1967: scholarships, fair housing and the Loving v. Virginia ruling

Vol. 64, No. 26, June 30, 1967. 12 pages. View this issue

Young scholars and community buildings filled the news this week. Fifty-two JACL chapters nominated high school graduates for the 1967 National Scholarship Program, and local chapters honored their own graduates. National JACL President Jerry Enomoto wrote about the Cortez Chapter’s new community building, and the Carnegie Corporation received the JACL Scroll of Appreciation for its support of the Japanese American Research Project at UCLA. Mike Masaoka traced JACL’s long fight against anti-miscegenation laws to the Supreme Court’s Loving v. Virginia decision.

Elsewhere, Elmer Ogawa and Ruth Kumata reported on fair housing: a referendum threatening Washington State’s new law, and a bill that appeared dead in Illinois. Columns by Bill Hosokawa, Saburo Kido, Yosh Hotta and K. Patrick Okura fill pages 3 and 4, and a look back at the July 2, 1942 paper closes the issue.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• Cortez Bldg, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. National JACL President Jerry Enomoto describes attending the dedication of a new community building built by the Cortez Chapter honoring local Issei pioneers. He also recounts visiting a golden anniversary celebration for relatives in Reedley and offers congratulations to community members.
• EDC Prepares for Enomoto Swing Tour, page 1. A detailed schedule has been arranged for National JACL President Jerry Enomoto’s mid-July visit to Washington, D.C., including meetings with officials, a State Department briefing, EDC council and youth meetings, and a banquet on WRA history. The visit will culminate with memorial services at Arlington National Cemetery honoring Nisei war dead.
• 52 Prep Scholars Bid for JACL Awards, page 1. Fifty-two JACL chapters nationwide nominated high school graduates for the 1967 National Scholarship Program, with judging criteria including scholastic achievement, activities, and financial need. A full list of nominees and their chapters was published, along with news of a Chicago committee reviewing graduate scholarship applications.
• Carnegie Corp.’s Senior Officials All Present to Receive National JACL Scroll, page 1. The JACL Scroll of Appreciation was presented to the Carnegie Corporation of New York in recognition of grants supporting the Japanese American Research Project at UCLA. Carnegie officials, including President Alan Pifer, expressed strong interest in the project and JACL’s mission, while JACL representatives traced the project’s history and impact.
• Tajiri Award, page 3. Yoko Rarick of Colorado Springs received the $250 Mile-Hi JACL Larry Tajiri memorial scholarship along with nine other community scholarships at an award banquet. Robert Kawano was named the chapter’s nominee for National JACL scholarships.

National

• Political Attitudes of Northwest Japanese Americans Under Study, page 1. A Portland study led by researcher Bunch surveyed 300 Japanese Americans about political attitudes, citizenship, language ability and voter registration. The survey found differences in language fluency and political party affiliation across Issei, Nisei and Sansei generations, with results to be compared internationally.
• Kuchel Supports Bilingual Act, page 1. Senator Thomas Kuchel testified in support of the Bilingual Education Act, arguing the U.S. has lagged in foreign language instruction and that bilingual ability should be seen as a national asset. He called for federal funding to address educational deficiencies for non-English speaking students.
• Inagaki Hospitalized, No Visitors Asked, page 1. Former national JACL president George Inagaki is recovering from a heart attack sustained in Washington, D.C. His physician has requested no visitors while he recuperates.
• Murayama’s Condition Reported Worsened, page 1. Pacific Citizen Japan correspondent Tamotsu Murayama suffered another heart attack while hospitalized in Tokyo, worsening his condition. He had recently returned from a world tour for the Japan Boy Scout Association.
• Maui Election Legal, Insists Hawaii AG, page 1. Hawaii’s Deputy Attorney General argued that a Maui judge misinterpreted the law when ruling a special election statute unconstitutional. Maui County is appealing the judge’s injunction that blocked the election for county chairmanship.
• Housing Law Referendum Bugs Washingtonians, by Elmer Ogawa, page 4. Washington State’s new anti-discrimination housing law faces a referendum challenge after opponents gathered signatures to put it to a popular vote. Legislators and the governor debate whether the mild law, which targets real estate brokers’ discrimination, will survive public opposition similar to failed referendums in Seattle and Tacoma.
• Fair Housing Bill in Illinois Appears Dead for This Session, by Ruth Kumata, page 4. Fair housing legislation has failed in Illinois this session despite Chicago JACL’s advocacy efforts, including testimony by Legislative Counsel Masaru Funai citing the WWII Japanese American incarceration as an argument for anti-discrimination protections. The piece includes Funai’s full statement to the Illinois Senate in support of Senate Bill 155.

