The 2,000th issue and the road to the 1978 Salt Lake City convention

Vol. 86, No. 26, July 7, 1978. 32 pages. View this issue

The Pacific Citizen marked its 2,000th issue with a run of columns on its own history. Harry K. Honda described its staffing and budget, and Honda also traced its roots to the 1929 Nikkei Shimin. Bill Hosokawa recalled working on it in the 1930s, and Judge William Marutani praised its editor and independence. George Inagaki’s final column honored Saburo Kido as the greatest JACLer. The front page announced that Nobuhiko Ushiba would receive the Mike M. Masaoka Distinguished Public Service Award at the 25th Biennial National Convention in Salt Lake City.

Other pages followed the Bakke decision, a California anti-alien land bill passed 41-37 in the Assembly, and the Kenzo clothing boycott. Clifford I. Uyeda previewed a redress workshop, and the JACL Okubo-Yamada Fund appealed for help. Features covered Toyo Miyatake, tennis player Ann Kiyomura, sushi bars, Go, bonsai, and the LAPD Asian Task Force. Sachi Seko remembered Larry Tajiri.

What’s in this issue

National

• Ushiba named for Masaoka DPS award, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japan’s Minister for External Economic Affairs Nobuhiko Ushiba was selected to receive the JACL Mike M. Masaoka Distinguished Public Service Award at the 25th Biennial National Convention in Salt Lake City. The Selection Committee cited his efforts to promote trade and goodwill between the United States and Japan.
• College board rebukes off-cuff remarks, by P.C. Staff, page 1. San Diego Community College trustees publicly disavowed remarks by district president Lou Ridgeway at a commencement that San Diego JACL found objectionable. Ridgeway maintained he intended no insult to Japanese Americans, while the JACL had demanded a formal apology.
• JACL gratified and disappointed over Bakke decision, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL responded with guarded relief to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that Allan Bakke must be admitted to UC Davis medical school. The organization affirmed affirmative action principles while noting that further litigation would be needed to clarify its scope.
• Anti-alien land bill OK’d 41-37 in Cal Assembly, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The California Assembly passed AB 3627, which would bar nonresident aliens from owning more than five acres of agricultural land, by a 41-37 vote. Assemblyman S. Floyd Mori opposed it on constitutional, economic, and historical grounds, and the bill moves to the Senate.

Incarceration & Redress

• No plans yet to destroy I&NS files on internees, by P.C. Staff, page 1. National Archivist James B. Rhoads called inaccurate the assumption that internee files relating to enemy alien internment could be destroyed. The records remain in storage at the Washington National Records Center pending any formal disposition request.
• JACL Okubo-Yamada Fund, by P.C. Staff, page 2. JACL is raising funds to assist the Okubo and Yamada families with legal expenses in their lawsuit against Hilton Hotels over the 1970 National Convention assault that killed Evelyn Okubo and injured Ranko Carol Yamada. An honorary committee of community leaders supports the appeal.
• Redress Workshop, by Clifford I. Uyeda, page 5. Uyeda previews a redress workshop at the national convention featuring four Nisei who took their wartime cases to the Supreme Court, as well as a panel discussing the proposed redress program. He argues the time has come to launch a national campaign for redress for WWII incarceration.

