Protesting the ‘Yellow Peril’ trademark, and Redress in draft

Vol. 88, No. 39, April 20, 1979. 12 pages. View this issue

JACL’s protest of a ‘Yellow Peril’ trademark led the issue. Dr. Clifford Uyeda urged chapters and members to file objections before the April 20 deadline, citing the racism in the term. Redress was the other main thread: the National Committee for Redress sent a draft bill to congressional legislative counsel, and John Tateishi argued that the debate belonged on constitutional rights, not money. The front page also announced an Aug. 18 dedication for the Minidoka Memorial Project, and page 6 reported $9,280 raised toward a Tule Lake plaque.

Elsewhere in these 12 pages, Bill Hosokawa wrote from Japan about travel costs, and Barry Saiki reported on Senator Spark Matsunaga’s visit to Tokyo. Joseph D. Harrington’s Yankee Samurai excerpts followed Nisei soldiers in the Philippines. Community news came from Seattle, Salt Lake City, Salinas and Georgia, and page 6 carried a warning of a possible $100,000 JACL shortfall.

What’s in this issue

National

• Anti-Asian Bias in PL 95-507 Uncovered, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL protests the ‘Yellow Peril’ trademark, which a weekly information service sought to hold for over 20 years. Dr. Clifford Uyeda urged chapters and members to file protests before the April 20 deadline.
• Hundreds of Fake U.S. Visas Sold in Argentina to Koreans, by P.C. Staff, page 12. A bogus American consulate in Buenos Aires sold as many as 3,000 false U.S. visas before it was closed in March. Argentine police arrested four local employees in connection with the operation.

Incarceration & Redress

• Aid in Minidoka Memorial Project, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Plans to dedicate the Minidoka Memorial Project on Aug. 18 were announced by chairman Masa Tsukamoto. Renovations will include camp entrance parts, a guard station ruin, and a visitor’s reception center, with a marker and plaque to be placed.
• Wendy Yoshimura to Appeal Further, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The 1977 weapons conviction of Wendy Yoshimura was upheld by the state appellate court and will be appealed to the California Supreme Court. Her public defender expects a decision may take until June.
• JACL Redress Bill Being Drafted by Legislative Counsel, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL National Committee for Redress completed a sketch of redress legislation now before congressional legislative counsel. The bill omits a specific monetary demand and instead asks for a constitutional finding and a recommended remedy, with a 15-member presidential commission to hold hearings.
• From the Frying Pan: 1,000 Now Like $5, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa describes the high cost of travel in Japan, from hotel and meal prices to taxi fares and shopping. He notes that despite these prices, Japanese consumers appear well-dressed and well-nourished.
• Redress Phase Two: Dollars and Sense, by John Tateishi, page 5. John Tateishi argues that the Redress debate has been diverted into arguments about money when the real issue is constitutional rights. He says the campaign seeks a corrective measure to ensure no other group of citizens suffers a similar loss of liberty.
• Tule Lake Plaque Dedication, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The JACL Tule Lake Plaque Dedication Committee reported $9,280 raised toward its $12,500 goal. The monument will be unveiled May 27 at the former Tule Lake campsite.

