Leadership tensions in JACL and a new chapter for Houston

Vol. 80, No. 16, April 25, 1975. 4 pages. View this issue

A dispute over JACL’s national leadership ran through this four-page issue. Several district councils took up a March 9 motion to investigate the National President and the Executive Director. Pacific Southwest called for a special National Board meeting in June, Midwest delegates voted unanimously for one, and the Northern California-Western Nevada board opposed the probe and reaffirmed support for Shig Sugiyama and David Ushio. Sugiyama also reported on the Mountain-Plains meeting in Omaha, where a new Houston chapter was announced and a June pilgrimage to Amache was previewed. Commentary from Wayne Horiuchi, John Sugiyama and Vaughn M. Greene asked how young Sansei and students see the organization.

Other pages looked at the Vietnamese baby airlift, with a column by David Ushio, and at the plight of South Vietnamese students in Los Angeles. Congressman Norman Mineta’s response to President Ford is here too. Also inside: the Manzanar pilgrimage honors for Ryozo F. Kado, the first JACL charter flight to Japan, and Kozo Ishimatsu’s San Jose testimonial.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Go, Mountain-Plains: New JACL Chapter Forming in Houston; Mountain-Plains District Council Meets in Omaha, by Shig Sugiyama, page 1. A new JACL chapter is being formed in Houston, Texas, as reported at the April 5 Mountain-Plains District Council meeting in Omaha. The article also covers new district officers and the upcoming June pilgrimage to Amache.
• San Jose Semi-Retired Farmer-Shipper Honored by Community at Testimonial, by Linda Goldston, page 1. Kozo Ishimatsu, who arrived in America in 1917 with $30, was honored at a San Jose testimonial dinner attended by about 450 people. He was decorated by the Japanese government for his contributions to US-Japan relations.
• First National JACL-Sponsored Charter Flight to Japan Launched with 132, by Tad Hirota, page 1. The first JACL-sponsored charter flight to Japan departed with 132 passengers on a DC-8 jet. Travel agents and JTBI representatives assisted passengers at the airport.
• Twin Cities Hosts MDC Spring Meet; National Issue Aired, by P.C. Staff, page 1. At the Midwest District Council meeting in Minneapolis, delegates voted unanimously to call for a special National JACL Board meeting to resolve charges against the national leadership. The council also discussed a Chicago chapter solicitation problem and alleged discrimination in a federally funded position.
• PNWDC Board Meets, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Pacific Northwest District Council executive board held a special meeting in Seattle to consider accusations made against the National President and Executive Director. The article reports on the board’s discussion of the issue.
• Venice-Culver JACL Honors Ryozo F. Kado, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Venice-Culver JACL presented its 1974 Community Service Award to Ryozo F. Kado, an octogenarian cemetery grounds superintendent. Kado also built stonework at Manzanar, including the cemetery monument and guard house.
• Denver Jewish Group Honors Minoru Yasui, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Minoru Yasui, executive director of the Denver Commission on Human Relations, received the Human Relations Award from the Men’s Club of Beth Sholom Congregation. The article recounts his career and contributions to Denver.
• Chicago JACL Denounces Secret Police Files on Organizations and Individuals, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Chicago JACL denounced secret police surveillance of community groups and individuals, including Japanese American activist Hiroshi Kanno. The board called for destruction of the files and a full investigation.
• Illinois Solicitors Need to Register, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A National JACL solicitation letter to Illinois corporations placed the Chicago chapter in a potentially embarrassing position because National was not registered with the state. The Midwest District Council supported the chapter’s efforts to resolve the issue.
• Bannal Bill to Aid Mortgage-Needy Areas, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Assemblyman Paul Bannal proposed legislation to help residents in mortgage-deficient neighborhoods obtain financing. The bill would create a state mortgage insurance fund.

