Women in JACL leadership and a Presidential citation for Tad Hirota

Vol. 73, No. 22, November 26, 1971. 6 pages. View this issue

Women stepping into leadership opened this six-page issue. National JACL President Raymond S. Uno wrote that Grayce Uyehara and Helen Kawagoe, newly elected district governors, were part of a rising group of capable women in the organization, and he looked ahead to a woman as a national officer. Uno’s columns also covered the 1000 Club tour, and the front page reported that Berkeley civic leader Tad Hirota received a Presidential citation in Tokyo honoring Japanese Americans. A special Asian American session was added to the White House Conference on Aging after JACL asked for it.

Elsewhere, David Ushio argued for a Cabinet Committee for Asian American Affairs. A federal panel struck down a New York law barring resident aliens from Civil Service jobs, and Bill Hosokawa reviewed the film Kotch. The editorial by Harry K. Honda examined Henry Tanaka’s Federated Plan, and 21 students were named for Abe Hagiwara Student Aid Awards.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Women Taking Leadership Roles in JACL, by Raymond S. Uno, page 1. JACL National President Raymond Uno notes the rise of capable women in JACL leadership, citing Grayce Uyehara and Helen Kawagoe as new district governors. He predicts future women national officers and speculates about a woman vice president or president.
• 1000 Club Tour, by Raymond S. Uno, page 1. Uno reminisces about his own time in Japan as an MIS veteran after reading about the 1000 Club tour. He praises Tad Hirota for his role in making the tour and Whing Ding a success.
• Cabinet Committee for Asian American Affairs, by David Ushio, page 2. JACL Washington representative David Ushio argues that Asian Americans face hidden crises that require a Cabinet Committee for Asian American Affairs appointed by the President. He contends the myth of the model minority obscures real problems.
• Kotch, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa reviews the film Kotch, starring Walter Matthau as a retired widower who moves in with his son’s family. He reflects on how the story resonates with Nisei facing questions about their own retirement and independence.
• Editor’s Letter: Vietnam Atrocities, by David J. White, page 6. A reader challenges the Pacific Citizen’s portrayal of American soldiers in Vietnam as systematically committing atrocities. He argues the emotional rhetoric is unfair to the young men who had little choice in being sent to war.
• Editorial: Henry Tanaka’s Federated Plan, by Harry K. Honda, page 6. The editorial examines President-elect Henry Tanaka’s Federated Plan, which would give district councils a share of membership dues for their own programs. It outlines how the plan would reshape budget priorities and staff responsibilities.
• Nisei Gardener Falsely Accused, Now Fightin’ Mad, by Kats Kunitsugu, page 6. A Southwest Los Angeles gardener was falsely arrested for theft after an employer accused him, and the gardeners association plans to sue. The column ties the incident to racial stereotyping of Asian workers.
• Letter: Wider Concern for Environment and Civil Rights, by Yoji Ozaki, page 6. Reader Yoji Ozaki urges JACL to address broader issues beyond the Japanese community, including the Environmental Protection Act and a bill on employment discrimination. He calls for senators to be contacted in support.

JACL

• Priorities, by Raymond S. Uno, page 1. Uno responds to President-Elect Hank Tanaka’s article on the President-Elect’s Role, agreeing with his points that will be discussed at the Executive Committee meeting.
• Presidential Citation Honors Japanese Americans, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Berkeley civic leader Tad Hirota received a Presidential citation from Ambassador Armin Meyer in Tokyo honoring Japanese Americans. The citation, signed by President Nixon, praises Japanese American contributions to the nation.
• White House Conference on Aging Includes Asian American Group, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A special Asian American session was added to the White House Conference on Aging after JACL requested it. More than 85 delegates were expected to attend the session in Washington, D.C.

Military & Veterans

• MIS Reunion, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A proposed nationwide MIS organization was deemed premature at a JACL business meeting. Mike Masaoka spoke at a San Francisco event, honoring MIS veterans and warning about future US-Japan tensions.

Community

• Berkeley Gazette Salutes Tad Hirota, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Berkeley Daily Gazette praised Tad Hirota and the JACL for their contributions to the Berkeley community. The paper congratulated Hirota on receiving the Presidential citation in Tokyo.
• Victor Carter Honored at Los Angeles Community Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 3. An estimated 450 people honored philanthropist Victor M. Carter at a dinner co-sponsored by six Nikkei organizations in Los Angeles. The event recognized his decades of leadership in the Japan America Society and civic causes.
• Hagiwara Student Aid Awards Go to 21 Students, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Twenty-one Japanese American students will receive Abe Hagiwara Student Aid Awards from the National JACL totaling $3,700. The awards were announced by committee chairman Dr. Roy Nishikawa.
• Letter: Praise for Cosmopolitan Travel Service, by Seichi Konzo, page 6. Professor Seichi Konzo praises the Cosmopolitan Travel Service for its honest and efficient handling of his cancelled JACL 1000 Club charter flight refund. He endorses the agency for future JACL trips.

National

• New York Law Barring Resident Aliens in Public Jobs Ruled Unconstitutional, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A three-judge federal panel in New York ruled that a state law barring resident aliens from Civil Service jobs violates the 14th Amendment. The decision relied on a recent Supreme Court ruling against restrictive welfare laws.
• L.A. Area Mexicans Protest Illegal Alien Law, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Representatives of the Mexican-American community protested a new California law penalizing employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens. They argued the law is unconstitutional because immigration is federally controlled.
• White Ethnicity Seen as Force for Good in America, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Irving Levine of the American Jewish Committee told a San Francisco consultation that America is moving toward a more fragmented pattern of group identity. He argued that ethnic identity can be a constructive force in remaking community.

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