Excluded from fair consideration: JACL’s 1970 agenda

Vol. 71, No. 17, October 23, 1970. 6 pages. View this issue

Fair treatment and the fight against exclusion ran through this six-page issue. JACL National President Raymond Uno wrote that systematically shutting certain people out forfeits the future for children and grandchildren. The Buddhist Churches of America protested a forthcoming textbook, with reporting by Harry Honda. Mike Masaoka covered JACL’s push to repeal Title II of the Emergency Detention Act, and the paper excerpted a House committee report on the World War II forced removal and Executive Order 9066.

Also inside: a profile of Tommy Shoyama, the Nisei who founded The New Canadian and rose to assistant deputy minister of finance in Ottawa, and Masaoka’s tribute to Saburo Kido. Assemblyman Eugene Chappie invited JACL to talks on a memorial at Manzanar. Bill Hosokawa wrote from New York, Raymond Okamura weighed one man, one vote in JACL, and Sen. Daniel Inouye wrote on losing candidates.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Forfeiting the Future, by RAYMOND UNO, National President, page 1. JACL National President Raymond Uno argues that systematic exclusion of certain people from fair consideration in employment, business, and organizations subtly perpetuates inequality and holds back progress. He urges members to become more sensitive to discrimination and to act effectively against it, since failing to do so forfeits the future for children and grandchildren.
• Title II Repeal Campaign, by Mike Masaoka, page 1. The JACL Washington office reports on the House Internal Security Committee’s Ichord-Ashbrook amendments to the Emergency Detention Act and Congressman Louis Stokes’ dissent calling for immediate, complete repeal of Title II. Masaoka explains JACL’s position opposing the committee amendments and urging action when Congress reconvenes.
• A tribute to Saburo Kido, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Mike Masaoka pays tribute to Saburo Kido on his retirement from public service, praising his wartime JACL leadership and his role in founding the organization. Masaoka defends Kido’s wartime decisions as vindicated by history and recalls the hardships Kido endured at Poston.
• Aloha from Hawaii, by Richard Gima, page 5. Richard Gima’s Hawaii column covers local news including the primary election results, the Oshiro sexual assault case, and the state’s unemployment figures. The column reports on the Hawaii political scene and notes the Big Island’s tax base.
• One Man, One Vote in JACL, by Raymond Okamura, page 6. Raymond Okamura examines proposals to change JACL voting, including Central California’s call for direct popular election of officers and San Jose’s push for votes proportional to chapter membership. He argues the San Jose proposal would concentrate power in a few individuals and suggests splitting large chapters instead.
• Without a Losing Candidate, Our Democracy a Sham, by Sen. Daniel Inouye, page 6. Senator Daniel Inouye reflects on the role of losing candidates in a democratic election, arguing that defeat is an essential part of the process that gives voters a real choice. He urges Hawaii voters to participate fully in the general election and encourages losing candidates not to be discouraged.
• Pepper Pot: Rightists and Reds / Shifting Standards, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A Pepper Pot column comments on the threat of the Far Right compared with the Communist threat and on young people who reject the older generation’s standards while adopting them. The short column is a lighthearted reflection on generational attitudes.
• On Asian American Studies, by Tracy Okida, page 6. Tracy Okida, writing from Long Beach, discusses Asian American Studies programs and the goal of education that helps students deal with their identity and communities. This installment is part of a series on Asian American studies in California.

Community

• Buddhist Churches Protest JACP Textbook, by HARRY HONDA, page 1. The Buddhist Churches of America protested a forthcoming JACP textbook, ‘Japanese Americans: the Untold Story,’ under consideration for California schools, calling it racially and religiously biased. The BCA listed objections to its treatment of Buddhism, omissions, and biographies, and Honda notes JACL’s endorsement remains pending.
• Nisei Voters League’s Endorsement Rule Changed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Nisei Voters League in San Francisco changed its method of endorsing candidates. The brief item reports on the revised endorsement procedure of the organization.
• City Inspector Seeks Rehearing in Asian Bias, by P.C. Staff, page 1. San Francisco public health inspector Wilbur K. Lee petitioned the California FEPC for a rehearing of his racial discrimination complaint against the Civil Service Commission over a promotion exam. He lists four grounds, including lack of counsel awareness, uncalled witnesses, and noncooperation on documents, and the Chinese American Journal East-West supported his plea.
• First Action Area Near Moline Alley Due Acquisition for New Shops-Offices, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Community Redevelopment Agency is acquiring five parcels on Second Street in Little Tokyo as phase one of a three-phase First Action Area development. The project will add retail and office space with pedestrian malls, and property owners get first preference in developing the area.
• Sparky’s Friends in Final Appeal for Campaign Funds to Re-elect Matsunaga, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sparky’s Friends, a Washington group, appealed for contributions to help re-elect Rep. Spark Matsunaga in the Nov. 3 election, noting that contributions were slower than usual. The treasurer said they hoped to raise another $2,500 to cover mounting campaign costs.
• Ethnic Studies and the Buddhist Protest, by Harry Honda, page 1. Honda discusses the controversy surrounding the JACP textbook and the BCA protest, arguing that the episode has accelerated the search for self-identity among Japanese Americans. He concludes that producing a generally acceptable text requires group effort and considerable skill.
• JACL Protests Racial Slur in TV Film Showing, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The JACL protested the showing of the World War II film ‘Purple Heart’ on a Bay Area station, objecting to its racist portrayal of Japanese Americans. Ray Okamura’s letter to KRON-TV argues the film should not be shown and notes the falsity of its claims about espionage.
• Still Up in Air: NC-WN Chapters on Direct Vote, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Northern California-Western Nevada District Council will reconsider whether the district governor should be elected directly by delegates after a ruling voided Oakland’s vote on the amendment. The November session will also hold officer elections and a panel of Japanese American public servants.
• Hosokawa Named Keynote Speaker for CCDC Confab, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Bill Hosokawa of the Denver Post will be keynote speaker at the Central California JACL District Council convention in Fresno on Nov. 21-22. Chapters were reminded to elect officers and report them, and a golf tournament and youth meeting are planned.
• IDC Changes Format of Quarterly Session, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Intermountain District Council will add relaxed social functions to its quarterly sessions, with wives encouraged to attend. District Governor Ron Yokota announced the change, and the fourth quarterly session will launch the social program.
• Chapter Pulse: October Programs, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Chapter news includes Sonoma County JACL’s new officers and installation plans, East Los Angeles JACL’s Issei Appreciation Day, and the Cortez JACL fishing derby. Several chapters announced upcoming programs and committee assignments.
• Ponet Square Hotel Fire Arson Charged, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Police charged a former mental health patient, Alejandro C. Figueroa, with arson and 19 counts of murder in the Sept. 13 Ponet Square Hotel fire in Los Angeles, the city’s deadliest structural blaze of that year. One victim was Seattle-born Roy Ryo Uomoto, and several residents including the Matsunagas escaped.

