Fresno convention, Little Tokyo and the Internal Security Act

Vol. 71, No. 24, December 11, 1970. 6 pages. View this issue

National JACL President Raymond Uno wrote from the Central California District Council convention in Fresno, praising the “Whither JACL?” symposium and the youth-adult exchange. Bill Hosokawa visited the same gathering and found a generation gap between Nisei farmers and questioning Sansei. Mike Masaoka reported that time was running out in the lame duck session to repeal Title II of the Internal Security Act. Elsewhere on page one, a Little Tokyo meeting asked United Way to decide quickly on three rejected proposals.

The opinion pages ran columns by Warren Furutani and Guy Ono, a tribute to Yukio Mishima by Frank Fukazawa, and Joe Hamanaka’s return visit to Tokyo. Robert M. Takasugi began a new column as JACL national legal counsel. Guy Wright wrote about Makoto Hagiwara and the Golden Gate Park centennial. This six-page issue also announced the 25th National JACL Nisei Bowling Tournament in Salt Lake City and the Christmas Cheer drive.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• Fresno Convention and District Council Reflections, by Raymond Uno, page 1. National JACL President Raymond Uno reflects on the Central California District Council convention in Fresno and the observations he made across district councils. He notes the value of the symposium on “Whither JACL?” and praises the CCDC youth-adult exchange and banquet.
• Salt Lake Set to Host 25th Annual National JACL Nisei Bowling Tournament, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The 25th National JACL Nisei Bowling Tournament will be held March 1-6 at Ritz Classic Lanes in Salt Lake City. The schedule of events and entry deadline of Jan. 17, 1971 are announced.
• Kanegae Stays as Nat’l Chairman on Membership, by P.C. Staff, page 1. National President Raymond Uno reappointed Henry Kanegae as membership committee chairman and announced further committee appointments. Kanegae urged members dissatisfied with JACL policies to renew rather than drop out.

Community

• Little Tokyo Asks United Way for Reconsideration, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Little Tokyo community meeting asked United Way to decide on three rejected JACS proposals by Dec. 9 rather than after a 60-day review. Community leaders cited urgent needs and a study showing little United Way funding had gone to Japanese-instituted projects.
• 1970 Christmas Cheer Drive Starts, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The 23rd annual Christmas Cheer campaign of the Pacific Southwest JACL District Council is accepting contributions through Dec. 21 to aid about 300 needy Japanese in Los Angeles. The committee has set a $3,000 goal.
• Ariyoshi May Be ’74 Governor Choice, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Hawaii Governor John Burns indicated that Lt. Gov. George Ariyoshi will act as second-in-command and may be built into a formidable candidate for governor in 1974. The remarks came at the inaugural ceremonies on Dec. 7.
• Nat’l JACL Credit Union Slates Annual Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National JACL Credit Union annual meeting will be held Jan. 30, 1971 at Prudential Terrace in Salt Lake City, beginning with a prime rib dinner. Committee assignments were also announced.
• Raymond Uno Speaks at Cal State Dominguez, by P.C. Staff, page 1. National JACL President Raymond Uno addressed a Cal State Dominguez Hills community meeting on the Japanese in America at the campus Little Theater. The talk was arranged by Dr. Don Hata Jr.
• San Jose-West Valley Cosponsor Dec. 31 Gala, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The San Jose JACL and newly formed West Valley JACL will co-sponsor a New Year’s Eve dinner-dance at the Hyatt House. Ticket prices and the committee are listed.
• Henry Tanaka Presents First Talk in Japanese at Philadelphia JACL Dinner, by Thomas Song, page 1. National JACL President-Elect Henry Tanaka spoke to the Philadelphia Chapter in Japanese and English on pioneering for human betterment. He emphasized making JACL programs relevant to the Sansei and the needs of the Issei.
• Legal Aid Director Quits, Unable to Fire Nisei Staffer, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sheldon Otis, director of the San Mateo County legal aid office, resigned after the personnel commission refused his recommendation to fire Nisei staffer Moriguchi. Otis said the commission’s action undermined the office’s direction.
• Fowler JACL Boosts Own Scholarship, by Thomas Toyama, page 1. The Fowler JACL chapter reviewed its year of programs under president Mike Yoshimoto, including membership drives, speakers, ethnic studies work at Fowler High and a raised community scholarship of $150. Farmers face tightening finances despite a busy harvest.

