Denver visit, a Seattle queen and Asian American voices in 1971

Vol. 72, No. 22, June 4, 1971. 6 pages. View this issue

National JACL President Raymond Uno opened the front page of this six-page issue with a visit to Denver, where he met community leaders, and a Denver community council took shape to bring back the inactive Mile-Hi JACL chapter. Elsewhere on page 1, Asian American delegates at a Chicago conference on cultural pluralism and teacher education criticized the way Asians were left out of textbooks. Sen. Daniel Inouye called for U.S. withdrawal from Indochina by the end of 1971, and Susan Mochizuki was crowned Greater Seattle Japanese Community Queen.

Other pages carry columns by Bill Hosokawa, Richard Gima, Joe Hamanaka, John Ohta and Warren Furutani. John Ohta wrote on the Calley conviction and My Lai. Allan Beekman reviewed Lafcadio Hearn’s Kwaidan. Sumi Shimizu remembered Chicago JACL’s Harold Gordon, and a Sacramento JACL health day drew 170 Issei.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Denver, Queen City of the Plains: A Visit and Reflections, by By RAYMOND UNO, page 1. National JACL President Raymond Uno recounts his visit to Denver, including a community meeting with leaders. He reflects on the Cathay Post and the challenges of community leadership.
• From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa recalls Jim Bishop’s Los Angeles youth and a recommendation of Dillon Myer’s book Uprooted Americans. He also comments on the boorish behavior of some Japanese tourists.
• Hawaii Today: Aloha from Hawaii, by Richard Gima, page 5. Richard Gima’s column reports on military housing pressures from Marines arriving at Kaneohe, a Hawaii Loa College milestone, and Hawaiian sports news. It also notes local political appointments.
• Weird Tales Mark Peak in Genre: Review of Lafcadio Hearn’s Kwaidan, by Allan Beekman, page 5. Allan Beekman reviews Lafcadio Hearn’s Kwaidan, a collection of Japanese ghost stories drawn from Japanese and Chinese sources. He discusses Hearn’s life in Japan and his interest in the occult.
• The Evils of Tokyo, by Jim Henry, page 5. A survey of Tokyo-area residents found growing concern about car exhaust, air pollution, noise, and congestion. Most respondents believed the government’s measures were inadequate.
• Port of Seattle Ponders One or Two Chinas Now, by Joe Hamanaka, page 5. Joe Hamanaka examines the implications of China’s emergence for Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, noting trade prospects and the uncertainty over one China or two. He describes Japan’s renewed interest in China trade.
• Calley—My Lai, by John Ohta, page 6. John Ohta responds to Calley’s conviction for murders of Vietnamese civilians, arguing the My Lai incident reflected the nature of the war. He criticizes the racism he sees in public support for Calley.
• Open Letter, by Shirley Kiyoko Osumi, page 6. Shirley Osumi asks why a letter responding to Mike Masaoka was not printed in the Pacific Citizen. The editor explains the letter was withheld due to actionable content concerns.
• Guest Column: Traditions Recalled by SLC Columnist, by Sachi Seko, page 6. Sachi Seko reflects on JACL meetings, the lives of Issei, and the personal sacrifices of community members. The column calls for openness and new ideas within the organization.
• On Second Thought, by Warren Furutani, page 6. Warren Furutani urges readers to address community problems through education and prevention before they become crises. He argues that waiting until problems are visible is too late.

Community

• Seafair Royalty: Susan Mochizuki Crowned Greater Seattle Japanese Community Queen, by By EIRA NAGAOKA, page 1. Susan Mochizuki, 18, was crowned Greater Seattle Japanese Community Queen at ceremonies May 21 at the Norway Center. Princesses Diane Narasaki and Elise Iwasaki were also named to the court.
• ‘Camp Art’ Credited for Promoting Interest in Japanese Art Festival, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Henry Taketa credited wartime camp art with drawing a record 5,000 visitors to the Sacramento Japanese Art and Flower Festival at the Crocker Art Gallery. He suggested similar displays be paired with other Japanese cultural events.
• Sacramento JACL One-Day Clinic Attracts 170 Issei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Sacramento JACL Health and Social Service Day on May 23 offered free medical and professional services to 170 Issei residents with 100 volunteers. Coordinator Hachi Yasumura said the project may be repeated for Chinese elders.
• Tom ‘Lefty’ Miyanaga Appointed County Parks Commissioner, by By HARRY S. DA, page 1. Tom Miyanaga, a longtime Salinas Valley JACL member and WWII veteran, was appointed to the Monterey County Parks Commission. He previously served as Salinas chapter president and as a district council delegate.
• Gardena Japan Center Crime Probed, by By STEVE PELLETIERE, page 3. An incident at Japan Center in San Francisco spotlighted tensions over crime in the Western Addition, with black community leaders and police discussing policing. Sgt. Henry Williams urged residents to report drug dealers and other criminals.
• Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California Names 39 Directors, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A 39-member board of directors was selected for the proposed Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California in San Francisco’s Nihonmachi. The board plans to study programs, finance and site selection.
• Denver Nikkei Organize Umbrella Community Council to Activate JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Dr. Takashi Mayeda was elected chairman pro tem of a community council in Denver seeking to reorganize the inactive Mile-Hi JACL chapter. Nearly a hundred attended a meeting addressed by national president Raymond Uno.
• Bay Area Community JACL: For a Hawaiian Ethos, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Two young Hawaiians, Beverlyn Nagaue and Vernon Oi, met with Bay Area Community JACL members to describe the issues facing Hawaii, including the brain drain, land use, and beach access. The article notes Hawaiian students’ efforts to affirm their identity.

National

• Asian Americans Expose Lack of Sensitivity at Chicago Cultural Pluralism Conference, by P.C. Staff, page 1. About 300 delegates to the National Conference on Cultural Pluralism and Teacher Education in Chicago heard an Asian American white paper criticizing exclusion of Asians from textbooks and curricula. The eight signatories demanded their paper be included in the official proceedings.
• Inouye Wants U.S. Out of Indochina by End of 1971, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sen. Daniel Inouye called for withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Indochina by end of 1971 and for admitting the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations. He criticized Nixon’s escalation and the policy of containment toward China.
• Manchu Law May Bar Chinese Women from Joining Families in U.S., by P.C. Staff, page 1. The INS ruled that a Chinese adopted daughter was not legally adopted for immigration purposes under a Manchu-era custom limiting adoption to males. Attorney Benjamin Gim criticized the decision as poorly researched.
• Supreme Court Denies La Jolla Chinese Merchant Refugee Asylum, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that La Jolla merchant Harry Woo did not qualify as a political refugee. A private bill introduced by Rep. John Schmitz may allow the Woo family to remain.

Obituaries

• Dr. Ryojun Kinoshita Honored on Retirement from City of Hope, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Ryojun Kinoshita, a pioneer leukemia researcher and one of the first to suggest a link between cancer and smoking, was honored upon his retirement from City of Hope. He was presented a scroll commemorating 50 years of research.
• Harold ‘Tokuzo’ Gordon Remembered, by Sumi Shimizu, page 5. Sumi Shimizu recalls Harold Gordon, a Chicago JACL champion for civil rights who died May 18. Gordon chaired the Anti-Discrimination Committee and helped pass key legislation.

Military & Veterans

• Sansei Veterans Group Meets in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A group of Sansei veterans meets weekly in Los Angeles to discuss problems related to employment, benefits, and psychological issues after military service. The group meets at the Asian Involvement office.

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