Vol. 71, No. 11, September 11, 1970. 6 pages. View this issue
Raymond S. Uno, the JACL National President, opened this six-page issue with a speech on what it means to be an Issei, a Nisei or a Sansei in America today. He praised the Issei for their pioneering struggle, noted the Nisei’s success, and described the many paths of Sansei youth. The talk continued on page 4. Two stories of loss sat beside it: Chicago police were seeking a prime suspect in the July 16 slaying of 17-year-old Stockton JACL delegate Evelynn Okubo, and the Berkeley police badge of officer Ronald Tsukamoto was retired after his killing.
Elsewhere, Mike Masaoka urged full repeal of Title II of the Internal Security Act, the detention camp law. Fred Cordova wrote about Filipino American identity, and the paper reported on Charles Lindbergh’s wartime journals. Community notes covered a Pacific Southwest District Council meeting at UC Riverside, a fire at the Berkeley Asian American Task Force, and a Nisei-owned market in East Los Angeles that was spared during the rioting.
What’s in this issue
Commentary
- Issei, Nisei, Sansei in America Today, by Raymond S. Uno, page 1. JACL National President Raymond Uno reflects on the roles and contributions of the Issei, Nisei, and Sansei generations in America. He praises the Issei’s pioneering struggle, notes the Nisei’s assimilation and success, and discusses the challenges and diverse paths of the Sansei.
- Filipino Americans: Identity and Discrimination, by Fred Cordova, page 1. Seattle writer Fred Cordova examines the invisibility and identity struggles of Filipino Americans, who have been statistically misclassified and socially overlooked. He argues that Filipinos must become politically active and confront institutional racism to achieve full participation in American society.
- Title II Comments, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. JACL’s Washington office urges full repeal of Title II of the Internal Security Act of 1950, the detention camp authorization. The commentary argues that the statute would have produced a harsher and more widespread incarceration of Japanese Americans had it existed during World War II.
- Sansei and the Future of the Nation, by Raymond S. Uno, page 4. Uno continues his address, examining the diverse paths of Sansei youth, including militants, professionals, and tradespeople. He calls for Japanese Americans to work together through JACL, churches, and kenjinkai, and to support Issei in enjoying their later years.
National
- Mistreatment of Japanese Shocks ‘Lindy’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Charles Lindbergh’s wartime journals, published by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, record his shock at American troops’ treatment of Japanese soldiers in the Pacific. He urged that the U.S. stay out of World War II and criticized the torture and mistreatment of prisoners.
Incarceration & Redress
- Prime Suspect in Okubo Case Sought, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Chicago police are seeking a black man with an Afro hairstyle as a prime suspect in the July 16 slaying of 17-year-old Stockton JACL delegate Evelynn Okubo at the Palmer House. Her roommate Ranko Carol Yamada survived a throat slashing and identified a matching description.
Community
- PSWDC to Meet at UC Riverside Club, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Pacific Southwest District Council will hold its third quarterly session hosted by Riverside JACL on September 19 at the UC Riverside Faculty Club. Agenda items include chapter quotas, new dues for 1971-72, and the medical insurance program.
- NC-WNDYC Calls for Understanding, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The NC-WN District Youth Council passed a resolution calling for understanding of the causes of violence rather than attacking its symptoms, prompted by the August 20 slaying of Berkeley police officer Ronald Tsukamoto. The resolution urges efforts to understand and address social causes of violence.
- Tsukamoto’s Police Badge Number Retired, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Police released a second sketch of the gunman who killed Berkeley officer Ronald Tsukamoto, while a second $5,000 reward was authorized by Alameda County. Badge No. 41 and radio call number 73 were retired in his honor, and a memorial fund was established.
- Fire Destroys Berkeley Asian American Task Force Material, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A fire destroyed much of the Asian studies curriculum material developed by the Berkeley Asian American Task Force just before its planned presentation to school officials. The group plans to reconstruct the materials for the opening of classes, which will include Asian studies units taught in 80 classrooms.
- Nisei Mart Spared in East L.A., by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Nisei-owned JonSons Market in East Los Angeles escaped damage during rioting that struck the area on August 29, which followed the Chicano Moratorium march. Manager Joe Chen credited employees’ vigilance and the cooperation of merchants along Whittier Boulevard.
- Eagle Produce and Community Notes, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Brief community news covering the Ninth Biennial convention preparations and local chapter events. Multiple chapter reports are included on the page.
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