Racial covenants and deportation fights, June 1946

Vol. 22, No. 23, June 8, 1946. 8 pages. View this issue

Two legal fights ran through the front page of this eight-page issue. In Los Angeles, Shinobu Saito, a Nisei soldier, was barred by an injunction from occupying a home under a racial restrictive covenant, and petitioners asked the California Supreme Court to set it aside. At the same time, the paper followed efforts to stop the deportation of alien Japanese who had served the United States. The New York Times urged Congress to act, Rep. Walter Judd introduced a bill, and the Justice Department said deportations would go ahead. Larry Tajiri’s column profiled Jun Iwamatsu, who faced deportation.

Other pages cover Memorial Day tributes to Nisei war dead in Pocatello, Denver, Sacramento and Chicago, where Vince Tajiri reported on a dinner. Readers will also find the first deportation ship leaving Vancouver with 670 Japanese Canadians, a Bill Hosokawa column on a short story about a WRA camp in Arkansas, and 442nd baseball results from Leghorn.

What’s in this issue

National

• California Supreme Court Asked to Set Aside Race Restrictions Injunction, page 1. A Nisei veteran, Shinobu Saito, was barred from occupying a Los Angeles home under a racial restrictive covenant granted by Superior Judge Willis. Petitioners asked the State Supreme Court to set aside the injunction, while a separate case challenges a ruling that racial restrictions were unconstitutional.
• N.Y. Times Asks Congressional Action to Prevent Deportation of Japanese Who Aided U.S., page 1. The New York Times urged Congress to block the deportation of some 2,000 alien Japanese who served the U.S. war effort. The editorial cited the case of Jun Iwamatsu and his wife, whose OSS service made deportation tantamount to a death sentence.
• Treaty Traders File Suit for Deportation Stay, page 1. Nine persons of Japanese ancestry facing deportation as former treaty traders received a federal test case hearing on a habeas corpus writ. The ACLU argued deportation would separate families and subject applicants to starvation in Japan.
• Deportation Will Proceed Despite Pending Legislation, Washington Officials Declare, page 1. Rep. Herman Eberharter urged early action on his bill to end race discrimination in immigration deportation rules. Justice Department officials said deportations of nearly 400 alien Japanese would proceed because the attorney general lacks discretionary power.
• Judd Bill Aids Japanese Who Worked for U.S., page 1. Rep. Walter Judd introduced a bill allowing alien Japanese who rendered outstanding service to the U.S. during the war to remain permanently. A companion bill would secure the status of Jun and Mitsu Iwamatsu, who worked for OWI and OSS.
• Petition to Gen. MacArthur Seeks Delay on Deportations, page 1. The Salt Lake City Council for Civic Unity asked General MacArthur to postpone accepting deportees in hardship cases until conditions in Japan stabilize. The council also backed congressional measures on indemnification, immigration revision, and naturalization rights.
• 670 Japanese Canadians Leave Vancouver on First Deportation Ship for Japan, page 3. Six hundred and seventy persons of Japanese ancestry were deported from Vancouver aboard the SS Marine Angel on May 31. Canadian Japanese are pursuing test cases to halt the government’s deportation program affecting about 10,400 people.

Military & Veterans

• Hasegawa Diva Will Sing Once More for 442nd Unit, page 1. Toshiko Hasegawa, a Nisei lyric soprano living in Milan, will perform again for the 442nd Combat Team before its men return home. She had earlier sung for the unit after V-E Day at Lecco.
• Mike Masaoka Will Represent Salt Lake AVC, page 1. The Salt Lake chapter of the American Veterans Committee chose Mike Masaoka, JACL national executive secretary, as its delegate to the national AVC convention in Des Moines. Chairman Stanley Margulies also invited Nisei veterans to join the organization.
• Lawrence Shigeura Named AFL Organizer in Hawaii, page 1. Lawrence Shigeura, a prominent AFL labor figure before his army induction, was named a field organizer for the AFL in Hawaii by President William Green.
• 442nd Baseball Team Wins Eighth Straight in Army Competition, page 3. The 442nd Combat Team baseball team won its eighth straight game, defeating the 188th Military Police 13 to 7 in Leghorn. George Hinaga’s double helped break the scoring open in the third inning.
• Memorial Rites Honor Colorado Nisei War Dead, page 3. The Denver JACL sponsored a community Memorial Day service honoring Nisei soldiers, including 30 Colorado Japanese Americans who died in service. Speakers and clergy from several churches participated.
• Nisei Veteran Takes Part in AVC Float in Sacramento Parade, page 3. A Sacramento AVC float in the Memorial Day parade carried three veterans of different races, including Nisei George Masuda of the 442nd. Other Nisei veterans also marched in the parade.
• Gen. Walker, Paul Robeson Hail Records of Nisei Troops at Chicago Memorial Dinner, by Vince Tajiri, page 3. At a Memorial Day dinner in Chicago, Lt. Gen. Waldon Walker and singer Paul Robeson praised the combat record of Nisei troops and condemned discrimination. Speakers included Ben Kuroki and Mike Masaoka, and 1000 attended the event.

