Cemetery burials, the Judd bill and evacuation claims in March 1949

Vol. 28, No. 11, March 19, 1949. 8 pages. View this issue

The burial of Nisei soldiers killed in the war ran through this eight-page issue. A Denver cemetery refused to bury Sgt. Kenneth Shibata because of his Japanese ancestry, while reburial services were held for Pvt. Stanley T. Oba at Arlington National Cemetery and for T/Sgt. George Z. Akiyama in Sacramento, both of the 442nd. Nineteen Japanese Americans were also reported on the Atomic Bomb Commission’s staff, studying the effects of the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Editorials took up the Judd naturalization and immigration bill and the vote won by Japanese Canadians in British Columbia.

Bill Hosokawa wrote about Mobile, Alabama and Santa Fe, and Jack T. Oki compared the Canadian and American wartime removals. JACL chapters planned to expand help with evacuation claims, and the 1950 national convention was set for Chicago. Ina Sugihara described refugees from displaced persons camps arriving in New York. Sports pages covered basketball and judo.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

  • Denver Cemetery Refuses Burial of Nisei Soldier, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Denver cemetery refused to bury Sgt. Kenneth Shibata, a Nisei soldier killed in Italy, because of his Japanese ancestry. The cemetery’s policy was revealed in a letter, and the soldier was later to be buried at Fairmont cemetery.

Military & Veterans

  • Reburial Rites Held for Pvt. Oba at Arlington Cemetery, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Funeral services were held at Arlington National Cemetery for Pvt. Stanley T. Oba, killed in Italy in 1945. The JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee assisted with arrangements.
  • Memorial Grants Will Honor UCLA Nisei Who Died in War, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Nisei Bruin Club at UCLA announced four memorial scholarship grants honoring Nisei alumni killed while serving with the 442nd Combat Team. The project will continue annually for four years.
  • Chicago Nisei Will Be Buried in Arlington, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The remains of Pfc. Thomas Kuge, a Portland Nisei killed with the 442nd in Europe, will be reinterred at Arlington National Cemetery on March 28. His parents will attend the service arranged by the Washington JACL Arlington Committee.
  • Reburial Rites Held for Sgt. Akiyama, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Reburial services were held in Sacramento for T/Sgt. George Z. Akiyama, killed in Italy in 1944 while serving with Co. F of the 442nd. Services were conducted by Nisei VFW Post 8985.

Community

  • JACL Chapters Will Expand Local Evacuation Claims Service, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL President Hito Okada announced that local chapters will expand services for evacuation claims filing. Chapters will now assist claimants according to community needs, with the national JACL assigning representatives where needed.
  • Intermountain Nisei To Hold Church Meet in Salt Lake City, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Nisei representatives from Japanese Christian churches in Utah and Idaho will gather in Salt Lake City April 2-3 for the fifth annual Intermountain Youth Conference. Several guest speakers are scheduled for the weekend program.
  • JACL’s 1950 Convention Set for World’s Largest Hotel, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The 11th Biennial National JACL Convention will be held at Chicago’s Stevens hotel from September 28 to October 2, 1950. The hotel was selected by the convention board chaired by Dr. Randolph M. Sakada.
  • Nisei Is First Woman Pharmacist in Montana City, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Lillian Onimura became the only woman pharmacist in Great Falls, Montana, after joining the Medical Arts pharmacy. She is a graduate of Montana State University.
  • San Francisco Officials Delay Vote on Anti-Prejudice Proposal, by P.C. Staff, page 2. San Francisco supervisors postponed for 60 days action on an ordinance banning discrimination in urban redevelopment areas. Proponents, including the San Francisco JACL, had supported the measure.
  • John Kusakabe Heads Northwest Buddhists, by P.C. Staff, page 2. John Kusakabe of Seattle was elected president of the Northwest Young Buddhist League at its annual convention in Spokane. The Lotus Sanghas of Seattle also won the basketball tournament.
  • Evacuation Claims Clinic to Be Held in Chicago Districts, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Evacuation claims meetings will be held in Chicago on March 27 and April 2 to assist claimants. Official forms and Nisei volunteers will be available to answer questions.
  • Boy from Japan Joins Parents in New York, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Fifteen-year-old Makoto Iwamatsu was reunited with his parents, artist Jun Iwamatsu and Mitsu Iwamatsu, after ten years apart when he arrived in New York. The family had been granted permanent residence by a special act of Congress.
  • Reno JACL Asks Nevadans Back Judd Proposals, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Reno JACL chapter endorsed the Judd bill to liberalize immigration and naturalization laws and asked Nevada senators for support. The resolution urged early Senate approval.
  • Granada Minister Slated to Address Buddhist Conference, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Rev. Takashi Tsuji of Toronto will be the keynote speaker at the seventh annual Western Young Buddhists League conference in Fresno. The program includes services, panel discussions, and an outdoor fairgrounds service.
  • Federal Judge Delays Verdict in Stranded Citizenship Case, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Judge Charles Cavanagh postponed his decision in the citizenship case of Etsuko Arikawa, a war-stranded Nisei who voted in a 1945 Japanese election. A related case was continued to March 29 so the government could gather further evidence.
  • Nisei Koto Player Performs at Seabrook Doll Festival, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Japanese American residents of Seabrook, New Jersey hosted a three-day Hana Matsuri doll festival attended by about 4,000 visitors. The event featured entertainment, craft exhibits, and cultural displays.
  • Eastern District Plans New York Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The JACL Eastern District Council will hold its first district convention in New York City over Memorial Day weekend, May 28-30. Delegates will discuss organizational goals and community status.
  • Stockton Civic Unity Group Supports Naturalization Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The newly formed Stockton Council for Civic Unity unanimously endorsed the Judd naturalization and immigration measure. The council also sent a wire urging favorable action by Rep. Leroy Johnson.
  • JACL Official Plans Tour of Northwest Area, by P.C. Staff, page 8. JACL national director Masao Satow and regional director Sam Ishikawa will tour Pacific Northwest chapters beginning March 12. Meetings will cover evacuation claims, membership, and ADC activities.

