Stereotypes, a slur in the dictionary, and chapter news from a four-page 1961 issue

Vol. 53, No. 22, December 1, 1961. 4 pages. View this issue

Stereotyping was the thread running through the commentary of this four-page issue. Mike Masaoka’s Washington Newsletter argued that generalizations about other races and creeds distort judgment, and the editorial page returned to the subject with essays on probability and stereotypes and on the dictionary’s label for the term “Jap”. A news story reported that a Fresno instructor told a class of Nisei treachery after Pearl Harbor, and that JACL member Robert Kimura arranged a meeting that ended in an apology. Min Yasui of Denver was reelected chairman of the Mountain-Plains district, and National President Frank Chuman spoke at that convention.

Also inside: Jack Tsuharo’s notes on Premier Ikeda’s tour of South and Southeast Asia, Saburo Kido’s recollections of the 1940 Portland convention, and Elmer Ogawa’s call to repeal Washington’s alien land law. Page four carries chapter elections and installations, the Christmas Cheer fund, and a reader’s letter from Hawaii.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Min Yasui Voted Mountain-Plains Chairman Again, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Min Yasui of Denver was reelected District Chairman of the Mountain-Plains JACL Council at the regional convention held at the Cosmopolitan Hotel. Other officers were elected and installed at the convention banquet by National First Vice-President K. Patrick Okura.
• San Francisco Prepares for Dec. 31 Frolic, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The San Francisco JACL chapter is preparing year-end activities including a New Year’s Eve dance at the Whiz Club and nominations for 2962 officers. Membership campaign co-chairmen were also named.
• Central California DC Convention at Fresno Hacienda This Weekend, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Central California District Council convention opens with a no-host dinner and features national president Frank Chuman and keynote speaker William Hosokawa. The schedule includes golf, a talent show, business sessions, and an installation banquet.
• Placer County Treasurer Awarded JACL Silver Pin, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Harry Kawahata received the JACL Silver Pin for his work in Placer County JACL activities. The presentation was made during a chapter event.
• Utah JACLers Meet with San Francisco Diplomat, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Salt Lake JACLers attended a dinner welcoming Japanese Consul General Tozhio Yamanaka of San Francisco. He addressed the group on current problems affecting Japanese Americans.
• L.A. Issei Leaders Selected Advisers to Sumitomo Bank, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Two prominent Los Angeles Issei, Mikoshiba and Gongoro Nakamura, were named advisers to the Sumitomo Bank of California. The bank said their contributions to Japanese American community make their participation valuable.
• 10 U.S. Governors to Tour Japan in ’62, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Ten American governors will visit Japan for ten days beginning April 1, 1962, in a reciprocal exchange with Japanese governors. The plan was proposed by Hawaii Governor William F. Quinn.
• Christmas Cheer Passes Halfway Mark in Bid for $3,000, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Christmas Cheer donations reached $1,703.23, about 54 percent of the $3,000 goal with less than three weeks remaining. Local charity events including a benefit dance and bridge tournament were scheduled to raise funds.
• Sonoma County Keglers Lauded for Helping Retarded Children’s Fund, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A hidden handicap bowling tournament in Sonoma County raised funds for the Retarded Children’s program. Bowlers voluntarily postponed their league to enter the tournament as a group.
• Yule Treat Tomorrow for Eden Township Children, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Eden Township JACL will host a Christmas party for community children with a talent show and gifts from Santa Claus. Committee members were named for the event.
• Idaho Falls Installation, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Idaho Falls JACL installed new officers and heard state representative Orval Hansen call for amending the Idaho constitution to allow Oriental-ancestry citizens the right to vote. Ronnie Yokota of Pocatello served as installing officer.
• Fresno ALL Elects Dr. Frank Nishio, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Fresno American Loyalty League elected nine board members and Dr. Frank Nishio as president. Officers were chosen by mail ballot.
• Pioneer Issei Night Recognized Early Japanese Settlers, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Fresno ALL honored Issei in a recognition program that featured a souvenir booklet. The booklet acknowledged the sacrifices of early Japanese immigrants.
• Orange County Lists Eight for Six Board Posts, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Eight candidates were nominated to fill six vacancies on the Orange County JACL board of directors. Candidates included professionals and business owners.
• Parlier Auxiliary Elects Officers, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Joan Kobashi was elected chairman of the Parlier JACL Auxiliary for the coming year. Other officers were named to the cabinet.
• Elmer Kobashi Heads Selma JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Elmer Kobashi was elected president of the Selma JACL for 1962. Other officers were named and will be installed at the CCDC banquet.
• Tom Nakamura Heads Fowler JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Tom Tokio Nakamura will be installed as president of the Fowler JACL at the CCDC banquet. Other 1962 officers were also named.
• West L.A. Reveals Candidates for 1962, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Eight candidates were announced for six board vacancies in West Los Angeles JACL. New officers will be installed at a dinner-dance in January.
• UC Japanese Alumni Cite Dr. Togasaki and Dr. Takahashi, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The University of California Japanese Alumni Association honored Dr. Yoshiye Togasaki and Dr. William N. Takahashi for their service and academic achievement. Togasaki’s public health career and Takahashi’s plant virus research were highlighted.
• Sacramento Auxiliary, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Sacramento JACL Women’s Auxiliary planned a meeting to discuss draft bylaws and a membership drive. Details were brief.

