Charles Kamayatsu remembered, plus the JACL convention ahead

Vol. 90, No. 99, June 27, 1980. 12 pages. View this issue

The front page of this issue remembered Charles Kamayatsu, the Nisei pioneer and Little Tokyo fixture who died June 17, and Harry K. Honda’s tribute on page 2 reproduces photos from his albums. The front page also carried news of a year-long survey that identified 107 Japanese American historic sites across California, Supervisor Richard Yoshikawa’s move to a November runoff in San Joaquin County, and the first part of Jin Konomi’s account of Joe Koide and the WWII psychological warfare unit called Project Green.

Looking ahead to the Golden Anniversary National Convention in San Francisco, the paper printed the council agenda, registration news, a fashion show by designer Yuki Torii and a workshop on Nikkei in Japan, Canada and Mexico. The commentary pages covered the treatment of Iranian students, Bill Hosokawa’s columns, and a letter questioning JACL’s accounting. The paper also announced that it would move to a 45-issue year.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Nikkei Historic Sites Survey Completed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. California’s Office of Historic Preservation received the final submittal of a year-long survey identifying historically significant Japanese American sites across the state. The 107 sites include pioneer settlements, schools, churches, and businesses reflecting Issei and Nisei community history.
• Supervisor Yoshikawa Heads to November Runoff, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Stockton Supervisor Richard Yoshikawa won the most votes in the June 3 primary for his first district seat on the San Joaquin county board of supervisors but fell short of a majority. He will face runner-up Jack Clayton in the November election.
• NW Area Hibakusha Await Test Results, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Fifteen survivors of the Hiroshima atomic bomb living in the Pacific Northwest await results of a comprehensive medical exam conducted by a Los Angeles medical team led by Dr. Takashi Makinodan. The exams were arranged through Seattle JACL’s A-Bomb Survivors Committee.
• Hibakusha Travel Grantees Announced, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Hiroshima International Cultural Foundation announced summer travel grants for three U.S. journalists. Applications for the next travel grant program are due in January 1981.
• Census Wrangle Involves Nisei Mgr., by P.C. Staff, page 7. A leak to a San Francisco Examiner columnist revealed that Mayor Dianne Feinstein filled out her census form with a ballpoint pen instead of pencil, raising confidentiality concerns. Nisei district manager Richard Takei confirmed an investigation into the leak is ongoing.
• Pan Asian Picks Nisei Week Aspirant, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Eighteen-year-old Leslie Kimi Kawai was crowned Pan Asian JACL’s 1980 representative in the Nisei Week Queen Pageant at a reception at the Grand Star Restaurant. A graduate of Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, she plans to attend Pasadena City College to pursue a career in performing arts.
• Eden Township Senior Achievement Awards Presented, by P.C. Staff, page 10. The eighth annual Eden Township JACL Senior Achievement Awards were presented at a potluck dinner on May 17, honoring several graduating high school students with scholarships. Assemblyman S. Floyd Mori was the main speaker at the event.
• West Valley JACL Awards Scholarships to Two Graduates, by P.C. Staff, page 10. West Valley JACL selected Mona Jane Nakashima and Heidi Hitomi, both graduating with strong academic records, to receive $200 scholarships. Nakashima will attend UC Berkeley while Hitomi will study Physical Therapy at CSU-Long Beach.
• Omaha JACLers Participate in Ethnic Fair, by P.C. Staff, page 11. The Omaha JACL joined 29 other ethnic groups in the fifth annual Ethnic Festival on June 7-8, selling Japanese food and providing entertainment including bon odori dances and tea ceremony demonstrations. More than 25,000 people attended the two-day event.
• Government: Hiyama Named Resource Panelist, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Frank Hiyama, a bridge engineer for the California Department of Transportation and longtime Sacramento JACLer, was named resource panelist for the 1980 National Rail-Highway Crossing Safety Conference. He reported that railroad crossing accidents in California have declined significantly under his direction’s grade crossing safety program.
• Sacramento Nisei Golf Club Hosts Annual Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Eighty twosomes played in the annual 36-hole Sacramento Nisei Golf Club tournament at Rancho Murrietta, concluding with a Sunday banquet at the clubhouse. Sid Sawamura chaired the event, with out-of-towners housed at Cordova Lodge.

