Trade fears, redress debate and the Nisei Week opening

Vol. 87, No. 7, August 25, 1978. 8 pages. View this issue

A Harris Poll on American attitudes toward foreign trade led this 8-page issue. It found 61 percent against imports, with Japan and West Germany singled out by those surveyed. The same page covered the start of Nisei Week in Little Tokyo, a naturalization ceremony held at the home of a disabled Issei, and a voter registration complaint filed in San Francisco. Redress ran through the opinion pages. William Nakashima, M.D. argued against JACL’s campaign, a Wall Street Journal editorial was reprinted, and Clifford Uyeda looked back at his return to the Arizona desert.

Other items include Bill Hosokawa’s column on two old photographs, Harry K. Honda’s account of a vacation on the East Coast, and a history installment tracing anti-Asian prejudice in California to the Gold Rush. Reports from the 25th biennial JACL convention cover constitutional changes and the national office’s work. Rep. Norman Mineta’s call for stiffer PCP penalties and a swim meet round out the issue.

What’s in this issue

National

• U.S. Trade ‘Protectionist’ Mood on Rise, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Harris Poll found that more Americans now favor restricting foreign imports over free trade, particularly regarding Japan and West Germany. Respondents also acknowledged that many foreign products are good, though a majority believed American know-how can compete abroad.
• Voter Registration Efforts in S.F. Hit, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Chinese for Affirmative Action and the League of Women Voters filed a complaint with Secretary of State March Fong Eu seeking enforcement of a 1976 voter participation law. They allege San Francisco’s registrar failed to conduct adequate outreach to low-income and language minority voters.
• Lt. Gov. Doi Not Going to Run, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Hawaii Lt. Gov. Nelson Doi announced he will not seek political office this fall, ending a run in government service dating to 1949. He had been considering a run for governor.

Community

• Nisei Week Launched, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The 1978 Nisei Week Festival opened with a coronation ball naming Lisa Tomiko Yamamoto queen, followed by a parade in Little Tokyo. Victoria Okada was runner-up and Lynn Tomomi Nakamura was chosen Miss Tomodachi.
• Naturalization ‘Housecall’ to Disabled Issei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. U.S. District Judge Robert M. Takasugi performed a naturalization ceremony at the Westminster home of Masami Adachi, who was too disabled by diabetes to appear in court. The ceremony was witnessed by his wife and son.
• Asian Americans Will Be By-passed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Soichi Fukui warned that without a strong national advocacy group, Asian Americans will continue to be ignored by federal minority business programs. He cited OMBE’s proposed reorganization that may defund the Asian American National Business Alliance.
• It Looks Chinese, But It’s Jurchen, by P.C. Staff, page 1. San Jose State lecturer Gisaburo N. Kiyose deciphered 700 characters of Jurchen, an ancient language of northern China’s nomadic rulers. His book is the first in English on the subject after five years of study.
• Research Resumes for JACL East Coast History Project, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Dr. Yasuo Sakata and his wife Aiko resumed research at the Suitland Records Center for the JACL East Coast Japanese History Project. The Eastern District Council also proposed earmarking $500 for the project.
• Alien Land Law, by P.C. Staff, page 6. AB 3627, which would bar non-resident aliens from owning California farmland, was effectively shelved for the session and referred for interim study. JACL had opposed the bill as based on anti-foreign sentiment rather than sound evidence.
• Name the Mall Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 6. East West Development Corp. is holding a contest to name its proposed three-level shopping mall in Little Tokyo, with prizes including airline tickets and dinners. Entries must be postmarked by September 15, 1978.
• Little Tokyo Development and Keiro-City View Items, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Several community notices announce upcoming Keiro events and a benefit at Hotel New Otani. Items cover local organizational and fundraising activity in Southern California.
• Honda Column (continued), by Harry K. Honda, page 8. Honda continues his column on his travels and visits with friends in Los Angeles, New York, and elsewhere. He reflects on the Maryknoll Mission and his continued role at the Pacific Citizen.
• Little Tokyo Minor Community Notices, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Community briefs report on the Asian American Enforcement Assistance project and a Japanese American senior citizen crime prevention program funded by a $250,000 federal grant. Additional notices cover upcoming events.

