A TV film retitled after a JACL protest, and the national board’s work

Vol. 73, No. 18, October 29, 1971. 6 pages. View this issue

A JACL letter-writing campaign got results in this issue: ABC changed the title of its Movie of the Week from “My Husband the Enemy” to “If Tomorrow Comes.” JACL had objected to the title as offensive, though it regarded the story itself as a poignant depiction of the Evacuation. JACL President Raymond Uno also wrote on the front page about communications and member participation, following the National Planning Commission’s review of the National Board and Executive Committee. A second Uno column on page 4 defended chapter visitations by the national president.

Other items include Patsy Mink’s court fight over the Amchitka nuclear test and an Oregon petition drive for her presidential bid. Harry K. Honda wrote on the 1970 census count of 591,290 Japanese Americans, David Ushio asked chapters to compile a JACL Who’s Who, and Victor Shibata reported on drug abuse among Asian American youth. Little Tokyo redevelopment news appears on page 2.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• Uno Column: Communications and Membership Participation in JACL, by Raymond S. Uno, page 1. JACL President Raymond Uno comments on the National Planning Commission’s review of the National Board and Executive Committee and the role of communications within the organization. He also discusses how members are selected for national committees and the importance of sharing information across chapters and districts.
• Power to the President: Chapter Visitations and Executive Matters, by Raymond Uno, page 4. JACL President Raymond Uno defends the value of chapter visitations by the national president and discusses the reorganization plan and the need for the president to stay connected to members. He addresses ongoing internal management questions within the national organization.

Incarceration & Redress

• TV Film Title Changed After JACL Protest, by P.C. Staff, page 1. ABC changed the title of its Movie of the Week from ‘My Husband the Enemy’ to ‘If Tomorrow Comes’ following a JACL letter-writing campaign. JACL objected to the title as offensive, though it regarded the story itself as a poignant depiction of the Evacuation.

National

• Patsy Mink for U.S. President Petitions Circulate in Oregon, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A statewide Oregon committee has formed to seek the Democratic presidential nomination for Rep. Patsy Mink of Hawaii and is circulating petitions to get her on the May primary ballot. Mink would join Rep. Shirley Chisholm as the second congresswoman testing the waters for a presidential bid.
• Death Penalty Sought in Dr. Ohta Murder Case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Prosecutors in Redwood City announced they will seek the death penalty against John Linley Frazier for the slaying of Dr. Ohta, his wife, and their children. Frazier has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
• Rep. Mink’s Suit Against Amchitka Test Wins Round, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Opponents of a proposed underground nuclear test on Amchitka Island, Alaska, won a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals requiring further proceedings on release of classified report documents. Rep. Patsy Mink and 32 other congressmen had sued for the papers after Congress denied funds for the test.
• Nisei Judge Criticizes Prison, Urges Abolition of Parole Board, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Hawaii Circuit Judge Nelson K. Doi called for abolishing the state board of probation and paroles and criticized prison conditions, saying he sentences men to prison only as a last resort. He also argued that the State Dept. of Education was improperly using Family Court as a dumping ground for juvenile problems.
• Atom Bomb Survivors Living in U.S. Seek Medical Aid, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Surviving Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bomb victims living in the United States receive little specialized treatment, unlike those in Japan. A Los Angeles meeting was scheduled to discuss ways to help the roughly 70 victims in the area, and Mrs. Tomoe Okai urged victims to contact her.
• NC-WNDC Governor Candidates Night Held by San Francisco JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Nearly 50 speakers, including seven of eleven mayoral candidates, appeared at a San Francisco JACL and Nisei Voters League rally before about 100 attendees. The NVL then issued endorsement recommendations for supervisors and other offices on the Nov. 2 ballot.

