Nisei Week 1970, a JACL president’s essay and Asian actors’ protest

Vol. 71, No. 8, August 21, 1970. 8 pages. View this issue

Raymond Uno, National JACL President, opened the issue with an essay on labels such as liberal and conservative, and on why a person’s own frame of reference matters more than the tag. Harry K. Honda reported that JoAnn Uyemura of Gardena was crowned the 1970 Nisei Week Queen, with more festival coverage on page 4. Asian American actors also made news. The Brotherhood of Artists organized pickets over the casting of a non-Asian actor as Sakini in the musical Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen, and a nationwide protest followed.

Elsewhere are Mike Masaoka’s Washington Newsletter on the Equal Rights Amendment and Raymond Okamura’s account of the Liberation Caucus at the Chicago National Convention. Spark Matsunaga’s call for troop withdrawal from Vietnam appeared on page 3, and readers’ letters on Hayakawa, Vietnam and JACL priorities fill page 7. Community pages cover Oakland’s Asiantown meeting, a Seattle scouts’ trip to Japan and a youth drug abuse response in Los Angeles.

What’s in this issue

National

• What Is in a Label? A Frame of Reference, by Raymond Uno, page 1. National JACL President Raymond Uno reflects on how labels such as liberal and conservative shape how people identify and deal with one another. He argues that personal frames of reference matter more than the labels themselves.
• Chinese American Sanitarian Named After L.A. County Civil Service Hassle, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Chinese American sanitarian’s dispute with Los Angeles County civil service was resolved in his favor after a formal complaint. The county agreed to reinstate appropriate retention credit.
• Hawaiian Ethnic Identity and Cultural Diversity Debated, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Island residents and scholars debated whether Hawaii’s distinct cultures are threatened by a Protestant-influenced majority culture. Speakers at a Hawaii workshop argued about the meaning of ethnic identity in the Islands.
• Hollywood Film Industry Seeks Orientals for Technical Work Pool, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The motion picture industry opened a special registration program for persons of Oriental ancestry to bring racial minorities into technical film jobs. The program is intended to broaden minority participation in the industry.
• Nationwide Protest Organized Against New Teahouse Musical, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Brotherhood of Artists mounted a nationwide protest against the casting of Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen, which they say discriminates against Asian American actors. Multiple civil rights and community groups endorsed the protest.
• New York Asian Actors File Formal Protest Over Hiring Practices, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Asian and other minority actors in New York filed a formal protest against stage, television and film hiring practices. Kazu Obayashi reported that the New York protest was linked to the Los Angeles boycott.
• Assembly Unit Passes Song’s Consumer Warranty Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A California Assembly committee approved Senator Alfred Song’s comprehensive consumer warranty protection bill, SB 272. The bill would require manufacturers to honor warranty terms and reimburse retailers for repairs.
• Matsunaga Calls for Withdrawal of All Troops from Vietnam by July 1972, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Rep. Spark Matsunaga co-sponsored a resolution calling for withdrawal of American military personnel from Vietnam by July 1, 1972. The resolution also asks the President to withdraw combat troops by May 1, 1971.

