1956
IMMIGRATION ACT
This act
permitted residents of the Asian Pacific Triangle to enter the United
States as quota immigrants, which resulted in heavy emigrations from Korea,
Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Indochina. Further
legislation after the war had created an immigration system that aided
family reunification and created preferences for immigrants with good
educational backgrounds.
1956
ALIEN
LAND LAWS REPEALED
California
repeals its alien land laws. Dalip Singh from the Imperial Valley, California,
is elected to Congress.
1956
KOREAN
ADOPTIONS
Harry
Holt, a resident of Oreswell, Oregon, returned from Korea with
eight Korean orphans, whom be adopted. He later established the Holt Adoption
Agency, which brought thousand of Korean
orphans to the United States.
1957
CHINESE
AMERICAN NOBEL PRIZE WINNERS
Chen
Ning Yang and Tsung Dao Lee win the Nobel Prize in Physics.
1957
IMMIGRATION
LAWS AMENDED
Immigration
and Nationality Law was amended to further limit the ability
for "aliens" (born in the US or naturalized) to become citizens of the US.
1957
ROY
T. NAKAZAWA KILLED IN CRASH (AFFECTED RICHIE VALENS)
In
a dream sequence that recurs throughout the 1987 movie "La Bamba," two
planes fly over a schoolyard where youths play basketball in slow motion.
The planes collide, explode and shower wreckage across the school and
neighborhood.Th e 1957
midair crash was the catalyst for new laws restricting test flights
over populated areas and for a new statewide school disaster plan. At
least one student developed an intense fear of flying after the accident:
15-year-old
Richard Steven Valenzuela, who soon became known as singing star Ritchie
Valens.
Valens
"wasn't even at school that day," recalled Bill Frazer, 63, of Mission
Hills, who was in the auditorium practicing for his ninth- grade graduation
when the planes hit. Valens was at his grandfather's funeral. Two years
later, Valens, Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson) died in
an Iowa plane crash. The event became known as "the day the music died"
in Don McLean's 1971 hit "American Pie."
DETAILS
On Jan. 31, 1957, a clear, crisp Thursday morning, twin Scorpion fighter
jets from Northrop's Palmdale facility engaged in routine "scissors interceptions"
— first one plane, then the other, served as a target to test radar equipment.
At
11:18 a.m., one moved into a wide turn 25,000 feet above the San Fernando
Valley. As it completed the turn, the jet slammed into the wing of a DC-7B
transport plane returning to Douglas Aircraft's Santa Monica plant on
a routine test run.
The
Scorpion burst into flames. The pilot, Roland Earl Owen, 35, of Palmdale,
went down with the jet in La Tuna Canyon; the radar operator, Curtiss
A. Adams, 27, parachuted to safety.
The
DC-7B pilot, William Carr, 36, of Pacific Palisades, struggled to control
the plane as it went into a dive and final spin. Copilot Archie R. Twitchell,
50, of Northridge transmitted the last radio message from the crippled
plane:
"Uncontrollable,
uncontrollable … midair collision…. We are going in…. We've had it, boys.
I told you we should have had chutes." A brief silence, then: "Say goodbye
to everybody."
The
remains of Carr, Twitchell and the other crew members — radio
operator Roy Nakazawa, 28, and flight engineer Waldo B. Adams, 42,
both of Los Angeles — were found in the fuselage, which smacked into the
ground at Pacoima Congregational Church, adjacent to the school. Part
of an engine crashed through the roof of the church auditorium, smashing
windows and destroying that building.
1959
PARDONS
FOR UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS
Confession
Program
pardons undocumented Chinese immigrants.
1959
HIRAM
FONG IS ELECTED TO THE U.S. SENATE
On
August 21, 1959 - Hiram becomes the first Asian Pacific American to be elected
to the United States Senate. His political
career spanned over thirty years and he retired in 1977.
At that time Fong
was already one of Hawaii's most prominent citizens and successful businessmen.
After graduating from McKinley High school and the University of Hawaii,
he
worked for several years to save money to attend Harvard Law School from
which he graduated in 1935. After working as a Honolulu deputy city attorney
and founding a law firm, Fong
won a seat in the Territorial House of Representatives in 1938 at the
age of 31. He went on to become a Speaker of the house who was popular
with both Democrats and Republicans.
During WWII, Fong
served as a judge advocate in the 7th Fighter Command of the 7th Air Force.
He
then founded numerous successful businesses. When Hawaii won statehood
in 1959, the 14-year veteran of the state legislature had little trouble
winning election to the U.S. Senate as a Republican. In 1964 he
became the first Asian American to seek the Republican party's nomination
as President of the United States. He
retired from the Senate in 1977 to return to running his business interests
Through the years he has received 11 honorary degrees and many other national
and international awards.
1959
ASIAN
AMERICAN POLITICIANS ARE ELECTED
Daniel Inouye & Spark
Matsunaga are elected to Congress from Hawaii. Inouye is the first congressman
of Japanese descent to be elected. Wilfred C. Tsukiyama becomes the first
Chief Justice of Hawaii's Supreme Court.