Commentary

• Ye Editor’s Notes on Japan’s Asian Diplomacy, by Jack Tsuharo, page 1. The editor examines Premier Ikeda’s friendship tour of South and Southeast Asia and the U.S. interest in a balanced Asian power structure involving Japan and India-Pakistan. He argues that Japan and Korea should resolve their differences to strengthen regional cooperation against Communist expansion.
• Stereotyping Warps Judgment, by Mike Masaoka, page 1. Masaoka argues that stereotypes about other races and creeds distort judgment and that people must weigh facts rather than accept generalizations. He notes that stereotyped thinking robs people of true understanding and effectiveness.
• Congressman Gonzales Election, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The election of Henry B. Gonzales as the first Mexican American to Congress from Texas is hailed as a step forward for American democracy. The editorial links his election to the nation’s motto E Pluribus Unum and full participation of all ancestries in national life.
• Probability and Stereotypes, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The article argues that names, appearance, and nationality do not reliably predict character or criminality, yet people persistently rely on such stereotypes. It explains how type-casting distorts perception and urges readers to avoid generalizations about people.
• Use of ‘Jap’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The editorial notes that Merriam-Webster’s new unabridged dictionary labels the term ‘Jap’ as disparaging. It discusses dictionary usage and concludes that the term should be avoided out of courtesy to Japanese Americans.
• Washington Newsletter: Stereotyping Warps Judgment, by Mike Masaoka, page 1. Masaoka discusses how stereotyping distorts judgment about other races and nations and how JACL must weigh facts in its foreign relations analysis. He warns that stereotyped ideas rob people of understanding.
• Letter: How About ‘Buddhahead’?, by Cliff O. Uyeda, page 4. A San Francisco JACLer comments on the British use of the nickname ‘Jap’ and suggests alternative nicknames for Japanese. He concludes that using such terms is offensive and should be avoided.
• PC in Hawaii, by Allan Beekman, page 4. A Honolulu reader writes that Hawaii needs the Pacific Citizen because local papers omit important news. He cites the rescinded anti-fishing law as an example of civil rights gains that locals misunderstand.
• Alien Land Law Repeal a Must in 1962, by Elmer Ogawa, page 4. Ogawa urges a major JACL campaign to repeal Washington’s discriminatory alien land law in 1962, estimating the cost and arguing it is essential. He reports on voting patterns that show King County supported repeal.

National

• Fresno Teacher Heard Telling Class of Nisei Treachery After Pearl Harbor; JACLer Takes Immediate Remedial Action, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Two Sansei students reported that an instructor told a class that Nisei committed treachery after Pearl Harbor, and a JACL member, Robert Kimura, arranged a meeting that led the instructor to apologize. The chapter also asked members to report similar cases and noted a reported instructor using the term ‘Japs.’

JACL

• Chuman Urges Revival of Moral Principles to Strengthen America, by P.C. Staff, page 1. National JACL President Frank Chuman spoke at the Mountain-Plains district convention, arguing that revival of moral principles among Japanese Americans is necessary to strengthen American democracy. He stressed that military weapons alone cannot win uncommitted nations to America’s side.
• Living with JACL: 1940 Portland Convention, by Saburo Kido, page 4. Kido recalls debates at the 1940 Portland national convention over proportional chapter representation and the fraternal insurance program. He describes the financial arrangements and early organizational challenges.

Obituaries

• Cler Slated to Be Pasadena Chapter President Dies, by P.C. Staff, page 4. James H. Wakiji, 47, died November 22 after a lengthy illness. He had been Pasadena JACL membership chairman and had agreed to serve as chapter president in 1962.

Military & Veterans

• Nisei Star in NAIA Playoff, Linfield Wins, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Linfield College defeated opponents in the NAIA semifinal and advanced to the national championship. A Nisei player was among the standouts praised in the report.

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