Repealing the Emergency Detention Act, and Sansei questions of identity

Vol. 70, No. 9, March 6, 1970. 6 pages. View this issue

The campaign to repeal Title II of the Internal Security Act of 1950, the Emergency Detention Act, led this six-page issue. Rep. Spark Matsunaga was set to be the lead-off witness at House hearings on his repeal bill, and California’s AJR 1, urging Congress to act, gained six assemblymen and 33 senators as co-authors. National JACL President Jerry Enomoto’s column, “Civil Rights Outlook,” argued that the Nixon administration and Congress were reversing civil rights progress. Mike Masaoka reported on a Supreme Court ruling extending one man, one vote to school board elections.

Inside are Sansei voices on identity: Patti Dohzen, Ronald Taniguchi and James Hirabayashi, plus a Gardena High student conference report. News includes Little Tokyo redevelopment clearing the Los Angeles City Council 12-1, Nisei layoffs in Seattle, and a San Mateo JACL visit to the Alcatraz Indians. Harry K. Honda’s editorial covers the JACL election and executive reorganization.

What’s in this issue

National

• Spark Matsunaga Lead-off Witness at Title II Repeal Hearing, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Spark Matsunaga will be the lead-off witness when the House Internal Security Committee begins hearings on his bill to repeal Title II of the Internal Security Act of 1950, the Emergency Detention Act. Matsunaga warned that the provision threatens innocent Americans and urged Congress to erase it from the statute books.

Commentary

• Civil Rights Outlook, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. National JACL President Jerry Enomoto argues that the Nixon administration and Congress are reversing civil rights progress, citing school desegregation setbacks and the Stennis amendment. He calls on Americans to care about equality and condemns attempts to silence speakers on campus.
• Washington Newsletter: One Man, One Vote Doctrine, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Mike Masaoka reports that the Supreme Court extended the one man, one vote principle to school board and special purpose district elections in a 5-3 decision. He notes the ruling will affect thousands of local governmental units and benefit minority communities whose votes were diluted.
• Sansei Slant, by Patti Dohzen, page 4. Patti Dohzen reflects on a guest lecture about Nisei and the concentration camps and on the Sansei’s responsibility for the future. She argues that Sansei must address ecological, social, and identity challenges while considering the value of JACL and ethnic movements.
• The Basic Ethnic Ego, by Ronald Taniguchi, page 4. Ronald Taniguchi describes how living as a minority on the mainland left him with an inferiority complex that he began to overcome after living in Hawaii, where Asians are numerous. He extends this to how minorities seek respect and identity in a white-dominated society.
• Negative Factors in Quest of Identity Critical, by James Hirabayashi, page 5. James Hirabayashi summarizes Dr. Paul Takagi’s lecture warning that uncritical adoption of traditional Japanese cultural values may foster racism and support social inequities. Takagi urged careful consideration of ethnic identity as a path to adjustment.
• The Japanese Myths, by Rev. Andrew N. Otani, page 5. Rev. Andrew Otani corrects an error in Bill Hosokawa’s book, noting that Ninigi-no-Mikoto, not Jimmu, was sent to Kyushu, and he gives the genealogy of the mythical age. He cites the sacred treasures handed down to the emperors.
• Nisei-Sansei, by Sue Embrey, page 5. A Seattle reader defends young activists against criticism from an older contributor, arguing that Sansei leaders have commitment and that dialogue, not condemnation of protest, is needed. The letter calls for mutual respect across generations.
• Chicago Convention, by Rev. Jim Hutchison, page 5. Rev. Jim Hutchison questions holding the 1970 JACL national convention in Chicago given the 1968 police actions during the Democratic Convention. The Pacific Citizen responds that organizers are aware and addressing human relations concerns.
• Aloha from Hawaii: Rising Resentment of U.S. in South Vietnam, by Jim Henry, page 6. Jim Henry reports on growing anti-American sentiment in Saigon, including taunts, brawls, and resentment of American influence. Vietnamese leaders and educated elites voice criticism of the U.S. presence.
• Which Way?, by Don Hayashi, page 6. Don Hayashi discusses JACL’s future direction, the need for changes, and the value of listening between conservative and youth viewpoints. He urges careful, respectful debate rather than tearing the organization apart.
• Editorial: JACL Election and Executive Reorganization, by Harry K. Honda, page 6. The editorial reviews the executive reorganization of JACL, praises National President Jerry Enomoto’s term, and explains the proposed president-elect and vice-president structure for the upcoming election. It also discusses a proposed JACL Senate for youth participation on the National Board.