National

• Asians Picket Psychiatric Care Hospital on Chinatown Outskirt, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Asian American protesters led by Henry Kim of the Asian American Civil Rights Union picketed Resthaven Psychiatric Hospital in Los Angeles, charging that the federally funded facility does not serve the Asian community. Hospital officials responded by citing their Chinese psychiatrist and recruitment efforts, while critics stressed the lack of bilingual staff.
• Fong-King Strike ‘Ethnic Balance’, by ALLAN BEEKMAN, page 1. Allan Beekman analyzes Senator Hiram Fong’s emphasis on the ethnic balance of the Hawaii Republican ticket and Fong’s stance on the federal census categories for Oriental ancestry. The column also examines how the census and campaign rhetoric treat candidates Samuel King and Governor John Burns.
• From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Bill Hosokawa observes the growing presence of Japanese business employees in Midtown Manhattan and notes Japan’s rising economic power. He also laments the decline of New York City, describing its grime, congestion, and deteriorating civility.

Military & Veterans

• Ranking Nisei in Canadian Gov’t, by JOHN BIRD, page 1. Profile of K. (Tommy) Shoyama, a Nisei who founded The New Canadian newspaper and is now assistant deputy minister of finance in Ottawa, the highest-ranking Canadian of Japanese origin in the federal service. The article traces his path from wartime evacuation through government service and his work on federal-provincial relations.
• Day Care Available for L.A. Mothers, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A day care consultant pointed out the growing need for child care among Japanese American mothers in Los Angeles. The item describes available services for working mothers in the community.

JACL

• Mike Masaoka Featured Speaker at New York Fete of Yoneo Arai, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mike Masaoka will be the featured speaker at an Oct. 24 New York dinner honoring Yoneo Arai, 83, of Greenwich, Conn., the oldest mainland Nisei. National JACL president Raymond Uno will make a presentation at the dinner, which concludes the JACL immigration centennial observance.

In-Depth

• Nisei Who Founded Canadian Paper Now Asst. Deputy Minister of Finance, by John Bird, page 3. Profile of Tommy Shoyama, a Nisei who founded The New Canadian and rose to assistant deputy minister of finance in Ottawa. The article covers his wartime evacuation, newspaper years, and government career, and his view that dispersal turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

Incarceration & Redress

• Title II Repeal Continued: Evacuation and HISC View, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The article excerpts the House Internal Security Committee’s majority report on the World War II evacuation of Japanese Americans, contrasting it with the 1950 Emergency Detention Act. It recounts the Executive Order 9066 process and the Supreme Court decisions upholding it, and argues the Act would not authorize group detention.
• Chappie Paces Landmark Effort at Manzanar, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Assemblyman Eugene Chappie has invited JACL and others to a Lone Pine meeting to discuss a memorial at the Manzanar war relocation center. JACL members have made pilgrimages to clean the camp cemetery, and the city of Los Angeles controls much of the surrounding land.
• Banks Get Bomb Scare, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Two Sumitomo Bank offices in Los Angeles were evacuated after telephone bomb threats, though police found no bombs. The brief item reports the incident.

Arts & Entertainment

• Two Japanese Writers, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A review of Edwin McClellan’s study of two Japanese novelists, Natsume Soseki and Shimazaki Toson. The piece discusses how each writer responded to Western influence while remaining Japanese in outlook, and how their work shaped the modern Japanese novel.
• Ghetto: a Parlor Game, by Waka Tsunoda, page 5. Associated Press writer Waka Tsunoda describes ‘Ghetto,’ a sociologists’ board game for $20 that simulates life in an urban ghetto through chance cards. The game is being tested in retail stores as an educational tool about urban poverty.
• Well-Produced Documentary Film, by Nobusuke Fukuda, page 6. Film reviewer Nobusuke Fukuda reviews ‘Matsuri: The Time We Will Never Be Able to Rub Out,’ a documentary on the Japanese American community using the 1969 Sakura Matsuri parade as its frame. He praises its mix of historical photographs and interviews with Issei, Nisei, and Sansei about identity and heritage.

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