Remembering Saburo Kido, JACL’s wartime national president

Vol. 84, No. 14, April 15, 1977. 12 pages. View this issue

The death of Saburo Kido, 74, at San Francisco led the issue. JACL’s wartime national president, he was mourned by the organization and by the Japanese American community. The front page reported on services and on tributes from national president James Murakami and acting national director Donald L. Hayashi. Jon Inouye traced Kido’s career, from founding JACL to civil rights work after the war, and an editorial recalled his years with the Pacific Citizen.

Other pages carried debate over the Bakke case, with Judge Robert M. Takasugi urging JACL to oppose the decision. Readers and evacuees wrote about the term “concentration camp” on the Tule Lake plaque, and Tom Taketa, Ph.D., reported on job bias and federal pay. John Esaki and Laurel Kimura described their 1976 summers as Cultural Heritage Fellows in Japan. Bill Hosokawa and Bill Marutani wrote columns, and the sports page covered San Jose’s fourth straight basketball title.

What’s in this issue

Obituaries

• JACL mourns death of Saburo Kido, 74, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL mourns the death of Saburo Kido, a respected leader of the Japanese American community and JACL’s wartime national president, who died April 4 in San Francisco. Services and memorials were held, and tributes were offered by JACL leaders.
• Kido gave 50 years to the Nikkei community and society in general, by Jon Inouye, page 3. Jon Inouye profiles Saburo Kido, tracing his career from founding JACL and drafting its constitution to wartime leadership and postwar civil rights work. The tribute concludes that Kido’s influence on Japanese Americans will not be forgotten.

National

• Gov’t hearing being sought to probe anti-Asian bias in jobs, by Tom Taketa, Ph.D., page 1. Dr. Tom Taketa is gathering evidence of employment discrimination against Pan-Asian Americans in federal installations and university faculties to determine whether bias is widespread. He suggests the findings could support a congressional hearing.
• Evacuees defend choice of words for Tule Lake plaque, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Former internees wrote angry letters to the Los Angeles Times rejecting its editorial objection to the term ‘concentration camp’ on the Tule Lake plaque. The writers argue the term accurately describes the wartime incarceration of Japanese Americans.
• Large East Asia libraries combine, by P.C. Staff, page 12. Stanford and UC Berkeley agreed to share their East Asian library collections beginning March 1, giving users access to a combined holding of over 650,000 books and extensive periodicals and microfilm.
• Stiffer penalties sought in bill, by P.C. Staff, page 12. California State Senator Alex Garcia introduced SB-568 to impose stiffer penalties on immigration consultants who knowingly mislead clients. The bill would set a $5,000 fine or one year imprisonment for violations.

Community

• TV series ‘insensitive’ for omitting other Americans, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National Federation of Asian American United Methodists criticized the TV series ‘Six American Families’ for suggesting Hispanic, Asian and Native Americans are not American. The board also passed a resolution on Taiwan and human rights in U.S.-China negotiations.
• San Francisco JACL officers, past and present, by P.C. Staff, page 6. San Francisco JACL installed its 1977 board of governors and honored eleven past presidents at a February dinner. The evening included a slide presentation of 1976 activities and dancing.
• Shimizu wins coach honors, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Yutaka ‘Tabo’ Shimizu, varsity basketball coach at Hamilton High School, was named Westside Coach of the Year by the Los Angeles Times. His players have included former UCLA star Sidney Wicks.
• Eastbay Asian Group, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation received a $25,000 grant toward a $2.5 million multi-service center for the East Bay Asian community. Payment depends on funding the remaining project costs.
• Oakland to start Chinatown project, by P.C. Staff, page 10. The Oakland City Council approved Operation Hong Kong/USA, a roughly $100 million development rebuilding Chinatown with hotel, office, cultural and residential towers. The project is backed by Hong Kong developer Y.T. Chou.

In-Depth

• Transpacific Connections, by John Esaki, page 2. John Esaki, a 1976 JAL-JACL Cultural Heritage Fellowship recipient, describes how the program fostered friendships and family connections in Japan. He praises JAL and JACL for the experience and encourages applicants.

Arts & Entertainment

• A Dormant Sense Awakened, by Laurel Kimura, page 2. Laurel Kimura, a 1976 Cultural Heritage Fellow, recounts her summer in Japan, including visits to relatives, host families and rural villages. She describes how the experience awakened her sense of Japanese culture and dispelled myths.
• Hokusai touch graces book about Hiawatha, by Allan Beekman, page 10. A review of a new edition of Longfellow’s Song of Hiawatha, illustrated by Herbert Meyer in a style influenced by Hokusai. The reviewer praises the beautiful volume and its connection to Native American lore.
• World study on human rights monumental, by Harry Honda, page 11. A review of the five-volume Case Study on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which includes chapters on Japanese and Korean minorities. The reviewer calls it timely given U.S. debates over human rights in aid decisions.

Commentary

• Editorial: Saburo Kido: 1902-1977, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial honors Saburo Kido as one of the most influential Nisei, noting his legal defense of Issei and Nisei rights and his years of newspapering. It recalls his work founding and sustaining the Pacific Citizen.
• The Bakke Case, by Robert M. Takasugi, page 4. Federal Judge Robert Takasugi argues that JACL should oppose the Bakke decision and attack its compelling state interest standard. He contends that benign remedial classifications differ from the discriminatory Korematsu and Hirabayashi precedents.
• Loyalty Issue, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A reader recalls her brother’s sacrifice in the 100th, 442nd and MIS and condemns recent remarks questioning Japanese American loyalty during President Carter’s transition. She urges JACL to campaign against such bigotry.
• Concentration camp, by Richard K. Hayashi, page 4. A reader argues that the term ‘concentration camp’ is accurate for the wartime incarceration and criticizes the lack of coverage of the Evacuation in American history textbooks.
• Food for Thought, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Bill Marutani reflects on Nisei food habits, noting how rice-and-okazu diets shaped their tastes, and recalls expensive traditional foods of his childhood. He wryly concludes that one cannot take the country bumpkin out of the person.
• Lesson of Lillian Hellman, by Sachi Seko, page 5. Sachi Seko draws parallels between McCarthy-era blacklisting and the Evacuation, using Lillian Hellman’s refusal to name others as a model of principle. She also describes a Salt Lake JACL board’s attack on her column and defends the right to private political views.
• Choice for Ambassador, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa considers former Senator Mike Mansfield a fitting choice for ambassador to Japan after Mike Masaoka’s candidacy. He notes Mansfield’s Asian studies background and Masaoka’s financial limitations.
• Compelling State Interest, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The writer corrects the April 1 editorial, stating that neither the University of Washington nor JACL in the De Funis case relied on a compelling state interest standard for minority admissions. JACL instead argued for affirmative efforts to remedy past discrimination.
• Spartan Beat: Mas Manbo, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Spartan Beat notes that Shintaro Ishihara, a Japanese cabinet minister, drew attention by dispensing with his necktie, and it compares his stance with President Carter’s casual dress. The column observes that loosened dress standards are gaining support.
• Asian American men pace white collar force on federal payroll with top median income, by Tom Taketa, Ph.D., page 12. Federal salary data show Asian American men have the highest median white-collar income of any racial or ethnic group in federal employment, while representing a small share of the workforce. The article also discusses income gaps and calls for greater Asian American political representation.

Sports

• San Jose champions for fourth consecutive year, by P.C. Staff, page 7. San Jose JACL won the Berkeley JACL invitational basketball tournament for the fourth straight year, defeating Sacramento 75-72. Contra Costa took third place and Reedley won the consolation bracket.

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