Community

• Santa Maria Valley Chapter Installs New Officers, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. Enomoto congratulated Keido Shimizu and the new officers of the Santa Maria Valley JACL chapter for 1970. He praised outgoing president Dr. Ken Oye for revitalizing the chapter.
• Little Tokyo Redevelopment Plan Cleared by Los Angeles Council, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Los Angeles City Council approved by a 12-1 vote the ordinance enabling joint federal-city participation in the Little Tokyo redevelopment project. The $47 million plan aims to preserve the eight-block area as the hub of the Southern California Japanese community.
• Okei Memorial Child Care Center Planned in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Japanese Community Pioneer Center held a public meeting to seek support for the Okei Memorial child care center for children aged 2 to 7. The Pioneer Project, a Sansei group, is collecting toys and materials for the proposed center.
• Aerospace Layoffs Hit Nisei in Seattle, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Layoffs in the Seattle aerospace industry, particularly at Boeing, are affecting many Nisei workers, some of whom have been unemployed for three months. Local pastors established a job information center to help.
• Asian American Caucus Forming New Chicago Chapter, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A new JACL chapter in the Chicago metropolitan area is being formed to focus on Asian American identity and political awareness. Organizers also plan a Sansei-operated newspaper for the Midwest.
• San Mateo JACL Leads Group to Visit Alcatraz Indians, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Fifty Asian Americans, led by the San Mateo JACL, visited the Indians occupying Alcatraz on Washington’s Birthday to show support. The group received a tour and expressed solidarity with the Indians’ cause.
• Snake River JACL Donates Nisei Book to Libraries, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Snake River Valley JACL presented copies of Bill Hosokawa’s book Nisei: The Quiet Americans to six public libraries and a high school in Oregon and Idaho.
• Riverside JACL Member Appointed to Community Relations Commission, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Dr. Junji Kumamoto was appointed to the Riverside Community Relations Commission on the nomination of the Riverside JACL. The chapter sought representation for a minority other than Black or Mexican American.
• Seattle JACL Board Supports Youth Vote Issue, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Seattle JACL board narrowly voted 11-9 to support lowering the voting age to 19 in the November referendum. Molly Tateoka presented the arguments for the measure.
• Tempe’s Citizen of the Year: Margaret Kajikawa, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Margaret Kajikawa was named Tempe’s Citizen of the Year for her long record of community service. She is an assistant bank manager and has served on numerous civic, health, and welfare boards.
• Gardena High Intra-School Conference Report on Student Concerns, by Cindy Matsuyama, page 4. A committee report on a January Intra-School Conference at Gardena High details student views on racism, the new morality, education, drugs, and parents. The report criticizes Japanese American dominance of student life and calls for community action.

Incarceration & Redress

• AJR 1 Amended to Add Co-sponsors Urging Repeal of Title II, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The California legislature’s AJR 1, urging Congress to repeal Title II, was amended to add six assemblymen and 33 senators as co-authors. The Sacramento JACL campaign was credited with securing the unanimous approval and the support of key legislators.

Military & Veterans

• Nisei WACs Reunite at Fort MacArthur, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Nisei WACs who were stationed at Fort Snelling MIS gathered for a 25th anniversary reunion at Fort MacArthur Officers Club. Six of the original 58 studying at Snelling attended.

In-Depth

• Catching Up with the Mail and Odds and Ends, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Bill Hosokawa offers a column of miscellaneous items, including Japanese instant noodle sales in the U.S., Japan’s rice surplus, and notes on Nisei athletes and business figures. He also criticizes a Seattle columnist’s stereotyped praise of Nisei and Sansei.

Obituaries

• Sanshiro Matsumoto: Mexico’s Pioneering Issei Florist, by Frank Fukazawa, page 6. Frank Fukazawa profiles Sanshiro Matsumoto, an Issei who arrived in Mexico in 1910 and built Casa Matsumoto into Mexico’s largest florist. The column describes his land holdings, his wartime influence protecting Japanese in Mexico, and his community contributions.

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