Nisei prisoners of war in Korea and a push on evacuation claims

Vol. 33, No. 25, December 29, 1951. 8 pages. View this issue

News of Nisei soldiers in Korea ran through the front page. A list of 3,198 Americans claimed as prisoners of war by the Communists included 26 Nisei, and the paper reported that at least seven were from the continental U.S. Another story told of Pvt. Tsuneo Shimada, killed in action. Interior Secretary Chapman praised the 442nd Combat Team and the 100th Battalion on a visit to Honolulu. Mike Masaoka brought JACL’s recommendations on evacuation claims to the Justice Department, and later stories reported more than 4,500 compromise offers filed.

Elsewhere in these eight pages, Larry Tajiri wrote the editorial on Nisei achievement, and Bill Hosokawa looked back on the years since 1942 in A Happy New Year. Elmer R. Smith continued his series on cultural pluralism. The paper reminded Issei to file their annual address report, and a sports page reviewed Nisei headliners of 1951. A review of the film Rashomon appeared on page 5.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• Secretary Chapman Hails Nisei Combat Record in Honolulu Visit, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Interior Secretary Chapman praised the wartime combat record of the 442nd Combat Team and 100th Battalion during a visit to the 442nd Veterans Club in Honolulu. He also addressed Hawaiian statehood and naturalization equality, indicating support for both proposals.
• Report Nisei Soldier Killed in Korea, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Pvt. Tsuneo Shimada, a former Watsonville resident and wartime stranded Nisei, was killed in action in Korea on Oct. 27. His remains will be sent to his parents in Japan.
• Seven Mainland Nisei Reported on POW List, by P.C. Staff, page 1. At least seven of the 26 Nisei GIs on a Defense Department prisoner of war list are continental U.S. residents, with the rest believed to be from Hawaii. The names are listed with their family connections and home towns.
• Japanese Americans Listed on POW List Presented to United Nations Negotiators, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Washington JACL office reported that 26 Nisei were included among 3,198 Americans the Communists claim are prisoners of war. The list was released by General Ridgeway’s headquarters, though neither the Far East Command nor the Pentagon could verify its accuracy.
• Southern California Soldiers Return, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Four Southern California Nisei were among 2,465 servicemen freed from Korean and Far East service on Dec. 12. They include Cpl. Isamu Shimomura, Cpl. Benny Kato, Cpl. George Kawahara and Sgt. Tomi Matsumoto.
• Court Rejects Tokyo Rose Rehearing Bid, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Iva Toguri d’Aquino’s petition for a rehearing on her conviction for wartime propaganda broadcasts. She had been sentenced to ten years and will be eligible for parole next year.
• Return Bodies of Two Nisei Killed in War, by P.C. Staff, page 2. No Nisei casualties were reported in Korea for the week of Dec. 16, but the bodies of Cpl. Minoru Sasaki and PFC Ken K. Kondo were returned for burial in the United States. Both were among 510 war dead returned aboard the Loma Victory.
• Rites Held for Seabrook Nisei Killed in Action in Korea, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Military funeral services were held at the Seabrook Community House for PFC George Y. Minakata, killed in Korea on February 12, 1951. He was reinterred at Beverly National Cemetery in New Jersey.
• Nisei Boxer Wins Featherweight Crown in Army Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Stan Nawatani won the featherweight title in the annual inter-service boxing championships in Honolulu. Army boxers swept all divisions in the event.

Community

• Parents File Suit, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Nisei parents of two girls killed in an automobile accident in Honolulu have filed $62,000 in damages against a sailor from the cruiser Helena. The suit was filed in Circuit Court.
• New York JACL Holds Carnival for ADC Drive, by Mitsu Yasuda, page 2. The New York JACL held a benefit carnival-dance that netted $833.77, with half going to the National Anti-Discrimination Committee. Eight outside organizations cooperated, and more than 1,000 people attended the event.
• Revived Pasadena Chapter Holds Christmas Party, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The revived Pasadena JACL chapter held its annual Christmas party with more than 80 attendees and installed a new cabinet led by Ken Dyo. The new officers were chosen from a slate of nearly 30 candidates.
• Rep. Holifield Backs Issei Citizen Rights, by P.C. Staff, page 3. An East Los Angeles JACL delegation met with Rep. Chet Holifield to discuss the JACL-ADC legislative goal of passing an omnibus immigration and naturalization bill providing for Issei naturalization. Holifield pledged his support for the McCarran-Walter bill.
• Housewife Turns Sprinkler on Nisei Gardener Pickets, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Two Nisei pickets from a union local were drenched by a San Jose housewife’s lawn sprinkler while protesting a non-union Nisei gardener. The labor council secretary said the grocer was right not to cross the picket line.
• Spokane Chapter Sponsors Dance, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Spokane JACL chapter held its sixth annual Christmas dance, the Holiday Ball, featuring Ralph Dickenson’s orchestra. Sammy Hirata served as dance chairman.
• Elect Takahashi New Head of Placer Group, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Homer Takahashi was elected president of the Placer County JACL for 1952 at its annual meeting. Other new officers were installed at a year-end dance.
• Wife Asks Court Order to Visit Husband in Jail, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Shirley Watanabe Akamine filed suit in State Appellate Court seeking permission to visit her husband Richard, jailed on bunco ring charges. She claims she has been denied visits despite her husband’s indictment.
• Hawaiian Girl Leaves for Home After Operation, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Four-year-old Karen Ishibashi, cured of hemorrhages after a spleen removal operation at Children’s Memorial Hospital, returned to Hilo, Hawaii. Doctors reported she is in excellent condition.
• Twin Cities JACL Protests Great Togo’s Ring Antics, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Twin Cities JACL representatives protested wrestler Great Togo’s use of anti-Japanese stereotypes in his ring act. Promoter Tony Stetcher responded that Togo’s conduct was within the rules.

