Nisei and Sansei, a fair housing fight, and the 1942 evacuation remembered

Vol. 64, No. 21, May 26, 1967. 6 pages. View this issue

A rally at the Sacramento State Capitol, where JACL officials joined the effort to defeat Senate Bill 1, which would repeal the Rumford Fair Housing Act, led the news. A feature by Donald Kazama on a Seattle forum looked at how Nisei and Sansei differ, and Mike Masaoka paid tribute to outgoing Ambassador Ryuji Takeuchi. Bill Hosokawa described the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre near Toronto.

The World War II incarceration (often called internment) ran through the issue. UCLA Extension announced a one-day symposium on the 1942 evacuation for June 3, and the National Opinion Research Center was interviewing Nisei for the JACL-UCLA research project. Edwin McDowell told how Henry Takemori and his family spent years at Poston. Also inside: Rep. Spark Matsunaga, Sen. Daniel Inouye’s surgery, and a preview of the JACL convention in Chicago.

What’s in this issue

National

• JACL Officials Join Rally to Defeat Anti-Housing Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL officials joined a rally at the Sacramento State Capitol to oppose Senate Bill 1 that would repeal the Rumford Fair Housing Act. The bill had already passed the State Senate and was being considered by the Assembly Committee on Governmental Efficiency.
• Patsy and Spark Set Legislative History, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Reps. Patsy Mink and Spark Matsunaga of Hawaii became the first to use a new House rule allowing joint sponsorship of a bill beyond the 25 co-sponsor limit. The rule change allows House bills to have unlimited co-sponsors as the Senate does.
• A-Bomb Films Still Classified, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The United States may return a 46-minute film of Hiroshima’s aftermath to Japan if Japan requests it again, as the AEC and State Department withdrew objections. The Defense Department clearance is still required.

Community

• Gravestone of Watsonville’s 1st Issei Restored, by Fred Elta, page 1. The Watsonville JACL worked to locate records and restore the gravestone of the city’s first Japanese settler, which had disappeared from the Catholic cemetery. The cemetery board returned the original plot and funded a new gravestone, with a graveside service planned for Memorial Day.
• Phi Beta Kappa for Guyo, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mrs. Marion Tajiri, widow of Denver Post drama editor Larry Tajiri, was named to Phi Beta Kappa at the University of Colorado. She will graduate with a fine arts degree and plans to teach physically and mentally handicapped children.
• North Carolina Jr. High Students Hear Rep. Matsunaga Over Phone, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Spark Matsunaga spoke by special telephone hookup to a junior high school class in Charlotte, North Carolina, after a student requested Hawaii materials for a report. The principal reported the 490 students were delighted by the 20-minute talk.
• KRON-TV Documentary on Nikkei May 29, by P.C. Staff, page 1. KRON-TV’s ‘Assignment Four’ documentary ‘Kokoro’ (The Return) about Japanese Americans will air Monday, May 29 at 7 p.m. The National JACL and San Francisco JACL cooperated in producing the program.
• Doshisha Honored Educator Visiting U.S., by P.C. Staff, page 1. Alice Gwinn, the only woman ever awarded a Doctor of Divinity by Doshisha University, visited Hawaii before heading to California and Washington. She taught English at Doshisha Jr. High in Kyoto and during the war taught at the Minidoka WRA camp school.
• Honeymoon Express for Evacuation Brides Set, by P.C. Staff, page 1. About 25 Nisei couples who married hastily on the eve of Evacuation and spent their honeymoons in assembly centers are planning a bus trip to Las Vegas on June 2-4. The trip is organized by Mrs. George Kanegai and Mrs. Ken Ito.
• Nisei Attend League of Women Voters State Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Two Nisei, Mrs. Tak Kondo and Mrs. Don Kazama, attended the Washington State League of Women Voters convention in Seattle. The delegates set program priorities including environmental planning, state constitutional study, and tax structure.
• Calif. Voter Literacy Test Seen as Unconstitutional, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mexican American groups filed a lawsuit in Kern County Superior Court to invalidate California’s English literacy requirement for voters. The plaintiffs argue the requirement is discriminatory and the suit is backed by California Rural Legal Assistance.
• Exploratory Surgery for Inouye, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye underwent exploratory surgery at Walter Reed Army Hospital and doctors reported no malignancy was found. The mass at the root of his left lung was determined to be a chronic inflammation.

