Vol. 90, No. 95, May 30, 1980. 8 pages. View this issue
The front page carried the resignation of Karl Nobuyuki as JACL national director, effective June 1. President Clifford Uyeda cited irreconcilable views on management policies, and the personnel committee, chaired by Ben Takeshita, began a search for a successor. The same page reported that the Senate unanimously passed S1647, introduced by Sen. Daniel Inouye, to set up a commission reviewing the World War II incarceration (often called internment) of Japanese Americans under Executive Order 9066. It now moved to the House, where HR 5499 had 147 sponsors.
Inside are two commentaries on the redress campaign and JACL’s constitution: John Tateishi on redress endorsements and Floyd Shimomura on the National Council. Bill Hosokawa reviewed Shelley Mydans’ novel The Vermilion Bridge, and Bill Marutani wrote about life in a Jewish neighborhood of Philadelphia. Also found are the paper’s move to 45 issues a year, chapter news, and 1980 CCDC scholarship winners.
What’s in this issue
JACL
- Nobuyuki Resigning Over Management Views, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL national director Karl Nobuyuki resigned effective June 1 following a National Executive Committee meeting, with President Clifford Uyeda citing irreconcilable views on management policies. The personnel committee, chaired by Ben Takeshita, will begin searching for a successor subject to ratification by the National Council.
- PSWDC to Assist JAYS Confab, page 3. The Pacific Southwest District Council voted to allocate $900 toward chartering a bus for 45 youths attending the National JAYS Conference July 22-27 at CSU-Sacramento. Youth will pay a $10 round-trip fare, with sign-ups handled through the PSW regional office.
- Constitutional Revisions: National Council Function, by Floyd Shimomura, page 5. Floyd Shimomura outlines the proposed constitutional role of the National Council as JACL’s supreme legislative body, detailing its powers to adopt a biennial ‘Program for Action,’ elect national officers, approve budgets, and amend the constitution. The Constitutional Revision Committee also recommends giving District Youth Councils a vote to offset youth’s loss of voting power on the National Board.
- 5th Floor Flies, by Harry K. Honda, page 6. A humorous account describes a fly infestation at JACL National Headquarters and Pacific Citizen offices in Los Angeles, caused by windows being opened for ventilation since air conditioning is shut off overnight. The author jokes about losing a fly turf battle with staffer Mary Imon, who opened her windows first.
- Nat’l Membership at 75%, page 6. JACL membership figures as of April 30 showed 75% (22,540) of last year’s total 30,036 members had renewed for 1980, roughly on pace with the prior year’s renewal rate. About 30 chapters were cited for exceeding their previous year’s total, earning ‘honor roll’ status, including Carson, Hollywood, and Riverside.
Incarceration & Redress
- Senate Passes S1647 Bill Unanimously, page 1. The Senate unanimously passed S1647, introduced by Sen. Daniel Inouye and supported by JACL, to establish a commission reviewing the Evacuation and internment of over 120,000 Japanese Americans under Executive Order 9066. The measure, which also covers relocated Aleut citizens, now moves to the House where a companion bill, HR 5499, has 147 sponsors.
National
- Pacific Citizen Moving to 45-Issue Format, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Starting in July, the Pacific Citizen will reduce its publishing frequency from 50 to 45 issues per year to stay within budget without raising subscriber or advertiser rates. The paper detailed a revised summer deadline and printing schedule while noting its office will remain open as usual.
- Judge Marutani Pay Raise Rule Upheld, page 1. A three-judge court affirmed Judge William Marutani’s ruling that invalidated a quarter-million dollar pay raise approved by Philadelphia’s City Council and then-Mayor Frank Rizzo. The decision affected 26 city officials and is expected to eventually reach the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
- U.S. Must Wipe Out Waste: Sato, page 3. Inspector General Frank S. Sato of the U.S. Dept. of Transportation told San Diego accountants that eliminating waste and restoring public trust in government are vital to solving the nation’s complex issues. Sato said he has not seen much fraud in DOT but suspects more exists in social programs due to the large number of individuals involved.
- Robert Matsumoto Case: Nisei Continues Fight Against Bias Charge, page 3. Bakersfield builder Robert Matsumoto has fought a discrimination complaint filed by a Black home buyer, with an Administrative Law Judge ruling in his favor in November 1979 after finding no discriminatory acts. Despite this, California Real Estate Commissioner David Fox rejected the judge’s findings and decided to rule on the case himself without explanation.
Community
- ‘O.K. to Be What You Are’ Philosophy Taught to Jan Ken Po Gakko Youngsters, by Denise Ayub, page 1. Mary Tsuruko Tsukamoto teaches cultural pride to children at the Jan Ken Po Gakko summer school in Sacramento, which has become a model for similar programs in San Jose, Oakland and Stockton. The school blends games, cooking, and history lessons, including the story of Sadako and the paper cranes, to build self-identity among Japanese American children.
- Bishop Estate Trustees Split, page 2. A lawsuit filed in Hawaii revealed a major rift among Bishop Estate trustees over an allegedly overpriced 1977 purchase of the Kawaiahao Plaza office development. The trust, Hawaii’s largest landholder, was established in 1884 by Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop.
