Attention for the Issei, and a first look at Asian American protest in 1971

Vol. 72, No. 18, May 7, 1971. 6 pages. View this issue

JACL National President Raymond Uno opened the issue with a plea that Nisei and Sansei give the Issei thoughtful, planned attention while there is still time. Elsewhere on the front page, forty-five protesters picketed a San Diego High School production of The King and I, and Asian Americans joined the April 24 anti-war marches in San Francisco and Washington. A San Jose Mercury editorial noted that Norman Mineta’s election as mayor turned little on his Japanese ancestry.

Other pages reported on 508 Japanese American students named California scholarship winners, the Iva Toguri case in federal court, and a Manzanar Camp Teach-In where Gordon Hirabayashi spoke. Bill Hosokawa covered that event. Columns by Frank Iwama, Shig Sakamoto and Harry K. Honda round out the six pages, along with reader letters about the Amerasia chapter’s name and a novel about the wartime years.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• The Issei Need Our Attention Now, by Raymond Uno, page 1. JACL National President Raymond Uno urges the Nisei and Sansei to give more thoughtful, planned attention to the Issei, who are aging and often overlooked. He proposes mentally, physically, and culturally stimulating activities, along with help for isolated and impoverished Issei.
• The Last Time I Saw Shanghai, page 3. A personal recollection describes leaving Shanghai on a ship in the months before Japan’s takeover, as Americans and others waited anxiously amid rising Japanese military presence. The writer reflects on the tension and the sense of living on a powder keg.
• Influence Friends Through Politics, by Frank Iwama, page 4. Iwama argues that Japanese Americans should seek elected office at the local level, citing the opportunity created by Mineta’s victory. He calls for JACL members to become involved in choosing representatives.
• Chiaroscuro: Politics and Who Loses, by Hayashi, page 4. Hayashi critiques the political system for cutting welfare, favoring big business, and marginalizing poor, minority, young, and old people. He calls on citizens to broaden the political voice and address pollution and social discontent together.
• Hunting for Warabi in the Mother Lode Hills, by Shig Sakamoto, page 5. Sakamoto recounts a Sunday drive with his wife and mother-in-law to gather warabi, a wild fern, in the hills near Jackson. He describes the scenery, the hunt, and the shared bento lunch.
• Editor’s Desk: The Japanese Ethnic Press, by Harry K. Honda, page 6. The editorial criticizes an Editor & Publisher article on the Japanese American ethnic press for factual errors and confusion between Japanese immigrants, Nisei, and Japanese nationals. It argues the piece misrepresents the bilingual nature and competition within Nisei newspapers.
• Home Again Review Letter, by Jerry Uyemoto, page 6. A Sansei reader praises James Edmiston’s novel Home Again for its portrayal of Japanese American wartime evacuation and family structure. He recommends the book for younger generations to better understand their heritage.
• Naming a Chapter, by Raymond Okamura, page 6. Okamura objects to the Amerasia JACL chapter being forced to change its name to Los Angeles Inner City Chapter. He argues a chapter’s name is an important expression of identity and urges members to reclaim it.
• Health Plans, by Haruo Ishimaru, page 6. Ishimaru apologizes for harsh remarks he made about JACL-Blue Cross at a district council meeting. He acknowledges his language was unnecessary and painful.
• Potshots, by Don Hayashi, page 6. Hayashi writes about Earth Day and the Spring Offensive against the war, linking environmental and social issues. He argues that welfare cuts and pollution are part of one endless cycle that harms people.

