Federal job tips, the Little Tokyo fight and a JACL board meeting

Vol. 79, No. 19, November 8, 1974. 4 pages. View this issue

Practical advice and community news filled this four-page issue. On the front page, Shigeki Sugiyama urged young job seekers to start early on summer and permanent Federal work. Nelson K. Doi announced his candidacy for lieutenant governor of Hawaii. Page 2 covered a JACL National Board meeting in San Francisco, written by Harry K. Honda, and chapter votes to raise national dues to $12 starting in 1975. Ramsey Clark’s views on the wartime evacuation also appeared there.

Little Tokyo and Nihonmachi housing disputes ran through the issue. Kats Kunitsugu began a two-part look at the Little Tokyo Anti-Eviction Task Force, and residents protested before the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency. Bill Marutani’s keynote on Asian American attitudes and Bill Hosokawa’s column on rice are among the commentary. Mary Tsukamoto was named Sacramento County Teacher of the Year.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Job Hunting Tips for Summer and Permanent Federal Work, by Shigeki Sugiyama, page 1. Shigeki Sugiyama advises young job seekers to start looking for summer and permanent Federal jobs early, noting the Civil Service Commission’s summer jobs pamphlet and deadlines. He explains the PACE and FSEE examinations and recommends contacting the nearest Federal Job Information Center.
• Masaoka-Ishikawa Moves to Washington, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Masaoka-Ishikawa firm has relocated its office in Washington, D.C. The brief notes the move as news of the Nikkei-run government relations practice.
• Nelson K. Doi Announces Candidacy for Lieutenant Governor, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Former Big Island circuit judge Nelson K. Doi announced his candidacy for lieutenant governor of Hawaii. The article profiles his career in law, public office, and state politics.
• JACL National Board Meets in San Francisco, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. The JACL National Board and staff convened at the Miyako Hotel in San Francisco for a second session within the year. Agenda items included the new headquarters building and budget matters.
• Venice-Culver JACL to Host PSW District Council Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Venice-Culver JACL will host the fourth quarterly Pacific Southwest District Council session on Nov. 17 at the Airport Marina Hotel. The meeting will address district business and chapter reports.
• SFRA Board Hears CANE’s Protests, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The San Francisco Redevelopment Agency board agreed to hold a public meeting in the Japanese American community after some 200 residents protested. Committee Against Nihonmachi Eviction leaders accused the agency of destroying low-cost housing and harassing tenants.
• Pacific Southwest JACL Education Committee Organized, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Pacific Southwest District JACL education committee held its first meeting, chaired by Francis Nakano. Discussion centered on textbook evaluation and faculty integration.
• Chapters Ratify Increase in National JACL Dues, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A majority of JACL chapters approved constitutional and by-laws amendments enacted by the National Council, including a dues increase to $12 beginning in 1975. The amendments also eliminate the office of President-Elect.
• Saisei Teacher Cites Sexism in Textbooks, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Patti Ishida, a Sansei teacher and NOW education task force member, presented a slide show documenting sexist content in elementary school textbooks in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. She argued the books keep girls in subservient roles.
• U.S. Favors Japan Over Common Market, Rep. Derwinski Says, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Illinois Republican Edward Derwinski told the Japan Times that American sentiment toward Japan is friendly and that Americans view trade relations with Japan more favorably than with the European Common Market. He also discussed U.S. military presence in Asia.
• Japanese Consul General Urges Interdependent World Model, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Japanese Consul General Keiichi Tachibana told a San Diego audience that the U.S.-Japan relationship could serve as a model for an interdependent world. He addressed the complexities of a multipolar international order.
• Named County Teacher of the Year: Mary Tsukamoto, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Mary Tsukamoto, a third-grade teacher in the Elk Grove Unified School District, was named Sacramento County Teacher of the Year. She is in the running for the national award.

National

• Ramsey Clark Views Evacuation as a Mistake, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Former Attorney General Ramsey Clark reflected on the wartime mass evacuation of Japanese Americans, calling it a grave wrong. He also spoke about civil rights concerns in the Japanese American community.
• Illegal Alien Problem a National Crisis, Saxbe Declares, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Attorney General William Saxbe called for deporting one million illegal aliens, mostly Mexican, and described the problem as a severe national crisis. The article covers the INS response and proposed legislation penalizing employers who knowingly hire illegal workers.
• Ex-Ambassador Ushiba to Head Ford Reception Committee, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Japan’s Foreign Ministry selected former ambassador Nobuhiko Ushiba to head the reception committee for President Ford’s November visit. The selection breaks tradition and reflects the importance Japan attaches to the visit.

Incarceration & Redress

• Enjoyable But Humid: JACL-Sansei Study Tour, by Jeanne N. Naito, page 2. Jeanne Naito recounts the 1974 JACL-Sansei Study Tour to Japan, describing visits to Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Kyushu. She highlights the warm hospitality she received and the challenges of the summer humidity.

Commentary

• White Racism Breeds in U.S. Schools, Dr. Suzuki Tells EDC-New York Meeting, by Toru Kanazawa, page 2. Dr. Suzuki told an EDC meeting in New York that the American educational system perpetuates racism against Asian Americans, Blacks, and Native Americans. He argued that textbooks and institutional bias cause lasting psychological damage.
• Rights and Responsibilities of Free Speech, by P.C. Staff, page 2. This editorial examines the rights and obligations that come with free speech, arguing that speakers must bear responsibility for their statements. It urges JACL and the community to criticize fairly and avoid censorship.
• Asian American Attitudes, by Bill Marutani, page 2. Bill Marutani’s keynote address to the Asian American Council of Greater Philadelphia examines racial prejudice and the attitudes Asian Americans hold toward one another and themselves. He calls for unity and rejects the idea of seeking acceptance or equality on others’ terms.
• Letter on the 50th Anniversary of the Exclusion Act, by Mamoru Uyehara, page 2. A letter writer marks the 50th anniversary of the 1924 Japanese Exclusion Act, which he notes the Pacific Citizen has not acknowledged. He reflects on his own arrival in San Francisco as a young immigrant.
• Little Tokyo Power Play (Part 1), by Kats Kunitsugu, page 3. Kats Kunitsugu examines the Little Tokyo Anti-Eviction Task Force’s tactics at the Hotel New Otani groundbreaking and its efforts to discredit the Kajima Corporation. He contrasts the Task Force’s small-business outlook with the Community Redevelopment Agency’s senior housing priorities.
• Frying Pan: The Rice Culture, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Bill Hosokawa reflects on the deep significance of rice to Japanese people and visitors from Japan. He describes the historical measure of rice as a unit of wealth and land value.

Arts & Entertainment

• Book Review: Gimpel Momal’s Lake Shore Story, by Allan Beekman, page 3. Allan Beekman reviews a novel about Gimpel Momal, a man who flees to Karuizawa after a voyeuristic incident, and the women and memories that haunt him. The review explores the book’s themes of obsession and loss.

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