Vol. 29, No. 27, December 31, 1949. 8 pages. View this issue
Naturalization for the Issei led the news as 1949 closed. Mike Masaoka said the Walter Resolution, which would open citizenship to Japanese and other resident aliens now barred from it, stood first on the 1950 agenda of the JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee. The editorial “The Nisei in 1950” tied the Nisei’s future to the Issei, and Larry Tajiri wrote an “Obituary for the Yellow Peril.” Evacuation claims also ran on page one, with word that informal letters would be accepted if official forms were unavailable, and a story on Chicago’s preparations for the 1950 national convention.
Other pages carry T. Takeshi Oye’s remembrance of a 442nd Regimental Combat Team soldier named Nicky, and Bill Hosokawa on Christmas cards from old friends. Joseph Kitagawa wrote on interracial couples in Chicago, and Roku Sugahara urged the Sansei to look south. Three of the eight pages carry holiday greeting ads. The sports page reports Hawaii’s win in the all-Oriental basketball tournament.
What’s in this issue
National
- Walter Resolution Will Be Primary Objective of ADC’s Legislative Drive in 1950, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mike Masaoka said the Walter Resolution, which would open naturalization to Japanese and other resident aliens ineligible for citizenship, tops the JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee’s 1950 agenda. He outlined a supplementary legislative program including veteran-parent naturalization waivers and repeal of remaining racial exclusion laws.
- Tatsumis Sail for United States Aboard President Liner, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Shiro Tatsumi, a mechanic on the staff of Consul General Angus Ward in Mukden, left Yokohama with his family for the United States on Dec. 22. Tatsumi and Ward had been convicted by a Mukden court of beating a Chinese employee, a charge Ward denied.
Community
- Chicago JACL Prepares for National Convention Year, by Chizu Ityama, page 1. Chicago JACL committees are organizing the 11th biennial national convention, set for Sept. 28 to Oct. 2, 1950 at the Hotel Stevens. Planned features include a queen contest, a baby-sitting service, art and photo exhibits, and sports tournaments.
- Group Gives Food to Needy Persons, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Los Angeles Christmas Cheer Committee, formed by local Japanese American organizations, provided holiday food and presents to about 300 indigent persons of Japanese ancestry. The effort made the season happier for those in need.
- Idaho Falls JACL Plans Carnival Dance, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Idaho Falls JACL chapter plans a carnival dance on Jan. 7 with Nishioka as general chairman and a committee of members assisting. The event is one of the chapter’s upcoming social activities.
- Hiroshima Minister Preaches Peace Message in Hawaii, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 4. Rev. Kiyoshi Tanimoto, a Hiroshima Methodist pastor who survived the atomic bombing, has spent 14 months touring the mainland promoting peace under the slogan No More Hiroshimas. He proposes a permanent Institute on World Peace and social service centers at Hiroshima.
- Western Pioneer Insurance Company: Nisei Stock Company Milestone, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Western Pioneer Insurance Company, the first Nisei-owned stock company authorized to write automobile and general liability insurance, was chartered in 1949 in Oakland. It was founded to counter discriminatory insurance practices against Nisei, Issei, and other minorities.
- Masaoka Says Walter Bill Enjoys Common Support Among Japanese Ancestry, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Mike Masaoka returned from a six-week tour of West Coast JACL district meetings convinced that persons of Japanese ancestry are united in seeking passage of the Walter Resolution. He reported improved economic conditions and confidence in the community.
Incarceration & Redress
- Letters Will Suffice If Claims Forms Unavailable, Says Agency, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Department of Justice announced that evacuees unable to obtain official forms may file informal claim letters for evacuation losses. The claims deadline was set at January 3, 1950 because January 2 is a legal holiday.
- Midwest Attorneys Will Join JACL in Advising on Claims, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Midwest attorneys agreed to cooperate with the JACL in advising the Department of Justice on the legal and administrative aspects of the evacuation claims program. Mike Masaoka proposed a special committee to prepare memoranda on controversial aspects of the law.
