Wendy Tokuda in Placer County, and a JACL debate over Years of Infamy

Vol. 91, No. 18, December 5, 1980. 8 pages. View this issue

Wendy Tokuda of KPIX-TV Channel 5 led the front page, speaking to about 200 people at the Placer County JACL’s 40th annual Goodwill Dinner about how television news is gathered, packaged and aired on a tight schedule. The commentary pages turned to a dispute over JACL’s Senate testimony and Michi Weglyn’s book Years of Infamy, with views from Michi Weglyn, Bill Hosokawa, Bill Marutani and Bruce K. Shimizu. The front page also reported on a California task force proposed to screen textbooks for racism, and on the Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy deciding to meet mostly in private.

News from the organization included seven candidates for national director, the closing of the Yamada-Okubo fund, and new rules for chartering chapters. Elsewhere are Canadian debate over the wartime incarceration of Japanese Canadians, Jin Konomi on the Hepburn romanization system, and a look back at the paper 35 years earlier.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Wendy Tokuda Shows & Tells How News Hits Your TV Tube, by Roy Yoshida, page 1. Wendy Tokuda of KPIX-TV Channel 5 spoke at Placer County JACL’s 40th annual Goodwill Dinner about the behind-the-scenes process of gathering, packaging and airing television news under tight deadlines. The event drew about 200 attendees including local officials, state legislators, and JACL members, with Chapter President Alfred Nitta welcoming guests and various county dignitaries in attendance.’},{
• Fuji Towers Names New Manager, page 1. Fuji Towers in San Jose appointed Luther Ogawa as its new general manager, succeeding the late Sam Teshima, the facility’s first manager who passed away. Ogawa is a career Army civilian who served in Tokyo and later worked in billeting and hotel accounting roles.
• SLC Senior Center Ready for Occupants, page 2. The Multi-Ethnic Senior Citizens Center in Salt Lake City, managed by Danville Development Management, is scheduled to open in January with a two-story structure of apartment units including facilities for the handicapped. Qualified Japanese Americans are urged to apply for the HUD-funded housing.
• Neighbors Pitch in to Clean Up Graffiti Off Buddhist Temple, page 2. After rival gang graffiti was scrawled on the Chicago Buddhist Temple, a coalition of neighborhood groups including members of the Jesus People Sect donated materials and volunteered to remove the paint. Community activist Arnie Owens led the cleanup effort, telling the temple’s minister that the neighborhood wanted to keep the Buddhists as good neighbors.
• $12,000 More Needed to Earn $25,000 in Matching Funds for Terminal Island Film, page 3. California First Bank donated $1,000 to ‘The Terminal Island Story,’ a documentary film project about the Japanese fishing community dismantled in 1942, becoming the first corporation to contribute. The JACL and filmmakers have until Dec. 31 to raise $12,000 more to match a $25,000 grant from the California Council for the Humanities.
• Stockton JACL Gearing for 50th, page 6. Stockton JACL announced plans for its 50th anniversary celebration on Saturday, Feb. 21, with details to be announced by chapter president Ruby T. Dobana. The chapter’s annual Christmas party and Keiro-Kai potluck dinner will be held Dec. 20 at the Buddhist Temple social hall.
• Chapter Pulse, page 6. This roundup covers various JACL chapter news including Contra Costa’s installation dinner featuring John Shinagawa, Diablo Valley’s installation dinner with guest speaker UC Regent Yori Wada, and Houston’s Christmas barbecue party. Other items include Lake Washington JACL’s new chapter installation, Monterey Peninsula’s Issei Kai bonenkai, Selanoco’s installation dinner featuring actor Brian Tochi, Watsonville’s installation dinner with speaker John Tateishi, and West Los Angeles JACL Auxiliary’s dinner-election.
• Placer County JACL Dinner Draws Local Officials, page 6. Continuing coverage of the Placer County JACL Goodwill Dinner notes additional attendees including JACL National Legal Counsel Frank Iwama, chapter presidents from Florin, Reno, and Sacramento chapters, and surprise guests from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Furuta Royal Florist provided orchid corsages and Gary and Maureen Miyamura provided musical entertainment.
• Courtroom, Book, Education, and Honors Briefs, page 7. This roundup covers community achievements including Lester Yoshio Moroye’s election as president of the Colorado Association of Probation Officers, author Lee Ruttle’s novel translated into Japanese, Ken Hashimoto’s promotion at Wright State University, and Saddie Nishitani’s appointment as school superintendent in Contra Costa County. Also noted is Wesley Sasaki’s performance bonus from the U.S. Dept. of Interior.