National

• Tiltmeter Placed in an Out-House, by P.C. Staff, page 1. USGS scientist Andrew Okamura used a women’s outhouse at Timberline to monitor Mt. St. Helens before its major May 18 eruption using tiltmeters. The instrument near the volcano was destroyed, but he continues tracking seven others placed around the mountain.
• Bilingual Voting Went Smoothly, by P.C. Staff, page 1. San Francisco’s compliance with the bilingual voting law at the June 3 primaries drew no complaints, a marked improvement over the previous November election when the city violated the statute. Officials noted strong participation in Chinese and Spanish-language precincts.
• Nikkei Named Deputy Director in Federal Job Compliance Post, by P.C. Staff, page 6. John Yuasa has been named deputy director of the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. A former Peace Corps volunteer and EEO investigator, he serves as a board member of the Washington, D.C. JACL chapter.
• Pacific Citizen Moving to 45-Issue Format, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Starting the first week of July, the Pacific Citizen will reduce its publication frequency from 50 to 45 issues per year to control costs amid rising printing and mail expenses. Five issues this summer will run biweekly with expanded 12-page formats.
• Japanese Still High on Isles as Tourist Spot, by P.C. Staff, page 12. Despite pessimism about overall foreign travel from Japan in 1980 due to rising air fares and economic factors, Tetsuya Moritani of a Tokyo travel trade paper noted that Hawaii remains a feasible destination for many Japanese tourists. Hawaii ranked third in destinations for the 577,500 Japanese visitors last year.
• State VFW Awards Bannai Medal of Commendation, by P.C. Staff, page 12. A state VFW organization awarded a medal of commendation recognizing legislative efforts on issues of basic concern to veterans. The recipient was honored for work benefiting veterans’ welfare.
• Japan Today: Baishakunin, Pickpocket, Quintuplets, and More, by P.C. Staff, page 12. A roundup of brief news items from Japan covers wedding go-between ‘rewards,’ a retiring 85-year-old pickpocket arrested for the 18th time, the survival of Japan’s second set of quintuplets, and plans to treat Korean A-bomb victims at Hiroshima’s Atomic Bomb Hospital. It also notes a truck driver’s claim to found cash in Ginza and comparative work-hour statistics between Japan and the U.S.
• Drinking Habits, Attitudes Among Asian/Pacifics Eyed, by P.C. Staff, page 12. UCLA Professor Dr. Harry Kitano received a two-year grant from the National Institute of Alcohol and Alcohol Abuse to study alcohol consumption attitudes among Pacific/Asian Americans. The study will interview Japanese and Chinese residents in its first year, followed by Korean, Filipino, and other Pacific Island groups in the second.

Incarceration & Redress

• Remembrances of Joe Koide, by Jin Konomi, page 1. A reminiscence of Joe Koide, leader of a WWII psychological warfare unit called Project Green composed of Japanese Americans, recounts the unit’s formation at Collingwood, Virginia in 1944. The piece details the challenges of producing propaganda materials and Koide’s influential leadership.
• Remembrances of Joe Koide (continued), by Jin Konomi, page 8. The continuation of the Project Green narrative details internal struggles over propaganda tactics, including Joe Koide’s opposition to ‘black propaganda’ and his advocacy for Japanese staff autonomy and trust. Koide’s five-page opinion argued for shifting from psychological warfare to promoting democratic ideas as the war neared its end.

