Korea, Hawaii statehood and immigration bills in the July 29, 1950 issue

Vol. 31, No. 4, July 29, 1950. 8 pages. View this issue

The Korean war reached the Nisei community in this eight-page issue. The Army announced a posthumous Bronze Star for Pfc. Jack Arakawa, 20, whose death was the first reported Nisei casualty of the conflict. Nisei servicemen in Japan were reported held in place, and Elmer Ogawa joined the Marine Reserve. Congress was the other main subject: the Senate passed the McCarran Soldier Brides bill, a naturalization measure went to conferees, and Sen. Warren Magnuson sought more money to speed evacuee property claims. Robert R. Brunn wrote on how the war put American treatment of minorities under watch.

Other pages looked ahead to Nisei Week in Los Angeles, with Issei pioneers to be honored on Aug. 20. Bill Hosokawa wrote on his son’s questions about Korea and reviewed a novel about a Nisei in the Japanese army. Sports pages followed swimmer Ford Konno and baseball’s Wally Yonamine.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

  • Cited Posthumously for Combat Action, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Army Department announced a posthumous Bronze Star for Pfc. Jack Arakawa, 20, for gallant action in Korea near Taejon on July 16. He was among eight soldiers decorated for bravery during the American retreat, and his death was the first reported Nisei casualty in the Korean war.
  • Elmer Ogawa Enlists in Marine Reserve, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Elmer Ogawa, a World War II veteran and Seattle photographer, was sworn in as a sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. He will join the 11th Marine Infantry Battalion.
  • Nominate Murata for Surgeon Rank in Health Service, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The U.S. Public Health Service nominated Chester S. Murata of New York for senior assistant surgeon, equivalent to army captain. The JACL ADC reported the nomination.
  • 100th Infantry Veterans Will Aid Hawaii Statehood Fight, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Club 100, a 100th Infantry Battalion veterans group, adopted a five-point program to support Hawaii statehood at its convention in Honolulu. Actions include sending a representative to Washington and sending resolutions to Pres. Truman and senators.
  • Army Orders Reactivation of Munemori Ship, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The transport USAT Sadao Munemori, named for the Congressional Medal of Honor recipient from Los Angeles, is being reactivated for Korean war service. The ship was formerly the Wilson Victory, which brought the 442nd’s colors home in 1946.

National

  • Festival Officials Seek Names of Issei Pioneers, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Los Angeles Nisei Week officials are collecting names and details of Issei aged 75 and over to be honored on Pioneer Day, Aug. 20. The celebration will be held at Arroyo Seco Park with help from the Rafu Fujinkai.
  • Senate Lists Seven Japanese for Deportation Stays, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Senate included seven Japanese aliens on a list of more than 100 approved for suspension of deportation, pending House approval. The JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee identified the seven by name.
  • Senate Passes Soldier Brides Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Senate unanimously approved the McCarran Soldier Brides bill, which would admit Japanese wives and minor children of American servicemen without individual private bills. The measure now goes to the House, and JACL ADC legislative director Mike Masaoka urged quick action.
  • Senate Group Approves Bill to Admit Nisei’s Aged Mother, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Senate Judiciary Committee reported out a House private bill admitting the aged, widowed mother of a Japanese American citizen, the first such approval for an immediate relative since the war. Rep. Walter Granger introduced the bill at the JACL ADC’s request.
  • Sen. Magnuson Asks Senate to Boost Evacuee Claims Funds, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sen. Warren Magnuson announced plans to seek an increase from $300,000 to $500,000 for the Justice Department to speed adjudication of evacuee property loss claims. About 24,000 claims totaling $132 million have been filed, but only 113 have been settled.
  • JACL ADC Asks Ratification of Genocide Code, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL ADC joined about 30 national organizations in a telegram urging the Senate to ratify the United Nations Genocide Convention. The group argued that the Korean conflict made ratification urgent.
  • Naturalization Measure: Senate-House Conferees May Restore Original Provisions, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Conferees on the Walter resolution were considering a joint report that would largely restore the House version eliminating race as a naturalization requirement. The Senate Russell amendment had limited the measure to Japanese who entered before 1924.
  • Report Nisei GIs Frozen in Occupation Posts, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Nichi Bei Times reported that several hundred Nisei servicemen in Japan were held in place due to the Korean war, mostly as language specialists at MacArthur’s headquarters. Nisei veterans in Japan as civilian employees might also be recalled.
  • Patriotism of JACL Council Stressed by Rep. Holifield, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Chet Holifield inserted into the Congressional Record a resolution from the Pacific Southwest District Council pledging JACL members to serve in any national emergency. The resolution affirmed the JACL’s opposition to totalitarianism.
  • Alien Property Office Opposes Belated Claims, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Office of Alien Property tentatively ruled to dismiss more than 200 late claims against vested Japanese bank assets, holding that filing requires actual receipt rather than postmark. A final decision is expected Aug. 10 unless new arguments are presented.
  • Sixteen Events Set for L.A. Nisei Festival, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The official Los Angeles Nisei Week calendar runs Aug. 19 to 27 with sixteen events, including a coronation ball, golf tournament, talent shows, and a closing ceremony. The schedule covers daily activities across Little Tokyo and other venues.
  • ADC Supports Humphrey Bill on Unused Immigration Quotas, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Sen. Hubert Humphrey introduced a bill allowing unused immigration quota visas to be reallocated to oversubscribed nations, with priority for skilled workers, close relatives, and refugees. The JACL ADC backed the bill, though it would not affect countries still barred by the Exclusion Act.
  • Korean War Situation Focuses Attention on U.S. Treatment of Minorities, Says Newsman, by Robert R. Brunn, page 5. Christian Science Monitor correspondent Robert Brunn argues that America’s treatment of minorities, including the wartime evacuation, is being watched by Asian nations during the Korean war. He notes a reluctance among California Japanese Americans to support FEPC legislation.
  • Senate Committee’s Majority Report Dismisses Race Issue as Bar to Hawaiian Statehood, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Senate Interior Committee majority report recommended Hawaiian statehood, rejecting race and noncontiguity as valid objections. Sen. Hugh Butler’s minority report opposed statehood partly on racial and cultural grounds.
  • South Dakota Nisei Sues for U.S. Citizenship, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Charles T. Kito, born in Belle Fourche, South Dakota, filed suit to recover his American citizenship, claiming he was coerced into service in the Japanese army during World War II. His earlier application to the U.S. consulate in Japan had been denied.
  • Senate Passes Bill for Canadian Wife of Utah Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Senate passed a private bill allowing Yukie Nishimura Okubo, a Canadian national, to enter the U.S. as a permanent resident. She is married to Floyd Okubo of Salt Lake City, and the bill was sponsored by Sen. Elbert Thomas and Rep. Reva Beck Bosone.

