Vol. 89, No. 69, November 16, 1979. 8 pages. View this issue
A four-part NHK-TV drama, “Amerika Monogatari (Story of America),” led this eight-page issue. Mas Manbo reported from Tokyo that the series aired in prime time and drew high viewer ratings, following a Japanese picture bride and her family through three generations. Closer to home, Lloyd Hara won the Seattle city treasurer election, 63,450 votes to 56,178. JACL National President Clifford Uyeda answered a TV station’s questions about the Tehran hostages and rejected comparisons to the wartime incarceration.
Other pages cover Rep. Robert T. Matsui’s new House committee seat and efforts to raise money for a monument at the Puyallup fairgrounds, where about 7,000 Japanese Americans were detained in 1942. The Midwest District Council endorsed Operation ’80s, and a youth conference drew 55 JAYS. Columns by Bill Hosokawa, Harry Honda, Sachi Seko and Charles C. Kubokawa fill the commentary pages.
What’s in this issue
In-Depth
- NHK ‘Story of America’ Tells Drama of Issei-Nisei-Sansei, by By Mas Manbo, page 1. NHK-TV’s four-part series “Amerika Monogatari (Story of America)” aired in prime time in Japan and drew high viewer ratings. The drama follows a Japanese picture bride and her brother through three generations of Japanese American experience, including relocation and wartime discrimination.
National
- Hara Polls 63,000 to Win Treasurer Seat, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Lloyd Hara won the Seattle city treasurer election over assistant treasurer George Cooley, 63,450 to 56,178. Hara, a former King County auditor, had campaigned to end the “good ol’ boy” system and give voters a real choice.
- Nisei Know ‘First Hand’ Agonies of Hostages in Iran, by Special to The Pacific Citizen, page 1. JACL National President Clifford Uyeda responded to a local TV station’s question about harassment of Iranian students after the Tehran embassy seizure. Uyeda rejected comparisons to Japanese American wartime incarceration and urged release of the hostages.
- Wendy Yoshimura ‘Has Paid Her Penalty’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Peninsula Times Tribune editorialized that Wendy Yoshimura has served enough time for her 1975 arrest with Patricia Hearst. A parole board had voted 2 to 1 against extending her sentence.
Commentary
- Rep. Matsui Gains New Committee Seat, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Freshman Rep. Robert T. Matsui gave up his House Judiciary Committee seat for a position on the Interstate and Commerce Committee. The assignment is considered prized because the committee handles about half the bills in the House.
- AJC, by Clifford Uyeda, page 4. JACL President Clifford Uyeda reflects on the American Jewish Committee’s human rights award to Jacob Timerman and the moral courage of small groups. He argues JACL should assume leadership in fighting intolerance within its own sphere.
- Ye Editor’s Desk, by Harry Honda, page 4. Harry Honda profiles Chuck Kubokawa’s travels and describes the Japanese community in Mexico, including early Issei pioneer Tatsugoro Matsumoto. He also recounts early Japanese contact with Mexico at Acapulco in 1610.
- A Background Report: U.S.-Japan Friendship Act, by Charles C. Kubokawa, page 4. Charles Kubokawa, JACL International Relations chair, critiques the U.S.-Japan Friendship Act and its commission’s effectiveness. He argues Nikkei grassroots participation should be included and raises questions about overlapping membership and priorities.
- Let’s Get the Record Straight on David, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa clarifies that a newspaper item naming his nephew David Hosokawa as a publisher was mistakenly attributed to his own son. He describes David’s newspaper career and the family’s path into journalism.
- Pleasant Aspects of Provincialism, by Sachi Seko, page 5. Sachi Seko recalls the kindness of Salt Lake City friends and businesses after her father’s death. She reflects on how small towns allow people to show concern and continuity across generations.
- From Pacific Southwest: L.A. County Jail, by John J. Saito, page 6. John Saito describes his visit to the Los Angeles County Jail to assist an inmate who reported physical abuse and racial slurs by guards. He recounts the bureaucratic obstacles and his follow-up with the LAPD Asian Task Force.
- Recreational Pursuit, by Barry T. Saiki, page 8. Barry Saiki contrasts recreation in Japan with that in America, describing space limits, expensive golf, and the popularity of mahjong and pachinko parlors. He notes the large scale of pachinko businesses and their economic impact.
Community
- CCDC Confab Adds Workshop on Women’s Needs in Education, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Central California JACL District Convention in Fresno added a women’s workshop covering the state commission on women and an educational needs project for Asian/Pacific women. Rep. Robert Matsui was the featured Sunday banquet speaker.
- Funds Sought for Puyallup Plaque, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Efforts to erect a historical monument at the Western Washington Fairgrounds in Puyallup, where about 7,000 Japanese Americans were detained in 1942, have stalled for lack of funds. The state historical society has designated the site and fair directors have endorsed placing the monument inside the main gate.
- Seattle to Host JACL Convention Preview Visits, by George Kondo, page 2. George Kondo reports on his visit to the Watsonville JACL chapter, describing its history, its hall, and its community role. He notes the district council meeting there focused on constitutional revisions and recognized several members.
- Orbiting the Midwest to Minneapolis, by Bill Yoshino, page 2. Midwest regional director Bill Yoshino describes a multi-city chapter tour aimed at updating members on national JACL, promoting Operation ’80s, and hearing local concerns. He reports that Midwest chapters face distinct pressures and expect more active national staff leadership.
- Staff Job Open for JACL Study of Middle-Aged and Aging Nikkei, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Minoru Masuda received a federal three-year grant to study middle-aged and aging Nisei, and JACL is recruiting a research staff member. The position pays $13,000 a year plus benefits and requires interviewing and data collection experience.
- MDC Endorses ‘Operation ’80s’, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Midwest District Council endorsed National JACL’s Operation ’80s at its October meeting in Chicago. Delegates also discussed redress strategy, approved a budget for the MDC redress committee, and proposed constitutional changes.
- Midwest-Eastern District Youth Council Conference Draws 55 JAYS, by Joan Takata, page 6. Fifty-five JAYS from Midwest and Eastern chapters attended a four-day youth conference in the Twin Cities with team-building activities and workshops. Business meetings discussed reviving JAYS chapters and a coordinating committee for membership growth.
Arts & Entertainment
- ABC-TV’s ‘China Girl’ Segment Angers Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A Nisei woman protested the April 16 ABC-TV How the West Was Won segment “China Girl,” which she said stereotyped Chinese women and encouraged racism. She wrote letters to the sponsors’ presidents and urged a boycott of their products.
Military & Veterans
- Nissei Club Reunion Planned, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The prewar Nisei Club athletic group plans a 55th anniversary reunion over the 4th of July holidays in 1980. Details were to be set at a November 30 meeting in Berkeley.
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