Vol. 82, No. 25, June 25, 1976. 4 pages. View this issue
Senator Mike Mansfield of Montana, the Senate Majority Leader, was named to receive the fourth Mike M. Masaoka Distinguished Public Service Award, and much of this four-page issue looked ahead to the JACL convention in Sacramento. Nominees were announced for the Japanese American of the Biennium award, the JACLer medallion and the Sakada Memorial and Inagaki chapter awards. Bill Hosokawa’s column weighed the tough decisions facing the organization, including budget questions and how to define reparations.
Other front-page news covered a pardon campaign for Iva Toguri, S.I. Hayakawa’s first-place finish in the California Republican Senate primary, and plans for a tribute to Japanese American war dead at Arlington National Cemetery. Barry Saiki reported on the Lockheed affair in Japan. Columns by Sachi Seko and Helen Kawagoe appeared on page 2, and the Wendy Yoshimura Fair Trial Fund posted its balance.
What’s in this issue
National
- Montana’s Mike Mansfield Selected for Leadership to Nikkei Concerns, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield was chosen to receive the fourth Mike M. Masaoka Distinguished Public Service Award for his decades of leadership on civil rights and Japan-related legislation. The article details his role in landmark laws affecting Japanese Americans and US-Japan relations.
- Lockheed Affair: Immunity a Mousetrap?, by Barry Saiki, page 1. Japanese Diet testimony in the Lockheed scandal revealed a 1969 All Nippon Airways contract arranged through Mitsui, and Japan’s willingness to grant immunity to Lockheed executives. The article raises questions about who initiated under-the-table payments.
Incarceration & Redress
- Iva Toguri Pardon Campaign Gains Support, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL committee reported press support and organizational endorsements for a presidential pardon for Iva Toguri, the convicted ‘Tokyo Rose.’ A White House reply said her petition would be considered once submitted.
Community
- Big Hayakawa Win in Calif. GOP Primary Surprises, by P.C. Staff, page 1. S.I. Hayakawa, a member of the Marin County JACL, placed first in the California Republican Senate primary, outpolling President Ford in the state. The article notes his controversial views on the WWII Evacuation and his historic candidacy.
- Staff Artist Returns to Seabrook, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Karen Takata, PC volunteer artist who sketched the Wendy Yoshimura pre-trial hearings, returned to New Jersey for the summer. She will hold a one-woman show in Bridgeton and take part in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
- Intermountain District Airs National Council Agenda, by Yuki Harada, page 1. Intermountain District Council delegates met in Ontario, Oregon to prepare for the National Council meeting, discussing reparations committee appointments and a national director search. They also installed new youth council officers.
- Six Named for JACLer Medallion, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Six candidates were considered for the Biennium JACL medallion at the Sacramento convention. The nominees represented chapters and districts from across the country.
- HEW Asian American Affairs Director Explains Office at UC Davis Asian Day, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Juanita Tamayo Lott, acting director of HEW’s Office of Asian American Affairs, spoke at UC Davis Asian Day on broadening Asian community outlooks. Panelists also addressed affirmative action and bureaucratic exclusion strategies.
- Wendy Fair Trial Fund Balance Low, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Wendy Yoshimura Fair Trial Fund reported $19,630.49 in contributions since October with $2,984.90 remaining. Most disbursements went to pre-trial expenses and media advertising.
Military & Veterans
- Nisei Veterans Plan Mass Tribute to Buddies at Arlington, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Memorial services for Japanese American Honored Dead will be held at Arlington National Cemetery on July 27 with speakers including Gen. Jacob Devers and Sen. Daniel Inouye. The event follows the national Japanese American Veterans reunion in Chicago.
- VFW Dept. in Pacific Supports Reparation, by Alex Yoshioka, page 1. The Japan-based VFW post’s resolutions supporting reparations and the Mineta civil service retirement credit bill were approved at the VFW Pacific department convention in Taiwan. They will go before the national VFW convention in New York.
JACL
- Biennium Candidates Announced, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Nominations Committee at the JACL Convention in Sacramento presented a slate of candidates for national offices for 1976-78. The presidency-elect office is being terminated after this convention.
- Seven Up for JACL’s Most Prestigious ‘Japanese American of the Biennium’ Award, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Seven nominees were announced for the Japanese American of the Biennium award, to be presented at the JACL Convention. Candidates include state officials, scholars, and an author of Years of Infamy.
- Six Candidates Named for Sakada Memorial and Inagaki Awards, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL chapter nominees were announced for the Sakada Memorial and Inagaki chapter awards at the national convention. The article lists candidates and recognized programs.
- Tough Issues and Decisions, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Bill Hosokawa previews the upcoming JACL Biennium Convention, highlighting the controversial record of Executive Director David Ushio, budget and cash-flow questions, and the need to define reparations. He argues tough decisions lie ahead for the organization.
Commentary
- From Happy Valley To the June Brides, by Sachi Seko, page 2. Sachi Seko reflects on her twenty-five-year marriage, arguing that separate travels by her husband have helped their relationship. She offers advice to new brides to encourage independence within marriage.
- From Happy Valley and 25 Years Ago, by Helen Kawagoe, page 2. A grandfather recounts a day at the zoo with two young grandchildren, reflecting on their outings and the humor of the day. The column also includes a reprinted 1951 anecdote.
- Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa’s column explores the Issei and Nisei approach to education and the historical roots of the Nikkei emphasis on learning. He compares this to other immigrant groups’ experiences.
Obituaries
- Mitsuo Fuchida, Pearl Harbor Attack Leader, Dies, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Mitsuo Fuchida, who led the Japanese air attack on Pearl Harbor, died May 30 in Japan at age 73. After the war he became a Christian missionary promoting peace.
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