Commentary

• ‘Gambaru, Gaman’ Good for America, by From the Fresno Bee, page 1. Bill Hosokawa, editor of the Denver Post’s editorial page, told a Fresno audience that Americans should adopt Japanese concepts of ‘gambaru’ (hang tough) and ‘gaman’ (perseverance) to address the nation’s problems. He discussed his internment experience, journalism career, and views on the 1980 presidential candidates.
• Don’t Blame the Irani-Americans, page 3. An editorial criticizes the hounding of Iranian students and residents in America, drawing parallels to historical discrimination against Issei under alien land laws and the snubbing of Japanese Americans like Justice John F. Aiso. It argues that anger at the Ayatollah Khomeini should not be directed at legally present Iranians in America.
• What Happened to the $130,000?, page 4. A letter questions JACL’s lack of transparency regarding controversies surrounding the selection and departure of the last two National Directors, David Ushio and Karl Nobuyuki, and the costs involved. The writer calls for the Pacific Citizen to provide a full accounting to members of expenses related to these issues.
• Rape Victims in Asia, by Chizuko Crocker, page 4. A letter responds to a previous statement that rape is a product of Euro-American culture, describing the writer’s firsthand experience with sexual exploitation of Japanese office girls by occupational forces after WWII. The writer argues that both Japanese and American men were perpetrators of such abuses during wartime and occupation.
• JACL Raps U.S. Policy at Select Immigration Hearing, by P.C. Staff, page 4. At a hearing in San Francisco, JACL President Clifford Uyeda delivered a statement opposing the singling out of Iranian students for deportation hearings, drawing on the historical lesson of Japanese American internment. The immigration commission, which included Rose Matsui Ochi, is expected to submit policy recommendations in March.
• A Foolish Dalliance, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Columnist Bill Hosokawa explores his fascination with the concept of ‘samurai mystique’ as a potential book title, examining why the samurai archetype holds such powerful appeal in American imagination. He ultimately concludes the concept is too elusive to pin down and abandons the pursuit.
• A Foolish Dalliance (East Wind), by Bill Marutani, page 4. Columnist Bill Marutani reflects on his decades-long friendship with his dentist, a German American WWII veteran whom he considers a ‘thinking conservative.’ Despite philosophical differences, the two share mutual respect and similar immigrant-family values about the need for societal change.
• An Ancient Chinese Virtue: Human Rights, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa recounts a conversation with Chinese journalist Jimmy Wei about the difference between American and Chinese concepts of human rights, contrasting the American emphasis on fighting for rights with the Chinese concept of ‘jen lung,’ or mutual accommodation and tolerance. He suggests this may explain generational differences between the ‘quiet’ Nisei and more assertive Sansei.
• By the Board: Other Changes, by Floyd Shimomura, page 5. Shimomura summarizes additional minor but significant changes proposed in the revised JACL Constitution, including updated purposes, membership flexibility, and defined duties for officers and committees. He commends the Constitutional Revision Committee for their work ahead of the National Convention vote.
• How to Fight the Hakujin Bigot, by Nobuyuki Nakajima, page 6. The author recounts a conversation with an educated, seemingly friendly acquaintance who made a shockingly prejudiced remark equating interracial marriage with historical atrocities. He argues that exposing individual bigots’ backgrounds matters less than recognizing that prejudice pervades mainstream America, not just fringe hate groups.
• Chiaroscuro: The Nikkei in Peru, by Dr. Luis Kobashi, page 8. Dr. Luis Kobashi, a Peruvian Nisei, traces the history of the first Japanese immigrants to Peru beginning April 3, 1899, detailing their hardships and eventual economic and social success. He highlights notable Nisei and Sansei achievements in Peru across professions, arts, and sports.
• Invisible Handicapped, by John J. Saito, page 10. Saito reflects on his experience drafting a non-discrimination policy for handicapped persons within LA County government, noting that the deaf and mute community is often overlooked compared to wheelchair users and the blind. He raises concern that deaf Nikkei individuals may face a double burden of disability and cultural constraints.

Obituaries

• Selected ‘Scraps’ from Kamayatsu’s Memorabilia, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. A tribute to Charles Kamayatsu, a longtime JACL booster and Little Tokyo fixture who died June 17 at age 77, featuring selected photos from his personal albums spanning decades. The piece traces his involvement in Boy Scouts, baseball, JACL conventions, and community theater in pre-Evacuation Little Tokyo.
• Lingo Kimura, Former 49ers Head Trainer, Dies, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Lingo Kimura, 56, former head trainer for the San Francisco 49ers and director of the athletic training program at San Jose State, died June 3 of kidney failure. A 442nd veteran and San Jose native, he was elected to the National Athletic Trainers Hall of Fame in 1974.

