A contested JACL presidency and a job bias petition against the EPA

Vol. 86, No. 9, March 10, 1978. 8 pages. View this issue

A job bias petition against the Environmental Protection Agency led this issue. James W. Chin, the agency’s affirmative action officer in San Francisco, asked President Carter to act, saying the EPA and 14 other federal departments were not complying with Executive Order 11246. Also on the front page, Gov. Gerrold Mukai became the second announced candidate for National JACL president, joining Dr. Clifford Uyeda in the first contested race in eight years. William Marutani’s column weighed how JACL picks its leaders, and Harry Honda’s editorial asked what “one man, one vote” should mean inside the organization.

Other pages cover refugees, with an appeal to admit more Indochinese refugees, and Little Tokyo, where new development plans were presented. Bill Hosokawa answered a letter that denied the wartime incarceration, and Douglas Kendall wrote on the word Nikkei. Candidates in Utah, Fresno County and Placer County, chapter news, a profile of James Imahara, and the sports page fill out the eight pages.

What’s in this issue

National

• Job bias petition filed against EPA, by P.C. Staff, page 1. EPA affirmative action officer James W. Chin petitioned President Carter, alleging that the EPA and 14 other federal departments are not complying with Executive Order 11246. Chin says superiors reprimanded him and stripped most of his responsibilities after he tried to enforce affirmative action rules.
• U.S. group urges increase in quota of Asian refugees, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The International Rescue Committee, led by Leo Cherne, urged the United States to adopt a long-range program to admit more Indochinese refugees and speed their processing. Cherne recommended eliminating admission criteria that exclude many Vietnamese and Cambodians, among other reforms.

Community

• Ken Hisatake elected Mayor in Utah, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Attorney Kenneth Hisatake won the mayoral race in Draper, Utah, after leading the effort to incorporate the rural community as a city. He plans to implement a planning program to preserve the area’s rural character.
• Asian American candidate for Supervisor in Fresno County, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Architect Harry Huey announced his candidacy for supervisor of Fresno County’s newly drawn District 1. Huey, a Fresno native and UC Berkeley graduate, has chaired the county planning commission.
• Placer JACLer runs for House, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Bill Steele, a Placer County JACL member, announced his Democratic candidacy for the 1st Congressional District seat held by Harold T. Johnson. Steele is a former Marine, businessman, and former political adviser to the Department of Defense in Southeast Asia.
• Community groups produce ‘Evening with Jerry Enomoto’, by P.C. Staff, page 2. More than 20 community and criminal justice organizations honored Sacramento attorney Jerry Enomoto, California’s Director of Corrections, at a testimonial dinner. Speakers praised his dedication to duty and his efforts to reform a prison system that under-utilized minorities.
• El Camino College ordered to surrender records in bias complaint, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Federal Judge Robert Takasugi ordered El Camino College to turn over records to HEW investigating alleged discrimination against Spanish-surnamed students and personnel. The ruling affirms the government’s right to inquire into areas not directly funded by federal money.
• Two more Little Tokyo developments bared, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A $10 million, three-level shopping center near the New Otani Hotel was approved by the Community Redevelopment Agency. A separate proposal by the Taira family for a 360-room motor hotel and amusement facility was also presented to the Little Tokyo Redevelopment Advisory Committee.
• Immigration policy study held, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions held a conference on the ethics of U.S. immigration policy in Santa Barbara, featuring Asian American perspectives from UCLA professor Harry H.L. Kitano. Other speakers included Professor John Higham and Doris Messner of the Justice Department.
• Nine Nisei Week queen candidates expected, JACL to host Aug. 19 ball, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Organizers of the 38th annual Nisei Week Festival expect nine queen candidates from local organizations this year. The Hollywood JACL will sponsor the Coronation Ball on August 19 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
• 15 girls seek queen title in Hawaii festival, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Fifteen candidates are competing to be queen of the 1978 Cherry Blossom Festival in Honolulu, with the coronation ball set for April 1. The candidates range in age from 19 to 23.
• Chicago credit union attains $650,000 total assets, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Chicago JACL Federal Credit Union reported record total assets of $659,417 and record net earnings at its 31st annual meeting. Lincoln Shimidzu was re-elected president and directors were elected for two-year terms.
• Chapter pulse, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Chapter news includes the Diablo Valley JACL installation, the Milwaukee JACL dinner, the San Fernando Valley interracial marriage panel, and the Seattle JACL installation dinner featuring Rep. Norman Mineta. Each chapter reported activities and officer changes.
• People, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A roundup of community notes covering Nikkei achievements in agriculture, the arts, business, the judiciary, education, and government. Recognized individuals include Harold Tateyama, Nobuko Miyamoto, Benny Yee, Kiichi Uyeda, and Susumu Karaki.

