Restrictive covenants and a disabled 442nd veteran’s search for a home

Vol. 25, No. 8, August 30, 1947. 8 pages. View this issue

A disabled veteran of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team led this eight-page issue. Kakuo Terao, a Purple Heart wearer, was barred by racial covenants from buying a home in the San Fernando Valley while his family faced eviction from their housing project. An editorial, “Lily-White Valley,” took up his case, and other stories followed the legal fights over covenants and the Alien Land Law. Bill Hosokawa wrote about the Denver Post’s cut-short report on Japanese Peruvians held at Crystal City, and Kasey Oyama described a changed Powell Street in Vancouver.

Also inside: Mike Masaoka’s report on the ADC legislative program, news of Japanese Canadians refusing to leave the Moose Jaw hostel, and a service at the grave of Matsunosuke Murakami at Manzanar. Editorials looked at evacuation losses and at Issei membership in the JACL. The sports pages followed Wally Yonamine’s pro football debut and softball playoffs in Watsonville.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• Restrictive Covenants Bar Disabled Nisei from Housing, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Kakuo Terao, a disabled 442nd veteran, was barred by racially restrictive covenants from buying a home in the San Fernando Valley near the hospital where he is treated. His family faces eviction from their housing project, leaving them without a place to live.
• Stranded Nisei Protest Seizure of Property, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Four former Watsonville Nisei residents, the Joji brothers, sued the U.S. attorney general to contest the seizure and proposed sale of their 21-acre property under the Alien Property Custodian Act. They claim they went to Japan in 1940 and could not return before the war began.
• Former Manzanar Residents Hold Services at Graves, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Former Manzanar residents visited the grave of Matsunosuke Murakami, the first person of Japanese ancestry to die at the camp, and conducted a Buddhist service. The graves of four other Manzanar residents were also visited.
• Deadline for Filing Claims Against Japanese Banks in U.S. Extended Indefinitely, by Esther L’Ecluse, page 2. The Office of Alien Property extended indefinitely the deadline for depositors to file claims against yen deposits in U.S. branches of Japanese banks seized after December 7, 1941. The ADC had made representations on behalf of Issei depositors who requested the extension.
• Cleared Nisei Return Home on General Meigs, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Seventy-one Japanese Americans and three resident Japanese nationals arrived in San Francisco on the General Meigs after being cleared by occupation officials in Japan. They were among several thousand Americans stranded in Japan by the outbreak of war.
• Fresno Court Hears Kitahara Escheat Case, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The State of California seeks to confiscate farm property owned by the Kitahara family, alleging violation of the Alien Land Law. Superior Judge Ernest Klette heard the escheat proceedings in Fresno.

Military & Veterans

• 597 Nisei GIs, Veterans Wed Japanese Girls During Month, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Under the GI Brides Act amendment, 823 American servicemen and veterans married Japanese women in the period ending July 22, with 597 of them being Nisei GIs. The consulate continued processing marriages with army sanction after the deadline expired.
• Nisei to Attend First Reunion of Famous Red Bull Division, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The 34th Division, to which the 100th Battalion and 442nd Combat Team were attached in Italy, will hold a reunion in Des Moines on September 6 and 7. Mike Masaoka will attend to present problems facing Nisei veterans.
• Initial Donations Launch Drive for Memorial to Nisei GIs, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The JACL Committee for Arlington National Cemetery has begun collecting donations to honor Nisei war dead being reinterred at Arlington. Plans include services at reburial and placing wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Community