Incarceration & Redress

• Kawakita Wants Stigma Removed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Tomoya Kawakita, convicted in 1948 of treason for abuses against American POWs, has applied to visit the United States and hopes his stigma will be lifted. Former Prime Minister Takeo Miki, a longtime friend, has supported his cause.
• Kawakita (continued), by P.C. Staff, page 2. Kawakita maintains he was a Japanese citizen and innocent of the charges against him. Miki recalled Kawakita making trips to Tokyo to obtain medicine and meat for the prisoners.

Commentary

• Mineta Asks Stiffer Penalties on PCP, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Rep. Norman Mineta urged tougher criminal penalties for manufacturing and selling PCP, or angel dust, after testifying before a House narcotics committee. He described violent cases linked to the drug and called for PCP to be classified like heroin.
• Keep Up the Good Work, by H.H., page 4. Recent unsolicited donations to National JACL Headquarters since the Salt Lake City convention show members’ continued support for the organization. The editorial frames these gifts as part of the Issei tradition of giving back to community institutions.
• Redress—No, by William Nakashima, M.D., page 4. Dr. William Nakashima argues that JACL’s redress campaign risks creating a backlash against Japanese Americans, including young people who were not alive during World War II. He urges the organization to be less self-righteous and shrill.
• Nikkei Traits, by Masaji Kawanishi, page 4. Masaji Kawanishi responds to an earlier column by urging readers to identify good and bad traits of Japanese Americans. He suggests keeping positive values even when they seem out of step with mainstream America.
• Chuman Book, by Takeo Miki, page 4. Former Prime Minister Takeo Miki praises Frank Chuman’s book The Bamboo People for its unbiased factual account of Issei and Nisei history. He calls it a lasting monument to the immigrant generations.
• Guilt Mongering, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Wall Street Journal editorial criticizes JACL’s demand for $3 billion in redress for Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II. It argues that the community has largely been absorbed and that compensation claims are unseemly.
• Returning to the Desert, by Clifford Uyeda, page 5. Written in 1965, this reflection recalls the author’s return to the Arizona desert and the sorrow of the incarceration experience. The author expresses concern that redress could pull the next generation back toward the wounds of the past.
• Two Old Photos, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa recalls receiving two old photographs from the estate of Kyle Shuji Fujii and his late wife Kikue Ukai. He reflects on Fujii’s prewar opposition to Japanese militarism and his wartime service with the OSS.
• Points East and Sultry—Vacation, by Harry K. Honda, page 5. Editor Harry Honda describes a family vacation to the East Coast that included Williamsburg, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia. He reflects on the Bicentennial and draws a comparison between colonial redress and JACL’s campaign.

Sports

• Sequoia Swimmers Predominate, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Sequoia JACL won the team title at the fourth annual Northern California-Western Nevada JACL Swim Meet held at Gunn High School. Individual trophies went to swimmers from several chapters.

In-Depth

• Root Causes, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This installment traces anti-Asian prejudice in California to the Gold Rush, when white miners drove out Chinese miners through violence. It describes how that violence became entrenched in discriminatory state laws and eventually led to the Chinese Exclusion Acts.

JACL

• Five Minor Changes in Constitution, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Delegates at the 25th biennial JACL convention passed several non-controversial amendments, including limiting proxy votes and gender-neutral titles. Controversial proposals were withdrawn pending a constitutional convention before 1980.
• What Happened at the Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 7. This report summarizes the work of the national JACL office, including its Washington representative, travel program, whale conservation efforts, and youth programs. It also details the JAYs and NYCC leadership changes at their national assembly in Utah.

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