Incarceration & Redress

• One-Day UCLA Seminar to Probe 1942 Evacuation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. UCLA Extension will present an all-day symposium titled ‘It Didn’t Happen Here: The Japanese American Evacuation of 1942’ on June 3. Speakers include Harry Kitano, Roger Daniels, Judge Robert Kenney, and several Nisei community leaders.
• NORC Interviewers Compiling Nisei Historical Data, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National Opinion Research Center is conducting interviews of Nisei for the JACL-UCLA Japanese American Research Project, the second part of a three-generation study. Interviews take about two hours and all information will be kept confidential.
• Too Grateful to Be Bitter, by Edwin McDowell, page 2. Henry Takemori, a Japanese immigrant and Arizona correspondent for Japanese-language California dailies, was evacuated from Phoenix in 1942 after being forced to sell his grocery store cheaply. He and his family spent years at Poston before working as farm laborers after being released.

JACL

• CCDC Convention to Hear ‘Sparky’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Spark Matsunaga will be the keynote speaker at the Central California District Council convention in Fresno in December. James Shimasaki, national JACL first vice-president, is credited with securing the speaker.

Commentary

• Ambassador Takeuchi, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Mike Masaoka pays tribute to outgoing Japanese Ambassador Ryuji Takeuchi, who departed Washington after four years of service. Takeuchi praised the American people and Japanese Americans for their contributions to US-Japan relations.
• Canadian Memorial, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Bill Hosokawa describes the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre near Toronto, built by Japanese Canadians to memorialize the Issei pioneers. The centre was designed to be a cultural center open to all Canadians, reflecting the community’s post-war hopes for full participation.
• The Roots of Prejudice, by K. Patrick Okura, page 4. Okura summarizes a psychological paper on the origins of prejudice, distinguishing it from discrimination and describing common personality traits of prejudiced individuals. He argues that prejudices are typically learned before age six and urges parents to examine their child-rearing practices.
• Sensitive to Needs of Others, by Rev. Shigeo Tanabe, page 4. Rev. Tanabe reflects on the value of empathy in human relationships, drawing on Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ and a story about Tagore. He argues that understanding others’ hardships could improve relations among people.
• You Ought…, by Alan Kumamoto, page 5. The author describes efforts to find JACL-sponsored films about Japanese Americans for youth groups and identifies the WWII film ‘Go For Broke’ and the Western ‘Bad Day at Black Rock’ as available through a film rental service. He also raises questions about the best role of adult advisers for youth chapters.
• Opening Salvo: Chicago Convention Preview, by Ross Harano, page 5. Harano previews the 1967 JACL EDC-MDC Convention in Chicago, scheduled for September 1-4 at the Pick-Congress Hotel with the theme ‘A Quarter Century After.’ The article promises future columns detailing program and speakers.
• Kuroki’s Stand, by Paul J. Sakai, page 6. Lt. Col. Paul Sakai responds to a February speech by Mr. Kuroki about intermarriage and cultural heritage, disagreeing with the claim that intermarriage destroys Japanese culture. He defends the right to choose one’s mate and notes that Nisei continue to honor their parents’ cultural contributions.
• Amazing Accomplishments, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 6. Murayama profiles tireless JACL workers including Mike Masaoka, Dr. Terry Hayashi, and Dr. Henry Takahashi, recalling their roles in naturalization rights and early JACL financing. He also highlights Hoichi Kubo, a DSC recipient, joining the national staff.

Military & Veterans

• Episodes of Evacuation: Too Grateful to Be Bitter, by Edwin McDowell, page 2. Henry Takemori, a Japanese immigrant and Arizona correspondent for Japanese-language California dailies, was evacuated from Phoenix in 1942 after being forced to sell his grocery store cheaply. He and his family spent years at Poston before working as farm laborers after being released.

In-Depth

• On Focus: The Sansei and Nisei, by Donald Kazama, page 4. Kazama reports on a Seattle forum examining the personalities and behavior of Nisei and Sansei, featuring social psychologist Dr. Gerald Meredith. Studies comparing generations show Sansei becoming more Americanized but also more introverted and anxious than Caucasians.

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