Redress plans, a slur on store labels and JACL’s constitution

Vol. 88, No. 27, January 26, 1979. 12 pages. View this issue

Redress and the JACL’s own future ran through the news of this 12-page issue. John Tateishi wrote about plans to meet Nikkei members of Congress and refine a redress bill, with the goal of introducing it this year as HR 9066. Three former national presidents, Jerry Enomoto, Shigeki Sugiyama and Kumeo A. Yoshinari, each gave views on constitutional revision, and President Clifford Uyeda wrote about installation dinners. On the front page, I. Magnin and Joseph Magnin agreed to press for a change to the “Jungle Jap” labels on Kenzo merchandise after George Kondo complained.

Also inside: Portland’s Day of Remembrance program on Feb. 17, with Minoru Yasui among the speakers, and plans for the 10th Manzanar pilgrimage on April 28. Harry K. Honda reported on a Hawaii legislator who punched a heckler, and Bill Hosokawa’s column looked at words for grandfather and grandmother. Another page carries a serialized chapter of Joseph Harrington’s Yankee Samurai.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Valley JACL President Chester Sugimoto Congratulated on National JACL Presidency Installation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Gardena Valley JACL installation dinner was held Jan. 13 at the Gardena Japanese Cultural Institute. Photo caption describes local officials and incoming chapter leaders attending.
• Patrick Donovan Appointed to Sacramento City Council Seat Vacated by Robert Matsui, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Sacramento City Council appointed Patrick Donovan to serve the remaining 10 months of the seat vacated when Robert Matsui won a congressional seat. Attorney Frank Iwama was among the finalists.
• Nisei Elected to Carson City School Board in Nevada, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Reno JACL member Earl Yamashita was elected to the Carson City School Board, believed to be the first Japanese American elected to public office in Nevada. Gov. O’Callaghan also appointed Wilson Makabe to a state employment council.
• Longtime JACLer Witnesses U.S.-China Normalization in Shanghai, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Peter Ohtaki, leading a tour group, was in Shanghai when U.S.-China relations were normalized on Dec. 16. He described the Chinese reaction and a banquet where American tunes were played.
• Fresno Center Shows Off Woodcarver’s Talent, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Kamezu Anzai, a 90-year-old Issei woodcarver from Visalia, has his Nativity carvings and New Year pieces displayed at the Fresno Nikkei Service Center. His work reflects his farm and relocation center experience.
• Manzanar Project Workshops Set for Phase II Planning, by P.C. Staff, page 7. California State Parks will hold public workshops in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Orange County on the draft long-range Manzanar plan. The workshops follow November input on alternative plans.
• 10th Manzanar Pilgrimage Set for April 28, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The tenth annual Manzanar pilgrimage will be held April 28 and will remember Rev. Sentoku Mayeda, who originated the event. The committee is raising funds through silk-screened T-shirts.
• Ex-PSW Director Craig Shimabukuro Moving to Seattle, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Craig Shimabukuro, former PSW-JACL regional director, is relocating to Seattle to become executive director of the Employment Opportunity Center. A farewell party is planned for Feb. 2 in Los Angeles.

National

• Joseph Magnin and I. Magnin Agree to Change ‘Jungle Jap’ Labels on Kenzo Merchandise, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Two San Francisco department stores agreed to remove the offensive ‘Jungle Jap’ label from Kenzo merchandise after JACL regional director George Kondo complained. Both Norman Wechsler and Cyril Magnin apologized and pledged to act.
• U.S. Businessmen Should Study Japanese Approach in Foreign Trade, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Texas Instruments chairman Mark Shepherd told a Dallas seminar that U.S. businesses should study Japanese success rather than seek protection from imports. He cited Japan’s market research, product adaptation and customer service as models.
• Japan’s Pearl Harbor Spy Saw Evacuation as Cruel Joke, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Takeo Yoshikawa, Japanese vice consul in Honolulu in 1941, recalled in a Washington Post interview that the wartime evacuation of innocent Japanese Americans was a cruel joke. He now lives unemployed in Matsuyama.
• On to D.C.: Redress Committee Plans Meeting with Nikkei Legislators, by John Tateishi, page 6. JACL Redress Committee chair John Tateishi describes plans to meet with Nikkei congressional members to refine the redress bill drafted after the Salt Lake City convention. The goal is introducing the bill this year as HR 9066.

Incarceration & Redress

• Yasui to Speak at Portland Day of Remembrance Feb. 17, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Portland’s Day of Remembrance program on Feb. 17 at the Expo Center will mark the 1942 evacuation with speakers including Minoru Yasui. Caravans from Seattle and Eugene are planned and a memorial plaque will be presented.

Sports

• Nisei Football Coach Min Shimoyama Denied Injunction in Firing Dispute, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Chatsworth High football coach Min Shimoyama was denied a preliminary injunction to reinstate him after being fired over black football jerseys. The case is expected to go to court in April or May.

In-Depth

• Yankee Samurai: The Secret Role of Nisei in America’s Pacific Victory, by Joseph Harrington, page 1. This serialized chapter introduces the Nisei linguists and intelligence specialists who served in the Pacific war, a story kept secret for 30 years. It describes how nearly 5,000 Nisei contributed translating, interrogation and combat skills.

Commentary

• Presidential Pointers on JACL Constitution, by Jerry Enomoto, page 3. Former National President Jerry Enomoto offers his views on JACL’s future, emphasizing that security through unity must be paired with a greater America and that the organization should remain vigilant on individual freedoms. He calls for constitutional change being a watchword.
• Constitutional Revision and Defining JACL’s Goals, by Shigeki Sugiyama, page 3. Former National President Shigeki Sugiyama notes that constitutional revision has been recurring for a decade and argues the effort should define JACL’s rationale. He restates his earlier view that JACL’s goals must reflect member needs.
• Constitutional Convention Views, by Kumeo A. Yoshinari, page 3. Former National President Kumeo Yoshinari supports the 1978 revised constitution with only terminology updates. He opposes admitting non-citizens and changing the JACL name, arguing the ethnic identity is a public relations advantage.
• Installation Dinners Should Showcase JACL Leadership, by Clifford Uyeda, page 4. JACL President Clifford Uyeda argues that installation dinners are a valuable forum for hearing from national board members, committee chairs and district governors. He urges that the wealth of talent within the organization be better utilized.
• Heckler Gets Punched, by Harry K. Honda, page 4. Editor Harry Honda reports that Hawaii state Rep. Tony Kunimura punched a man who used a racial slur against Japanese Americans during a legislative hearing. Honda reflects on the provocation of the slur.
• Redress Pro and Con, by Akira Kubota; Robert H. Iwanabe; Mary Tani, page 4. Letters to the editor support JACL’s redress campaign and President Uyeda’s approach. One writer questions whether redress is justified given other minorities, while another argues the community should financially support its own.
• Holiday Issue Letters on Issei Women and MIS Credit, by Mike Iwatsubo; Shig Kihara; Allan Beekman, page 4. Readers praise the Holiday Issue coverage of Issei women and Yankee Samurai while one writer objects to the omission of John Aiso’s role in MIS training. Another letter corrects the record on Hawaiian Nikkei interned on the mainland.
• From the Frying Pan: Variations on Ojii-san, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Columnist Bill Hosokawa shares reader responses on how Japanese and English words for grandfather and grandmother carry different connotations. Readers discuss age, custom, and romanization differences.

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