The repeal of Title II and a camp found near Bay City

Vol. 73, No. 15, October 8, 1971. 4 pages. View this issue

Title II of the Internal Security Act ran through the news of this four-page issue. President Nixon announced in Portland that he had signed its repeal, ending a four-year JACL campaign led by co-chairmen Raymond Okamura and Edison Uno, with thanks to Representative Spark Matsunaga and Senator Daniel Inouye. An editorial and Mike Masaoka’s column also credited the leaders behind the victory. Elsewhere on page one, a former Army camp near Santa Rita Prison Farm was found fenced and posted with warnings, and JACL President Raymond Uno wrote about the legacy people leave behind and urged a national program to assist the Issei.

Also inside: Bill Hosokawa on the Larry Tajiri Memorial Foundation, Don Estes on Bunraku puppet theater, and Frank Iwama on examining one’s own prejudice. The Seattle chapter’s fiftieth anniversary, the Abe Hagiwara Memorial Awards, and a planned Northwest exhibit, The Pride and the Shame, round out the issue.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Sands of Time, by Raymond S. Uno, page 1. JACL President Raymond Uno reflects on the mortality of human life and the legacy people leave behind. He argues that the world’s population problems are catastrophic and that JACL should launch a national program to assist the Issei.
• U-No Bar: Continued from Front Page, by Raymond S. Uno, page 1. Uno urges the national JACL organization to coordinate Issei programs with district councils and chapters. He also outlines upcoming Executive Committee meeting plans and reporting requirements.
• Capital Scene: A Meeting at OEO, by David Ushio, page 2. David Ushio reports on a briefing with new OEO Director Phillip Sanchez and criticizes the omission of Asian American concerns. He notes that no Japanese American or Asian American holds a high-level position at OEO.
• Sakura Script: Black List of Deadbeats, by Jim Henry, page 2. A Tokyo loan firm lists characteristics of borrowers unlikely to repay money, based on its experience with thousands of defaults. The column offers the list in a lighthearted tone.
• Prejudice: How About You?, by Frank Iwama, page 3. Frank Iwama urges readers to examine their own prejudices before advocating racial equality. He argues that individuals must work constantly to eliminate prejudice in themselves.
• The Tajiri Foundation, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Bill Hosokawa describes the Larry Tajiri Memorial Foundation, formed after the former Pacific Citizen editor’s death to support community theater. He recounts the seventh annual Larry Tajiri Memorial Awards banquet in Denver.
• A Nisei View, by Mike Masaoka, page 4. Mike Masaoka analyzes President Nixon’s Supreme Court appointments and credits Congressmen and Senators for the successful repeal of Title II. He highlights the bipartisan leadership that made the legislative victory possible.
• Culmination of a Long Run, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial celebrates the repeal of Title II and credits Ray Okamura, Congressman Matsunaga, and Senator Inouye for the victory. It cautions that the broader struggle for civil rights continues.
• Letters from Our Readers: On Racial Slur, by Jeffrey Sue, page 4. A reader objects to a sports commentator’s use of the phrase ‘Chinese fire drill’ to describe a poor performance. The letter argues such remarks reflect institutional racism.
• An Open Letter, by Sumi Ujimori, page 4. The writer honors Ray Okamura for his foundational work building the JACL campaign to repeal Title II. The letter also credits other leaders who contributed to the victory.
• Pacific Citizen Letters: Picnic Woes, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Bay Area Community Chapter withdrew from a San Francisco community picnic over concerns about a planned Japanese naval training ship visit. The letter explains the chapter’s reasoning about U.S.-Japan relations.

Incarceration & Redress

• Detention Camp Set Up Under Title II Discovered Short Drive from Bay City, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A former U.S. Army camp at Tassajara Road near Santa Rita Prison Farm was found fenced and posted with Internal Security Act warnings. A Japanese broadcasting film crew filming there was briefly detained by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department.
• Northwest Exhibit on Nikkei Detailed, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Washington State Capitol Museum and JACL received a grant to develop ‘The Pride and the Shame,’ a traveling exhibit on Japanese American history in the Pacific Northwest. The project includes public programs and will focus on the wartime evacuation.
• Pride and Shame Exhibit Program Description, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The exhibit will explore Nikkei history from immigration through the wartime evacuation and beyond. Traveling teams will present public programs in Washington communities.

Community

• San Jose Mayor Featured in October 30 Seattle Fete, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Seattle JACL chapter will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary with a banquet at the Olympic Hotel featuring San Jose Mayor Norman Mineta as speaker. The event is a golden anniversary celebration.
• Needy Students Urged to Apply for Abe Hagiwara Memorial Awards, by Dr. Roy M. Nishikawa, page 1. The JACL Student Aid Program describes the types of students who have received Abe Hagiwara Memorial grants and corrects misconceptions about eligibility. The application deadline is November 3, 1971, with $4,000 to be distributed this year.
• Hawaiian Pidgin Text Co-authored by Students, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Seven students at the University of Hawaii at Hilo created a 36-page introduction to Hawaiian Pidgin to help new faculty understand the local language. The text aims to correct the misconception that local speakers are not verbal.
• Postal Service Promotes Nisei to Key Positions, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Wallace T. Kido and Tadashi M. Osaki were promoted to high postal positions in the Sacramento district. Kido became Support Representative and Osaki became Mail Processing Representative.
• Alamedans Applaud Issei at October 3 Program, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Alameda JACL held an Issei Appreciation Night honoring all Issei over age 88. Honorees included Keiji Shiota, Mrs. Shime Iwamasa, Moritatsu Kakimoto, and Mrs. Misa Tajima.
• Some Travel Tips to Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Travel advice for first-time visitors to Japan covers packing, shipping purchases, footwear, and avoiding crowded trains. The tips also address shopping, dining, and gift ideas.
• Pulse on the Chapters: Busy Months Ahead, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Pasadena JACL appointed chapter representatives for a Japan-America Day celebration and planned a community meeting. Other chapters reported on programs including a Westside photo contest and a Japan-America Day event.

Military & Veterans

• MIS Vets Ask Mike Masaoka to Address Fete, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Military Intelligence Service of Northern California announced that Mike Masaoka will be keynote speaker at its 30th anniversary reunion banquet in San Francisco on November 13. Masaoka canceled another commitment to accept the invitation.

National

• President Nixon Signs Bill to Affirm Repeal of Title II, by P.C. Staff, page 1. President Nixon announced in Portland that he had signed the repeal of Title II of the Internal Security Act, a victory for JACL’s four-year campaign. Co-chairmen Raymond Okamura and Edison Uno thanked Representative Spark Matsunaga and Senator Daniel Inouye for their leadership.

In-Depth

• Bunraku: The Classic Manipulators, by Don Estes, page 3. The article describes Bunraku, the Japanese puppet theater, explaining the roles of the narrator, shamisen player, and three puppeteers. It details how each puppet is constructed and manipulated.

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