Ray Uno elected JACL president at the Chicago convention

Vol. 71, No. 4, July 24, 1970. 6 pages. View this issue

Raymond S. Uno, a Salt Lake City attorney, won the JACL presidency in the organization’s first three-way race, beating Dr. Tom Taketa and Henry Kanegae. Henry Tanaka was elected president-elect, in the first election under the executive reorganization. The convention was overshadowed by the murder of Evelynn Okubo at the Palmer House. Edison Uno and Raymond Okamura described how young delegates kept calm, and Bill Hosokawa wrote about the night the news reached the Masaoka testimonial. The paper’s editorial praised those who kept order.

Other pages cover a proposal to make Jr. JACL part of regular JACL, a recommendation to seat youth chairmen on the National Board, and the awards to Dr. Roy Nishikawa and Dr. Paul Terasaki. Mike Masaoka’s Washington Newsletter and Paul Takagi’s article on Asians in California are also inside.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• Ray Uno Wins JACL Presidency in Unprecedented Three-Way Election, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Salt Lake City attorney Raymond S. Uno won the JACL presidency over Dr. Tom Taketa and Henry Kanegae in the organization’s first three-way race. Henry Tanaka was elected president-elect and several other officers were chosen under the new executive reorganization.
• Dr. Roy Nishikawa Named JACLer of Biennium; First Inagaki Prizes Awarded, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Roy Nishikawa of Wilshire JACL was honored as JACLer of the Biennium for his leadership and service to the organization. The first Inagaki Citizenship Awards were presented, with Contra Costa JACL winning the top prize.
• Paul Terasaki Accorded Nisei of Biennium, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Immunologist and surgery professor Dr. Paul Terasaki received JACL’s Nisei of the Biennium award for his medical achievements, including his tissue-typing work in heart transplantation. Finalists Dr. S. I. Hayakawa and Shiro Kashiwa were also honored.
• Murder Stuns Convention; Youth Maintain Calm, Order, by Edison Uno and Raymond Okamura, page 1. Junior JACLers and young adults responded calmly after Evelynn Okubo was murdered and Carol Ranko Yamada was injured at the Palmer House during the Chicago convention. Young adults secured the scene, aided the victims, and maintained order while senior delegates were notified.
• Triumphant Night Spoiled, by Bill Hosokawa, page 1. Bill Hosokawa recounts how the celebratory Masaoka testimonial night turned to shock when news of the stabbing reached convention attendees at the Palmer House. He also describes the hotel security response, which he finds callous.
• Initiate Fund for Convention Tragedy Victims, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National JACL Board established an Ad Hoc Committee to raise funds for the victims and families of the Chicago convention tragedy and to pursue justice. Several district councils had already approved contributions exceeding $200.
• Separate Arm Formation Proposed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National JACL Board considered forming a separate arm of JACL to engage in political and social action, with feasibility to be studied in 1971. The proposal was debated during the convention.
• Recognition Changes Proposed for Nisei of the Biennium Selection, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National JACL Board took over naming the Nisei of the Biennium from the recognitions committee after debate. Executive committee recommendations for format changes were adopted for the coming biennium.
• Youth Seats on National Board Recommended, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National Board recommended that seven district youth chairmen become voting members of the National JACL Board to give Jr. JACL a direct voice. Speakers argued this would help youth move into JACL leadership.
• In Abolishing Jr. JACL, Extend Young-Adult Concept to Youth Groups in Regular JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 3. National Youth Commissioner Mike Suzuki proposed abolishing Jr. JACL as a separate entity and lowering JACL membership age to 14 or 15. Youth chapters would be formed within the regular JACL structure, with district youth chairmen joining the National Board.
• Nisei Week Ball Planned by PSWDC-JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Pacific Southwest District Council JACL will host the 1970 Nisei Week Coronation Ball on August 15 at the Beverly Hilton. Tickets are priced at $17.50 and include dinner, dance, and entertainment.

Commentary

• Elks to Keep ‘Whites Only’ Membership, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Delegates to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks voted overwhelmingly to retain the lodge’s whites-only membership requirement at their national convention in San Francisco. The defeated resolution to amend the constitution was presented by delegates from Madison, Wisconsin.
• Washington Newsletter: Convention Comments, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Mike Masaoka reflects on the 21st JACL Convention, noting continuity in leadership with Ray Uno and Henry Tanaka and the admission of youth to the National Board. He praises officers and staff for handling the tragedy and thanks supporters of the Testimonial Fund.
• 1,000 at Mike’s Fete, by Bob Olmstead, page 2. Olmstead describes the testimonial dinner honoring Mike Masaoka, attended by about 1,000 people, and reports on the new spirit among younger Japanese Americans who want more activism. Masaoka urged young people to honor their parents’ sacrifices.
• From the Frying Pan: Chicago, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa reflects on the convention’s democratic debate and the unprecedented three-way presidential race, while mourning the murder of Evelynn Okubo. He links the violence to national madness and praises outgoing president Jerry Enomoto.
• Nisei: Quiet American, by Edison Uno, page 4. Edison Uno writes in a letter to the editor supporting George Ringwald’s objective review of Bill Hosokawa’s book Nisei: The Quiet American. He regrets that the title was not changed but hopes the book will be widely distributed.
• Dr. Roy Nishikawa and Chapter News Briefs, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Community briefs report fund-raisers, picnics, and events by several JACL chapters including Westside, St. Louis, French Camp, and Contra Costa. Each chapter describes its activities and results.
• Asian Component in California: Prospects for Asians in America, by Paul Takagi, page 5. Dr. Paul Takagi reviews social problems in Asian communities and notes Asian academic achievement alongside neglected issues like poverty and isolation of war brides. He warns that Asians could again become scapegoats if unemployment rises, as happened in past economic crises.
• Chicago Daily Defender Editorial on Hayakawa and College Storms, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A reprinted Chicago Daily Defender editorial praises S. I. Hayakawa for his calm, steadfast leadership during the San Francisco State College crisis. It notes he defended students’ right to dissent while opposing violence.
• Editorial: Pacific Citizen on the Convention Tragedy, by Harry K. Honda, page 6. The editorial reflects on the murder that overshadowed the convention and praises the youth and leaders who maintained calm. It also argues that juniors should eventually hold their own separate convention because of rising costs.

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