Incarceration & Redress

• Performing Arts of Japan Offered to San Francisco Schools, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Japan Society of San Francisco launched a program bringing Japanese classical dance, tea ceremony, flower arrangement and koto music to city public schools. Leading Bay Area performers will take part.
• Golden Gate Park Centennial Slights Teagarden Builder, by Guy Wright, page 5. A guest column argues that the Golden Gate Park centennial failed to credit Makoto Hagiwara, who built and tended the Japanese Tea Garden. The Hagiwara family was evicted and incarcerated during WWII, and the garden’s history deserves recognition.

National

• Massage Law Ruled Unconstitutional, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A San Diego Superior Court judge ruled a Chula Vista ordinance barring massage between opposite sexes unconstitutional. The ruling came in a case brought by a man wanting to open a parlor.
• Suspect Found in Chicago Rape Case May Be Linked to Okubo Slaying, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A youth charged with raping an 80-year-old woman in a Chicago hotel may be linked to the July slaying of Evelynn Okubo, 18, of Stockton. Police said the suspect was identified in a lineup.
• West Los Angeles Heliport Issue: Council Committee Tables Proposal, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A three-councilman committee unanimously rejected a Los Angeles Police Department plan for a helicopter port in West Los Angeles after over 100 protesters testified. Residents of Japanese ancestry voiced concerns about noise and property values.
• Spark Co-Authors Bill to Train Family Doctors, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Rep. Spark Matsunaga predicted early House action on legislation providing federal aid for training family doctors in a new specialty of family medicine. The bill would fund departments, facilities and continuing education.

Commentary

• Congressional Adjournment, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Time is running out in the lame duck session to repeal Title II of the Internal Security Act, which JACL seeks to remove from the statute books. The House Rules Committee has not scheduled the Matsunaga repeal bill for consideration.
• The Late Show (Racist Rerun), by Warren Furutani, page 4. The author criticizes a television talk show guest who condemned Vietnamese treatment of U.S. prisoners while ignoring U.S. wartime atrocities against Asians. He argues that the Geneva Convention complaints ring hollow given American military conduct.
• Shocking Death, by Frank Fukazawa, page 5. The author reflects on the death of novelist Yukio Mishima, who staged a failed uprising at a Tokyo military base and then committed ritual suicide. He describes Mishima’s extreme rightist views as a dead end.
• Tokyo Revisited—1970, by Joe Hamanaka, page 5. Hamanaka describes a return visit to Tokyo, noting air travel, hotel amenities, and the city’s modern landscape. He comments on local fruit, breakfast service and the courtesy of Japanese hospitality.
• Legal Counsel Bob Takasugi Pens First PC Column, by Robert M. Takasugi, page 5. JACL National Legal Counsel Robert Takasugi introduces his new column and addresses polarization in society and the need for JACL to tackle youth drug abuse and care for the aged. He also discusses JACL’s opposition to a textbook at the California curriculum hearings.

In-Depth

• Bridging the Gap, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa visits Fresno and finds a generation gap between Nisei farmers and conservative JACL leadership and questioning Sansei. President Uno and Fred Hirasuna both urge young people to work within the system.

Military & Veterans

• So You Won’t Be Killed, by Guy Ono, page 4. Guy Ono, a Japanese Community Youth Council member, urges Asian American men to avoid Army service, describing dehumanizing basic training and the danger of fighting fellow Asians. He recommends consulting draft counselors.

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