Vol. 65, No. 9, September 1, 1967. 6 pages. View this issue
A crowd of 600 turned out at San Jose for the first official kickoff event of the 20th Biennial JACL national convention, and the six-page issue followed the run-up closely. Carolyn Uchiyama was chosen Miss 1968 National JACL Convention Queen, and youth leaders met to plan the 1968 Jr. JACL convention. Alan Kumamoto reported on the Jr. JACL’s $1,300 gift to a Peace Corps school fund and asked in his column whether the interim youth meetings were worthwhile. Mike Masaoka wrote on Congress and civil rights, and Jeffrey Matsui looked at Dr. Harry Kitano’s study of delinquency.
Other pages cover a Chicago plan to give 1,000 cherry trees to the city, a Seattle scholarship gift from Uhachi Tamesa, and a 1942 Kent, Washington class reunion. Bill Hosokawa described a restaurant in a Colorado mountain town, and Jim Henry wrote about the New Tokaido Line. Also inside: William Marutani’s report on civil rights work in Louisiana.
What’s in this issue
Community
- Convention Countdown, page 1. A crowd of 600 attended the first official kickoff event for the 20th Biennial JACL Convention at San Jose, featuring two youth bands. The event also included the coronation of Carolyn Uchiyama as Miss National JACL 1968.
- C. Uchiyama Chosen San Jose Confab Queen, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Carolyn Uchiyama of San Jose was selected Miss 1968 National JACL Convention Queen from seven candidates. Alene Yamamoto of Santa Clara was named first runnerup.
- Seven Chapter Candidates Bid for EDC-MDC Confab Queen Title, page 2. Seven young women were nominated by EDC and MDC chapters as candidates for queen of the 7th Biennial EDC-MDC Joint Convention in Chicago. Profiles describe their school activities, hobbies, and career goals.
- Cherry Tree Gift to Chicago OK’d by AJA Groups, page 2. Japanese Americans of Chicago will donate 1,000 cherry trees to the City of Chicago, with planting expected in spring 1968. A symbolic presentation will be made at the EDC-MDC JACL Convention banquet with Japanese Ambassador Takeso Shimoda speaking.
- Tamesa Gift Establishes Scholarship Memorial in Seattle, page 3. Seattle Issei Uhachi Tamesa donated $10,000 to the local JACL chapter, which will use the interest to fund two annual $250 scholarships. The column also remembers Albert Bonus, a longtime friend of Japanese Americans in Seattle who died after a fall.
- National Youth Commission Votes to Investigate Scholarship Foundation, page 4. The National Youth Commission voted to create a committee to study ways of increasing the number and amount of JACL youth scholarships. Other business included district youth commissioner roles, youth publication plans, and budget clarification.
- Youth Commissioners and Jr. JACL National Council Eye 1968 Parley, page 4. Youth delegates met in San Jose to plan the 1968 National Junior JACL convention, with housing secured in two San Jose State dormitories. Commissioners from all eight JACL district councils attended the sessions.
- CCDC Budgets $150 for Youth, page 5. The Central California District Council allocated $150 for its youth to use as it sees fit at the August meeting in Selma. The district now has youth groups in Fresno and Tulare County, with a third being organized in Reedley.
- Rexburg Jrs. Host IDYC Meet, by Lynda Yaguchi, page 5. The Intermountain District Youth Council held its quarterly meeting in Rexburg, Idaho, with chapter and district reports presented. The meeting also included a film discussion and a banquet with the local chapter.
- Jr. JACLers Welcome Scouts, page 5. Sacramento Jr. JACL members helped welcome 16 Japanese scouts returning from a world jamboree at the Sacramento Kaikan. The scouts were hosted by the Golden Empire Council before traveling on to Yosemite.
- Kotaro Sakai, 94, page 6. Kotaro Sakai, a pioneer flower grower who came to the United States in 1899, founded the Mikado Nursery in 1912. He helped found the California Flower Market and was survived by his children.
JACL
- Jr. JACL to Disburse $1,300 to Peace Corps School Fund, by Alan Kumamoto, page 1. The Jr. JACL National Youth Council unanimously approved disbursing $1,300 raised by over 30 chapters to the Peace Corps School Partnership Program. The money will be split between a direct $900 donation and a $400 joint effort with Parkway High School in St. Louis.
Commentary
- Dr. Kitano Study on Delinquency Published; Campaign Rhetoric Ignores Community Roots, by Jeffrey Matsui, page 2. Dr. Harry Kitano’s UCLA study compares delinquent and non-delinquent Japanese Americans and finds the low delinquency rate tied to intact, interdependent families and community institutions. The columnist warns that Sansei may reject these findings and that Hawaii’s rising juvenile crime suggests the community cannot be complacent.
- Congress and Civil Rights, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Congress recessed without passing civil rights legislation despite urban riots this summer, having passed only two civil rights bills in the House. The column breaks down the Administration civil rights bill by title and assesses prospects in the Senate committees.
- An Unlikely Place, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Frank and Lil Fujita left their Denver business to open a restaurant in the mountain town of Georgetown, Colorado. The column describes their small menu and the Oriental-influenced dishes they serve to skiers and summer visitors.
- Was It Worthwhile?, by Alan Kumamoto, page 4. Youth leaders reflect on the value of JACL’s interim national youth meetings, noting progress made since 1963 despite slow organizational pace. The column argues that these gatherings build the national Jr. JACL structure.
- Go, Go, Go!, by Yosh Hotta, page 4. The columnist reminisces about Nisei dances from earlier years and recounts attending a dance recently. He reflects on how the community’s social life has changed over time.
- Ye Editor’s Desk: A New Sphere—Noosphere, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial introduces the concept of the Noosphere, the thinking layer of the earth coined by Teilhard de Chardin, and argues that expanding educational opportunity through JACL scholarships is important. It urges JACL to broaden access to knowledge rather than favor a small elite.
National
- Civil Rights Is a Birthright: Negroes in Deep South Developing Own Leadership in Struggle for Equality, page 2. JACL legal counsel William Marutani reported to the NC-WNDC district council on his trips to Louisiana as a volunteer lawyer for Negroes. He observed that civil rights movements there are increasingly led by local Negroes, though legal compliance has not necessarily improved conditions.
- Citizen Leaguers Join Urban Coalition Convocation in Washington, page 2. Mike Masaoka attended the Emergency Convocation of the Urban Coalition in Washington, which adopted a statement of purpose calling for urban employment and reconstruction programs. Delegates reported that congressional leaders offered little encouragement.
In-Depth
- 100 Million Passengers Aboard New Tokaido Line Within 2 Years, by Jim Henry, page 3. The New Tokaido Line passed 100 million passengers in July, earning revenue that helps the debt-burdened Japanese National Railways. The column also criticizes new security announcements and a controversial added stop in rural Gifu Prefecture.
- Obesity, page 6. Hawaii doctors say many residents, including young Americans of Japanese ancestry, are suffering from obesity due to diets high in rice, candy, and fried foods. One doctor links the trend to complete Americanization of the islands.
Military & Veterans
- Nisei Classmates Reunite After Two Decades, page 3. Twenty-four Nisei from a Kent, Washington class of 1942 held a reunion, with Mrs. Hisako Sumita Hiranaka organizing the gathering. The article notes how the class members scattered after wartime evacuation.
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