Norman Mineta’s council seat and a Nisei milestone

Vol. 65, No. 14, October 6, 1967. 6 pages. View this issue

The appointment of San Jose civic leader Norman Mineta to the city council ran through this six-page issue. JACL National President Jerry Enomoto called it another milestone on the road toward full participation in American life, and the paper reported on the testimonial dinner where about 550 friends heard Judge Wayne Kanemoto praise the Issei heritage and the progress made since the forced removal of Japanese Americans in World War II. Mike Masaoka reprinted Whitney Young’s call to move from pledge to performance on civil rights.

Other pages follow a group of Japanese teachers touring Harlem, Rep. Spark Matsunaga’s bill on income tax relief for disabled workers, and the Chicago JACL credit union’s change to a federal charter. Columns include Bill Hosokawa on the Larry Tajiri Memorial awards, Ken Kuroiwa on a Pacific journey, Jeffrey Matsui on the play Mac Bird, and William Marutani on the Three Sacred Treasures.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Milestone, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. JACL National President Jerry Enomoto marks the appointment of San Jose civic leader Norman Mineta to the city council as another milestone in the Japanese American journey toward full participation in American life. He notes that over 500 people attended the September 20 celebration, showing the community’s regard for Mineta.
• Jr. JACL San Jose Man, page 1. A Jr. JACL column quotes President Winston Ashizawa on civil rights participation and the tension between Nisei and Sansei notions of dignity. Ashizawa argues that the organization should pursue human dignity rather than generational dignity.
• Up With People, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. The author describes a heartwarming performance by a group of prison inmates singing songs about brotherhood and racial peace at a California correctional institution. He reflects that such inspiring movements matter even in drab prison settings and that a reevaluation of values may be needed.
• Civil Rights Involvement, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Mike Masaoka reprints Whitney Young’s statement from the Emergency Convocation of The Urban Coalition, urging moving from pledge to performance on civil rights. Young argues that the government and white leadership, not Negro leaders, have failed the ghetto poor.
• Libraries, by Yosh Hotta, page 4. Columnist Yosh Hotta reflects on libraries as places of quiet thought and muses on the Sansei’s search for human worth beyond competition. He suggests that true greatness involves reflection rather than mere skill at overcoming others.
• Mac Bird, by Jeffrey Matsui, page 4. Jeffrey Matsui reviews the play Mac Bird, which applies Shakespeare’s Macbeth to explain Lyndon Johnson’s ascent to the presidency after a murder. He describes the satirical characters and the play’s mixed quality.
• Paradise Revisited, by Ken Kuroiwa, page 4. Ken Kuroiwa describes a journey from Honolulu through Wake Island and Guam, reflecting on the Pacific islands’ history of Western contact and the nuclear testing at Bikini and Eniwetok. He contrasts paradise imagery with the violence of that history.
• East Wind: Quantity or Quality, by William Marutani, page 6. William Marutani explains Japanese mythology surrounding the Sun Goddess Amaterasu and the Three Sacred Treasures of sword, mirror and jewels. He compares these myths to Western religious stories to argue against cultural condescension.
• Quantity or Quality, by Harry K. Honda, page 6. The editorial responds to Fran Wada’s open letter urging Seattle JACL to measure quality as well as membership quantity. It suggests developing program performance standards and reaffirms the importance of the human relations committee.
• Letter: Evacuation and Vietnam, by Donald Marts, page 6. Donald Marts writes that Harold Gordon improperly linked the wartime Evacuation to Dove opposition to the Vietnam war. He argues that liberals and conservatives alike supported Evacuation and that most Americans support the war.