National

• Task Force Proposed to Spot Textbooks for Racism, page 1. The California State Board of Education heard testimony from over 90 representatives, including JACL’s acting national director J.D. Hokoyama, about continuing to screen public school materials for racist and sexist content. The board rejected a proposed random sampling method but is considering forming a task force to find a more economical screening approach, while speakers criticized the board for allowing only five of 70 signed witnesses to speak.
• Final Immigration Panel Decides to Meet Privately, page 1. The Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy announced its final sessions would be held mostly in private at a Virginia resort, citing national security concerns, drawing criticism from groups like Zero Population Growth and the American Bar Association. Tom Surh, the lone Asian American staff member, was forced to resign and alleged that minority staff were being eliminated from writing the commission’s final report, fearing it would misrepresent Asian American communities.
• Yoshino Wins Loyola-Chicago Alumni Award, page 1. John Y. Yoshino, director of the external youth opportunity program at the U.S. Dept. of Transportation, received the Founders’ Day Alumni Award from Loyola University of Chicago for his civil rights work. Yoshino, who was incarcerated at Central Utah during WWII and served in the Military Intelligence Service, has had a distinguished 25-year career in government civil rights work.
• 1st Asian Named to L.A. School Board, page 1. The Los Angeles Board of Education appointed an Asian American member in a Nov. 24 decision related to bilingual education policy. The appointment came amid board debates over busing and desegregation efforts.
• Matsunaga, Hayakawa Want Election Reports Equalized, page 2. Senators proposed several bills to equalize poll closing times and election reporting after President Carter’s early concession speech was seen as discouraging Western voters from going to the polls in 1980. Proposals included staggered closing times, uniform closing times, and holding results until all polls nationwide had closed.
• Micronesian State Palau Moves Toward Semi-Independence, page 2. The Republic of Palau initialed an agreement to become semi-independent like two other Micronesian states, the Marshall Islands and Federated States of Micronesia, in a new political relationship with the U.S. The Northern Mariana Islands will instead assume commonwealth status similar to Puerto Rico.

Incarceration & Redress

• Canadians Recall Evacuation in Debate of Constitution, page 1. Canadian Multiculturalism Minister James Fleming cited the WWII incarceration of Japanese Canadians as an example of historical rights violations during a parliamentary debate on entrenching a charter of rights in Canada’s constitution. Fleming argued that only entrenched rights could protect minorities from the whims of political majorities.
• 35 Years Ago in the Pacific Citizen, page 5. This historical recap covers events from December 1945 including Canadian deportation plans for Issei repatriates, Nisei GIs serving in occupied Japan, discrimination faced by returning evacuees, and the Distinguished Service Cross posthumously awarded to Sgt. Kazuo Masuda. It also notes California’s attempts to escheat Japanese American property under the Alien Land Law and the difficult conditions faced by repatriates arriving in Japan.

Sports

• Zen Buddhist Approach to Basketball: Coach Yagi’s Team Hasn’t Gotten a Technical Foul in Seven Years, page 3. University of Hawaii-Hilo basketball coach Jimmy Yagi has maintained a calm, controlled coaching philosophy rooted in Zen Buddhist mind control principles, resulting in his team avoiding technical fouls for seven years. Yagi takes players on meditation retreats and emphasizes mental visualization techniques, earning him recognition from sports writers as an anomaly in the high-emotion world of basketball.

