Vol. 89, No. 66, October 26, 1979. 8 pages. View this issue
Local politics, immigration and the paper’s own 50th year shared the front page. Carson Mayor Pro-tem Sak Yamamoto and councilman John A. Marbut were recalled in a special election on October 16. Sen. Daniel Inouye helped the Immigration and Naturalization Service revise a naturalization question, and an immigration inspector was arrested over false green cards. The Seattle JACL canceled its Day of Remembrance pilgrimage to Minidoka after Idaho Nikkei objected to a plan to burn a replica guard tower. Nearly 400 people gathered at a Hollywood JACL dinner for Harry K. Honda, who looked back on his years as editor in his column, “The PC Years.”
Columns by Bill Marutani, Bill Hosokawa and K. Patrick Okura cover the Nisei outlook, a translation center and aging. Also inside are the plans for the 1980 JACL national convention in San Francisco, a report on redress from the Pacific Northwest District Council, and a look at Issei in the Yukon goldfields.
What’s in this issue
Community
- Carson mayor pro-tem Yamamoto recalled, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Carson Mayor Pro-tem Sak Yamamoto and councilman John A. Marbut were recalled in a special election held October 16. Yamamoto is believed to be the second Nisei public official recalled in a mainland election, after Sho Tsuboi in 1972.
- 400 attend Hollywood JACL tribute to PC editor, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Nearly 400 people attended a Hollywood JACL dinner honoring Harry K. Honda’s years as Pacific Citizen editor, marking the paper’s 50th anniversary. Speakers included Judge Bill Marutani and national president Dr. Clifford Uyeda.
- Nikkei church in SFV dedicated, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The West Valley Japanese Community Church in Granada Hills was dedicated as an independent ecumenical ministry. Rev. Ren Kimura is the minister and Rev. Dr. Paul Nagano gave the dedication address.
- Hostage resting after ordeal, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Chiyo Tashiro, a Nisei executive secretary, was released after being held hostage by a sniper on the 16th floor of a San Francisco office building. She was taken home to recover following a medical check at Children’s Hospital.
- PNWDC urges Japanese Americans be named to redress commission, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Pacific Northwest District Council recommended that Japanese Americans be placed on the Wartime Relocation and Internment Commission and its staff. Ron Ikejiri reported on the House and Senate redress bills and the council endorsed the Operations ’80 plan.
- DC JACLers fete Ira Shimasakis, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Washington D.C. JACL members held a farewell dinner for Ira and Gladys Shimasaki and Sada Onoye, charter members who moved to North Hollywood. Ira had chaired the Arlington National Cemetery Committee for three decades.
- Placer County Goodwill Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Placer County JACL will hold its 39th annual goodwill dinner featuring national executive director Karl Nobuyuki as speaker. The event draws area civic, legislative, and school officials.
- Scholarship Winner, by P.C. Staff, page 7. San Francisco JACL named Joan H. Ochi the winner of its 1979 scholarship award. She is a UC Berkeley student majoring in Communications.
- Installation Nov. 17, by P.C. Staff, page 7. West Los Angeles JACL will hold its annual installation dinner-dance on November 17 at the Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica. Assemblyman Floyd Mori will speak and nominees for the 1980 board are listed.
- NC-WN meet in Watsonville, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Northern California-Western Nevada JACL District Council will meet November 4 in Watsonville to elect board members and present awards. Nominees for five board seats are listed.
National
- Sen. Inouye helps INS improve form, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Immigration and Naturalization Service agreed to revise a naturalization application question that unfairly discriminated against people who received mental health treatment. Sen. Daniel Inouye requested the change after the Mental Health Assn. of Hawaii raised the issue.
- Immigrants want to come by hook or crook, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A supervisory immigration inspector, William Van Tubbs, was arrested for allegedly issuing duplicate false green cards to illegal aliens. Federal sources describe a web of brokers selling the cards on the black market.
- Ethnic matching of pastor to congregation criticized, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race challenged the church’s practice of matching pastors and congregations by race. Executive secretary Rev. Woodie W. White asked why the church exempts local congregations from its open assignment rules.
