A paternity test from UCLA, and two Nisei columns on changing roles at home

Vol. 87, No. 9, September 8, 1978. 8 pages. View this issue

A blood test developed by Dr. Paul Terasaki, a UCLA professor of surgery, led this eight-page issue. It was being used to settle thousands of paternity cases out of court in Los Angeles and Orange counties. Elsewhere on the front page, three Japanese Canadians were named to the Order of Canada, a memorial tower for Japanese war dead was dedicated at Kiska Bay, Alaska, and the Kresge Foundation made a $150,000 challenge grant to the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center in Little Tokyo. On page 5, Bill Hosokawa and Sachi Seko wrote about Nisei men, Nisei women and changing roles in the family.

The issue also carried two installments of a series on the World War II incarceration (often called internment), one on the outbreak of war and one on the case for redress. Harry K. Honda introduced new JACL committee chairs, a letter exchange took up the Equal Rights Amendment boycott, and Chris Ando wrote about climbing Mt. Fuji. Page 8 announced San Francisco’s Aki Matsuri.

What’s in this issue

In-Depth

• Nisei-Developed Blood Test Used in Settling Many Paternity Cases, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Paul Terasaki’s UCLA blood test, which compares tissue types in white blood cells, is now being used to resolve thousands of paternity cases out of court in Los Angeles and Orange counties. The test excludes paternity more often than the traditional red corpuscle method and can establish high probabilities of paternity.
• Section 4: Outbreak of War, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This installment of the series traces the origins of World War II in Asia and Europe and the U.S. pressures leading to war. It describes Curtis Munson’s report on Japanese American loyalty and the FBI’s arrests of community leaders after Pearl Harbor.
• A Sansei in Tokyo: Reborn at Fuji-san, by Chris Ando, page 7. Chris Ando, a Sansei living in Tokyo, reflects on his impressions of Japanese culture and society after several weeks there. He describes climbing Mt. Fuji at night with thousands of other climbers and feeling a sense of connection to Japanese strength.

National

• 3 Nikkei Awarded Order of Canada, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Three Japanese Canadians, Tom Shoyama, T. Sato, and Mrs. Seisho Kuwabara, will receive Canada’s Order of Canada honor. The awardees include a government official, a language school founder, and an ikebana teacher and author.
• Alien Land Bill Up for Hearing, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A public hearing on Washington House Bill 766, which would amend the state constitution on land ownership by aliens, is scheduled for October and November. The bill would immediately affect recently arrived Indochinese and corporations with alien-owned stock.
• White House Conference on Small Business Being Called, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A White House Conference on Small Business will be held in January 1980, with open forums and regional meetings in 45 cities. The Washington JACL office encourages Nisei and Sansei business owners to participate.
• Asian Educators Confab Issues Call for Papers, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The National Association for Asian and Pacific American Education will hold its first national conference in San Francisco in April 1979 and is soliciting papers on education policy, bilingual education, higher education, media, and parent involvement. Proposals are due October 13, 1978.

Military & Veterans

• Attu, Kiska Memorial Tower Dedicated, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A memorial tower for Japanese war dead was dedicated at Kiska Bay, Alaska, on July 30 by next-of-kin and friends. The pilgrimage also visited cemeteries on Attu.

Community

• $150,000 Challenge Grant Made to JACCC Builders, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Kresge Foundation awarded a $150,000 challenge grant to the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center in Little Tokyo. JACCC must raise the remaining funds needed to complete the $3.3 million Center Building by August 15, 1979.
• JACL Questions Commitment of Wash. State U., by P.C. Staff, page 1. Spokane JACL criticizes Washington State University’s commitment to Asian American studies and its treatment of Asian American faculty and staff. The chapter has filed an administrative complaint with HEW over the matter and the employment case of architect Anthony Wong.
• Vice President Due at Matsui Fundraiser, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Vice President Walter Mondale will speak at a $125 per plate fundraiser for Bob Matsui, the Democratic nominee for the 3rd Congressional District, in Sacramento on September 15. Cocktails begin at 6:30 p.m.
• Newcomers Accept National JACL Leadership Posts, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. National JACL President Dr. Clifford Uyeda has appointed new leaders, including ten women chairing national committees, with sixteen of thirty chairpersons serving for the first time. Uyeda plans to introduce them in his column in coming weeks.
• Summer School, by Thelma Burnside, page 4. A Sacramento Buddhist Church cultural committee ran a pilot summer program for girls ages 10 to 14 introducing Japanese cultural arts. The writer hopes the program’s success will encourage other groups to continue similar work.

Arts & Entertainment

• Wendy Claims Bias During First Trial, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Wendy Yoshimura, arrested with Patty Hearst in 1975, has appealed her weapons and explosives conviction, arguing prosecutors unfairly used her association with Hearst to prejudice the jury. Her attorney argues no evidence links her to crimes committed by Hearst or the SLA.
• Aki Matsuri, by P.C. Staff, page 8. San Francisco’s Nihonmachi will host the ninth annual Aki Matsuri festival over two weekends in September, featuring taiko performances, dancing, martial arts, and a food bazaar. Calendars are available by mail.

Commentary

• Japanese Solo Trip to North Pole Told, by P.C. Staff, page 2. National Geographic’s September issue features Naomi Uemura’s account of his solo dogsled journey to the North Pole, the first man to reach it alone. Uemura also completed a solo 625-mile trek across Greenland in August.
• Pro-ERA, by Susan Kakesako and Glory Matsumoto, page 4. Letter writers criticize JACL for refusing to support the boycott of unratified states over the Equal Rights Amendment. They argue that JACL’s stance contradicts its own civil rights principles and its opposition to discrimination.
• From the Frying Pan: Bill Hosokawa, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa’s column reflects on the disappearing traditional roles of Nisei men and the influence of Nisei women within families. He argues that Nisei men have resisted changing gender roles at home even as they supported women’s rights at work.
• From Happy Valley: Sachi Seko, by Sachi Seko, page 5. Sachi Seko writes about her marriage to a Nisei husband and his resistance to changing gender roles at home. She reflects on the influence of racism on Nisei male attitudes toward family authority.
• West Wind: Joe Oyama, by Joe Oyama, page 5. Joe Oyama proposes a Nikkei Talent Registry, a JACL-sponsored database of successful Japanese Americans to aid government and corporate searches. He highlights several Nikkei professionals in agriculture, energy, and journalism as examples.
• An Encounter with the Mayor’s ex-Ex, by Joe Oyama, page 5. Joe Oyama recounts a visit to Los Angeles where he was guided by Masamori Kojima, a former aide to Mayor Tom Bradley. Kojima reflects on identity, Jewish friendships, and Japanese American life.

JACL

• Summary of EXECOM Actions, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The JACL executive committee addressed youth programs, Pacific Citizen fund balance, staff personnel policies, life member accounts, and a proposal to create a separate Section 501(c)(4) organization. The committee also approved extending the Yamada-Okubo Fund campaign.

Incarceration & Redress

• A Case for Redress, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This installment examines how Japanese Americans were targeted after the outbreak of war, despite the absence of evidence of espionage or sabotage. It describes how white economic interests and pressure groups pushed for the removal of the entire Japanese American population from California.

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