JACL’s 1974-76 biennium: human rights, Executive Order 9066 ended

Vol. 82, No. 23, June 11, 1976. 6 pages. View this issue

JACL’s record of the 1974-76 biennium filled this six-page issue. A front-page overview covered the U.S.-Japan Friendship Act, stateless children of Japanese mothers and American fathers, and the Vietnamese orphan airlift. President Ford’s February 19, 1976 proclamation ending Executive Order 9066 was reported in two stories, and the proclamation itself was printed on page 4. Shig Sugiyama looked back on his term as national president, and David Ushio, who announced his resignation, answered questions in an interview with the National Director.

Support for a presidential pardon for Iva Toguri d’Aquino grew across three stories, including a resolution introduced by Assemblyman S. Floyd Mori. Other pages reported membership of 28,948, the trial of Wendy Yoshimura postponed to October 18, and a planned Asian center in Seattle. Bill Hosokawa wrote about the Seattle Taiyos, and Wayne Horiuchi reported on Washington. Connie Chung and Clarence Mitchell Jr. were announced as convention speakers.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• Human Rights—Key Issues, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL’s national program on human rights covers the U.S.-Japan Friendship Act, the stateless children issue, opposition to the Vietnam War, and the Vietnamese orphan airlift. The article also reports on Ushio’s Japan visit, the Rice Act, internment redress efforts, and other national advocacy.
• JACL Story Told Many Ways, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL’s biennium saw growing national recognition through media coverage, Bicentennial programs, and legislative successes. The article uses a parable of a farmer’s changed fortune to illustrate the value of sustained, disciplined work.
• National Dialogue: David Ushio Interview with the National Director, by P.C. Staff, page 2. National Executive Director David Ushio, who announced his resignation effective September 30, 1976, answers questions about his outspoken public posture, youth programs, and the controversy surrounding his administration. He defends his advocacy and says JACL has gained national credibility.
• To the Point: Shig Sugiyama ’74-76 Biennium in Retrospect, by Shig Sugiyama, page 2. JACL National President Shig Sugiyama reflects on a difficult biennium marked by internal conflict, while highlighting achievements such as the Cultural Heritage Fellowship, the PCYA program, and the new headquarters. He argues that JACL’s public standing has grown despite internal turmoil.
• Membership Reaches New High, by P.C. Staff, page 3. JACL membership reached 28,948 at the end of 1975, a net increase of 135 members over 1974. Six new chapters were added, bringing the total past 100.

Incarceration & Redress

• Executive Order 9066 Terminated, by P.C. Staff, page 1. President Ford formally rescinded Executive Order 9066 in a February 19, 1976 proclamation, acknowledging that the wartime evacuation was an error. JACL leaders accepted the proclamation, which was welcomed as an important official acknowledgment.
• Iva Toguri Support Grows, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Support is growing for a presidential pardon for Iva Toguri d’Aquino, convicted as ‘Tokyo Rose,’ after key prosecution witnesses admitted coercion. Officials including Attorney General Evelle Younger and San Francisco Supervisor Quentin Kopp have backed the pardon.
• Momentum for Iva’s Pardon Builds, by P.C. Staff, page 3. California Attorney General Evelle Younger wrote to President Ford urging a presidential pardon for Iva Toguri d’Aquino, citing recent evidence that casts doubt on her conviction. National JACL director David Ushio praised the action as historically significant.
• An American Promise, by Gerald R. Ford, page 4. President Ford’s February 19, 1976 proclamation formally terminated Executive Order 9066 and acknowledged that the wartime evacuation of Japanese Americans was wrong. It affirms that Japanese Americans were and are loyal Americans.

Community

• Headquarters Dedicated, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The first JACL National Headquarters building in San Francisco was dedicated to the Issei on July 20, 1975. The building fund campaign was the largest fund-raising effort in JACL’s history.
• Mori Spearheads Assembly Support for Iva Toguri Pardon, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Assemblyman S. Floyd Mori introduced a resolution asking President Ford to pardon Iva Toguri d’Aquino, with 54 co-authors. The Assembly criminal procedure committee recommended adoption of the resolution.
• Wendy Yoshimura Trial Date Postponed 4 Months to Oct. 18, by Lee Ruttle, page 3. The trial of Wendy Yoshimura was postponed from June 14 to October 18 after the defense objected to prosecution plans to call Patty Hearst as a witness. Judge Martin Pulich granted the four-month continuance.
• $385,000 Asian Center Planned, by Eira Nagaoka, page 4. The Chinatown-International District Preservation and Development Authority in Seattle is seeking property for an Asian community center, backed by $385,000 in city and federal grants. The center is separate from other proposed Japanese community facilities in Seattle.
• Speakers Announced for JACL Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Connie Chung of CBS News and NAACP Washington Bureau director Clarence Mitchell Jr. were announced as banquet speakers for the JACL Biennial Convention in Sacramento. Chung will speak at the Sayonara Banquet and Mitchell at the Bicentennial Banquet.
• Low Cost Travel Offered, by P.C. Staff, page 5. JACL’s travel program, started in 1974, offers members flights to Japan at about half the excursion round-trip rate. Around 1,200 members participated in 1975, and more were expected in 1976.

Commentary

• JACL Unity, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The editorial argues that a human rights organization must agree on its priorities before presenting them to decision makers, comparing this to teammates in a relay race. It urges members to debate methods without losing sight of the shared goal.

Military & Veterans

• The Seattle Taiyos, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa recalls the Seattle Taiyos and the Nippon Athletic Club rivalry of the late 1920s and 1930s, and how Jimmie Sakamoto helped end it and establish community athletic leagues. He also previews a Taiyos Golden Jubilee reunion planned for the JACL Convention week.

National

• Activities on The Hill, by Wayne Horiuchi, page 5. Washington representative Wayne Horiuchi reports on congressional activity, including hearings on the census undercount of Asian Americans, civil service credit for internment time, the Conable lobbying bill, and education desegregation amendments. He notes these items may affect JACL members.

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