Vol. 74, No. 4, February 4, 1972. 6 pages. View this issue
A proposed federal voice for Asian Americans led the news. Rep. George Danielson backed HR 12208, a bill to create a cabinet committee on Asian American affairs, arguing that growing problems called for federal attention. On the commentary pages, Yuji Ichioka continued his series on the reversion of Okinawa and the JACL, and Jerry Enomoto wrote about prison reform from Tehachapi. National JACL Director Masao Satow also asked to step down in 1973.
Elsewhere, San Jose Mayor Norman Mineta gave a Washington Post interview, and Orange County dedicated a school named for Issei pioneer Isojiro Oka. George Takei reviewed Kabuki and dance performances and spoke at the Riverside JACL installation dinner, one of several chapter installations covered. A report told of Sergeant Shoichi Yokoi, found in the Guam jungle after 28 years. This six-page issue also carried Allan Beekman’s review of a history of Sakhalin and a sports item on George Yoshinaga’s Lodi baseball post.
What’s in this issue
National
- Rep. Danielson backs HR 12208, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. George Danielson supports HR 12208, a bill to establish a cabinet committee on Asian American affairs modeled on the Spanish-speaking committee. He argues Asian Americans face growing problems that need federal attention.
- Mayor Norman Mineta’s interview on San Jose politics, page 1. In a Washington Post interview, San Jose Mayor Norman Mineta discusses changing political loyalties, city politics, and postwar Japanese American resettlement in San Jose. He also addresses the controversy over a police shooting of a young Black IBM chemist and the need for neighborhood participation.
- Nixon appoints Ingersoll to U.S. embassy in Japan, page 1. President Nixon appointed Borg-Warner chairman Robert Ingersoll as ambassador to Japan, succeeding Armin Meyer. Ingersoll will be the first businessman to hold the post since World War II.
Community
- Chicago JACL takes stand on reform of coroner’s office, page 1. Chicago JACL joined civic groups in urging reform of the Cook County coroner’s office, with May Nakano presenting a four-point plan. The JACL argued inquests lack evidentiary rules, trained staff, and independence.
- Dedicate another Orange County school in honor of Isojiro Oka, page 1. The new Oka elementary school in the Fountain Valley District was dedicated and named after Issei pioneer Isojiro Oka. The article recounts his life, farming in Huntington Beach, wartime relocation, and commitment to education.
- Mas Ashizawa to head ’72 Sakura festival, page 1. Musao Ashizawa was named general chairman of the Nihonmachi Cherry Blossom Festival committee after Yoshiaki Tajima’s disappearance. Tajima had already organized much of the program.
- Big crowd expected at Sacramento installation, page 1. The Sacramento JACL installation dinner on February 12 is expected to be its largest yet, with National JACL president Raymond Uno as speaker. Dennis Nishikawa will be installed as 1972 chapter president.
- Only 80 newsmen going with Nixon to China, page 1. The White House limited press accompanying Nixon’s China visit to about 80 people, far fewer than the 2,000 who applied. Bridge Magazine urged major media to assign qualified Chinese American reporters to the trip.
- NC-WN District Council meeting to feature panel, page 1. The NC-WNDC meeting in Oakland will hold a symposium on U.S.-Japan relations and their implications for Japanese Americans. The format replaces the traditional banquet with a low-cost bento lunch.
- Actor Takei addresses Riverside JACL installation, page 5. George Takei spoke at the Riverside JACL installation dinner about the cultural depression in America and Asian American contributions. Jim Urata was sworn in as chapter president.
- Cortez JACL installs ’72 cabinet officers, page 5. The Cortez JACL installed Howard Taniguchi as president and other officers at its annual dinner. Dr. David Stenzel of Stanislaus State College spoke on China joining the world.
- Salinas Valley inducts Harry Iida president, page 5. Salinas Valley JACL installed Harry Iida as president with Henry Hibino as installing officer. The chapter is also helping the Monterey County Historical Society display early Japanese settler materials.
- Oriental Service Center funded by EYOA for $130,000, page 5. The Council of Oriental Organizations announced Joseph Abella as acting director of the Oriental Service Center, which received $130,000 in federal funds. The center serves multiple Asian communities with a wide range of services.
- Hagiwara Fund contributions and national goal, by Kathy Kadowaki, page 5. Twenty more contributions to the Abe Hagiwara Memorial Fund were acknowledged, and a national goal of $25,000 was set for March. Chapters are asked to pledge about $1 per member.
JACL
- Mas Satow wants to step down in ’73, page 1. National JACL Director Masao Satow requested relief from his post next year when he turns 65, though he wishes to remain in JACL work. The organization’s personnel board has begun searching for a replacement.
Commentary
- Reversion of Okinawa and JACL, Part IV, by Yuji Ichioka, page 2. Ichioka analyzes the Sato-Nixon joint communique, arguing it failed to guarantee a nuclear-free Okinawa and preserved US base freedom. He criticizes the JACL International Relations Committee report for supporting the Sato government’s position without questioning it.
- Letters to the editor on Christmas Cheer, ethnic studies, and Okinawa, page 2. Readers thank donors for the Christmas Cheer program and praise the Berkeley Asian Studies course for free credit. Another letter reflects on violence against the Ohta family and urges use of endowment funds.
- Perspectives from Tehachapi, by Jerry Enomoto, page 3. Enomoto reports on speaking engagements about prison reform at Mills College and the ACLU in Kern County. He also describes a governor’s minority appointees seminar in Sacramento.
- Seattle JACL year-end report, page 3. Outgoing Seattle JACL leadership lists its activities over the year, including work on Asian administrators in schools, Model Cities funding, and the Employment Center. The report aims to answer members’ questions about JACL’s relevance.
- Book review: A History of Sakhalin, by Allan Beekman, page 5. Beekman reviews John Stephan’s history of Sakhalin Island, tracing its shifting control among China, Japan, and Russia. He notes the Soviet tendency to erase Japanese contributions from the island’s story.
Military & Veterans
- Japanese Army Sgt. Shoichi Yokoi found on Guam, page 3. Former Japanese Army Sergeant Shoichi Yokoi was found in Guam jungles after 28 years of hiding and reunited with a former army buddy. He had lived in a cave subsisting on fruit, fish, and wild animals.
Arts & Entertainment
- Theater & Kabuki, by George Takei, page 4. George Takei reviews a Kabuki performance at Pomona College and a Dance Theater of Harlem program in Los Angeles. He praises the artistic power of both and reflects on ethnicity and talent in classical theater.
In-Depth
- Desegregation and the bussing issue, page 4. The article traces the legal history of de jure and de facto school segregation and argues bussing is a necessary tool for integration. It warns that hysteria over bussing threatens the goal of equal educational opportunity.
Sports
- George Yoshinaga heads Lodi ball club in Calif. League, page 5. Gardena Nisei George Yoshinaga was named executive vice president of the Lodi Class A baseball club, the second Japanese American to head a professional club. He will run the Baltimore Orioles farm club for the 1972 season.
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