The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1940-11-29

their heretofore almost completely
gregarious habits They weren't
the bewildered. wide-eyed immi-
grants anymore they found
themselves responsible heads Of
growing families The children
had to be educated the American
way" and thusly the stocisl mask
Of the Japanese immigrants was
removed revealing their true per
sonslity. And through personal
contact with the American public,
the walls Of suspicion gradually
fell away 10 the communities which
had come TO know the Japanese
people -.
Time marched on: The Niseis "a
term applied To US, the American
born sons and daughters Of the
Japanese immigrants - meaning
second generation" in the Jap
snese language were growing up,
distinguishing themselves at school
enthusiastically and in the sth-
letic field. And in the classrooms.
the youthful Nieses learned Of the
American Ideal" -.
Time marched on War clouds
lowered over the Far Eastern hori-
ron and finally broke. American
japanese relationship beea e
strained and again prejudice and
suspicious moyed threateningly
over the youthful Nisei world -
leaving US bewildered and deeper
ately clinginF to the American
Ideal" CLEANED In the classrooms
But the greater part of the Amer
lean public seemed TO forget that
Time had indeed marched on
that the present era was far
removed from the days when the
no speakee English immigrants
presented suspicious characters In
the community. National maya
zines such a. Liberty re-spsnned
the years and retrieved from
musty files the snti-JapAnese-in-
America material Of immigrant
days and tackled IL on TO the Amer
lean Eiseis and the now aging
remnant OF the original immigrant
stock. -.
international Crisis Worry
But still Time marched on in
spite OF the seemingly retrogress-
i've circumstances besetting the
Niseis a situation resulting from
the present international fIsre-ups.
We. the Niseis. have come into our
own and the present era marks
a significant change for the bet
ter I'VE hope). We have indeed
attained ma Jority and with IL have
come the realization that we have
got 10 make ourselves known"
locally AZ well a. nationally.
The national organization Of the
Japanese American Citizens league
came into being eleven years ago
with the slogan: Building To-
ward Responsible Citizenship"
Local chapter. have sprung up
wherever any sizeabls conoentra-
ton Of Nisei population occurred
until today there are fifty chap
ters covering the Pacific Coastal
and Intermountain regions The
National JACL convention At Port
land. held in the fan Of this year.
received national attention -cou-
pied by very favorable comments.
In the fall Of last year. that
touching article on the Slsela en-
titled Between Two Flags APP
peared In the Saturday Evening
Post Through the sympathetic
understanding Of IL author. Mag
mar White. the Siseis Of Los An
geles spoke 10 the Posts reading
public. Recently. the Life maya
zine generously introduced the
l. A Sissis in pictorial effect.
And In these gestures ~. realized
the answer 70 our pleas TO know
us' for what We really are
American citizens u japanese
parentsgs seeking relsss. from N.
qu.stion mark NJ pr.jadlosd sus-
picions reflected upon 10 =. q
group.
Know us" Campaign
Hsrssbouts. the PUysilup Valley
chapter ~ the Jspsnss. American
Citizens league 10 conducting a
know us' campaign II our ONn
ana very successfully through
the generous cooperation of The
Tines and other newspapers An
nuslly. the Valley chapter whose
membership 10 oomprlssd BY the
Nisei youth Of Fife. Firxood. Puy-
sliup. Sumner. Aidsrton. Orting
and yicinlties sponsor the highly
successful Csrniysl-Bazasr Al the
Fife high school auditorium.
From the city. from the valley
the general public has responded
in multitsdinous droyes. Annually
the attendance mark goes over the
one thousand mark - at times
fully one-third Of that crowd rep
r.senting an enthusiastic group Of
our American friends. And year
after year. the business firms Of
Tseons and IN. Valley contribute
generously toward us success