Vol. 71, No. 6, August 7, 1970. 6 pages. View this issue
The tragedy at the JACL convention in Chicago ran through the August 7, 1970 issue. Ranko Yamada, 17, of Stockton was moved from intensive care to a private room at Henrotin Hospital, while police still sought her assailant. Over 1,000 people attended the funeral of her roommate, Evelynn Okubo, at the Stockton Buddhist Church. The NC-WNDC gave $350 to the Chicago fund for both families, and an editorial reflected on the events. Mike Masaoka reported on a House reform, and Ellen Sakai wrote about being an American in a changing JACL.
The six pages also hold chapter news: Issei were honored in San Mateo and Detroit, and Sacramento planned a Japan Day at the State Fair. Letters took up the choice of Nisei of the Biennium, and Frank Fukazawa described a visit to Expo ’70 in Osaka. Gyo Obata’s airport design for Dallas-Ft. Worth and a Sansei physician’s artificial liver also appeared.
What’s in this issue
Community
- Ranko Yamada out of intensive care at hospital, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Ranko Yamada, 17, of Stockton was moved from intensive care to a private room at Henrotin Hospital in Chicago after being attacked by an assailant who slashed her throat and killed her roommate, Evelynn Okubo. Police continue to seek the assailant, whom Yamada described as a young Black man with a natural hairdo.
- Over 1,000 attend Miss Okubo funeral, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Over 1,000 people attended the funeral of Evelynn Okubo at the Stockton Buddhist Church on July 22, with hundreds forced to stand outside. It was described as the largest gathering of Japanese Americans in Stockton, officiated by Revs. Tesshin Shibata and LaVerne Sasaki.
- Slain prison guard leaves Japanese widow, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Soledad prison guard William C. Schull, 40, was stabbed and mutilated when he was slain July 23, leaving his Japanese wife Kazuko and four children. Schull was a retired Army sergeant who had worked at the prison for about a year.
- U.W. archives receive E. Ogawa collection, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The photographic collection and newspaper clippings of the late Elmer Ogawa, a former PC columnist, were turned over to the University of Washington archives. The U.W. has been accumulating material on the Japanese community of the Pacific Northwest.
- Monterey to host NC-WN quarterly, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Monterey Peninsula JACL will host the NC-WNDC quarterly session on Aug. 16 at the Monterey Inn, with a panel on highlights of the Chicago national convention. Col. Kirby Horn of the Defense Language Institute will be the banquet speaker.
- Potential dangers of HR 14864 cited, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Contra Costa JACL board passed a resolution urging defeat of HR 14864, the Defense Facilities and Industrial Security Act of 1970, citing threats to constitutional rights. The resolution was sent to Senate judiciary members and California senators.
- Aged Issei honored at San Mateo recognition, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The San Mateo JACL held a recognition dinner for Issei on July 26, where the mayor presented scrolls to 39 local Issei over age 80. The event included Japanese dances, koto music, and a program with nearly 200 attendees.
- Detroit JACL Keirokai honors Issei, by Elaine Akagi, page 4. The Detroit JACL held its first Keirokai in seven years, with an overflow crowd of 300 paying tribute to metropolitan Detroit Issei. Consul General Umeo Kagei helped distribute Wakamatsu Medallions.
- Berkeley JACL asks Elks to open ranks, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Berkeley JACL president Harry Takahashi urged the Elks Club to open its membership to all races, colors and creeds before its national convention. The Elks voted to retain its white-only clause.
- Japan Day (Aug. 30) at State Fair planned, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Sacramento JACL is organizing a Japanese American Day at the California State Fair on Aug. 30, featuring a 45-minute program presented twice. Many Sacramento Valley Nisei talents are booked to perform.
- New airport drawn by Obata for Dallas-Ft. Worth, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Architect Gyo Obata described his design for the Dallas-Ft. Worth Regional Airport, built on a human scale for people in a hurry. The airport uses elliptical linear terminals to separate people from people and planes from planes.
- Sacramento dedicates park named for Issei, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A nine-acre park in the Sacramento Green area was dedicated in honor of an Issei nurseryman and horticulturist credited with much of the city’s arboreal beauty. The park includes facilities for children and adults.
- Bailey Gatzert principal receives Japan trip gift from Nisei families, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Tony Allasina, principal of Seattle’s Bailey Gatzert school, received a trip to Japan from Nisei parents as a gift. He reported that the school has never had discipline trouble and has been integrated for 25 years.
