Bette Uda honored, and the race for National JACL president

Vol. 90, No. 92, May 9, 1980. 8 pages. View this issue

The front page of this issue honored Bette Uda of Homedale, Idaho, a city council member and longtime Boise Valley JACLer, who received the Thomas Jefferson Award for Community Service and was named Treasure Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Outstanding Citizen of the Year. Alongside it, the paper reported on the coming National JACL elections: eight nominations ahead of the July convention in San Francisco, including Lillian C. Kimura, the first woman nominated for president, and Tom Shimasaki, nominated by Central California District. Jerry Enomoto’s dismissal from the California Dept. of Corrections drew rallies and a court ruling.

Inside are a tribute to the writer Toshio Mori, Clifford Uyeda on the Olympics, Ron Ikejiri on redress commission bills, and Bill Hosokawa on a Colorado legislative vote on redress. A poem by Mas F. Shono recalls Manzanar, and letters protest the planned Charlie Chan film. Chapter news and basketball results fill the later pages.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Long Overdue Honor Paid to Mother: Bette Uda Recognized by Boise Valley JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Bette Uda of Homedale, Idaho, a city council member and longtime Boise Valley JACLer, received the Thomas Jefferson Award for Community Service and was later named Treasure Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Outstanding Citizen of the Year. Her community work spans nearly 30 years, including scouting, PTA involvement, organizing a youth farm work crew, and leading recycling and beautification efforts.
• ‘Charlie Chan’ Film Challenged in San Francisco Chinatown, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Producer Jerry Sherlock was confronted in San Francisco’s Chinatown over plans to film ‘Charlie Chan and Curse of the Dragon Queen,’ with critics citing racial stereotyping and lack of Asian American role models. Peter Ustinov was cast as the Chinese detective.
• Oldest Nikkei Group in U.S. to Celebrate 95th Anniversary, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Christ United Presbyterian Church in San Francisco, the oldest Japanese organization in the United States, will celebrate its 95th anniversary May 16-18. The church was founded in 1885 following a petition from 12 Japanese residents, and the celebration includes an anniversary banquet at the Miyako Hotel.
• Diablo Valley Chapter Plans Spring and Summer Events, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Diablo Valley JACL announced upcoming events including a joint TV drama viewing with the Diablo Japanese Club, a Candidates-Issues Night, and a joint picnic with the Tri-Valley Chapter. The chapter will also participate in a Labor Day flea market event.
• San Jose JACL Redress Fund Reaches $1,962, by P.C. Staff, page 7. San Jose JACL acknowledged 281 contributions toward the redress fund totaling $1,962 as of April 12, with distributions made to National JACL and the American Testimonial fund. The chapter also held its sixth annual event with door prizes donated by local banks and companies.
• Stockton JACL to Discuss Proposition 9, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Stockton JACL’s upcoming meeting will feature speakers from both sides debating California’s Proposition 9, a June ballot measure to cut state income tax. The chapter also announced plans for its community picnic at Micke Grove, with recognition of a local student’s journalism award.
• Tri-Valley JACL to Host Community Kite Festival, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Tri-Valley JACL will sponsor a community kite festival at Shadow Cliffs in Pleasanton, with prizes for unique kite designs relating to Japanese culture. A kite-building session will precede the event at Walt Disney Elementary School.
• Uda’s City Government Style Marked by Resourcefulness, by P.C. Staff, page 7. This continuation of the Bette Uda profile details her unconventional approach to city government, including organizing scrap paper and aluminum drives to fund park improvements without depleting the city budget. The article notes her family’s milestones and her ongoing commitment to youth programs in Homedale, Idaho.
• Merit Savings Shows Growth, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Merit Savings and Loan Association in Los Angeles reported record growth with savings increasing by $2,819,000 to a March 31st total of $75,226,000. Chairman Bruce T. Kaji attributed the growth to a different savings profile among the institution’s depositors compared to industry trends.
• JACCC Welcomes Hiroshima Fund Raisers for Phase II Project, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Japanese American Cultural and Community Center will welcome fund raisers from Hiroshima at a luncheon at the Biltmore Hotel, acknowledging over $180,000 raised for the JACCC’s Phase II theater project. The fundraising effort was led by Tadayasu Yamaguchi of the Hiroshima Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

JACL

• Lillian Kimura First Woman to Bid for Nat’l JACL Presidency, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Lillian C. Kimura, a social work consultant and national YWCA regional director, became the first woman nominated for National JACL president. Her JACL career includes serving as Midwest district governor and chairing several national committees.
• Central Cal Nominates Tom Shimasaki, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Central California District nominated Tom Shimasaki of the Tulare County chapter for National JACL president for a second time. Shimasaki has a long record of JACL leadership including wartime National Board service and chairing national committees.
• Eight Nominated for National JACL Offices, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Eight candidates have been nominated for National JACL offices ahead of the July convention in San Francisco, including three for president. Grayce Uyehara, chairperson of the national nominations committee, announced the slate, which remains subject to realignment.

