Getting ready for the 1974 JACL convention in Portland

Vol. 79, No. 2, July 12, 1974. 6 pages. View this issue

Portland and the national convention, set for July 23-27, 1974, ran through this six-page issue. Mickie Yasui wrote a guide to the city’s sights, and Rowe Sumida looked back at the 1940 convention held there. Henry Tanaka answered a San Mateo proposal for an associate membership, and Henry S. Sakai argued for new budget priorities. An editorial urged delegates to study the proposals before arriving. The Intermountain District Council also endorsed a resolution on bringing the non-Asian members of interracial marriages and their children into JACL.

Also inside: news that JACL received a federal grant to develop curriculum materials on Japanese American contributions, a marker planned for Topaz in Delta’s city park, and a report on a Little League pitcher in Portland. A roundup lists chapter scholarship awards, and Kats Kunitsugu reviewed a play at East-West Players. Harry K. Honda wrote about English loanwords in Japanese.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Associate Member, by Henry Tanaka, page 1. Henry Tanaka responds to a San Mateo proposal for a local-support-only associate membership, arguing that chapters facing funding difficulties should seek help from district or National offices rather than create a special membership class. He urges constructive dialogue and warns against factionalism that undermines JACL.
• Budget Priorities, by Henry S. Sakai, page 2. Henry Sakai argues that JACL’s budget priorities must be reoriented, criticizing rising building fund costs and National staff growth while district funding has declined. He supports the Federated Plan as a way to give districts more control over their programs.
• To the Point, by P.C. Staff, page 2. An editorial urging convention delegates to study proposals thoroughly before arriving in Portland and to set priorities based on overall JACL needs. It warns that the budget decision will be difficult and that parochial self-interest should not drive voting.
• From Happy Valley: PC at Grassroots, by Sachi Seko, page 2. Sachi Seko reflects on the Pacific Citizen’s importance as a platform for diverse grassroots voices and warns against proposals to subject the PC to publications board oversight. She argues the paper must preserve freedom of expression as Japanese Americans navigate questions of identity.
• Letters from Members on Interracial Marriage and PR Approach, by Margret Summers Hasegawa; Minoru Masuda; Ken Hayashi, page 2. Several letters address the PR office approach, the treatment of non-Japanese spouses in JACL, and the Pacific Southwest District Council’s role. Writers urge greater inclusion of interracial families and defend district autonomy.
• Japanese as She Is Spoke, by Harry K. Honda, page 3. A column on Japanese loanwords derived from English, drawn from Toru Matsumoto’s dictionary of Japanese-English terms. Examples include arubaito, wetto, and sofuto, illustrating how Japanese speakers adapted foreign words.
• Denver Column on Japanese Heritage and Identity, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A Denver writer describes the challenge of raising a daughter with pride in Japanese heritage and the discomfort of being labeled as ‘other’ on a JACL survey. The letter urges JACL to revise its membership survey wording.
• Congressman Ryan’s Use of ‘Jap’ Alleged, by P.C. Staff, page 3. San Mateo JACL and Asian American students called on Rep. Leo Ryan to address an alleged racist slur used in a San Mateo High School class. The chapter board had passed a censure resolution, and a community meeting was proposed.
• Chiaroscuro, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A column on desegregation, school integration tensions, and the perspectives of various communities. It discusses how court-ordered integration has shifted over two decades and its implications for education.
• Japan Today: Pending Radicals, Whale Boycott, and Automobile Sales, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A roundup of Japan news covering violent clashes between two radical student groups, declining automobile sales, and the impact of an American boycott of Japanese goods over whaling. Items also note wheat import trends and a Hawaiian land claim.

