The 1947 holiday issue: Nisei profiles, stories and a Heart Mountain visit

Vol. 25, No. 24, December 20, 1947. 56 pages. View this issue

Profiles, essays and short stories on Nisei life in 1947 filled this 56-page holiday issue. An editorial reviewed the Nisei since the forced removal of the war years, and JACL National President Hito Okada and WRA Director Dillon S. Myer sent greetings. Tosuke Yamasaki reviewed the work of the JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee in Congress, and Representative Judd introduced an Issei naturalization bill. Bill Hosokawa revisited Heart Mountain, now a ghost town, and Togo Tanaka reported on resettlers in Chicago.

Other pieces covered a photographer, an MGM art director, a cartoonist and a football player. Short stories came from Toshio Mori, Jon Nakamura, Jon Chinen and Herbert Gordon. One article described a French town’s monument to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. About 41 of the 56 pages carry holiday greetings, including ones from several JACL chapters.

What’s in this issue

National

• The Nisei in 1947, by P.C. Staff, page 2. This holiday edition reviews the progress of the Nisei since wartime evacuation, noting gains in employment and remaining discrimination in housing. The editorial calls for continued vigilance to protect civil liberties and minority rights in the United States.
• On the Credit Side: The ADC Audits Its Books, by Tosuke Yamasaki, page 2. The JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee reviews its legislative successes in 1947, including passage of the Soldier Brides amendment and evacuation claims appropriations. Yamasaki credits the work of Mike Masaoka and outlines pending bills for the coming year.
• Issei Naturalization Bill Introduced in Congress, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Representative Judd introduced a bill to grant naturalization rights to Japanese permanent residents and extend immigration privileges to Koreans and Japanese. The measure was introduced in the final hours of the special session.

Commentary

• Greetings from Hito Okada, by Hito Okada, page 2. JACL National President Hito Okada reflects on the organization’s progress toward naturalization rights and evacuation claims compensation. He thanks friends and members and urges continued support heading into the new year.
• They Didn’t Sit and Wait, by Robert M. Cullum, page 4. Former WRA study director Robert Cullum describes the postwar movement of Nisei into jobs, housing, and communities across the country. He argues that growing public acceptance has opened opportunity, while noting that legal prejudice such as alien land laws and citizenship restrictions remains.
• A Message from Dillon S. Myer, by Dillon S. Myer, page 5. WRA Director Dillon Myer sends holiday greetings to Japanese Americans and reviews encouraging developments including the evacuation claims bill and proposals to amend naturalization laws. He expresses hope for continued progress in the coming year.
• ADC: On the Credit Side (continued), by Tosuke Yamasaki, page 6. Yamasaki continues his review of congressional activity, covering deportation and evacuation claims bills and the work of the JACL-ADC in Washington. He outlines the prospects for naturalization legislation in 1948.
• A Minister’s Lot, by Rev. Mineo Katagiri, page 14. Rev. Mineo Katagiri describes the varied work of a minister, including personal counseling with a troubled young woman, labor relations work during the Hawaii maritime strike, and service to veterans. He emphasizes that ministry addresses social as well as spiritual needs.
• Hikaru Iwasaki: A Nisei and His Camera, by Bill Hosokawa, page 19. Profile of Hikaru Iwasaki, a Denver photographer who co-owns the Wilshire Studio with magazine photographer Pat Coffey. The article traces his start in photography and his work documenting camp life for WRA.
• Let Me Walk in the Fields, by Jon Nakamura, page 20. A short story about a lonely Nisei in Chicago reflecting on his lost friends, his unfulfilled longing for home, and an unrequited attraction to a waitress. The narrator struggles with a sense of purposelessness after the war.
• Her Number Two Boy, by Jon Chinen, page 23. A Japanese woman places flowers on the grave of an American soldier in Maui’s cemetery, revealing that she had treated him as her adopted son. The narrator and a companion learn the story behind the grave.
• Nisei Angel of Kunshan, by Koji Ariyoshi, page 25. Koji Ariyoshi profiles Grace Yasu Kusumoto, a Los Angeles Nisei who founded an orphanage in Kunshan, China during the war. Despite hostility from Chinese residents and Japanese authorities, she cared for orphans until she was forced to leave.
• Tale of a Soldier: Let Me Go Home Again, by Herbert Gordon, page 28. A short story about an Army officer who is assigned to teach Japanese to troops and befriends a Nisei soldier named Taro. The story explores a returning Nisei’s search for his family in Japan and his sense of displacement.
• An American Story, by Toshio Mori, page 41. A short story about an old classmate, Jimmy Yamamoto, who has married and raised three children. The narrator observes Jimmy’s devotion to his family and his hopes that his children will achieve success in America.
• Civil Liberties for ME!, by Elmer R. Smith, page 43. Elmer Smith challenges Nisei to defend civil liberties for all groups, including Negroes and Mexicans, rather than practicing discrimination themselves. He argues that restrictive housing covenants and exclusionary business practices harm everyone.
• If I Forget, by Roku Sugahara, page 52. Roku Sugahara recalls a former acquaintance, Kenny, once a successful Nisei businessman in New York who later declined in health and fortune. The article reflects on his loss and the lessons of his life.

