Yen deposits at the Supreme Court and the intermarriage debate

Vol. 64, No. 7, February 17, 1967. 6 pages. View this issue

Two stories ran side by side in this six-page issue. The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on a plea by 4,100 Japanese Americans to recover bank savings seized in 1942 from the Yokohama Specie Bank, and the case carried the wartime evacuation with it. Intermarriage was the other subject: Ellen Endo reported on Ben Kuroki’s talk to the Pacific Southwest District Council, an editorial took up his remarks, and Bill Hosokawa wrote about an interracial engagement. Jerry Enomoto’s column asked what the answer to poverty and discrimination might be.

Also inside: the Maryland Senate voted 35 to 7 to repeal its law against interracial marriage. Installation dinners were covered for the Monterey, San Francisco and Salt Lake chapters, and Contra Costa planned a panel on Sansei teenagers. JACL ordered another 1,000 copies of Allan Bosworth’s America’s Concentration Camps. Columns by Joffray Matsui, Tom Shimasaki, Clifford Uyeda, Karl G. Yoneda and Mikie K. Yasui fill the later pages.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• What’s the Answer?, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. National JACL President Jerry Enomoto reflects on remarks by a speaker on poverty and discrimination, noting that people in ghettos often become discouraged by bureaucracy and bickering. He argues that discrimination should be fought on ethical and moral grounds, and that JACL should examine its own role in promoting change.
• JACL Orders Another 1,000 Bosworth Books, by P.C. Staff, page 1. National JACL placed a fourth order of 1,000 copies of Capt. Allan Bosworth’s America’s Concentration Camps. Copies are available to JACLers at a prepublication price of $5, and chapters may order bulk copies for schools and libraries.

Incarceration & Redress

• Evacuation Issue Looms in Yen Deposit Argument Before U.S. Supreme Court, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on a plea by 4,100 Japanese Americans to recover bank savings seized in 1942 from the Yokohama Specie Bank. The government argued the claimants slept on their rights, while the claimants’ attorney framed the case as a wrong done by the government during the evacuation.

Community

• Intermarriage Blast by Kuroki Surprises PSWDC, by Ellen Endo, page 1. World War II veteran Ben Kuroki told a Pacific Southwest District Council luncheon that Japanese Americans are losing their heritage through intermarriage, which drew surprised reactions. He also recounted postwar discrimination he faced and praised the Issei for their perseverance.
• Monterey Officers Installed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Monterey Peninsula JACL installed Dr. John Ishizuka as chapter president at its annual dinner. National JACL President Jerry Enomoto urged the organization to take a more active political stand on civil rights.
• Anti-Poverty Measures Too Late at Hunter’s Point, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Gene Orro of the Hunter’s Point Youth Opportunities Center told the San Francisco JACL installation dinner that most anti-poverty programs are too late and largely ineffective. He argued poverty is a way of life and that jobs or handouts alone will not solve the problems of ghetto communities.
• Utah Attorney General Joins JACL at Salt Lake Inaugural, by Alice Kasai, page 2. Utah Attorney General Phil Hansen spoke at the Salt Lake JACL installation dinner and praised Japanese Americans for their humility and self-reliance. Toshiyuki Kano was installed as the 1967 chapter president and announced his committee chairmen.
• Contra Costa to Air Sansei Teenage Problems, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Contra Costa JACL will hold a panel discussion on problems facing Sansei teenagers at the Richmond Free Methodist Church. Panelists include junior JACLers, teachers, and counselors who will address parental attitudes, grades, and Sansei identity.

National

• Maryland Senate Passes Anti-Miscegenation Repealer, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Maryland Senate voted 35 to 7 to repeal the state’s 300-year-old law against interracial marriage. Supporters noted that a postcard campaign opposing the bill appeared to be phony, with messages apparently originating from a single source.

Commentary

• Sino-Japanese Relations, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Bill Hosokawa reflects on an interracial engagement between a Sansei and a Chinese American and on the family dynamics surrounding intermarriage. He concludes that young people ultimately drive social change while parents eventually accept it.
• From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa notes that UC and state college tuition proposals may deter Nisei from pursuing higher education. He reports on Jerry Enomoto’s remarks at the Monterey Peninsula JACL installation.
• Sounding Board, by Joffray Matsui, page 4. Joffray Matsui answers frequently asked questions about the purpose, dues, and value of JACL membership. He argues that JACL serves Japanese Americans as both a fraternal and advocacy organization and that the dues are modest.
• Perspectives, by Tom Shimasaki, page 5. Tom Shimasaki responds to a prior column arguing that JACL is increasingly political and that civil rights cannot be fully separated from partisan politics. He cites Proposition 14 and the UC tuition issue as examples of when JACL rightly took positions.
• Less Partisan?, by Clifford Uyeda, page 6. Clifford Uyeda criticizes the JACL president’s column as overly partisan and defends the proposed university tuition as reasonable. He also argues that the firing of UC President Clark Kerr reflected taxpayer dissatisfaction.
• Issei History, by Karl G. Yoneda, page 6. Karl Yoneda corrects an earlier item by noting that Seinosuke Oishi graduated from the University of Oregon School of Medicine in 1895, before the doctor previously cited. He briefly recounts Oishi’s later political activities and execution in Japan.
• College Regent, by Mikie K. Yasui, page 6. Mikie Yasui corrects a caption identifying Paul Watanabe as the first Nisei college regent, noting that her husband Ray Yasui was appointed to the Oregon State Board of Higher Education in 1964. She describes the state system he serves on.

Military & Veterans

• Ben Kuroki, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This editorial recognizes Ben Kuroki, a WWII aerial gunner with 58 missions, and his recent address to the PSWDC. It discusses his remarks on intermarriage and his past dispute with JACL over a campaign leaflet.

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