JACL

• Masaoka Presents JACL’s Recommendations to Expedite Evacuation Claims Program, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mike Masaoka presented JACL resolutions to Justice Department officials calling for faster payment of evacuation claims, more liberal valuations, supplemental appropriations, and additional hearing staff. The Department agreed to several measures and said it would seek supplemental funds from Congress.

Incarceration & Redress

• Never Gave Up Hope, Says Brother of Denver Nisei POW, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The family of Cpl. Ted Hada of Denver learned he was alive and held as a prisoner of war in a North Korean camp after being listed missing in action. His brothers and family expressed joy at the news.
• Early Filing of Compromise Settlement Offers Urged, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Washington JACL ADC urged evacuee-claimants to submit compromise offers to the Justice Department promptly so the department can justify supplemental appropriations to Congress. Early submissions will help the government estimate funding needs.
• Report 4,500 File Compromise Claims Offers, by P.C. Staff, page 2. More than 4,500 compromise offers on evacuation claims have been submitted to the Justice Department, with over 2,000 already accepted for payment totaling an estimated million dollars. The figures are unofficial estimates compiled by the Washington JACL ADC.
• Deadline Near for Claims on Contraband Goods Losses, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Claimants who mistakenly filed for contraband goods losses in their evacuation claims must file separately with the Justice Department before midnight, December 31, 1951. The contraband program is separate from the compromise evacuation claims procedure.

Commentary

• Remind Issei To File Annual Address Report, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Washington JACL ADC reminded all aliens, including Issei, to file their annual address report with the Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization before January 10, 1952. Post offices provide free report cards, and many JACL chapters will assist in completing them.
• Immigration Board to Hear Arguments in Deportations Involving Proscribed Groups, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Oral arguments before the Board of Immigration Appeals will challenge deportation orders against Los Angeles Issei for past membership in Japanese organizations now designated subversive. The Attorney General’s list still includes 21 defunct prewar Japanese organizations.
• Editorial: Nisei Achievement and the Holiday Issue, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The Holiday issue’s advertisements reflected the integration of Nisei into American community life across many professions and regions. The editorial credits Nisei progress as a measure of their civic acceptance.
• Prelude to Action, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Race discrimination against Japanese Americans extends beyond the West Coast, affecting cemeteries, subdivisions and insurance. JACL has formed committees to study discrimination and to address the offensive use of the word Jap in newspapers.
• Petitions for Prejudice, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Keaton’s Initiative and Referendum Bureau filed incorporation papers to circulate petitions for the Freedom of Choice initiative, which would permit racially restrictive covenants in California. JACL will join other groups in opposing the measure.
• A Happy New Year, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa reflects on the decade since 1942, noting Nisei maturation and the nation’s growing world conscience. He anticipates continued progress toward acceptance and hopes for Issei naturalization.
• Cultural Pluralism, by Elmer R. Smith, page 5. Smith argues that American cultural diversity is widely accepted in regional and class forms, yet ethnic and racial diversity meets prejudice. He introduces the next installment on arguments opposing cultural pluralism.

National

• Nisei Wife Contests Divorce Suit of Spouse in Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A Nisei wife in Los Angeles contested her Japanese husband’s divorce suit, seeking 10 million yen in damages and a share of a family fortune. The case involves a former Japanese marquis family and a successful Japanese emigrant.
• Rep Holifield Backs Issei Citizen Rights, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A delegation from the East Los Angeles JACL met with Rep. Holifield urging passage of the omnibus immigration bill for Issei naturalization. He pledged continued cooperation with JACL-ADC.

Arts & Entertainment

• Smog-Lites: A Nisei Playwright, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This Smog-Lites column covers Nisei theater and community news, including a note on Japanese American playwright activity and Hispanic drama. It also includes personal notes about friends and community members.
• Japanese Tea Garden, by P.C. Staff, page 4. San Francisco officials announced the Oriental Tea Garden will be renamed the Japanese Tea Garden and returned to the Hagiwara family, a welcome change. The editorial criticizes the earlier euphemistic renaming after Pearl Harbor.
• Nisei in Mankillen Sudden Feature Review of Rashomon, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The reviewer evaluates the Japanese film Rashomon, which won a Venice award and opened at the Little Carnegie Theater. The review praises its camerawork and acting while noting the story’s simplicity.
• TV Shows and Vagaries, by P.C. Staff, page 5. This column notes plans to revive Frank Watanabe on television and Mr. Moto’s radio history. It also covers entertainers, Shirley Yamaguchi’s wedding, and a Denver Post story about Mike Emizawa’s American education.

Sports

• Nisei Headliners During 1951, by P.C. Staff, page 6. This year-end review highlights Nisei athletic achievements in swimming, baseball, track, weightlifting, and bowling during 1951. It includes Ford Konno’s national championships and Wally Yonamine’s success in Japan.
• Three Reedley Nisei Honored, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Three Reedley Nisei athletes received top honors at the annual Merchants Association football banquet. Roy Watari and Frank Goishi were named most valuable players, and Norman Iwasaki was named most improved.
• Miyasato Bowls 195 Average in Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Taro Miyasato of Honolulu became the first Nisei to enter the National All-Star bowling tournament, averaging 195.5 over 24 games. He finished 51st and narrowly missed qualifying for the finals.
• Bears to Rely on Nishita for Mound Work, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Billy Nishita of Honolulu is expected to anchor the University of California pitching staff next spring. Teammate George Fujishige may catch him if not drafted into the army.

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.