The Nisei combat unit, registration and the Arizona zone, 1943

Vol. 16, No. 9, March 4, 1943. 8 pages. View this issue

The call for a Japanese American combat unit ran through this eight-page issue. The Army said the unit would be activated at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, with the first volunteers inducted around March 10. Kozo Kitamura of Topaz explained why he volunteered, and Rev. Alfred S. Akamatsu urged nisei to enlist while protesting segregation. Bill Hosokawa wrote that registration showed how far many nisei had fallen behind events. On the front page, the Army revised the prohibited zone in Arizona, putting the Poston and Gila River centers outside it, and the paper’s editorial asked whether cotton growers had a hand in the change.

Elsewhere, Saburo Kido described the attack on him at Poston and his hospital stay. The JACL answered the dual citizenship charge, and Governor Herbert B. Maw of Utah vetoed an anti-alien land bill. Larry Tajiri wrote on race prejudice, and Robert R. Tsuda contributed two columns. Reports came from Tule Lake, Topaz, Minidoka and Hawaii, along with JACL chapter news from Boise Valley and Pocatello.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

  • Army Revises Prohibited Zone in Arizona, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Army revised the boundary of the prohibited military zone in Arizona, placing the Poston and Gila River relocation centers outside it. About 200 evacuees who had been removed from the newly freed area may return to their former homes.
  • Evacuees File Suit Against Farm Group, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Two Santa Barbara residents of Japanese ancestry sued officers of the California Lettuce Growers over $262,000 in leased farm property. The suit demands termination of leases, return of the property, and an accounting.
  • Topaz Winds Up Registration of Residents, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Topaz completed registration of its 6,100 residents over age 17, and a War Department team registered about 1,450 male citizens aged 18 to 38. The registration achieved a 100 percent record, one of the best among the ten relocation centers.
  • Two Evacuees Beaten by Gang at Tule Lake, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Fifty-nine evacuee agitators opposing registration at Tule Lake were arrested, including those responsible for beating two loyal evacuees. Those arrested were charged with assault and intimidation.
  • Visalians Back Move to Detain Evacuee Group, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A resolution asking that evacuees be held in WRA centers for the duration was reportedly pending before the House, introduced by Congressman Alfred J. Elliott after Kings County committee approval. The resolution was under consideration by a Visalia Chamber of Commerce committee.

