Sansei identity, Little Tokyo funding and a San Diego visit

Vol. 71, No. 23, December 4, 1970. 6 pages. View this issue

Questions of identity and community support ran through this six-page issue. Dr. Robert Suzuki spoke at Placer County JACL’s goodwill dinner about how Nisei and Sansei approach identity, and Bill Hosokawa wrote on the same debate and the direction of JACL. In Los Angeles, United Way rejected three Japanese American Community Services proposals for Little Tokyo, and leaders called for community action. National President Raymond Uno wrote about his San Diego visit, and Fred Hirasuna was elected governor at the Central California District Council convention in Fresno.

Elsewhere, Mike Masaoka looked at U.S. policy toward China, and Sen. Daniel Inouye urged Americans to prepare for a Communist Chinese ambassador. Allan Beekman wrote about Yukio Mishima and reviewed Kobo Abe’s novel Inter Ice Age 4. The sports page reported on the Yomiuri Giants’ Japan Series win.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• U-No Bar: San Diego Visit Recollections, by Raymond Uno, page 1. National President Raymond Uno recounts his visit to San Diego, touring Balboa Park and the zoo while reflecting on community and humanitarian concerns. He also describes meeting local JACL members and enjoying the hospitality of the chapter.
• Fresno County Druggist Guilty of Cheating State, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Mendota pharmacist found guilty of billing the state for more medication than dispensed has sold his pharmacy, the State Consumer Affairs Department announced. His license had been suspended and pharmacy permit revoked.
• U.S. and Red China, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Masaoka reviews U.S. policy toward China and the recent UN votes on admitting Communist China, which fell short of the two-thirds majority. He argues JACL’s Committee on International Affairs should consider the question given its implications for Japanese Americans.
• Nikkei View: Sansei Identity and JACL Direction, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa writes about the Nisei and Sansei identity debate and the challenges facing JACL leadership. He reflects on the community’s changing outlook.
• The Rhetoric of Anthropologists, by Warren Furutani, page 4. Furutani criticizes an anthropology seminar on overseas Japanese for intellectual rhetoric and for being dominated by non-Japanese researchers. He argues minority experiences cannot be fully understood by outside observers.
• Storyteller vs. Scientists, by Allan Beekman, page 5. Beekman reviews Kobo Abe’s novel Inter Ice Age 4, which blends science fiction about rising oceans with an aquatic fetal-transformation premise. He finds the story compelling at first but weakened by an overlong scientific digression.
• JACL Conservatives League, by Nobusuke Fukuda, page 6. Fukuda criticizes the San Francisco JACL board election as dominated by a political machine of conservative interests. He also argues for a resolution on separation of church and state in public schools, which the board rejected.

Community

• Central Cal DC Elects Hirasuna Governor; 300 Attend Confab, by Thomas Toyama, page 1. More than 300 attended the 21st annual Central California JACL District Council convention in Fresno, where Fred Hirasuna was elected governor. Speakers included Bill Hosokawa, and the convention addressed issues facing JACL including its direction and internal policies.
• County Social Service Cuts Back Hours for Nikkei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Asian Involvement staff protested the county’s reduction of a bilingual Asian American DPSS worker’s service days at the Little Tokyo outpost station. They argued the low caseload resulted from an arbitrary district restriction that prevented Issei from being served.
• Other Groups with Similar Programs on Welfare Aided, by P.C. Staff, page 1. United Way rejected three proposals from Japanese American Community Services, prompting demands for community action in Los Angeles. Leaders noted the Japanese American community’s substantial past contributions to United Way without direct program funding in return.
• Placer County Hears Suzuki Talk on Sansei Identity, by Roy Yoshida, page 1. At Placer County JACL’s 30th annual goodwill dinner, Dr. Robert Suzuki addressed the differing identity approaches of Nisei and Sansei. He urged mutual understanding across the generation gap and condemned violence while acknowledging young people’s questioning of the establishment.
• Japan Students at Cal Poly to Be Hosted, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Nisei teachers and students at Cal Poly Voorhis Campus sought host families in Los Angeles for 62 Japanese exchange students visiting during the Christmas and New Year holidays. Interested residents were invited to contact named coordinators.
• Ethnic Minority Count of UCLA Still Growing, by P.C. Staff, page 1. UCLA’s University Planning Office reports rising ethnic minority enrollment due to inner-city recruiting, financial aid, and a high potential program. Oriental Americans now make up 6.4 percent of the student body, leading the minority groups.
• Japanese Consulate in S.F. Plan Centennial, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A centennial celebration will mark the 1870 establishment of Japan’s first U.S. consulate in San Francisco, with a Dec. 11 event at Ryotei Nikko. Representatives from Northern and Central California Japanese communities are expected to attend.
• It’s Time U.S. Recognizes Red China, Sen. Inouye Says of Javits Initiative, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sen. Daniel Inouye urged Americans to prepare for a Communist Chinese ambassador in Washington and representation at the UN. He welcomed Sen. Javits’ initiative to reconsider the China question.
• United Way Insensitive to Little Tokyo Social Needs, by P.C. Staff, page 1. United Way rejected three JACS proposals for drug abuse counseling, child care, and senior services in Little Tokyo despite years of Japanese American contributions. Community leaders called for action and urged chapters to meet on the matter.
• Anthropology Undergraduate Forms Group to Study Isle Chinese History, by Douglas Woo, page 3. Clyde Wong, a University of Hawaii anthropology undergraduate, is helping organize a Hawaii Chinese History Center to involve local Chinese in documenting their history. The group plans museum-style presentations aimed at young people.

National

• Urban Coalition Receives $2 Million OEO Grant to Develop Health Program, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National Urban Coalition received a $2 million OEO grant to develop a health manpower program addressing shortages of medical personnel. The program envisions regional health consortiums serving as recruiting and informational clearinghouses, especially for minority students.
• Court Rules Governor to Name Kuriyama Successor, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Hawaii Supreme Court ruled 4-1 that the Senate vacancy caused by the assassination of Sen. Larry Kuriyama must be filled by gubernatorial appointment rather than a special election. The decision overturned Lt. Gov. Gill’s earlier plan.
• Educators Claim Bias in Textbooks, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National Council of Teachers of English reported that textbook publishers have not yet eliminated racism and bias from educational materials. The task force found anthologies may ignore the experiences of minority groups.

Arts & Entertainment

• Sansei Scholar Pens ‘Perspectives on Black America’, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Russell Endo, a Sansei sociology instructor at the University of Washington, authored a textbook relating sociology courses to the contemporary black community. The book makes sociology relevant to major American social issues.

Military & Veterans

• Four in Hawaii Charged with Census Evasion, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Four Honolulu men were charged with refusing to answer the 1970 census questionnaire, claiming it was an invasion of privacy. The case may test the constitutionality of the federal census law.

In-Depth

• Mishima Ending Bathetic, by Allan Beekman, page 3. Beekman examines how Yukio Mishima’s early experiences, including army rejection, shaped his writing and his final act of ritual suicide. He argues the ending was unworthy of Mishima’s artistic gifts.

Sports

• Giants Capture Japan Series, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Yomiuri Giants won the Japan Series over the Lotte Orions four games to one, their sixth triumph since the two-league system began. Shigeo Nagashima and Sadaharu Oh led the Giants, and Masaaki Kitaru was named Pacific League MVP.

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