Enomoto’s Minnesota visit and JACL’s civil rights role, 1968

Vol. 66, No. 6, February 9, 1968. 6 pages. View this issue

JACL National President Jerry Enomoto was the voice most heard in this six-page issue. His front-page column, “Minnesota Revisited,” recounted a return to the state where he had trained in the Army, for the Twin Cities Chapter installation dinner. A news story by Finlay Lewis reported his remarks there that America has far to go on equal treatment and that JACL must be more involved in civil rights. Inside, Enomoto answered member letters about widening the organization’s civil rights role, and Clifford I. Uyeda wrote in opposition to Frank Chuman’s fundraising proposal.

Also inside: a UCLA poll found 48 percent of Californians still approved of the wartime evacuation. Bill Hosokawa, Yosh Hotta, Roger Nikaido, Alan Kumamoto and Jeffrey Matsui contributed columns. Chapter news came from Salinas Valley, San Jose, Contra Costa and Imperial Valley, with a 25-years-ago item on the Nisei combat team.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Minnesota Revisited, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. JACL National President Jerry Enomoto recounts his return to Minnesota for the Twin Cities Chapter installation dinner and his visits with local members. He praises the chapter’s junior JACL group and the candid discussions he had with members about the organization’s future.
• Reflections in a Slanted Eye: The Sansei and the Establishment, by Roger Nikaido, page 2. Washington newsletter columnist Roger Nikaido reflects on the rising influence of younger leaders in national politics and the younger generation’s critique of the Establishment. He questions why many Sansei remain ethnically isolated and urges them to consider their heritage as they take part in JACL’s future.
• Where Are You From?, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Columnist Bill Hosokawa riffs on comedian Pat Cooper’s routine about Italian American families asking where a suitor is from. He notes that Nisei and Issei ask a similar question about prewar camp or home province.
• West Wind, by Yosh Hotta, page 4. Columnist Yosh Hotta comments on chapter installations, noting members’ acceptance of civil rights activity and the weight of leadership responsibility. He argues that good members produce great leaders.
• Let Them In, by Alan Kumamoto, page 4. Columnist Alan Kumamoto urges JACL to make its youth program a priority, noting that people under 25 are approaching half the nation’s population. He calls on older members to share leadership with younger Nisei and Sansei.
• Leap Year Thought, by Jeffrey Matsui, page 4. Columnist Jeffrey Matsui humorously examines married life and the varied advice he received about marriage. He concludes that one cannot foresee how a marriage will turn out and reflects on the Japanese custom of arranged marriage.
• Chuman’s Challenge, by Jerry Enomoto, page 6. National President Jerry Enomoto responds to member letters about broadening JACL’s civil rights role and reviewing restrictive constitutional language on political activity. He also addresses Frank Chuman’s proposal to raise $100 from members and urges districts and chapters to act.
• For What?, by Clifford I. Uyeda, page 6. Letter writer Clifford Uyeda criticizes Frank Chuman’s proposal to raise funds for civil rights as unimaginative and naive. He argues the idea was a grandstand play that would not be taken seriously.
• Enomoto: Women’s Auxiliary and Family Affair, by Jerry Enomoto, page 6. Jerry Enomoto encourages Women’s Auxiliaries to participate in the National Convention in San Jose and suggests they could form a national network. He also praises the Uyeda family for their volunteer roles on the convention board.

National

• Fight Against Racial Bias Still a Long Way to Go, Enomoto Says, by Finlay Lewis, page 1. Enomoto told a Minneapolis audience that America has far to go before equal treatment is achieved and that JACL must become more involved in civil rights. He recalled his own wartime internment and argued that the lessons of the camps still motivate the organization’s advocacy.

Community

• Imperial Valley to Host First PSWDC Quarterly Session Feb. 11, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Pacific Southwest District Council will hold its first quarterly session in Imperial Valley, with delegates from 24 chapters meeting at the Airport Inn. The agenda includes membership and youth reports and streamlined procedures for bringing issues to the district board first.
• Californians Polled; 48 Pct Still Approve Evacuation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. UCLA researcher Gene Levine reports that California opinion on wartime evacuation shifted from 2 percent opposed in 1942 to 52 percent opposed in 1967, though 48 percent still approve it. The polls also found attitudes toward Japanese Americans closely tracked views of Japan’s national policy.
• ‘Cooperative Education’ Urged as Role for JACLers, by P.C. Staff, page 1. William L. Taylor of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission urged Washington, D.C.-area JACL members to support cooperative education programs that bring together inner-city and suburban children. He drew comparisons between Japanese American and Black American historical experiences to explain the difficulties facing Negroes in urban slums.
• Solon Commends Exemplary Lives of Snake River and Boise Valley JACLers, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Oregon State Representative Robert Smith praised Japanese Americans at a joint Snake River Valley and Boise Valley JACL installation banquet in Ontario, Oregon. He cited their faith, integrity, and discipline as models for other minority groups.
• Contra Costa Slates Civil Rights Panel, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Contra Costa JACL will host a panel titled ‘What’s Ahead in Civil Rights’ on Feb. 17 in Richmond. Panelists will discuss school integration, open housing, employment, and the prospects for riots in Richmond.
• Sansei Protests Harlem Scolding, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A New York Times report described a Harlem teacher who punished a six-year-old by having him sit in a wastepaper basket, and she was transferred after parents complained. Sansei parent Suki Ports, a former school board member, argued the teacher should have been fired.
• Salinas Valley Chapter President Calls for Expansion of Activities, by Paul Tohiuit, page 3. Newly elected Salinas Valley JACL president Henry Hibino called for expanded chapter programs and activities at the installation dinner. The evening also honored outgoing president George Yamamoto and featured local officials.
• San Jose Installation Attended by 125 Persons, by Phil Matsumura, page 3. San Jose JACL’s annual installation drew 125 people to Kelley Park, where San Jose State president Robert Clark discussed campus disturbances. Attorney Frank Kasama, a former Tokyo legal scholar, gave the evening address.
• Sumitomo Marks 15th Year, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Sumitomo Bank of California celebrated its 15th anniversary, growing from two offices and $5 million in assets to eight offices and $186 million. President Isao Yamasaki credited staff loyalty and California customers for the bank’s record 1967 earnings.
• National JACL Credit Union 25th Anniversary Fete Best Ever, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Over 200 members and guests attended the National JACL Credit Union’s 25th annual meeting in Salt Lake City, which was described as the best yet. Original incorporators were recognized and officers were re-elected.

JACL

• JACL Oratorical Contestants Eye San Jose Finals, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The national JACL oratorical and essay contest will use the convention theme ‘JACL—Heritage for the Future,’ with contestants aged 16 to 21 competing first within district councils. Prizes include savings bonds, and the rules, timing, and judging criteria for the contest are outlined.

Obituaries

• Homage to Another Heart Donor, by Frank Kawakami, page 5. Kashu Mainichi guest columnist Kats Kunitsugu pays tribute to Reiko Kawakami, who helped found the Chuo Gakuen Japanese language school. He describes her as a model of Meiji-era strength who combined traditional virtues with an active, independent life.

Military & Veterans

• Nisei Combat Team Fills Quota; Nisei Volunteers Jam Draft Offices, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A 25-years-ago column reports that President Roosevelt endorsed reopening war service to Nisei and that the Army’s Nisei combat team filled its 1,500-man quota. Nisei volunteers reportedly overwhelmed draft offices in Hawaii.

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