Vol. 75, No. 18, November 3, 1972. 6 pages. View this issue
Election season ran through this six-page issue. Allan Beekman reported from Honolulu on the congressional races, where Republican challengers Diana Hansen and Fred Rohlfing faced Democratic incumbents Patsy Mink and Spark Matsunaga. A JACL committee compared the positions of Nixon and McGovern on civil rights and other issues, and Robert M. Takasugi argued against California’s Wakefield Initiative, Proposition 21. Another front-page story reported that a State Historical Landmark committee declined to call Manzanar a concentration camp on its plaque, and that JACL said it would likely put up its own.
Also inside: Asian Americans picketed the ILGWU’s New York headquarters over its “Made in Japan” posters, and the Christmas Cheer drive opened with a goal of 1,000 donors. Dr. Roy Doi continued his series on Japanese society, and Allan Beekman reviewed a book of sketches of foreigners in Japan. A news item reported that a Sansei teacher in Turlock was set afire by an unknown assailant.
What’s in this issue
Community
- Hawaii Elections: Odds Favor Incumbents in Congressional Contests, by Allan Beekman, page 1. Republican challengers Diana Hansen and Fred Rohlfing face steep odds against Democratic incumbents Patsy Mink and Spark Matsunaga in Hawaii’s congressional races. The article argues both challengers are struggling to win over Hawaiian voters despite trying to exploit local resentment toward the Nikkei.
- Riverside to Host Next PSWDC Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Riverside JACL will host the next Pacific Southwest District Council meeting on Sunday, Dec. 3, at San Bernardino State College. The district executive board was preparing the agenda at its Nov. 4 meeting.
- CCDYC Needs TDC Funding, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Central California District Youth Council seeks funding and support for its next Tri-District Conference, following the first such event hosted by Pacific Southwest DYC in 1971. Steering committee members plan fundraising events and appeals to senior chapters.
- Asian Americans Picket ILGWU New York Headquarters, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Asian Americans in New York picketed the ILGWU headquarters to protest the union’s ‘Made in Japan’ subway posters. Speakers said the campaign fueled anti-Asian hostility and that the union was deflecting blame from corporations that move jobs overseas.
- Christmas Cheer for 72 Underway; Need 1,000 Donors, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL Christmas Cheer campaign opens with a goal of matching last year’s record of $8,757 from 1,097 donors. Donations help needy Asian Americans, including seniors, welfare recipients, and referred families.
- Sansei Teacher, 24, Set Afire by Assailant; No Motive Known, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A 24-year-old Sansei first-grade teacher, Peggy Taniguchi, was severely burned when an unknown assailant set her on fire at Northmead Elementary School in Turlock, Calif. She was hospitalized with second- and third-degree burns over 50 percent of her body, and police had no suspect or motive.
- IDC Cookbook Expected This Month, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Intermountain JACL District Council’s Japanese cookbook is expected to be published this month at $5.05. Proceeds will be shared by the district and the chapters.
- Normandale Garden Fund Drive Update, by George S. Matsui, page 2. The fund drive for the Normandale Junior College Japanese Garden has reached approximately $8,000 and filled in the small lake. Former MIS veterans are asked to contribute since many cannot be reached directly.
- Taiwan: The Republic of China Shows Its Progress, by Jim Hensley, page 3. A visitor describes Taipei’s prosperity, safe streets, subways, and hotels, noting a drop in Japanese tourists after Tanaka’s recognition of Peking. The writer also notes local talk of independence and a readiness to resist Communist invasion.
- Harvest Time Strike Concerns and Prop. 22, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The article argues that Proposition 22 would protect farm workers’ voting rights and prevent vote-packing by temporary workers. It contends the union’s opposition is unfounded and that union hiring practices have been dictatorial.
- Cortez JACL Bass Derby Nov. 12, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Cortez JACL open striped bass derby will be held Nov. 12 at Frank’s Tract with prizes and weigh-ins. Co-chairmen Fred Kajioka and others organized the event.
- Coastal Initiative Opposed by Statewide Coalition, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Twenty-two statewide organizations and dozens of local groups oppose Proposition 20, the Coastal Initiative, which they say would strip local control over coastal land use. Opponents include mayors, legislators, and labor leaders.
JACL
- What Can I Do? Action-Research as a Model for JACL, by Bill Shinto, page 1. Bill Shinto describes an action-research method for organizing that is based on self-interest, clear diagnosis, workable prescriptions, and a sense of power. He outlines staged steps for building such a program so that participants conduct their own research and act on it.
Incarceration & Redress
- Manzanar Landmark Plaque Won’t Use ‘Concentration Camp’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The State Historical Landmark advisory committee declined to label the Manzanar War Relocation Center a ‘concentration camp’ on its plaque. JACL leaders and committee members debated the term, and JACL said it would likely put up its own plaque.
National
- Nixon and McGovern Positions on Key Issues, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. A JACL committee compared the positions of Nixon and McGovern on foreign policy, the economy, taxes, school desegregation, and civil rights. The comparison is presented to help readers understand the candidates before the election.
Commentary
- A Nisei View of Japanese (Letter), by Mark Takano, page 2. A reader responds to Dr. Roy Doi’s series on Japanese society, arguing that Japanese hospitality and cultural attitudes are misunderstood by outsiders. The writer urges Japanese Americans to bridge understanding between Americans and Japanese.
- Our Readers: Page Missing, by Editor, page 2. A reader complained that middle pages were missing from recent issues. The editor explained that four-page issues were printed when advertising fell below a set level, and no pages were missing.
- A Homogenous Society (Part IV), by Dr. Roy Doi, page 2. Dr. Roy Doi reflects on Japan’s relatively homogeneous population, its social structure, and the treatment of Koreans and the buraku group. He argues the society’s homogeneity contributes to low crime and social order despite strong vertical stratification.
- Eighty-Six: Prop. 21 and the Wakefield Initiative, by Robert M. Takasugi, page 3. Robert Takasugi traces the history of U.S. Supreme Court rulings on segregation from Plessy v. Ferguson to Brown, and argues that California’s proposed Wakefield Initiative would revive separate-but-equal ideology. He compares it to Proposition 14 on housing discrimination.
- Sakura Sevipt: A Nation of Aged People, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The article projects that Japan will become a country of elderly people within 30 years, with rising numbers of older citizens. It discusses the demographic and social implications of this shift.
Military & Veterans
- Japanese Officials and the Czarevitch Attack, by Allan Beekman, page 5. A book review of Harold S. Williams’ ‘Tales of the Foreign Settlements’ recounts the 1891 attack on Russia’s Czarevitch in Otsu by a policeman. It also describes early foreign encounters in Japan, including Will Adams and the English ships.
In-Depth
- Shades of the Past: Annals of East Meeting West in Japan, by Allan Beekman, page 5. The review covers Harold S. Williams’ collection of 35 sketches of foreigners in Japan drawn from his Mainichi Shimbun articles. It highlights the book’s historical anecdotes and photographs of Japan.
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