Refugee resettlement and the Cleveland convention: September 1975

Vol. 81, No. 11, September 12, 1975. 4 pages. View this issue

Vietnamese refugee resettlement, National JACL budget accountability and opposition to the HEW proposal were the three issues taken up by the Eastern-Midwest and Midwest district councils. Their resolutions called for housing and employment help for refugees and opposed weakening civil rights complaint procedures. The same front page announced a new $500 National JACL scholarship honoring Mrs. Majiu Uyesugi, to be offered from 1976, and reported that two audits confirmed misuse of $84,750 at the University of Massachusetts School of Education.

Elsewhere in the four pages, Harry K. Honda previewed a Pacific Citizen board meeting, Bill Hosokawa wrote about a Tokyo film crew in Colorado and Wyoming, and Harold Onishi argued that JACL must stay involved in community affairs. A reader, Tom Makase, defended the term “concentration camps”, while Shigeki Hiratsuka wrote against reparations. A Poston pilgrimage was set for Sept. 27-28, and ground was broken for the Higashi Hongwanji temple in Little Tokyo.

What’s in this issue

Community

• EDC-MDC Airs 3 Issues: Vietnam Refugees, Budget, ’74 Mandates, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Eastern-Midwest and Midwest district councils adopted resolutions on Vietnamese refugee resettlement, National JACL budget accountability, and opposition to the HEW proposal. The resolutions call for housing and employment assistance and oppose weakening civil rights complaint procedures.
• Mrs. Majiu Uyesugi Memorial Award of $500 to Be Offered From 1976, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A new $500 National JACL scholarship honoring Mrs. Majiu Uyesugi was announced at the Cleveland convention, funded by her family. The article recounts her perseverance raising children after her husband’s death and during the wartime evacuation.
• Syracuse Group Tossed Out From KKK Konklave, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A five-member group from Syracuse, including two Black members and an Asian member, was ejected from the Ku Klux Klan convention in Stone Mountain, Georgia. The group said it was gathering information on hate groups.
• Ground Broken for Higashi Hongwanji Temple in Little Tokyo, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Groundbreaking occurred for the $1.5-million Higashi Hongwanji temple in Little Tokyo, part of the redevelopment project. The traditional kawara tile roof will be installed by artisans from Japan.
• EDC-MDC Workshops Stress ‘Action’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The joint Eastern-Midwest District Council conference in Berea, Ohio focused on action through workshops on media, education, social services, local politics, and JAYs. Participants were urged to organize chapter committees to effect change.
• Confirm UMass School of Education Fund Misuse, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Two audits confirmed misuse of $84,750 in funds at the University of Massachusetts School of Education. The internal and external audits found overall inadequate internal controls, and former assistant dean Bob Suzuki had originally flagged the irregularities.
• 400 Expected for Tri-District Meet in Orange County, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Tri-District Conference in Anaheim, Sept. 12-14, will feature panels on JACL issues and a banquet with former White House counsel John W. Dean III as speaker. Organizers expect roughly 400 attendees.
• JWRO Campaign Goes Over $5,000, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A Pacific Southwest District Council campaign to raise funds for the Japanese Welfare Rights Organization surpassed $5,000 as of Sept. 4. Funds support legal, tax, and counseling services provided by JWRO and the Joint Counseling Center.
• San Mateo JACL Gets City Contract for Social Worker, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The San Mateo City Council awarded a social services contract to three minority groups including the San Mateo JACL. The chapter is hiring a Japanese-speaking community worker to provide referrals, translation, and employment assistance.
• Poston Pilgrimage Set for Sept. 27-28, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A pilgrimage to the former Poston WWII incarceration camp near Parker, Arizona is planned for Sept. 27-28 by the Manzanar Committee. Participants will also join a Colorado River Indian tribes celebration.
• U. Mass—Continued, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The University of Massachusetts School of Education audit confirmed misuse of funds and noted broad administrative failures since 1973. A grand jury was expected to return indictments, and former dean Bob Suzuki had earlier been involved in JACL education work.

Commentary

• Editor’s Desk, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. The editor previews a Pacific Citizen board meeting held separately during the Tri-District Conference, with district representatives discussing separate non-profit status and PC matters. The editorial notes the board will convene again Sunday to wrap up matters.
• Catching Up, by Bill Hosokawa, page 2. Hosokawa reports on a Tokyo Broadcasting System crew filming in Colorado and Wyoming and on the Hiroshima anniversary memorial service held for a cameraman’s mother. He also reflects on meeting another Bill Hosokawa through a Pasadena club newsletter.
• Re: ‘Reparations’, by Shigeki Hiratsuka, page 2. A letter writer opposes reparations for WWII evacuees, arguing the push could turn Congress against the Japanese American community. The writer urges JACL not to pursue reparations.
• How Can We Not Get Involved in Community Affairs, by Harold Onishi, page 2. Portland JACL president Harold Onishi argues JACL must be involved in community issues ranging from internal concerns to international matters. He cites recent instances of anti-Vietnamese refugee sentiment and racism as reasons for involvement.
• Our Readers: ‘Concentration Camps’, by Tom Makase, page 2. A reader responds to Mark D. Peters, defending the use of the term concentration camps to describe the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans. The letter cites historical documentation and a Supreme Court justice’s statement on constitutional violations.
• Book Review: Moving Zen, by Allan Beekman, page 4. A review of C.W. Nicol’s book Moving Zen, about karate as a path to spiritual calm and self-mastery. The reviewer finds the account absorbing but questions how closely the author’s events fit his thesis.

Military & Veterans

• Letters From Japan (II), by Tom Hayashi, page 3. Letter reports from JACL-JAL Cultural Heritage Fellowship recipient describe Tokyo transportation, Hokkaido scenery, and cultural observations. The writer reflects on the experience of traveling in Japan.

Obituaries

• Tom Hayashi, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Tribute to New York attorney Tom Hayashi, who helped organize the New York JACL chapter and served as national JACL legal counsel. He died Feb. 9, 1974, and is remembered for his dedication to justice and equality.

Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.