Civil rights, the budget and the road to the San Jose convention

Vol. 67, No. 4, July 26, 1968. 6 pages. View this issue

JACL’s role in civil rights ran through the front page and beyond. National President Jerry Enomoto praised the Seattle chapter for debating issues of real weight, reported that the Midwest and Eastern District Councils had passed human rights resolutions, and asked whether JACL should speak out on poverty, the draft and Vietnam. Mike Masaoka wrote about a civil rights afternoon planned for the national convention in San Jose, and Yone Satoda laid out four steps to raise a $145,000 basic budget. Registration details for the Hyatt House headquarters appeared too.

Other columns turned to education and community life. Bill Hosokawa wrote about college costs and a year of study in Japan, Patrick Okura delivered an acceptance speech as Omaha Urban League president, and Harry K. Honda wrote about Little Tokyo redevelopment. Don Hayashi’s youth column took up the generation gap, and the final four candidates for Nisei of the Biennium were named.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• A Chapter Reflection, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. National President Jerry Enomoto praises the Seattle JACL Chapter for infusing new blood and avoiding a rubber-stamp approach, with motions debated on both sides. He encourages chapters to take up issues of immediate importance so they become viable forces in their communities.
• An Old Tune?, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. Enomoto argues that JACL should stop hiding behind a safe shield of non-involvement and speak out on issues such as human rights, poverty, the draft, and Vietnam. He compares JACL to the YMCA, which is launching direct involvement in inner-city problems, and urges the San Jose National Council to decide how committed the organization is.
• JACL & Civil Rights, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Masaoka argues that JACL has always been a civil rights organization and that the National JACL has recently been more active in civil rights than local chapters. He describes a planned Aug. 21 convention afternoon devoted to civil rights, with panels and buzz sessions and a proposed full-time civil rights staff worker.
• The High Cost of Education, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa describes the rising cost of attending the University of Colorado, estimating roughly $8,000 for four years of in-state tuition and living expenses and far more for non-residents. He questions how families afford it and wonders how campus activists justify spending on protests.
• Education Abroad, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa recounts two Caucasian high school graduates who spent a year in Japan through a Rotary exchange program, living with Japanese host families. Both returned with remarkable conversational Japanese, which he suggests cost their parents less than a year of college.
• What About It?, by Don Hayashi, page 4. Youth columnist Don Hayashi addresses the generation gap, arguing that stereotypes on both sides block communication. He suggests differing material values, idealism versus realism, and the divide between evacuees and postwar Nisei as causes, and calls for dialogue facilitated by JACL.
• Patrick Okura Acceptance Speech, by Patrick Okura, page 4. Omaha Urban League president Patrick Okura accepts the presidency by calling for urgent action on race relations, arguing that the fate of minority citizens is tied to the public order and American ideals. He urges unity among Black citizens and concerned white citizens and stresses concrete preventive programs over conflict.
• Stress Cooperation, Not Conflict, by Patrick Okura, page 4. Okura urges that the Urban League’s main goal should be helping people who want to do the right thing, focusing on jobs, housing, and education rather than marches. He describes his long career fighting discrimination as proof of his credentials.
• Editor’s Desk: Li’l Tokio Redevelopment, by Harry K. Honda, page 5. The editorial credits San Francisco’s new Japanese Cultural and Trade Center with reinvigorating the Little Tokyo Redevelopment Agency, whose new president Akira Kawasaki and planning chairman Tosh Terasawa spoke at the installation dinner. It discusses the planned widening of First Street and calls on JACL to help with full-time redevelopment efforts.
• San Jose Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The editorial urges delegates and boosters to finish travel, housing, and registration arrangements before the San Jose convention. It notes that the host chapter has prepared carefully and that the convention offers something for long-time members, first-timers, and youth.
• Japanese Tourist Will Be No. 1 in U.S.A. by 1975, by Jim Henry, page 6. Henry predicts Japanese visitors will become the largest group of foreign tourists to the United States within a decade, rising from 15th place in 1962 to fifth in 1966. He attributes the trend to the $500 per capita travel allowance that makes a U.S. vacation affordable.
• Sakura Script, by Jim Henry, page 6. This Tokyo column covers a new Supreme Court ruling holding those who serve alcohol to drivers liable for drunken-driving accidents, the strain on Japanese children from excessive study, and the decline of the traditional matchmaker. It also notes Japan’s high traffic death rate and the unprofitability of most pro baseball teams.
• JASC Comes of Age, by Lincoln Shimidzu, page 6. Lincoln Shimidzu, president of the Japanese American Service Committee, thanks Bill Hosokawa for a column about the Chicago agency. He describes JASC’s development into a leading senior citizens sheltered workshop and invites other communities to develop similar programs.
• Disadvantaged Nisei, by Fred Y. Hirasuna, page 6. Hirasuna criticizes critics who support the Cesar Chavez farm worker unionization effort without understanding farm economics, arguing unionized harvest strikes could ruin growers. He also defends the strawberry industry against Mexican imports and disputes Mike Masaoka’s position on import quotas.
• Guest Column: Future of Little Tokyo, by George Yoshinaga, page 6. Yoshinaga recalls his youth at the time of Evacuation and says he agrees with Chief Justice Warren’s refusal to apologize for his 1942 testimony about Nisei loyalty. He argues that the Nisei’s loyalty is now beyond question and that Edison Uno’s campaign should have happened in 1942.
• Sounding Board: A Good Trip, by Jeffrey Matsui, page 6. Matsui describes John Saito and Rev. Sayama organizing a bus tour for elderly Issei shut-ins from Little Tokyo to the Long Beach and Los Angeles harbor areas. The trip included a visit to Terminal Island, where some Issei saw the ocean for the first time in over 20 years.

