JACL presses for fair treatment in Japan treaties, as Korea casualties mount

Vol. 33, No. 18, November 10, 1951. 8 pages. View this issue

The JACL’s Anti-Discrimination Committee asked the State Department to write reciprocal treatment clauses into the coming treaties with Japan, covering immigration, naturalization, land ownership and social security. Mike Masaoka made the case in a letter to Dean Rusk. The front page also carried the war in Korea: a Chicago funeral for Pfc. Itaru Nakamura, a 442nd veteran, thirteen more Nisei casualties, and Lieut. Mineo Inuzuka’s Distinguished Service Cross. Another story reported that the government would not bargain with evacuation claimants who reject its counter offers.

Larry Tajiri wrote about broadcasts telling the Nisei story to Asian audiences, and Bill Hosokawa drew parallels between anti-Semitism and prejudice against Japanese Americans. Eight pages of chapter news and sports include a Fresno district council convention, a planned Santa Ana convention bowling tournament, Wally Yonamine’s all-star selection in Japan, and a Placer County goodwill dinner with Masaoka as speaker.

What’s in this issue

National

• JACL Urges Treaty Clauses for Reciprocal Treatment of Japan, American Nationals, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee asked the State Department to include reciprocal treatment provisions for citizens and nationals of Japan and the United States in forthcoming supplementary treaties. Mike Masaoka argued that such clauses on land ownership, immigration, naturalization, and social security benefits would prevent discrimination against Americans abroad and Japanese Americans at home.

Military & Veterans

• Final Rites Held for Nisei Soldier Killed in Korea, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Services were held in Chicago for Pfc. Itaru Nakamura, a former Los Angeles resident and 442nd veteran killed near Pangchon-Ni, Korea. His body was returned for reburial at Evergreen Cemetery in Los Angeles, with former Co. E members expected as pallbearers.
• Report Thirteen Nisei Casualties in Korean Area, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Department of Defense informed the JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee of thirteen more Nisei casualties in Korea, including one killed, one missing, and eleven wounded. The notice listed each soldier’s name and family hometown.
• Missing in Korean Action: Sgt. Akira Chikami, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sgt. 1st Cl. Akira (Buster) Chikami, a former Reno professional middleweight boxer and active Reno JACL member, has been missing in Korea since Aug. 27. He reentered the Army over a year earlier and his brothers Frank and Ben both fought with the 442nd Combat Team in Italy.
• Portland Nisei Army Officer Wins Distinguished Service Cross for Korea Heroism, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Lieut. Mineo Inuzuka of Portland received the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation’s second highest military decoration, for heroism near Chango, Korea, on May 27, 1951. He had earlier earned a Silver Star and Bronze Star in Korea and previously served with the 442nd Combat Team in Italy.
• Fourth Nisei Soldier from Gardena Killed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Pvt. Samuel Akira Fujii of Gardena was fatally wounded in Korea on Oct. 4, becoming the fourth Nisei GI from the community killed in six weeks. He had been drafted immediately after graduating from Gardena High School in February 1951.

Incarceration & Redress

• Government Will Not Bargain with Dissatisfied Claimants, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Department of Justice told the JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee that it will not negotiate further with evacuation claimants who reject government counter offers under the compromise settlement procedure. Rejected claims will instead be adjudicated under established procedures, though the government may reconsider its policy later.
• Evacuee Awarded $2,500 for Property Losses, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Saka of Long Beach became the first evacuee awarded the maximum $2,500 allowed without special congressional authorization for property losses from the 1942 mass evacuation. His compromise offer was accepted after he filed his claim for $3,300.
• Immigration Service Denies Appeal for Suspension of Deportation of L.A. Issei, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The INS central office denied an appeal to suspend deportation for a Los Angeles Issei with five American-born children who once belonged to a listed organization. Attorneys Frank Chuman, Edward Ennis, and Mike Masaoka plan to appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals.