National

• Enomoto Supporters Ask Way to Resign, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Friends and supporters of Jerry Enomoto rallied in Los Angeles and San Francisco to protest his dismissal as director of the California Dept. of Corrections by Gov. Brown. Organizers demanded the resignation of Secretary Howard Way and raised funds for Enomoto’s legal appeal.
• Japan Support of U.S. Policy on Iran Assured, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Prime Minister Masayoshi Ohira made a brief 24-hour stopover in Washington, where President Carter assured Japan help securing oil supplies in exchange for Japan’s refusal to buy Iranian oil. The two leaders also signed a science-technology cooperation agreement and discussed the Iran hostage crisis.
• Enomoto Gains Support, Vacates Office After Court Ruling, by P.C. Staff, page 1. After a superior court ruled against his attempt to fight his ouster, Jerry Enomoto vacated his office but continued to gain support, including a letter of praise from U.S. District Judge Robert Takasugi. Asian American community leaders including Thomas Hsieh called the firing an insult and raised concerns about its impact on Asian morale in state government.

Military & Veterans

• Defense Language Institute Memorializes 3 MIS Grads, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Three buildings at the Presidio of Monterey’s Defense Language Institute were named in honor of Japanese American soldiers Yukitaka Mizutani, Frank Hachiya, and George Nakamura, all killed in action during World War II and posthumously awarded the Silver Star. The dedication ceremony included details of each soldier’s heroic actions in combat.

In-Depth

• Everyday Immortality: A Tribute to Toshio Mori, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Japanese American writer Toshio Mori died in April 1980, just six months after publishing his second short story collection, ‘The Chauvinist and Other Stories,’ through UCLA’s Asian American Studies Center. Born in Oakland in 1910, Mori spent decades writing about Japanese American gardeners, workers, and families, capturing their everyday struggles and joys across generations.
• A Legacy of Asian and Japanese American History and Literature, by P.C. Staff, page 3. UCLA’s Asian American Studies Center, established in 1971, has published numerous anthologies and works documenting Asian American history and experience, including ‘Roots’ and ‘Letters in Exile.’ The article highlights the center’s mission to support critical scholarship on Asian American history, language, and culture.
• A Decade of ‘Amerasia Journal’, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Since 1971, Amerasia Journal has published scholarly articles on Japanese American and Asian American history and literature, including pieces by Yuji Ichioka and Clifford Uyeda. The Spring 1980 issue is a tribute to the late Toshio Mori, featuring a major interview conducted shortly before his death.

Commentary

• Olympics, by Clifford Uyeda, page 4. National JACL President Clifford Uyeda writes about his opposition to boycotting the 1980 Olympics in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, arguing the Olympics serve as a vital channel of communication between adversarial nations. He cites historical precedent, including U.S. participation in the 1936 Berlin Olympics and the Jesse Owens story, as evidence that Olympic participation doesn’t imply political endorsement.
• Got a Friend, by Ron Ikejiri, page 4. Washington JACL representative Ron Ikejiri reports on progress securing congressional sponsorship for Redress Commission bills S1647 and HR5199, noting support concentrated in areas with high Japanese American population density. He urges readers to reach out to friends and contacts in underrepresented regions like the Midwest and South to build broader support.
• Letter: Judge Marutani, by M. Yamanaka Iseke, page 4. A reader writes humorously about a photo of a judge appearing in the Pacific Citizen, noting judges’ tendency toward vanity while complimenting the subject’s distinguished appearance. The letter is lighthearted in tone, referencing Mt. Olympus and judicial dignity.
• Manzanar Trek, by Mas F. Shono, page 4. A short poem reflecting on the Manzanar incarceration camp, evoking imagery of desert wind, dance, and remembrance of souls from the camp era. The poem is dated April 26, 1980.
• Letter: Charlie Chan Haunts, by Sumi Haru, page 4. Sumi Haru, president of an Asian Pacific American organization, writes a detailed letter protesting the planned ‘Charlie Chan in the Curse of the Dragon Queen’ film, criticizing the casting of white actors in Asian roles and citing prior failed attempts to revive the character. The letter lists specific objections to the stereotype and calls for letters of protest to the producer.
• Springtime Call for Hoe & Spade, by Sachi Seko, page 4. In this personal column, Sachi Seko humorously describes the annual springtime tension with her husband over ambitious gardening and landscaping projects at their home. She recounts the previous year’s major yard renovation involving removing tree roots, trucking in topsoil, and building a new patio.
• Colorado Legislature Cooled to Redress, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa recounts how a Colorado legislative resolution endorsing JACL’s redress commission proposal sparked heated debate and was ultimately voted down 37-20, largely along party lines. He analyzes the political dynamics behind the vote, noting that lingering guilt about the Evacuation made some legislators defensive, and cautions JACL to be strategic about who introduces such resolutions.

Arts & Entertainment

• Usuzumi no Sakura: The Film, by Jin Konomi, page 5. Columnist Jin Konomi describes the documentary film ‘Usuzumi no Sakura’ by acclaimed Japanese director Sumiko Haneda, which took over a decade to complete as a tribute to a famous ancient cherry tree and to the filmmaker’s late sister. The author, a relative of Haneda, shares behind-the-scenes details about the film’s creation despite not having seen it himself.
• Asian American Theater Company Premieres ‘The Avocado Kid’, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Asian American Theater Company is premiering ‘The Avocado Kid or Zen in the Art of Guacamole,’ a musical by Philip Kan Gotanda, at the Chinese Culture Center in San Francisco. The production features staging arranged by Robert Kikuchi-Yngojo.

Sports

• El Cerrito Rainbows Upset Imperials for WAU Basketball Title, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The El Cerrito Rainbows won the WAU basketball championship by upsetting the defending champion Imperials 61-56, with center Dana Hayakawa named most valuable player. Contra Costa also won the third annual JACL Boys High School invitational basketball tournament in overtime against Sacramento JACL.

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