• Nampa Nisei Named Principal of Idaho Grammar School, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mrs. Mary Ban of Nampa was named principal of the Sunny Ridge elementary school, which she attended as valedictorian. She will also teach the 5th through 7th grades.
• Nisei Named as One of U.S. Delegates to World Health Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Iwao Moriyama, formerly of San Francisco, was chosen as an American representative to an international health and sanitation conference in Switzerland. He was previously conference secretary at the 1946 meeting in Canada.
• Nisei Trader Says Japanese Short on Goods, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Wesley Oyama, a San Francisco food dealer, reported on Japanese market conditions at a forum sponsored by the newspaper Asahi. He said some prices were acceptable but few items were available in quantity.
• Nisei Womar Acts as Camp Counselor, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Mrs. Nellie Woo, a Nisei wife of a Chinese husband, serves as a counselor at the American Friends Service Committee interracial children’s camp in Washington. She was evacuated during the war and later became the first Nisei employed in Seattle’s welfare department.
• Ex-Gila Residents Hold Reunion, by P.C. Staff, page 2. More than 200 former Gila River center residents held their first reunion in San Francisco on August 9 and 10. Proceeds totaling $358 will go to the Florence Akiyama scholarship fund.
• Progress Told in Chicago’s ADC Campaign, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Roughly half of the Issei-Nisei soliciting teams in Chicago’s ADC fund drive had turned in pledges, with more than $5,000 received. Campaign leaders thanked the community for its generous support.
• Oakland Plans Semi-Formal Ball, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The East Bay JACL planned a semi-formal ball for September 6 at the Civic Auditorium in Oakland. Fred Glassley and his eight-piece orchestra were booked for the affair.
• Sicilian Girl Flies to Hawaii to Marry Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Giulia Spinella of Sicily flew to Honolulu to marry William Komatsu, a 100th Battalion veteran whom she met during the 1943 Sicilian landings. The two had corresponded for four years before the wedding.
• Capital Issei, Nisei Raise Funds for ADC Activities, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Members of the Washington ADC and the Nikei-jin-kai raised $1,808.30 for the JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee. Thirty Issei also signed a petition requesting the right of naturalization.
• Japanese Canadian Evacuees Refuse to Leave Moose Jaw Hostel, by P.C. Staff, page 6. 59 Japanese Canadian residents of the Moose Jaw hostel held out against government relocation efforts after mess hall services were shut down. Their spokesman Tsuneo Tony Naka demanded the right to return to their homes and compensation for seized property.
• New Chapter Names Masao Takeshita First President, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The reactivated Long Beach JACL chose Dr. Masao Takeshita as president at its August 12 meeting. Other cabinet officers were also named to serve the balance of the year.
• Chicago Chapter Plans to Resume Activities After Summer Recess, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Chicago JACL chapter announced its program for the rest of 1947 after suspending regular meetings for July and August. It also announced a Midwest District Council workshop in October and an Inaugural Ball for Thanksgiving weekend.
• Denver Nisei Girl to Attend Coast Youth Conference, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Kiyoko Nishikawa, a supervisor of nurses in Denver and member of the Denver Japanese church, was selected as one of eight Denver delegates to the North American Youth conference in San Francisco. The conference runs September 3 to 7.

JACL

• Japanese Canadians Meet in Toronto to Form National Body, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL Anti-Discrimination Committee legislative director Mike Masaoka will speak at the National Conference of Japanese Canadian organizations in Toronto. Discussions will address Japanese Canadians stranded in Japan and exclusion from British Columbia’s coastal area.
• JACL Regional Directors Will Be Shifted to ADC, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL regional representatives will transfer to the Anti-Discrimination Committee on September 1 to emphasize its educational work. The change means their salaries will be paid by the ADC while office expenses are shared between the two organizations.
• Masaoka’s Report Declares Prospects for Success of ADC Legislative Program Are Fair, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Mike Masaoka, JACL ADC national legislative director, reported that prospects for ADC legislation are fair despite uncertain odds. He cited House passage of several ADC-sponsored bills and urged financial and moral support for the program.

National

• JACL Asks Canada Embassy to Investigate Exclusion of Nisei Seamen from Vancouver, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL Washington office protested British Columbia immigration authorities’ refusal to let three Hawaiian Nisei seamen, Army veterans, go ashore in Vancouver. The Canadian minister promised an immediate investigation of the incident and the immigration codes.
• Prospects Fair for Success of ADC Legislative Activity, by P.C. Staff, page 2. JACL ADC legislative director Mike Masaoka’s final report on the first session of the 80th Congress called prospects for ADC legislation fair, noting several bills passed the House. He warned that unfinished bills must be acted upon next session or be lost.
• Japanese Aliens May Lease Commercial, Residential Land, California Official Rules, by P.C. Staff, page 3. California Attorney General Fred N. Howser ruled that resident aliens of Japanese ancestry may still lease land despite termination of the treaty granting that right. The opinion may affect a pending California Supreme Court case involving the Stockton Theaters.
• ACLU Newspaper Asks for Legislation to Ban Race Covenants, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Open Forum, publication of the Southern California ACLU, called for initiating legislation to outlaw racially restrictive covenants. It argued such a campaign would expose the financial interests promoting covenant campaigns.
• California Supreme Court Refuses to Intervene in Restrictive Covenant Cases, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The California Supreme Court declined to intervene in eviction proceedings against Yin Kim, a Korean American dentist, and others. The court also refused to hear appeals regarding Japanese Americans facing confiscation of farm property under the Alien Land Law.
• 22 Pound Limit Set for Packages Sent to Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 4. SCAP headquarters announced that parcel post packages containing relief items may now weigh up to 22 pounds for shipment to Japan. Airmail parcels are also permitted, while certain printed materials remain forbidden.