Community

• Utah Chapters Prepare for JACL Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Mt. Olympus and Salt Lake City chapters are preparing to host the 10th biennial JACL national convention in September 1948. Planned events include sports tournaments, side trips to national parks, and a nursery for delegates’ infants.
• Nisei Schoolmarm, by Mary Ban, page 13. Mary Ban describes her return to teaching at Sunny Ridge school in Nampa, Idaho, where she was once a first grader. She reflects on her career, her divorce, her writing ambitions, and her satisfaction with teaching.
• Ryoji Aoyama: Lapidary and Photographer, by Alice Sumida, page 18. Profile of Ryoji Aoyama, a Nisei lapidary and photographer who served as chief photographer for Stars and Stripes in Japan. He photographed the Japanese Emperor and taught Crown Prince Akihito some photography techniques.
• Floral Industry: Majority of Nisei Growers Return, by George Inagaki, page 26. Nisei flower growers in southern and northern California have largely returned to their prewar occupation, and output has returned to prewar levels. The article describes market operations and growth trends in the industry.
• Nisei Teaches Children, by P.C. Staff, page 27. Profile of Kay Kumai, the first Nisei teacher in the Los Angeles city school system, who teaches third grade and serves as faculty chairman for substitute teachers. She describes her teaching methods and classroom projects.
• Mitsuyuki Kido: Overnight Political Wonder, by Lawrence Nakatsuka, page 29. Profile of Mitsuyuki Kido, a Hawaii teacher who won election to the territorial House of Representatives in 1946. The article describes his educational background, wartime work, and legislative record.

In-Depth

• Heart Mountain, Ghost Town, by Bill Hosokawa, page 9. Bill Hosokawa revisits the abandoned Heart Mountain relocation center in Wyoming, describing the deteriorating barracks, cemetery, and war memorial. He notes that veteran homesteaders are now clearing the land and that the site will eventually be absorbed by farming.
• Mitzi Sugita: Designer, by P.C. Staff, page 12. Profile of Mitzi Sugita, who began her fashion career sewing at Poston relocation center and later founded a tailoring and costume design school in Honolulu. Her work includes Poston fashion shows and training of veterans.
• Twin Cities Nisei Find New Roots, by Peter Ohtaki and Richard P. Kleeman, page 41. The Twin Cities of Minnesota have developed a stable Nisei community after the war, with organizations, professionals, and civic leaders. The article describes local employment, churches, and the United Citizens League chapter.
• On the Edge of Blight, by Togo Tanaka, page 49. Togo Tanaka reports on Japanese American resettlement in Chicago, where resettlers are concentrated in transitional neighborhoods near racial conflict. He notes that housing restrictions limit resettlers’ choices and that many face segregation.
• The Independents’ Candidate, by Bill Hosokawa, page 55. Profile of Rose Hanawa, a Nisei student at the University of Colorado who was nominated for campus office by the Independents. The article describes her campus involvement and her views on assimilation and Nisei participation.

Military & Veterans

• Wally Yonamine Plays the Field, by Thomas Komuro, page 13. Profile of Wally Yonamine, a Hawaiian Nisei halfback who signed with the San Francisco Forty-Niners after playing for the Hawaii All-Stars. The article describes his rise and his commitment to professional football.
• Veterans Come Home, by P.C. Staff, page 50. Photo feature showing Salt Lake City veterans, including Wally Doi, Priscilla Yasuda, Tadao Sako, and Spady Koyama, resuming civilian life in business, education, and government service.

Incarceration & Redress

• A French Town Remembers Its Nisei Liberators, by P.C. Staff, page 17. The people of Bruyeres, France, dedicate a monument honoring the 442nd Regimental Combat Team that liberated their town in 1944 and rescued the Lost Battalion. The ceremony draws thousands and includes speeches by the mayor and American officers.

Arts & Entertainment

• Hollywood Story: Eddie Imazu, Art Director at MGM, by Alice Sumida, page 24. Profile of Eddie Imazu, MGM art director for eighteen years, who supervises set design for films. He was the first Japanese American to graduate from Hollywood High School and began as a draftsman.
• Nisei Creator of National Cartoon Strip, by Roku Sugahara, page 25. Profile of Bob Kuwahara, creator of the national comic strip Miki, who previously worked in Disney’s story department and at MGM cartoons. The strip features a boy and his imaginary Uncle Harry.

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