Vol. 83, No. 11, September 10, 1976. 4 pages. View this issue
The Senate passed, by voice vote, a bill ending the national state of emergency and repealing obsolete statutes, including Section 1383, the law cited to justify the forced removal of Japanese Americans in World War II. Wayne Horiuchi explained the National Emergencies Act in a column, and Bill Hosokawa reflected on the Denver memorial to Colorado Gov. Ralph Carr. The Veterans of Foreign Wars also called for reparations, and the National Iva Toguri Committee pursued a presidential pardon for Iva Toguri d’Aquino.
Elsewhere in these four pages, Harry Honda reviewed the musical Pacific Overtures, and Edison Uno questioned the pressure on Japanese American children to finish college. A piece recalled arranging Jimmy Carter’s May 1975 visit to Japan. Frank Chuman’s The Bamboo People had sold out its first printing of 5,000 copies, and Rea Midori Tajiri showed her first one-man exhibit in Los Angeles.
What’s in this issue
National
- Bill to Repeal Emergency Powers and Evacuation Law Passes Senate, page 1. The Senate passed by voice vote a bill ending the state of national emergency and repealing obsolete statutes, including Section 1383 that justified the Japanese American evacuation. The bill now returns to the House for concurrence on technical amendments before going to the President.
Commentary
- A Nisei in Japan: Jimmy Carter’s Visit, page 1. The author recounts arranging a May 1975 Japan visit by Jimmy Carter, then a Georgia governor, and the press interviews that followed. The piece describes Carter as soft-spoken and focused on trade and energy ties between the United States and Japan.
- Minority of One: College?, by Edison Uno, page 2. Edison Uno, an instructor at San Francisco State, questions the traditional pressure on Japanese American children to pursue college degrees. He suggests that some students may benefit from dropping out temporarily and gaining work experience first.
- Biennium Afterthoughts, page 2. A JACL member recounts attending the biennium convention in Sacramento, including caucuses, nominations, and elections. The writer thanks the Sacramento chapter hosts and encourages others to attend the next National Convention.
- Pacific Overtures Impressive, by Harry Honda, page 3. Harry Honda reviews the musical Pacific Overtures staged at the Music Center, praising its staging, music, and Kabuki-influenced production. He also recounts the history of Commodore Perry’s 1853 arrival in Japan and the role of Manjiro.
- National Emergencies Act, by Wayne Horiuchi, page 3. Wayne Horiuchi explains that the National Emergencies Act repeals Section 1383, the law used to justify the evacuation and internment of Japanese Americans. He notes the irony that Executive Order 9066 predated the statute meant to legalize it.
JACL
- Committee for Iva Toguri, page 1. The National Iva Toguri Committee discussed expenses and a fundraising campaign while pursuing a presidential pardon for Iva Toguri d’Aquino. Petitions of support from Honolulu, Los Angeles, and Congresswoman Yvonne Burke were reported, and Toguri thanked the committee in San Francisco.
Community
- Congress Passes Bill to Aid Flood Victims, page 1. Congress completed action to compensate victims of the June 5 Teton Dam collapse, sending the measure to President Ford. The bill allows early partial payments and authorizes funds beyond the $200 million appropriated if needed.
- Misaka Calls for More National Programs at Local, District Level, by Ted Matsushima, page 1. National JACL Vice President Tats Misaka urged that more national programs operate at the chapter and district level. He spoke at the Intermountain District Council summer session in Ogden, which also discussed disaster relief for Teton Dam victims.
- City Treasurer Explains Gardena’s Borrowing to Stay Solvent, page 1. Gardena city treasurer George Kobayashi explained the council’s vote to borrow $900,000 at 3.5 percent from Bank of America to cover cash shortfalls. He said part of the funds could be invested to earn more interest than the loan costs.
Incarceration & Redress
- Congress Repeals Evacuation Law, page 1. The repeal of Section 1383 ends the legal basis cited for the World War II evacuation and internment of Japanese Americans. The measure is part of a broader bill terminating outdated emergency statutes.
- VFW Urges Reparations, page 1. The Veterans of Foreign Wars national convention called for compensation for Japanese Americans evacuated in 1942, the first national organization to back reparations. The resolution, sparked by the Okinawa VFW post, calls for a lump sum payment, a daily award, and funding from revenue sharing.
- Evacuees Perpetuate Gov. Carr Memory with Denver Statue, page 1. About 200 people dedicated a bronze statue in Denver’s Sakura Square honoring Colorado Gov. Ralph Carr, who defended Japanese American civil rights during World War II. Speakers included Dillon Myer, Japanese Ambassador Fumihiko Togo, and Bill Hosokawa.
- The Carr Memorial: Gratitude and Reflection, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Bill Hosokawa reflects on Colorado Gov. Ralph Carr’s political courage in defending Japanese Americans and on the Denver memorial dedication. He notes that the younger generation was largely absent from the ceremony.
Arts & Entertainment
- ‘Bamboo People’ Completely Sold, page 1. Frank Chuman’s legislative-legal history of Japanese Americans, The Bamboo People, sold out its first printing of 5,000 copies and is in a second printing. JACL-JARP is taking mail orders for the book.
- Rea Midori Tajiri Exhibits Embossings and Collages, page 3. Young Sansei artist Rea Midori Tajiri, age 18, has her first one-man show of embossings and collages at Gallery Plus in Los Angeles through Sept. 30. The show continues a family tradition of artists including her uncle Shinkichi Tajiri.
Military & Veterans
- Kinmon Gakuen Ousts Nisei VFW Post Headquarters, page 1. The Military Intelligence Service Association of Northern California criticized the eviction of Golden Gate Nisei Memorial VFW Post 9879 from Kinmon Gakuen after 25 years. The MIS group called the action unconscionable, shabby and disgraceful.
- Ensign Spencer Nakaguma Among Few Japanese American Naval Officers, page 3. Ensign Spencer Nakaguma, one of two Japanese American Annapolis graduates in June, is recruiting for the Navy in Oakland. He encourages interested students to consider NROTC and Naval Academy scholarships to help increase minority officer representation.
- Wilson Makabe Directs White House Conference on the Handicapped for Nevada, page 3. Gov. Mike O’Callaghan appointed Wilson Makabe, a disabled 442nd veteran and retired VA prosthetic services chief, to direct the northern Nevada conference. Makabe will hold the conference at the Sparks Nugget Convention Center on Oct. 22 and 23.
Obituaries
- May Shiga Hornback, Nursing Education Authority, Dies, page 4. May Shiga Hornback, a University of Wisconsin professor and nationally known authority in nursing education, died of cancer on July 6 at age 52. She had pioneered videotaped nursing education and chaired the national accreditation board of the American Nurses Association.
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