Vol. 81, No. 25, December 19, 1975. 54 pages. View this issue
A biography of Kanaye Nagasawa led the 1975 annual holiday issue. Terry Jones traced the Japanese samurai from his youth in Satsuma to California, where he came to lead the Fountaingrove winery near Santa Rosa. Richard T. Kenmotsu wrote about Nisei who were stranded in or studied in Japan before and during the war. Mike Masaoka proposed that JACL lead a campaign for congressional redress, and Tom Owan wrote about the federal neglect of Asian Americans.
Also inside: Allan Beekman on Christian missionaries in feudal Japan, Harry Honda’s profile of Issei veteran Tokie Slocum, Michael Ross Strode on discrimination in Utah, and a short story by Toyohiko Kagawa. A letter from Paul W. Bellis on reorganizing JACL appeared as well. Of its 54 pages, 41 carry holiday greetings from chapters and communities, including West Los Angeles, San Francisco, Milwaukee, San Jose and San Diego.
What’s in this issue
In-Depth
- Samurai of the Wine Country: A Biography of Kanaye Nagasawa, by Terry Jones, page 1. A biography of Kanaye Nagasawa, the Japanese samurai who founded the Fountaingrove winery near Santa Rosa, California. The article traces his youth in Satsuma, his journey to America with Thomas Lake Harris’s Brotherhood of the New Life, and his later rise as a leading vineyardist.
- Favor of Kings, Princes and Lords: Christian Missionaries in Feudal Japan, by Allan Beekman, page 1. A historical account of Jesuit and other Christian missionaries in feudal Japan, from Francis Xavier’s arrival through the rule of Oda Nobunaga and the later suppression of Christianity under the Tokugawa shogunate. The article also introduces Toyohiko Kagawa’s early encounters with Christianity.
Military & Veterans
- The Forgotten Nisei, by Richard T. Kenmotsu, page 1. An exploratory essay on Nisei who were stranded in or studied in prewar and wartime Japan, drawing on interviews with expatriates and Heishikan participants. It covers special schools for Nisei, the Heishikan scholarship program, and the varied experiences of those caught in Japan.
- Tokie Was Naturalized ‘Twice’, by Harry Honda, page 8. Profile of Tokutaro ‘Tokie’ Slocum, an Issei World War I veteran whose citizenship was revoked after the Ozawa decision and who lobbied Congress to restore citizenship to Issei veterans, succeeding with the Nye-Lea Act of 1935. The article recounts his later wartime service and death in Fresno.
Commentary
- Asian Americans: A Case of Benighted Neglect, by Tom Owan, page 1. An extended analysis of federal and social neglect of Asian Americans in areas including population undercount, income, public health, aging, and service delivery. The author calls for equitable funding, bilingual services, and affirmative action.
- Reparations Campaign Proposal, by Mike Masaoka, page 1. Masaoka argues that JACL should lead a campaign for congressional redress for Japanese Americans evacuated and incarcerated during World War II. He proposes a lump-sum payment approach and discusses the legal and public-education steps needed.
- Reorganize JACL, by Paul W. Bellis, page 2. A Puyallup Valley JACL member critiques the handling of JACL’s executive director position and the staffing and budget issues facing the organization, proposing staggered executive committee terms and a reorganization of the national structure.
- Free, Free Verse, by Joe Ovama, page 10. A short poem reflecting on the Japanese American experience, written in free verse.
Arts & Entertainment
- The Scarecrow of Daisu, by Toyohiko Kagawa, page 6. A translated short story by Toyohiko Kagawa about a boy named Nobuyoshi who encounters a church near the ruins of Azuchi Castle on Christmas Eve, and a leprous beggar who turns out to be Christ.
Incarceration & Redress
- Prohibition and Other Problems, page 10. Continuation of the Nagasawa biography covering Prohibition’s impact on Fountaingrove winery, the dispute with Robert Hart over the trust fund, and the decline of the estate. The article also describes anti-Japanese legislation in California.
- Anti-Nisei Discrimination in the Mormon State, by Michael Ross Strode, page 11. A historical study of discrimination against Japanese Americans and aliens in Utah during World War II, covering FBI arrests, public opposition to evacuees, business licensing restrictions, and the Topaz relocation center.
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