Title II repeal and the Nisei-Sansei conversation, 1970

Vol. 70, No. 7, February 20, 1970. 6 pages. View this issue

The repeal of Title II of the Internal Security Act of 1950 ran through this six-page issue. National JACL President Jerry Enomoto wrote about Judge Earl Warren Jr.’s banquet talk, which backed the repeal effort. Congressman Spark Matsunaga urged repeal at a Southern California JACL event, and Dick Tracy recounted the wartime incarceration of Japanese Americans while making the case for it.

The relationship between Nisei and Sansei was the other steady theme. Enomoto urged the generations to work together, Dr. Lindbergh S. Sata gave a Seattle installation address, and Fred Y. Hirasuna and Gail Katagiri traded views on the Sansei. Also inside: Mike Masaoka on Japan’s new era, a column by Don Estes on Japan’s three sacred treasures, and a report on 94 teams entered in the National JACL Bowling Tournament in Denver.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Judge Warren Jr. Addresses NCWNDC Banquet on Youth Optimism, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. National JACL President Jerry Enomoto reports on Sacramento Judge Earl Warren Jr.’s optimistic speech about today’s youth at a NCWNDC banquet. Enomoto praises the talk and its endorsement of the JACL Title II Repeal effort.
• Invaluable Work of Civil Rights Coordinator Raymond Uno, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. Enomoto notes that Raymond Uno’s contract as JACL Civil Rights Coordinator has ended after a year of listening, writing, and organizing. He calls Uno’s work invaluable and hopes JACL will build on the base he established.
• New Japan, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Masaoka examines Japan’s new era following the Okinawa reversion agreement, its signing of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, and its first satellite launch. He also compares Japan and US economic and social conditions.
• Enomoto Says Nisei and Sansei Must Stay Connected, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Enomoto’s speech at Contra Costa JACL stressed mutual understanding between generations. He argued that Nisei need Sansei idealism and Sansei benefit from prior generations’ hard work.
• Earnings of the Elderly, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The editorial examines the Social Security retirement earnings test affecting those aged 65 to 72. It weighs arguments for and against eliminating the limit on earnings.
• Journalism History, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The editorial praises Senator Dan Inouye for passing the Newspaper Preservation Act in the Senate. The act would allow joint printing arrangements for economically distressed newspapers.
• Power to Our Young, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The editorial praises the young leadership at the Downtown L.A. JACL installation, including new president Kiyoshi Kawai and speaker Warren Furutani. It celebrates the youthful energy of the JACL community.
• Being Realistic, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The editorial discusses anthropologist Margaret Mead’s view that generation gaps recur across immigrant and wartime generations. It argues every age has its own problems.
• Santanalyzing, by Fred Y. Hirasuna, page 6. Fred Hirasuna responds to Jim Matsuoka’s remarks at Manzanar that dismissed Nisei and praised Sansei. He defends the sacrifices of the Nisei generation and criticizes younger people’s lack of appreciation.
• Yoneda’s Reply on Nisei Labor History, by Karl G. Yoneda, page 6. Karl Yoneda responds to Bunji Omura’s letter about Bill Hosokawa’s book Nisei, arguing that early Japanese socialists and labor organizers belong in its history. He describes his own decades of union organizing involving Issei and Nisei.
• Hirasuna vs. Sansei, by Gail Katagiri, page 6. Gail Katagiri responds to Fred Hirasuna’s criticism of Sansei, arguing that Nisei should support present-day civil rights struggles of other minorities. She urges financial and activist commitment to those struggles.

National

• JACL Supports Civil Rights Commission Inquiry into Black Panther Treatment, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. Enomoto reports that the National Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, of which JACL is a member, called for an impartial investigation into alleged mistreatment of the Black Panthers. He urges JACL to support the resolution and the independent commission’s work, and says a legal defense fund may depend on its findings.
• Title II Repeal a Step for Return of Peaceful Means, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Congressman Spark Matsunaga spoke at a Southern California JACL event in Burbank urging repeal of Title II of the Internal Security Act of 1950. He argued the emergency detention provisions must be removed and called for grassroots support.

Community

• Enomoto Urges Nisei and Sansei to Work Together, by P.C. Staff, page 1. At the Contra Costa JACL installation dinner, National President Jerry Enomoto urged cooperation between Nisei and Sansei for JACL’s survival. He called for stretching minds to accommodate varied opinions and discussed generational tensions over controversial issues.
• Milwaukee to Host MDC Spring Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Plans are underway for the Midwest District Council pre-convention rally April 3-5 at the Plankinton Hotel in Milwaukee. The agenda includes a rap session, district oratorical run-off, and business sessions on convention matters.
• Kiyoshi Kawai Heads Downtown L.A. JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Kiyoshi Kawai and his cabinet were installed at the Downtown L.A. JACL annual dinner. Keynote speaker Warren Furutani called for understanding among Issei, Nisei and Sansei generations, and the Sansei accordion band performed.
• Aibara of Turlock Celebrates 100th Birthday, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Niisaburo Aibara of Turlock, the oldest JACL member, marked his 100th birthday with honors including the Order of Sacred Treasure from Japan. He was a pioneer who worked to secure dignity and opportunity for Japanese Americans in early California.
• Federal Judge Denies S.F. Chinatown Request on Census Methods, by P.C. Staff, page 1. US District Judge Gerald Levin denied a motion by two Chinatown men seeking to halt the Commerce Department’s mail-in census method. The judge ruled the planned enumeration methods were reasonably suited to maximize counting.

Incarceration & Redress

• Go for Broke Spirit Will Sustain Nisei Again, by Dr. Lindbergh S. Sata, page 2. Dr. Lindbergh Sata, a psychiatrist, delivered this Seattle JACL installation address examining the history and psychology of Japanese Americans. He discusses immigrant adversity, communication gaps between generations, and the Nisei’s unresolved cultural identity.
• A Bit of Shameful History: The Evacuation, by Dick Tracy, page 4. Dick Tracy, editor of the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, recounts the wartime incarceration of Japanese Americans and argues for repeal of Title II of the Emergency Detention Act. He highlights the 442nd’s heroism while noting the injustice families endured.

Military & Veterans

• Ninety-Four Teams Entered in National JACL Bowling Tournament, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The 14th annual National JACL Bowling Tournament in Denver will feature close to 600 bowlers on 94 teams. Defending champions and team rosters are listed.

In-Depth

• The Mirror, Sword, Jewels: Japan’s Sacred Treasures, by Don Estes, page 4. This Heritage column explains the three sacred treasures of Japan’s imperial line: the mirror, sword, and jewel necklace. It traces their mythological origins and their current places of enshrinement.

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