Vol. 82, No. 10, March 12, 1976. 4 pages. View this issue
The death of Masao W. Satow filled the front page of this four-page issue. Satow served as JACL national director from 1946 to 1973 and died in his sleep at age 68 in San Francisco. Shig Sugiyama wrote of him as a counselor and mentor, Dave Ushio recalled visiting him in the hospital, and an editorial traced his YMCA service, his wartime work on resettlement and his leadership through JACL’s growth. Funeral services in Los Angeles and San Pedro are described.
Also inside: a report on criticism and defense of the television film ‘Farewell to Manzanar’, and Bill Hosokawa’s column on the press and Iva Toguri, known as ‘Tokyo Rose’. Community pages cover the trial lawyers in the Wendy Yoshimura case, Michio Suzuki’s new federal post, and a California resolution on retirement credit for Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II.
What’s in this issue
Obituaries
- Counselor and Mentor, by By Shig Sugiyama, page 1. Shig Sugiyama remembers Masao W. Satow, longtime JACL national director, as a mentor who shaped his own JACL work. The tribute describes Satow’s dedication and the deep loss felt across the organization.
- Rest in Peace, Mas, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Masao W. Satow, JACL national director from 1946 to 1973, died in his sleep at age 68 in San Francisco. The article details his funeral services in Los Angeles and San Pedro and his early life and YMCA career.
Commentary
- Our Fondness for Mas, by Dave Ushio, page 1. Dave Ushio recalls visiting Satow in the hospital and the warmth shown by Chiz Satow despite her own worries. He reflects on the Satows as a family-like presence within the JACL community.
- Masao William Satow: 1908-1976, by P.C. Staff, page 1. This editorial honors Satow’s YMCA service, his wartime work on evacuation and resettlement, and his leadership through JACL’s growth. It closes by urging Japanese Americans to join JACL for their collective future security.
- The Press and Tokyo Rose, by Bill Hosokawa, page 2. Bill Hosokawa praises the San Francisco Chronicle’s three-part series supporting a presidential pardon for Iva Toguri, convicted as ‘Tokyo Rose.’ He argues the press today is more energetic in probing injustice than it was during the wartime evacuation era.
- Petaluma’s Curbs on Growth Left Standing, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to Petaluma’s housing growth limits, leaving them in place. The construction industry had argued the ordinances violated the right to travel.
Incarceration & Redress
- ‘Farewell to Manzanar’ Has Critics, Too, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The article reports on criticism of the television film ‘Farewell to Manzanar’ from the Southern California Manzanar committee and actor Frank Chin, alongside defenses by Edison Uno and author Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston. Critics argue the film is superficial and historically misleading, while supporters say it raises awareness of internment injustices.
Community
- Sugiyama Named Hoosier JACL Chapter Member Letter on Indiana Chapter, by Terry Ishihara, page 2. Terry Ishihara writes to explain why a new JACL chapter in Indiana matters for educating others and preserving heritage. He describes the friendships and shared purpose the chapter offers to its members.
- Wendy Yoshimura Trial Attorneys Profiled, by Lee Ruttle, page 3. Lee Ruttle profiles the judge, prosecutor, and defense team preparing for the trial of Wendy Masako Yoshimura on weapons and explosives charges. The attorneys’ backgrounds and JACL membership of several defenders are described.
- JAYs Slide Show Chief Attraction at S.F. Inaugural, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The San Francisco JACL installation dinner featured a slide show of Japanese American Youth activities instead of a guest speaker. The event also honored chapter officers and marked the start of the new year’s programs.
- Michio Suzuki Heads New HEW Operational Agency, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Washington D.C. JACL president Michio Suzuki was named acting commissioner of the Public Services Administration within HEW. The article describes his prior social services background and the agency’s role in federal-state programs.
- Evacuee Retirement Credit for Federally Employed Gets Boost, by P.C. Staff, page 4. California’s State Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution urging Congress to grant federal civil service retirement credit to Japanese Americans interned during World War II. The Committee for Internment Credit, backed by JACL and other groups, is pushing five related bills in Congress.
- Sansei Student Balks at Being Reassigned, Sues School Board, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Two Seattle high school students filed federal suits challenging their reassignment to Garfield High School over racial balance concerns. The suits seek restraining orders and damages from the school board.
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