Community

• CCDC Calls July 9 Session at Selma, page 1. The Central California District Council will hold its summer meeting July 9 in Selma under Governor James Kubota, with a fashion show committee also convening. Rep. Spark Matsunaga will speak at the upcoming December convention.
• Obon Festival, page 1. Florin Buddhist Church will hold its annual Obon Festival July 15-16 featuring games, Japanese food, teriyaki and Obon dances. The event is a community tradition at the church.
• West L.A. to Host PSWDC Quarterly, page 1. West Los Angeles JACL will host the Pacific Southwest District Council’s summer quarterly session on July 30. The date was moved up due to a crowded Southland social calendar in August.
• New Scholarship Offered in Spokane, page 1. The Spokane Japanese American community has established a new $400 Dr. George Yamamoto memorial scholarship for college students of Japanese ancestry from the area. The award will be based on need and scholastic ability.
• Seattle Membership Near All-Time High, page 1. Seattle JACL’s membership drive, led by chairman Tak Kubota, has brought the chapter close to its all-time membership record set in 1944. Chapter president Tom Iwata praised Kubota’s efforts and outlined current dues structures.
• JACL Assists Sansei on Project Pakistan, page 1. Paulette Watanabe, a UC Santa Barbara student, departed for Washington briefing ahead of her work with Project Pakistan, receiving financial support from the National JACL Youth Program. She will engage in work projects and cultural exchange with Pakistanis.
• Seattle JACL Cites 4 Prep Graduates, page 3. Seattle JACL recognized four local high school graduates for scholastic and citizenship achievements at its board meeting. Sally Sumida received the Rev. Emery E. Andrews scholarship as the top nominee.
• Fremont JACL Honors Local Area Graduates, page 3. Fremont JACL honored twelve local graduates at a dinner, with Tom Kitayama Jr. cited as outstanding scholar and receiving a $50 savings bond. Guest speaker Ronald Lambert urged graduates to have courage in their convictions.
• Sanger Hosts Area Graduates at Dinner, page 3. Sanger JACL hosted a steak barbecue honoring local graduates, with scholarships awarded including the Kanagawa Memorial scholarship to a Morishita family member. Many area students from Sanger, Reedley and Fresno schools were recognized.
• Seabrook JACL Honors Senior Citizen Kamikawa, Graduates at Installation, page 3. Seabrook JACL honored 85-year-old Issei pioneer Masauichi Kamikawa, whose son had accepted a Japanese government honor on his behalf, at its installation dinner. The event also recognized 35 graduates and installed new chapter officers under EDC Governor Kaz Horita.

In-Depth

• Influence of Nichiren and Sokagakkai in Modern Japan Topic of Research, page 1. Yuki Fuchigami, wife of past Portland JACL president Walter Fuchigami, is researching the Nichiren Buddhist sect’s influence on Japanese youth under a Ford Foundation grant. Her study at Rissho University in Tokyo examines how the sect addresses challenges from competing groups like Sokagakkai.

