Repealing Title II, Asian American studies and community news in 1971

Vol. 72, No. 19, May 14, 1971. 6 pages. View this issue

Title II of the Internal Security Act, the detention law, was a steady thread through this six-page issue. Mike Masaoka compared the House bills to repeal or revive it and explained why JACL favored the Matsunaga repeal bill. Another story followed the growing media attention to Rep. Spark Matsunaga’s effort, including a Washington Post editorial. National JACL President Raymond Uno wrote on the front page about attending a Buddhist women’s convention in Salt Lake City, and Ronald Hirano reported on a UCLA and USC conference on Asian American studies.

Other front-page items covered Peace Sunday in Los Angeles, Seattle’s International District, and chapter news from San Jose, Coachella Valley and Clovis. Mike Nakayama wrote about boot camp and Vietnam as a Sansei Marine. Bill Hosokawa, Jerry Sakata and Joe Oyama contributed columns, and readers wrote letters about a textbook on Japanese Americans.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Pacific Citizen Column by Raymond Uno on Buddhist Women’s Convention, by Raymond Uno, page 1. National JACL President Raymond Uno reflects on attending the 74th Annual National Buddhist Women’s Federation Convention in Salt Lake City and the closing banquet attended by about 1,000 people of Japanese ancestry. He also recounts his visit to Phoenix, meeting chapter leaders and attending a scholarship program.
• Hawaii Mayor Kimura Meets Mainland Bias, by Richard Gima, page 1. Big Island Mayor Shuniichi Kimura experienced discrimination on a trip to the mainland, which helped him understand the feelings of Black Americans. The story recounts a stewardess’s remarks during his travel to a White House Conference on Youth.
• Title II Repeal Status, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Masaoka analyzes competing House bills to repeal or revive Title II of the Internal Security Act, and explains why JACL favors the Judiciary Committee’s Matsunaga repeal bill. He also discusses how recent anti-war demonstrations might affect repeal prospects.
• Hawaii Fishcakes All Safe, Says Scientist, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A University of Hawaii botany professor said consumers are not in danger from mercury contamination in fishcakes, even when some brands tested above federal limits. Sales had dropped sharply following the controversy.
• The Art of Cooperation, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa contrasts Japan’s business spirit of cooperation with the divisions within Nisei communities, suggesting the Issei’s independent, dissenting spirit may explain the lack of cooperation. He also comments on a Time essay about touchy minorities.
• Washington Media Focus Shifts to Matsunaga Effort to Erase Detention Law, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Recent media attention to Rep. Spark Matsunaga’s campaign to repeal Title II has increased through his radio appearances and House speech. The Washington Post also editorialized in favor of repeal, calling concentration camps repugnant.
• San Mateo JACL Membership Surge and Community Goals, by Tom Hisata, page 4. San Mateo JACL chapter president Tom Hisata reports membership rising to 631 largely due to a Blue Shield health insurance plan offered through JACL. He outlines goals including Nisei-Sansei dialogue, Issei programs, minority cooperation, and increased minority representation in local government.
• Respectively Yours: Learn to Live With People, Accept Their Differences, by Jerry Sakata, page 5. Stockton columnist Jerry Sakata argues the Asian community must accept differences among its members and confront its social problems rather than assume it has none. He uses the example of youths released from a correctional institution who fear community judgment.
• Untold Story Letter, by Jeff Hayashi, page 5. Jeff Hayashi defends the book Japanese American: The Untold Story against criticism, arguing it is an important first step to educating fifth graders about Japanese Americans. He urges readers to accept it while better books are developed.
• Tell It the Way It Is, by M.L. Lee, page 5. M.L. Lee agrees that available materials on Asians in California are inadequate and often inaccurate. The letter calls for accurate Asian American history for California schools and says Asian Americans must write their own story.
• Chiaroscuro Shadows Letter on Texas Assimilation, by Ken Hayashi, page 5. Ken Hayashi responds to Dr. Otto Furuta’s column claiming Japanese Americans in Texas are assimilated as white, arguing persons of Japanese ancestry are not white in America. He suggests school textbooks should credit Asian American contributions.
• Band-aids for Complex Problems Not the Answer, by Herbert Horikawa, page 6. Philadelphia JACLer Herbert Horikawa criticizes recent repressive legislation such as the D.C. Crime Bill and HR 14864 as violating due process and civil liberties. He argues quick repressive fixes fail to address underlying social conditions.
• An Indian Dialogue, by Joe Oyama, page 6. Joe Oyama reflects on a film depicting a dialogue among Indians, noting its resemblance to Japanese American relocation camp life. He draws out themes of cultural values, self-determination, and reciprocity.

