Vol. 80, No. 18, May 9, 1975. 4 pages. View this issue
Redress and the arrival of refugees from Vietnam and Cambodia shared the front page of this four-page issue. A San Fernando Valley forum and a JACL Political Education Committee meeting weighed proposals for evacuee reparations, with Fred Okrand and Edison Uno urging JACL to pursue a campaign. Another story followed a Southern California college students’ pilgrimage to the former Tule Lake camp. Refugee resettlement in California drew comments from Rep. Norman Mineta and Assemblyman Paul Bannai, and Senator Daniel Inouye wrote on U.S. Vietnam policy.
Columns took up the same themes. Wayne Horiuchi’s Plain Speaking looked at how JACL should approach reparations, and Kats Kunitsugu compared the refugees’ arrival with the early experiences of Japanese Americans. National President Shig Sugiyama reported on his trip east in To the Point. Inside, a letter questioned the National Board’s authority over a resignation request, and a book review by Allan Beekman closes the issue.
What’s in this issue
Community
- Up to Philadelphia, by Shig Sugiyama, page 1. JACL National President Shig Sugiyama reports on the April 12 Pacific Northwest District Council meeting at St. Davids, Pennsylvania, including an ABC documentary filming and EDC funding decisions. He also describes the Philadelphia Chapter installation dinner and the subsequent trip to San Francisco for JACL political education meetings.
- Oshima Appointed, page 1. Finance director Robert Oshima was appointed acting city manager of Commerce City, Colorado, after the previous manager resigned. The short report notes the council’s internal divisions that led to the change.
- New Secretary Named for CCDC Regional Office, page 1. Chie Yokota was named secretary for the CCDC regional office in Fresno. She replaces Rita Yee, who left to become administrative assistant for Asian American Studies at UC Santa Barbara.
Incarceration & Redress
- Lesson of a Pilgrimage, page 1. A writer recounts a Southern California college students’ pilgrimage to the former Tule Lake camp, where participants marched and reflected on the wartime injustice. The writer reflects on the hostility former camp communities still show and the lasting traces of incarceration.
- How Should We Seek Reparations?, page 1. A San Fernando Valley forum and a JACL Political Education Committee meeting explored proposals for evacuee reparations, including Rep. George Danielson’s bill and a trust fund concept. Speakers including Fred Okrand and Edison Uno urged JACL to pursue a campaign for redress while weighing financial and organizational concerns.
- Hibakusha Compensation Bill Supported by JACL, page 3. JACL supports a bill introduced by Rep. Edward Roybal to compensate Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors, many of whom are Japanese Americans. The writer explains that the bill aids survivors suffering from physical and emotional harm and that JACL should help build broader support.
National
- Bias Charged by Nisei Official in EEO Program, page 1. John Yoshino, a Nisei equal opportunity specialist with the Federal Highway Administration, alleges discrimination by his black supervisor A.D. Gaither, who he says favors blacks in appointments and promotions. Yoshino disputes the Civil Service Commission investigation’s findings and says the agency delayed the case.
- Viet Exodus Stirs Racism, page 1. Refugees from Vietnam and Cambodia are arriving in the U.S., with many expected to settle in California, prompting debate over resettlement costs and racially tinged opposition. Officials including Rep. Norman Mineta and Assemblyman Paul Bannai respond to the influx and the lessons of Japanese American wartime camps.
- U.S.A. Still the Strongest, page 1. Senator Daniel Inouye argues that the fall of South Vietnam and Cambodia does not mean the United States has lost its status as a world leader. He calls for candor in admitting that the U.S. Vietnam policy was in error.
Military & Veterans
- Japanese Americans Remember Evacuation, page 2. A reporter recounts the Pacific Citizen’s coverage of Nisei veterans and wartime issues in earlier decades. The piece is brief and connects these topics to the community’s ongoing memory of the war.
Commentary
- Letters: PSWDC Resolution, page 3. A Fresno Newsletter excerpt questions the National Board’s authority regarding the requested resignation of National Director David Ushio and impeachment of President Shigeki Sugiyama. The writer cites Article IX of the JACL Constitution in arguing the matter requires further review.
- Plain Speaking, by Wayne Horiuchi, page 3. Wayne Horiuchi’s column discusses how JACL should approach the reparations issue and the proposed campaign to pursue it. He argues that a sustained grassroots education effort is needed and reports on his efforts in Washington.
- Reflections on the End, by Kats Kunitsugu, page 4. Columnist Kats Kunitsugu reflects on the end of the Vietnam War and the shifting views of his generation. He compares the arrival of refugees to the early experiences of Japanese Americans during Evacuation.
In-Depth
- A Crucial Japan-American Period, by Allan Beekman, page 4. A book review examines the diplomatic tensions between Japan and the United States around the Nixon administration’s 1971 China announcement and economic policy. The reviewer finds the book’s chronology useful but its organization and writing weak.
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