National

• Mineta Responds to President Ford’s State of the World Speech: ‘A Hell No’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Congressman Norman Mineta criticized President Ford’s State of the World message as focused more on war than peace. He also opposed the $722 million request for military aid to South Vietnam.
• El Monte Preacher Still Seeks Ouster of Senate Chaplain, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A petition drive urges Sen. Alfred Song to remove Buddhist priest Rinban Shoko Masunaga as state Senate chaplain. Senate officials rejected the campaign, and the National JACL supported the appointment.
• National Asian American Methodist Group Questions Vietnam Baby Lift, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National Federation of Asian American United Methodists was organized in Chicago and elected Rev. Lloyd Wake as board chairman. The board expressed concern about the Vietnam baby airlift while noting growth in Asian American populations.
• Viet Students in L.A. Put in Bind, by P.C. Staff, page 1. South Vietnamese college students in Los Angeles face an uncertain future because their student visas require full-time enrollment and their financial support has been interrupted. Immigration officials indicated they would likely grant work permits and not force students to leave.
• Calif. ‘Little Dies’ Committee Buried, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The last remnant of California’s Communist-hunting legislative subcommittee on un-American activities is being quietly ended. The committee had been a platform for anti-Nisei rhetoric during World War II.

JACL

• PSWDC Calls for National Special Board Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 1. PSWDC Governor Tsune Kojima requested a special National JACL Board meeting in June to discuss a March 9 motion to investigate the National President and Executive Director. The verbatim transcripts of that meeting were to be distributed to board members.
• Nat’l Board Probe Opposed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Northern California-Western Nevada JACL District Council executive board unanimously opposed the PSWDC and MDC resolutions calling for an investigation of national leadership. The board reaffirmed support for President Shig Sugiyama and Executive Director David Ushio.

Incarceration & Redress

• Appreciation Shown at Manzanar Pilgrimage, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Manzanar Committee presented certificates of appreciation to Rev. Sentoku Maeda, Rev. Shoichi Wakahiro, and Ryozo F. Kado. The honorees were recognized for their long-standing participation in the annual pilgrimage.

Obituaries

• Ishimatsu Honored as Pioneer Farmer and Shipper, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Kozo Ishimatsu’s career is traced from his arrival in 1917 through his evacuation during World War II and his later success in San Jose. He was honored with the Order of the Sacred Treasure.
• Memoirs of a Far-Flung Life, by Allan Beekman, page 4. A book review examines a memoir covering a life of travel and experience, written in 1950 and updated in 1973. The reviewer notes the clear writing and useful appendices.

Commentary

• Operation Babylift, by David Ushio, page 2. National Director David Ushio addresses the emotional airlift of Vietnamese orphans and explains JACL’s approach of seeking facts before taking a position. He notes that the organization must weigh whether children are better served in their native culture or in a foreign country.
• Immigration Issue, by Vaughn M. Greene, page 2. A JACL regional director reports on observing a Japanese American history class at UCLA and the students’ perceptions of JACL. He concludes that students know little about the organization and few have had contact with it.
• Save the Whales, by Shigeo Yuge, page 2. The writer argues that the Save the Whales campaign has an anti-Japanese thrust that can spill over into racism against Japanese Americans. He points out that the boycott ads effectively target only Japanese goods.
• Views in the Valley, by Shig Shimabukuro, page 2. At a San Fernando Valley JACL board meeting, members gave varied opinions on the Vietnamese baby airlift. The consensus was that JACL should consider the question at the national level but should not take a firm position.
• College-Age Sansei and JACL, by Wayne Horiuchi, page 2. A survey of young Sansei found that most view JACL as conservative, professional, and offering little community service. The author argues that the perception among young people is the crucial problem for the organization’s future.
• The ‘Guts’ of JACL—Volunteers, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A Plain Speaking column argues that JACL’s strength lies in its volunteers and examines what motivates individual members. The author credits national staff and officers with identifying and supporting these volunteers.
• Interest Group Politics, by John Sugiyama, page 2. The author argues that recent JACL conflicts have been shaped by an artificial view of the organization as two competing interest groups. He contends many issues require value-based judgments that do not fit neatly into activist or moderate categories.

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