Vol. 66, No. 20, May 17, 1968. 6 pages. View this issue
Civil rights ran through this six-page issue. National president Jerry Enomoto wrote about a visit to the Progressive Westside Chapter and Congressman Spark Matsunaga’s convention address on riots and civil rights. Roger Nikaido compared the Poor People’s Campaign to the 1963 March on Washington. Russell Obana reflected on the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, and Harry K. Honda’s editorial endorsed a proposed National Act of Restitution to African Americans. Richard Halloran of the Washington Post described discrimination in Japan against the Burakumin, Koreans and Okinawans.
JACL news fills much of the rest. A May 26 service was planned at the Arlington gravesites of two Nisei soldiers, and four winners of the Japan Air Lines-JACL summer fellowship were named. Alan Kumamoto asked what comes next for the Junior JACL, and Phil Matsumura previewed the national convention in San Jose. An editorial also discussed Senator Daniel Inouye as a possible vice presidential candidate.
What’s in this issue
Commentary
- Perspective: Progressives, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. National president Jerry Enomoto recounts a visit to the Progressive Westside Chapter and praises its leadership and convention work. He also discusses Congressman Spark Matsunaga’s address on riots and civil rights delivered at the convention.
- Washington Newsletter: Poor People’s March, by Roger Nikaido, page 2. Roger Nikaido reports on the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s Poor People’s Campaign and compares it to the 1963 March on Washington, in which 35 JACL members participated. He argues the JACL Constitution should be amended to allow civil rights advocacy beyond its current limits.
- Whing Ding, by Jeffrey Matsui, page 4. Jeffrey Matsui recaps the 1000 Club Whing Ding and the Pacific Southwest District rally, highlighting chapter skits and Congressman Matsunaga’s speech. He praises the event’s enthusiasm and humor.
- Accent on Youth: What Next: Jr. JACL?, by Alan Kumamoto, page 4. Alan Kumamoto questions the direction of the Junior JACL and argues that the organization should give young members more responsibility. He suggests greater openness to youth initiative is needed.
- West Wind: Quiet, by Yosh Hotta, page 4. Yosh Hotta offers humorous observations on JACL mail handling and member involvement. He suggests marking important letters clearly so they are not overlooked.
- Washington Newsletter: Farm labor bill concerns, by P.C. Staff, page 4. JACL members in agriculture discussed HR 16014 with Congressman Matsunaga, opposing extension of NLRB jurisdiction to small farms. They warned that labor disputes during harvest could bankrupt growers.
- The Negro Bill of Rights, by Harry K. Honda, page 6. The editorial endorses a proposed National Act of Restitution to African Americans, citing precedent in the Japanese American Evacuation Claims Act. It argues that the nation must act on the principle of restitution for unjust harm.
- Ye Editor’s Desk: The Negro Bill of Rights, by Harry K. Honda, page 6. The editorial endorses a proposed National Act of Restitution to African Americans, citing precedent in the Japanese American Evacuation Claims Act. It argues that the nation must act on the principle of restitution for unjust harm.
- Inouye as Vice Presidential Possibility, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The editorial discusses Senator Daniel Inouye’s possible nomination as a vice presidential candidate and the significance for Japanese Americans. It notes his qualifications and the symbolic importance of such a nomination.
- Confab Corral: The Difference in a National Confab, by Phil Matsumura, page 6. Phil Matsumura describes the atmosphere of the national JACL convention in San Jose and previews the fashion show at St. Claire Hotel. He also encourages Detroit members to attend.
JACL
- JACL to commemorate historic Nisei event, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL will hold a May 26 pre-Memorial Day service at the Arlington gravesites of two Nisei soldiers reinterred twenty years earlier. A testimonial luncheon honoring Ira Shimasaki and participation in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier ceremony are also planned.
- Winners of JAL-JACL fellowship, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Four winners of the 1968 Japan Air Lines-JACL summer fellowship were announced: Anne Bacnik, Dianne Ooka, Rev. Isao Horinouchi, and Sophie Toriumi. They will study in Japan at Sophia University before touring the country.
- Eastern District calls June 22 meet as confab prelude, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Eastern District Governor Warren Watanabe has called a June 22 council session in Philadelphia as the district’s pre-convention caucus. Committee chairmen will present reports and junior JACLers will hold an oratorical contest.
National
- Two Views of Discrimination in Japan, by Richard Halloran, page 1. Washington Post correspondent Richard Halloran describes entrenched prejudice in Japan against the Burakumin, Koreans, Okinawans, and mixed-blood children. The piece is paired with a profile of Hideo Tonomura’s philosophy of absolute nondiscrimination.
Community
- ‘Open Housing’ Seals May Be JACL Promotion, by P.C. Staff, page 1. ECHO, an open housing group in Castro Valley, offers Open Housing seals for fund-raising by local organizations. The group has placed over 100 minority families in previously all-white neighborhoods of southern Alameda County.
- Dr. King Aftermath, by Russell Obana, page 4. Russell Obana reflects on the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King and asks why society keeps losing its great leaders. He argues that hope for change lies with the young, whose education must eliminate prejudice.
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