Community

  • Evacuee Farm Machinery Myth, Coast Meeting Told, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A USDA War Board member told Alameda County farmers that rumors of large stores of unused evacuee farm equipment are unfounded. Reports of such equipment should be sent to the War Board.
  • Nisei Girls Take Jobs in Milwaukee, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sisters Mari and Emi Okazaki were the first evacuees resettled from Manzanar to Milwaukee, where Mari works for the International Institute and Emi at a physician’s office. A resettlement office was to be set up in Milwaukee to handle further resettlement.
  • New York Pastor Urges Nisei to Volunteer for Army, by Rev. Alfred S. Akamatsu, page 3. Rev. Alfred S. Akamatsu of the Japanese Methodist church in New York urged nisei to volunteer for the combat team while protesting segregation. He argued this was the way to show loyalty and make the first step toward equal treatment.
  • Actress Joan Fontaine, Born in Japan, Has Her Troubles, by S.G., page 3. Actress Joan Fontaine, born in Japan to British parents, was told by immigration authorities she is a Japanese subject and cannot obtain final American citizenship until after the war. She described being treated as a Jap despite her British-American background.
  • Evacuee Boy, Sister Skip Poston Center, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Teenage siblings John and Cecelia Kawasaki left the Poston relocation center without permission and hitchhiked to Los Angeles to look for work, where they were arrested. The two look little Japanese because their mother is Irish.
  • Evacuee Labor to Meet Utah’s Farm Needs Asked by Governor, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Governor Herbert B. Maw appealed for cooperation in supplying evacuee labor from Topaz to relieve Utah’s farm labor shortage. He argued that the Japanese in Utah would respond and that evacuees should be permitted to work on farms.
  • Midwest Job Opportunities Listed by St. Paul JACL Office, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The St. Paul JACL office released a list of employment opportunities in the Twin Cities for qualified WRA center residents. Earl Tanbara noted housing remained a difficult problem.
  • Boise Valley Chapter Holds Dance to Help National Headquarters, by P.C. Staff, page 6. About 150 people attended a dinner-dance held by the Boise Valley JACL to raise funds for National JACL headquarters. Chapter president Abe Saito stressed full member support and ways the nisei could contribute to the war effort.
  • U.S. Nisei Must Get Into War Effort, Declares Robert O’Brien, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Robert W. O’Brien, national director of the Student Relocation Council, urged residents of Japanese ancestry to join the war effort or face no place in postwar America. He cited nisei students who have accounted for themselves in government and military posts.
  • Takeo Tachiki Weds Mitsuko Kato in Spanish Fork, Utah, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Mitsuko Kato and Takeo Tachiki were married at Spanish Fork, Utah on January 24 in a ceremony conducted by Bishop W. J. Francis. A reception followed at the Tachiki home.
  • ACLU Urges Equal Basis for Selectees, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The American Civil Liberties Union commended the War Department for reopening the Army to Japanese Americans and urged that those outside the centers be selected like all other citizens without segregation. The ACLU cited President Roosevelt’s favorable letter on the move.
  • Committee to Present Residents’ Views on Community Problems, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Topaz Community Council approved an advisory committee of 24 residents to act as liaison with the Community Services Division on health, education, welfare, and community activities. Birth registration of Topaz-born children as U.S. citizens was also clarified.
  • Evacuation Hits Strawberry Crops in Florin Area, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Due to evacuation, Florin’s strawberry crop is expected to be about 15 percent of prewar levels, according to a Sacramento Union report. Evacuee vineyards are reportedly being operated more successfully by newcomers.
  • Gila Receives Nucleus for Dairy Project, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Gila River relocation center at Rivers received 20 milk cows and a like number of calves from Granada to start a dairy herd. The center also produced over 900,000 pounds of green vegetables in January.
  • British Official Visits Topaz Center, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Right Honorable Margaret Bondfield, a British official, visited the Topaz relocation center and said the evacuation was a trial the Japanese American people must face with courage and patience. She departed for Montana.
  • Governor Maw Vetoes Anti-Alien Land Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Governor Maw vetoed the anti-alien land bill after farm groups and the WRA objected, citing labor shortages and constitutional concerns. Attorney General Giles questioned the bill’s constitutionality.
  • Topaz Repatriates Leave for Rohwer, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A group of 36 Topaz residents cleared for repatriation to Japan left for the Rohwer relocation center to await an exchange ship. The group included men, women, children and infants.
  • Rep. Jackson Wants Committee to Investigate U.S. Japanese, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Representative Henry M. Jackson introduced a resolution to create a five-man House committee investigating alleged Japanese infiltration into American life. He charged that pro-Japanese influence persisted underground.
  • Pocatello Chapter Goes Over Top in JACL Fund Campaign, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Pocatello chapter of the JACL raised $1,800 in a week, nearly double its allotted quota. Chapter president Paul Okamura thanked the community for its support.
  • Printed Newspaper Appears at Hunt, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Minidoka Irrigator, a community newspaper edited by residents of the Minidoka Relocation Center, began printed weekly publication. The eight-page tabloid is delivered free to every apartment with a circulation of about 3,300.
  • Philadelphia Japanese Widow Gives Car to United War Chest, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Fuku Thurn, a Japanese widow of an American engineer, donated her automobile to the United War Chest in Philadelphia. She said she wanted to give something to America in gratitude for kindness she received.
  • Hunt Population, by P.C. Staff, page 8. One hundred ninety-three Japanese American residents from Bainbridge Island arrived at the Minidoka Relocation Center from Manzanar. The arrival was reported in a brief community item.

Military & Veterans

  • Army’s Nisei Combat Unit To Be Activated, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Japanese American combat unit will be activated at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, with an initial cadre of 300 and induction of the first volunteers around March 10. Applications will be screened by the War Department and sent to local draft boards.
  • Governor Maw Vetoes Utah’s Anti-Alien Property Measure, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Utah Governor Herbert B. Maw vetoed Senate Bill No. 5, which would have barred aliens ineligible for citizenship from owning and cultivating farms. He cited the need for alien farm labor and the harm to Japanese American families and Utah agriculture.
  • Texas Nisei Fought in Java, Now Prisoner in Philippines, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sgt. Frank Fujita, a Texas-born soldier of Japanese ancestry, fought the Japanese Army in Java and was reported missing before becoming a prisoner in the Philippines. His family in Abilene, Texas received word of his status.
  • First Nisei Graduates from Officer Candidate School, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Fred Kosaka of Seattle became the first nisei to graduate from the medical administrative corps officer candidate school at Camp Barkeley, Texas, as a second lieutenant. He was a former staff sergeant and a graduate of the University of Washington.
  • Stimson Sends Wire to Sentinel Answering Segregation Question, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Secretary of War Henry Stimson explained that a separate Japanese American combat unit is being formed to aid loyal Americans of Japanese ancestry and to demonstrate their loyalty. He expressed hope the unit would fight alongside Caucasian forces.
  • Granada Newspaper Staff Members Volunteer for Army, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Five staff members of the Granada Pioneer volunteered for the nisei combat unit, along with two former documentation section members. The report was carried in the Granada newspaper.
  • Nisei Soldier, Now In Ski Troops, Tells of Army Life, by P.C. Staff, page 2. PFC Harry C. Yokoyama, a nisei soldier stationed at Camp Hale, Colorado, wrote to friends about Army life in extreme cold. He said the life was not bad but sometimes monotonous, and he missed Southern California sunshine.
  • Poston Camp III Fetes Volunteers, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A camp-wide party was held at Poston for Army volunteers from Camp III, featuring a floor show, dancing, and gifts. The Stewards’ department prepared a special menu including a cake in red, white and blue.
  • Nisei Volunteer for U.S. Army Discloses Reasons for Action, by Kozo Kitamura, page 2. Kozo Kitamura of Topaz explains his decision to volunteer for the U.S. Army, citing his firm belief that the destiny of Japanese Americans lies in America. He urges fellow evacuees to devote themselves to proving their worth.
  • Superman Enlists for Combat Unit at Granada Center, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Yamoto Yamasaki, known as Superman for his weight-lifting, volunteered for the special combat unit along with two brothers-in-law. He said his future in America depends on his actions in this conflict.
  • Four Minidoka Brothers Will Fight in Army Combat Unit, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The four Sakura brothers of Minidoka applied for the new combat unit, joining three Onodera brothers who volunteered earlier. Chet Sakura said the family has not lost faith in America and is ready to discharge its responsibility.
  • Many Family Men Volunteer in Hawaii for Military Duty, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Military authorities in Hawaii said 7,425 Americans of Japanese ancestry volunteered for Army combat duty, many of them family men. Many volunteers are war workers willing to give up well-paid jobs.

