Granada Pioneer, Vol. II, No. 48

              April   19,   1944_______________________PIONEER____________________Page 5
   NISEI
POTPOURRI
    by Roy   Yoshida 
ANOTHER LETTER
   Just recently an elder-
ly 75-year-old California
lady kindly wrote to me in
regards to my column. She
is one of those Californians
who refuses to be stampeded
by race mongers and alarm-
ists. 
   In this letter she de-
plores the intolerant at-
titude of her fellow Golden
State citizens and "rakes
them over the coals" for
their narrow-minded think-
ing. She minced no words
in expressing h e r true
feelings, she is certainly
a rarity among California
people.
   She writes: ''Speaking
about California laws. I
do not feel like I will care
to live here the short time
I expect to live if they
pass a law to"prohibit re-
turn of Japanese."
   The spirit of fair play
and tolerance still lives
in California and no amount
of insidious propaganda to
the  contrary can dim such
an  ideal.  But the sad
part  is that the evacuees
cannot progress very far
on ideals alone, it is in
their practice by the ma-
jority wherein lies our
salvation.   
   This  lady  goes  on t o
say:"--I feel I know quite
a lot about American-born
Japanese and I consider
most of them just as good
a Yankee as myself." It
would take a lot of nisei
to make one Yankee as good
as this California lady.
And it would be a privilege
indeed to try to live up
to her kind consideration
of us.
   BUT beyond the pale of
all this is the significant
fact that, if a Caucasian
lady will sit down  long
enough to pen such an at-
titude, the nature of in-
tolerance and bigotry aimed
at all things Japanese must
be high in California.
   And now comes the news
that five evacuee laborers
were ousted from a New Jer-
sey  farm recently on the
principle of racial dis-
crimination. The protest-
ing farmers went further
in setting up the machinery
to request the Government
to take New Jersey off the
WRA program. To which a
regional  WRA official re-
torted that the protest was
being caused by a few" stub-
born and ignorant people."
   Let us hope that these
few "stubborn and ignorant
people "will learn something
about tolerance from this
California lady arid change
the error of their ways.
Then the evacuees within
the relocation centers will
find new life and renewed
hope in resettlement.
BESSIE  TAKAYA  NAMED
’44  “ANNUAL  QUEEN”
   Vivacious Bessie Takaya, 5-foot-4 of stately beauty
and charm, was procalimed Amache high's "Annual Queen"
Saturday night at the Senior Ball in the high school
auditorium before a worshipful-looking audience that
surrounded the throne on the stage.
   Russell Yamaga, editor of the "Onlooker," which
sponsored the queen  contest, placed the crown on
beaming Miss Takaya's head and named her Queen Bessie,
Four winsome lassies who acted as attendants were;
Michiko Joe and Sandie Saito, seniors, and Jean Yama-
saki and Asano Kasai, juniors. George Hatamiya was
the crown bearer.
   "I'm so thrilled. It was a big surprise to me,"
stated the tall and lissome 17-year-old former LA Poly-
technic high co-ed, who was bubbling over with joy.
Miss Takaya , a "senior and a commercial student, plans
and hopes  to relocate upon graduation.  But she is
also resigned to the Fate
of working in some project
office before tackling a n
outside job.
   Incidentally,the Senior
Bell was a huge success
with some 150 couples danc-
ing to recordings by nation-
ally famous bands. Leonard
Yamasaki was the master of 
ceremonies with Tad  Ono,
general chairman.
		JOB
====OPPORTUNITIES===
   Ten box nailers, 80
cents hr start, 56 or more
hour week.  1 1/2 overtime,
can earn up to $1.50 hr if
skilled, Toledo.
   Six men for landscape
gardening and nursery work,
85 cents hr, 1 1/2 overtime,
N. Muskegan, Mich.
AMACHE   RED  CROSS  CHAPTER
PLEADS  TO   GIVE  GENEROUSLY
   A small booklet with
the red-and white cover, a
crimson cross on a field
of white, will be distrib-
uted by the block managers,
to each apartment in the
center.
   This booklet carries a
plea that should wring your
heart and loosen your purse-
strings, for it brings a
message from the RED   CROSS.
   	There is hardly a family
that does not have a loved
one in the service-husband,
son, or sweetheart.  One
alone for whom you would
do anything,give anything,
yet there is so little you
can do for him, and you
think, "If only I could be
sure of helping him when
he needs me most.”
   But you can be sure,
when you give to the RED
CROSS, you give to him.
   Wherever he may be sta-
Tioned…in camp or abroad,
In desert, in jungle or
Icy waste,  the  RED  CROSS
Is at his side.  Wherever
he is,wherever he may be...
he will never be out of
your reach.  For you give
to him when you give through
the RED CROSS.
   Your Amache  Red Cross
is striving,  doing its
utmost to give numerous
benefits, BUT… It  needs
your help.  Of course, you
will give again.
   BUT this year when the
need is greater than ever…
when, it's your own men we
serve ...This year dig deeper
than you have ever dug be-
fore, and be glad you can.
For remember, wherever HE
Is…The RED CROSS is at
his side,and the RED CROSS
is YOU!
   The Amache Red Cross
chapter gives special thanks
to the Silk Screen shop
for the great help and co-
operation shown them.
-Esther Takei