PAGE TWO
'.- . � ..<*.,�� ., ... �
THE NEW CANADIAN
, Jan. 17, 1951
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Published on Wednesday and Saturday of etch week
as a medium of expression and news outlet
anxxig those of Japanese origtft in Canada
Editor. ,' . ��'�'� : . �� ... Japanese Section KaUor
Takakai UmexukJ Ken Mori------___
Office Hoan: 8:3Q a,m.-'6;30 p.ni. Monday to Friday. 9:00 a.m.-12 noon, Saturday.
479 Queen St; W.''� FLaia 5005 � Toronto, Ont. Authorized as second class mail, Post Office- Drpt., Ottawa
Subscription, in Advance: $3.00 for fix months $6.00 per one year
Wednesday, Jan. 17, 1951
THEY DENY HAPPINESS
That our inimitfration laws discriminate against the people of the Orient by its lack of uniformity is a plain matter of fact. Aside from this, they are the root of frustration an.d distress in ninny Canadian homes by � forestalling the union of separated families because tlie members hap.p.cVto be of Asiatic origin.;
The racial inequity of our laws is preVenii'ng Canadian citizens the:right to live together with their families in panada. We can understand the: need of statutory regulation to control the influx of ne\v settlers to the country, but we cannot see why they should deny happiness to some of pur own citizens. : >
Surely our laws can be amended to conform with liumanitarian principles?' The';only requirement here is
that qur outdated immigration co<le be -made, more uniform. �
WE'RE ONLY ONE OF 700
When the government enumerators;complete the
census this siimnier,: the poinvlhtion of Canada wili
: prove to be somewhat over �14,OPQ^()C)0jioiv it was: dis-
'clpsod last-week by" ih.'c'' Bureau, of Statistiis officials
that;tlie :l^,000,OiQp figure has po\v b^en i-eached: This
�will be an increase of 2,5^
taken in 19-11, n^ivcord jump for/a ten^ear^ census ��'� period. � "..'�"-.�--�.:�'..^ ��"'�"""'-��;���'/'. :��' �"-'�'� �."��'.'
.- : It wil| also probably reveal that the number of ; persons of Japanese ancestry in Canada ;is not much niore than 2p,000. In the 1941 census, there were- a total .of 23il>19; persons of Japanese origin .whiclvAvould indicate a" decrease attributable to the postwar "repatriation" which sent -1.000 of them to Japan." Another likelihood is -.that -they will, be the only racial; group � whose '"numbers have declined since the 1941 cojint.
Ten years ago, the Japanese'/in. Canada, represented .2 per cent of live total Canadian population or one out of every 500 persons in Canada was of Japanese origin. Now taking the probable 1951 figures; the proportion lias diminished to one of epery 700.
How accurate those estimations are must await tlie :. decennial task of the census takers.
Editor, The New Canadian:
Concerning the item of rude behaviour at a recent Dance, and concerning especially the comments made by both yourself,� as | an individual, (since you did not j see fit to .write an editorial),! and by Ken Adachi in his rather I casual manner, I find wondering \vhat happened to the uncompromising vitality that used to be The New Canadian.
First let me explain myself to the..- younger'generation of Niseis, mid to tell them'what prerogative I have in writing like this. '�'..' ' -
For the 'past.'twenty/years I have been active off and on, der pending on my more personal duties, in the- affairs of the Nisei. Though lately 1 have withdrawn from closer participation in such affairs/ nevertheless I ain always interested in them. I am particularly interested in the younger people. It is they who \vill influence'' their even young-ei% brothers a;:d sisters. In the past', also, .1 .'have boen accused of being 'too damned I3ritislV for my o\vn good', and 'not: Japanese enough to understand the subtle-lies �"�'df;; �their behaviour', II is tru? that T Have never subscribed 'wholly to Japanese customs and traditions of behaviour, and. T admit I have been educated in-, .tobeing �, Canadian, if .that explains the 'Rritish' tag. Still,; this does not, exclude: me from understanding the Japanese with all t heir v'irt ues arid t heir rjii irks: and their; fa u 11 s.' - Indeed, : i t , i s fortunate that I am far enough from, yet. close enough to, -the /Japanese,'to "see and. understand them because the perspective 'is better. "'/ �' . -:.. : 'V.'.:
To return to ^visqi rudeness: That, is no. surprise at all,; for it is well-kiioWn that tlie .Japanese are at once .the/-'politest and. the �ruddst of. people. Neither was it a surprise!that there was- app'a-' rently ho public apology made to Lithe victims of our rudeness. There, may. have been a private one backstage offered in most embarrascd accents by whoever was the ehairriian of the sponsors of the dance. Jlut, the tameness of your � newspaper ^comment
'ack the spontaneity and the strength of their conviction*.
