JACL’s $75,000 grant and a poll on reparations for E.O. 9066

Vol. 81, No. 19, November 7, 1975. 6 pages. View this issue

The national JACL received a $75,000 grant from the Campaign for Human Development, announced on the front page, to make foundations more responsive to Japanese Americans. Nearby, E.O. 9066 Inc. released a poll showing majority support for legislation seeking reparations for the wartime incarceration (often called internment). The same page covered preparations for the 1980 census, Rep. Patsy Mink’s run for the U.S. Senate, and a plaque for the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Farm Colony, written up by Akiji Yoshimura.

Inside, Sue Kunitomi Embrey reported on the Poston Pilgrimage, and Bill Hosokawa wrote about Emperor Hirohito’s U.S. visit. Rev. Vincent G. Tegeder looked back at Ulysses S. Grant’s 1879 trip to Japan, and Mark Tajima shared tips from his JAL-JACL Cultural Fellowship. Local news from the districts and a few profiles fill the six pages.

What’s in this issue

National

• JACL Gets $75,000 Catholic Grant, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National JACL received a $75,000 grant from the Campaign for Human Development to help make foundations more responsive to Japanese Americans. The project aims to show foundations how their definitions of minority need can exclude Japanese Americans.
• Preparing the 1980 Census, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Census Bureau is developing a minority advisory committee and improved counting methods to address undercounting of Asian Americans and other minorities in the 1980 census. JACL and members of Congress have supported these efforts.
• Mink First Island Woman to Run for U.S. Senate, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Patsy Mink announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate in Hawaii, becoming the first woman from the islands to run for that seat. She cited her record on education and controversial positions on Vietnam, nuclear testing, and ABM.
• Panel Announced for Japan-U.S. Friendship Act, by P.C. Staff, page 1. President Ford appointed twelve members to the newly established Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission, which will administer funds from Japanese payments tied to the Okinawa and GARIOA occupation. The commission will support cultural and educational exchange between the two nations.
• Japan to Quit Whaling, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Zoologist Robert Payne predicts rising labor costs will force Japan and the Soviet Union out of commercial whaling, with less-developed nations taking over. He also warned that some endangered whale species could be finished off by continued hunting.
• Defense Seeks Bail Reduction for Wendy Yoshimura, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Defense attorney James Larson sought to reduce bail for Wendy Yoshimura from $100,000 to between $10,000 and $15,000 on charges tied to explosives found in a Berkeley garage. The judge had already reduced bail from $250,000 and indicated it might be lowered further.
• Inouye, Mineta Question Big Government Spending, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Norman Mineta formed a task force to examine federal spending, reflecting growing questioning of big government even among liberal Democrats. Sen. Daniel Inouye called for tighter administration of social programs and reforms to unemployment compensation.

Incarceration & Redress

• E.O. 9066 Reparations Poll in Favor of Payment to Evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 1. E.O. 9066 Inc. released poll results showing majority support for legislation seeking reparations for the wartime evacuation. Respondents ranked priorities for payment among Japan-born internees, U.S.-born internees, memorial scholarships, and community programs.
• Fresno JACLer Sumi Saito on Wendy Yoshimura Case, by Sumi Saito, page 2. Fresno JACL newsletter editor Sumi Saito writes about the Yoshimura family’s support for their daughter Wendy and contrasts their stance with the community’s expectations. She hopes Wendy will work peacefully for humankind.

