Vol. 86, No. 2, January 20, 1978. 12 pages. View this issue
A complaint against Washington State University led the news. Executive vice president Wallis Beasley denied that the school discriminates against Asian Americans, after the Spokane JACL chapter filed an administrative complaint over the lack of an Asian American studies program. Pat Tashima reported. The front page also covered Korean storeowners in Baltimore coping with crime, Sacramento councilman Robert T. Matsui’s run for Congress, and a push for a marker at the former Merced Assembly Center.
Inside, part nine of the JACL reparation survey showed 94 percent of respondents favoring government reparation for the wartime forced removal. Bill Hosokawa shared letters from Portland students, and William Marutani wrote about being a parent. Lila Stern reviewed three Los Angeles plays, and a book on Manzanar and the Owens Valley was also reviewed. The issue ran 12 pages.
What’s in this issue
Community
- Wash. State denies anti-Asian bias charge, by Pat Tashima, page 1. Washington State University executive vice president Wallis Beasley denied charges of discrimination against Asian Americans and stalled Asian American studies efforts. He said the school has never received a formal proposal and that a scholar’s position is planned as budgets allow.
- Korean storeowners in slum ghetto trying to cope with prevailing crime, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Immigrant Korean grocery store owners in Baltimore face robbery, assault and murder as they try to build businesses. Families have responded with bulletproof windows and fortified stores.
- Sac’to councilman Matsui running for Congress, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sacramento city councilman Robert T. Matsui announced he will seek the Democratic nomination for Rep. John Moss’s congressional seat. He has served on the council since 1971 and is a past JACL Sacramento chapter president.
- Pacific Northwest elects Isaki governor, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Paul S. Isaki of Seattle JACL was elected Governor of the Pacific Northwest District Council for 1978-79. Harold Onishi was elected vice governor and other officers were named.
- Camp and Community: Manzanar and the Owens Valley, by Jessie A. Garrett and Ronald C. Larson, page 10. A review of an oral history book from CSU Fullerton examining the fears and attitudes of Owens Valley residents toward the arrival of Manzanar internees. The interviews reveal wartime hysteria and misunderstandings.
- Nisei prison aide sums up life inside Soledad Facility, by P.C. Staff, page 11. George Takahashi, administrative assistant at Soledad Correctional Training Facility, describes daily life for high-risk prisoners. He notes the prison’s amenities and programs.
- Helen Kawagoe among final 9 for L.A. assessor, by P.C. Staff, page 12. Helen Kawagoe, a longtime Japanese American community leader, remains among the nine finalists for Los Angeles County assessor. The list was revealed by Board of Supervisors chairman Pete Schabarum.
National
- U.S. husband questions Japan nationality law, by P.C. Staff, page 1. An American father and Japanese mother filed suit in Tokyo claiming the Japanese Nationality Act discriminates by sex because their baby cannot acquire Japanese citizenship through the mother. The couple argues the law violates the constitution.
Incarceration & Redress
- Marker sought at Merced Center, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Livingston-Merced and Cortez JACL chapters support AJR 47 to designate the Merced Fairgrounds as a historical landmark for the former Merced Assembly Center. The county board of supervisors had earlier voted on the matter.
JACL
- 1980 JACL Confab Slated Aug. 5-9, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The JACL National Convention Board tentatively set the 1980 national convention in San Francisco for August 5-9. Chairpersons for events and tours are being selected.
Commentary
- Foreign language languishes, by P.C. Staff, page 4. An editorial notes that embarrassing interpretation errors during President Carter’s Warsaw stop highlight America’s weak foreign language capacity. It urges greater language study, citing Nisei linguists’ wartime value and declining enrollment.
- Oh, How Time Has Mellowed, by William Marutani, page 4. The columnist reflects on his daughter’s comment that he has mellowed as a parent over the years. He reflects on the changing dynamics between Nisei parents and their assertive children.
- Delicate Balance, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A Convention Board member outlines the challenges of planning the 1978 National Convention, including deadlines, budgets and workshops. The column calls for member input to strike a balance across diverse community groups.
- Kindling Awareness, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa shares letters from seventh and eighth grade students in Portland who read about the Evacuation in a class taught by Nisei teacher Etsuko Osaki. The students expressed sympathy and concern about discrimination.
- Anti-Reparation, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A reader argues against reparation payments, saying lawsuits and large claims raise costs for taxpayers. The letter suggests evacuees set a moral example by forgoing such claims.
- Life in Hawaii: Sachie, A Daughter of Hawaii, by Hideo Horiuchi, page 9. A review of Patricia Saiki’s fictionalized novel about Nisei life in Hawaii, now on the state’s high school instructional list. The novel blends Asian, American and Hawaiian influences.
In-Depth
- What the Surveys Show, Part Nine, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Results from a JACL reparation community survey show 94 percent of respondents favor government reparation for wartime evacuation. Respondents also strongly preferred payment to individuals rather than a trust or organization.
- Sansei in Canada ponder ‘Where do we go from here?’, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Paul Isaki reports on a Japanese Canadian Youth Conference in Calgary where Sansei explored their identity. He observed that Canadian Sansei have fewer community ties and higher intermarriage rates than their U.S. counterparts.
Arts & Entertainment
- Three Minority Plays in the Little Theaters, by Lila Stern, page 8. Lila Stern reviews three Los Angeles plays addressing racism and sexism: To See the Elephant, Slow Dance on the Killing Ground and Gee Pop. She argues the works show characters struggling with oppressive images imposed on them.
- Tajiri writes ‘one of the best’ Valentino biographies, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Vincent Tajiri, former Playboy picture editor, wrote a biography of Rudolph Valentino published by Bantam. The book follows Valentino from childhood to his death at 31 and includes photographs.
Military & Veterans
- Stockton Nisei Troop 19 old timers in mourning, by P.C. Staff, page 11. The community mourns William H. Harrington, former scoutmaster who opened Stockton’s Troop 19 to Japanese American boys in the 1930s. The troop was later led by John Shimakawa and continued in Rohwer camp until 1945.
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