Arts & Entertainment

• Tazuma Awarded Honorable Mention in Postwar Poster Contest, page 1. Yukio Tazuma of Chicago received honorable mention in a Christian Science Monitor poster contest on the United Nations. His poster, showing Lincoln against a united world, argued that prejudice must be overcome for the UN to succeed.
• Ruby Yoshino Will Be Featured Artist on Nisei Testimonial Banquet Program, page 2. Ruby Yoshino, a Nisei singer, will perform in Denver as part of the program honoring Nisei veterans. A testimonial banquet and dance will follow, with Col. James Hanley as the speaker.

Incarceration & Redress

• Issei WRA Evacuee Dumped Into Winona Camp Criticized, page 2. Evacuees were moved into the Winona FPHA camp in Burbank before facilities were ready, drawing criticism from Los Angeles County officials. WRA Director Dillon Myer defended the agency, arguing evacuees had better conditions than many other groups.
• 350 Japanese Americans Find Postwar Haven in Washington, page 2. Three hundred and fifty persons of Japanese ancestry who served in OSS and other agencies have settled in Washington, D.C. Despite appointment and financial difficulties, many told the Washington Post they counted themselves lucky.

Community

• Morgan Hill Issei Ends Own Life After Relocation Hardships, page 2. A 70-year-old Issei farmer from Morgan Hill who had lost his land during the war took his own life after relocation. His family described the difficulties of rebuilding after the evacuation.
• Evacuee Property in Seattle Unclaimed, page 2. Evacuee property valued at several thousand dollars, including guns, cameras, and radios, remains unclaimed at the U.S. Marshal’s office in Seattle. Owners can reclaim items by contacting Wesley Durland before the six-week deadline.
• Japanese Americans Find Work and Housing in Lomita and Torrance, page 2. Several returnees are now housed in trailer camps in Lomita and Torrance, where jobs are available at the California Sea Food company and Kin’s Farm Nursery. Some remain at the Lomita camp awaiting completion of facilities.
• Memorial Plaque to Nisei War Dead Dedicated in Pocatello, page 3. A plaque honoring Japanese Americans from Pocatello killed in World War II was dedicated on Memorial Day by the American Legion. Hero Shiosaki represented the JACL at the ceremony.
• CIO Secretary Will Marry ILWU Leader, page 3. Alice Takeuchi, a San Francisco secretary for the ILWU, will marry Harry Kamoku, a Hawaiian ILWU official, in Honolulu. The couple met when Kamoku attended the ILWU Labor School in San Francisco.
• Three Nisei Picked for Hawaii Team in U.S. Championships, page 3. Three Nisei swimmers were selected for the Hawaii University Swimming club team, which will compete in the National AAU men’s championships in August. The team is coached by Soichi Sakamoto.
• New York JACL Program Stresses Harlem’s Problems, page 3. The New York JACL sponsored a Harlem Night program at American Common to highlight race relations issues facing the city’s Negro population. Speakers included representatives of the NAACP and the New York Public Library.

Commentary

• Stranded Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial examines the persecution of Nisei stranded in Japan during the war, citing the case of Fred Masao Fujikawa. It notes that American occupation authorities are now arranging repatriation for those who remained loyal.
• Community Action, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial praises the Salt Lake City Council for Civic Unity for acting on deportation cases through congressional channels. It argues that local groups have made strong gains for persons of Japanese ancestry during the war era.
• WRA Reports, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The War Relocation Authority is publishing ten special reports on the evacuation program before closing its offices this month. Complete agency records will be placed in the National Archives and selected university libraries.
• Niseis, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Larry Tajiri profiles Jun Iwamatsu, an anti-fascist artist whose wartime OWI and OSS work helped the Allied cause and who faces deportation. He argues Congress should pass legislation to protect such loyal aliens.
• Japanese Canadians Suffered a Raw Deal During the War, by John Kitasako, page 5. John Kitasako reports that Canadian Nisei faced harsher treatment than Japanese Americans, including forced deportation and unauthorized property sales. He notes their limited wartime military role and lack of an organized citizens’ body like the JACL.
• Washington News-Letter, by John Kitasako, page 5. This column covers a mix of Nisei news items, including the Canadian Nisei situation, a Bronze Star awarded to a veteran, and Nisei entertainment and sports figures. Brief notes cover appointments and events in Washington.
• From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Bill Hosokawa reviews a short story in the Antioch Review about a Nisei teenager, Joe Moriyama, at a WRA camp in Arkansas. He praises the author’s portrayal of camp life through the teacher Eve Erickson.

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