Community

• UW Ethnic Studies Director Resigns, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. James K. Morishima, founder of the Asian American Studies program at the University of Washington, announced he will resign effective June 1976. He cited an inordinate drain on his physical energies from demands by university and community groups.
• Asian Stereotypes on TV, Films Slide Study, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A slide presentation on Asian stereotypes in U.S. films and television will be shown at the Chicago JACL annual meeting on Nov. 21. Former national JACL anti-defamation chairperson Chive Tomihiro will lead the discussion.
• Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Farm Colony Plaque Dedicated, by Akiji Yoshimura, page 1. A California historical landmark plaque marks the site of the 1869 Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Farm Colony near Coloma in El Dorado County. Placer County JACL spearheaded efforts to maintain the site, including the grave of Miss Okei.
• PSW Elections Not Shoo-In, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Eleven candidates are competing for six executive board positions at the Pacific Southwest JACL District Council meeting in Carson. The session will also consider constitutional changes and a health education pilot project proposal.
• Kay Teramura: Snake River Valley JACLer Named Malheur’s Top Op Farmer, by Ray Novotny, page 4. Kay Teramura of Ontario, Oregon was named one of Malheur County’s Top Op Farmers for his commitment to excellence in farming. Extension agent Ray Novotny praised his use of research and his civic involvement.
• Hawaii Today: Gov. Ariyoshi on Land Acquisition and Emperor’s Visit, by Richard Gima, page 4. Gov. George Ariyoshi said the state should buy certain land to prevent future developers from acquiring it. The column also notes which Hawaii officials were invited to events during Emperor Hirohito’s visit.
• Gardena Councilman Candidate Henry Okamoto Profiled, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Deputy district attorney Henry Okamoto is running for Gardena city council, drawing nearly 200 attendees to a support gathering. He is a Vietnam veteran with a Distinguished Service Cross and a graduate of USC law school.
• Eyelid Surgery in Japan Looks Better, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Stanford ophthalmologist Donald T. Hayashi visited the Minagawa Clinic in Japan to compare cosmetic eyelid surgery techniques. He found the Japanese method produces a more natural appearance immediately after surgery.
• Seattle Scout Ken Teramoto Receives Life-Saving Award, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Seattle Boy Scout Ken Teramoto received the National Award of Merit for saving his friend Ted Yoshino, who collapsed while playing tennis. Teramoto began cardio-pulmonary resuscitation until help arrived.
• Poston Indians Welcome Pilgrimage, by Sue Kunitomi Embrey, page 5. Sue Kunitomi Embrey reports on the Poston Pilgrimage, a student-oriented project that returned to the former camp site. She describes the cultural exchange with the Colorado River Indian tribe, who opposed the camp’s use of their reservation in 1942.
• Jean Fujimoto Arrested in Murder Case, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Mrs. Jean Fujimoto of Mar Vista was arrested on suspicion of murdering John D. Ward in his Westwood insurance office, where her husband is a business partner. Investigators declined to discuss possible motives.

Commentary

• Harry K. Honda: Editor’s Desk on Consumer Affairs Chief Takeo Takei, by Harry K. Honda, page 1. Editor Harry Honda profiles Taketsugu Takei, Gov. Brown’s appointee as director of the state Consumer Affairs Department, noting his JACL speaking circuit and the challenges of overseeing dozens of licensing boards. Honda argues Takei’s background as a public defender makes him well suited to protecting consumers.
• Editorial: Give Us a Helping Hand, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Pacific Citizen reprints wartime JACL exhortations from Saburo Kido during the Evacuation, when the organization was unpopular in the camps. The editorial frames these historical statements as relevant to the 1976 membership campaign.
• From the Frying Pan: Thoughts on Imperial Visit, by Bill Hosokawa, page 2. Bill Hosokawa comments on Emperor Hirohito’s U.S. visit, noting protocol details and the Emperor’s apology-like remarks at the White House dinner. He asks whether Nisei and Sansei should similarly set aside grievances over the wartime Evacuation.
• Mark Tajima: A Trip to Japan, If You’re Lucky, by Mark Tajima, page 3. Mark Tajima, a 1975 JAL-JACL Cultural Fellowship awardee, recommends the program to young JACL members and offers practical tips for travel in Japan. He emphasizes the value of youth hostels, language study, and meeting Japanese students.
• Nikkei History in Utah, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Poston Pilgrimage drew participants back to the former internment camp site in Arizona to reflect on the hardships and memories of evacuees. The writer describes the cultural exchange with Native Americans and the reconstruction of the camp’s history.

In-Depth

• Meiji-Grant: Thoughts on Ex-President Grant’s 1879 Visit to Japan, by Rev. Vincent G. Tegeder, page 2. Historian Vincent Tegeder recounts ex-President Ulysses S. Grant’s 1879 visit to Japan, including his audiences with Emperor Meiji and the trees he planted in Ueno Park. Tegeder concludes Grant’s visit left a favorable impression and predicted Japan would do great things.
• Daily Life in an Internment Camp, by Jack Matsuoka, page 6. Jack Matsuoka’s book Camp Hell Block 211 is advertised as a memoir of daily life in an internment camp. The notice includes ordering information for the book.

Military & Veterans

• Former Japanese Army Lt. Hiroo Onoda Takes Up Ranching in Brazil, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Former Japanese Army Lt. Hiroo Onoda, who surrendered in 1974 after decades in the Philippine jungle, now raises cattle and pigs with his brother in Brazil. Revenue from his book helped fund the farm.
• Maj. Arthur Y. Kishiyama Receives Newman Medal, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Society of American Military Engineers awarded its Newman Medal to Maj. Arthur Y. Kishiyama for his work managing engineering and construction plans for the Space Shuttle program. He is an architectural engineering graduate of Cal Poly and Oklahoma State.

Obituaries

• James Y. Nakagawa, Denver’s First Nisei Policeman, Dies, by P.C. Staff, page 6. James Y. Nakagawa, the first Nisei on the Denver police force and a 442nd veteran, died Oct. 17 of a heart attack. He had served as a police technician and in community relations work and is survived by his family.

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