- 1980 CCDC Scholarship Winners Named, page 6. The Central California JACL District Council named four scholarship winners, including Masahiko Nishimura of Parlier JACL who won the $250 California First Bank award to study physics at Stanford. Additional achievement awards were given to six other students across Tulare County, Clovis, Madera and Fresno chapters.
- Chapter Pulse, page 6. Roundup of chapter news includes Lodi JACL’s upcoming steak barbecue and recent picnic and film showing; Sacramento JACL’s announcement of 22 scholarship recipients; San Fernando Valley JACL’s plans to honor 14 outstanding students; and Seabrook JACL’s installation dinner featuring keynote speaker Judge William Marutani. A reunion for Tule Lake Hospital staff members is also planned for July in Sacramento.
Sports
- Jr. Olympics, Nisei Relays On!, page 1. JACL is hosting two track meets this weekend, the NC-WNDC Jr. Olympics at Chabot College in Hayward and the PSWDC Nisei Relays at Santa Ana College, with winners advancing to state championships June 15. About 350 athletes are expected at the Southern California meet, including a special chapter presidents’ race.
Obituaries
- Mrs. Miki Sawada, 78, page 2. Mrs. Miki Sawada, founder of the Elizabeth Saunders Home in Oiso for children abandoned by Japanese mothers and fathered by U.S. GIs, died May 12 in Majorca. A granddaughter of Mitsubishi zaibatsu founder Yataro Iwasaki, she had cared for over 2,000 mixed-race orphans.
- Masao Igasaki, 80, page 2. Masao Igasaki, the first president of Los Angeles JACL in 1929 and a World War I veteran, died May 19 at City View Hospital in Los Angeles. A pioneer Nisei attorney in California, he managed the prewar Nikkei baseball team the L.A. Nippons.
In-Depth
- A Pioneer in Children’s Orthopedics, page 2. Dr. Henry Okagaki, one of two orthopedic surgeons at the University of Wisconsin Hospital since 1942, has helped thousands of children recover from bone diseases and injuries. He finds greater satisfaction in early intervention than in surgery, and the UW children’s orthopedic section runs free statewide screening clinics.
- Wireless Telegraph ‘Made-in-Japan’, page 4. The article recounts the little-known story of how Japan developed its own wireless telegraph technology, independent of Marconi’s invention, which proved decisive in Japan’s victory over the Russian fleet at the Battle of the Japan Sea in 1905. Ayahiko Ishibashi and engineer Matsutaro Matsushiro led the project despite Japan’s limited industrial technology at the time.
- Points South of Tokyo, page 8. A travel piece describes visiting Southeast Asian countries from a base in Japan, detailing Thailand’s taxi culture, economy, agrarian wages, and Buddhist traditions, as well as Bangkok’s nightlife and tourist attractions. The author contrasts Thailand’s monarchy and military-influenced government with its strong national and religious identity, noting most tourists miss the deeper culture beneath the urban surface.
Commentary
- Koreans in Japan, by Dr. Clifford Uyeda, page 4. JACL President Clifford Uyeda traces the history of Koreans in Japan from Japan’s 1910 annexation of Korea through wartime conscription and postwar discrimination, noting nearly 50,000 Korean atom bomb casualties at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He calls on Japan to address ongoing discrimination against ethnic Koreans in housing, education and employment.
- Redress Phase 2: Endorsements, by John Tateishi, page 4. JACL’s redress campaign is working to secure endorsements from national civil rights organizations like the NAACP, ACLU and NOW to build grassroots support for redress. Tateishi lists organizations that have already endorsed JACL’s position and urges members to help secure further endorsements from city councils and county governments by June 6.
- Lox ‘n Bagels, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Bill Marutani reflects on living in a predominantly Jewish section of Philadelphia, where his children have absorbed Jewish culture and foods like lox and bagels alongside their own Japanese heritage. He recalls fondly a Korean dish he once enjoyed in San Francisco but can no longer identify or find.
- The Women in Asia, a Serious Stereotype, by Nobuyuki Nakajima, page 5. Nobuyuki Nakajima challenges the Euro-American stereotype that women in Asia hold inferior status to men, arguing this prejudice helps justify Euro-American dominance over Asians and Asian Americans. He draws a comparison between dismissive claims about wartime rape being ‘rare’ and broader patterns of whitewashing by occupying powers.
- Konomi: Wireless Telegraph Follow-up, page 8. A continuation detailing the historic development of Japan’s wireless telegraph technology, noting its first successful transmission in December 1897 over two kilometers. The piece reflects on the irony that only 35 years after Tsushima, the Japanese navy would be defeated by American radar technology in the Pacific war.
Arts & Entertainment
- Shelley Mydans’ ‘The Vermilion Bridge’, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa reviews Shelley Mydans’ novel about eighth-century Japanese Empress Koken/Shotoku, noting the author’s interest in Japan was sparked by Nisei journalist Kay Tateishi. The review praises the extensive research and vivid writing that bring ancient Japanese history to life for Nisei readers.
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