Early 1944: strikes, land fights and nisei in uniform

Vol. 18, No. 2, January 15, 1944. 8 pages. View this issue

Reports from the camps and from towns across the West shared the front page of this eight-page issue. Boilermen and janitors at Minidoka ended a six-day strike, and the Army denied rumors of a protest at Tule Lake. Colorado and Utah residents pressed for limits on land sales to Japanese Americans, which drew replies from editors such as Lee Casey. Saburo Kido’s columns covered growing JACL membership and anti-Japanese propaganda spreading eastward, while Larry Tajiri’s editorials took up unsegregated WAC induction and the myth that nisei fought for Japan.

Also inside: the War Department’s list of Nisei casualties, Christmas gifts for the combat team at Camp Shelby, and Sgt. Ben Kuroki’s visit to Denver. Bill Hosokawa reviewed Caleb Foote’s pamphlet Outcasts and warned against new Little Tokyos. Miwako Oana wrote about evacuees in New York City, and Ann Nisei’s page offered home-decorating ideas.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• War Department Announces Names of Nisei Casualties, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The War Department identified several Japanese American soldiers as killed or wounded in action in the Mediterranean area, including one captain. The casualties were listed by hometown and next of kin.
• Japanese American Girl Accepted by WACs, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mrs. Cherry Nakagawara, wife of a soldier at Camp Bowie, was accepted for Women’s Army Corps air corps duty. She is the first Japanese American WAC from the Eighth Service Command.
• Japanese American Combat Team Now Ready, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Japanese American combat team at Camp Shelby received Christmas gifts organized by the USO in Hattiesburg. Volunteers assembled stockings and presents for the soldiers.
• Sgt. Kuroki Visits Denver on Trip to New California Post, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sgt. Ben Kuroki of Hershey, Nebraska, returned from completing 30 combat missions over Europe and North Africa. He visited Denver en route to a new assignment in California and said he wanted to fight Japan.

Incarceration & Redress

• Evacuee Boilermen, Janitors End Six-Day Strike at Hunt, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Boilermen and janitors at the Minidoka relocation center returned to work after a six-day strike over hours and wages. Project director Harry Stafford said the work schedule would resume with a reduced Sunday shift.
• Myer Turns Down Request for 70 Additional Workers at Minidoka, by P.C. Staff, page 1. WRA director Dillon Myer refused the Minidoka project’s request to authorize 70 additional workers during the strike. The strike was resolved after a meeting between the workers and project authorities.
• Inquiries Disprove Charges of Tule Lake Segregation Unrest, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Army denied reports of a hunger strike and protest at the Tule Lake segregation center, stating the camp was quiet. Officials said rumors of mass strikes were unfounded.
• Evacuee Youth Wins Pardon, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Goro Fujiwara, a Japanese American evacuee serving a 30-day jail sentence in Washington, was pardoned after police chief and a captain interceded on his behalf. The case stemmed from a railway police arrest.
• Army Denies Report of Tule Lake Trouble, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Army denied reports that segregated evacuees at Tule Lake staged a protest or strike. An Army spokesman said the camp was quiet.
• Minidoka Reports Heavy Production on Project Farm, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Minidoka project farm produced over 2.2 million pounds of vegetables and melons during its first season in 1943. Project director H. L. Stafford reported the results.
• Evacuees Need Conviction of Acceptance, Declares Editorial, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Manzanar Free Press editorial urged evacuees to face facts about resettlement and seek acceptance in normal American life. Officials at the Manzanar camp said understanding evacuee thinking was essential.