Community

• Realtor charged, by P.C. Staff, page 1. State real estate director David Fox charged broker Robert Matsumoto of Great Western Realty in Bakersfield with delaying completion of a home sold to black buyers in order to discourage white customers. Fox sought revocation of his license.
• More help needed on anti-Kenzo boycott, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL members demonstrated against the sale of Kenzo clothing bearing the ‘Jap’ label in downtown Los Angeles and distributed informational cards. Chapters were asked to contribute $25 each toward a quarter-page appeal in Women’s Wear Daily.
• City restores full $2,500 aid for Nisei Week after big chop, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Los Angeles City Council voted 9 to 6 to restore the full $2,500 appropriation for Nisei Week after a Finance Committee had proposed cutting it by a third in the wake of Proposition 13. The festival has received city funding for its entire 38-year history.
• Talent registry deadline July 31, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Eastern District JACL Council is accepting nominations through July 31 for a Nikkei talent registry of successful and distinguished Japanese Americans. Nominees need not be JACL members.
• LAPD’s Asian Task Force: One of a Kind, by Shiro Tomita, page 9. Sergeant Shiro Tomita explains the formation of the LAPD Asian Task Force to address the growing Asian population and its language and cultural needs. He describes its work with Asian victims and gang activity.
• Half million Asians create impact-LAPD, by Pat Tashima, page 9. Pat Tashima reports on the LAPD Asian Task Force, which was created to bridge communication gaps between Asian communities and the police. The force has improved relations and handles cases involving Asian victims and suspects.
• St. Louis, St. Louis, How Does Your Garden Grow?, by Anna Eriko Peterson, page 17. Anna Eriko Peterson profiles Seiwa-En, the Japanese garden in St. Louis’s Missouri Botanical Garden, developed largely through JACL chapter efforts. She describes its history and the pride local Japanese Americans and others take in it.

JACL

• PSW to nominate public accountant for national JACL treasurer, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Pacific Southwest District Council will nominate a West Los Angeles public accountant for national JACL treasurer at the national convention. No other nominations were received before the deadline.
• Nat’l V.P.: Membership Services candidate profile, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A profile of a candidate for national vice president of membership services, listing his personal background, JACL and community service, recognitions, and platform. He is a former San Diego JACL president and a Board member.

Commentary

• Let’s Develop New Sansei Leadership, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A candidate profile for JACL leadership, presenting the Sacramento chapter president and state deputy attorney general Floyd Shimomura’s background and endorsements. The piece emphasizes developing new Sansei leadership within the organization.
• Whale Issue Campaign and Clifford Uyeda for JACL President, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A campaign advertisement for Clifford Uyeda’s candidacy for JACL president, citing his work on the whale issue, the Iva Toguri pardon campaign, and the upcoming redress campaign. It lists endorsements from community leaders.
• Callahan’s Corner: The Greatest JACLer, by George Inagaki, page 4. In a column about Saburo Kido, George Inagaki argues Kido surpassed other JACL figures because he was a volunteer rather than staff. He describes Kido’s wartime courage and calls for honoring his legacy.
• Kido: Pacific Citizen editorial on the 2,000th edition, by Harry K. Honda, page 4. Editor Harry Honda marks the paper’s 2,000th issue by describing the staffing, budget, and history of the Pacific Citizen since its move to Los Angeles in 1952. He notes the paper’s reliance on subscriptions and plans for expansion.
• The Power of Peanuts, by William Marutani, page 5. Judge William Marutani praises the Pacific Citizen editor for producing the weekly paper with minimal staff and pay, and defends the paper’s editorial independence. He also reflects on the paper’s readership and the labor behind each issue.
• From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa recalls working on the Pacific Citizen as a young Nisei in the 1930s, when it was a monthly with minimal staffing. He reflects on the paper’s survival and its role in documenting the JACL and Japanese American experience.
• East Wind: William Marutani, by William Marutani, page 6. Judge Marutani praises the Pacific Citizen editor for resisting pressure to sanitize the paper and for upholding free speech. He also praises cartoonist Pete Hironaka’s weekly drawings.
• From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 7. Bill Hosokawa recounts helping produce the Pacific Citizen in 1933-34 as a young staffer alongside Jimmie Sakamoto and others. He reflects on the paper’s early staffing and how little he expected it to last.
• President’s Corner, by Jim Murakami, page 7. JACL President Jim Murakami comments on the past four years of Pacific Citizen operations and praises the board and staff for improvements. He endorses steps toward further refinement of the paper.

