Evacuation claims, a mayor’s apology and a school board nomination

Vol. 33, No. 16, October 27, 1951. 8 pages. View this issue

Evacuation claims led the news in this eight-page issue. The National JACL reproduced over 500,000 pages of forms for claimants filing under the Justice Department’s compromise plan, with Japanese translations for Issei. Los Angeles Mayor Fletcher Bowron said at a farewell banquet that he had been wrong to endorse General DeWitt’s evacuation order. John Fujio Aiso, a Military Intelligence Service veteran, was nominated for the Los Angeles Board of Education. An editorial welcomed the compromise plan, and Boyd Sinclair wrote about Nisei language experts in the China-Burma-India theater.

Other pages covered Mike Masaoka’s assessment of the 82nd Congress, a Senate bill to remove racial bars to naturalization, and Nisei casualties in Korea. A new California anti-bias job placement policy drew praise in an editorial. Elmer R. Smith wrote on how minority groups seek redress, and Mary Oyama described Nisei Week in Los Angeles. Sports pages included the first California Nisei invitational golf tournament, and Los Angeles churches planned services honoring the 442nd.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• Nominate Aiso for Vacancy on School Board, by P.C. Staff, page 1. John Fujio Aiso, an attorney and WWII Military Intelligence Service veteran, was nominated for a vacancy on the Los Angeles Board of Education. The board is considering 86 nominees for the post.
• Two Nisei Killed, Sixteen Hurt in Korean Conflict, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Department of Defense reported 20 additional Nisei casualties in Korea, mostly from Hawaii. The report lists killed in action, wounded, and missing soldiers by name and hometown.
• Final Rites Held for Nisei War Hero, by P.C. Staff, page 2. 1st Lt. Bill Masayuki Otomo, posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for heroism in Korea, was buried with full military honors in Los Angeles. His body was escorted home by 2nd Lt. Yukio Yokoe.
• Nisei Veterans Attend Congress Hearings and Ceremonies, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The 82nd Congress approved two major measures benefiting Japanese Americans, extending the GI Brides Act and amending the Evacuation Claims Act. Masaoka called the session among the better congresses for Nisei legislative interests.
• National VFW Meet Commends Producers for “Go for Broke!”, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The VFW National Encampment passed resolutions praising the film Go for Broke, urging Hawaii statehood, and endorsing McCarran-Walter immigration reform. The film resolution was sponsored by the Sacramento Nisei Post.
• Nisei Service Group Holds Open House for Soldiers, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Nisei Service Organization in New York held an open house and dances for servicemen. Local hostess clubs and 442nd veterans have supported the group’s activities.
• Wisconsin Thanks Nisei for Donation, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The city of Sparta, Wisconsin, dedicated picnic tables in a park funded by Hawaiian Nisei soldiers of the 100th Battalion who trained at Camp McCoy. A plaque marks the donation.

Community

• “DeWitt Was Wrong, I Was Wrong,” Says L.A. Mayor on 1942 Mass Evacuation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Los Angeles Mayor Fletcher Bowron apologized at a farewell banquet for endorsing General DeWitt’s evacuation order and praised Nisei servicemen. The banquet honored Bowron and Oscar Trippett, who was leaving for Japan.
• Nisei Veteran Attends Tokyo Mayors Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sakae Takahashi, a former 442nd officer and Honolulu supervisor, left to represent Honolulu at the Japan-American mayors conference in Tokyo. He was a leading candidate for territorial treasurer.
• Not Deceased, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A correction clarifies that Pfc. Hiroshi Miyashiro was wrongly reported as deceased in an earlier casualty report. He is wounded, not dead.
• California Labor Department Sets Anti-Bias Policy for Job Placements, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The California State Employment Service adopted a non-discrimination policy requiring interviewers to reject discriminatory job orders. Regional director Tats Kushida praised the change as progressive given the lack of state FEPC legislation.
• Financial Reverses Blamed for Suicide of Restaurant Man, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Restaurant operator Jack Hidekata Honji died of injuries after leaping from the First Street Bridge in Los Angeles. He left notes blaming financial difficulties.
• Honored by Townspeople, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Yakichi Honda, a Fowler, California resident for 48 years, was named grand marshal of the Fowler Fall Festival parade. He was honored for his work with the JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee in the area.
• Nisei Dancers Record “Voice” Interview, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Broadway dancers Yuriko Amemiya and Michiko Iseri, stars of The King and I, recorded an interview for the Voice of America broadcast to Japan at a New York JACL reception. The reception was attended by 85 people.
• Denver Chapter Seeks to Pass 1951 Record, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Denver JACL will open its 1951-52 membership campaign on Nov. 1 aiming to surpass its record of 486 members. Dues were raised to keep up with rising chapter costs.
• Retired Worker Killed in Fire, by P.C. Staff, page 3. M. Kanihito, a 70-year-old former farm worker, died when fire destroyed his cabin in rural Merced, California. The blaze had leveled the cabin before firefighters arrived.
• Ellis Center Joins Recreation Facilities with Kenwood Church, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Ellis Community Center of Chicago partnered with Kenwood Church to share recreational facilities. Planned activities include basketball, square dancing, and volleyball, with a dance set for Nov. 24.
• Chicago JACL Plans 6th Annual Ball, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Chicago JACL will hold its sixth annual inaugural ball at the Hyde Park Hotel on Nov. 24. Co-chairmen Abe Hagiwara and Joe Maruyama have organized the committees.
• Los Angeles Area Churches to Honor Nisei Gls, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Buddhist and Protestant churches in Los Angeles will hold services on Oct. 28 to commemorate the Nisei soldiers of the 442nd who rescued the lost battalion. The observance honors both the fallen and living veterans.

