A campaign to repeal the Emergency Detention Act, 1968 election and a slur

Vol. 67, No. 19, November 8, 1968. 6 pages. View this issue

JACL’s call to repeal Title II of the 1950 Internal Security Act, the Emergency Detention Act, led the news. Chapters were asked to name local contacts for the National Ad Hoc Committee, and Sen. Daniel K. Inouye told San Francisco JACL representatives that he opposed any law providing detention camps. National President Jerry Enomoto’s column asked whether Jr. JACL encourages self-segregation, and Mike Masaoka looked back on the 1968 election campaigns.

A cluster of columns and letters on page 6 took up Governor Agnew’s use of the word Jap, from James T. Araki, Wm. Nosaka and Murray Sprung. Bill Hosokawa praised S.I. Hayakawa’s guide to synonyms, and Akira Sano reported on segregated schools for migrant workers’ children in the South. Alan Kumamoto and Jeffrey Matsui wrote about youth and community responsibility. News items covered Mike Masaoka’s honor from Japan and a Medal of Honor presented to a Tacoma widow.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Dr. Togasaki Recovering After Surgery, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. George Kiyoshi Togasaki, Rotary International president and recent JACL award recipient, is recuperating from surgery at his sister’s home in San Francisco. The author describes him as a pioneer Nisei and symbol of Japanese American success, wishing him a rapid recovery.
• More Immigrants from Asia May Generate Ill Will, page 1. A Long Beach school teacher warns that liberalized immigration laws allowing more Asians into the U.S. could provoke resentment among Americans, drawing parallels to 19th century anti-Chinese sentiment in California. She notes that Asian communities have since united and that younger generations now understand American laws and customs.
• Pasadena to Host PSWDC Chapter Clinic Nov. 16-17, page 1. The Pasadena JACL will host the fourth quarterly PSWDC session and chapter clinic at the Sheraton-Huntington Hotel. The schedule includes youth meetings, business sessions, and a chapter clinic on Sunday.
• L.A. City Abandons Golf Complex Plan Designed by Nisei, page 1. The Los Angeles Recreation and Park Commission voted to abandon a proposed $4 million golf complex and terminate the $302,000 design contract awarded to Umemoto-Perkinson Associates. The Los Angeles Times investigation had raised questions about the firm’s qualifications and its connection to a commissioner.
• San Francisco JACL Dec. 31 Gala Priced, page 1. San Francisco JACL announced ticket prices and reservation details for its New Year’s Eve dinner-dance. Tickets for the dance will be available at the door, with reserved seating available ahead of time.
• Pharmacist Earns Distinguished Employee Award, page 3. Kazuko Matsumoto, staff pharmacist at Memorial Hospital of Long Beach, won the hospital’s Distinguished Employee Award for pharmacy improvements saving $5,000 annually. She is also recognized for serving Japanese patients and seamen.
• Chicago Designer Plays Key Role in Political Identity, page 3. Chicago graphic designer Mas Nakagawa designed the visual campaign identity for Senator Everett Dirksen’s re-election, applying corporate identity principles across billboards, buttons, and literature. He emphasized that the best design solutions are often the most obvious ones.
• Formation of Jr. JACL Revitalizes Parent Chapter in Gardena Valley, page 4. The Gardena Valley JACL launched an Operation Youth fund drive alongside its newly formed Junior JACL, with planned activities including dinners, service projects, and a membership drive. The Chantes girls’ club will also hold a public dance.