JACL

• District Reflections: Midwest and Eastern District Councils Adopt Human Rights Resolutions, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. The Midwest and Eastern District Councils passed resolutions urging JACL to move actively into human and civil rights, including a $20,000 budget for a full-time civil rights staffer. Enomoto argues that chapters need program consultation and guidance to be effective.
• Hyatt House Designated Convention Headquarters; Pre-Register Now, by Phil Matsumura, page 1. The Hyatt House in San Jose is the headquarters for the forthcoming national JACL convention, offering 350 rooms, a garden patio, and dining and entertainment. Pre-registration by Aug. 1 for the six-event package deal costs $33, saving $7 over the post-deadline rate.
• Four Steps Outlined to Raise $145,000 JACL Basic Budget, by Yone Satoda, page 1. National Treasurer Yone Satoda outlines a four-step budget process for the San Jose convention, starting with determining a basic budget and negotiating each District Council’s share. He explains options for funding increases, including dues changes, new income sources, and reserve fund use.

Community

• Workshop, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. Enomoto describes speaking to a large group of Sacramento teachers in an Intergroup Relations workshop on Japanese Americans. A Sansei panel organized by Grace Kanai spoke articulately about their school experiences, and the session helped communicate beyond the superficial.
• Bill Enomoto Named to County Human Relations Commission, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The San Mateo County board of supervisors named William Enomoto, a nursery operator and former county board member, to the new county commission on human relations. The commission was split off from the former human resources commission.
• PSWDYC Youth to Beautify Headstart Project Play Area in San Fernando, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Over 60 Southern California Jr. JACL youth will spend a weekend service project at a San Fernando Valley Headstart center to confront poverty and racial inequality. Activities include a human relations workshop, painting and assembling playground equipment, and dinner with the Headstart children.
• Time Is Now for Young Adults to Assume Their Place in JACL and Nisei Participation in Community Life, by Tony Takikawa, page 1. Central California District Council vice-governor Tony Takikawa urges young adults aged 25-35 to become active in JACL, arguing that experienced leaders are tiring and need successors. He also calls on Nisei to take active roles in civic, charitable, political, and professional life in their communities.
• San Fernando Honors 6 Grads, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The San Fernando Valley JACL and Japanese American Community Center awarded scholarships to six graduating students at a July 4 community picnic. Certificates of merit were also presented to outstanding scholastic students.
• Sendai Festival in Riverside a Hit, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Riverside JACL’s Sendai Festival on July 11 drew large crowds despite 100-degree heat, featuring cultural performances, martial arts, and a teriyaki booth. Festival chairman Ed Mitoma said the city now knows the chapter has arrived.
• Sacramento JACL Names Seven Scholars, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Sacramento JACL scholarship committee announced seven 1968 merit scholarship recipients, led by the chapter’s national scholarship nominee Phyl Iwasaki. Awards included the Roy Kurosawa Memorial and Hiroshima Kenjikai scholarships.
• Japanese in California Centennial Group Set for ’69 Events, by P.C. Staff, page 3. JACL representatives met at Coloma to plan the 1969 centennial observance of the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Colony, the first Japanese settlement in mainland America. A historical plaque is planned and the Northern California-Western Nevada District Council will coordinate sponsors.
• PSWDYC Youth Service Project Summary, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Southern California youth planned a weekend service project at a Headstart center in the San Fernando Valley. Activities included a workshop with Mexican American youth, painting and assembling playground equipment, and a dinner with the children.

National

• Takeda Launches Bid for Congress, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Democrat Grayson Taketa launched his campaign for the 10th Congressional District seat against incumbent Rep. Charles Gubser. He criticized Gubser for opposing extension of the Renegotiation Board, which he said has saved taxpayers $2 billion in excess profits since 1951.
• Idaho Governor Seeks Log Ban to Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Idaho Gov. Don Samuelson asked that federal restrictions on log exports from the Pacific Northwest to Japan be extended to include his state. The federal government had previously required primary processing of most timber from federal forests in Oregon and Washington before export.

Military & Veterans

• Final 4 for Nisei of the Biennium Announced, by Kumeo Yoshinari, page 3. JACL announced the final four candidates for the Nisei of the Biennium award: William Marutani, Norman Mineta, Dr. Thomas Noguchi, and Bishop Kenryu Takashi Tsuji. Marutani is recognized for arguing a civil rights case before the Supreme Court and for volunteering in the South.

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