Arts & Entertainment

• Chinatown Chinese: New Dialect Evolves, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Spring 1980 issue of Amerasia Journal focuses on Asian American literature and language, featuring a study by Lorraine Dong and Marlon Hom on the evolution of ‘Chinatown Chinese’ dialect among early Chinese immigrants. The issue also includes essays on Chinese American writers and an interview with pioneer writer Toshio Mori.
• Six or Seven Talents: Gotanda, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Playwright Philip Kan Gotanda, born in 1949, has pursued diverse interests including ceramics, experimental therapy, and law, earning degrees from UC Santa Barbara and Hastings College of Law. His plays, including ‘The Avocado Kid or Zen in the Art of Guacomole’ and ‘Song for a Nisei Fisherman,’ have been produced by East West Players and the Asian American Theater Program.
• Yuki Torii’s Paris Collection in U.S. Debut at JACL Event, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Japanese fashion designer Yuki Torii will present her Paris Collection for the first time in the United States at the National JACL luncheon on Wednesday, July 31 in San Francisco. Known for blending traditional Japanese elements with international styles, her designs have been popular in Japan and Europe since the 1970s.
• NHK-TV Story on Nisei GI, JACL Next, by P.C. Staff, page 12. NHK-TV program director Shin Matsuo is preparing a new documentary series titled ‘Nisei Soldier’ following his widely acclaimed ‘Amerika Monogatari’ series. He visited JACL Headquarters and the Pacific Citizen seeking historic material after recording the dedication of Defense Language Institute buildings honoring three Nisei combat intelligence men killed in WWII.

JACL

• Satow Fund Nears $40,000 Plateau, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Mas & Chiz Satow Memorial Fund reached a total of $39,944.24 as of June 1, according to treasurer Tad Hirota. Recent donors include individuals and JACL chapters from across the country.
• Past Presidents, by Clifford Uyeda, page 4. National JACL President Clifford Uyeda reflects on the challenges and rewards of serving as president, ahead of a gathering of twelve living past presidents at the Golden Anniversary National Convention. He emphasizes the dedication of volunteers who form the heart of the organization.
• Convention Agenda and Council Session Schedule, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A detailed preliminary agenda and schedule for the National JACL Council sessions at the upcoming convention in San Francisco was released, covering business sessions, constitutional revision debates, and elections from July 28 to Aug. 1. There are 110 chapters on the rolls, six more than at the 1978 convention.
• Convention Fever Starts, Registrations Pouring In, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Reservations for the National JACL Convention in San Francisco are pouring in, with major events including a Sayonara Ball featuring Sen. Daniel Inouye, an Awards Luncheon, and a fashion show by designer Yuki Torii. Various tours, tournaments, and the 1000 Club Whing Ding are also planned for conventioneers.
• ‘Nikkei International’ Scope of Wednesday A.M. Workshop, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A JACL Convention workshop panel will feature Nikkei leaders from Japan, Canada, and Mexico discussing international relations, moderated by Charles Kubokawa. The session aims to broaden awareness of international Nikkei perspectives and foster mutual understanding across countries.

Sports

• Perfect Pair: Imai Brothers Both Bowl 300 Games, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Hit Imai and his younger brother George, the only two bowlers living in Hood River, Oregon with perfect 300 games, achieved their feats years apart at different venues. Hit scored his 18 years ago while George bowled his during a Nisei tournament in February.
• Joe Nagata of LSU Fame Caps 30 Years of Football Career, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Joe Nagata, 54, was named citizen of the year for 1978 at Eunice, Louisiana, capping a 30-year football career that began as a player at LSU in the early 1940s and continued through decades of coaching. He retired in 1973 but returned to build an athletic program at St. Edmund’s Catholic High School.

Military & Veterans

• 15 Nikkei Cadets Graduate West Point, by P.C. Staff, page 12. Fifteen Japanese American cadets graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point this year. The item is part of a broader roundup of military and community news notes.

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