Vol. 66, No. 24, June 14, 1968. 6 pages. View this issue
JACL’s role in civil and human rights ran through this six-page issue. National president Jerry Enomoto wrote about a Memorial Day weekend meeting of officers and committeemen, where he argued that chapter service must be strengthened. The Chicago JACL adopted a human relations policy naming housing, employment and education as major concerns. The assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy drew an editorial urging JACL toward broader civic leadership, a first-person account by Alan Kumamoto of the panic at the Ambassador Hotel, and an editorial calling for gun control.
Also inside: Bill Hosokawa on a Denver reunion of 100th Battalion veterans with Congressman Spark Matsunaga, and Col. Thomas T. Sakamoto’s Memorial Day tribute to Nisei soldiers. Thirty-seven Nikkei won seats at Hawaii’s constitutional convention. Ellen Endo wrote about marijuana use among Sansei, and Jim Henry looked at Father’s Day in Japan.
What’s in this issue
JACL
- Planning, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. JACL national officers and committee members met over Memorial Day weekend to assess the organization’s involvement in civil and human rights and its future planning. The president argues that chapter service must be strengthened to keep JACL viable nationally.
Community
- Oriental Actors of America Seek More Roles in New York Show, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Oriental Actors of America picketed the City Center revival of The King and I to protest non-Orientals playing Oriental roles. Chairman Alvin Lum said the group also seeks broader roles beyond stereotypes and plans workshops and its own theater.
- Chicago JACL Issues Human Relations Policy, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Chicago JACL board adopted a human relations policy statement identifying housing, employment, and education as major concerns. The statement outlines programs and social action the Human Relations Committee will pursue.
- Green Power Opens Negro-Owned Supermarket in New York, by Jim Oyama, page 3. The Harlem River Consumer Cooperative opened a Negro-owned and operated supermarket in Harlem, financed largely by teenage share sales and business loans. The cooperative reflects the Green Power economic movement.
Commentary
- For a Better Day, by M.M., page 1. The editorial reflects on the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and the nation’s violence, noting his support for civil rights and Japanese Americans. It urges JACL to take a broader civic leadership role in pursuit of a better society.
- Reunion, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Congressman Spark Matsunaga spoke at a Denver Memorial Day service and reunited with local Nisei veterans of the 100th Battalion. Hosokawa recounts Matsunaga’s Korea trip and his remarks on democracy and protest.
- Nisei of the Biennium Awards Nominations Open, by Kumeo Yoshinari, page 4. The article explains the nomination process for the Nisei of the Biennium awards and extends the deadline to June 29, 1968. It also proposes a new award honoring Americans of Japanese ancestry who contribute to human betterment.
- Board Report on Idaho Falls Chapter Concerns, by Ron Yorota, page 4. The Intermountain District Governor reports that member complacency and youth migration threaten chapters and urges support for convention participation. He also favors hiring a district secretary and greater civil rights involvement.
- Nikkei Voice: Sansei Pot Smoking on the Increase, by Ellen Endo, page 5. The guest column examines rising marijuana use among Sansei youth, citing police reports and parental tendencies to provide plenty of money. It suggests that pushers target affluent Sansei and calls for more community action.
- Father’s Day in Japan, by Jim Henry, page 5. Jim Henry’s Sakura Script column describes Father’s Day in Japan, portraying postwar fathers as overworked and undervalued. He humorously contrasts the traditional authority of fathers with their diminished status today.
- Labor Discrimination, by Letters to the Editor, page 5. A reader disputes a PC article claiming labor-market discrimination against Japanese Americans, citing census data showing upward mobility. The letter argues cultural factors explain income differences among female groups.
- A Wave of Panic, by Alan Kumamoto, page 5. Kumamoto recounts the chaos at the Ambassador Hotel after Senator Robert Kennedy was shot on election night. He describes the panic, security response, and the rumors spreading through the crowd.
- Gun Control, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The editorial argues for stronger gun control, including registration and restrictions on mail-order sales, in light of recent assassinations. It criticizes the NRA’s influence in blocking reform.
National
- Hawaii Elects 37 Nikkei to Constitutional Convention, by Allan Beekman, page 1. Thirty-seven Nikkei were among the 82 delegates elected to Hawaii’s State Constitutional Convention. Several incumbent legislators were defeated in the race.
Incarceration & Redress
- Memorial Day Tribute Paid by Col. Sakamoto, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Col. Thomas T. Sakamoto, speaking at a Memorial Day service in San Bruno, honored Nisei soldiers and urged Japanese Americans to keep the gains won by their wartime heroism. He noted the changed attitude toward Japanese Americans since World War II.
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