Vol. 86, No. 7, February 24, 1978. 8 pages. View this issue
The dismissal of Dr. Miyoshi Ikeda, principal of Calipatria High School, led the news. The school board refused to reinstate him, and residents and JACL leaders spoke up for him. Other front-page stories covered a planned history of the organization, “The JACL Story,” with Bill Hosokawa as editor-in-chief, and a visit by JACL members to California Governor Brown to mark one year since the end of Executive Order 9066. Mile-Hi JACL also won a change to a slur in a newspaper stock listing.
Inside are columns by Bill Hosokawa on the Year of the Horse and on Japanese words, Sachi Seko on the Gila loyalty questionnaire, and Miles Hamada on community. Harry Honda reported on Karl Nobuyuki’s talk about issues facing JACL and reviewed the Tutankhamun exhibit in Los Angeles. A news item on Ellison Onizuka, the nation’s first Asian American astronaut, and the 1978 JACL travel program also appear in this eight-page issue.
What’s in this issue
Community
- School Board Refuses to Reinstate Principal Miyoshi Ikeda, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Calipatria school board refused to reinstate Dr. Miyoshi Ikeda as principal of Calipatria High School, a decision that has drawn strong opposition from residents and JACL leaders. Disputes over the reasons for his removal center on differing educational philosophies and two student incidents.
- Takatori Brothers at West Point Academy, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Frederick and Eric Takatori, sons of Riverside residents Frank and Ida Takatori, are both studying at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. They are believed to be the first Japanese American brothers to attend a service academy together.
- Vocational Rehabilitation for Handicapped Persons Offered, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The California Department of Rehabilitation offers vocational training and counseling for people with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities. Spokesman Dennis Kobata explained the eligibility criteria and how to get information.
- New Chapter Ready to Go in Solano, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Organizers in Fairfield prepared to form a new JACL chapter in Solano County after an initial meeting drew enough interest. A second organizational meeting was scheduled for Feb. 23 with help from neighboring chapters and national JACL counsel Frank Iwama.
JACL
- ‘The JACL Story’ to Be Published, by P.C. Staff, page 1. National President James Murakami announced a JACL Masao W. Satow Memorial Project to research and write a history of the organization, with Bill Hosokawa as editor-in-chief. Mike Masaoka was named chairman of the project and its executive committee.
- Mile-Hi JACL Rids Slur From Rocky Mountain News Listing, by P.C. Staff, page 1. After a Mile-Hi JACL protest, the Rocky Mountain News changed a derogatory stock-listing abbreviation for Japan Fund to JpnFd. Editors apologized and the chapter considered the matter successfully resolved.
- Nobuyuki Recites Major Issues Facing National JACL, by Harry Honda, page 2. JACL Executive Director Karl Nobuyuki spoke at the Riverside JACL installation dinner about key issues for the organization ahead of its 1978 national convention. He covered reparations legislation, Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission involvement, atomic bomb survivor aid, and discrimination concerns.
- 1978 JACL Travel Program, by P.C. Staff, page 6. National JACL announced its 1978 travel program with flights to Japan, a Scandinavia-USSR tour, a Caribbean cruise, and other group trips open to JACL members. Details on departure dates, fares, and local administrators are provided.
- Spokane JACL Rebuts WSU Affirmative Action Statements, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Spokane JACL responds point by point to statements by Washington State University executive vice president Beasley about affirmative action and Asian American recruitment. The chapter cites memoranda, letters, and news reports to challenge the university’s account.
National
- Gov. Brown Marks EO 9066 ‘Repeal’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. California Governor Brown met with JACL members at his office to mark the first anniversary of the termination of Executive Order 9066. The commemoration was suggested by Shig Kaneshiro and arranged with Assemblyman Paul Bannai.
- Asian Americans Meet With White House Officials, by P.C. Staff, page 1. At a first meeting with the Asian-Pacific American Affairs Unit, Democratic officials including Hamilton Jordan and John C. White promised to improve ties between the Carter administration and Asian Americans. JACL Executive Director Karl Nobuyuki attended the Jan. 30 session.
- U.S. Attorney Due to Act on Chin Decision, by P.C. Staff, page 7. U.S. Attorney David Trager is expected to decide whether to set aside Kenneth Chin’s conviction after the Supreme Court declined to hear the case. The Young/Chin Legal Aid Committee urges supporters to send mailgrams calling for exoneration.
Obituaries
- Chapman Backed Nisei in ’42, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Oscar L. Chapman, Interior Secretary under Truman, died Feb. 8 and is remembered for supporting Nisei loyalty and opposing Gen. DeWitt’s evacuation program in 1942. New York JACLer Kay Sugahara recalled Chapman’s efforts to release Japanese Americans from assembly centers.
Sports
- Sansei Astronaut’s Parents Run Store on Big Island, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Ellison Onizuka, selected as the nation’s first Asian American astronaut, was congratulated by his mother Mitsue, who runs the M. Onizuka Store in Hawaii. Onizuka, an Air Force captain and test engineer at Edwards AFB, will join 34 other new astronauts in Houston this July.
Commentary
- Yin/Yang and Community, by Miles Hamada, page 4. The author argues that the Japanese American community serves as a counterbalance to dominant American society, much as Yin/Yang balances opposites. He contends that younger people who turn away from the community risk losing the source of their strength and identity.
- The Camp Rabble Rousers, by Sachi Seko, page 4. The author recalls the tension at Gila during the loyalty questionnaire and objects to Shake Ushio’s description of resisters as unthinking rabble rousers. She argues that draft resisters and dissenters showed real courage and deserve recognition alongside those who volunteered.
- The Year of the Horse: 4,676, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Hosokawa describes the Philadelphia Chinese community’s New Year celebration for the Year of the Horse and reflects on Chinese cultural achievements. He also explains the traits associated with horse-year births in the zodiac.
- Japanese Semantics, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa explores how Japanese has nuanced words lacking English equivalents, using the phrase iji no warui hito as an example. He also notes how slang and English loanwords are rapidly changing the language.
Arts & Entertainment
- Tutankhamun’s Treasures, by Harry Honda, page 4. The author reviews the Treasures of Tutankhamun exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, highlighting the silver Pomegranate Vase and lotus motifs. He notes the lotus appears in Egyptian art and compares the period to contemporary developments in China, Stonehenge, and Jomon Japan.
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