National

  • Japanese Canadian Citizens Win Right of Franchise in British Columbia, by P.C. Staff, page 1. British Columbia moved to extend voting rights to Japanese Canadians through a government amendment to the provincial elections act. The change ends years of disfranchisement that had barred Japanese Canadians from several professions and public activities.
  • Court Denies Subpoena Bid in Treason Trial, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Federal Judge Michael J. Roche denied a motion to subpoena witnesses from Japan in the Tokyo Rose treason trial but allowed depositions to be taken abroad at government expense. Defense counsel Theodore Tamba was allotted funds to travel to Tokyo and Hongkong.
  • President Signs Bill to Pay for Contraband Loss, by P.C. Staff, page 1. President Truman signed the contraband articles claims bill, the first JACL-ADC sponsored legislation to become law in the 81st Congress. It authorizes payment of claims up to $1,000 for property seized during the war.
  • Chicago Church Federation Protests Cemetery Discrimination, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Officers of the Chicago Church Federation called discrimination against Japanese American burials in some cemeteries un-Christian and undemocratic. Cemetery officials discussed possible policy changes at a meeting called by the Chicago Commission on Human Relations.
  • U.S. Supreme Court Reverses Lower Court Ruling on Hawaiian Language Schools, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Supreme Court reversed a lower court decision that had struck down Hawaii’s wartime law regulating foreign language teaching. The Court ruled that the issues should first be decided by territorial courts.

Sports

  • Three Nisei Students Win Awards for Art, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Three Nisei students, Peggy Higashida, Keijo Jinde and Yvonne Gonda, received Gold Achievement Keys in a Southern California scholastic art exhibition. Their entries will be forwarded to the Carnegie Institute national exhibition.
  • Judo Gains Popularity in Midwest, by Thea Mori, page 6. Judo is growing in popularity in Chicago and the Midwest, with YMCA clubs and a Midwest Yudanshakai tournament. Vince Tamura won the black belt championship and was promoted to third degree.
  • Tokuda Drugs Gets Top Spot in Cage Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Tokuda Drugs of Seattle, defending champions, are seeded first in the 14th annual Intermountain Nisei invitational basketball tournament in Salt Lake City. Several other teams are also entered in the tournament.
  • Hawaii AJA Stars Defeat La Crosse Teams in Two Matches, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Hawaii AJA All-Stars bowling team defeated two La Crosse, Wisconsin teams in match games. Hal Ogata bowled a 686 series in the victory.

JACL

  • Roy Inouye Heads New JACL Chapter, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The San Luis Valley chapter of the JACL in La Jara, Colorado, became the 72nd local chapter with Roy Y. Inouye as president. Other officers and committee chairmen were also named.

In-Depth

  • Refugees from Displaced Persons Camps Seek New Lives in U.S., by Ina Sugihara, page 2. The author describes the arrival of a boat carrying displaced persons at New York and the admission process they endured. The refugees, mostly from Baltic and Eastern European countries, faced long waits before traveling inland.
  • Girl from Tokyo Readjusts Easily to American Life, by M.T.T., page 4. Japanese war bride Yoshiko ‘Yoyo’ Kurisaki has adjusted well to life in Salt Lake City, largely through bowling with the Main Appliance team. The article also profiles her husband Lyle Kurisaki Jr. and his family’s sports achievements.

Commentary

  • Protests Over the Judd Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial addresses objections from Negro and Chinese American groups to certain provisions of the Judd naturalization and immigration bill. It argues that the JACL ADC’s main goal is securing naturalization rights for Japanese resident aliens and urges speedy Senate action.
  • British Columbia Nisei Win Franchise, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial welcomes the British Columbia bill granting Japanese Canadians the right to vote. It notes the dramatic change in public attitude since the wartime exclusion.
  • Alabama Bound: Mobile, Alabama, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. The columnist visits the Sawada family, Nisei nurserymen in Mobile, Alabama, whose camellia and azalea business is well known. He describes their flower farms and the nearby Bellingrath Gardens.
  • From the Frying Pan: Santa Fe Has Old World Look, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Bill Hosokawa describes the old-world atmosphere of Santa Fe, New Mexico, including its historic plaza and palace of the governors. He also reflects on nearby pueblo ruins, Los Alamos, and the state’s Old West history.
  • Canada and Its Nisei: No Justification Exists for Mass Evacuation Program, by Jack T. Oki, page 6. Jack Oki compares the Canadian and American wartime evacuation of Japanese ancestry residents and argues the evacuation was unjustified. He notes Canada’s breakup of families, forced property sales, and limited Nisei enlistment.

Arts & Entertainment

  • Vagaries, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A brief column of arts notes covering painter Tsuguharu Foujita’s return to the United States, Nisei GI artists exhibiting in Paris, and acoustics expert Saki Oura’s work at a New York theater. It also mentions soprano Agnes Miyake’s concert appearances.

Obituaries

  • Pioneer Colorado Issei Dies in California Hospital, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Sukegoro Kawakami, a 77-year-old Colorado pioneer Issei who had arrived in Seattle in 1894, died at a Quincy, California hospital. He had been preparing to return to Japan to rejoin his family.

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