San Francisco JACL turns 40, and a Senate vote on civil rights

Vol. 66, No. 9, March 1, 1968. 6 pages. View this issue

The San Francisco chapter’s 40th anniversary opened this six-page issue. National President Jerry Enomoto described the celebration at the House of Louie, where charter members were honored, led by wartime National President Sab Kido. Enomoto also wrote about support for Jr. JACL advisers and about a Los Angeles meeting on the draft reorganization proposal. Bill Hosokawa was billed as speaker for the National JACL Nisei Bowling Tournament banquet in Seattle, and a Berkeley medic, Pfc. Allan H. Harano, was reported killed in Vietnam.

Elsewhere, Roger Nikaido reported that the Senate fell seven votes short of cloture on the civil rights bill. Hosokawa’s feature told of Taki and Osaki, two Japanese men associated with William Gillette. Columns by Alan Kumamoto, Jeffrey Matsui, Yosh Hotta, Richard Gima and George Yoshinaga, plus a profile of dancer Yuriko by Joe Oyama, fill the later pages.

What’s in this issue

Community

• San Francisco Chapter Celebrates 40th Anniversary, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. National President Jerry Enomoto recounts the San Francisco JACL chapter’s 40th anniversary celebration at the House of Louie, honoring charter members including wartime National President Sab Kido. He extends congratulations to the reelected chapter president and the women’s auxiliary and Jr. JACL leaders.
• Hosokawa Billed as Speaker at National JACL Nisei Bowling Awards Banquet, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Denver Post associate editor Bill Hosokawa will speak at the awards banquet of the 22nd annual National JACL Nisei Bowling Tournament in Seattle on March 9. Tournament details and committee members are listed.
• Nisei Employers Note On-the-Job Training Program, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Los Angeles Oriental groups and employers met with the U.S. Department of Labor to discuss on-the-job training funded to develop semi-skilled workers. The Council of Oriental Organizations arranged the meeting.
• Seattle JACL Newsletter Survey on Central Area School Issue, by Dr. Minoru Masuda, page 3. Dr. Minoru Masuda reports that only 15 of about 630 Seattle JACL newsletter recipients returned a questionnaire on Central Area schools, with 14 favoring change. He calls the results uncertain and attributes the low response to apathy.
• San Francisco New Nihonmachi Awaits Formal Dedication, by P.C. Staff, page 3. San Francisco’s Japanese Cultural and Trade Center and related projects open at the end of March with a formal dedication planned. The complex includes the Miyako Hotel, Peace Plaza, the pagoda, shops, and restaurants.
• Youth Speaks: San Jose Jr. JACL Prepares for National Convention, by Robin Eto, page 5. Robin Eto invites readers to the 2nd Biennial National Jr. JACL Convention in San Jose in August. She describes the San Jose chapter’s activities, including the Shibui cultural show and recognition banquet.

JACL

• Youth Advisers Need Tools and Chapter Support, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. Enomoto praises the work of Jr. JACL advisers and notes National has been slow in providing them with manuals and guides. He urges chapters to appoint Jr. JACL liaisons to the chapter board and to give concrete support to youth advisers.
• Brainstorming on Reorganization Proposal, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. A Los Angeles meeting will discuss the draft reorganization proposal, giving every chapter time to evaluate it before district and national action at the Convention. The column also notes apathy shown by a Seattle chapter educational questionnaire response.

Military & Veterans

• Berkeley Sansei Medic Killed in Action, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Pfc. Allan H. Harano, a medical corpsman, was killed in Vietnam on Feb. 6 with only 20 days left in his tour. His mother recalls his last letter and the trip to Japan she had planned to take with him.

Commentary

• Civil Rights and the Senate, by Roger Nikaido, page 2. Nikaido reports that the Senate failed to invoke cloture on the civil rights bill, falling seven votes short of two-thirds. He quotes President Johnson and Senator Javits urging passage and notes the risk that the failure will fuel militancy.
• Blowin’ in the Wind, by Alan Kumamoto, page 4. Kumamoto reflects on America’s obsession with youth and offers a self-test for middle age drawn from a Newsweek article. He argues that middle age is a state of mind and that experience and values remain valuable.
• Nisei Dilemma, by Jeffrey Matsui, page 4. Matsui argues that the Nisei community’s reluctance to support dissenters reflects a desire to fit into the white establishment. He suggests this stance may leave the community vulnerable as it did during the Evacuation.
• South Africa, by Yosh Hotta, page 4. Hotta reports on Dr. David Stadiner’s account of apartheid-era South Africa, where Europeans prosper while blacks live in poverty. He notes that Japanese there are classified as a subgroup of the European race.
• More Race Riots, by Richard Gima, page 5. Gima reports psychiatrist Dr. Roy Menninger predicting more summer race riots due to the contrast between affluence and deprivation. He argues that youth can contribute to solutions.
• Back in the Saddle Again, by George Yoshinaga, page 6. Yoshinaga humorously compares a hospital stay to a Hollywood movie, with credits for the staff and the Blue Cross financing. He notes that fame in Hollywood is as important as fortune.

In-Depth

• Ghosts of Hadlyme: Two Japanese Associates of William Gillette, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa recounts the Japanese men Taki and Osaki, who were associated with actor William Gillette and buried in a Connecticut cemetery. He corrects popular myths about Gillette’s household and the castle.

Arts & Entertainment

• A Dancer’s Dancer, by Joe Oyama, page 5. Oyama profiles modern dancer Yuriko, who creates and performs works in New York and abroad. He describes her choreography and her return to performing after being a housewife.

Obituaries

• Roy T. Kurahara, 1923-1968, by Richard Akagi, page 6. Akagi remembers Roy Kurahara, a New York social work administrator in Harlem, who died of a heart attack in February at age 44. Co-workers praised his dynamic leadership and integrity.

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