Hopes for 1971 and a dispute over a Japanese American history book

Vol. 72, No. 2, January 15, 1971. 6 pages. View this issue

Raymond Uno, JACL National President, opened 1971 with a list of hopes: peace, opportunity for younger generations, and a part for JACL in all of it. Elsewhere on the front page, the 25th annual National JACL Bowling Tournament was set for March 1-6 in Salt Lake City, with ten teams expected from Japan. Ron Marumoto was named speaker for the D.C. chapter’s 25th anniversary banquet, and the JACL-Blue Shield health plan opened enrollment for members in California, Arizona and Nevada.

The commentary pages carry a debate over the book Japanese Americans: The Untold Story. Senator Daniel K. Inouye wrote to the community in its defense, and Eleanor Curry argued against censoring it. Mike Masaoka reviewed the 91st Congress. Dennis Yotsuya wrote about redevelopment and Japantown in San Francisco, and Vaughn Greene looked at old pulp magazines and anti-Japanese prejudice.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• Uno’s New Year Hopes for 1971, by Raymond Uno, page 1. JACL National President Raymond Uno reflects on 1970 and expresses his hopes for 1971, including peace, opportunity for younger generations, and a better future for Japanese Americans. He states his wish that JACL will contribute meaningfully to those hopes.
• 10 Teams from Japan Expected at JACL Bowling Tournament, by Bruce Watanabe, page 1. The 25th annual National JACL Bowling Tournament will be held March 1-6, 1971, in Salt Lake City, with entries from Japan and Hawaii anticipated. Entry deadline is January 24, and contact information for tournament officials is provided.
• More JACL Committee Chairmen Appointed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. National JACL President Raymond Uno appointed Frank Yoshimura of Mt. Olympus JACL as chairman of the National Budget Committee. The appointments are part of efforts to coordinate JACL’s long-range programming and budget planning.
• White House Staffer to Address D.C. JACL’s 25th Anniversary Banquet, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Presidential appointee Ron Marumoto will be guest speaker at the 25th annual installation banquet of the Washington, D.C. JACL chapter on January 30. Marumoto, a White House staffer and Nisei, has held several high-level federal posts.

Community

• Asian American Problems on Tap at Social Work Council Session, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A session at the Council on Social Work Education’s national meeting in Seattle will address problems of Asian Americans, including efforts to increase minority student enrollment and faculty. Participating schools include the University of Washington and Portland State University.
• Dr. Nobe Award for ’70 Goes to UCLA Student, by Betty Suzukida, page 1. Bruce Masuo Watanabe of Stockton received the 1970 JACL graduate scholarship in memory of Dr. Mutsumi Nobe. Watanabe, a UCLA medical student, was recognized for his summer work on a Little Tokyo health project.
• JACL-Blue Shield Health Plan Offered to Members in California, Arizona, Nevada, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL members under age 63 in California, Nevada, and Arizona may join the JACL-Blue Shield health plan during open enrollment ending February 28, 1971, regardless of past medical history. Coverage begins April 1 and details on rates and benefits are provided.
• State Cutbacks in Medi-Cal to Raise County Hospital Costs, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Los Angeles County hospital planning director Yoshi Honkawa predicted county hospitalization costs could rise by $20 million due to state Medi-Cal cutbacks. Convalescent homes such as Keiro Nursing Home are also affected.
• Impact of Seattle JACL Within Community Noticed During 1970, by Donald Kazama, page 4. Seattle JACL President Donald Kazama reflects on the chapter’s influence in the community during 1970 and calls for more young people and Asian Americans to become involved. He urges members to press for change and new directions.
• Community Service, Freedom of Action Mark New Bay Area Chapter, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The new Bay Area Community JACL chapter adopted its constitution and emphasizes member freedom to take action on issues. Members are organizing committees around community service and historical projects.

National

• Anti-Nisei Discrimination Feared Again in City Civil Service System, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL expressed concern that a Los Angeles civil service promotional list showing three Japanese American candidates may expire before promotions are made. JACL alleges that Nisei employees are routinely blocked from administrative positions.
• Postal Carrier Cleared of Dumping Mail, by P.C. Staff, page 1. San Francisco Nisei mail carrier Kiyoshi Tatehara, suspended in March for allegedly dumping junk mail, has been absolved and reinstated. He had maintained his innocence and said he was arrested only because his desk was near another suspect’s.
• Japanese Children Abandoned by U.S. Fathers May Be Stateless, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Many mixed-blood children of American fathers and Japanese mothers in Japan may be stateless, lacking both Japanese and American citizenship. They face difficulties with language, education, and medical care after divorce or abandonment.

In-Depth

• Drs. Li, Yamashiro Synthesize Human Pituitary Growth Hormone, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Researchers Dr. C.H. Li and Dr. David Ho Yamashiro at UC San Francisco synthesized human pituitary growth hormone, a major scientific breakthrough. The synthesis opens new research possibilities into growth disorders, cancer, and other conditions.

Commentary

• Washington Newsletter: 91st Congress Summary, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Mike Masaoka reviews the accomplishments and shortcomings of the Second Session of the 91st Congress, including Voting Rights Act extensions and failed welfare reform. He notes the Senate’s reassertion of its role in foreign policy as perhaps the session’s most important outcome.
• As Others See Us, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The column recounts a visiting Japanese journalist’s impressions of America, including a conversation with a Japanese war bride living in a New Mexico pueblo. The author reflects on Japan’s own prejudices and the mixed American attitudes toward rearmament.
• Letter to Japanese American Community Regarding ‘Japanese Americans: The Untold Story’, by Daniel K. Inouye, page 3. Senator Daniel Inouye responds to Buddhist Churches of America objections to the book, defending its intent and explaining that a section about his own life, which describes a dispute with a Buddhist language school teacher, is accurate. He argues the book is not anti-Buddhist and calls for an honest telling of Japanese American history.
• Open Letter on Censorship of Japanese American Book, by Eleanor Curry, page 3. Eleanor Curry praises Florence Yoshiwara’s book on Japanese American history and argues against censoring it. She calls for more books by Japanese Americans telling their own stories.
• Racism in Practice, by Dennis Yotsuya, page 4. Dennis Yotsuya criticizes San Francisco Redevelopment Agency head Justin Herman’s statement and argues that redevelopment policies displace Third World communities, particularly Japantown. He calls for organizing against these policies.
• Oldtime Pulp Magazines, by Vaughn Greene, page 6. Vaughn Greene argues that early twentieth-century pulp fiction, including science fiction stories depicting Japanese attacks and villainy, helped fuel anti-Japanese prejudice. He suggests this influence has been overlooked by historians.

Obituaries

• Pain’s Memory Remains, by Wilmington Morning News, page 2. The Wilmington Morning News editorial notes that Thomas Sashihara Sr. received Japan’s Order of the Sacred Treasure for his decades of service to Japanese Americans, though the honor is tinged with the pain of historical civil rights violations. The editorial reflects on the irony of this recognition.
• Sad Ishimitsu, 46, Hardest Working Seattle JACL Member, by Kira Nagaoka, page 4. Sad Ishimitsu, a Seattle construction businessman and longtime JACL member, died December 7 at age 46. He was remembered for his honesty, unselfishness, and tireless volunteer work, including building floats for community events.

Military & Veterans

• Hawaii Today: Nisei Commodore Named by Coast Guard, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Stanley C. Kawata became the first Nisei commodore in the Coast Guard Auxiliary, according to news briefs from Hawaii. The column also includes other news from Hawaii including political appointments and community events.

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