Community

• Gardena Valley Beauty Reigns as 30th Nisei Week Queen, by Harry K. Honda, page 1. JoAnn Uyemura of Gardena was crowned the 1970 Nisei Week Queen at the Coronation Ball in Los Angeles. The article describes the candidates, the judging panel, and the festivities surrounding the event.
• $15,880 Returned to Central California JACL from Capitol Life, by Fred Kato, page 1. Capitol Life Insurance Co. presented a $15,880 experience rating refund on a major medical group policy to the Central California JACL District Council. The refund was returned to the district council during its August meeting.
• Japan Film Classics Excite New York Audiences, by Joe Oyama, page 3. A comprehensive Japanese film festival at the Museum of Modern Art drew large audiences in New York. The author reflects on the history and serious artistry of Japanese cinema.
• Hamilton Senior Center Marks 12th Anniversary, by P.C. Staff, page 3. San Francisco’s Hamilton Senior Center celebrated its 12th anniversary with a program of Japanese dance and folk singing. Most of its members are elderly Issei men and women.
• Seabrook JACL to Host 1971 EDC-MDC Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Seabrook JACL chapter planned the 1971 EDC-MDC convention for September in Atlantic City. A package rate with registration, lodging, breakfasts and a banquet was announced.
• Nisei Week Queen Coronation and Festival Events, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The 1970 Nisei Week coronation ball and festival activities were covered with photographs and notes on the candidates and events. The article highlights the queen’s court and festival traditions.
• Oakland Asiantown Organizing Meeting Draws Chinese, Filipino and Japanese Participants, by Roy Sano, page 4. An organizing meeting formed the Asian Urban Renewal Association (AURA) to represent Chinese, Filipino and Japanese residents in the Oakland Asiantown project. The author reflects on the difficulty of cooperation among East Bay Asian groups.
• Idaho Falls JACL Float Wins Parade Prize, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Idaho Falls JACL and JAYs float, titled A Symbol of Freedom, won first place in the civic division of the Fourth of July parade. The float featured a large eagle with outspread wings.
• Yellow Brotherhood and Community Responses to Drug Abuse, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Community groups in Los Angeles formed to address drug abuse, gang fighting and school dropouts among Asian American youth. The Yellow Brotherhood ran a fund drive for a youth center and conducted community seminars.
• San Francisco JACL Women’s Auxiliary Plans Fashion Luncheon, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The San Francisco JACL Women’s Auxiliary will hold its 12th annual fashion show luncheon Sept. 19 featuring fall fashions. Proceeds will go to a special Issei fund.

Arts & Entertainment

• Asian Actors Protest Snub in Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen, by Harry K. Honda, page 1. Asian American actors protested the casting of a non-Asian actor as Sakini in the musical Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen. The Brotherhood of Artists organized pickets and planned to press their grievances through the theater.

Commentary

• Washington Newsletter: Equal Rights for Women, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. The House approved the Equal Rights Amendment 350 to 15 in a discharge petition vote, and the Senate is expected to consider it. The column explains the legislative maneuvering and the arguments of supporters and opponents.
• A Symbol of Freedom: Editorial on Hiroshima Recalled, by P.C. Staff, page 7. An editorial reprinted from the Pasadena Star-News recalls the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings and the Pearl Harbor attack that preceded them. It argues for a mutual apology between Japan and the United States.
• Hayakawa vs. Sansei, by John Ohta, page 7. A reader critiques S.I. Hayakawa’s conclusions about Sansei activists, arguing his understanding of the movement is superficial. The letter defends ethnic studies and Sansei activism.
• Vietnam Conflict, by Barry Saiki, page 7. A reader replies to a critic about the Vietnam War, arguing that withdrawal should not be judged solely by cost and that political decisions should be made through legitimate channels. The letter questions the moral framing of American withdrawal.
• National Convention: Reordering Priorities, by Yoji Ozaki, page 7. Chicago readers urge JACL to expand its anti-war resolution by reallocating war funds to human services. They argue the priorities of both legislators and the organization should shift toward poverty and pollution.
• Nisei of the Biennium Award Criticized, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A reader expresses disappointment that Dr. Paul Terasaki received the Nisei of the Biennium award instead of S.I. Hayakawa. The letter criticizes how the selection was influenced by top JACL officials.
• Liberation Caucus Shakes the JACL Convention, by Raymond Okamura, page 8. The Liberation Caucus, including young Sansei and middle-aged Nisei, pushed a more activist program at the Chicago National Convention. The author describes the caucus’s newsletter, speeches and effect on delegates.

In-Depth

• Japan’s First Expo Recalled Through Unused 1940 Tickets, by Jim Henry, page 4. Tickets printed for Japan’s 1940 exposition, canceled because of war, were exchanged for admission to the current Expo ’70. The author explains how the old tickets were honored.

Military & Veterans

• Seattle Buddhist Church Scouts Visit Japan on Goodwill Tour, by Ute Hirano, page 5. The Seattle Betsuin Boy Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps and color guard traveled to Japan for a 23-day goodwill visit. The trip included performances in Tokyo, Kobe and Osaka and participation in a Japan Scouts Jamboree.

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