Youth groups, the JACL budget and a new scholarship deadline

Vol. 78, No. 9, March 8, 1974. 6 pages. View this issue

The Cleveland Jr. JACL led the front page. Scott Furukawa wrote about how the group kept its membership and leadership going, crediting summer jobs at Sea World, active college-age alumni and a supportive parent booster club. Nearby, the JACL board meeting produced new scholarship guidelines and a changed chapter nomination deadline, from March 25 to April 25. Treasurer Al Hatate reported that JACL membership reached 28,965 in 1973, and that the fiscal year ended with a $14,871 deficit.

Bill Hosokawa gathered examples of Issei English-Japanese hybrid terms and invited readers to send more. Pat Okura reported on a mental health conference on Asian American communities. Other stories covered groundbreaking for a housing project in San Francisco’s Nihonmachi, a protest over a hotel permit there, and George Takei’s remarks at the Orange County JACL installation dinner.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Cleveland Jr. JACL Maintains Strong Membership and Leadership, by Scott Furukawa, page 1. The Cleveland Jr. JACL has sustained membership and leadership through Sea World summer jobs, active college-age alumni, workshops, parties, and a supportive parent booster club. Wayne Ikeda credits these factors and a loose, non-Robert’s-Rules meeting style for the group’s success.
• CSU-Hayward Selected as Site of National Jr. JACL-JAY Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The 1974 biennial National Jr. JACL-JAY convention will be held Aug. 20-24 at CSU-Hayward, co-chaired by Grant Horiuchi and Wesley Kawase. About 200 delegates are expected, and senior chapters are being asked to support the event.
• The MDYC JAYs, by William Marufuku, page 2. The Midwest District Youth Council JAYs are praised for their activity, strong personal ties, and projects including Asian American studies courses and a slide presentation on relocation. The writer attributes their success to comradeship among youth and continual parental support.
• CANE Protest of Nihonmachi Hotel Permit, by P.C. Staff, page 3. San Francisco’s Permit Appeals Board approved a $2.25-million motor hotel in Nihonmachi despite protests from the Committee Against Nihonmachi Eviction. CANE argued the project would displace low-cost housing residents.
• Ground Broken for S.F. JARF Project, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Multi-religious ceremonies marked the groundbreaking of a 245-unit housing complex in San Francisco’s Nihonmachi sponsored by the Japanese American Religious Federation. The $4.7-million project will provide senior housing.
• Fresno EDC Spring Meeting Set, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Eastern District Council will hold its spring meeting March 16-17 at the Takashi Moriuchi home in Moorestown, New Jersey. Agenda items include convention proposals and an East Coast history project.
• Sacto JACL Hails School Rebuilding, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Sacramento school board approved rebuilding William Land Elementary School after a year-long fight by the Sacramento JACL and other Asian community groups. The decision preserves an important educational and social center for the Asian community.
• Takei Supports Nixon Impeachment Inquiry, by P.C. Staff, page 4. George Takei urged impeachment proceedings against President Nixon at the Orange County JACL installation dinner, arguing it would settle questions of his involvement in Watergate. He also encouraged Asian Americans to become more active in politics.
• Oregon Issei Story Shown at Portland, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A multimedia presentation on Oregon Issei pioneers was shown at the Portland JACL installation dinner. The chapter also announced its upcoming 1974 convention preparations and membership activities.
• Riverside Installs Peter Sasaki President, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Peter Sasaki and his 1974 Riverside JACL board were sworn in at Indian Hills Country Club, with 89 attendees hearing Assemblyman Paul Bannai speak on Nisei in politics. The installation was led by PSWDC vice governor Harry Kawahara.
• Hollywood, Metro L.A. Treating Issei to Movies, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Hollywood JACL and Metropolitan Los Angeles JACL are hosting a movie benefit for Issei outpatients of Resthaven Community Mental Health Center. Tickets have been distributed through the Pioneer Community Center and churches.
• Fresno State Amer-Asian Week Due, by P.C. Staff, page 4. California State University-Fresno will host a week-long Amer-Asian festival March 11-15 with displays, movies, speakers, and performances. The student-organized event aims to promote unity among Asian American students.