Community

• Mayor Hibino Ready to Quit Office, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Salinas Mayor Henry K. Hibino announced he will not run for public office in the June election. He had first been elected to the city council in 1971 and then as mayor in 1973.
• Major Education Confab to Air Nikkei Issues and Problems, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The first National Asian and Pacific American Education Conference will be held April 25 to 27 at the San Francisco Hilton. Topics include bilingual education, Asian American curriculum, and ethnic identity, with JACL Executive Director Karl Nobuyuki among the speakers.
• Seattle Keiro Dedicates Wing, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A new $162,000 multi-purpose wing named for Masao Tomita was dedicated at Seattle Keiro Nursing Home before an overflow crowd. The 4,000 square foot facility provides activity and therapy space and a basement for laundry and storage.
• Salt Lake Commission Funds Multi-Ethnic Senior Center, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Salt Lake City Commission committed Community Development funding for a proposed Multi-Ethnic Senior Citizens activity center. Organizers must raise $60,000 for operations before the building can be acquired and remodeled.
• Harada Named to Athletic Panel, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Gov. Dixy Lee Ray appointed Cappy Harada to the Washington Athletic Commission. Harada, a former aide to baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn, helped establish Japan’s first boxing commission and introduced American-style wrestling to Japan in the 1950s.
• Cellist to Play for JASC Benefit, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Concert cellist Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi will be guest soloist at the fourth annual Japanese American Service Committee benefit concert on May 5 in Evanston. The event is part of the Japan Today celebration.
• Remembering the Forgotten Men of the Golden Spike Ceremony, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The article recalls the Chinese laborers who built much of the Central Pacific railroad completed at Promontory Point in 1869 and were largely ignored at the 1969 centennial. It notes that centennial plaques honoring them were later dedicated at Sacramento and Promontory.
• JACL Faces $100,000 Shortfall as Member Increase Not Seen, by P.C. Staff, page 6. JACL membership held steady at about 70 percent of last year despite a large dues increase, but the national budget assumed a 7 percent membership gain. Officials warned of a possible $100,000 shortfall by the end of fiscal year 1979.
• Over 90 Japanese Americans in Georgia Gather for a Picnic, by Tara Nakayama, page 12. More than 90 Japanese Americans in Georgia held a first-ever community picnic at Murphy Candler Park on March 30. Participants ranged from infants to a 91-year-old, and plans are underway for another picnic in the fall.

Military & Veterans

• Manjiro Nakahama: The Man Who Discovered America, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The article traces the life of Manjiro, a 14-year-old Japanese fisherman rescued by an American whaling ship who was educated in Massachusetts, went to Hawaii and California, and later returned to Japan to serve as an interpreter for Commodore Perry. It notes his later role in navigation and his historical significance in improving relations between Japan and the United States.
• Yankee Samurai: On to Manila, by Joseph D. Harrington, page 9. This excerpt from Yankee Samurai describes Nisei linguists and soldiers during the Philippines campaign in 1945, including landings at Lingayen Gulf and the push toward Manila. It recounts their translation work, combat experiences, and the Corregidor parachute assault.
• Yankee Samurai: Manjiro (continued), by Joseph D. Harrington, page 10. The excerpt continues the Corregidor and Luzon campaign narratives and recounts Nisei intelligence work across the Pacific theater. It also discusses the Japanese surrender and the postwar interest in Manjiro’s historical significance.

Commentary

• Childhood, by Clifford Uyeda, page 4. Dr. Uyeda discusses how early mother-child relations shape a child’s development and emotional security. He argues that the disruption of family life in WWII detention camps must have affected the children held there.
• Renewal Process, by Harry K. Honda, page 4. The Pacific Citizen office is reinstating a system of notifying chapters of members whose subscriptions are about to expire, so they can confirm renewals. The change aims to reduce requests for back issues and prevent subscribers from being cut off inadvertently.
• Hawaii: U.S. Occupation of Japan: a Rebuttal, by Nobuyuki Nakajima, page 4. The writer responds to Lakenan Barnes’s claim that the Occupation of Japan was history’s most successful, questioning the lack of accomplishments in natural resources, economics, and science. He argues that SCAP did little significant work in these areas.
• Nisei in Japan: Spark, by Barry Saiki, page 4. Senator Spark Matsunaga visited Tokyo and met with Nisei residents, answering questions on US-Japan trade, Redress, and China normalization. He emphasized cooperation over competition in trade relations between the two countries.
• Comments & Letters, page 4. Several readers respond to Redress and related issues, including a letter critical of Senator Hayakawa’s threatened filibuster and a letter challenging a commentary on cognitive dissonance. Another reader writes on the Hawaii JACL role and a correction to the Yankee Samurai serialization.
• Chiaroscuro: Stress the C.L. Role, by Hideki Hamamoto, page 6. The new president of the Washington D.C. JACL chapter argues that chapters should move beyond social programs toward promoting the common interests of Japanese Americans. He urges members to stay informed on national issues and actively contribute balanced commentary.

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