Vol. 87, No. 24, December 22, 1978. 104 pages. View this issue
The Nisei who served as linguists in the Pacific War led this 104-page issue. Joseph Harrington’s cover story, “Yankee Samurai,” followed graduates of a secret U.S. Army intelligence school as they translated captured documents and questioned prisoners. Redress ran through the news and commentary. Mike Masaoka wrote two pieces on why Japanese Americans should seek it and how, one listing seven of the first ten amendments violated during the wartime treatment of Japanese Americans. Rep. Norman Y. Mineta reviewed the 95th Congress and looked ahead to talk of redress in the 96th.
Other pages hold memoir and reflection. Barbara Yasui Hayman wrote about hunting matsutake mushrooms with her father, and Ferris Takahashi went looking for an elderly Issei in a Mexican coastal village. Allan Beekman profiled Jean Sadako King of Hawaii, and Shikako Takaya described surviving a 1931 gasoline fire. About 72 pages carry holiday greetings from chapters, businesses and families.
What’s in this issue
In-Depth
- Yankee Samurai, by Joseph Harrington, page 1. Japanese Americans (Nisei) trained at a secret U.S. Army intelligence school in the Pacific War used their language skills to shorten the war and save an estimated million lives. The article traces how Nisei linguists translated captured documents, interrogated prisoners, and fought alongside Allied troops across the Pacific theater.
- Looking for Senor Suzuki, by Ferris Takahashi, page 40. Takahashi describes the Japanese presence in Mexico, from Issei and Nisei families integrated into the middle class to isolated farming communities descended from early Japanese workers. The article profiles an elderly Issei known as Pancho Suzuki in a remote coastal village.
- Surviving, by Shikako Takaya, page 52. Issei farm wife Shikako Takaya recounts being severely burned in a 1931 gasoline fire while trying to save her house and children. She reflects on her recovery, the support of friends, and the meaning of flowers and family during her convalescence.
National
- Congress and the Asian Americans, by Rep. Norman Y. Mineta, page 3. Rep. Mineta reviews the 95th Congress, highlighting passage of the Civil Service Internment Credit Act and an Asian/Pacific Heritage Week resolution, while noting the stalled bill for medical care for atomic bomb survivors. He previews the 96th Congress and its expected discussion of redress for Japanese Americans interned in WWII.
JACL
- JACL Must Now Be Concerned With Its New Identity For The Future, by Karl Nobuyuki, page 3. The column argues that JACL must consider how to attract new members and involve them meaningfully, shifting focus from size to quality of participation. It calls for JACL to address changing identities among its members while pursuing redress, Nisei retirement, and youth programs.
Commentary
- Down to Earth: Stalking the Wild Mushroom, by Barbara Yasui Hayman, page 39. Hayman recalls childhood matsutake mushroom hunts with her father in Oregon’s Mt. Hood forests, a Japanese tradition the Issei revived in America. She reflects on the loss of these forests to logging and on the value of family tradition.
- Ayamachi: the Hiroshima lesson, by Richard Yamasaki, page 48. After visiting Hiroshima, Yamasaki reflects on the Peace Memorial Museum and the continuing effects of the atomic bombing. He argues that nuclear arms development by the U.S. and Soviet Union repeats the error of the past.
- Roots, by Joe Oyama, page 49. Oyama recounts his family history, including his father’s emigration from Japan, his mother’s aristocratic lineage, and the family’s early cosmetics business in California. The piece is a personal memoir of Issei family life.
- Some Thoughts on Inter-Racial Marriage, by Lee Ruttle, page 58. Ruttle reflects on his 40-year marriage to a Chinese American woman, recounting discrimination they faced under miscegenation laws and church prejudice. He argues that mixed marriages can succeed when partners are mature and that racial differences matter less than character.
- People Who Count, by Harry K. Honda, page 94. Editor Harry Honda thanks the chapter volunteers and advertising solicitors who made the Holiday Issue possible, listing their names by chapter. The piece acknowledges the important role of volunteers in producing the publication.
Incarceration & Redress
- Masaoka on Redress: Why We Must Seek It and How We Can Go About It, by Mike Masaoka, page 43. Mike Masaoka argues that Japanese Americans must seek partial reparations from the U.S. government for wartime evacuation and detention, and that JACL must lead the effort. He proposes concrete strategies including meetings with congressional delegations, designating camps as national historic sites, and amending the Evacuation Claims Act.
- Masaoka on Redress: Bill of Rights, 7 of 10 Amendments Violated, by Mike Masaoka, page 44. This sidebar catalogs how seven of the first ten amendments to the Constitution were violated in the wartime treatment of Japanese Americans. Each amendment is paired with specific examples from evacuation and detention.
Community
- Jean Sadako King: on the rise, by Allan Beekman, page 46. Profile of Jean Sadako King, elected lieutenant governor of Hawaii alongside Governor George Ariyoshi, the first woman and first child of a Caucasian-Nikkei marriage to reach so high a state executive post. The article traces her upbringing, education, and political career.
Arts & Entertainment
- Stoop to Conquer (Kanshin no Matakuguri), by Don Estes, page 50. Estes recounts how Issei celery farmers in Chula Vista, San Diego County, used a public relations campaign and cooperation with Fred Stafford to defuse anti-Japanese land law pressure. The result was a joint growers union and improved community relations.
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