Community

• Come to Portland: Portland-Old and New, by Mickie Yasui, page 1. A guide to Portland’s attractions for convention-goers, covering the Old Town revival, Japanese Garden, Pittock Mansion, Columbia River cruises, and other sights. It also lists convention activities and events scheduled for July 23-27, 1974.
• NC-WN Delegates Review Agenda, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Northern California-Western Nevada District Council met June 30 to discuss convention proposals, resolutions, and amendments, including the 1975-76 budget. Jim Murakami led discussion on convention format and schedule.
• Intermountain Calls for Better Understanding of Inter-Marriage, by Yuki Harada, page 1. The Intermountain District Council unanimously endorsed a resolution to better integrate non-Asian members of interracial marriages and their children into JACL. Supporters argued that without outreach, mixed-marriage children may lose their Japanese American identity.
• Akemi Miyake Donates $10,000 to Cultural Center, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Strawberry grower Akemi Miyake of Orange County donated $10,000 to the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center fund drive in Los Angeles. The gift was announced by community center board president George Doizaki.
• Sen. Inouye Due at N.Y. Rights Hearing, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sen. Daniel Inouye was scheduled to address a New York state advisory committee hearing for the US Commission on Civil Rights on issues affecting Asian Americans. Testimony was also expected from JACL and several Chinatown groups.
• Gardena JCI Kicks Off $1-Million Push, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute launched a campaign to raise $1 million in the South Bay area for a new two-story community building. The new structure replaces the community center destroyed by fire the previous October.
• Delta City Park Site of Topaz Camp Marker, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Topaz Project committee announced that a historical marker for the Topaz WRA Center will be placed in Delta city park. The project also plans to raise funds for an acre of land and a monument at the site.
• Seattle Service Group Celebrates 25th Anniversary, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Japanese Community Service, a postwar Issei-serving group in Seattle, celebrated its 25th anniversary with honored guests including Japanese government decoration recipients. Gen Mihara, its president since 1949, received the Order of the Sacred Treasure.
• Scholarship Awards Roundup, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Multiple JACL chapters announced scholarship awards to high school and college graduates, including Cleveland, New York, San Mateo, Reedley, and Salt Lake. Winners were recognized at dinners and barbecues across the country.

National

• JACL Receives Federal Grant for Japanese American Curriculum Materials, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL received one of 40 U.S. Ethnic Heritage Studies grants from the Department of Health, Education and Welfare to develop curriculum materials on Japanese American contributions to American life. Executive Director David Ushio said the project will fill a major gap in public education about Japanese Americans.
• Hawaiian Natives Seek Claims to Federal Lands, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Rep. Spark Matsunaga and Hawaiian groups pursued legislation to grant native Hawaiians rights to federal lands and compensation, citing a long history of unresolved claims. The effort was supported by former Interior Secretary Stewart Udall.

In-Depth

• A Page from 1940—Portland’s First Confab, by Rowe Sumida, page 1. A look back at the 1940 Sixth Biennial National JACL Convention held in Portland, recalling its ceremonies, the people who organized it, and the chapter’s early history. The piece reflects on the ambition of that first Portland convention some 34 years earlier.

Sports

• JoAnne Makes Pitching Debut in Little League Game at Portland, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Twelve-year-old JoAnne Tamiyasu pitched for the Carpenter Tigers in a Portland Little League game, becoming a pioneer after the National Little League allowed girls to play. Her teammates and manager praised her pitching despite initial skepticism.

Military & Veterans

• Hiroshima Jinkai Here, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Hiroshima Jinkai seal and related community notices were noted. Limited content is available from the OCR text for this item.
• Whaling Issue Draws Japanese and American Attention, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The International Whaling Commission debated a selective moratorium on fin whale hunting, and Japan vowed opposition to a total ban. Dr. Clifford Uyeda responded to Project Jonah’s campaign, arguing that the anti-whaling movement’s moral claims were contested.

Arts & Entertainment

• In the Jungle of Cities at East-West Players, by Kats Kunitsugu, page 4. A review of East-West Players’ production of Brecht’s In the Jungle of Cities, praising Clyde Kusatsu’s performance while noting uneven lead performances and an overlong running time. The reviewer finds the production’s ambition admirable but its execution uneven.
• An Interview With… TV Producer Joan Shigekawa, by Martha Kathatsd, page 5. New York television producer Joan Shigekawa discusses her career in documentary broadcasting, including her PBS special Women Alive. She describes her family background, education, and the path that led her into television production.
• Book Review: Rise and Decline of Bunraku, by Allan Beekman, page 5. A review of a book on the history of the Japanese puppet theater Bunraku, tracing its development from the works of playwright Chikamatsu to its eighteenth-century revival. The reviewer covers the book’s focus on the puppet plays and their cultural significance.

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