The Wakamatsu Colony centennial and the Noguchi case

Vol. 68, No. 22, May 30, 1969. 8 pages. View this issue

The 100th anniversary of the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Farm Colony shaped the front page. A 19-ton granite boulder was set at Gold Trail Elementary School in Coloma to hold a plaque, with the monument to be dedicated June 7. Haruo Ishimaru urged Nisei to attend, and Joe Grant Masaoka examined who founded the colony and whether an earlier Alameda group existed. The other main story was the hearing of Dr. Thomas Noguchi in Los Angeles. JACL President Jerry Enomoto urged care, and Jeffrey Matsui reported on the county’s case.

The campaign to repeal Title II of the Internal Security Act continued, with Rep. Abner Mikva’s bill and a Fresno Bee editorial. Mike Masaoka wrote on Warren Burger, and Bill Hosokawa defended the title of his book Nisei: The Quiet Americans. Alan Kumamoto and Patti Dohzen offered columns on Asian American groups and the Issei.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Perspectives: The Noguchi Case, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. JACL National President Jerry Enomoto discusses the growing Nisei concern over the Dr. Thomas Noguchi hearings in Los Angeles. He urges the JACL to proceed carefully and to avoid assuming bias without evidence.
• Sen. Inouye Mistaken for Dr. S. I. Hayakawa on Plane, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Senator Daniel Inouye recounted being mistaken for Dr. S. I. Hayakawa by a passenger on a flight from Washington. The brief anecdote was offered lightly in his remarks in Seattle.
• About a Book, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Bill Hosokawa discusses his forthcoming history of Japanese Americans, Nisei: The Quiet Americans, to be published by William Morrow. He explains the title controversy and the research process.
• Enryo Syndrome at Work in Nisei in Noguchi Case, by Jeffrey Matsui, page 4. Jeffrey Matsui argues that Nisei passivity in response to the Noguchi case reflects an enryo syndrome. He urges community members to become aware, concerned, and active to ensure a fair hearing.
• Letters: PSW Convention and Re: the Sansei, by David Miura; Central California JACL, page 4. David Miura describes alleged mistreatment of protesters at Disneyland Hotel during the PSW convention. A Central California JACL letter responds to Ray Okamura’s open letter on campus violence and invites him to a board meeting.
• When We Come Alive!, by Alan Kumamoto, page 5. Alan Kumamoto surveys the Asian American subcultures emerging in Los Angeles, including COO, AAPA, and the Asian American Studies Center. He urges JACL members to join hands with these groups and participate in the National JACL Planning Commission.
• My Obachan Said Arigato, by Patti Dohzen, page 7. Patti Dohzen, chairman of the National Youth Council, reflects on the sacrifices of Issei pioneers and urges Sansei to honor their heritage. She contrasts the attention given to Nisei with the neglect of young people’s contributions.
• Hosokawa: Stereotypes and Quiet Americans, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. Bill Hosokawa defends the title of his forthcoming book against objections that it perpetuates the quiet Japanese stereotype. He argues the title reflects historical reality and was not chosen for its flattery.
• Japan’s No-War Constitution Will Be Hard to Change, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Counselor Shunichi Yamanaka addressed Utah JACL members on Japan’s postwar foreign policy and its constitution limiting armed forces. He described the democratic and cultural lessons Japan has learned since the war.

