Vol. 85, No. 20, November 11, 1977. 8 pages. View this issue
Whether JACL chapters would take to group legal insurance led the news on the front page. Pat Tashima reported on a plan begun by Orange County lawyers that offers reduced-fee legal help to chapter members, and on the mixed views in the JACL about a national version. Also on page one were stories on affirmative action: Michael Ishikawa, head of a new Los Angeles County compliance office, spoke of job stereotypes, and a federal judge ruled a 10% minority business set-aside unconstitutional.
The opinion pages turned to the World War II incarceration and redress. Clifford Uyeda compared West Germany’s payments to Nazi victims with the case of Japanese Americans, and Frank Yoshimura recalled Heart Mountain and urged pilgrimages alongside the 1978 JACL convention in Salt Lake City. Bill Hosokawa wrote about a Denver meal of eel, Raymond S. Uno described crossing the River Kwai Bridge, and page eight said goodbye to baseball manager Wally Yonamine.
What’s in this issue
Community
- Will Group Legal Insurance Be Popular? Yes, No in JACL, by Pat Tashima, page 1. Orange County JACL lawyers launched a group legal aid plan offering reduced-fee legal services to chapter members. Opinions in the JACL vary on whether a national legal insurance plan would succeed.
- Interest Building Up for Hawaii Lt. Gov. Doi’s Post, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Hawaii state Senator Jean Sadako King has emerged as a prominent candidate for lieutenant governor after Nelson Doi announced he would not seek reelection. Several others have also filed for the post.
National
- Affirmative Action Compliance Means Changing Racial Stereotypes on Jobs, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Michael Ishikawa, director of the new Los Angeles County Office of Affirmative Action Compliance, says Japanese Americans are confined to a few county departments due to stereotypes. He plans outreach to bring Asians into management and supervisory roles.
- Asians Show Most Schooling in Federal White Collar Force, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Civil Service Commission report found Asian federal employees lead all groups in educational attainment. Asians, though a small share of the workforce, outpace other groups in college attainment and professional classifications.
- Judge Rules Out Minority Quotas, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A federal judge declared the 10% minority business set-aside in the Public Works Employment Act unconstitutional. He allowed pending distribution of about $57 million in county project funds to continue.
Commentary
- International Terrorism, page 4. The column reflects on the rise of international terrorism and the difficulty of explaining ideologies behind groups like the Japanese Red Army and Baader-Meinhof gang. It argues that the destruction of individual dignity through torture and violence is the key moral issue.
- The HHH Building, page 4. A new federal building is named for Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey, the first such honor for a living person. The column recalls Humphrey’s early support for JACL’s effort to end whites-only membership in the American Bowling Congress.
- Denver Column: A Meal With Eel, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa describes a Denver dinner featuring fresh-frozen eel smuggled from Tokyo, recalling wartime memories of canned eel. He ends with a story of eating eel and crackers in the Heart Mountain camp.
- The Couple With Everything, by Sachi Seko, page 5. Seko writes a reflective story about a wealthy, gracious couple whose adult daughter is frequently considerate toward their privacy. The piece ends with the daughter’s regret that her parents shielded her from suffering.
Incarceration & Redress
- Wiedergutmachung Part Two, by Clifford Uyeda, page 4. The article details West Germany’s compensation payments to Nazi victims and compares the purpose of the Nazi camps with the U.S. incarceration of Japanese Americans. It argues the principle of reparations applies to Japanese Americans despite the lack of unanimous community support.
- Pilgrimages and Reparations, by Frank Yoshimura, page 4. The writer recalls his years at Heart Mountain and urges that camp site pilgrimages be held in conjunction with the 1978 JACL Convention in Salt Lake City. He argues that former evacuees should lead the reparations project.
Military & Veterans
- Former POW Writes, by Raymond S. Uno, page 4. A retired merchant marine officer and former POW on the Burma railway describes walking across the River Kwai Bridge with American flags at a pilgrimage. He reflects on shared hardship between captors and captives and criticizes the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Sports
- A Tearful Parting, page 8. Wally Yonamine ended his tenure as manager of the Chunichi Dragons after the team finished the Central League season in third place. The article recounts his playing career and notes his place as an early Nikkei professional football player.
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