JACL

• Scholarship Deadline Changed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National JACL college freshman scholarship chapter nomination deadline was extended from March 25 to April 25 to give chapters and applicants more time. The program offers 17 awards of $200 to $500 based on scholastic achievement and extracurricular activities.
• New Guidelines Discussed at JACL Board Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 1. At the Feb. 22-24 Board and Staff meeting, the JACL accepted equal weighting of scholarship and extracurricular activities and recommended a $500 minimum award amount. The committee also proposed a centralized judging panel and a revised role for chapters in the scholarship program.
• JACL Budget Analysis, by Al Hatate, page 1. The JACL fiscal year 1973 ended with a $14,871 deficit as expenses exceeded income, against a council-approved deficit budget of $31,937. Treasurer Al Hatate explains the membership income shortfall in special categories and notes that expenses were kept below allocations in several areas.
• Uniform National 1000 Club Dues of $30 Urged, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL Board and Staff proposed a uniform $30 National 1000 Club membership dues rate for the 1975-76 biennium, with chapters retaining $5. The proposal also expanded life membership categories and recommended a 1000 Club chairman to EXECOM.
• Membership Hits All-Time High of 28,965 in 1973, by Al Hatate, page 1. JACL membership reached an all-time high of 28,965 in 1973, according to the treasurer’s report. The report included a chapter membership profile and projections for 1974.
• Financial Report 1973, by Al Hatate, page 2. National JACL’s 1973 financial report details income against budgeted quotas and itemized expenses across personnel, overhead, programs, and regional offices. The treasurer notes the staff has streamlined accounting and urges members to recruit new members or upgrade memberships.

Commentary

• Editor’s Desk: New Look to Board Meetings, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. The editorial describes the new convention proposal format adopted at the National JACL Board meeting, including the April 27 deadline for regional consolidation of proposals. It urges chapters to prepare carefully so the Portland convention can run efficiently.
• Whales vs. Boycott, by Clifford I. Uyeda, page 2. A San Francisco reader criticizes the boycott of Japanese goods by a Dana Hills, California school over whaling, arguing it harasses Japanese American families and ignores the Soviet Union’s role. The letter calls for focusing on actual whale and dolphin conservation issues.
• Hakujin-Imin Bias, page 2. The writer describes Japanese racial and class bias against Nisei and other minorities, drawing on experiences in Tokyo. The column argues that no minority is safe in a society that discriminates by race.
• Lexicon of Issei-ese, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa compiles examples of Issei English-Japanese hybrid terms such as holu-dappu and humboku stekki, showing how immigrants adapted language in their daily lives. He invites readers to contribute additional expressions.
• Current Mental Issues in the Asian American Community, by Pat Okura, page 3. Pat Okura reports on a January NIMH conference bringing together Asian American community representatives and researchers on mental health. Presenters found Asian Americans underutilize mental health services and called for culturally appropriate programs.
• Those Gas Line Blues, by Kats Kunitsugu, page 4. The columnist describes waiting in a gas line at dawn and getting only five gallons during the 1974 shortage. He reflects on the rumors, rationing fears, and the unequal treatment of customers at different stations.
• Translation Journal Issue One, by Allan Beekman, page 5. Beekman reviews the first issue of Translation, published by Columbia’s translation program, featuring articles by Donald Keene and Robert Payne on the difficulties of translating Japanese. The review highlights the program’s fellowships and goals.
• How About 1414 Weller St.?, by Joe Hamanaka, page 6. Hamanaka proposes using the Japanese community’s historic 1414 Weller Street property in Seattle for a cultural and community center. He argues the central, accessible site with existing Japanese institutions is ideal for development.

Incarceration & Redress

• Fresno Housing Plans Dropped, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Fresno JACL Newsletter reported that plans for an Issei senior citizen apartment were abandoned because rural Issei prefer family care or home ownership. Similar senior housing plans in Seattle, Denver, and San Jose were also reconsidered.

Military & Veterans

• Cortez Growers Assn. Now 50 Years, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Cortez Growers Association, founded by Issei farmers in 1924 in northern Merced County, marks 50 years of marketing crops and providing services to members. The cooperative remains an important community institution.

Arts & Entertainment

• The Two Worlds of Jim Yoshida, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. A book announcement describes Jim Yoshida’s autobiography of being forced to serve in the Imperial Japanese Army and later regaining his US citizenship. The book is co-written with Bill Hosokawa and has a foreword by Senator Inouye.

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