- Nisei Week Ball set at Beverly Hilton, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The PSWDC JACL announced its 30th annual Nisei Week Coronation Ball on Aug. 15 at the Beverly Hilton, with dinner, dance and entertainment. Tickets are $17.50 per person.
- Sansei physician-scientist develops artificial liver, by August Maggi, page 4. Dr. Kenneth N. Matsumura, a young Berkeley physician-scientist, developed what he says is the world’s first artificial liver, a hepatic support device. The device has passed laboratory tests and will soon be tested on humans.
JACL
- Salt Lakers welcome Uno, by Alice Kasai, page 1. About 75 members greeted newly elected National JACL president Raymond Uno at the Salt Lake airport after his return from the Chicago convention. The welcome featured banners and a joyous family reunion.
- NC-WNDC contributes $350 to Chicago Fund, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The NC-WNDC executive board voted to contribute $350 from district funds to the Chicago Ad Hoc committee fund to assist the Okubo and Yamada families. Individual chapters were encouraged to remit contributions, with the fund deadline set for Oct. 31.
Commentary
- Editorial: Chicago convention and tragedy, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Pacific Citizen editorial reflects on the tragedy at the Chicago convention. The commentary calls for JACL’s positive programming toward a better world.
- Understanding: Being an American in JACL’s changing era, by Ellen Sakai, page 5. JACL has changed since its founding, moving from an emphasis on proving loyalty to recognizing a multi-cultural America. The essay traces the organization’s history from the American Loyalty League through the postwar era.
- Letter: Column on Tucson, by Paul A. McKalip, page 6. Paul McKalip of the Tucson Daily Citizen responds to George Yoshinaga’s column on Tucson, disputing claims about his visit and the newspaper’s framed Pearl Harbor page. He invites Yoshinaga to return for a fair look at the city.
- Census pamphlet request for Asian population data, by Paul Louie, page 6. Paul Louie, president of the Council of Oriental Organizations, asks readers to request a Census Bureau pamphlet on 1970 social and economic data for Asian Americans. He notes comparable pamphlets exist for black and Mexican American populations.
- Kangaroo Court letter on Furutani column, by Phil Jordan, page 6. A reader praises Warren Furutani’s column on newspapers, comparing its views to those of Vice President Spiro Agnew. The letter writer sees this as evidence of President Nixon’s efforts to bring the country together.
- Nisei of the Biennium choice, by Hisako Noguchi, page 6. The writer endorses Dr. Paul Terasaki as Nisei of the Biennium but argues many Japanese American scientists deserve recognition. The letter proposes a separate award category for Japanese American scientists.
- Editorial: Deserved honor withheld from Hayakawa, by Gardena Valley News, page 6. The Gardena Valley News argues S.I. Hayakawa deserved the Nisei of the Biennium title for his handling of San Francisco State College. The editorial suggests the choice of Terasaki reflected appeasement of militant students.
- El Pimentero: Did you see the Expo?, by Frank Fukazawa, page 6. Frank Fukazawa describes the crowds and atmosphere at Expo ’70 in Osaka, where attendance exceeded 40 million and lines at popular pavilions were hours long. He notes the friendly attendants and the lost-and-found center.
National
- House abolishes secret vote, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. The House of Representatives voted to end secret balloting on amendments, requiring recorded votes by name on most amendments. The reform still needs Senate approval and presidential signature to become law.
- Rep. Yates honors Mike Masaoka, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Rep. Sidney Yates inserted the Japanese American Creed and Masaoka’s 1948 testimony into the Congressional Record as tribute to Mike Masaoka. The remarks cited Masaoka’s JACL work, his 442nd service, and his U.S.-Japan efforts.
- Asians in Australia, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Australia reduced its racial barriers after World War II, dropping the non-European citizenship rule in 1956 and shortening naturalization residency. The Asian-descent population grew from under 25,000 in 1947 to 101,387 by 1966.
- Hawaii politics: Gill, Burns, and the part-Hawaiian question, by Allan Beekman, page 4. Hawaii’s gubernatorial race is shaped by Governor Burns’s endorsement choices and the 1970 census reclassification of part-Hawaiians. The census change reshapes the polarization between Hawaiians and no-part Hawaiians.
Military & Veterans
- A-Bomb Bidder plaque controversy, by Jim Henry, page 4. A dispute continues over the wording of the Hiroshima Peace Park atomic bomb memorial plaque, with critics calling the inscription ambiguous. Defenders say the words reflect shared responsibility of all mankind.
Sports
- Pancake breakfast and bridge event news, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Progressive Westside JACL announced a pancake breakfast on Aug. 23. Other community event notices were listed in the chapter news.
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