Wendy Yoshimura’s trial, and the loss of Edison Uno

Vol. 84, No. 1, January 7, 1977. 12 pages. View this issue

The Wendy Yoshimura trial and the death of Edison Uno shared the front page of this 12-page issue. Court scenes by Carol Yoshimoto accompanied the report that the defense had rested after several stormy days, with Yoshimura herself taking the stand. Lee Ruttle wrote that Uno, a longtime civil rights activist who worked for Japanese American redress, died on Christmas Eve at age 47. National JACL President Jim Murakami paid tribute, and his January report set out Uno’s twenty suggestions for the reparations campaign. Ernie Uno wrote the final Minority of One column for his late brother.

Elsewhere, a new Office of Asian and Pacific American Concerns opened in the U.S. Office of Education, and a Gardena library was named for the late Mas Satow. Readers wrote in about the Yoshimura trial, and Bill Hosokawa and Sachi Seko offered columns on the paper’s readers and on JACL’s volunteers.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Trial nears end, defense calls Wendy, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Wendy Yoshimura trial on weapons and explosives charges neared its end as the defense rested its case after several days of stormy proceedings. Wendy took the stand and testified about her background, her relationship with Willie Brandt, and her experiences in the camps and Japan.
• New L.A. county library named for Mas Satow, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Gardena Library under construction in Los Angeles County was named the Masao W. Satow County Library in honor of the late JACL national director. The Board of Supervisors adopted the motion unanimously on Supervisor Kenneth Hahn’s request.
• Satow Bowling Tourney set for June 29, by P.C. Staff, page 7. National JACL will hold the first annual Mas Satow Memorial Handicap Bowling Tournament June 29 through July 3 at Japantown Bowl in San Francisco. Proceeds will go to the Mas Satow Memorial Fund.
• Nat’l Youth Director Appointed, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Richard Okabe was appointed interim National Youth Director on a half-time basis in December. The appointment was announced by acting national director Don Hayashi.
• Seattle calls confab on Nisei retirement, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Seattle JACL will host a Pacific Northwest conference on Nisei retirement on January 22 at NVC Hall. Speakers will address gerontology, mental health, geriatrics, and related issues facing Nisei retirees.
• Groundbreaking for Japanese park, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Groundbreaking was held Nov. 14 for a future Japanese park across the street from the Buddhist temple in Grout. Some $200,000 has been pledged to convert the former playfield.

Obituaries

• Edison will be missed, by Lee Ruttle, page 1. Edison T. Uno, a longtime activist for civil rights and Japanese American redress, died on Christmas Eve at age 47 after a stroke following heart surgery. He was remembered for his decades of advocacy, his role in repealing Title II of the Internal Security Act, and his leadership in JACL’s reparations effort.
• Edison Uno remembered as the conscience of Japanese Americans, by P.C. Staff, page 2. National JACL President James Murakami paid tribute to Edison Uno as an advocate who stood for the highest ideals and was years ahead of his time. Murakami noted Uno’s role as co-chair of the JACL Committee on Reparations at the time of his death.
• Edison Uno will be missed (continued), by P.C. Staff, page 9. Continuing from the front page, the article notes the tributes from National JACL and other community figures. Speakers including Michi Weglyn and Dr. Benjamin Tong remembered Uno’s courage, vision, and advocacy.

National

• Office of Education adds new unit to help Asian and Pacific Americans, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The U.S. Office of Education announced the creation of an Office of Asian and Pacific American Concerns to advocate for education programs and monitor equal opportunity for Asian and Pacific Americans. Rep. Patsy Mink spoke at a reception welcoming the new office.

Commentary

• President Jim’s January Report: A legacy: 20 Suggestions for Reparations, by Jim Murakami, page 2. JACL President Jim Murakami reflects on Edison Uno’s contributions and outlines the twenty suggestions Uno proposed for the JACL reparations campaign. The plan covers priorities, a timetable for the March 1977 National Board meeting, legislation, public relations, and coalition building.
• Change of Emphasis, by The National PACIFIC CITIZEN Board, page 4. The Pacific Citizen announces a shift in editorial policy toward a national newspaper for Japanese Americans that emphasizes news and features of interest to the community. A monthly four-page supplement of work by Japanese American writers and artists is also planned.
• Looking Ahead to 1977, by Jim Murakami, page 4. JACL President Jim Murakami previews 1977 priorities, including the search for an executive director, reparations, and a pardon for Iva Toguri. He also welcomes new staff members and notes the importance of chapter installation events.
• Yoshimura Trial, by Lee Ruttle, page 4. Lee Ruttle responds to a letter by Carol J. Suzuki, arguing that support for Wendy Yoshimura came from across the community to ensure a fair trial. He explains that the purpose of the fair trial committee is due process, adequate defense funds, accurate media coverage, and an impartial jury.
• Yoshimura Trial letter from Lloyd K. Wake, by Lloyd K. Wake, page 4. Rev. Lloyd K. Wake, chairperson of the Wendy Yoshimura Fair Trial Committee of Northern California, defends the committee’s purpose and the right of every American to a fair trial. He argues that judgment should rest with the jury rather than with commentators.
• Holiday Issue, by Naomi Kashiwabara, page 4. Reader Naomi Kashiwabara praises the Holiday Issue as readable and interesting. She singles out Don Estes’s article on early Japanese fishermen and notes the decline of abalone in San Diego waters.
• Religious Broadcast, by Mack Yamaguchi, page 4. Mack Yamaguchi urges readers to oppose Madelyn Murray O’Hair’s FCC petition seeking to end religious broadcasting. He argues that Sunday worship broadcasts meet the needs of elderly people and shut-ins.
• Derogatory Terms, by Yoki Akaki, page 4. Yoki Akaki criticizes columnist Bill Hosokawa for using the term Japlish, which Akaki says connotes acceptance of the pejorative Jap. Akaki argues the term should have been challenged editorially.
• Pacific Overtures, by Ruth Schneidman, page 4. Ruth Schneidman defends the musical Pacific Overtures against a critic’s charge of racist vaudeville. She argues the work did not buffoon Asians and criticizes the critic’s use of racial labels.
• Epilogue: Job Vacancy, by Ernie Uno, page 4. Ernie Uno writes the final Minority of One column on behalf of his late brother Edison, presenting the social gadfly role as a job vacancy. The piece honors Edison’s persistent advocacy against injustice to minorities.
• The People Who Read PC, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa imagines how an outsider would perceive Pacific Citizen readers from its Holiday Issue. He observes their prosperity, political influence, design sensibility, preoccupation with the Evacuation, and lack of humor in print.
• A special office on Asians, by Wayne Horiuchi, page 5. Wayne Horiuchi explains the significance of the new Office of Asian and Pacific American Concerns in the U.S. Office of Education. He describes how it provides access, technical assistance, advocacy, and sensitivity to Asian American education needs.
• Volunteer Power, Unltd., by Sachi Seko, page 5. Sachi Seko reflects on the JACL of the 1970s, criticizing internal power struggles and the pursuit of outside grant funding. She argues that volunteer power, as championed by Mas Satow, is JACL’s enduring strength.

Military & Veterans

• Bicentennial Awards told, by P.C. Staff, page 9. The Fidelity Mutual Bank of Spokane awarded $200,000 in Bicentennial scholarships to 212 outstanding students in the state. At least nine Nikkei college students were among the winners.

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