Election 1976: Hayakawa, Mineta and Nisei candidates across the West

Vol. 83, No. 20, November 12, 1976. 4 pages. View this issue

The November 1976 elections filled this four-page issue. S.I. Hayakawa narrowly defeated incumbent John Tunney in California’s U.S. Senate race, and Norman Mineta won re-election in San Jose, making him the only Nisei in the House in the next session. Paul Shinoda Jr. won a seat in the Washington state legislature, and Assemblymen Paul Bannai and Floyd Mori were re-elected in California. Bill Hosokawa’s column looked at what the Hayakawa win said about changing attitudes. Harry Honda reported on Asian Pacific Americans and Jimmy Carter’s campaign.

Elsewhere, a $3.4 million, 100-unit public housing project was selected for Little Tokyo, and Mike Berger spoke with Japanese Americans stranded in Japan after World War II. Momoko Iko’s play “Gold Watch,” starring Mako, was set for broadcast on PBS on Nov. 11. Harry Honda also remembered journalist Koji Ariyoshi, and the Letterbox carried readers’ views on the slur “Jap.”

What’s in this issue

Community

• $3.4 million public housing in J-town due, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Shapell Government Housing team was selected to develop a $3.4 million, 100-unit public housing project adjacent to Little Tokyo Towers in Los Angeles. The Community Redevelopment Agency board said the team has 120 days to negotiate the agreement.
• Alice Kasai home now Salt Lake JACL office, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Salt Lake JACL office moved from the Coop and Minority Coalition to the home of chapter program coordinator Alice Kasai as of August 1. The office provides information, referrals, translation, and services for the aging, students, and Sister Cities programs.
• Gov. Doi says NC-WNDC may be ‘re-districted’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Governor Wes Doi of San Francisco will raise the possibility of dividing the 30-chapter Northern California-Western Nevada JACL District Council at its Nov. 13 session in Reno. Any creation of new districts would be subject to ratification by the National JACL.
• Japanese date back to 200 BC, savant says, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Arizona State University anthropologist Dr. Christy G. Turner concluded from dental study that Japanese people descend partly from a Chinese colony that settled Japan about 2,200 years ago. The findings, published in Science, confirm historians’ theories about Chinese cultural influence on Japan.
• Mineta to be lone Nisei in House of Representatives, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Norman Mineta won re-election in San Jose, making him the only Nisei in the House of Representatives in the next session. Hawaii’s Nisei representatives departed for Senate races.
• Nisei assemblymen in Calif. re-elected, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Assemblymen Paul Bannai and Floyd Mori were both re-elected to the California state legislature. Bannai won his third term by a 3,500-vote margin despite a strong Democratic registration edge in his district.
• Richard Yoshikawa, JACLer elected supervisor, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Richard Yoshikawa, a Stockton JACL member, won re-election as San Joaquin County supervisor for the 1st District, retaining the seat he was appointed to by Gov. Reagan. He encouraged Nisei to enter politics.
• Japan to start school for overseas returnees, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japan’s Ministry of Education will establish special schools from spring 1978 for children who were raised abroad and struggle with language issues upon returning. About 20,000 Japanese school-age children live overseas.
• Chapter Pulse, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Several JACL chapters announced installation dinners, fund-raisers, and events for November and December, including Fremont, Portland, Milwaukee, Salinas Valley, and New York. Details on speakers, dates, and locations are provided.
• Woman in Japan seeks sister in Philadelphia, no word in 50 years, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Kikuyo Ikeda of Takamatsu, Japan, is searching for her sister Fuji, who was adopted by a Philadelphia family in 1912 and has not been heard from since WWII. The Pacific Citizen forwarded the appeal to the Philadelphia JACL.
• Swine flu shots to be available at Little Tokyo Community health fair, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Japanese American Community Services will hold a free community health fair at Little Tokyo Towers on November 21 offering flu shots, dental and eye exams, and health screenings. Bilingual physicians will give lectures on diabetes, hypertension, and mental health.
• Region IX HEW Asian employees organize, by P.C. Staff, page 3. About 60 Asian-Pacific employees of HEW Region IX in San Francisco have organized an Asian and Pacific Basin Concerns Committee to develop an affirmative action plan. They believe the region’s offices underrepresent Asian Pacific Americans in decision-making positions.
• Education commissioners, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Thirteen people were elected to two-year terms on the Asian American Education Commission of the Los Angeles City Unified School District. The commission represents Asian American interests in education.