Commentary

• Our Heritage, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. National President Jerry Enomoto recounts a conversation with a white Sansei girl who asked why JACL seems to encourage self-segregation. He uses the exchange to raise the question of whether Jr. JACL encourages self-segregation among young people.
• In Retrospect: 1968 Campaign, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Masaoka reflects on the 1968 general election campaigns, arguing that voters were drawn to simple slogans rather than substantive solutions to complex national problems. He criticizes candidates for emphasizing personalities over issues and for claiming healing powers they cannot deliver.
• The King’s English, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa praises S.I. Hayakawa’s new Modern Guide to Synonyms as a valuable reference for distinguishing subtle differences among English words. He notes the irony and pride of a Nisei becoming an authority on the English language.
• Sansei Slant: Cutting It Short, by Patti Dohzen, page 4. Patti Dohzen, chairman of the National Youth Council, briefly reports on Eugene Toya’s appointment as representative to the National Internal Security Legislation Committee and apologizes for a short column due to midterm exams.
• Youth Adult Together, by Alan Kumamoto, page 6. National Youth Commissioner Alan Kumamoto argues that youth and adult relationships in JACL should be mutually defined by both groups. He proposes a model where Junior JACL is self-governing with adults providing financial and moral support from the periphery.
• Challenge of 1969, by Jeffrey Matsui, page 6. Jeffrey Matsui writes about the changing attitude among Nisei toward community responsibility and what their role should be within the Japanese American community. He argues that young Nisei increasingly feel a stake in community affairs.
• Sakura Script, page 6. A column on escalating violence by radical students in Japan, including riots, barricaded campuses, and two killings, with the author lamenting that lawbreaking students face little consequence. The author warns the disruption could jeopardize students’ academic credits.
• Letters from Our Readers: Where’s Our Self-Respect?, by Wm. Nosaka, page 6. Letter writer William Nosaka criticizes Nisei who remain passive when public figures use racial slurs, arguing that the sacrifices of Nisei veterans demand self-respect. He urges Japanese Americans not to accept insults for political gain.
• Epithets Classified, by James T. Araki, page 6. Professor James T. Araki argues that the word Jap is categorically insulting, unlike milder ethnic epithets sometimes used in friendly conversation. He responds to Governor Agnew’s use of the term and to a Honolulu letter excusing it.
• Democrats Use ‘Jap’, Too, by Murray Sprung, page 6. Murray Sprung points out that a Humphrey-Muskie campaign advertisement quoted Agnew’s use of the word Jap, and notes Nixon’s comment that Americans should not use the term. He sees the campaign backlash as evidence that Japanese American advocacy is achieving respect.
• Immigration Column: As an Alien, Can I Go Abroad and Live on Social Security?, page 6. An immigration Q&A explains that lawful resident aliens who move abroad risk losing permanent resident status and may become ineligible for Social Security benefits under a 1967 amendment. The answer advises consulting the Social Security Administration and obtaining a reentry permit before leaving.

Arts & Entertainment

• Nisei Wins 1968 Dr. Nobe Memorial Award, page 1. Spokane medical student Gary Hiromi Matsumoto was chosen the 1968 Dr. Mutsumi Nobe Memorial Scholarship winner from a field of four finalists. The scholarship, established in 1960 by Mrs. Catherine Nobe, aids deserving Japanese American graduate students in science and engineering.

JACL

• Local Contacts Wanted for Emergency Detention Act Repeal Campaign, page 1. JACL chapters are asked to appoint local contacts for the National Ad Hoc Committee to repeal Title II of the 1950 Internal Security Act. A fact sheet explains that the Emergency Detention Act could enable mass detention of citizens and urges immediate repeal.

National

• Gilroy Anti-Litter Ordinance for Precinct Workers May Be Tested in Court, page 1. Democratic congressional candidate Grayson Taketa is gathering evidence for a possible lawsuit against Gilroy officials, alleging harassment of his Mexican American precinct workers under an anti-litter ordinance. The city denies any interference and says the ordinance simply requires permission for door-to-door literature distribution.
• Sen. Inouye Opposed to Any Law Providing Detention Camps in U.S., page 1. Senator Daniel K. Inouye told San Francisco JACL civil rights representatives that he opposes Title II of the McCarran Act providing detention camps. He suggested the repeal campaign be pursued at a high level of government.
• Japan Confers Mike Masaoka with Award, page 1. Mike M. Masaoka, JACL Washington representative, received the Order of the Rising Sun, 3rd class, from Premier Eisaku Sato in Tokyo. The honor recognized his contributions to civil rights and equal social status for Japanese Americans.
• Lake Okeechobee Migrant Farmers’ Children Attend Worst Schools in South, by Akira Sano, page 3. Akira Sano, a Civil Rights Field Representative for HEW, reports on school desegregation inspections across the Deep South. He describes segregated and substandard schools for migrant workers’ children and recounts personal experiences with discrimination in Mississippi and at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral period.

Military & Veterans

• Tacoma Widow Awarded Congressional Medal of Honor, by Richard Gima, page 1. Sgt. Elmelindo Rodrigues Smith, killed in Vietnam in February 1967, was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the third Hawaii soldier to receive it. His widow, Mrs. Jane N. Smith of Tacoma, of Japanese ancestry, accepted the award in Washington, D.C.

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.