Jerry Enomoto on the death penalty, and Nisei retirement

Vol. 84, No. 6, February 18, 1977. 12 pages. View this issue

Jerry Enomoto, director of the State Department of Corrections, spoke plainly at the Placer County JACL installation dinner about his opposition to the death penalty and his duty to uphold the law. Roy Yoshida reported the talk on the front page. Eira Nagaoka covered a Seattle conference where about 240 people discussed how many Nisei could not afford to retire at 65. Glenn Omatsu reported that San Francisco intermarriage rates rose to about 66% in 1976.

Elsewhere, the paper followed the pardon of Iva Toguri: an editorial on the committee that disbanded, a Chicago luncheon planned in her honor, and Bill Hosokawa on how Senator S.I. Hayakawa helped persuade President Ford. Wayne Horiuchi outlined the JACL Washington Office legislative agenda, and Bill Marutani asked for an open process to choose the next national director. The issue also announced a new Lodi chapter and a Reparations forum in Ogden.

What’s in this issue

National

• Prison system chief tells it like it is, by BY ROY YOSHIDA, page 1. Jerry Enomoto, director of the State Department of Corrections, spoke at the Placer County JACL installation dinner about his opposition to the death penalty and his duty to administer it as the law requires. He also described the department’s difficult job running prisons and the challenges of its visibility and its hiring practices.

Community

• 50% of Nisei can’t afford to retire at 65, by By EIRA NAGAOKA, page 1. About 240 people attended the Pacific Northwest Conference on Nisei Retirement sponsored by Seattle JACL. Speakers addressed financial, spiritual, family, and psychological concerns facing aging Nisei.
• Japanese & non-Japanese marriages rising, by Glenn Omatsu, page 1. San Francisco intermarriage rates rose to about 66% in 1976, according to an analysis of marriage license statistics by Hokubei Mainichi. The reporter notes that marriages between two Japanese-ancestry partners have become the exception rather than the rule.
• Ethnic studies prof fights for tenure at UC Davis, by DR. RICHARD IKEDA, page 1. Dr. George Kagiwada, director of Asian American Studies at UC Davis, asked the Sacramento JACL for support in his fight for tenure. He argued that community action programs should be recognized as legitimate academic work.
• Reparations forum scheduled in Ogden, page 1. The Wasatch Front North JACL announced a Feb. 22 public forum in Ogden on Japanese American reparations to gather community input. Several speakers are scheduled, with Intermountain District Governor Gerry Mukai chairing.
• Mission Accomplished, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The JACL Committee for Iva Toguri disbanded after President Ford pardoned her and restored her citizenship. The editorial notes a remaining $1,500 deficit and asks readers to send donations to JACL Headquarters.
• JACL credit union to declare dividends quarterly from 1977, page 6. The National JACL Credit Union announced nearly $146,000 in member dividends for the past year. The board authorized quarterly dividends beginning in 1977 and enhanced life protection coverage for members.
• LODI JACL: Northern Cal’s fourth new chapter in 2 years formed, page 7. The Lodi JACL chapter was formed in February 1977 after years of effort by Dr. Harry Hatasaka, with 58 charter petitioners. The new chapter is the fourth added to the Northern California-Western Nevada district in two years.
• Whale issue still facing JACL, by NAOMI YAMAMOTO, page 7. Dr. Clifford Uyeda addressed the Cortez JACL installation dinner about the whaling controversy and its effect on Japan-U.S. relations. He warned that racist boycott campaigns targeting Japanese products are unjust to Japanese Americans.
• Terrible subject becomes constant reminder, by BARBARA MAHONEY, page 8. An Indianapolis artist writes to Michi Weglyn about reading Years of Infamy and recounts her childhood memories of her Nisei classmates being forcibly removed during the war. She reflects on how the internment remains a constant reminder of American injustice.
• Two books featured to assist Reparations campaign, page 8. The Columbia Basin JACL donated copies of Years of Infamy and The Bamboo People to libraries and schools in central Washington as part of a Bicentennial book project. The initiative aims to educate new generations about the wartime evacuation.
• Afternoon luncheon with Iva set Mar. 13, page 9. The Chicago JACL is organizing a March 13 luncheon to honor Iva Toguri following her presidential pardon. The event will give the community a chance to celebrate her pardon and thank supporters.