JACL

  • JACL Challenges Dual Citizenship Issue Raised by Race-Baiters, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL charged that California race-baiters misrepresented facts in using the dual citizenship issue against loyal Americans of Japanese ancestry. National secretary Mike Masaoka cited a 1924 Japanese law showing Japan renounced claims on those born abroad.

Commentary

  • Oregon Senate Would Deport U.S. Japanese, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Oregon state senate voted in favor of barring nisei from service and deporting all Japanese from the country after the war. The memorials call on Congress to take such action.
  • Timely Topics, by Saburo Kido, page 2. Saburo Kido describes the attack upon him at Poston, his hospital stay, and his departure to the free zone. He reflects on the lessons about law, order, and the need for loyal residents to organize against intimidation.
  • Cotton and Arizona Boundaries, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial welcomes the revision of Arizona boundaries that removes Poston and Gila River from the prohibited zone. It argues the change may be linked to cotton growers’ interests in evacuee labor.
  • Nisei and Race Prejudice, by Larry Tajiri, page 4. Larry Tajiri discusses how race prejudice developed among nisei through the evacuation and relocation experience. He draws on Albert Deutsch’s argument that race prejudice stems from economic motives rather than natural antipathy.
  • Spring Song, by Robert R. Tsuda, page 4. Robert R. Tsuda reflects on the coming of spring in Salt Lake City and the global war, hoping for a glorious spring when fighting ends. He contrasts the seasons he experienced in San Francisco and New York.
  • Wanted: A Pacific Charter, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial argues for a Pacific Charter to clarify Allied war aims in Asia, drawing on Seldon E. Menefee and Madame Chiang Kai-shek. It holds that recognizing equal rights of Asian peoples is needed to counter Japanese propaganda.
  • Nisei Have Not Kept Pace With Events, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Bill Hosokawa argues that registration revealed nisei confusion and that many have not kept pace with events since confinement. He says many were choosing confinement over outside life, which should prompt them to contribute to the nation’s war effort.
  • Tokyo-Berlin Alliance Is Cynical Partnership, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The article argues the Tokyo-Berlin Axis is becoming an imaginary line as Germany suffers reverses and Japan refuses to act on Germany’s behalf. It concludes that the alliance was a cynical partnership of mutual distrust.
  • Furniture Hints for Year Round Decorating, by P.C. Staff, page 6. This home-decorating feature offers tips for updating furniture stored or sent from the coast to suit Center apartments. It suggests painting, refinishing, and modernizing old chests with new pulls and wallpaper.
  • Letter to the Editor: Dual Citizenship, by El Monte, California letter writer, page 6. The writer rejects the myth of dual citizenship for Americans of Japanese ancestry, citing a Japanese law that disowned claims on foreign-born persons of Japanese descent. The letter calls for officials and editors to be correctly informed.

National

  • Japanese Evacuation Scored in Chicago Tribune Editorial, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Chicago Tribune criticized the mass evacuation and internment of Japanese Americans, questioning why Hawaii’s population was not similarly treated. It also challenged the constitutionality of holding American citizens without trial based on race.
  • Release of Evacuees Opposed by Pajaro Valley Defense Unit, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Watsonville and Pajaro Valley defense council adopted a resolution opposing the government’s proposed release of evacuees without Army control. The council also objected to Japanese youths attending college while American students are drafted.

In-Depth

  • Only 38 Hours to Chungking, by Robert R. Tsuda, page 4. Robert R. Tsuda observes that modern air travel has made distant parts of the world, such as Chungking, seem close, joining East and West into one world. He discusses the implications of this global perspective.

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