Youth, a Tule Lake box of mementos, and a Las Vegas complaint

Vol. 79, No. 9, August 30, 1974. 6 pages. View this issue

The future of the JAY and the National Youth Program ran through this six-page issue. National President Shigeki Sugiyama gave his views after the JAY Convention at Hayward, and Edison T. Uno questioned whether a separate youth organization served young Nisei and Sansei well. On the front page, retired teacher Charlotte Swayne sent Ben Takeshita a box of Tule Lake camp mementos, to be displayed at JACL Headquarters’ new building.

Elsewhere, David Ushio’s convention address looked at racism and at the whale boycott, and Sumi Saito wrote on the same boycott. JACL urged the mayor of Pekin, Illinois, to change a school nickname. The Mile-Hi JACL planned a September 21 trip to Amache. Sharon Kiyomi Inouye won the Bert Masaoka Memorial Scholarship, and Harry K. Honda wrote on immigration.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Youth Program, by Shigeki Sugiyama, page 1. JACL National President Shigeki Sugiyama offers his views on the future direction of the JAY and the National Youth Program following the recent JAY Convention at Hayward. He argues that the JAY should evolve from among its members and that youth programs should be integrated with broader JACL goals.
• Discoveries—74: Sharing the Light at the National JAY Biennium, by Edison T. Uno, page 1. Former Washington Representative Edison Uno reflects on his own early JACL experience and questions whether a separate JAY organization serves young Nisei and Sansei well. He challenges JACL to give young people real leadership roles and resources rather than a segregated youth track.
• Immigration in mid-1970s, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. Editor Harry K. Honda discusses the rising national debate over immigration and illegal aliens in the 1970s, drawing on JACL’s involvement in immigration issues since the 1960s. He notes the economic and social pressures driving renewed restrictionist sentiment.
• The Relentless Pounding, by David Ushio, page 2. JACL Executive Director David Ushio’s address to the National Convention reflects on the repeal of Title II of the Internal Security Act and on the continuing effects of racism against Japanese Americans. He urges vigilance against stereotypes and discrimination.
• Hibakusha, by Moonray Kojima, page 2. A letter writer discusses the plight of atomic bomb survivors and the need for compassion and recognition. The piece considers how Japanese American communities should respond.
• PC Letter Box, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Readers respond to recent issues including the Save the Whale boycott, alternative membership proposals, and Broadway casting of Asian actors. Letters express a range of views on JACL policy and community concerns.

Community

• Fred Nakagawa Asserts Race Bias, Seeks Rehearing, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Fred Nakagawa, a Department of Defense educator, was denied a merit upgrade to an administrative training program and alleges racial discrimination. He is seeking a rehearing after the Civil Service Commission found no evidence of bias.
• Big blast closes Asian rehab ctr., by P.C. Staff, page 1. An August 10 chemical explosion in Los Angeles shattered windows at the Asian Rehabilitation Center, forcing its closure for repairs. Nearby Nikkei businesses were largely unaffected.
• Minority enterprise, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Minority Enterprise Week was celebrated in Los Angeles August 20-30, with Asian American, black, brown, and Indian businessmen contributing $224 million to the local economy. A luncheon opened the event.
• Health plan guidelines proposed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Guidelines for JACL-sponsored group health plans were referred to the National JACL Board after recent council delegates raised concerns about protecting participants. The proposed rules cover contract negotiations, enrollment, disclosure, and member information.
• PSWDC chapter-sponsored health insurance endorsed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Pacific Southwest District Council endorsed a chapter-sponsored group health insurance program co-sponsored by seven chapters, offering an alternative to the existing Blue Shield plan. The program will be administered under the JACL insurance executive board.
• Japan tourists complain in Vegas, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL executive director David Ushio reported that Japanese tourists complained of being treated as easy targets in Las Vegas, prompting JACL to assist visitors from Japan. The report was carried by the Associated Press.
• President Ford invites Mineta to bill signing, by P.C. Staff, page 1. San Jose Mayor Norman Mineta was invited by President Ford to witness the signing of a bill raising the Federal Minimum Wage. The article briefly notes the event and its significance for local Nikkei community leaders.
• Tule Lake pilgrimage recap, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A brief item notes the Tule Lake pilgrimage and related community activities. Readers are directed to the fuller coverage elsewhere in the issue.
• 75th anniversary BCA memorial for Nisei GIs slated, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A memorial service honoring Japanese American war dead will be held September 1 at Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno as part of the Buddhist Churches of America 75th anniversary conference. Mike Masaoka is the principal speaker.
• JACL urges Pekin mayor to change school nickname, by P.C. Staff, page 3. JACL national president Shigeki Sugiyama urged the mayor of Pekin, Illinois, to drop the ‘Chinks’ nickname for the high school sports teams. The mayor’s continued use of the term was condemned as degrading to all Asian Americans.
• Trip to Amache slated Sept. 21, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Mile-Hi JACL is chartering a bus for a September 21 pilgrimage to the Amache camp site to clean the cemetery and hold memorial rites. Participants are asked to bring lunch.
• Transpacific voyager, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Kiyoshi Yamashita completed an 86-day solo voyage from Japan in a 21-foot sailboat, arriving at Los Angeles harbor August 10. The feat drew attention in the local community.
• PSWDC contributes $500 to aid Asian Americans for Fair Media, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Pacific Southwest District Council contributed $500 to Asian Americans for Fair Media, a UCLA-based group combating negative media portrayals of Asians. The group has previously had offensive TV commercials removed.
• Salt Lake seeks ethnic center, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A feasibility study will examine building a multi-ethnic community center in Salt Lake City, funded by federal and city sources. The project would serve the city’s diverse communities.
• Salt Lakers picnic in City Creek Canyon, by Tomoko Yano, page 4. The Salt Lake JACL Chapter held its first summer picnic in several years in City Creek Canyon, with Issei residents as special guests. Members shared food and enjoyed games and fishing in the cool canyon setting.
• Nagao Sakurai: landscape designer, by Mas Akiyama, page 4. Nagao Sakurai, an Issei landscape designer from Honolulu, created the Japanese Gardens at Manito Park in Spokane, which draw thousands of visitors during EXPO 74. Sakurai died in a nursing home before the gardens were completed.
• Japan Today: Nixon resignation reaction, by Richard Gima, page 5. Japanese reaction to Nixon’s resignation was muted, with officials emphasizing stability in US-Japan relations. Political parties in Japan debated the implications.
• Aloha from Hawaii: Hawaii Today, by Allan Beckman, page 5. Hawaii news includes ALOHA association support for Senator Inouye’s position on the Hawaiian Native Claims bill, and the revival of the Hawaii Calls radio show. Other items cover business, medical, and sports news.
• Nisei Week luncheon honors Ernest Debs, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Los Angeles County Supervisor Ernest Debs was presented with the County’s Award of Honor at a Nisei Week luncheon. Debs was retiring after 40 years in public service.