Commentary

• Who is Randy Chin?, by RANDY CHIN, page 2. Randy Chin, a chemical engineering student at UC Berkeley, introduces himself as the new National Youth Coordinating Council chairman. He describes his JACL involvement and his goals for keeping the JAYs organization strong.
• Derogatory Terms, by KOJIMA, page 4. A letter writer argues that the term ‘Jap’ is offensive to Asian Americans, comparing it to other ethnic slurs used as verbs. The writer asks readers to show the same sensitivity toward Japanese Americans that they show toward other groups.
• Nisei in Japan: Recent Impressions, by Barry Saiki, page 4. Barry Saiki reflects on observations from a recent visit to the United States, including the diversification of Nikkei occupations, dispersal of younger generations, and rising intermarriage. He questions whether JACL will remain necessary as assimilation progresses.
• East Wind: A Member’s Voice, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Bill Marutani calls for an open and transparent selection process for the JACL National Director position. He poses specific questions about the selection committee, candidates, and procedures that members are entitled to know.
• From the Frying Pan: The Hayakawa Connection, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa explains how Senator S.I. Hayakawa, despite his controversial reputation among some Japanese Americans, played a key role in persuading President Ford to pardon Iva Toguri. He credits the broad grassroots campaign led by Dr. Clifford Uyeda.
• Plain Speaking: Legislation for 1977-78, by Wayne Horiuchi, page 5. Wayne Horiuchi outlines the JACL Washington Office legislative agenda for the year. Priorities include civil service retirement credit for internees, extension of the Rice Production Act, atomic bomb survivor compensation, census accuracy, and reparations.
• It Happened in Mankato, by Sam Honda, page 9. Sam Honda describes a Minnesota bill that would have restricted foreign ownership of farmland, which he sees as thinly veiled anti-Japanese sentiment. He argues JACL must remain vigilant against racism even in states with a good reputation.
• An Open Letter to President Carter, by The Midwest District Council, page 9. The Midwest District Council urges President Carter to appoint Mike Masaoka as U.S. Ambassador to Japan. The letter cites Masaoka’s experience, language ability, and cultural understanding as qualifications.
• For Today & Tomorrow: Myth of a Generation Gap, by Jon Inouye, page 10. Jon Inouye argues that the so-called generation gap is largely a social cliché that obstructs communication between young and old. He contends that people should be judged by their actions rather than their age.
• In Pro Per: The Other Roots, by Masamune Kojima, page 11. Masamune Kojima reviews the 1971 UCLA anthology Roots: An Asian American Reader, which predates Alex Haley’s work. He praises its focus on Asian American identity while critiquing subtle racism within its pages.

Military & Veterans

• Utah Japanese: survival in hard times, page 2. Masa Ono recalls how her family was dismissed from railroad work and made homeless after Pearl Harbor in Wyoming. The story also profiles Ike and Jun Kawaguchi, who sheltered and assisted Japanese Americans in Utah during the war.

Sports

• The Comeback: JACL Bowlers, by CHIZ SATOW, page 4. Chiz Satow discusses the history of the National JACL Bowling Tournament and its transition to the JANBA sponsorship after JACL withdrew in 1974. He supports reviving the tournament under JACL as a tribute to Mas Satow.

Obituaries

• Mr. JACL Credit Union, by Sachi Seko, page 5. Sachi Seko profiles Hito Okada, former treasurer-manager of the National JACL Credit Union, after a visit with him at home. Despite Parkinson’s disease, Okada remains active and reflects on his decades of service to Japanese Americans.

Arts & Entertainment

• And the Soul Shall Dance, page 11. East West Players will premiere Wakako Yamauchi’s play And the Soul Shall Dance, directed by Mako, about two immigrant Japanese families during the Depression. Performances are scheduled for February 23-24 in Los Angeles.

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