Incarceration & Redress

• Massive Granite Rock in Place for June 7 Monument Unveiling, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A 19-ton granite boulder was set in place at Gold Trail Elementary School in Coloma to hold a plaque commemorating the 1869 Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Farm Colony. The monument will be dedicated June 7 with Governor Reagan and other dignitaries attending.
• Okei—The Japanese Girl: Daughter of a Wakamatsu Carpenter, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Family registration records found in 1958 identified Okei Ito as the eldest daughter of a carpenter from Wakamatsu City who died in California in 1871. The article traces her background and the replica tombstone erected in Japan.
• Urge Nisei to Attend June 7 Rites, by Haruo Ishimaru, page 1. Haruo Ishimaru urges Nisei to attend the June 7 Wakamatsu Colony centennial dedication at Gold Hill and the Sacramento banquet. He argues the event is an important expression of Nisei heritage for the Sansei.
• County Ends Its Case Against Ousted Coroner, by Jeffrey Matsui, page 3. Jeffrey Matsui reports on the Los Angeles County civil service hearings regarding the dismissal of Dr. Thomas Noguchi as coroner. The county concluded its case and the defense is expected to call up to 80 witnesses.
• Schnell Brothers, J. Henry and Edward: Who Founded the Colony?, by Joe Grant Masaoka, page 5. Joe Grant Masaoka examines documentary evidence to determine whether Edward and J. Henry Schnell were one person or two. He concludes that the colony’s founder was J. Henry Schnell, with Edward’s role clouded by later confusion.
• Alameda ‘Colony’ of 1868: Who Were the First Japanese Colonizers?, by Joe Grant Masaoka, page 5. Masaoka investigates a 1869 San Francisco Chronicle report of an Alameda group of Japanese political refugees predating the Wakamatsu Colony. He finds no further record of that group and questions whether it constituted a colony.
• Congress Told History of Japanese Colony, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Rep. Harold Johnson’s remarks on the Wakamatsu Colony centennial were entered into the Congressional Record. The article also reproduces California legislative resolutions and Governor Reagan’s proclamation honoring the centennial.
• San Francisco JACL Supports School Complex Plan; Oppose Morality Code, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The San Francisco JACL endorsed in principle a citizens committee plan for school complexes in the Richmond and Park-South areas. The chapter also opposed proposed morality guidelines that could threaten civil rights.

Military & Veterans

• Seattle JACLer Tuai Elected City Councilman, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Liem Eng Tuai, a Chinese American attorney and JACL chapter board member, was elected to the Seattle City Council to succeed the late Paul Alexander. He plans to stand for election in the fall primary.
• Congress Calls for End to Film Stereotyping, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A congressional resolution urged film and television producers to stop producing works that degrade racial, religious, and ethnic groups. The JACL had endorsed the measure as part of a broader minority coalition.

National

• Rep. Mikva Title II Repealer Tied to Prison Bill to Avoid HISC, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Thirteen liberal Democrats led by Rep. Abner Mikva introduced HR 11373 to repeal Title II of the Internal Security Act and prohibit emergency detention camps. The bill was referred to the Judiciary Committee rather than the Internal Security Committee.
• Educational Campaign Continuing to Repeal Title II, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Members of the National JACL Committee to Repeal the Emergency Detention Act have been speaking to community groups across California. Their outreach included church groups, unions, and student organizations.
• Fresno Bee Editorial Backs Title II Repeal, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Fresno Bee editorially supported repeal of the Emergency Detention Act, noting Senator George Murphy’s role in the effort. The editorial called perpetuation of political internment the most un-American threat to liberty.
• Warren Apology Seen in Court Decisions: Myer, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dillon Myer suggested that Earl Warren’s future court decisions might serve as an apology for his 1942 statements about Japanese Americans. The article notes Warren’s history of public remarks on loyalty.
• Chief Justice Burger, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Washington JACL Representative Mike Masaoka assesses Nixon’s nomination of Warren Burger as Chief Justice. He notes Burger’s record as Assistant Attorney General and his cooperation with JACL on evacuation claims.
• Reischauer Calls for Reversion of Okinawa to Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Harvard professor Edwin Reischauer called for immediate reversion of the Ryukyu Islands to Japan without conditions on bases or nuclear weapons. He termed the continued American administration catastrophically unsound.

Community

• San Francisco Chinese Youth Support S. 1872, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The 25-member Chinatown Youth Council unanimously endorsed the JACL effort to repeal Title II after hearing Edison Uno describe the wartime incarceration. The council also instructed member organizations to support S. 1872.
• Twin Cities JACL Completes Own Afro-American History Course, by Bill Doi, page 6. The Twin Cities JACL civil rights committee sponsored a seven-week course in Afro-American history for members. Participants reported that the course deepened their understanding of Black contributions and present struggles.

JACL

• 4 Women Win JACL-LAL Summer Fellowships, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Four women were selected as recipients of the JACL-Japanese American Citizens League summer fellowships after interviews in San Francisco. The recipients include educators and a librarian from several chapters.

Sports

• Baseball: We’ll Never Outgrow Its Memories, by Joe Hamanaka, page 4. Joe Hamanaka celebrates the arrival of the Seattle Pilots as a Major League franchise. He reflects on Seattle’s baseball history and the city’s long tradition of local pride in the game.

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.