The Judd bill and a blind Nisei veteran’s new guide dog

Vol. 28, No. 16, April 23, 1949. 8 pages. View this issue

Yoshinao Omiya, a blind veteran of the 100th Infantry Battalion, led the front page. He flew from Honolulu to Morristown, New Jersey, to train with a new seeing-eye dog after his first dog was killed in a traffic accident. The same page followed the Judd bill for equality in naturalization and immigration: the JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee pressed for an amendment on alien spouses and children, Rep. Walter Judd backed it, and the Reno Chamber of Commerce urged the Senate to act. A Reader’s Digest profile of Mike Masaoka also appeared.

Other pages carried a trial delay for Iva Toguri d’Aquino, a column by Jobo Nakamura on shoyu, and a review of Toshio Mori’s Yokohama, California. Sports coverage included the Utah Nisei victory at the Denver tournament. Little Tokyo tenants in Los Angeles asked for new public housing, and Edward J. Ennis answered reader questions on evacuation claims.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

  • Famous Blind Nisei Veteran Will Get New Seeing-Eye Dog, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Yoshinao Omiya, a blind veteran of the 100th Infantry Battalion, traveled from Honolulu to Morristown, New Jersey to receive a new seeing-eye dog after his first dog was killed in a traffic accident. He plans to visit wartime friends on the mainland before returning to Hawaii in May.
  • Hold Rites for GI in New York, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Pvt. Takao Ninomiya, a former Fresno resident killed in action in Italy while serving with the 442nd Combat Team, was reinterred with funeral rites at the New York Buddhist church on March 22. He is the first Nisei war dead to be reinterred in New York City.
  • Remains of Nisei Killed in Okinawa Crash Returned, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The remains of Tech. Fourth Grade Joe Y. Kadoyama, killed in a plane crash on Okinawa in August 1945, were returned to his parents in Los Angeles for burial at Evergreen cemetery. He is the first Nisei GI from the Pacific area to be reinterred there.
  • Reader’s Digest Article Calls Masaoka Washington’s Most Successful Lobbyist, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A Reader’s Digest article by Alfred Steinberg describes Mike Masaoka, JACL ADC legislative director, as the most successful lobbyist in Washington. It credits his personal approach of selling himself before his cause for securing remedial legislation for Japanese Americans.

Incarceration & Redress

  • Stockton Nisei Named as Defendants in Damage Suit, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Four Nisei were named as defendants in a $50,000 suit filed in San Joaquin County court after a three-year-old girl was struck and killed by a truck in a traffic accident. The suit alleges the Nisei truck drivers violated a parking ordinance, contributing to the fatal collision.
  • Suit Filed for Recognition of Yoshiko Sato’s Citizenship, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A suit was filed in Los Angeles federal court on behalf of Yoshiko Sato, an American-born woman stranded in Japan, after she was refused a passport for allegedly voting in Japan’s 1946 elections. The case follows Judge Cavanah’s ruling that similar strandees did not lose citizenship by voting under occupation.