Arts & Entertainment

• ‘Gold Watch’ on PBS-TV Nov. 11, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Momoko Iko’s play ‘Gold Watch’ about a Japanese American farm family’s internment is broadcast on PBS stations on Nov. 11. The play, starring Mako, was written by Iko, a Chicago-raised playwright who received a Rockefeller grant.

Military & Veterans

• Shinoda wins in State of Wash., by Era Nagaoka, page 1. Paul Shinoda Jr. of Snohomish became the first Japanese American elected to the Washington state legislature by defeating incumbent Charles Moon. Rep. John Eng was re-elected to his third term and Carl Ooka was re-elected Kittitas County commissioner.

Commentary

• 20 more prospects being called for Wendy trial in 3rd week, by Wilson Hom, page 1. Jury selection in the trial of Wendy Yoshimura continued into its third week with additional prospective jurors being examined. Judge Pulich predicted a jury might be seated by November 18 while defense counsel pursued an appeal to let Wendy act as co-counsel.
• Morning After Nov. 2, by Bill Hosokawa, page 2. Bill Hosokawa reflects on S.I. Hayakawa’s Senate victory as a sign of changed attitudes toward Japanese Americans in California politics. He notes Japanese Americans now have three senators, though they are a diverse group unlikely to vote as a bloc.
• PC Letterbox: Pat Morita, by Tom Masamori, page 2. Tom Masamori criticizes actor Pat Morita for not objecting to the use of the slur ‘Jap’ and urges JACL to engage him on the issue. He argues Morita’s prominence makes his stance important.
• PCYA Enrollment, by Lisa Taniguchi, page 2. Lisa Taniguchi of Delhi, California, describes her experience at the Presidential Classroom for Young Americans in Washington, D.C. She credits the Cortez JACL for sponsoring her trip and reflects on making friends and learning about government.
• ‘Evacuation’ Issue, by Y. George Kodama, page 2. Y. George Kodama responds to Henry Sakai’s letter on the evacuation issue in Proposition 14 and Hayakawa’s remarks, arguing that the matter should not be exploited for political gain. He suggests Japanese Americans should focus energy on current threats.
• Legends and other derivations of Zodiac (book review), by Allan Beekman, page 4. Allan Beekman reviews a book on the Asian zodiac that explains the 12 animal signs and their legends and significance in Asian life. He highlights legends such as ‘The White Hare of Inaba’ from Japan’s Kojiki.

National

• Asian-Pacific Americans help Carter, by Harry Honda, page 1. Asian Pacific American leaders rallied behind Jimmy Carter’s presidential campaign, led by Senator Daniel Inouye, and helped shape his outreach to their communities. Carter appointed Joji Konoshima as national coordinator, and pledged policies addressing census undercounts and discrimination.
• Hayakawa win stuns Tunney, by P.C. Staff, page 1. S.I. Hayakawa narrowly defeated incumbent John Tunney in the California U.S. Senate race after a close see-saw vote count. At 70, he becomes the oldest freshman senator and one of three Japanese American senators.
• Voters reject Calif. Prop. 14, by P.C. Staff, page 1. California voters rejected Proposition 14, which would have re-enacted the Agricultural Labor Relations Act, with only San Francisco and Alameda counties voting yes. The defeat was seen as affecting Governor Brown’s credibility.

In-Depth

• Nisei’s Lost Generation speaks up, by Mike Berger, page 1. Japanese Americans who were stranded in Japan after World War II recount their experiences of suspicion, conscription, and loss of citizenship. Many remain in Japan and feel caught between two cultures.

Obituaries

• Koji Ariyoshi, 1914-1976, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. Harry Honda remembers Koji Ariyoshi, a Nisei journalist who worked in China during WWII, later edited the Honolulu Record, and was convicted in the Hawaii Seven case before being acquitted. Colleagues praised his idealism and commitment to improving life in Hawaii.
• Rev. Hiro Higuchi, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Honolulu honored Rev. Hiro Higuchi at a testimonial banquet for nearly half a century of community service. He served as a 442nd Regimental Combat Team chaplain and built several churches with help from veterans.

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