Community

• 17 Groups Join to Honor San Jose Issei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Seventeen San Jose community organizations are co-sponsoring an appreciation dinner on Oct. 30 honoring an estimated 150 Issei over age 75. Committee chairman Eiichi Sakauye expects Nisei and Sansei to attend with their parents and grandparents.
• Nisei in Japan Plant Dogwood Trees in Goodwill Event, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Maple Leaf Culture Association, a group of Canadians of Japanese parentage now living in Japan, planted three dogwood trees at Onishi Park beside Lake Hakone. The planting marked the centennial of British Columbia becoming a Canadian province.
• San Jose Mayor Norman Mineta Faces Tough Problems to Date, by P.C. Staff, page 2. San Jose Mayor Norman Mineta, in office since July 1, has faced difficult issues including the city budget and a police shooting investigation. The article describes ongoing polarization on the City Council over the police chief censure.
• Japanese Work in Restaurant Without Permit, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Eleven young Japanese nationals employed at the Arigato Restaurant in Clarence, New York, were charged by immigration authorities with violating their visa status by accepting unauthorized employment. Three other employees were to be charged as well.
• Work Furlough Chief Named in Anti-Bias Suit, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Wallace Takeguchi, administrator of the San Francisco county work furlough program, is named as a defendant in a suit by the Neighborhood Legal Assistance Association alleging the county jails discriminate against women by not providing furlough programs.
• Redevelopment, Government, and Community News Capsules, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Little Tokyo Development Co. completed organization of its interim management unit and proposed a $5 million commercial center. Akira Yamato succeeded Kanji Takasugi as consul general at Los Angeles, and several educators were named to school posts.

Commentary

• A JACL Who’s Who, by David Ushio, page 2. JACL Washington representative David Ushio describes frequent requests for qualified Japanese Americans for federal and private sector jobs. He urges districts and chapters to compile a JACL Who’s Who so such opportunities can be filled by qualified Nisei.
• Detention Act and Restricted Area Signs, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A letter corrects a PC article linking a Santa Rita prison farm facility to the Emergency Detention Act of the Internal Security Act of 1950. The writer explains the sign referenced concerns a military restricted area under a different statute.
• Hawaii Today: Economic Slowdown and Community News, by P.C. Staff, page 5. First Hawaiian Bank economist Dr. Thomas K. Hitch identifies seven factors behind a slowdown in Hawaii’s economy, including West Coast dock strikes and over-expansion in housing and hotels. The column also covers government appointments and education news from the islands.
• Editor’s Desk: 1970 U.S. Census Figures, by Harry K. Honda, page 6. The 1970 census counted 591,290 Japanese Americans, up 27.3 percent from 1960, well below the editor’s earlier estimate of possibly over 750,000. The column explains census race classification methods and JACL’s long-standing advocacy for detailed racial data.
• Things That Make Nisei Nervous Today, a la 1942, by Guy Wright, page 6. San Francisco Examiner columnist Guy Wright reprints commentary on rising US-Japan tensions over trade, the Nixon China announcement, and the Emperor’s European visit. He notes Japanese Americans fear renewed discrimination as in 1941-42.
• Getting Around: Youth Needs and Drug Abuse Among Asian Americans, by Victor Shibata, page 6. Jr. JACL national youth representative Victor Shibata reports on visits to chapters and districts, finding drug abuse among Asian American youth across the country. He highlights demand for identity workshops and plans for a biennial all-Jr. JACL convention in Salt Lake City.
• On Second Thought: Asian Stereotypes, by Warren Furutani, page 6. Warren Furutani examines how stereotyping of Asians and other minorities has been used historically to dehumanize and marginalize people. He argues that Japanese Americans have been made a scapegoat by stereotypes that reduce individuals to generalized images.

Military & Veterans

• Japanese Americans Report on Heart Disease Research, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Dr. Y. Scott Matsumoto of the University of Hawaii examines why Japan has far lower coronary heart disease rates than the United States. He suggests diet and social stress, particularly the group-oriented structure of Japanese society, may explain the difference.
• Divine Thunder: The Kamikaze Suicide Corps, by Allan Beekman, page 5. This book excerpt describes the first organized Kamikaze attack at the Battle of Leyte Gulf and the evolution of Japanese suicide tactics through Okinawa. It explores how the suicide corps emerged from the desperate state of the Japanese navy in 1944-45.

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