I am sure $9% of the people at the dance condemned the rudeness, yet they let it happen, and let it pass; they accepted a public insult offered - to their gues.t without making a move to balance it with a public apology. That is particularly Japanese. If someone, unable, to endure this reflection on the character of the Japanese, had got up to that platforiru->fast and had made: an immediate and public apology in the name of all the decent people there, he would have been labelled 'busy-body', 'impulsive', 'sewayaki', 'namaiki'. T h a t's what was needed: A public apology to counteract at once .the terrible bad taste of the public rudeness.
That was:not done, from all-accounts of the affair. Since that was the case, and sjrice the two newspapers chose to comment on'it, that comment should have been sharp and to the point. .There was rio need to apologize j for criticising, no need to sugar-! coat the slap. Adachi trailed off in his column comment .in such � a way as to nullify, completely 'his scorn. Takata Wrapped his criticism so well \vith sugar that it is '.'hardly.-., visible. Thus you hope to keep the paper a vital leader/? . ''. ; '�'�,;.
Yes, the rudeness, needed to be Jc<mdemned forcefully, but what needed emphasis, and. that emphasis is lacking in both papers, was that the. 99% who ->yero': quiet, orderly, .and decent, acquiesced in the rudeness by their sijence .... all right, their eiyibarrased and condemnatory silence, , ... but! silence just the same. "'What needed to be emphasized was that the 99% did not seem to have one spontaneous representative . to speak for .them.- '~~-�. �..,.' . ." '�- ".-��
Have we .been so throughly trained .into.-.silence,' into accepting all tl^at happens to us that we make": no. move at all to i counteract the / bad effects of | just such things that reflect on i us as- a - people ? Are we afraid �to voice our honest opinions ; just in.', case' they don't
are to be mt the mercy of our fault*. }u*t because we are so modest as to he�tate to act vigorously in anything?
Certainly, slap down that IV rudeness, deplore it, keep your fingers crossed that it might not happen again .. . . but most of all, weep for that 99% silence. Weep for our negative virtues! I doubt if a comparative group of Japanese in Japan would be as negative when the honor of the whole was touched in such a fashion. If we are to be real people, proud of our Japanese ancestry, determined to make good as Canadians, we have to be positive in our deeds as well as in our aspirations.
Actions, good or bad, speak lo.uder than intentions.
T. Muriel Kitagawa, Toronto
[.Editor, The New Canadian:
In reference; to reproduction of "Mako" by Taro Yashima in your .admirable Christmas number, it is powerful and Ufe-like. But why choose painting so unfjii-; is he'd _ to show TIO features even? May I, for one, beg you to favor us, some time, .with one of �Mr. Densaku Kondo's 'splendid works ? A friend gave me the translation of an article about h'ini.' in NC some :tinie ago and was so pleased to: learn he is "going strong" in Toronto.
Or give jus a strip of Roy Mi-yashita's irresistable "funnies". Lbokirig back oh those I've seen exhibited here and in Ne\^ Denver in 1944y with Mr. JCoiido, Mr. Shimizu, W. P. Westx>n A, R. C. A., and the >yriter>s feeble efforts, I find my face .cracking into a.grin of happy recollection. I often won8er why there isn't a Fine Arts Club or Society among you. There -is talent enough and of the highest order. ; A. P. Allensbrook, Kasio, B. 0.
THE W E E KIY
: Bv TQYO TAKATA
ACKNOAVLKDG KM K.\ TS The New Canadian acknow-ItSdges with thanks jrenerous donations from tb? folUminit:
Mr. Masuji K.o?ulo.-Toronto, t; :� memory of late father.
Mrs. Yo>h::) > I'yer.ohu. Har.v!-- ton. i!i memo� y of hor lato ;r.is-band '(-�Vkh av.nivorsflry'i.-
Mr5. Uo I'tia. -Toront.v-
Mrs.. .Tomi.'Okuni. Toror.tc. r. rr.arriage �>f dau.ch't r.
Mr. K. Harjulx Tor;-;i: >. ^r Tv.arnage of s��n.
Mr. and Mr*. W.u:v. S.ik.- � to. lVa'd.Ve. Al:r. . r. :h r --. v -
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Mr. and Mr*. Ts,;iw-i;r'� Yr�-"
. Toronto.