Community

• Asians Picket San Diego High Production of ‘King and I’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Forty-five protesters picketed a San Diego High School production of The King and I, arguing that the musical perpetuates negative Asian stereotypes. School principal James Gauntlett defended the decision to stage the play after investigation and consultation.
• Californians Becoming Oblivious to Race Difference in Election, by Harry Farrell, page 1. The San Jose Mercury editorial notes that Norman Mineta’s election as mayor drew national attention but that his Japanese ancestry was barely an issue in the campaign. The writer sees this as a sign of progress toward a color-blind electorate.
• Asian American Study Panel for L.A. Approved, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Los Angeles Board of Education unanimously recognized the Asian American Education Commission as an advisory body on the needs of Asian students. The commission was developed over five months of community meetings and was supported by community leaders.
• Sacramento JACL: Influence Friends Through Politics, by Frank Iwama, page 4. Frank Iwama urges Japanese Americans to pursue elected offices, noting Norman Mineta’s San Jose victory and the small number of Asian legislators. He argues political involvement is the most effective route to social change, even though the JACL constitution bars official endorsements.
• Bannockburn Conference Center Set as Site of Aug. 26-29 Youth Meeting, by Peggy Sonoda, page 4. The Tri-District Junior JACL Conference will be held at Bannockburn conference center from August 26-29 under the theme ‘Sharing of the Minds.’ Planners are seeking help and recruiting for seminars, workshops, and a T-shirt design contest.
• Santa Maria to Host PSWDYC May Halfly, page 4. The Pacific Southwest District Youth Council will hold its May Halfly in Santa Maria on May 21-23. The agenda includes officer installation, constitutional revisions, and recreational activities, with registration materials going to chapters.
• Issei Luncheon Program, page 4. The Minneapolis-St. Paul JACL hosts its Issei luncheon program on May 16 with entertainment including koto music and folk dances. The event honors the Issei community with a day of celebration.

National

• Huge Turnout of Asians Marches in San Francisco, Washington, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Asian Americans joined the April 24 anti-war parades in San Francisco and Washington, D.C., with several hundred marching in San Francisco and about 300 in Washington. Organizers’ plans for a unified Third World bloc faltered, and some participants felt the coalition was politicized.
• 500 Sansei Win California State Scholarship Award, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The California State Scholarship and Loan Commission named 508 Japanese American students among its 1971 scholarship winners, a sharp increase from 297 the previous year. The article notes the grants represent a share far above the community’s population percentage.
• Matsunaga Endorses New POW Protocol, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Rep. Spark Matsunaga and about 135 other House members urged that American prisoners of war in Vietnam be released to neutral countries under the Geneva Convention. They sent the proposal to Ambassador David K. Bruce for consideration at the Paris Peace Conference.
• Iva Toguri Case: Federal Judge Wants Proof She Can’t Pay Rest of $5,255 Fine, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Judge William J. Lynch refused to dismiss the government’s demand that Iva Toguri D’Aquino submit financial records proving she cannot pay the remaining fine from her 1949 treason conviction. Her attorney Wayne Collins called the demand harassment, and she is due in court May 20.
• Less Bias in Integrated School, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sacramento State sociologist Minako Kurokawa Maykovich found that minority children in predominantly white schools held more negative views of whites than those in racially mixed schools. Her study found more genuine and friendly interaction in integrated settings.
• U.S. Supreme Court Upholds California Law Allowing Local Veto of Low-Cost Housing, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Supreme Court on April 26 upheld a 1950 California law requiring local voter approval before federally financed low-rent housing can be built. Justice Marshall dissented, arguing the law discriminates against the poor in violation of the 14th Amendment.

Incarceration & Redress

• Dorsey High’s March 26 Incident, by Robert M. Takasugi, page 2. Takasugi reports on the March 26 mass arrest of 38 students at Dorsey High School in Los Angeles by police. He argues that only four students were arrested for drug possession and that the sweep was carried out with hostile treatment and questionable justification.
• Hirabayashi Pleased at Nisei Move to Dedicate Manzanar as Tragic Symbol, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. At a Manzanar Camp Teach-In in Los Angeles, speakers including Gordon Hirabayashi, Roger Daniels, and Mary Kochiyama discussed the wartime evacuation. Hirabayashi praised the Nisei for their resilience and welcomed the movement to dedicate Manzanar as a symbol of that history.

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