American dependents schools championship in Japan. The column also notes Paul Kobayashi’s frosh season at Northwestern and Jimmy Asato’s quarterback role at Hawaii.
• Jimmy Yokota Makes the Grade, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Jimmy Yokota, a 5-foot-6 standout at Placer Union high and Placer College, earned a starting guard spot in basketball despite his size. The column reviews his scoring and notes other Nisei prep cagers.
• Hawaiians Favored in JACL Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A Honolulu qualifying roll-off will select the Hawaiian team for the National JACL bowling tournament and the ABC. The column also reports on local league standings and high scores.
• Evelyn Kawamoto Named to Women’s All-America Team, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Honolulu high school swimmer Evelyn Kawamoto was named to the 1950 women’s All-America swimming team in the 300-yard medley. She is the reigning national women’s outdoor champion in that event.
• Konno Given Two Places on All-U.S. Team, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Ford Konno, a Honolulu Nisei and hero of the U.S. team’s Japan tour, earned two spots on the 1950 All-America swimming team. He set a world record in the 880-yard freestyle.
• Konno Competes in Sprints to Open Honolulu Season, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Ford Konno paced qualifiers in the Punahou invitational meet with a 2:12.6 in the 220-yard freestyle. His coach says he is progressing well and could eventually sprint the 100 in 53 seconds.
• Urge JACL Groups to Enter Teams in National Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 6. JACL chapters are urged to enter teams in the 5th National JACL bowling tournament at Vogue Bowl in Los Angeles in late March. It will be the first National JACL tournament sanctioned by the American Bowling Congress.
• Yonamine Named to AJA All-Star Basketball Team, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Wally Yonamine, outfielder for the Salt Lake Bees and former pro football player, was named guard on the Honolulu AJA all-star basketball team. Teammates named include Wally Tome, Charles Hamane and Harold Tome.
• Boise Valley Team Captures Bowling Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Boise Valley JACL team won the second annual Boise Valley JACL bowling tournament, with the women’s team trophy going to Mansers Inc. of Ontario, Oregon. Individual honors and team results are listed.
• Sacramento JACL Sponsors Annual Bowling Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Sacramento JACL announced its third annual spring bowling tournament for February 10 and 11 under the American Bowling Congress moral sanction. Entry details, handicap rules and prizes are outlined.

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