Vol. 83, No. 18, October 29, 1976. 4 pages. View this issue
A monument at the site of the Topaz camp was dedicated on October 9 in Delta, Utah, and the story opened this four-page issue. About 200 Japanese Americans and local citizens gathered for the $10,000 memorial, and speakers including Yasue Abiko recalled the hardships of forced removal and the part played by the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Also on the front page, the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency agreed to give a 2.7-acre parcel in Little Tokyo to the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, with construction set to begin in March 1977.
The opinion pages carry Bill Marutani on showing affection in a restrained way, Sachi Seko on her love of houseplants, and an editorial on Dr. S.I. Hayakawa’s remarks about the wartime Evacuation. News briefs cover Sonoma County JACL’s Nisei GI Memorial Service, Dr. Mel Takaki’s run for Congress, and a government task force’s call for resident alien status for 138,000 Indochinese refugees.
What’s in this issue
Military & Veterans
- Monument at Topaz dedicated, by P.C. Staff, page 1. About 200 Japanese Americans and local citizens gathered at the Topaz relocation camp site in Delta, Utah, on October 9 to dedicate a $10,000 monument. Speakers including Yasue Abiko recalled the hardships of forced evacuation and the contributions of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
- Nisei GI memorial survives in Sonoma County, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sonoma County JACL will hold its 28th annual Nisei GI Memorial Service honoring 668 Nisei killed in World War II. The chapter is the only one among the national organization’s chapters that continues this annual observance.
- Angelenas recognizes new Asian American volunteers, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Mayor Tom Bradley welcomed ten new Asian American members into the Las Angelenas volunteer corps. The members will serve as official hostesses and conduct tours for the city.
Incarceration & Redress
- CRA to turn over 2.7-acre site for cultural community center, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency signed an agreement giving the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center a 2.7-acre parcel in Little Tokyo for a five-story office, theater, and gymnasium complex. Construction is scheduled to begin in March 1977 with occupancy expected in March 1978.
Community
- Memorial book for ill-fated ship due, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Yaizu city in Shizuoka, Japan, will publish a memorial book marking the 22nd anniversary of the Fukuryu Maru No. 5 fishing ship’s exposure to radioactive fallout from a 1954 U.S. nuclear test at Bikini Atoll. The book will include about 200 photos, many previously unpublished.
- JACL president in need of blood, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Kazuo Mayemura, president of the San Gabriel Valley JACL, is seriously ill and in need of blood donations. A Red Cross blood drive has been arranged at the East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center.
- Coro Foundation trainee Amy Tamaki Doi, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Amy Tamaki Doi, Sequoia JACL vice president, was selected as one of ten Northern California women in the Coro Foundation public affairs program. She is the first Japanese American woman chosen as a Coro intern.
- Koyasan Troop 379 to observe 45th year, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Koyasan Troop 379 will celebrate its 45th anniversary with a reunion on November 7 at Koyasan Hall in Los Angeles. Dr. Paul I. Terasaki, a former troop scout, will be guest speaker.
National
- U.S. Embassy regrets re-enactment of A-bomb, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo expressed regret to the Japanese government after an air show in Harlingen, Texas re-enacted the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Protests followed from Hiroshima and Nagasaki city governments.
- Human rights incorporated as test in U.S. aid, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Congress requested State Department reports on human rights conditions in 19 countries, including South Korea, Indonesia, and the Philippines, under a new foreign assistance law. The law bars security assistance to countries with a consistent pattern of gross human rights violations.
- Ford meets with ethnic leaders, Chinese American lone Asian, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Kung Lee Wang, president of the Organization of Chinese Americans, was the only Asian American at a October 14 meeting with President Ford. He raised issues including designating Asian Americans as a distinct minority and bilingual job training.
- State Sen. Song backs Prop. 14, by P.C. Staff, page 1. California State Senator Alfred H. Song endorsed the farmworkers initiative Proposition 14 on the November ballot. He cited a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision and misrepresentations by opponents in their advertising.
Commentary
- Sansei runs for Congress, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Mel Takaki, mayor of Pueblo, Colorado, is running as a Republican for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District against incumbent Frank Evans. If elected he would be the first Sansei congressman.
- Resident alien status proposed for 138,000 Indochinese refugees, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A government task force recommended Congress grant resident alien status to 138,000 Indochinese refugees to avoid a decades-long wait for citizenship. The report also found refugee employment and welfare trends improving.
- Early Junk and Plant Passion, by Sachi Seko, page 2. Seko humorously describes how a passion for houseplants gradually took over her home, displacing furniture and her husband’s sense of order. The column is a light-hearted take on domestic life.
- Style and Eloquence, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The editorial reflects on presidential candidates’ qualities and critiques Dr. S.I. Hayakawa’s remarks defending the wartime Evacuation. It argues the Evacuation was a grave injustice despite arguments that it was necessary.
- Shibui vs. Demonstrativeness, by Bill Marutani, page 3. Marutani reflects on his restrained, understated style of showing affection to his wife compared with television-style demonstrativeness. He contrasts this with his Issei parents’ reserved manner toward their children.
- Chapter finance committee eases workload of treasurer, by Tom Shimizu, page 3. The Contra Costa JACL Finance Committee was formed in 1974 to relieve the treasurer and manage the chapter’s funds. It oversees savings accounts and time certificates for scholarships, travel, and general operations.
Arts & Entertainment
- Wendy etching hangs in IRS office, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Wendy Yoshimura’s etching Fire of Strength was purchased by the General Services Administration for a federal building in Santa Ana, though not for the reported $5,000. Proceeds from prints sold at $30 go toward her trial defense expenses.
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