JACL chapters at year’s end: banquets, elections and a cherry tree planting

Vol. 10, No. 27, December 1938. 4 pages. View this issue

Chapter life across the West Coast filled this four-page issue from December 1938. In San Diego, 27 cherry trees from Yokosuka were planted at the Civic Center, with Japanese consul Ichiro Ohta speaking and the local JACL chapter hosting a luncheon. Placer County marked its tenth anniversary, Santa Clara celebrated its first as a united chapter, and San Francisco opened a fund drive for the 1939 Northern California District convention. National President Walter T. Tsukamoto sent holiday greetings, and Arthur Wonsetler looked back at the League’s 1938 progress.

Other pages carry nominees and election results from Sacramento, Fresno, Oakland, Seattle, Portland and Los Angeles, where Eiji Tanabe won the presidency. Editorials look ahead to the 1939 district conventions. Smaller notices cover a talent night in Sonoma, a New Year’s ball in Monterey and a community hall dedicated in Ontario, Oregon.

What’s in this issue

Community

• San Diego Group Aids in Program at Tree Planting, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Twenty-seven cherry trees, part of a gift from Yokosuka, were planted at San Diego’s Civic Center in a ceremony attended by Japanese consul Ichiro Ohta and local dignitaries. The event was hosted by the local JACL chapter, which also tendered a luncheon for the guests.
• Its 10th Birthday: Placer County Attends Banquet Celebrating JACL Anniversary, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Placer County JACL chapter marked its tenth anniversary with a dinner and program at Newcastle Community Hall. State Senator Jerry Seawell spoke on citizenship as an ongoing civic duty.
• Japanese Lead for Great Chest Drive in San Francisco, by P.C. Staff, page 1. San Francisco’s Japanese community exceeded its Community Chest quota, subscribing 105 percent of its apportioned amount. The announcement was made at a luncheon at the St. Francis Hotel.
• Santa Clara Chapter Holds Unity Banquet, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Santa Clara JACL chapter, formed from the union of San Jose, Gilroy, and Mt. View chapters, celebrated its first anniversary with a banquet at Hotel de Anza. San Jose city manager Clarence Godwin was the guest of honor.
• Consul Ohta Going Back to Japan; His Successor Yoshida, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japanese consul Ichiro Ohta in Los Angeles is being transferred to Tokyo, and Kan Yoshida of Portland will succeed him. Yoshida is described as a relative of former South Manchuria Railways head Yosuke Matsuoka.
• Radio Broadcast in Bay Region by Young Folks Tells of JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A San Francisco radio interview featured eight young Japanese Americans discussing the second generation, the JACL, religious life, young women’s aspirations, and sports. The JACL was presented as the largest and most influential second-generation organization.
• Gardena Folk Ask Charter to Enter League as Chapter, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A group of young people in Gardena is organizing to apply for a JACL chapter charter. An officer election was planned for January 25.
• League in Sonoma Has Talent Night, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Sonoma County JACL held its first amateur talent night, drawing a large crowd and sixteen performers. Merchandise prizes were donated by local businesses.
• South California Elections Taking Place at Present, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Los Angeles JACL chapter elected Eiji Tanabe as president after a contested election, and several Southern California chapters announced new officers. A Long Beach group seeking a chapter charter also chose its leaders.
• Monterey Chapter Arranges for Ball Coming New Year’s, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Monterey Peninsula JACL chapter is planning an elaborate New Year’s ball, including a revival of the Jungle Dance. The chapter also reported a successful Christmas party held for charity.
• Reedley Chapter Celebrates Drive, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Reedley JACL held a social celebrating a recent membership drive, welcoming twelve new members. Entertainment and refreshments were provided by the committee.
• Dinner to Elders Given by Chapter in Orange County, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Orange County JACL hosted a fellowship dinner that brought together young and old members. Elders offered suggestions for the League, including greater voter registration and better use of the Japanese section of the papers.
• Seattle Leaguers Considering List for New Officers, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Seattle JACL chapter submitted a slate of candidates for its January election after a successful year. A membership drive was continued into January due to holiday activities.
• Community House for Idaho-Oregon, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A Japanese community hall serving eastern Oregon and southwest Idaho was dedicated in Ontario, Oregon, built with contributed labor and funds. A later gathering invited American neighbors to share the facility.
• Nomura to Guide Portland Chapter for Coming Year, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Howard Nomura was nominated for president of the Portland JACL chapter, alongside a slate of active second-generation members. Convention preparations for 1940 were discussed at the meeting.

JACL

• Bay People Raise Convention Funds, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The San Francisco JACL chapter launched a fundraising campaign for the 1939 Northern California District convention, with over $200 pledged at the first meeting. The chapter aims to raise about $2,000 before the July convention.
• Pres. Tsukamoto Sends Greetings; Duties Suggested, by Walter T. Tsukamoto, page 1. National President Walter Tsukamoto sent holiday greetings to chartered chapters and outlined administrative tasks due before the year’s end. He stressed prompt response to all League correspondence as a New Year’s resolution.
• Northwest Board Meets in January, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Northwest District Council will convene in Yakima on January 7 to review the past year and transfer duties to the incoming council. Plans include a spring census of second-generation Japanese Americans and preparations for the 1940 Portland convention.
• Record of League in 1938 Prepares Way to Progress, by Arthur Wonsetler, page 1. The JACL made notable progress in 1938, highlighted by the national convention in Los Angeles and the revision of the Constitution. Growing numbers of second-generation citizens increased civic participation and raised new challenges for the organization.
• League Outlook for 1939, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The editorial reviews 1938 achievements, including improved moral confidence and young people’s civic involvement, and looks forward to the 1939 district conventions. It credits the national convention and revised Constitution with consolidating the League’s machinery.
• National League Program, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The editorial previews the 1939 district conventions in Southern California, Northern California, and the Northwest and explains how the national board will coordinate with them. It frames the conventions as a test of the League’s cohesion.
• North California Council Session Minutes Offered, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Minutes of the November 6 Northern California District Council meeting in Alameda record committee reports, treasury figures, pin orders, and planning for the 1939 San Francisco convention. The council also discussed a February inaugural meeting in Monterey.
• North California Chapter Nominees Being Submitted, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Slates of candidates for officer positions were announced for several Northern California JACL chapters, including Sacramento, Fresno, Oakland, San Francisco, Reedley, and Salinas. Elections were scheduled for the coming weeks.

Commentary

• Wider Field for Young, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The editorial urges second-generation Japanese Americans to expand their participation in community life and to promote inter-racial and inter-group friendship. It argues that such efforts strengthen their own status as citizens.

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