Commentary

• Anti Miscegenation, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Masaoka details the history of JACL’s decades-long involvement in fighting anti-miscegenation laws, culminating in the Supreme Court’s landmark Loving v. Virginia decision striking down bans on interracial marriage. He traces JACL’s litigation strategy from the 1948 California Perez case through various state efforts to the final victory in 1967.
• The Speaker’s Compliments, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa recounts witnessing Congressman Spark Matsunaga introduce friends to House Speaker John McCormack and Majority Leader Carl Albert, who both praised Matsunaga warmly. The column also details Matsunaga’s biography, from his humble beginnings in Hawaii through his WWII military service, law degree, and rise in Congress.
• The Rules of War, by Jeffrey Matsui, page 4. Matsui reflects on a TV news report showing a lieutenant in Vietnam ordering then rescinding an order to kill a wounded civilian once reporters appeared. He contrasts this with WWII newsreel memories of Japanese soldiers burning in caves, questioning whether white Americans could truly see Asian people as fellow human beings.
• First or New Look, by Alan Kumamoto, page 4. Kumamoto describes participating in a Whittier College symposium on Asian American race relations, noting how little the audience knew about Japanese, Chinese and Filipino communities. He discusses presenting demographic and historical context to dispel stereotypes.
• Mister President, by Yosh Hotta, page 4. Hotta muses on JACL communication styles and how forms of address reflect organizational hierarchy, drawing on an anecdote from touring a General Motors plant. He contrasts this with JACL’s own mix of informality and inverse snobbery toward recognition and titles.
• Some Fresh Figures on Discrimination, by K. Patrick Okura, page 4. Okura’s civil rights column presents statistics on poverty, housing, mental health, unemployment and welfare disproportionately affecting minority groups in America. He concludes that disadvantage in America has become fully integrated across racial lines, calling attention to systemic inequities.
• A Brief, Veiled Visit, by Harry K. Honda, page 4. The editor reflects on President Johnson’s heavily secured visit to Los Angeles amid anti-Vietnam War protests, questioning where free speech becomes abuse after police arrested demonstrators at the Century Plaza Hotel. He contrasts this with more orderly protests during earlier presidential visits to New York.
• A Lively Testimonial, by Harry K. Honda, page 4. The editor describes a warm farewell testimonial dinner for Father Clement hosted by Downtown Los Angeles JACL, including surprise presentations of the JACL sapphire pin and papal medals. Father Clement counseled JACLers on approaching people and growing membership before departing for a new assignment in Pennsylvania.
• Thank You, San Diego, by Harry K. Honda, page 4. The editor recounts attending a San Diego JACL event where colleague Jeffrey Matsui gave his first major speech on psychological differences between mainland and Hawaiian Japanese Americans. He humorously notes receiving luggage as a gift and a prime rib substitute at the banquet.
• Enryo Syndrome, by Clifford I. Uyeda, page 4. A letter writer criticizes Nisei leaders including Harry Kitano and Jerry Enomoto for mischaracterizing the enryo (self-restraint) trait as purely negative, arguing it should be understood as part of a balanced cultural heritage. He contends Nisei leaders are quick to criticize their own community but fail to defend it against unfair external criticism.
• Letter on Evacuation and the Enryo Syndrome, by Fred Hirasuna, page 4. Responding to a UCLA symposium on Japanese American incarceration, the writer reflects on reasons the community largely complied with evacuation orders, including deference to authority rooted in historical and cultural conditioning. He argues that today’s generation, with fewer Issei and more Americanized Nisei and Sansei, would likely resist such orders.
• Capital Punishment: A Dialogue, page 4. An unsigned commentary debates arguments for and against capital punishment, addressing deterrence, wrongful convictions, and protection of society from repeat offenders. The author concludes the death penalty should be retained but reserved for cases where the convicted poses an ongoing menace to society.

Incarceration & Redress

• Landing at the Wrong Airport, by Saburo Kido, page 3. Kido continues his travelogue describing an unexpected diversion of his flight to Nagoya instead of Tokyo due to fog, and the resulting logistical challenges with customs and lodging. He recounts the hospitality shown despite the late-night confusion and the thrill of riding Japan’s Shinkansen.
• 25 Years Ago in the Pacific Citizen, July 2, 1942, page 4. This historical retrospective recounts wartime news including evacuation orders, legal battles to strip Nisei of citizenship, Army praise for Nisei soldiers, and protests by Methodist and Congregational church groups against the mass evacuation as racial discrimination. It also notes the death of Henry S. Matsumoto, a naturalized citizen who died at Pinedale Assembly Center.

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