Medal of Honor, welfare reform and the economics of JACL in 1971

Vol. 72, No. 8, February 26, 1971. 6 pages. View this issue

Army Cpl. Terry T. Kawamura of Wahiawa, Oahu, was the subject of the lead news story: he became the fourth person of Japanese ancestry to receive the Medal of Honor, presented posthumously by President Nixon. JACL National President Raymond Uno wrote from San Jose about tying JACL’s strength to the economic success of its members. Sen. Daniel Inouye and 21 other senators backed a bill on retention pay for military lawyers, and Jiro Jerry Enomoto was set to head the Tehachapi prison.

Other pieces covered the Ohta murder case in Santa Cruz, Mike Masaoka’s list of Nisei candidates for public office, and Dr. Harry Kitano’s talk on racism in Seattle. Bill Hosokawa wrote about Caracas and about eating out in Seattle. Little Tokyo earthquake damage led to a federal aid task force. The letters and opinion pages debated the book Japanese Americans: The Untold Story.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Do I Know the Way to San Jose?, by Raymond Uno, page 1. JACL National President Raymond Uno discusses linking JACL’s organizational strength with the economic success of its members during a visit to San Jose. He also addresses proportional chapter representation on the National Board and continuing employment discrimination against Japanese Americans.
• Dr. Kitano Talks on Racism to Full House in Seattle, by Mrs. Helen Akita-, page 1. UCLA professor Dr. Harry Kitano addressed a Seattle JACL meeting on institutional racism, commenting on the controversial book Japanese Americans: The Untold Story. He also discussed racism in U.S. diplomacy and presented new filmstrips on the Japanese evacuation adopted by Los Angeles and San Francisco schools.
• Washington Newsletter: Nisei Candidates for Public Offices, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Mike Masaoka highlights several Nisei seeking public office in 1971, including Norman Mineta for San Jose mayor, Edwin Hiroto for California State Senate, and Hiroshi Kanno for Chicago alderman. He urges community support for these historic candidacies regardless of party affiliation.
• Bill Hosokawa: Caracas, Venezuela, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Bill Hosokawa offers impressions of Caracas, Venezuela, noting its economic vitality alongside squatter settlements and housing shortages. He also remarks on the Japanese presence and the Spanish-language television programs he encountered.
• From the Frying Pan: Eating Out in Seattle, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa reviews the Benihana teppan-yaki restaurant in downtown Seattle and profiles managers Jim Suzuki and Jack Ichikawa. The piece highlights the restaurant’s novelty and the managers’ careers in Seattle dining.
• Letters: Untold Story and Self-Hate Debate, by Shig Nomura and Warren Shimonishi, page 5. Readers Shig Nomura and Warren Shimonishi respond to the controversy over the book Japanese Americans: The Untold Story, defending its value and criticizing opponents’ attacks on Senator Inouye. Their letters argue the book presents legitimate accomplishments of Japanese Americans.
• A New Fraternity Among Asian Americans, by Po Sung Kim, page 5. Korean American publisher Po Sung Kim proposes a fraternity linking Chinese, Japanese, and Korean communities in the United States. He argues such cooperation could pool resources and demonstrate Asian American unity.
• Sociologist Responds to Alsop on Asian Americans, by George Kagiwada, page 5. UC Davis sociologist George Kagiwada critiques a Joseph Alsop column that cited Dr. Li’s success to suggest Asian Americans have overcome discrimination. He argues that occupational and educational statistics distort the group’s economic situation.
• Diary of a Mad Manhattanite, by Joe Oyama, page 6. Joe Oyama recounts New Year’s Eve at a Bayanihan Philippine Dance performance and New Year’s Day at the Nippon Club open house in New York. He reflects on the changing traditions of Japanese American community gatherings.
• On Second Thought: School Problem, by Warren Furutani, page 6. Warren Furutani critiques the authoritarian and militaristic traditions in schools that discourage students from questioning authority. He argues that fear and conformity undermine genuine learning.
• The Mieko Tsutsumida Case, by Harry K. Honda, page 6. Editor Harry K. Honda revisits the Mieko Tsutsumida case, in which a Japanese American county employee in Arizona was fired and later reached a limited settlement. He argues it highlights the need for JACL to address discrimination against Asians seeking management positions.