JACL

• 2nd candidate up for JACL presidency, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Gov. Gerrold Mukai was endorsed in Salt Lake City in his bid for National JACL president, becoming the second announced candidate. He joins Dr. Clifford Uyeda in what will be the first contested national JACL presidential election in eight years.

In-Depth

• PC Profile: James Imahara, by P.C. Staff, page 1. James Masaru Imahara, a 74-year-old prewar Florin Nisei now living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, received the Order of the Sacred Treasure from the Emperor of Japan. The profile recounts his prewar community work, wartime bilingual service, and postwar nursery business.

Commentary

• One Man, One Vote, by Harry Honda, page 4. The editorial traces the principle of ‘one man, one vote’ through U.S. law and asks how proportional representation should apply within JACL governance. It proposes a bicameral model in which one house handles fiscal matters and the other policy and national officers.
• The Man Who Would Be President, by William Marutani, page 4. Marutani critiques the haphazard way JACL selects its national president and leaders, citing regionalism, retreads, and slick campaign promises. He urges delegates at the Salt Lake City convention to weigh responsibility alongside the power of California’s chapters.
• Outmoded Words, by Douglas Kendall, page 4. Letter writer Douglas Kendall argues that color-coded terms like ‘Hakujin’ are imprecise and sometimes offensive, and suggests more descriptive national-origin terms. He notes that Japanese Americans have the descriptive term Nikkei.
• Dolphins Slaughter, by Clifford Uyeda, page 4. Dr. Clifford Uyeda, chair of the JACL Whale Issue Committee, protests the slaughter of a thousand dolphins by Iki island fishermen approved by Nagasaki officials. He says the act brings disgrace to the Japanese people.
• Business in Japan, by Nobuyuki Nakajima, page 4. Nakajima argues that Japan’s economy is in deeper recession than many assume, with overcapacity and weak export competitiveness. He warns that economic interdependence means instability in Japan could affect the United States and the free world.
• Suffering, With & Without Justice, by Clifford L. Uyeda, page 5. Uyeda contrasts suffering endured in a just cause with the unjust suffering imposed on Japanese Americans during World War II. He argues the wartime treatment of persons of Japanese descent was an injustice that other Americans would have resented.
• The Myths Persist, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa responds to a letter claiming that Japanese Americans were not interned and that the evacuation was justified. He rebuts the letter’s claims point by point, including the role of Executive Order 9066 and the JACL’s requests for aid.
• ‘In sickness & in health’, by Sachi Seko, page 5. Seko humorously recounts caring for her husband during a cold, describing her frustrated attempts to find an audience for his performance. The column mixes lighthearted domestic detail with a pointed look at gender expectations.
• Calendar, pulse & memos, by P.C. Staff, page 6. JACL headquarters updates cover the Doi lawsuit, personnel recruitment, public relations meetings, travel cancellations, and the Internment Credit Bill. The column also lists upcoming deadlines for national convention materials and awards.

Military & Veterans

• Washington Office, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Harry I. Takagi, a veteran of the 442nd and 30-year Veterans Administration official, has returned as interim JACL Washington representative. The item highlights his JACL service record and his attendance at a White House equal opportunity announcement.

Sports

• Athletic Twins, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Twin brothers Shigeru and Takeshi Soh finished first and second in the Beppu-Oita Marathon, with Shigeru setting a fast Japanese time. The article also notes that 15-year-old twin sumo wrestlers Shinji and Yoji Inomoto are entering the sport.

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