Vol. 75, No. 19, November 10, 1972. 6 pages. View this issue
JACL itself was the subject of this November 10, 1972 issue. The front page announced openings for regional directors in Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle, and for assistant national directors in Washington, D.C., alongside a myth-and-fact piece on what the organization does and does not do. Shig Sugiyama, JACL president-elect, wrote about the move to Washington. Raymond Uno wrote twice: one piece objected to leaving the words concentration camp off a Manzanar plaque, and another urged Salt Lake City’s Japanese American community to act against plans that threaten its remnant district near the Salt Palace.
Other items include groundbreaking for Hifumi En, the senior housing project in Spokane, and flat 1973 rates for the JACL-Blue Shield group health plan. Joe Oyama and Jim Murakami each contributed a column, and Allan Beekman reported on Japan’s Komeito party. Mike Masaoka paid tribute to Gen. Charles A. Willoughby.
What’s in this issue
Incarceration & Redress
- Groundbreaking Held for Spokane Housing for Issei, page 1. Groundbreaking ceremonies were held Oct. 28 for the JACL senior citizens housing complex, Hifumi En, in Spokane, a 41-unit apartment project for older persons funded by a HUD loan and local contributions. Consul-General Yoshiro Yasui of Japan attended and praised the community’s effort.
Community
- JACL-Blue Shield Group Plan Rates Stay Flat in 1973, page 1. Member rates for the Northern California-Western Nevada JACL-California Blue Shield Group Health Plan will not increase for 1973, though the first in-hospital deductible rises to $100. The plan paid over $900,000 in claims during the past fiscal year to its roughly 5,000 subscribers.
- Waiting Period Waived for Cancer Expense Program Applicants, page 1. The National JACL Credit Union’s cancer expense program, carried by American Income Life, will waive its four-month waiting period for new applicants this year. Hito Okada also announced Yoshie Fujii’s appointment as assistant treasurer-manager and supervisory committee changes.
- Arson Suspected in Ranch House Fire, page 1. A single-family dwelling on Kei Kitahara’s ranch near Reedley was destroyed by an arson-caused fire, with damage estimated at $110,000. It was the second arson-caused blaze at the ranch in a month.
- Hawaiian Landlord Fined $750 for Illegal Rent Hike, page 1. Waipahu landlord Al S. Watanabe was fined $750 by the IRS for an illegal rent increase, becoming the first landlord in the 10-state Western region prosecuted under new rules. He was also required to refund $250 to his tenants.
- Civic Betterment at J-Town Expense Hit, page 2. Japanese American community representatives met with Governor Calvin Rampton to protest the Utah Bicentennial Commission’s plans, which threaten the Japanese area of Salt Lake City near the Salt Palace. They argued the community had already sacrificed enough and asked to be included in planning.
- Salt Lakers Urged to Back Equal Rights Amendment, page 4. Chizu Ishimatsu, a member of Utah’s Governor’s Committee on the Status of Women, urged Salt Lake JACL women to endorse the Equal Rights Amendment. She explained the amendment would protect women legally without affecting private relationships.
- Kenzo’s Spring Designs Hailed, Ad Campaign to Be Scrutinized, page 4. Japan-born designer Kenzo Takada’s spring collection drew praise from fashion writers, though the controversial ‘Jungle Jap’ name was not mentioned in some coverage. The East Coast Committees Against Kenzo Takada are watching his advertising to see if he resumes using the slur.
Commentary
- Myths and Facts About JACL, page 1. A series of myth-and-fact statements addresses common misconceptions about JACL’s purposes, officers, committees, and programs. The responses clarify that officers are unpaid volunteers and that JACL advocates broadly for Americans of Japanese ancestry and other Asian Americans.
- Manzanar Called ‘Concentration Camp’ Debate Continues, by Raymond Uno, page 2. Bay Area Community JACL co-chairman Raymond Uno objected to a California Historical Landmarks committee decision not to describe Manzanar as a concentration camp, citing Justice Roberts’ Korematsu dissent. He urged the plaque language reflect the evacuees’ own understanding of their incarceration.
- ILGWU’s Patriotism, by Joe Oyama, page 2. Joe Oyama criticizes an ILGWU subway poster promoting ‘Made in America’ flags as racist, recalling wartime hysteria against the Nisei. He cites Larry Cox’s critique of the union’s record on minority and Asian workers and its treatment of its own members.
- Nikkei View: The Bounds of Change, by Jim Murakami, page 3. Jim Murakami reflects on the Japanese American experience of incarceration and the lessons of history for the community’s future. He emphasizes the need for vigilance against recurrences of hysteria and discrimination.
- Power to Our People: A Manifesto of Freedom, page 4. Salt Lake City writer Raymond Uno urges Japanese Americans there to unite and act against plans that would displace the remnant Japanese community near Salt Palace. He argues that collective action is the community’s last chance to survive as a viable people.
- To the Point: Enroute to Washington, by Shig Sugiyama, page 4. Shig Sugiyama, JACL president-elect, reflects on the move to Washington, D.C. and the transplanting of living things and of JACL itself. He argues JACL’s character is shaped by the changing ‘people input’ of its members rather than by its name or structure.
- Opinion Polls Show Komeito Strength Declining in Japan, by Allan Beekman, page 4. Allan Beekman reports that the Komeito, political arm of the Sokagakkai religious movement, has declined in public support since its 1969 peak. The party’s ties to the religious group and a 1970 scandal damaged its reputation.
- Letters: Gen. Willoughby, by Mike Masaoka, page 4. Mike Masaoka pays tribute to Gen. Charles A. Willoughby, MacArthur’s intelligence officer, who died Oct. 25. He notes Willoughby’s use of Nisei in military intelligence shortened the Pacific war.
National
- Japanese American Youth Director Also Wanted by JACL, page 1. The National Youth Coordinating Council of JAYs met near Lake Arrowhead to discuss job specifications for a national JACL youth director. The agenda also covered the JAY biennium project, national dues, budget, and NYCC’s role at board meetings.
- JACL Staff Director Jobs Open, page 1. JACL is accepting applications for regional directors in Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle, and for assistant national directors in Washington, D.C. The positions involve providing technical assistance to chapters, developing programs, and securing funding.
- Teacher Says No Assailant in Burns Incident, page 1. A Patterson, Calif. teacher who had described being set afire by an unseen assailant now says the incident was an accident involving spilled duplicating fluid. Police reported the account, and she was treated for severe burns.
Military & Veterans
- Nishiura Recalls Oct. 30 Train Collision, page 3. A Sansei University of Illinois student survived a commuter train collision in Chicago that killed 44 people. He recounted helping injured passengers from the wreckage and the conductor’s warning moments before impact.
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