Mourning Officer Gary Murakami and a call to repeal the detention clause

Vol. 67, No. 12, September 20, 1968. 6 pages. View this issue

Angelenos mourned Officer Gary Wayne Murakami, a 29-year-old Sansei police officer shot and killed in the Crenshaw district on his first day of regular duty. County officials and community leaders honored him, and a trust fund was opened at the Sumitomo Bank of California’s Crenshaw office. Also on the front page, JACL National President Jerry Enomoto wrote about the NC-WNDC resolution calling for repeal of the Internal Security Act’s detention clause, crediting Bay Area chapters for pushing it. Rep. Spark Matsunaga’s proposal for a Department of Peace was also reported.

Elsewhere in these six pages, Mike Masaoka compared a B’nai B’rith convention with the recent JACL convention. Pamela Y. Shiroma’s essay looked at the JACL’s heritage, and Alan Kumamoto reported on the Sansei Concern conference. News from Hawaii covered Honolulu Mayor Neil Blaisdell’s House race and charges of bias in the National Guard. Plans for a 1969 emigrant centennial also appeared.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• Angelenos Mourn Death of Sansei Police Officer, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Officer Gary Wayne Murakami, a 29-year-old Sansei, was shot and killed in the Crenshaw district on his first day of regular duty. The gunman, Addison Cash, was later killed in a gun battle with police, and Murakami was honored by county officials and community leaders.
• Seeking 442nd Veteran, Heir to Fujiyama Property, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 6. Tokyo correspondent Murayama seeks Yukio Kaneda, a 442nd RCT veteran and former Palo Alto resident, who inherited land at the foot of Mt. Fuji from his late father. The property has been divided among five sons.

Commentary

• Detention Camp Repeal Resolution Marks Chapter Influence, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. JACL National President Jerry Enomoto praises the NC-WNDC resolution calling for repeal of the Internal Security Act’s detention clause. He credits Bay Area chapters for pushing the policy and warns that the fight will be difficult in the current climate.
• B’nai B’rith & JACL, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Masaoka compares the B’nai B’rith national convention in Washington with the recent JACL convention, noting similar concerns about cultural survival and recruiting young people. He draws parallels between the two organizations’ goals and challenges.
• Youth-Oriented Commentary on Generation Gap, by Harry K. Honda, page 6. The editorial discusses James Michener’s observations on the youth revolution against middle-class values, including hypocrisy, sex, education, Vietnam, and race. It concludes that Nisei and Sansei working together can help bridge the generation gap.
• JACL Heritage for the Future, by Pamela Y. Shiroma, page 6. This second-place essay argues that the JACL motto of better Americans in a greater America must be reinterpreted for each generation. The author urges the JACL to bridge racial and generational gaps through shared programs.
• Unwritten Code Helps Reduce Gun Play in Japan, by Jim Henry, page 6. Japan’s strict gun laws and an unwritten code between gangsters and police have kept gun deaths low compared to the US. Only police and Self-Defense Force members may own handguns.
• Letter on Issei Farm Labor Militancy, by Ray Okamura, page 6. Okamura recounts how Issei farm laborers organized collective bargaining in California agriculture from 1890 to 1907, becoming the highest-paid farm workers. Growers eventually replaced them with cheaper unorganized labor.
• Nude Protest and Media Influence, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Yoko Ono-style artist Yaoi Kusama staged nude protests in New York against atomic testing and Soviet actions in Czechoslovakia. The column connects the nude craze to broader cultural trends and media influence.
• Putting Me On, by Jeffrey Matsui, page 6. Matsui argues that claims Japanese American groups voluntarily stick to their own communities ignore the discrimination that isolates minorities. He compares the rationale used for Japanese communities to that used for Black communities.
• Yellow Wonder, by Alan Kumamoto, page 6. Kumamoto reports on a three-day Sansei Concern conference titled ‘Are You Yellow?’ that was renamed Oriental Concern. Participants found togetherness through song and campfire activities near Big Bear Lake.