In-Depth

• Tribute to Sab Kido: The Greatest JACLer, by George Inagaki, page 4. George Inagaki’s final column, written before his death, honors Saburo Kido as the greatest JACL figure, citing his volunteer service, integrity, and wartime leadership. He calls for a lasting tribute to Kido.
• Dilemma of Dolphin Slaughter and Whale Boycott, by Tony Long, page 4. Tony Long examines the Japanese slaughter of dolphins at Iki and the American conservation boycott of Japan over whaling. He presents perspectives from Greenpeace, JACL’s Clifford Uyeda, and the Japanese Consulate on the issues.
• The Sushi Bar Habit: Fish Hooks Man, by Colleen Kajioka, page 8. Colleen Kajioka describes the growing popularity of sushi bars among non-Japanese diners, explains common sushi varieties, and offers etiquette tips for first-time visitors. She notes the bars are increasingly mainstream.
• Works by Issei Reveal Humanness, by Mei Takaya Nakano, page 13. Mei Takaya Nakano argues that Nisei tend to view their Issei parents in idealized terms, and that Issei literature in the language press reveals their full humanity. She describes efforts to translate her father’s writings.
• Memories of the Past Recorded for the Future, by Douglas Green, page 18. Douglas Green describes the Japanese American Oral History Project at California State University, Fullerton, which records wartime incarceration memories. He recounts several interviews illustrating internment experiences.
• Bonsai: Little Art Form Grows Big, by Elliott Almond, page 20. Elliott Almond profiles bonsai, focusing on expert Ben T. Suzuki and his teaching in Southern California. The article covers collecting wild junipers, the art’s aesthetics, and its growing popularity in America.

Military & Veterans

• Veterans reunion slated, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Nisei veterans and faculty of the Military Intelligence Service Language School will hold a first-ever reunion in Tokyo at the Sanno Hotel November 9-11, with a keynote by Harry Fukuhara and author Joe Harrington. Tour details are available from listed contacts.
• Nikkei Shimin: Vol. 1, No. 1 history, by Harry Honda, page 14. Harry Honda traces the origins of the Pacific Citizen to the 1929 Nikkei Shimin, the San Francisco JACL chapter’s first publication, which he recovered from a UCLA exhibit. He summarizes its founding editorial and early contents.

Arts & Entertainment

• Toyo Miyatake: A Legend Keeps Developing, by Bella Lagmay Singh, page 10. This profile traces the career of photographer Toyo Miyatake, from his start in Little Tokyo in 1923 through his wartime camp photography to the three-generation family studio. It highlights his artistry and the studio’s continuing success.
• Rokkii Oroshi, by Osho, page 12. This Issei short story, first published in the Colorado Times in 1926, follows Yamano, a lonely laborer who contemplates his life and a stormy past relationship. Musing over his age and loneliness, he decides to seek a bride from Hawaii.
• For Ann Kiyomura, Love Is a Racquet, by Sharon Suzuki, page 15. Sharon Suzuki profiles tennis player Ann Kiyomura, a Wimbledon junior and women’s doubles champion who now plays World Team Tennis. Kiyomura discusses her preference for doubles, her plans, and her enthusiasm for the tour.
• Akitas Are Numero Uno for Uno, by Roy Uno, page 16. Roy Uno shares a humorous account of raising two purebred Akitas, Yoshi and Fuji, and the challenges and affection that came with them. He describes the litter and the adjustments of bringing the dogs indoors.
• Go: Japan’s ancient game catches on in America, by Jon Inouye, page 19. Jon Inouye reports on the growing popularity of Go in the United States, with clubs in Los Angeles drawing diverse members. He explains the game’s rules, ranking system, and appeal to players.

Obituaries

• Remembering Larry Tajiri, by Sachi Seko, page 21. Sachi Seko remembers former Pacific Citizen editor Larry Tajiri as her mentor who encouraged her writing and courage. She recalls his advocacy for civil rights and his role in JACL and camp-era journalism.

Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.