National

• Evacuees Buying Choice Farm Land, Says Denver WRA Official, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A WRA inquiry followed protests in Adams and Mesa counties, Colorado, over land purchases by persons of Japanese ancestry. Officials said the purchases were not a threat but the matter drew legislative demands for restrictions.
• Senator Chandler Criticizes War Relocation Program, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Senator Chandler of Kentucky criticized the handling of Japanese American evacuees in a speech. He described the problem as one requiring attention in his remarks at Long Beach.
• Japanese Aliens Still Ineligible for Armed Forces, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Aliens of Japanese ancestry remain ineligible for service in the Army or Navy. The restriction has been in place since earlier in the war.
• Colorado Petitioners Demand Restrictions on Sales of Land, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Colorado groups petitioned Governor Vivian for restrictions on property purchases by Japanese Americans. The Rocky Mountain News editor Lee Casey rejected the demands as contrary to constitutional rights.
• Governor Vivian Defines Powers Amid Controversy, by Lee Casey, page 3. Colorado’s governor was urged to act on petitions against land sales to Japanese Americans. The editor argued that all citizens have equal rights regardless of ancestry.
• Attorneys on Relocation Centers Meet in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Attorneys from California met in Los Angeles to form a committee studying legal aspects of the Japanese problem. The committee aimed to address legislation affecting persons of Japanese ancestry.
• Pocatello Paper Sees Grave Issues in Denial of Rights, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Pocatello Tribune criticized the Idaho State Grange resolution opposing land sales to Japanese Americans. The editorial warned that denying citizens their rights endangers democracy.
• Rep. Engle Warns Against Further Japanese Immigration, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Representative Clair Engle of California warned that Japanese immigration must never be permitted after the war. He called for restrictions on persons of Japanese ancestry.

Community

• Heart Mountain Comes of Age in 1943, Says Official, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Officials at the Heart Mountain relocation center said the camp had passed through growing pains and matured during 1943. The Sentinel project newspaper reported on the year’s progress.
• Davis County Campaign Against Japanese Ancestry Residents, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Davis County Citizens Protective Association in Utah has organized a campaign against sales of land to persons of Japanese ancestry. Fifty farmers pledged not to sell property to Japanese Americans.
• Legion Urges Evacuee Restrictions at Parley, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Washington State Federation of the American Legion at its annual meeting adopted a resolution calling for the Army to take control of war relocation centers. The resolution sought restrictions on evacuees.
• Aloha USO Helps Bring Yule Cheer to Nisei Combat Unit, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Aloha Center USO in Hattiesburg, Mississippi organized Christmas stockings and entertainment for Japanese American soldiers. Wives of enlisted men volunteered to assemble the gifts.
• Center Co-ops Open Central Buying Office, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Representatives from nine war relocation centers created a central purchasing organization for co-ops serving the camps. The Federation of Business Enterprises opened an office in New York City.
• L.A. Religious Leaders Rap Race Hysteria, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Church Federation of Los Angeles condemned hysteria against Japanese Americans and urged churches to resist race rumor-mongering. Recommendations included active participation in peaceful solutions to the race problem.
• Expect Many to Move to Midwest Area, by Saburo Kido, page 2. Kido predicts another exodus from relocation centers toward the Midwest and East. He notes that resettlement could ease labor shortages but anti-Japanese sentiment may push evacuees to friendly states.
• Community Relations of Nisei Americans, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A community discussion at Mississippi Southern College addressed how Japanese Americans can improve relations in their communities. Speakers encouraged personal interaction with neighbors.
• Joe Masaoka Speaks to College Group, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Joe Grant Masaoka of the JACL spoke to a women’s club at Colorado Woman’s College in Denver. He said nisei are the scapegoat in the public mind and need community acceptance.
• Nisei Urged to Take Personal Steps to Better Public Relations, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Masao Satow of the National YMCA Board urged nisei to write letters to officials, editors, and radio commentators to build public support. He suggested this personal campaigning as a tool against anti-Japanese agitation.
• Chicago Church Organizations Assist 1600 Evacuees, by James O. Hosokawa, page 8. Church groups in Chicago have aided more than 1600 evacuees resettling in the city through employment, housing, and social programs. A committee of 40 members coordinates the effort.
• Anti-Evacuee Stickers Being Distributed in Hayward Area, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Anti-Japanese stickers reading No Japs in California were circulated in the Hayward area of California. Dr. N. Faller Robinson protested the stickers and wrote to Governor Warren condemning the propaganda.
• Denver JACL Sponsors New Hoop League, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Denver regional JACL office launched a six-team basketball league at Manual High School. Teams include Wazee, Market, Bankers Union, and others, with a season schedule announced.
• Denver JACL Elects Officers for Coming Term, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The newly organized Denver JACL elected officers for the coming term. Members from several Colorado locations were named to leadership positions.