Incarceration & Redress

• A Boxful of Mementos, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Retired teacher Charlotte Swayne sent Ben Takeshita a box of Tule Lake camp mementos, including photographs and handcrafted items, after reading about the NCWNDC Pilgrimage to Tule Lake. The items will be displayed at JACL Headquarters’ new building.

JACL

• Venice-Culver candidate wins top scholarship, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sharon Kiyomi Inouye of Culver City was selected as JACL’s highest scholastic award winner for 1974 and will receive the $500 Bert Masaoka Memorial Scholarship. She graduated valedictorian of Venice High School and holds numerous academic honors.
• JACL Building Fund: new headquarters needed, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Dale Shimasaki, co-chairman of the JAY Biennium, explains that JACL needs a larger headquarters building in San Francisco’s Nihonmachi for conferences, a resource center, and office space. Contributions to the building fund are solicited.

National

• Save the whale tactics, by Sumi Saito, page 2. Sumi Saito of Fresno JACL criticizes a boycott of Japanese products aimed at saving whales, arguing that it fosters racism against Japanese Americans. She calls for conservation campaigns that do not target an ethnic group.
• Ushio—Continued from Page 2, by David Ushio, page 3. Continuing his address, Ushio argues that JACL must educate children and the public that the whaling campaign has fostered racist attacks on Japanese American youth. He urges JACL to take a firm, principled stand against racist tactics.
• Peace Corps—tomato problem in Africa, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Peace Corps volunteer Alan Aoki of Pahala, Hawaii, is working at a state farm in Mali to determine why local tomatoes produce poorly for canning. He is testing resistant varieties and suspects soil virus as the cause.
• Hawaiian members in Congress comment on Nixon’s resignation, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Hawaii’s congressional delegation unanimously agreed that Nixon’s resignation spared the nation an impeachment trial. Senator Hiram Fong called the resignation painful, while Senator Daniel Inouye said it was an acknowledgment of impeachable offenses.

Arts & Entertainment

• Minority enterprise and Broadway casting, by Mas Akiyama, page 2. A report on Asian American representation on Broadway finds that only a handful of roles in recent seasons went to Asian performers. Advocates call for better casting and support for Asian American performing arts groups.
• Frying Pan: Power of Laughter, by Jim Henry, page 3. A columnist reflects on the Japanese American tendency toward serious demeanor and considers the value of humor in coping with history. He praises Jack Matsuoka’s cartoon book Camp II, Block 211 as a rare and welcome collection of camp humor.
• Book review: Miscellany of a Japanese Priest (Tsurezuregusa), by Allan Beckman, page 5. A reissue of Kenko Yoshida’s Tsurezuregusa, a classic of the Nambokucho period, is reviewed. The reviewer discusses its reflections on life, nature, and Buddhist thought as translated by Donald Keene.
• As a Sightseer, by Joe Oyama, page 6. Joe Oyama recounts a tour of Harlem and Park Avenue in New York, describing the reactions of Japanese visitors and their guide. He reflects on the city’s neighborhoods and the perceptions of safety.

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