Military & Veterans
- Japanese Army Veteran Seeks U.S. Citizenship, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Shigenori Morizumi, a California-born man who served in the Japanese army during the war, filed suit in federal court to restore his U.S. citizenship. The consul at Yokohama had refused him a passport and citizenship registration on the ground that he lost citizenship through that service.
- His Name Was Nicky, by T. Takeshi Oye, page 2. The author recalls Nicky, a young soldier in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team who had earned a Silver Star and hid a tender heart behind a hard exterior. Through Nicky the author reflects that all the men of the unit were playing roles while essentially sharing a common humanity.
- Save Fishermen as Tuna Boat Capsizes at Sea, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Three San Diego fishermen of Japanese ancestry were rescued along with 11 other crew members when the tuna boat Dominator capsized and sank near the Galapagos Islands. The boat had left San Diego on Nov. 20 for a 70-day trip.
In-Depth
- Nisei Pioneer a New Industry, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Chick sexing, a young industry largely developed by Nisei since its introduction from Japan in the early 1930s, has become essential to the American poultry business. The article traces the pioneering companies, their struggles against skepticism, and their growth across the Midwest and East.
Commentary
- War Brides and Intermarriage: Cosmopolitan Chicago Eases Tensions for Interracial Couples, by Joseph Kitagawa, page 3. Joseph Kitagawa describes counseling young couples in Chicago, where Nisei intermarriages and war brides are increasingly accepted. He recounts a difficult case involving a GI and a Japanese fiancee and argues that the city’s cosmopolitan character eases adjustment.
- Look Southward, Sansei, by Roku Sugahara, page 3. Roku Sugahara urges the younger generation to look to the Deep South and Southwest for economic opportunity, citing farming in Texas and Arizona and business successes among Negroes in New Orleans. He argues that California is saturated and the South offers a last frontier of opportunity.
- Editorial: The Nisei in 1950, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial credits the JACL’s 1949 growth to a shift from social contact toward a national mission against racial restrictions in citizenship. It argues the Nisei, forged by evacuation, have matured and recognized that their futures are bound to the Issei.
- Obituary for the Yellow Peril, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Larry Tajiri writes that the Yellow Peril, the half-century of racist agitation against Japanese Americans that culminated in mass evacuation, is finally dead. He traces its political and economic uses, its legislative results, and the Nisei war record that helped undo it.
- Some Random Thoughts for the New Year, by Roku Sugahara, page 5. Sugahara lists column ideas he never completed during 1949, including an interview with Ambassador Grew, a Puerto Rico trip, and an attempt to swim the Mississippi. He wryly reflects on reader reactions and wishes readers a happy New Year.
- Xmas Cards Recall Old Friends, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Hosokawa describes receiving Christmas cards from old friends scattered across the country and abroad, each evoking memories of past times. He reflects on the commercialization of Christmas while valuing the renewed contact the season brings.
- National Health Faces Obstacles in Congress, by I. H. Gordon, page 6. Gordon argues that the administration’s proposed national compulsory health insurance program is unlikely to pass the 81st Congress. He criticizes the American Medical Association’s $25 assessment on members to fight the plan as undemocratic and damaging to its standing.
- Pioneers: Portrait of the Days, by Arita Edmonds Ikegami, page 6. Ikegami reflects on the uncertain days before and after evacuation, recounting the lessons she learned about human kindness, money, tolerance, and love. She concludes that life should be reviewed and lived with care, as a portrait of one’s days.
Sports
- Hawaii Wins All-Oriental Cage Crown, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Hawaii Nisei All-Stars defeated the Chinese American team 42 to 39 in the finals of the national all-Oriental basketball tournament at San Jose on Dec. 25. The win ended two years of domination by the San Francisco St. Mary’s Saints.
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