School Heads In Pledge On Return Of Japanese Pupils

SACRAMENTO (UP) - State educational administrators Saturday had pledged support in averting disturbances when children of Japanese ancestry return to California public schools.

The pledge was sent to Gov. Earl Warren by Walter F. Dexter, state superintendent of public instruction, following a conference attended by 125 district and county superintendents.

Some superintendents, however, expressed fear at the conference that there will be "trouble" in their communities when the Japanese return.

Howard J. Demeke, superintendent of schools at Niland, Imperial county, said feeling against the Japanese is high in that part of the state and he questioned whether a "problem" of greed and emotion can be solved on an intellectual basis."

Filipinos have acquired land formerly farmed by Japanese in northern Imperial valley, he said, and would be expected to resist attempts by Japanese to evict them.

On the other hand, Glenn Goodwill, Monterey city school superintendent, said there appeared to be no opposition in his community to the return of the Japanese.

Dexter pointed out that Japanese children are entitled to attend school under California law forbidding racial discrimination.

Meanwhile, the law enforcement advisory committee of the State War council met to discuss means of getting wide response to a plea for cooperation of California residents in the return of Japanese the committee issued after a meeting last month.

Vandyce Hamren, director of the State War council said the law enforcement committee planned to ask the state attorney general's office to distribute its cooperation statement to local police and sheriff's departments. The statement warned that any civil disturbances resulting from the return of Japanese might have an unfavorable effect on treatment of American soldiers in Japanese prison camps."

Source: Watsonville Register-Pajaronian , page 4
Date: 1945-01-08
Type: NEWS; DOCUMENT
Coverage: 1940s
Rights: Copyrighted by the Watsonville Register-Pajaronian. Reproduced by permission.
Identifier: LN-1945-01-08-1000

Collection

Citation

“School Heads In Pledge On Return Of Japanese Pupils.” Watsonville Register-Pajaronian , page 4. 1945-01-08. SCPL Local History. https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/items/show/134691. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.