Ohio governor’s use of a slur, and a Supreme Court appeal

Vol. 85, No. 15, October 7, 1977. 8 pages. View this issue

The use of an anti-Japanese slur by Ohio Governor James Rhodes drew the most attention in this eight-page issue. JACL Washington representative Wayne Horiuchi demanded a retraction and an apology, and the editorial page returned to the subject. An editorial recalled a Honolulu editor’s wartime refusal to use the word, and columns by Henry Tanaka and Horiuchi pressed JACL to speak up. On the front page, Elizabeth Young and Kenneth Chin, two Chinese Americans, asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review their case.

Other items include Harry Kubo’s argument about farm votes in California’s 1978 races, a state senate runoff for Paul Y. Shinoda Jr., and a bilingual questionnaire on reparations. Bill Hosokawa reviewed a pictorial history of Asian America, Joe Oyama wrote a reflective West Wind column, and the sports page named Joe Roth for the next Japan Bowl.

What’s in this issue

National

• Review Asked by Young/Chin Before U.S. Supreme Court, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Elizabeth Young and Kenneth Chin, Chinese Americans convicted under the federal firearms act, seek Supreme Court review of their case. Supporters argue the arrests were based on a dubious assassination plot claim and that the government acted with racial bias.
• Farm Vote Pivotal in Calif. Races Next Year, Says Kubo, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Harry Kubo, who helped defeat Proposition 14, argues Republicans can defeat Governor Brown in 1978 with agricultural support. He plans to ask agricultural interests for $2 million for state races.
• Ohio Governor Unflinching in Use of ‘Jap’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Ohio Governor James Rhodes drew protests from Japanese Americans and the JACL Washington office after using the term ‘Jap’ at a press conference. JACL representative Wayne Horiuchi demanded a retraction and apology.
• Chinese Latest to Enter N.Y. Garment Trade, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Garment contractors in New York’s Chinatown have grown rapidly, with firms like Aurora Sportswear employing many immigrant Chinese workers. The industry is now Chinatown’s largest employer.
• Hibakusha Appeal to Nuclear Engineer, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Kanji Kuramoto appealed to President Carter to support two congressional bills reimbursing medical expenses for atomic bomb survivors living in America. He estimates about 1,000 hibakusha live in the U.S., many still hidden due to stigma.

Community

• Symbolic Fairhaven Sword Stolen; $500 Reward Posted, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A 14th Century Japanese samurai sword and related items were stolen from the Millicent Library in Fairhaven, Massachusetts. The sword was a gift symbolizing U.S.-Japan friendship tied to the rescue of Manjiro by a Fairhaven captain.
• Shinoda Bids for Wash. State Senate, by Eira Nagaoka, page 1. State Representative Paul Y. Shinoda Jr. will face Democrat Dianne Woody in the November runoff for the 39th district State Senate seat. King County councilwoman Ruby Chow also advanced unopposed in her district.
• Asian Group Given $1.2 Million to Establish Resource Center, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Economic Development Administration granted $1.292 million to the East Bay Asian Local Development Corp. to house an Asian resource center in an Oakland warehouse. Additional state and private funds are helping renovate the building.
• Hot Meals for ELA Aged Set, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Japanese Community Pioneer Center will begin serving an additional 100 meals to seniors at Evergreen Baptist Church starting October 17. Reservations are being accepted by the center.
• 18 Enter Ohye Trophy Air Race, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Eighteen aircraft competed in the annual Henry Ohye Trophy Race at Long Beach Municipal Airport on September 24. Winners were named in three flying classes.
• Naturalized Issei Head’s Japan Post for Library of Congress, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Andrew Kuroda, a 66-year-old naturalized Issei, has become director of the Tokyo Office of the U.S. Library of Congress. He previously worked at the Library for over 30 years and was once held in a relocation camp.
• Reunion Honors Issei, Longtime Teacher Attends, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Delano JACL sponsored its sixth Nisei reunion honoring the Issei for their contributions to the community. Guest Mary Salber, who began teaching at Delano High School in 1928, attended.
• Summer House Cleaning at Headquarters, by Rich Okabe, page 7. Okabe supervised four high school students from San Francisco’s summer youth program who inventoried JACL Headquarters. The inventory revealed historic materials useful for the JACL Story project.

Incarceration & Redress

• $100 Held Too Little for Illegal Arrests, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A federal appeals panel ruled that $100 each was too low compensation for Quakers arrested at a 1971 White House prayer vigil. The court remanded the award for recalculation, emphasizing First Amendment protections.
• Bilingual Survey On for Reparations, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Northern California-Western Nevada JACL District Council is distributing a bilingual questionnaire on reparations to chapters, with responses due October 30. The survey follows a 1976 convention mandate.
• Court Rejects Chinese Americans’ Appeal in Emperor Plot Case, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Elizabeth Young and Kenneth Chin argue they were scapegoats of racist Secret Service and FBI actions. Their legal aid committee questions the basis for the arrests and the prolonged prosecution.

Commentary

• When It Took Real Courage, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial condemns Ohio Governor Rhodes’ use of the word ‘Jap’ and notes the derogatory nature of the term. It recalls Honolulu Star-Bulletin editor Riley Allen’s wartime refusal to use the slur.
• Let’s Not Be Lulled, by Henry Tanaka, page 4. Henry Tanaka criticizes public officials like Ohio Governor Rhodes and commentator Dorothy Fuldheim for using the slur ‘Jap’ without challenge. He warns that unchallenged remarks may lull the public into accepting stereotypes.
• What If This Were the Last Day of Your Life?, by Joe Oyama, page 4. In a reflective West Wind column, Joe Oyama contemplates how he would spend his last day, from family and funeral plans to memories of wartime evacuation. He reflects on the lives of Nisei who scattered across the East after camp.
• Rhodes/Honda Flap, by Wayne Horiuchi, page 5. Wayne Horiuchi argues that remarks by public officials about Japanese nationals affect Japanese Americans because the public cannot easily distinguish the two. He calls for JACL to advocate and educate the public on the distinction.
• Anatomy of a Column, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Bill Marutani reflects on the readership ratings of his East Wind column and on his purpose of conveying messages through humor and advocacy. He also comments on the shift in Pacific Citizen emphasis toward news items.
• In Movement: A Pictorial History of Asian America, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa reviews a pictorial book on the Asian American struggle produced by Visual Communications and written by Franklin Odo. He praises its photographs while noting missed opportunities in its coverage.

Sports

• Joe Roth Honored by Japan Bowl, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The 1978 Japan Bowl all-star game will be dedicated to the memory of Joe Roth, the late University of California quarterback who played through terminal cancer. Roth became a folk hero among Japanese sports fans.
• The Olympics in 1984, by George Yoshinaga, page 8. George Yoshinaga comments on Los Angeles being offered the 1984 Olympic Games and credits Fred Wada for his long efforts. He notes the high cost concerns but is pleased for Wada.

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