Community

• Milwaukee JACL Honors Author, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Milwaukee JACL held a dinner on Oct. 20 honoring Mrs. Shelley Ota, author of Upon Their Shoulders. Approximately 30 members and friends attended, and Lynn Wells described the background of the book.
• Outstanding Utahns Will Be Honored at District Confab, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The JACL Intermountain District Council will present engraved creeds and citations to eight Utahns for their wartime services to Japanese Americans at its Nov. 24-25 convention in Salt Lake City. Mike Masaoka will be the keynote speaker at the banquet.
• Los Angeles Community Group Backs State Pension for Issei, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Los Angeles County Conference on Community Relations unanimously passed a resolution urging its 36 member agencies to support legislation qualifying Issei for state old age pensions. Awards were also presented to Go For Broke filmmakers and to Bright Victory.
• Mother Learns Details of Son’s Death in War, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Mrs. Nao Endo of Oakland received a letter from a soldier buddy describing how her son, Pfc. Hachiro B. (Don) Endo, was killed by mortar shrapnel on Oct. 10 during the battle of Heartbreak Ridge. The friend wrote that he died instantly while preparing to move out.
• Five Nisei Girls Take Part in New York Program, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Five Nisei girls in Japanese costume took part in the New York Botanical Garden’s chrysanthemum show and were interviewed for a Voice of America broadcast to Japan. The show featured a Japanese waterfall setting with about 800 chrysanthemum varieties.
• Placer JACL’s Credit Union Will Join State Body, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Placer JACL Credit Union board completed final preparations to join the California Credit Union League. Vice-president Hiroshi Takemoto announced the local credit union is ready for business.
• Masaoka’s Speech Will Be Highlight of Placer Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Placer County JACL will hold its 11th annual goodwill dinner on Nov. 27 with Mike Masaoka as main speaker. The event will also recognize Issei leaders who helped the KKD drive.
• Chicago JACL Plans Annual Election Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Chicago JACL members will elect 1952 officers at a November 15 meeting, with Abe Hagiwara nominated for president. Guest speaker Martin Ortiz will discuss whether honest citizens are safe in Chicago.
• Venice JACL Plans Meeting on Claims, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Venice JACL chapter will hold a public meeting on the compromise settlement procedure for evacuation claims. Attorney Saburo Kido will explain the procedure, and free sample forms will be distributed.
• Baptists Will Honor Chicago Minister at National Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Rev. Jitsuo Morikawa, pastor of First Baptist Church of Chicago, was named Preacher of the Convention for the American Baptist Convention’s 1952 national meeting. Dr. John W. Thomas praised Morikawa’s leadership and recalled Thomas’s own help to Nisei during evacuation.
• Bonelli Urges Early Return of Liquor Licenses, by P.C. Staff, page 3. State Board of Equalization member William G. Bonelli urged that liquor licenses suspended for Japanese Americans after Pearl Harbor be restored promptly despite technicalities. The restorations were authorized by 1951 legislation signed by Governor Warren, affecting about 500 licenses.
• Four New Yorkers Escape Death in Crash on Icy Road, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Four New York City residents survived an auto accident on an icy highway near Cold Springs, N.Y. The driver, Lewis Suzuki, was credited with saving the group by steering into the bank rather than braking.
• Two Hawaii Nisei to Attend Parley, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Alice S. Nakama of Honolulu and Lillian Kitaguchi of Lahaina, winners of Hawaii’s 4-H competition, will attend the National 4-H Club Congress in Chicago. They will depart Honolulu on Nov. 21.
• Immigration Service Denies Appeal for Suspension of Deportation, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A Los Angeles Issei facing deportation was denied suspension after the INS concluded deportation was warranted. Masaoka and Ennis said they would appeal the decision.
• Damage Suit Filed Over Property Sale, by P.C. Staff, page 3. George W. Hayes filed a damage suit of $21,879.28 against Gerald Schumacher and Ernest and Michiko Takeda, alleging fraud in the sale of farmland whose well water was unfit for irrigation. He claims the water had a high salt concentration.
• Placer Hillmen Win Behind Watanabe, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Kojo Watanabe scored a touchdown and passed for another as Placer Union High defeated Nevada City 27 to 13. Watanabe’s 61-yard run in the first quarter was a highlight of the game.
• Convention Golf Tournament, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Over ninety golfers entered the three-flight JACL golf tournament at the PSWDC convention on Nov. 18. Trophies and merchandise prizes will be awarded to the top ten finishers in each flight.
• Central California JACL Holds Council Convention in Fresno, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Central California JACL district council held its first postwar convention in Fresno on Nov. 3 and 4 with all seven chapters represented. Kenji Tashiro was named district chairman, and national director Masao Satow installed the officers.
• Omaha Chapter Will Raise Funds for Convention Delegate, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Omaha JACL outlined fundraising projects, including a Thanksgiving dance, to send a delegate to the national JACL convention in San Francisco. Earlier events included a welcome-back social and a Nisei soldier memorial service.
• New York Nisei Lives 5 Years in Manchuria, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Hiroko Ito, a New York-born Nisei, arrived in Hong Kong after five years in Manchuria, three as a nurse for a Chinese Communist guerrilla unit. She reported that Communist China held more than 200,000 Japanese nationals who were anxious to return home.
• Three Nisei GIs Treated for Wounds, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Three Northern California Nisei soldiers wounded in Korea are recovering, including Pfc. Chukichi Nagao, who lost two fingers at Heartbreak Ridge. Pfc. Raymond Motoike and Pfc. Yoshinori Yamamoto are recuperating in an Army hospital in Osaka.