In-Depth

• Ethnic Studies Confab Shows Promise, Needs Direction, by Ronald Hirano, page 1. A UCLA and USC joint conference on Asian American studies drew national participants and included a keynote by Rep. Patsy Mink and workshops on topics such as Japanese American history and wartime relocation. The author notes the conference was productive but lacked a unifying framework and the planned position panel was cancelled.

Community

• Inter-Im Redevelopment Bolder Plans Now Proposed for Seattle International District, by Eira Nagaoka, page 1. The International District Improvement Association (INTER-IM) in Seattle was named the outstanding civic organization of 1971 by the King County Municipal League. The group has pursued park projects, housing, street lighting, and other improvements, and now proposes a community resource center and cultural trade center.
• San Jose JACL President Wins Seat on City High School District Board, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Richard K. Tanaka, president of San Jose JACL, won a seat on the East Side Union High School District board in the April 20 election. Tanaka, an architect and urban planner, outlined priorities including finances, communication, and educational environment.
• Coachella Valley Now No. 26 in PSW District, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Coachella Valley JACL chapter, reactivated earlier this year, planned an installation dinner and programs including Sansei speakers. The chapter became the 26th in the Pacific Southwest District Council.
• Clovis JACL Wins Parade Sweepstakes, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Clovis JACL-Clovis Community Church float won the sweepstakes award and a $50 prize in the April 24 Clovis Rodeo Parade. The float depicted a flight to the moon.

National

• Support Grows Fast for May 16 Peace Sunday, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Community support is growing for Peace Sunday on May 16 in Los Angeles, sponsored by Asian Americans for Peace, with Rep. Spark Matsunaga as keynote speaker. Entertainers and speakers are donating their time and over 2,000 attendees are expected.
• Plight of Needy Orientals Bared to Senate Group, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL testified before a Senate subcommittee urging extension and full funding of the Office of Economic Opportunity and calling attention to the unmet needs of Asian American communities. The statement argued Asian Americans are excluded from minority-targeted federal programs.
• ACLU Director Opposes Effort in Congress to Ban Ethnic Slur, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The ACLU opposed a congressional resolution sponsored by Rep. John Murphy urging producers to avoid ethnic stereotypes, arguing it would violate the First Amendment. JACL had previously endorsed a similar resolution while urging a more positive affirmative approach.
• Anti-Alien Ban by Japan Firm Confirmed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Nagoya district court ruled that Toyota Motor Co.’s decision to bar foreigners from its management did not violate Japan’s constitution. The ruling is significant as U.S. auto makers seek joint ventures in Japan.
• Kobe Immigration Center Shuts Down, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The last immigration ship departed from Kobe, the Brazil Maru, carrying brides to Japanese immigrants in South America, ending a 60-year history of emigration from the port. Since 1912 about 240,000 Japanese had left from Kobe.
• Study of Race, Intelligence Nixed by Science House, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National Academy of Sciences rejected proposals to sponsor studies on how heredity and environment affect human intelligence. It also vetoed a proposal forbidding members from conducting secret research.
• OEO Funding Plight of Asian Americans, Senior Citizen Problem, by P.C. Staff, page 6. JACL’s statement urged OEO funding and noted Asian American elderly face language barriers and loneliness with no community grants awarded directly to Asian communities. It also argued Asian Americans should be considered minorities for federal programs.

Military & Veterans

• VFW-MIS-JACL Co-Sponsor Memorial Day Services, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Lt. Col. Shig Sugiyama will speak at the annual Memorial Day services at Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno on May 31. The services are co-sponsored by several veterans and JACL groups.
• Sansei in Integrated Outfit a ‘Gook’, by Mike Nakayama, page 3. Mike Nakayama describes his experiences in USMC boot camp and in Vietnam, including the dehumanizing treatment of Vietnamese and Asians and the atrocities he witnessed. He reflects on his alienation and the racism he faced as a Sansei.

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