Iva Toguri’s pardon, reparations debate and a Washington chapter installation

Vol. 84, No. 9, March 11, 1977. 8 pages. View this issue

The pardon of Iva Toguri d’Aquino ran through the front page of this eight-page issue. TV anchorman Bill Kurtis, who had backed her case since 1968, was thanked after the January 19 pardon. Dr. Bertram S. Brown of the National Institute of Mental Health spoke at the Washington, D.C. JACL installation, where he also took up the reparations campaign. Inside, Ted Matsushima reported that some Intermountain JACL members had strong reservations about that campaign, and Nobu Nakajima wrote in support of it.

Elsewhere, Frank Chin answered a column about Roots, and Bill Hosokawa remembered Ross Wilbur, who ran the Friends hostel in Des Moines for Nisei relocatees. Jon Inouye reviewed Wakako Yamauchi’s play And the Soul Shall Dance. Harry K. Honda reported on the dispute over chapter-sponsored travel. Asian American groups in San Diego also protested a TV actor’s remarks on the Dinah Shore Show.

What’s in this issue

National

• NIMH Director Cites Issues Facing JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Bertram S. Brown, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, spoke at the Washington, D.C. JACL chapter installation banquet on Jan. 29. He addressed the Iva Toguri pardon, the Hiroshima reenactment, the reparations campaign, and growing Asian American populations and interracial marriage.
• Intermountain Feedback on Reparations, by Ted Matsushima, page 2. Some Intermountain JACL members expressed strong reservations about the National JACL reparations movement at the IDC quarterly session. National President Jim Murakami explained the Council mandate to seek community input, and IDC Governor Gerry Mukai asked chapters to gather grassroots feedback.
• TV Actor’s Use of Racial Slur Draws Asian American Protest, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Asian American groups in San Diego protested comments made by TV actor Richard Jordan on the Dinah Shore Show, including calling Japanese people weird and using the term Chinaman. The groups sent Jordan a letter explaining the offensive nature of his remarks.

Community

• Opinions Sought on Asawa Fountains, by P.C. Staff, page 1. San Francisco suggested turning off the Ruth Asawa Origami fountains in Nihonmachi due to the water shortage, though the water is recycled. Community opinion is being sought from residents.
• 175 Attend Washington D.C. Chapter Installation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. About 175 people attended the Washington, D.C. JACL installation dinner at Fort Myer Officers Club, where new officers were sworn in. Honors went to longtime chapter members and special guests including Senator S.I. Hayakawa attended.
• Chapter-Sponsored Travel Under Gun, by Harry K. Honda, page 1. The Pacific Southwest District Council supported West Los Angeles JACL’s travel program despite a National JACL disclaimer, with chapter president George Kanegai arguing chapter autonomy. The issue will be raised at the National JACL Board meeting in San Francisco.
• Farm Leader Harry Kubo to Address Tri-District, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Harry Kubo of the Central California JACL District Council will speak at the third Tri-District Conference in Reno, April 22-24. Kubo was instrumental in defeating farm labor Proposition 14 last November.
• San Mateo to Air Scholarship Rules, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The San Mateo JACL debated whether to open its scholarships, currently limited to Japanese ancestry students, to all Asian students, and the motion was tabled until March 9. Opponents argued funds came from the Japanese community, while proponents called the restriction exclusive.
• Reedley PYCA Participant Thankful for JACL Sponsorship, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Steve Nishida returned from the Presidential Classroom for Young Americans in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the Reedley JACL. He described the week-long program’s government study, White House ceremony, and meetings with students from across the country.

Incarceration & Redress

• TV Newsman Carried Pardon Banner Since ’68, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Iva Toguri d’Aquino thanked anchorman Bill Kurtis, who had championed her case since 1968, after her January 19 pardon by President Ford. Kurtis’s documentary and reporting convinced many that she had been wrongly convicted, and editorials and religious leaders praised the pardon.

JACL

• Hayashi Law Awards Now 3, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The JACL Thomas T. Hayashi Law Scholarship committee announced two new awards this year alongside the continuing scholarship to Derrick Takeuchi. Applications are due July 1, with one new award based on financial need.
• Ruby Schaar and the Hayashi Law Scholarship Committee, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Application information for the Hayashi Law scholarships is provided, with forms available from New York JACL. The committee members and judges are also listed.

Commentary

• Clarification to 1972 Law: Social Security Credit, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Social Security Amendment of 1972 grants wage credit to Japanese Americans interned in WWII camps who were at least 18 during internment. Benefits may be limited for many recipients, and inquiries should go to the local Social Security office.
• Roots: An Asian American Reader, by Frank Chin, page 4. Playwright Frank Chin responds to Masamune Kojima’s column, disputing that the 1971 Asian American reader inspired Alex Haley’s Roots. He argues Asian Americans are abandoning their cultural identity through intermarriage and rejection of yellow history.
• Retirement Credit, by Hiro Nakaji, page 4. Nakaji notes progress on a bill to provide Civil Service retirement credit to those interned during WWII, despite setbacks. He urges re-education of new committee members to secure passage in the 95th Congress session.
• Reparations, by Nobu Nakajima, page 4. Nakajima responds to Mr. Shiraki’s opposition to reparations, questioning whether the U.S. Army encourages hatred of Asians. He argues supporting reparations is one way to uphold democracy and human rights.
• Yoshimura Trial, by Hashime Saito, page 4. Saito responds to earlier letters about Wendy Yoshimura’s prison sentence, arguing that she deserved punishment for her crime. He also suggests Patty Hearst’s kidnapping represents karmic retribution for the Hearst family’s historical wrongs.
• Samurai or Knight, by George Inagaki, page 4. Former 1000 Club chairman George Inagaki explains the origins of the Knight in Armor symbol, which emerged around 1949-50 under National Director Mas Satow. He also notes the club’s founding in Idaho in 1947.
• For Today & Tomorrow: Making the Soul Dance, by Jon Inouye, page 5. Inouye reviews Wakako Yamauchi’s play And the Soul Shall Dance at East West Players, about two Issei farming families in California’s Imperial Valley. He reflects on nostalgia as a theme in Japanese and American culture.
• From the Frying Pan: A Friend in Wartime Iowa, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa recalls Ross Wilbur, who ran the Friends hostel in Des Moines that helped Nisei relocatees rebuild their lives during WWII. He writes a tribute as Wilbur prepares to retire and serve overseas with the Peace Corps.

In-Depth

• Kashiwagi Play at Merced College, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Hiroshi Kashiwagi’s play Laughter and False Teeth, depicting evacuee camp life with comedy and irony, will be presented at Merced College on March 13. A reception will follow for the cast.

Arts & Entertainment

• Rockefeller Playwright Wakako Yamauchi, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Wakako Yamauchi, winner of a Rockefeller Playwright grant, has a new play And the Soul Shall Dance at East West Players through April. The play focuses on Issei families in 1930s Imperial Valley.

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