JACL

  • ADC Will Honor Congressmen, Issei at Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A JACL ADC testimonial banquet honoring congressmen and Issei pioneers will be held Sept. 30 at the Congress Hotel during the Chicago national convention. Committee members have been named for the event.
  • JACL Committee Nominates Nisei Trio for Leadership Award, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The JACL National Recognitions Committee nominated Tats Kushida, Naomi Nakano, and Alice Morihiro for the JACL Leadership Award. Each nominee is profiled for civic, professional, and JACL service.

Community

  • Two Nisei Attend Young Democrats Meet in California, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Yori Wada and Yosh Takakuwa attended the California Federation of Young Democratic Clubs convention in Los Angeles. Wada is a steering committee member of the state federation.
  • Growers Win Honors at Alameda Fair, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Members of the Nisei Growers of Washington Township, a new agricultural division of the Southern Alameda County JACL, won the most individual awards at the Alameda County Fair. Their booth exhibit took second place in the booth sweepstakes.
  • Santa Maria JACL Scholarship Goes to Harry Baba, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Harry Baba received the annual Santa Maria Valley JACL scholarship, selected by high school superintendent Harry E. Tyler. He won a University of California scholarship for engineering and tied for the top scholastic standing in his class.
  • Fetes Mine Okubo, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Eastbay JACL chapter held a welcome-back reception at the International House in Berkeley for artist and author Mine Okubo, author of Citizen 13660. Okubo was teaching at UC Berkeley’s summer session.
  • 39 Girls Enter Queen Contest in Colorado City, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Thirty-nine candidates are competing in the Denver JACL queen contest, with Yoshiye Yamaga leading in votes. The winner will advance to the Mountain Plains district contest on Labor Day weekend.
  • International Show Scheduled by JACL in Central California, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Central California JACL chapters are sponsoring an international variety show featuring performers from multiple nationality groups on Aug. 5 at Fresno Memorial Auditorium. Prizes including a 1950 Chevrolet will be awarded to lucky contributors.
  • Chicago Group Holds Musicale, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Japanese American Music Club held its third annual musicale at a member’s home in Chicago. Performers included pianist June Oda, soprano Helen Mayeda, and baritone George Seno, auditioning for a fall concert.
  • Santa Clara County JACL Names Miss Santa Clara County, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Rosie Taketa was crowned Miss Santa Clara County JACL at a dinner dance in San Jose, with Lilly Ikeda and Grayce Ezaki as runners-up. More than 150 attended the event sponsored by the United Citizens League.
  • Report Prospects Bright for Continuance of Venice Trailer Park, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A trailer park in Venice housing returnees from relocation camps may continue for two more years after the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors recommended a legislative exception to zoning rules. The JACL regional office, through Tats Kushida, had testified on the residents’ behalf.