Shotaro ilij-;it>ir. "St:. \<. On:., on �ti:r.;ght it ion. ' . ,-� .
r. Sasak^ Kay.rr^:-vi. -A-i
Mr-. u-uiM^.'S; Ka ;,u ;-. \,\v
' Mr. T. K.V:M. M�;-.":,! fc'y.'M.-. ^^r'^ ::-ar::a^t-.
^ T.' ^Jc--var-a. K, - ;.,
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Mr. aaJ >!r>. T : :? nu\ fcrth cf s^r
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re was a letter, ta the e'di-[article to it? rightful owner be-�>r in one of Toronto's dailies ; cau^e of the regard and will not tvently that eaucrht 'our 5earch-_ro*urn it otlienvise. And to put ig glance; So we-clipped, it for .the �'finding and returning of t. column topic. m^nJnced valuable on a cohimis-
The writer to;1.- of ;r lady v.-:io s:< :i !ias;-> aiul to consider it an t- found ."�4.5^c. in" a bu'tu-r carton -inoor.tivo to..hnr:f-5ty is an affrnnt in a ,c:-:5;n ?t<^ro a:v.i c^?n;r.vnd.< -.-:o ,i!v>.-�:.� who aro --scrupulously ! hor t*>r her irtecrri'y; . Then- ho h: y-^-J te^ptat'ion. " . �"'-.'.-ays that *ho reycived on'y .i'2'^t r->r:r:i!:!y. we bf-lteve. 'in .re-i reward for her hor.rsty,. ;-iv^.nls. r^t a> an act�-of' obliga--
�::o< � f-./rrhor. "T-:T>rt~ is ..''.^-.* "r statutory cor^puI^Srvn. but --!;]:r.:-'- c.'i:^:r:--:: .of-E-> .-:i.s a."i.;f: of appreciation from re :hc-" f!r.vi� r'i^ ^r-iitrrri ."he. <-vnv-r t-� fho fTnder. H^w r coTir.^f th ^ v.v::o "i. -.'.^r. :: should be L- the matter >':t-." ����r <\i*'r. f-ur.-.i. 1 :" ;r �!.- f '.r:>->-T to"-judge! and the i: - :V;!r t v h, th *ho v:/:,- >f *h rrC'^verr?d property "�"7 a~vi :v- f:*vVr ar.^ rr-/ :;r- '��;��: :*..�.; h�- thf- or.!y dctermin-.aiTv.' pv>p^*i ;.' h�� r*r>rr*5t." "- fa%' >r a> thi? writer would
Sh-v_;"fJ th'~T:' Vv a prico tsg r. > -.^.I'rst. v..--'-r-~:y ? \Vf can": .*<���-� <i --"'.i- 1* :< f o^ur*o only i�f�p^r sr.�-J **r,'f- ^a>;^ p:3<*f-�1'��:: -��"uo: ' "��' *r.-r <'rrcr ?hr>u!d conpen-arA .-in h-nes: por?"n rortair.ly i-'l--f> "h^ findf-r and we would >r.'t. Th^ one ^h '*!! rvturr; a !'"?t (i~'~*i?'J m &.~. o\
Editor, The Xew Canadian:
/The Alberta JCCA has long been on a, poor financial basis Avhich choked the ^efforts of those who knew there was work' to be done. However: the success of ,th e Booster Drive which spanned an extensive period, of the past seven months has nou-Placed the Provincial Chapter^on a. more workable financial footing./During those .seven- months a few. toiled diligently for the sske of "the many. : . :
May I take the inedium of this paper to -thank sincerely all <hose who actively participated .;n tho. Alberta JCCA Booster Hrivo. .Special thanks go to'those--who spearheaded the Drivr-, the mpmb-rs of :tfie Hnance 'Com--mrttec�chairman- Yuki To'�'=y?-mn. Ho>> Xishikawa, Duke Os; -�. Jack Fujimagari�a.d t Looa! Chapter Finance Drive -Doctor:;�Muneo TaJceda of Rayrnond - JCCA, Tak Oga of L^thhrliige xfrrth JCCA< p h
-V:.<=h;ka^a of Lethbridge- JCCA.. HuJc^ o?hiro of Coatdale JCCA. I ^ack Fuj^agari of Taber JCCA. Shojj Yamauch: of Edn-rT JCCA.
T^ the Ontario JCCA. ihe JCCA, and the ManJiohs
Finanre Drive I thanks.
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