Vol. 73, No. 6, August 6, 1971. 6 pages. View this issue
The National JACL Board and staff session was the main subject of this six-page issue. Harry K. Honda reported on how a small share of members does most of the work and how to draw in younger ones. The board faced a gloomy budget but still set aside $5,000 for a documentary on the Issei, and it adopted a statement calling for withdrawal of American troops from Indochina by December 31, 1971. National JACL President Raymond Uno wrote about the ethics of hard decisions, and David T. Suzuki wrote about being Japanese in Canada.
Also inside: David Ushio on Bob Nakamura’s film Manzanar and support for visual communications, and Bill Hosokawa’s column, From the Frying Pan. The issue also reported on the Maruki Hiroshima Panels coming to the Oakland Museum, an Anytown program co-sponsored by Omaha JACL, and the Elks vote to keep a whites-only policy.
What’s in this issue
Commentary
- Damned if You Do and Damned if You Don’t: On Ethics and Difficult Decisions, by Raymond Uno, page 1. National JACL President Raymond Uno reflects on ethical dilemmas in which every choice carries costs, using the example of Warren Furutani’s compassion. He argues that human beings must be treated with compassion regardless of the controversy involved.
- Being Japanese in Canada, by David T. Suzuki, page 1. Dr. David Suzuki examines the identity crisis facing Sansei in Canada and the United States, contrasting their activism with the wartime experience of the Issei and Nisei. He argues that Japanese Canadians share responsibility as a racialized group and must join other oppressed groups in the fight against discrimination.
- From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Bill Hosokawa presents a series of brief observations, including an elderly Issei woman’s account of rigid social obligations in a California Japanese community and an old China hand’s criticism of Nixon’s approach to Peking. He also comments on campus radicalism in Japan and Sansei searching for ethnic issues.
- Ambassador’s Speeches, by Jon Funabiki, page 5. Letter writer Jon Funabiki says he found the Japanese ambassador’s speeches of interest, while protesting ecological damage and unethical business practices in Japanese industry. He cites whale slaughter and off-road vehicle advertising as examples.
- Elks Vote to Keep Racial Bias, by Denver Post, page 5. The Denver Post editorial criticizes the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks for voting to retain its all-white membership policy. It argues that members and non-members alike have the right to respond to such exclusion.
- Editor’s Desk: ‘The Budget’s Tight’, by Harry K. Honda, page 6. The editor comments on JACL’s financial strain, including a $16,000 deficit and a record-low reserve fund. He calls for a more representative National Council and notes the closing of The Crossroads, an English-language Nisei weekly.
JACL
- ‘Involvement’ Key to JACL Future, by Harry K. Honda, page 1. At the interim National JACL Board and Staff session, leaders discussed how a small share of members does most of the work and how to involve younger members. Officials agreed that community involvement programs and relevant chapter activities are essential to the organization’s future.
- 1971 Budget Fight, But Allow $5,000 for Issei Film, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Facing a gloomy 1971 financial picture and an expected deficit, the National JACL Board nonetheless directed funds for the Visual Communications Committee’s 30-minute documentary on the Issei. Discussion also covered proposals for additional regional staff and offices.
- Nat’l JACL Board Joins in Statement on U.S. Involvement in Indochina, page 1. The National JACL Board adopted a statement calling for complete withdrawal of American troops and materiel from Indochina by December 31, 1971. The statement also urges withdrawal of political and economic support for the Saigon government and reparations to the Vietnamese people.
- Proposal to Use Endowment Fund Loses, page 3. A 1970 Convention proposal to use Endowment Fund monies under safeguards failed to receive the required three-fourths chapter approval. The National Board ordered the guidelines recirculated to chapters for reconsideration.
Community
- Washington Newsletter: For the Future: Visual Communications, by David Ushio, page 2. David Ushio praises Bob Nakamura’s film Manzanar for its emotional power in portraying wartime incarceration. He argues for continued JACL support of visual communications projects, including the proposed film on the Issei.
- Hyakunen-Zakura Fund Nears Its Goal, page 2. The Hokubei Hyakunen Zakura Committee in Seattle has raised most of its goal to fund the English translation and publication of the 100-year history of Issei in the Pacific Northwest. Donors of $15 receive a translated copy.
- ‘Walking History’ of Asians in U.S. Has Mixed Reviews, page 4. The Walking Histories presented by the Bay Area Community JACL at the Oakland Museum Asian American Festival drew mixed reactions from audiences and participants. The project aimed to educate the public about Asian American history through engagement with the community.
- Omaha JACL Co-Sponsors Anytown Nebraska, page 4. Omaha JACL co-sponsored a summer youth program modeled on Anytown, bringing together teenagers from diverse backgrounds to learn about prejudice and cooperation. Participants included students of Japanese ancestry and others from varied ethnic and religious backgrounds.
Sports
- Golfers’ Delight, by Joe Hamanaka, page 3. A Seattle-based golf tour to Japan is being organized for October, with itineraries at several Japanese courses. The article also examines the place of golf in Japanese business culture.
Arts & Entertainment
- Oakland Museum Exhibits Massive Panels Depicting A-Bomb Horror, page 3. The Maruki Hiroshima Panels, created by Iri and Toshi Maruki, will be exhibited at the Oakland Museum in the San Francisco Bay Area for the first time. The exhibit marks the anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.
In-Depth
- History of ‘Tori’ Explains Its Use as Gate for Birds, by Don Estes, page 5. Don Estes traces the origins and etymology of the torii gate, examining its possible connection to the sun goddess legend and similar gate forms in Korea, China, and India. He notes differences between Shinto and Buddhist torii and their architectural variations.
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