Community

• Dayton JACL Japan tour in 1969 planned, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A preliminary survey shows 138 persons are interested in a Dayton JACL flight to Japan in 1969, according to chairman Mark Nakauchi. A majority also favored a two-day stopover in Hawaii.
• Chicago JACL credit union now Federal, by P.C. Staff, page 1. As of September 1 the Chicago JACL credit union became the Chicago JACL Federal Credit Union, allowing more flexible lending policies. The credit union has grown since 1947 to over $410,800 in assets and 530 members.
• Comeback of Japanese Americans since evacuation gilded by rise in politics, by P.C. Staff, page 1. About 550 friends attended a testimonial dinner in San Jose honoring newly appointed councilman Norman Y. Mineta. Speakers including Judge Wayne Kanemoto praised the Issei heritage and the progress of Japanese Americans since evacuation.
• American men marry Orientals because they’re not as nagging, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Psychiatrist Dr. John L. Schimel commented in an interview that some American men marry Oriental women because they lack the abrasive quality found in American women. He also argued that nagging wives often drive husbands toward nagging mistresses.
• JACL chapter’s tax status cleared, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Sacramento JACL passed a constitutional amendment dedicating chapter property irrevocably to charitable purposes, preserving its tax-exempt status. The chapter also held a beach party to celebrate its pancake breakfast success.
• MAPA asks Nisei quit OEO post, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Mexican American Political Association sought the immediate resignation of George Mochizuki as chairman of the Madera County anti-poverty committee. MAPA charged that poor conditions at his migrant labor camp showed he could not represent the poor.
• Nisei instructor seeks new math for students not going to college, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Math instructor Deni Y. Uejima of Gladstone High is developing a more practical math curriculum for juniors and seniors entering the labor market. He is surveying local employers to learn what math skills they actually need.
• Prog. Westside JACL giving Bosworth book, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Progressive Westside JACL chapter will donate copies of Capt. Allan Bosworth’s book America’s Concentration Camps to Los Angeles public libraries. The chapter also held a successful beach party at Playa del Rey.
• Tsukamoto Scholarship winner honored, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sheldon Tatsuno received a $250 Tsukamoto Scholarship check from National JACL President Jerry Enomoto during the NC-WNDC quarterly session hosted by San Jose JACL.

National

• Tax relief for disabled sought, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Spark Matsunaga introduced a bill providing disabled persons an income tax deduction of up to $600 for transportation to and from work. An estimated 300,000 disabled persons would qualify.
• Japan teachers tour Harlem, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A group of 40 Japanese teachers toured Harlem and were told by local anti-poverty official John H. Young that Negroes were hurt by Japan’s attitude toward Negro-Japanese war babies. The teachers promised to convey the message home.
• American soybeans popularized in Japan after 20-year effort, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 1. The American Soybean Association recognized Shizuka Hayashi for his 20 years of work introducing and popularizing American soybeans in Japan. After Manchurian sources closed, Hayashi guided Midwestern growers to supply the beans Japanese manufacturers needed.
• Anti-Oriental racism charged, by Atsuhiko Kawabata, page 1. New York correspondent Atsuhiko Kawabata wrote a letter to the New York Times charging that racism is an intrinsic part of American culture. He cited encounters in which he and a friend were called Chinese and insulted by a taxi driver and newspaper dealer.

In-Depth

• RCA develops 49-key electronic device to print Chinese words, by P.C. Staff, page 1. RCA delivered to the U.S. Army a typewriter-like machine that breaks Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters into basic brush strokes for printing. The device can produce up to 100 characters per minute from a computer memory drum holding 10,000 characters.

Military & Veterans

• Hawaii’s first Rhodes Scholar, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Warren M. Iwasa, Hawaii’s first Rhodes Scholar, returns to Oxford to study Japanese in preparation for writing about Japanese films. He hopes eventually to earn a doctorate in English and pursue college teaching.
• Senior Math course article on Japanese Americans in Military, page 3. Page 3 contains reprinted items from the 1967 issue including a Mother’s column and editorial matter. Skipped as placeholder content.

Incarceration & Redress

• Presentation of the Larrys, by Bill Hosokawa, page 2. The Third Annual Larry Tajiri Memorial Foundation awards banquet in Denver honored contributors to theater in the region. Columnist Bill Hosokawa recalls Tajiri’s brilliance as drama critic and the evening’s light-hearted tribute.

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