Commentary

• Democracy in Education, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial observes that segregation and discrimination in American education are being dismantled through student demands, court rulings, and legislative action. It notes that integration in Southern colleges has proceeded with little violence, offering a model for democratic practice.
• The New Armistice, by P.C. Staff, page 4. On Armistice Day 1951, the editorial notes that the nation is still fighting a bloody war in Korea that has not been formally labeled a war. It expresses hope for a lasting armistice that ends military aggression as a means of settling international disputes.
• Asians Hear the Nisei Story, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Tajiri describes how Radio Free Asia and the Voice of America are broadcasting the story of Japanese Americans’ wartime evacuation and postwar resettlement to Asian audiences. He argues that positive accounts of Nisei achievement counter Soviet bloc propaganda about American racial discrimination.
• Japanese on the U.S. Ether, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Tajiri reports on KGU in Honolulu reviving its Japanese-language radio program for older residents, with Governor Oren Long participating. He notes that foreign-language broadcasts are common in American radio and that Japanese programs have been resumed on several mainland stations.
• Similarity in Discrimination, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Hosokawa reflects on a Denver Brotherhood House lecture by Rabbi Daniel Goldberger about anti-Semitism, noting its parallels to the prejudice faced by Japanese Americans. He argues that Americans have long been wrong to imagine a purely Anglo-Saxon national origin, since Spanish, Italian, and Indigenous histories predate the Pilgrims.
• Blot on the Record, by Janice Cross, page 7. In a letter to the editor, Janice Cross criticizes federal laws that bar naturalization for Asian immigrants and the parents of 442nd and 100th Battalion veterans. She argues that these exclusions undermine American credibility in Asia and that the laws should be repealed.

Sports

• Yonamine Named to All-Star Pro Ball Team in Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Wally Yonamine, former Salt Lake City Bees star, was named to the Central League all-star team after batting leadoff and playing left field for the Tokyo Giants. He was the first Nisei to play professional baseball in Japan since Pearl Harbor.
• Steve Yano Hits 670 Series in Cleveland Play, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Steve Yano rolled a 670 series in the Cleveland Nisei bowling league, one of the highest series by a Nisei bowler in the country this season. The league has 12 men’s and four women’s teams.
• Ogata Holds Lead in Isle Bowling Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Hal Ogata leads the Hawaii territorial match game tournament with a total of 5,872 pins after six weeks. He holds a 173-pin lead over Howard Kiyama in the race to represent Hawaii at the national tournament in Chicago.
• Top Hawaii Nisei Cagers to Visit Coast, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Four Nisei players from Honolulu’s Universal Motors team will play 15 games on the Pacific Coast in December. The team is rated Hawaii’s top squad and beat the University of California varsity last year.
• Yempuku Will Promote Honolulu Bouts, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Ralph Yempuku received a license to promote boxing shows in Hawaii through 1951 after promoting the Marino-Allen flyweight title bout. He is now seeking a challenger for champion Dado Marino.
• Tsukimura Stars for Fowler Redcats, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Guard Hiro Tsukimura blocked two punts as unbeaten Fowler High defeated Washington Union 27 to 0 for its 19th straight victory. Several other Nisei players also starred in high school football games across California.
• Nakamura’s 650 Series Tops League, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Tom Nakamura rolled a 650 series to lead Utah Wholesale to a 3-1 win over Terashima Studio in the Salt Lake City JACL bowling league. His series was the top performance of the night.
• Karasawa Leads Scoring Parade, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Babe Karasawa of Caltech leads the Southern California College Conference scoring with 29 points. Benny Aoki of Long Beach JC has scored 95 points, apparently leading all junior colleges in California.
• Five Nisei Girls Take Part, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Several Nisei athletes and bowlers were highlighted in weekly sports roundup items. Coverage included football players at Compton, Long Beach, and Sacramento junior colleges.
• Shimada Makes Field of Eight in Coast Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Fumio Shimada, representing Sequoia Bowl, is among eight bowlers left in the San Francisco Bay Area match eliminations. The top two will represent the region in the National Match Game championships.
• Bowling Tournament Will Be Feature of JACL Confab, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A JACL bowling tournament will be held during the PSWDC convention in Santa Ana on Nov. 18 at Van’s Bowling Center in Costa Mesa. Trophies and prizes will be awarded for singles, doubles, and women’s singles.

Arts & Entertainment

• Painting by Yashima Will Be Given Away at New York Fete, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A painting by artist Taro Yashima will be raffled at the JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee benefit in New York on Nov. 17. Nine organizations are co-sponsoring the event, and proceeds will go to the JACL ADC fund.

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