Commentary

• Timely Topics: JACL Membership on the Upgrade, by Saburo Kido, page 2. Kido reports that JACL membership is growing as members scatter across the country, with new chapters in cities away from the Pacific Coast. He discusses the organization’s financing challenges and the new National JACL Credit Union.
• Coast Propaganda Spreads Eastward, by Saburo Kido, page 2. Kido warns that anti-Japanese agitation will grow in the intermountain states and that Pacific Coast vegetable growers are spreading propaganda eastward. He urges resettled nisei to become good-will missionaries in their communities.
• Attorney Challenges Ogden Restrictions Against Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 3. An Ogden, Utah attorney challenged a city commission proposal to deny business licenses to Japanese Americans. He argued the resolution was discriminatory and unconstitutional.
• Nisei Americans Need Conviction of Acceptance, by P.C. Staff, page 3. An editorial urged nisei to demonstrate their loyalty and seek acceptance in the broader American community. It called for patience and courage during the relocation period.
• Mr. Toi of Japan, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Editorial comment on the induction of nisei women into the WAC, noting it was unsegregated. The editor praised nisei women for their service and argued for non-segregated military units.
• WACs Unsegregated, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Induction of nisei women into the Women’s Army Corps was unsegregated, including acceptance for air corps duty. The editor argued nisei soldiers should be inducted without discriminatory policies.
• Nisei and Labor Unions, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The editorial praised Canadian labor delegates for opposing exploitation of workers regardless of race. It criticized AFL unions that have opposed Japanese American membership and argued labor needs solidarity.
• Exploding a Myth, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The editorial refutes the myth that Japanese Americans serve in the Japanese army, citing denials by officials and a December Infantry Journal article. It affirms that nisei serve in the US Army.
• Re: Air Force, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The film Air Force was censored by the Army before showing in Hawaii, with scenes slandering Japanese Americans removed. The editorial notes the film had spread slanders about Hawaii nisei loyalty.
• Pyrrhic Bury: No Time for Comedy, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. The editorial criticizes syndicate columnists and humorists such as Damon Runyon, Irvin Cobb, and Henry McLemore for inciting anti-Japanese sentiment before evacuation. It argues their rhetoric helped create public hysteria.
• Vagaries, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A roundup of news items concerning Japanese Americans across the country, including a church controversy in Indiana and efforts by Los Angeles civic groups. It also notes a Japanese American secretary in Spokane.
• Arizona Ban, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Farmers of Japanese ancestry in Arizona said state inspectors refused to grade their produce, a discriminatory step. The item also reports on a Canadian Gallup poll about post-war plans for Japanese Canadians.
• Dangerous Trend Toward New Little Tokyos, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa warns that Japanese American businesses are reconcentrating in Rocky Mountain cities, recreating conditions of the former Little Tokyos. He urges nisei to disperse across America rather than self-segregate.
• No Time for Comedy, by C. J. Paulding, page 5. Paulding denounces Irvin S. Cobb’s letter calling for torture of Japanese Americans at Tule Lake. He argues that such statements dishonor America and must be disavowed by all Americans.
• The New Year, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The editorial reflects on the new year and the progress of relocation, noting the dispersal of Japanese Americans beyond the Pacific Coast. It urges continued efforts toward resettlement and acceptance.
• Keep a Scrapbook, by Ann Nisei, page 6. Ann Nisei advises readers to keep a scrapbook of decorating ideas for their future homes. She suggests organizing clippings by room and style.
• Just Incidentally: Furore Is Dying, by Dale Okamoto, page 7. The controversy over the WRA Midwest Frontiers publication, which included offensive remarks about Japanese American sanitation, is subsiding. Commentator Sprague Holden of the Detroit Free Press defended the loyalty of nisei.

Arts & Entertainment

• Caleb Foote in Outcasts: Japanese Americans Fall Before Tyranny of a Word, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa reviews Caleb Foote’s pamphlet Outcasts, which examines the mass evacuation and the racial prejudice behind it. He highlights Foote’s analysis of loyalty, assimilation, and the role of the press.
• Dreams Come True in New York City, by Miwako Oana, page 7. Evacuees now living in New York City report finding jobs and educational opportunities in careers including art, architecture, and business. The column profiles several nisei who have built new lives in the city.

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