Nisei farmers find their political voice, and a Manzanar pilgrimage

Vol. 86, No. 17, May 5, 1978. 8 pages. View this issue

Farm politics led the news in this 8-page issue. A front-page story traced how California farmers, with Nisei leaders such as Harry Kubo, reorganized as a political force after helping defeat Proposition 14, the farm labor initiative backed by Cesar Chavez and Governor Brown. Page 1 also reported that more than 500 people joined the ninth pilgrimage to Manzanar, themed “A Celebration of Friends,” and that JACL officials asked for an apology after a TV joke about Cherry Blossom Festival food.

Page 2 remembered Chiz Satow, with a eulogy by Roy Nishikawa and a column by Karl Nobuyuki. Page 4 carried Bill Marutani’s East Wind column and reader letters on trade, Taiwan and reparation, while Clifford I. Uyeda’s column asked about redress. Elsewhere, Bill Hosokawa profiled ASU coach Bill Kajikawa, and page 7 listed three nominees for National JACL president ahead of the Salt Lake City convention.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Nisei Credited for Reviving Political Clout in California Agriculture, by P.C. Staff, page 1. California farmers, led by Nisei leaders such as Harry Kubo, have reemerged as a potent political force after uniting against Proposition 14, the farm labor initiative backed by Cesar Chavez and Governor Brown. The article traces how the farm lobby was formed and how it won the 1976 vote that defeated the measure.
• Mas Odoi Campaigns for GOP Bid in House Race, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Gardena Valley JACL member Masaru Odoi, a conservative Republican, has filed for the 31st District congressional seat for the June 6 primary. He opposes reparations for Japanese Americans and forced busing, and he is a Purple Heart veteran of the 442nd.
• Seek Apology for ‘Dolphin Burgers’ Quip on TV Show, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL officials demanded a public apology from KPIX and TV personality Paul Wynne after he made a racially insensitive joke about Cherry Blossom Festival food on the Evening Show. JACL also raised a separate complaint about an NBC affiliate’s broadcast of a degrading portrayal of Japanese in the show CPO Sharkey.
• Farmers Rediscover Political Clout (continued), by P.C. Staff, page 3. The continuation of the farm politics story describes the 1971 picketing of Japanese American farms, the formation of the Nisei Farmers League, and the 1976 defeat of Proposition 14. Harry Kubo’s leadership in organizing farmers is central to the account.
• Judicial Ethics Panel’s Rule on Race Bias Charge Pending, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Seattle attorney Lewis Nomura’s affidavit of prejudice against King County Judge Horton Smith, who allegedly made a racist remark in court, remains under review by a judicial ethics committee. Nomura said he accepted an apology and took the steps he felt appropriate.
• Groundbreaking Near for Heiwa Home, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Groundbreaking for Heiwa Terrace, a senior citizens apartment building supported by the Japanese American Service Committee in Chicago, is scheduled for early spring. JASC president Lillian Kimura made the announcement.
• Sacto Cagers Host and Champs of Own Tournament, by Yosh Matsuhara, page 6. The Sacramento JACL All Stars won the Sacramento JACL High School Basketball Tournament, defeating Orange County 109-93. San Jose took the consolation game over Berkeley JACL, and individual awards were presented.
• What’s in a Name? News Column With Notable District Communication, by Chuck Kubokawa, page 7. NC-WNDC Governor Chuck Kubokawa invites readers to the district spring session in San Benito County and reports on business including dues increases and reparation planning. He also notes committee work on defamation and cultural heritage projects.
• Chiz Ishimatsu Winner of First Salt Lake President’s Award, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Salt Lake JACL named Chiz Ishimatsu the first recipient of its President’s Award for her contributions to chapter operations, including minority coalition work and housing programs. Her civic and ERA activism is also noted.