In-Depth
- Issei had ventured into Yukon, by Sumire Sugimoto, page 1. Japanese immigrants were among the thousands who headed to the Klondike goldfields in the late 19th century. Local records show Japanese restaurants thrived in Whitehorse and Dawson City by 1902, drawing hostility from competitors.
- Japan Women, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The article argues that women held significant power in early Japan, citing the queen-ruled country described in Chinese chronicles and the influence of Court Ladies. It also credits women with creating Kabuki and with poetic and literary achievements such as Akiko Yosano’s work.
- Townsend Harris’s ‘Geisha’, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The article recounts Townsend Harris’s 1856 arrival in Shimoda as America’s first consul general in Japan and the difficult treaty negotiations. It describes the Japanese selection of young women, including Okichi, to serve as a companion for Harris.
Incarceration & Redress
- Seattle calls off pilgrimage to Minidoka campsite, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Seattle JACL cancelled its October 13 Day of Remembrance pilgrimage to Minidoka after Idaho Nikkei objected to a plan to burn a replica guard tower. Dr. Minoru Masuda and chapter president Martin Matsudaira discussed the decision at a press conference.
JACL
- No Hill Too Steep!, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The 1980 JACL national convention in San Francisco, July 28 to August 1, will mark the organization’s 50th anniversary under the theme ‘No hill too steep.’ The host committee, chaired by John Yasumoto, expects redress and constitutional revision to be key issues.
- Hokoyama to cover MDC, by P.C. Staff, page 6. J.D. Hokoyama and Bill Yoshino will visit Midwest JACL chapters in early November as part of a membership drive. The tour continues to the Mile-Hi district meeting in Denver.
Military & Veterans
- Professional devotion of 30 yrs. as nurse marked, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Miyoko Enokida was honored in Monterey for completing 30 years as an obstetrics nurse at Community Hospital. Her career began during WWII when she worked at the Stockton Assembly Center hospital and later at Rohwer.
Arts & Entertainment
- Pacific Overtures, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The article announces a production of the musical Pacific Overtures by East West Players. Performances are scheduled Friday and Saturday at 8 PM and Sunday at 7:30 PM.
- Japan Today, by P.C. Staff, page 8. This roundup covers Japanese news including a sushi chain’s plans to open in Hawaii, debates over Concorde flights to Nagasaki, and growth of hang gliding clubs. It also notes Japan’s expansion of overseas schools.
Commentary
- The PC Years, by Harry K. Honda, page 4. Former editor Harry K. Honda reflects on his career at the Pacific Citizen after a tribute dinner in Los Angeles. He recalls prewar newspaper colleagues and the board chairs and staff who shaped the paper.
- Factors in Aging, by K. Patrick Okura, page 4. Dr. K. Patrick Okura examines the physical, social, and psychological changes that come with aging, drawing on research into life satisfaction and personality. He argues that cultural background shapes how Nisei adjust to aging and retirement.
- Retirees in Japan Rather Stay Put, by Nobuyuki Nakajima, page 4. Nakajima proposes building retirement communities in the United States for a million Japanese retirees. He argues that Japan’s rapidly changing, efficiency-driven society will not offer a familiar environment for retirees.
- Nisei: A Balanced Outlook?, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Marutani reflects on the labels of conservative and bigot, and argues that Nisei who have experienced both rural and urban life, poverty and wealth, and prejudice and success can develop a balanced socio-economic outlook.
- Translation Service Center’s role, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa describes his service on the American Advisory Committee of the Japan-United States Friendship Commission. He explains that the Translation Service Center seeks to balance the flow of information between Japan and the United States.
- With a Dash of ‘On’, by Kimi Tambara, page 6. Tambara argues that organizations like JACL depend on volunteerism and the Japanese concept of ‘on,’ a sense of appreciation and obligation. Without it, promises of bigger and better programs lose meaning.
- Japanese Retirees, Cleveland, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The article describes Hoosier JACL plans for an installation dinner and a membership drive pitch-in event. Details on tickets and speakers are included.
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