Vol. 82, No. 17, April 30, 1976. 4 pages. View this issue
Reparations for Japanese Americans were the main subject of this four-page issue. A front-page story reported that the JACL National Reparations Committee would meet May 1-2 in Moses Lake, Washington, to work out the organization’s position on redress for the World War II incarceration (often called internment). Earlier national conventions and district councils had urged JACL to seek it. Lee Ruttle also reported on pretrial hearings in Oakland in the case of Wendy Yoshimura.
On page 2, editorials looked at refugees from Southeast Asia one year after their arrival at Camp Pendleton, and at the career of Gerald L. K. Smith. Bill Hosokawa reviewed Harry Kitano’s Japanese Americans, and Sachi Seko wrote about her family’s dog. Page 3 reported a Supreme Court ruling on a California law about hiring illegal aliens and a forthcoming book by Frank Chuman. Page 4 had Cherry Blossom Festival and sports news.
What’s in this issue
Incarceration & Redress
- Reparation campaign underway, JACL supports, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL National Reparations Committee convenes May 1-2 in Moses Lake, Washington, to develop the organization’s position on Japanese American evacuation reparations. Previous national conventions and district councils have repeatedly urged JACL to seek redress for civil rights deprivations during World War II.
- Wendy Yoshimura pretrial hearing, by Lee Ruttle, page 1. Lee Ruttle reports on pretrial hearings in Oakland in the case of Wendy Yoshimura, including testimony about her April arrest and FBI conduct at the Morse Street apartment. The defense seeks to suppress evidence from several San Francisco and Daly City searches.
Community
- Santa Barbara to host PSWDC, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Pacific Southwest District Council will hold its spring quarterly session May 16 at the Montecito Country Club in Santa Barbara. Agenda items include a national board nominee, a constitutional amendment adding a secretary position, and reparations.
- Yori Wada among Most Distinguished Ten, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Yori Wada, executive director of the Buchanan Street YMCA, was named one of the Bay Area’s Most Distinguished Ten for 1975 and received a Phoebe Apperson Hearst Medallion. He has long worked with youth and served on several community and civic boards.
- Takito Yamaguma retires after 50 years in banking, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Takito Yamaguma retired from California First Bank after 50 years in banking, having co-founded the Bank of Tokyo of California. He is a longtime Downtown Los Angeles JACL leader who chaired its Mother of the Year program.
- Anna Suchisa Przybylski crowned Cherry Blossom queen, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Anna Suchisa Przybylski, 18, was crowned queen of San Francisco’s Nihonmachi Cherry Blossom Festival April 17. Janet Miyo Kato was named first princess among eleven candidates.
Commentary
- Not Forgotten: Southeast Asians, by P.C. Staff, page 2. An editorial marks one year since Southeast Asian refugees arrived at Camp Pendleton, noting that most local refugees are now self-sufficient. It urges continued community support so refugees can build independent lives in America.
- Hatemongering Doesn’t Pay, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The editorial reflects on the death of Gerald L. K. Smith and the anti-Japanese campaigns he led during and after World War II. It argues that the positive record of Nisei soldiers and community goodwill helped defeat the Yellow Peril rhetoric.
- One Man-One Vote Policy, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The editorial discusses a Japanese Supreme Court ruling that the nation’s electoral procedures violate equal representation principles. It draws parallels to JACL’s own voting representation questions and the one-man-one-vote standard.
- A Bite of Brandy, by Sachi Seko, page 2. Columnist Sachi Seko humorously describes her household’s adopted Aleutian German Shepherd, Brandy, who has become a fixture in the home. The piece uses the dog’s stubborn independence as a metaphor for resisting pressure to conform.
- Dr. Kitano’s Book, by Bill Hosokawa, page 2. Bill Hosokawa reviews the second edition of Harry Kitano’s Japanese Americans, noting its scholarly thoroughness and some typesetting errors. He argues that scholarly generalizations miss the individuality of Japanese Americans and that the 100,000 dispersed outside California and Hawaii deserve more study.
- Illegal alien law upheld, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a California law penalizing employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens for jobs that could go to American workers. Supporters say it will reduce welfare costs and unemployment, while opponents such as CRLA urge selective enforcement.
Arts & Entertainment
- Frank Chuman’s The Bamboo People, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Publishers Inc. announces the forthcoming release of Frank Chuman’s The Bamboo People, a legal history of Japanese Americans from 1869 onward. The book is part of the JACL-UCLA Japanese American History Project.
Military & Veterans
- Hawaii Nisei graduates and community notes, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Brief community news from Hawaii, including Honolulu economic notes and the planned Immigrants Material Preservation Building. Other items cover local appointments and sports news.
Sports
- Wayne Nakagawa excels in wrestling, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Temple City High School senior Wayne Nakagawa had an outstanding season, winning the Rio Hondo League title and placing seventh in CIF wrestling. Sports Illustrated also featured several athletes of Japanese ancestry in recent issues.
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