JACL

• National JACL Reproduces 500,000 Pages of Evacuation Claims Work Sheets, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National JACL reproduced over 500,000 pages of forms for evacuee claimants filing under the Justice Department’s compromise plan. Japanese translations were also prepared for Issei claimants.
• Santa Maria JACL to Explain New Compromise Forms, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Santa Maria Valley JACL will hold a public meeting on Nov. 9 in Guadalupe to explain the new evacuation claims compromise procedures. Attorney Saburo Kido will present and Japanese translations will be available.
• Masaoka Will Leave Soon for Month’s Tour of Coast, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Mike Masaoka, JACL ADC national legislative director, will leave Washington on Nov. 1 for a month of district council conventions and chapter visits. He will also confer with government officials on evacuation claims, deportation cases, and the peace treaty.

National

• Consider Two Nisei Officials for Hawaii Cabinet Openings, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japanese Americans hold far fewer territorial appointed posts in Hawaii than their population share would suggest. Two key cabinet vacancies, attorney general and territorial treasurer, are under consideration with Nisei candidates named.
• Fifteen Senate Liberals Join in Bipartisan Bill for Naturalization Equality, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Fifteen senators introduced bipartisan immigration legislation to remove racial and sex bars to naturalization and pool unused quotas. The bill is a response to the McCarran omnibus immigration bill and was referred to the Judiciary Committee.
• Twelve Private Bills Passed as Senate Closes Session, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Senate approved a record twelve private bills for the relief of persons of Japanese ancestry, mostly allowing minor adopted children and spouses to enter the United States. Several sponsors from both parties are named.
• Two Senators Block Passage of Hawaii Statehood Measure, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Senators Richard Russell and Pat McCarran objected to the Hawaii statehood bill during the Senate consent calendar. The objection blocked passage of the measure at that time.
• Congress Passed Two Measures Supported by JACL ADC, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Mike Masaoka assessed the first session of the 82nd Congress as favorable for persons of Japanese ancestry. Congress extended the GI Brides Act deadline to March 1952 and amended the Evacuation Claims Act to allow compromise settlements.

Incarceration & Redress

• Utah Evacuees Get Offers to Settle Claims, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Several Utah evacuation claimants received settlement offers from the Justice Department within weeks of filing under the compromise plan. Attorney Mas Yano reported the offers were typically only slightly below the three-fourths figure.
• Denver to Hold Claims Clinic for Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Denver JACL is planning a community-wide evacuation claims clinic because the Justice Department did not provide Japanese translations of forms. The National JACL is reproducing forms and translations for distribution.
• U.S. Justice Douglas Grants Kawakita Extension of Time to Appeal Court Decision, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Justice William O. Douglas granted Tomoya Kawakita, under death sentence for treason, a month’s extension to appeal to the Supreme Court. A key issue is whether he lost U.S. citizenship under nationality laws.
• Renunciants Could Take Legal Steps to Establish Rights, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Attorney A. L. Wirin outlined six steps Tule Lake renunciants may take to regain recognition of U.S. citizenship following a Supreme Court writ of certiorari. The process involves applying for passports or court affidavits subject to Justice Department approval.

Commentary

• Editorial: The Compromise Plan, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial welcomes the Justice Department’s new compromise plan for evacuation claims, which appears to break the logjam of technicalities. It notes the program had been too slow and that the compromise is a necessary expedient to speed compensation.
• Against Employment Bias, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial praises the California State Employment Service’s new policy of refusing discriminatory job orders. It argues that a rigid fair employment practices law is still needed to close the loophole of employer hiring discretion.
• Box-Score on Race Relations: Methods Used by Minority Groups to Rectify Wrongs, by Elmer R. Smith, page 5. The article surveys conflict forms between racial groups, including lynching, riots, boycotts, litigation, art, and education. It cites JACL’s use of litigation and the Ute and Navaho successes as examples of peaceful redress.
• Newsletter for GIs, by Mary Oyama, page 6. Mary Oyama recounts her impressions of Nisei Week in Los Angeles, including the carnival, the Nisei Intercollegiate tent show, and young people’s fashions. She describes the event as a fun weekend for the community.

In-Depth

• Nisei Soldiers of the CBI: The Japanese American Language Experts Expedited Intelligence, by Boyd Sinclair, page 4. Nisei language experts in the China-Burma-India theater provided critical intelligence through interrogation and document translation. Their service, though non-combat, was described by commanders as as valuable as an infantry company.

Arts & Entertainment

• Romance and Dancer News in Hollywood, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Actress Yoshiko Yamaguchi announced her engagement to sculptor Isamu Noguchi, and the couple left for Paris. The column also covers Mei Tsutsumoto’s dance performance and other Nisei entertainment items.

Sports

• Hawaii’s Yogi Gets Double Off Lopat, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Shin Yogi, a Hawaii League infielder, hit a double off Ed Lopat during an exhibition game against the O’Doul-DiMaggio All-Stars. He also drove in another run against Bill Werle.
• Yoshizaki Wins California Nisei Golf Tournament, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Min Yoshizaki of Los Angeles won the first California Nisei invitational golf tournament at Pebble Beach with a 162 gross score. Frank Yoshioka and Line Tokunaga placed second and third.
• Ohio State Swimmers Reelect Kobayashi to Team Captaincy, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Herb Kobayashi was reelected captain of Ohio State’s swimming team, which has several Hawaiian stars including Ford Konno. The team is expected to contend for Big Ten and NCAA titles and Olympic berths.
• Hawaii Nisei Bowlers Lead Territorial Match Game Championships, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Hal Ogata leads the Hawaii Territorial Match Game championships after five weeks with a 4,888 aggregate. Three other Nisei bowlers hold places in the top five.

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.