Commentary

• JACL Sweepstakes, page 4. The 1980 JACL Sweepstakes fundraising program fell short of its $250,000 goal but still netted $35,113 for the organization, helping cover operating costs for the Pacific Citizen and national payroll. The author defends the sweepstakes approach against members who called it improper, arguing similar future efforts need full organizational support.
• JACL of 1942, by Bruce K. Shimizu, page 4. A letter writer recounts his grandfather’s experience as a JACL member during the WWII evacuation, describing how the organization chose to cooperate with the government to ensure an orderly evacuation rather than risk violent confrontation. The writer criticizes current attacks on JACL for its historical positions, arguing people should have full knowledge of the facts before accusing the organization of wrongdoing.
• Years of Infamy, by Michi Weglyn, page 4. Michi Weglyn responds to criticism over her objections to JACL’s plagiarism of her book in Senate testimony, defending her decision to send memos to prominent individuals and criticizing the Pacific Citizen for not printing Dr. Bob Suzuki’s letter in full. She calls for JACL to redirect grant money toward compensating playwrights Wakako Yamauchi and Momoko Iko for separate grievances.
• Nicholas, Our Little Brother, by Sachi Seko, page 4. In this personal essay, the author humorously recounts the mixed reactions to her family’s decision to adopt a dog named Nicholas after her adult son requested a sibling. She reflects on watching him mature and age, comparing the bittersweet feeling to watching children grow up.
• ‘Seppuku’ or 25,000 Copies, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa discusses the controversy over JACL’s inadvertent plagiarism of Michi Weglyn’s book ‘Years of Infamy’ in Senate testimony, noting that JACL apologized and pledged corrections after the error was discovered. He suggests with dry humor that demands for retribution have gone overboard, comparing the criticism to continuing to punish an already contrite party.
• From the Bleachers, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Bill Marutani reflects on the challenges of JACL national presidency, arguing that while members should offer constructive criticism, they should also be tolerant of mistakes made by leadership acting in good faith. He praises the current administration of Dr. Jim Tsujimura for building on the foundation laid by former president Dr. Clifford Uyeda.
• Hebon Sensei and Hebon Shiki, by Jin Konomi, page 5. This column explores the history of James Curtis Hepburn’s pioneering Japanese-English dictionary and the romanization system named after him, known as Hebon shiki. The author critiques the system’s limitations regarding consonants and criticizes common transliteration errors made by students and teachers of Japanese.
• Affirmation and Reaffirmation, by Robert Kono, page 8. Robert Kono continues his exploration of Japanese Americanism, discussing how the Issei, Nisei and Sansei generations have affirmed belief in American ideals despite the trauma of WWII incarceration. He connects this patience and rationality to the ongoing redress movement, framing it as a form of collective psychic healing for the community.
• Passing Through Japan, by Barry Saiki, page 8. Barry Saiki recounts various visits and reunions with Japanese American friends and acquaintances passing through Tokyo, including Sam Uchiumi, Frank Kasama, and a Buddhist Convention delegation from Chicago. He also notes a JACL meeting panel discussion featuring prewar Japan arrivals like Sen Nishiyama of Sony and Kei Tateishi of AP.

JACL

• Yamada-Okubo Fund Closed, page 6. The Yamada-Okubo legal defense fund, established after a 1970 incident at the National JACL Convention, was closed following a $115,000 settlement awarded to the families involved in November 1979. The fund collected $11,488 against $15,555 in total expenses, with National JACL covering the $4,067 deficit, and the families donated $5,000 back to JACL.
• JACL Director Candidates, page 6. Seven candidates are applying for the National Board appointment as national director: J.D. Hokoyama, Ron Shibata, Anne H. Takemoto, John Tani, John Tateishi, Ron Wakabayashi and Stanley Yamamoto. A search committee will rank resumes and interview selected applicants before submitting recommendations to the National Board in early 1981.
• Chapter Charters, page 6. Under new JACL Bylaws adopted at the July 1980 National Convention, new chapters can now be chartered by the National Board without going through the full National Council process. District governors were asked to submit names of chapters needing official chartering for consideration at the next Board meeting in January 1981.

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