Commentary

  • Honolulu Newspapers Refrain From Use of Racial References, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 2. Honolulu dailies do not identify race in marriage or general news stories, unlike some mainland papers covering an interracial marriage. The writer notes Hawaii Lions also urged the press to avoid racial labels.
  • The Language Schools, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This editorial argues that Japanese language schools helped Nisei linguists contribute to the Pacific war effort and the occupation of Japan. It rebuts critics who had portrayed the schools as subversive or obstructive to assimilation.
  • No Basis for Prejudice, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This editorial summarizes a UNESCO expert panel finding that there is no scientific basis for race discrimination and recommends dropping the word race. It argues the findings will support efforts against prejudice.
  • Comes Now Korea, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A columnist recalls the postwar homecoming of Nisei GIs from Germany, their plans to return to farming and hometowns, and the realities of occupied Germany. He reflects on how quickly the Korean war has recalled them to service.
  • Political Lesson for Mike, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Columnist Bill Hosokawa uses a dinner conversation with his son about the Korean war to argue that ideas, not race or nationality, now divide people. He notes the diverse makeup of the South Korean defense forces.

In-Depth

  • MacArthur’s Messiah: III, Toyohiko Kagawa, by Peter Ohtaki, page 5. The final installment profiles Christian leader Toyohiko Kagawa as a key figure in postwar Japan’s reconstruction alongside MacArthur and Emperor Hirohito. It describes his rehabilitation centers, cooperative movement, and goat-distribution program.

Arts & Entertainment

  • Nisei in the Japanese Army, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Hosokawa reviews Hanama Tasaki’s novel Long the Imperial Way, written by a Hawaiian-born Nisei conscripted into the Japanese army. He praises its humanizing portrayal of the Japanese soldier and suggests a parallel novel about the 442nd is needed.
  • Play About California Prejudice Presented by San Mateo Group, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Hillbarn Summer Theater staged Dorothy by Warner Law, a drama about a Japanese American farm worker falsely accused of murder amid anti-Japanese prejudice. The San Mateo County JACL recommended the play to members.

Sports

  • Konno May Become Nation’s Greatest, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Ford Konno, a 17-year-old Honolulu Nisei, broke the world mile record at the National AAU championships in Seattle and is considered a future Olympic hope. Other Hawaiian Nisei swimmers from Hilo also performed well.
  • Hirayama Named on All-Star Team at Semi-pro Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Fibber Hirayama, a Fresno State catcher-outfielder, was named to the non-pro all-star team at the Northern California semi-pro baseball championships in Atwater. He won the CCAA batting title with a .437 average.
  • Yonamine Leads Pioneer League in Total Hits, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Wally Yonamine of the Salt Lake Bees hit .406 during a week of strong play and led the Pioneer League in hits. He stole bases and drove in runs during several wins.
  • Hank Matsubu Makes Southern All-Star Team of Sunset Loop, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Yuma Panthers catcher-outfielder Hank Matsubu was named to the South all-star team in the Sunset League North-South game. He hit .276 in 57 games for Yuma.
  • Kay Hashimoto Pitches One-Hitter, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Kay Hashimoto pitched a one-hit shutout for a women’s softball team and later squeezed in the winning run as a shortstop in a 5-4 game. Other local Nisei athletes were also mentioned in the roundup.
  • Honolulu Nisei Hopes in Tokyo Meet Against Japan’s Furuhashi, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Ford Konno and other American swimmers prepare for an Aug. 4 meet against Japan’s Hironoshin Furuhashi in Tokyo. The team arrived in Japan for training ahead of the competition.
  • Tomita to Compete for Place on U.S. Weightlifting Team, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Richard Tomita, the 1949 National AAU 182-pound weightlifting champion, is seeking a spot on the U.S. team for the world championships in Paris. A Nuuanu YMCA dance was planned to help fund his trip to the tryouts.
  • Ford Konno Breaks Two World Records, Loses to Marshall in National AAU Swim Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Ford Konno broke world records in the mile and 880-yard freestyle but finished second to Australia’s John Marshall in both events. AAU officials named Konno the most improved swimmer of the year.
  • Fujiwara Wins Seven Via Knockout Route, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Weiser, Idaho boxer Jerry Fujiwara has won seven of his first ten professional bouts by knockout since turning pro this spring. Sports writer Brian Cocorn praised his power and baby-faced appearance.

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