Vol. 77, No. 16, October 19, 1973. 6 pages. View this issue
A drive to raise at least $250,000 for a national JACL headquarters in San Francisco led the news. Harvard professor Edwin Reischauer and Senator Daniel Inouye were named co-chairmen, and tickets were still available for the Building Fund Dinner where Inouye was to speak. National JACL President Henry T. Tanaka answered reader letters about booster delegates, including one from Tom Shimasaki of Tulare County. Shake Ushio asked members to give to the building fund.
Other pages carried a review of Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James Houston’s memoir of the Wakatsuki family’s removal to Manzanar, and Lillian Baker’s call for JACL to change the Manzanar plaque. Patricia Hishiki wrote from Lima about the Japanese community in Peru, and Kats Kunetsugu looked at the Nisei fear of what others think. News of Little Tokyo redevelopment in Los Angeles also appeared.
What’s in this issue
JACL
- We Get Letters, by Henry T. Tanaka, page 1. National JACL President Henry Tanaka shares reader letters responding to his column on booster delegates at national conventions. Correspondents including Tom Shimasaki and Dr. James Watanabe offer views on delegate reform and the proposed regional office advisory committees.
- JACL Building Fund Drive Co-Chaired by Reischauer, Inouye, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Harvard professor Edwin Reischauer and Senator Daniel Inouye have been named co-chairmen of the JACL Building Fund drive to raise at least $250,000 for a San Francisco national headquarters. Reischauer has also made a substantial personal contribution to the fund.
Community
- Tickets Still Available as Sellout Predicted for Building Fund Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Tickets remain available for the JACL Building Fund Dinner in San Francisco, where Senator Inouye will speak. Northern California chapters have been reserving tables heavily.
- Little Tokyo Redevelopment: Hotel Okayed, Housing Assured, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Los Angeles City Council Planning Committee recommended approval of a zone change for a Little Tokyo hotel project by the Community Redevelopment Agency. Senior citizen housing is planned in phases, with no residents to be relocated until replacement housing is provided.
- Tokyo Wives Association Helps Foreign Spouses Adjust, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Association for Foreign Wives of Japanese in Tokyo, founded four years ago with 250 members, helps international couples adjust to Japanese society. Several members describe their experiences of acceptance and exclusion.
National
- Odd Fellows Home Loses Medicare Aid; Bias Alleged, by P.C. Staff, page 1. HEW terminated Medicare payments to the Odd Fellows Infirmary in Saratoga, California, after finding it discriminated racially in admissions. The facility failed to bring itself into compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
- Asian American Pupils Prefer to Study Than to Socialize, by Hokubei Mainichi, page 1. A San Francisco school survey by Dr. Mercer found Asian American pupils scored highest in self-esteem and attitude toward school. The study also found Asian American students had lower cross-ethnic friendship patterns and were perceived by teachers as mixing well with others.
- Anti-Women Bias ‘Easier’ to Right, Says Fr. Hesburgh, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Father Theodore Hesburgh, former chairman of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, told the American Council on Education that discrimination against women is much easier to correct than racial discrimination. He urged that the roots of inequality be addressed through commitment and effort.
- Bill for Consumer Protection Agency, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Spark Matsunaga introduced legislation to create an independent consumer protection agency with authority to intervene in federal regulatory proceedings. He argued the bill would eliminate fragmentation among 415 federal units administering 938 consumer-related activities.
- People Over 65, Eager, Able to Work, Deserve FEPC Protection: Sen. Fong, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sen. Hiram Fong urged strengthening age discrimination laws to protect workers over 65, introducing legislation to prohibit job discrimination at any age past 40. The Senate Special Committee on Aging also proposed expanding coverage and funding.
Military & Veterans
- 40 et 8 Vets Drop All-White Policy, by Norman Bowman, page 1. The American Legion honor auxiliary 40 et 8 quietly eliminated its white-only membership restriction after a 15-year fight sparked by Gerald Lee, a San Jose Chinese American. The change came after pressure from the parent Legion and local disputes over convention permits.
- Farewell to Manzanar, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A review of Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James Houston’s memoir about the Wakatsuki family’s wartime removal to Manzanar, centered on the decline of the father Ko, a fisherman detained after Pearl Harbor. The book is praised for its honest portrayal of the family’s destruction.
Commentary
- Enryo Syndrome: ‘Kigane’ or Both?, by Kats Kunetsugu, page 3. The columnist examines how the Nisei fear of ‘kigane,’ or concern over what others think, has shaped community behavior, including reluctance to support Japanese American candidates. He links this conventional attitude to the trauma of the wartime evacuation.
- Grassroots and JACL, by Sachi Seko, page 4. Salt Lake City writer Sachi Seko reflects on JACL’s responsibility to Japanese Americans regardless of membership and urges better communication between leadership and grassroots members. She also observes that whites have often been important allies in the community’s progress.
- Manzanar Plaque, by Lillian Baker, page 4. Lillian Baker urges JACL to correct the dictionary definition of ‘concentration camp’ as applied to WWII relocation centers, arguing the term is demeaning. She asks JACL to lead efforts to change the plaque at Manzanar.
- ‘Spse.’ Suggested, by G.N. Asawa, DDS, page 4. A letter writer argues that the abbreviation ‘Jap’ is improper English and proposes ‘Jpse.’ as the correct abbreviation for Japanese. He urges JACL to campaign to eliminate ‘Jap’ from usage.
- By the Board: How About You?, by Shake Ushio, page 4. IDC Governor Shake Ushio urges members to contribute to the JACL headquarters building fund, describing it as a tangible treasure for the organization. He argues a well-equipped national headquarters is needed to meet the group’s goals.
- Trial of the Tokyo Rose Case Recalled, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Attorney Theodore Tamba, one of the defense lawyers in the Iva Toguri d’Aquino ‘Tokyo Rose’ trial, will speak at the Sequoia JACL installation dinner. The event is scheduled for December 1.
- Hawaii Today, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A roundup of Hawaii news including state water system plans, appointments, court rulings, and political developments. It also covers Senator Nadao Yoshinaga’s political future and Senator Matsunaga’s retirement credit bills.
In-Depth
- Perusal in Peru, by Patricia Hishiki, page 4. Stanford graduate student Patricia Hishiki describes her six weeks in Lima researching the Japanese community in Peru. She reports on the community’s history, schools, businesses, and her travels to Cuzco and Machu Picchu.
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