Incarceration & Redress

• 500 Trek to Manzanar, by P.C. Staff, page 1. More than 500 people attended the April 22 pilgrimage to the Manzanar camp site, the ninth such gathering there. The program, themed ‘A Celebration of Friends,’ honored individuals and organizations that had supported Japanese Americans during incarceration.
• Abandoned, at Home (Part XXIV), by Clifford I. Uyeda, page 5. Clifford Uyeda compares West German restitution payments to Jewish Holocaust victims with the lack of redress for Japanese Americans interned in U.S. camps. He argues the U.S. government should acknowledge its own wrongs at home.

Obituaries

• Chiz Satow: 1921-1978, Lasting Faith in JACL, by Roy Nishikawa, page 2. Former National JACL president Dr. Roy Nishikawa delivered the eulogy for Chiz Satow, longtime JACL headquarters staffer and wife of Mas Satow, describing her steady support for the organization. He reflected on her dedication and on the spiritual legacy she and her husband left to the JACL.
• Elmer L. Shirrell: 1889-1978, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Santa Barbara community leader Elmer Shirrell died at 88, having served as a WRA supervisor at Tule Lake and later helping place Japanese Americans in Chicago. He was named 1971 Man of the Year for his civic and church work.

Commentary

• JACL’s ‘First Lady’, by Karl Nobuyuki, page 2. National JACL director Karl Nobuyuki recalls his first meeting with Chiz Satow and her warmth, insight, and commitment to the JACL. He concludes that the organization should dedicate the coming biennium to her memory.
• The Supplemental Issue, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Pacific Citizen board and staff describe plans for a supplemental publication mandated by the 1974 Portland convention, to be modeled on the Holiday Issue and released before the Salt Lake convention. Advertising rates and solicitation plans are outlined.
• Hopes for Asian Americans, by Denver Post, page 4. A reprinted Denver Post editorial urges President Carter to appoint an Asian American to his White House staff to address community needs. It recommends K. Patrick Okura, a psychologist at the National Institute of Mental Health, as a qualified candidate.
• East Wind: ‘Shikata-Ga-Nai’, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Philadelphia judge Bill Marutani humorously catalogs life’s frustrating truisms, from Murphy’s Law to office and dating maxims. He closes by noting that Issei parents summed up all such setbacks with the phrase shikata-ga-nai.
• Views on Trade, by Nobuyuki Nakajima, page 4. In a letter to the editor, Nobuyuki Nakajima disputes Mr. Kawanishi’s earlier critique of Japan, defending Japan’s democracy and standard of living. He also questions the comparison to Switzerland and the implication of anti-Japanese bias.
• Taiwan Today, by Philip K.S. Park, page 4. In a letter to the editor, Philip Park criticizes a prior column’s pro-Kuomintang stance and argues that Taiwanese minorities and workers face exploitation and repression. He urges readers to consider the perspectives of Taiwanese people.
• Reparation, by Hashime Saito, page 4. In a letter to the editor, San Jose JACL member Hashime Saito urges the JACL to take a more forthright approach to reparations. He states that members who refuse reparation may reap greater spiritual rewards.
• Einstein ‘Filler’, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A brief reader letter comments on an Einstein quotation printed earlier in the Pacific Citizen, praising its wisdom. The letter’s content is short and largely a tribute to the quote’s message.
• Renaissance Within JACL, by Sachi Seko, page 5. Salt Lake City columnist Sachi Seko reflects on spring gardening and family dynamics, then turns to Bill Marutani’s critique of JACL. She calls for a renaissance within the organization, including the possibility of a female national president.

Military & Veterans

• ASU Coach Kaji, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa profiles Bill Kajikawa, a three-sport Nisei athlete who coached and mentored at Arizona State University for 45 years after serving with the 442nd. The column describes his retirement and the community honors he received.

JACL

• Three Nominated for National President, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Judge Mikio Uchiyama, Gerrold Mukai, and Dr. Clifford Uyeda were nominated for National JACL president, alongside slates for other national vice president and treasurer positions. Additional nominations may be made from the floor at the Salt Lake City convention.

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