Community

  • Los Angeles Nisei Give to Fiscus Fund, by P.C. Staff, page 1. More than $1,000 in voluntary contributions were received by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California for its Timothy Fiscus fund. The money is being forwarded to the postmaster of San Marino.
  • Rush Repair Work on Seattle Hotels Damaged in Quake, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Several Japanese-operated Seattle hotels were damaged in the April 13 Northwest earthquake, with the Seattle Hotel suffering an estimated $25,000 in losses. 121 guests were evacuated from the Seattle Hotel after a wall tipped outward, and only minor injuries were reported.
  • Nisei Veteran Loses Leg in Gardening Accident, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Tom Nakagawa, a four-year World War II veteran, suffered a leg amputation on April 13 when he became trapped in the blades of an automatic rotary plow in a garden near Pittsburg, California. He is recovering at Pittsburg Community Hospital.
  • Nevada Senator Approves of Principle in Judd Proposal, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Senator Pat McCarran told Reno JACL ADC representative Janet Sanada that he favors the principle of the Judd bill and expects some remedial legislation for resident aliens of Japanese ancestry. Sanada has collected 160 civic leader signatures supporting the bill.
  • Workshop Schedules Second Meeting on Leadership Training, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Helaine Levin will lead the second session of the Life in a Party recreation workshop in Chicago on April 27, demonstrating stunts, skits and role playing for Nisei leaders. The workshop is open to any interested person for a fee of 50 cents per session.
  • Nisei Girl Joins Denver Symphony, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Helen Nakamura, a University of Denver student, joined the Denver Symphony orchestra as a violinist. She was previously concertmistress of the symphony’s junior training orchestra and is the first from that group offered a contract.
  • New York JACL-ADC Fund Drive Passes Halfway Mark, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The New York JACL-ADC fund campaign has passed the halfway point toward its $4,000 quota, with contributions coming in from across the city. Organizers credited a Japanese-language appeal leaflet prepared by two Issei volunteers.
  • Church Leaders Plan Eastern Conference, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Nisei church leaders from several eastern cities will meet in Bound Brook, New Jersey, to plan an annual regional conference of Nisei Christians. The conference aims to assess how well churches meet the social and spiritual needs of the Japanese American community in the east.
  • Los Angeles Group to Hold Spring Benefit Dance, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Southwest Los Angeles JACL will hold a spring benefit dance on May 14 at the Royal Palms hotel, aiming to repeat the success of its Hallowe’en dance. Tickets are available from chapter members.
  • Struck by Car, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Mrs. Mayo Kawaoka, 43, suffered head injuries when she was struck by a car at a San Francisco intersection. The driver, William Webster, faces speeding and drunk driving charges.
  • Pocatello Girl Wins Top Prize in Elks Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Kimiko Shimada, a 17-year-old Pocatello high school senior, won a $50 prize in an Elks Club essay contest for her essay on why democracy works. Her essay, written in the voice of democracy itself, will be entered in the Elks state contest.
  • Mrs. Nagai Given Two PTA Posts, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Mrs. Ben Nagai of Atwater was installed as vice president of both the Merced County Council of Parents and Teachers and the Mitchell-Union Parents and Teachers. The installation ceremonies were held in April at Stevinson school and at the group’s April 12 meeting.
  • Dr. Kambara Named Ophthalmology Teacher at Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Dr. George K. Kambara, a Los Angeles ophthalmologist, was appointed assistant clinical professor of ophthalmology at the College of Medical Evangelists. He previously taught for two years at the University of Wisconsin medical school.
  • California Assembly Passes Bill Against Bias in Insurance, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The California Assembly passed the Hawkins bill outlawing racial discrimination in auto insurance with only two dissenting votes. The bill now goes to the state senate, along with a Rumford bill outlawing racial segregation in the California National Guard.
  • Dinner Dance Held by San Luis JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The San Luis Valley JACL held its first valley-wide dinner dance and installation ceremony in Alamosa, Colorado, on April 10. Roy Inouye was sworn in as president, and he pledged the chapter’s support for equality in naturalization.
  • Chicago Challenge Accepted by Los Angeles JACL Units, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Four Los Angeles JACL chapters accepted a Chicago chapter challenge in a membership drive contest running through June 30. Membership totals as of the announcement showed Chicago with 310 members and Los Angeles with 294.
  • Little Tokyo Tenants Will Ask for New City Housing Project, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Tenants displaced by a planned Los Angeles police administration building met to demand permanent low-rent public housing. They plan to circulate a petition asking Mayor Bowron to request municipal bonds for housing construction.
  • Philadelphia Resettlers Thank Members of Hostel Group, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Philadelphia’s Japanese Americans held a thank-you tea on March 27 honoring those who helped resettle evacuees after the war. The Philadelphia hostel, opened five years earlier, is the only wartime hostel still operating and is now interracial and privately run.
  • Plan Survey Japanese Group in Hawaii, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Dr. Marvin K. Opler, formerly a community analyst at the Tule Lake camp, was selected to survey persons of Japanese ancestry in Hawaii for the Social Science Research Council. The Rockefeller Foundation sponsors the project, which begins in June.
  • U.S. Nisei Wed in Tokyo Rites, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Fusako Faye Nakagawa was married to Raymond Hashitani in a double ring ceremony at the GHQ chapel center in Tokyo on April 10. A reception followed at the Prince Takamatsu residence, with piano solos by Chieko Hara.

National

  • New Editor Named for Canadian Paper, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Toyo Taketa was named editor of the New Canadian, replacing Kaz Oyama who resigned to take a new position in Montreal. Taketa lived in Victoria, B.C. before the evacuation and later in Slocan until 1944.
  • ADC Will Ask Amendment of Judd Bill Provision, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee will urge an amendment to the Judd bill allowing quota-free entry for all alien spouses and children of American citizens. The current provision would eliminate quota-free status for Chinese and Filipino wives and children.
  • Reno Chamber Urges Senate Pass Judd Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Chamber of Commerce of Reno endorsed the Judd bill for equality in naturalization and immigration on April 5 and asked Nevada senators to push for early Senate action. The group praised Japanese Americans as an important and respected part of the community.
  • Mrs. d’Aquino Will Ask Delay in Court Case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Attorneys for Iva Toguri d’Aquino, known as Tokyo Rose, are expected to request a postponement of her May 16 treason trial because defense depositions are still being collected in Japan and China. Attorney Theodore Tamba traveled to the Far East to obtain testimony from General MacArthur and other witnesses.
  • Justice Department Honors Honolulu Girl for Suggestion, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sarah S. Okubo of Honolulu became the first Justice Department employee to receive a cash award and certificate under the department’s new suggestion program. Her proposal to use microfilm instead of photostating for vested securities could save thousands of dollars in the Honolulu office alone.
  • JACL ADC Plans Support of Fair Employment Proposal, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee will testify in favor of Fair Employment Practices legislation before a House subcommittee in early May. The group is collecting specific examples of job discrimination against Nisei to support its testimony.
  • Judd Supports Proposal for Amendment to Equality Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Rep. Walter Judd said he hoped the Senate would amend his bill to allow alien spouses and minor children of all American citizens to enter quota-free. He also defended a provision limiting each colony to a quota of 100 immigrants.
  • Fair Chance of Judd Bill’s Passage Seen by Legislator, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Senator Pat McCarran, chairman of the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on immigration, predicted the Judd bill has a fair chance of passage this session. He said he favors recognizing citizenship for Japanese-born persons who served in the war.
  • Canadian Paper Reports Only Few Evacuees Returning to Former Homes on West Coast, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Despite the lifting of restrictions on Japanese Canadians, only a small trickle of former evacuees has returned to British Columbia, according to the New Canadian. Housing shortages, high costs and unemployment in Vancouver are discouraging a larger return.
  • Questions on Evacuee Claims, by P.C. Staff, page 5. JACL ADC special counsel Edward J. Ennis answers reader questions about the evacuation claims law and its funding. He explains that claims are being processed in order of filing and that awards over $2,500 require congressional approval.

