Reparations plans and the road to the Sacramento convention

Vol. 82, No. 19, May 14, 1976. 4 pages. View this issue

Reparations dominated this four-page issue. A National JACL Reparations Campaign Committee meeting in Portland drafted a basic plan of $5,000 per person plus $10 per day of confinement, estimated at $2 billion, and two amendments and an alternative Columbia Basin plan will go before the Sacramento convention. An editorial argued that redress for lost civil rights should continue. National JACL president Shig Sugiyama urged delegates to be doers with vision, and Bill Hosokawa wrote about how West Coast newspapers fed wartime hysteria.

Also inside: the Midwest District Council re-elected Lillian Kimura as district governor, and an Asian caucus formed in the California legislature. The Tri-Valley JACL became the 101st chapter in National JACL. Barry Saiki and Sachi Seko wrote columns, and Tom Fujimoto looked back at the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Farm Colony. News of Robert M. Takasugi’s Senate confirmation appeared on the front page.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Doers or Visionaries, by Shig Sugiyama, page 1. The national JACL president argues that political candidates’ promises must be weighed against their realistic competence and that members must act rather than merely dream. He urges delegates at the upcoming convention to show wisdom and leadership as doers with vision.
• An Overcrowded Nation, by Barry Saiki, page 2. Barry Saiki reflects on social changes in Japan, including urbanization, mass media influence, and shifting values from community ties to materialism. He contrasts these with American space and freedom of choice.
• Howard Hughes, by Sachi Seko, page 2. Sachi Seko recalls personal contacts with the Hughes organization through her husband Ernie’s job offers and friendship with an aide. She reflects on Hughes’s death and the enigmatic life she glimpsed.
• The Press Was Taken as an Accessory, by Bill Hosokawa, page 2. Bill Hosokawa discusses a Quill article by Ives Neely on how West Coast newspapers fueled wartime hysteria leading to the Japanese American evacuation. He argues a responsible press could have prevented the tragedy.
• We’re campaigning too!, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Brief campaign-related note urging support for JACL reparations efforts ahead of the national convention.

Community

• Asian Caucus formed in California legislature, by P.C. Staff, page 1. An Asian caucus of legislators and staff was formed in Sacramento on April 21 to identify issues and build communication with Asian communities. Members include Sen. Alfred Song and Assemblymen Paul Bannai and S. Floyd Mori.
• MDC re-elects Lillian Kimura, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL Midwest District Council re-elected Lillian Kimura as district governor at its April 9-10 meeting in Milwaukee. The council also discussed a one-third budget cut to the Midwest office and efforts to retain its professional staff member.
• NIMH $10,000 grant underwrites JACL planning confab on Nisei retirement, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A $10,000 National Institute of Mental Health grant will fund a planning conference on retirement issues facing Nisei this fall. A final report is to be published in 1977.
• Philadelphia JACL at 1976 Folk Fair, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Philadelphia JACL participated in the 12th biennial Folk Fair with dancers, a cultural exhibit booth, a sales booth, and a food booth. The fair drew about 60,000 attendees.
• Alameda JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Alameda JACL continues its active role under president Hi Akagi, with a bowling league and plans for the winter season. The chapter also held a bicentennial event featuring exhibits and demonstrations of Japanese culture.
• Wah sr. citizen survey underway, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Salt Lake County division on aging began a survey of the Japanese American community, with about 300 Issei and Nisei over 60 identified. The survey covers housing, income, problems, and immediate needs.
• NC-WNDC’s 29th chapter formed in Tri-Valley, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Tri-Valley JACL held its first meeting in Livermore on April 30 to adopt its name and elect officers. It became the 101st chapter in National JACL and the 29th in the Northern California-Western Nevada District.
• Retirement and Nisei long history of Japanese pioneers, by Tom Fujimoto, page 3. Tom Fujimoto recounts the early Japanese immigrants who settled at the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Farm Colony and endured hardship. He honors their contributions as a foundation for later generations.

National

• $2 billion seen for evacuees, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A National JACL Reparations Campaign Committee meeting in Portland drafted a basic plan providing $5,000 per person plus $10 per day of confinement, estimated at $2 billion. Two amendments expanding eligibility and an alternative Columbia Basin plan will be considered at the Sacramento convention.

Incarceration & Redress

• Wendy Yoshimura trial date set for June 14, by Lee Ruttle, page 1. Judge Martin Pulich set June 14 as the trial date for Wendy Yoshimura after arguments from prosecution and defense over timing. He also denied a defense motion and ruled the FBI entries and searches legal.
• Reparations Program, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The editorial praises the reparations campaign committee’s proposed plans for evacuees, which will be considered at the Sacramento convention. It argues that redress for lost civil rights should continue regardless of the Evacuation Claims Act.

JACL

• Takasugi confirmed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Senate confirmed Robert M. Takasugi as US district judge for the central district of California. The confirmation was made in May.

Military & Veterans

• Two Books at $6.95 Each, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Reviews Vikings of the Far East by Kazuo Miyamoto and The Japanese Pirates by Budd Pukel, two books on Japanese pirates of the Wako era. The reviewer finds them engaging and commendable accounts.

Obituaries

• Pacific Citizen March Report and membership notes, by P.C. Staff, page 3. National Headquarters acknowledged new and renewing 1000 Club memberships in March, with a 1976 total of 1,012 active members. The report lists donors and chapter membership updates.

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