Military & Veterans

• Cpl. Kawamura of Hawaii Earns Medal of Honor, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Army Cpl. Terry T. Kawamura of Wahiawa, Oahu, became the fourth person of Japanese ancestry to receive the Medal of Honor, posthumously presented by President Nixon in a private White House ceremony. His heroic act in 1969 saved several members of his unit from an enemy explosive.
• Senate Filibuster Cloture Fails on Rule 22, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. A Senate attempt to invoke cloture on liberalizing Rule 22 failed to gain the two-thirds majority needed, blocking changes to filibuster procedures. Masaoka notes the rule has been successfully invoked only eight times since 1917.

National

• Incentive Pay for Military Lawyers Asked, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sen. Daniel Inouye and 21 other senators introduced a bill to provide retention pay for military lawyers facing shortages of experienced attorneys. The measure responds to concerns about the loss of trained personnel from the military legal corps.
• Work Incentive Plan Proposed to Reduce Public Welfare Rolls, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL’s National Ethnic Concerns Committee proposed a work incentive plan allowing welfare recipients able to work to keep part of their earnings and benefits. The proposal was offered as an alternative to Manual Letter 155, which would drop welfare recipients lacking permanent residency.
• Offensive Frito Bandito Commercials Still Shown, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL expressed dismay to Frito-Lay over its delay in phasing out the Frito Bandito commercials, which offend Mexican Americans. The letter warned that JACL would support a Chicano economic boycott if the ads continued.

Community

• Enomoto to Be Named Head of Tehachapi Prison, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The California Department of Corrections announced plans to appoint Jiro Jerry Enomoto, former national JACL president, as superintendent of the California Correctional Institution at Tehachapi. The appointments would make Enomoto and a black nominee the first minority prison superintendents in the state.
• $700,000 Insurance Left by Dr. Ohta for Children Being Contested, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A lawsuit has been filed over two insurance policies totaling $700,000 left by murder victims Dr. Victor Ohta and his wife, with the estate asking the court to reinterpret the beneficiary wording. The dispute centers on whether payment to the children conforms to the Ohtas’ intentions.
• Ohta Murder Suspect Asks for Venue Change, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The defense in the Ohta murder trial sought a change of venue in Santa Cruz Superior Court, arguing community hostility. The judge denied the motion after witnesses testified that the community had calmed and a fair trial was possible.
• Asian Administrators Wanted at Seattle Community College, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Oriental Students Union staged a walk-in and lock-in at Seattle Central Community College demanding Asian administrators. The group reduced its demand to three administrators, while college trustees promised to recruit minorities when funds became available.
• Minority Enrollment Gains in Seattle Schools, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A state survey of October 1970 enrollment shows minority student numbers continuing to rise in Seattle and statewide. Several Seattle schools now have Oriental enrollments of 20 percent or more.
• St. Louis JACLers to House Visiting Out-of-Town Delegates, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Members of the host St. Louis JACL chapter will house out-of-town delegates attending the Midwest District Council meeting in March to help reduce convention costs. The arrangement was announced as a way to avoid high hotel expenses.
• PSWDC to Meet Feb. 28 at West Covina Hotel, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Pacific Southwest District Council will hold its meeting February 28 at a West Covina hotel, with sessions starting at 9 a.m. The announcement provided details on the chapter-hosted gathering.
• Seattle Scout Leaders and Japanese Americans Honored, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Several Nisei scout leaders received the Silver Beaver Award from the Greater Los Angeles Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America. The awards recognized their long years of dedicated service to youth programs.
• Asian Yale Students Receive Apology from Radio DJ, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A WAVZ radio announcer apologized to Asian American Yale students after an ill-conceived Chinese New Year joke on air. Students and community leaders had objected to the humor as demeaning to Asian cultures.
• Little Tokyo Earthquake Damage Leads to Task Force, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Following earthquake damage in Little Tokyo, a special task force was organized to seek federal aid for relief and rebuilding of structurally unsafe buildings. Officials estimated the cost of repairs and relocation needs for affected businesses.
• Pulse on the Chapters: 1000 Club Report, by Eira Nagaoka, page 4. The Seattle JACL installation and awards banquet honored chapter leaders and recognized long-serving members with pins and certificates. The article reports on the event program and speakers, including remarks on local government reorganization.

JACL

• Seek Opinions on U.S.-Japan Affairs, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The newly formed National JACL International Affairs Committee, chaired by Dr. Clifford Uyeda, invites opinions from Japanese Americans on international affairs, particularly U.S.-Japan relations. The committee aims to make JACL members more aware of significant international events.
• Rules Changed for 5th Year JAL-JACL Fellowship Grants, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japan Air Lines and JACL will again sponsor four full scholarships to the 1971 Sophia University summer session in Tokyo. The program now has an upper age limit of 30 and gives priority to applicants who have never been to Japan.

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