Arts & Entertainment

  • Japanese American Girl Wins Japan Short Story Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Yuri Iwabuchi, a former Long Island high school student, won first prize in the Osaka Mainichi’s first annual English short story contest for her story about a cat. The newspaper received two hundred entries, many from American GIs and occupation personnel.
  • Hawaii Nisei Makes Documentary Film on New York Art, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Sam Mukaida, a former Honolulu photo studio operator, is producing a documentary film on art in New York City as a master’s project at Columbia University. He hopes to secure a general release for the film after completion.
  • Sessue Hayakawa Wins Role in Internment Camp Drama, by P.C. Staff, page 3. 20th Century-Fox dropped its plan to import Japanese film stars and cast Sessue Hayakawa in the role of Colonel Suga in Three Came Home, based on Agnes Newton Keith’s true story. Most Japanese roles will be filled by Japanese American actors in Hollywood.
  • Life in Yokohama, California, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A review of Toshio Mori’s short story collection Yokohama, California praises his sensitive observation of everyday life while criticizing his weak command of English grammar. The reviewer also reflects on the book’s significance as a major Nisei literary event.

Commentary

  • Prejudice in Statistics?, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Henri Honda of San Diego questioned government agencies about racially discriminatory classification of Nisei on birth and death records. The Census Bureau and Public Health Service replied that the classifications are for statistical purposes only, while the editors argue such inconsistent racial labeling should be eliminated.
  • Classification by Race, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial argues that government racial and national origin classifications on vital statistics are inherently discriminatory and inconsistent. It calls for eliminating racial classification from birth and death certificates as society moves toward an un-raceconscious ideal.
  • Hayakawa Comes Home, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial praises Sessue Hayakawa’s wartime integrity in refusing to collaborate with Nazi occupiers in Paris, which helped win State Department approval for his return to Hollywood. It notes his role in Tokyo Joe and Three Came Home may reestablish his career.
  • Training Nisei Union Leaders, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial recounts how the ILWU disciplined its Stockton local for anti-Nisei racism in 1945 and contrasts this with Dave Beck’s Teamsters opposing Nisei return. It credits the ILWU’s racial unity and leadership training with its success organizing Hawaiian workers of Japanese ancestry.
  • For Oriental Seasoning, by Jobo Nakamura, page 6. Jobo Nakamura reflects on the Japanese cultural tradition of shoyu and its importance in Nisei families. He explains the composition of soy sauce and urges Nisei shoppers to select quality brands carefully.

JACL

  • JACL President May Address Eastern District Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 3. JACL National President Hito Okada has been invited to address the first Eastern District Council convention in New York City in June. The convention will include a testimonial dinner honoring Mike Masaoka for his legislative work on behalf of Japanese Americans.

Sports

  • Honolulu’s Athletics, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Honolulu Athletics of the Hawaii Baseball League are presented as possibly the world’s best Nisei baseball team, featuring several players with pro prospects. Writers note that many Hawaiian players prefer staying home over low-paying minor league contracts.
  • Utah University Nisei Win Denver Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The University of Utah Nisei team won the Nisei Intercollegiate conference basketball tournament in Denver, with Hank Tomomatsu scoring the decisive field goal in the final minute. Denver University and the University of Wyoming also competed.
  • Hawaii Cagers Will Defend Title in Salt Lake in 1950, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Harry Odo, president of the Hawaii AJA Athletic Association, announced that the Hawaii team will return to Salt Lake in 1950 to defend its Intermountain Nisei invitational championship. The team has also received invitations to San Jose and Sacramento tournaments.

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.

More from Issue archive