Community

• Murakami Trust Fund Opened at Sumitomo Bank, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Sumitomo Bank of California’s Crenshaw office was designated depository for the Officer Murakami Trust Fund set up by Nisei civic leaders. Atty. Ed Kakita will coordinate contributions and sponsor acknowledgments.
• Replica of Katsura Detached Palace May Be Turned Over to San Mateo, by Charles McMurtry, AP, page 1. Yoshika Yamauchi, owner of a replica of the Katsura Detached Villa, may eventually donate it to the City of San Mateo. Built by Japanese craftsmen over 18 months, she hopes it will serve as a bridge of understanding.
• Spark and Patsy Face Stiff Opposition as Mayor Blaisdell Files for House Seat, by Allan Beekman, page 1. Honolulu Mayor Neil Blaisdell announced a last-minute run for one of Hawaii’s two House seats held by Patsy Mink and Spark Matsunaga. The article analyzes the political implications, including the Bishop Estate trustee appointment that went to Hung Wo Ching instead of Blaisdell.
• Assault Charge Against Kitayama Dismissed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Greeley jury found greenhouse owner Ray Kitayama innocent of assault charges brought by National Florist Workers Association president Lupe Briseno. The union had been striking the greenhouses since July 1 over wages and recognition.
• Key Kobayashi Serves as Voice of Japanese Champions, by Charles Lucas, page 2. Key Kobayashi, a former D.C. JACL chapter president, served as interpreter for the Wakayama Little League team that won the world title. He has served in this role for four years and describes the experience as rewarding.
• Blame TV for Youth Hang-ups, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Semanticist S.I. Hayakawa told the American Psychological Association that television has shaped youth expectations with simplistic portrayals of life. He argues that young people raised on TV struggle to relate to others and turn to escapes like LSD.
• History Project Manuscripts Due This Year-End, by P.C. Staff, page 3. JACL History Project chairman Shig Wakamatsu reported that Bill Hosokawa and Prof. Robert Wilson are writing books expected by year-end. The UCLA JARP has also gathered extensive survey data and archival materials.
• Hawaii National Guard Accused of Anti-Nisei Bias, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Delegates to Hawaii’s constitutional convention accused the Hawaii National Guard of discriminating against people of Japanese ancestry before and during World War II. Delegate Jack Mizuha, a 100th Battalion veteran, said nearly impossible to obtain a commission.
• Alien Can Work for State, Local Governments, by P.C. Staff, page 3. California abolished its 83-year-old law barring non-citizens from state and local government jobs through legislation by Assemblyman Alan Sieroty. Non-citizens who declare intent to become citizens are now eligible for public employment.
• Construction Award Made for Keiro Home, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Myers Bros. Construction received the contract to build Keiro Nursing Home, Los Angeles’ first privately owned nonprofit Oriental convalescent hospital. The 130-bed facility will offer traditional Oriental care and diets.
• Cleveland Event Draws 200 at 10th Annual Scholarship Dinner, by Sadie Yamane, page 4. Nearly 200 attended Cleveland JACL’s scholarship dinner honoring 20 high school graduates and two college graduates. Wendy Shiba was named the scholarship winner from a field of outstanding students.

Obituaries

• Fletcher Bowron, Former LA Mayor, Dies, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Former Los Angeles mayor Fletcher Bowron died Sept. 11 of an apparent heart attack. He was among the earliest public figures to publicly recant his wartime suspicion of Japanese Americans, as he stated at a 1946 testimonial honoring Nisei veterans.

National

• Matsunaga Calls for Department of Peace, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Spark Matsunaga introduced legislation to establish a U.S. Department of Peace with a Secretary of Peace in the cabinet. The department would consolidate agencies including the Peace Corps, AID, and the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency.
• Seattle Human Rights Commission Asks Extra Funds to Beef Up Investigations, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Seattle Human Relations Commission requested an emergency appropriation to hire investigators and a public information specialist. Director Phil Hayasaka also proposed raising the commission to a full city department with subpoena power.

Incarceration & Redress

• California Japanese to Celebrate Emigrant Centennial Next Year, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The 1969 centennial will commemorate the arrival of the Wakamatsu colonists at Gold Hill in El Dorado County. Plans include a January celebration at Coloma and a dedication of a historical plaque in May or June.

Sports

• Yamato Damashii Test for Paul Fuji, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Hawaiian-born junior welterweight champion Paul Fuji retracted his retirement announcement after Japanese weeklies criticized his demands for injury compensation. He returns to defend his title against press scrutiny.

Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.