Arts & Entertainment

• Nisei Soprano Gives Recital in Home Town in California, by Ryo M. Tsai, page 2. Mari Taniguchi, a Nisei soprano, gave a benefit recital for the First Japanese Congregational Church of San Diego featuring arias, German songs, and Japanese songs. The audience of over 200 responded enthusiastically to her musicianship and singing.
• Sabu on Radio Show, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Attorney John F. Aiso, former U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, appeared on the KRKD program with Hollywood star Sabu, discussing training of Nisei interpreters. Sabu recounted his South Pacific war experiences and said men should be judged by character rather than appearance.

Commentary

• Evacuation Losses, by P.C. Staff, page 4. An editorial notes that a government study shows evacuees have not recovered financially from wartime losses, with only one-fourth of prewar farmers resuming farming. It argues that any evacuation claims bill would provide only partial restitution.
• Public Acceptance, by P.C. Staff, page 4. An editorial examines the government’s final report on evacuee readjustment, noting public acceptance has improved but legal restrictions persist. It argues that the future of Japanese Americans depends on eliminating economic discrimination and the citizenship barriers facing Issei.
• Issei Membership, by P.C. Staff, page 4. An editorial welcomes the JACL staff’s recommendation to extend membership to Issei and to hold popular elections for national officers. It argues these changes will broaden the organization’s base and increase member participation.
• Lily-White Valley, by P.C. Staff, page 4. An editorial criticizes San Fernando Valley real estate covenants that exclude non-whites, highlighting the case of disabled veteran Kakuo Terao. It observes that housing is available for veterans only if they are of Caucasian ancestry.
• Canadian Japanese Holdouts at Moose Jaw Challenge Dispersal Policy, by P.C. Staff, page 4. An editorial describes 59 Japanese Canadian evacuees at Moose Jaw refusing government relocation until they can return to British Columbia. It argues that continued exclusion from the coastal area reveals the racist underpinnings of Canadian policy.
• Hollywood Hasn’t Come Around (Cross Fire), by P.C. Staff, page 5. A column praises RKO’s film Crossfire for addressing anti-Semitism, noting it deals plainly with prejudice against Jews. It argues the movie’s direct treatment of bigotry is an advance for Hollywood.
• Bill Hosokawa: An Expose Dies A-Borning, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa describes how the Denver Post’s planned expose on Peruvian Japanese internees at Crystal City was cut short after two days. He notes the Post’s reporter Vaughn Mechau gathered strong material that was heavily edited before publication.
• Return to Powell Street: I Have No Home Town, by Kasey Oyama, page 5. A Canadian Nisei journalist visiting Vancouver’s Powell Street describes how the Japanese Canadian neighborhood has changed since evacuation. He concludes that the area no longer feels like his home town and that he is not welcome there.
• Denver Post Calls Nation’s Attention to Problems of Japanese Peruvian Internees, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Denver Post reported that 69 Japanese Peruvians remain interned at Crystal City, Texas, despite FBI clearance eighteen months earlier. The article describes their plight as a lost people whose government has been reluctant to take them back.

Sports

• Yonamine Makes Pro Football Debut at Kezar, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Hawaiian halfback Wally Yonamine made his professional debut with the San Francisco Forty-Niners in a 14-7 loss to the Los Angeles Dons. He carried the ball only three times, losing yardage twice.
• Nisei Vets Team Loses Two Games in League Playoff, by Isao Fukuba, page 7. The Watsonville Nisei Vets softball team lost two close games to Jack’s Log Cabin in the Pajaro Valley playoffs. The first game was decided by a dropped fly ball and the second went eleven innings.
• Hayamaki Defeats Canadian Wrestler, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Nisei wrestling star Suki Hayamaki defeated Herb Parks of Canada in a judo-style match at Portland’s Labor Temple. Parks dropped two falls in the bout.
• Japanese Mexican Girls Star in National Track Competition, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A team of Mexican girls of Japanese ancestry sponsored by the Nippon Sports club took second place in the women’s division at Mexico’s national track meet. Elisa Atsumi was the individual star, winning three events and setting a new Mexican women’s record.

Obituaries

• Bishop W. B. Stevens, JACL Sponsor, Dies in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Rt. Rev. W. Bertrand Stevens, Episcopal bishop of Los Angeles and national JACL sponsor, died at Good Samaritan hospital. He had been a leader in the Committee on Fair Play and American Principles during the war.

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