Vol. 88, No. 41, May 4, 1979. 12 pages. View this issue
Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week was the lead story, with events planned nationwide from May 4 to 10 after proclamations by President Carter and many mayors. At the JACL Tri-District Conference, more than 200 members voted to act against the Small Business Administration’s exclusion of Asian Pacific Americans from minority business assistance, and delegates backed the National JACL Redress Committee’s plan to seek redress through a legislative commission. In his column, William Hohri dissented from that plan, while Clifford Uyeda wrote about the military service of Japanese Americans in World War II, including the 442nd.
Other pages include Connie Young Yu on the dedication of the Angel Island Immigration Station memorial, and Bill Hosokawa on Hokkaido and the Ainu. A Times Mirror Foundation gift to the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center is reported on page one, and an excerpt from Joseph D. Harrington’s Yankee Samurai follows Nisei linguists in the Pacific. The sports pages cover a Sacramento JACL basketball win and the upcoming Junior Olympics.
What’s in this issue
Community
- APAH Week and Japan Today: Two Big Celebrations for Nikkei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week events are occurring nationwide in May, with enthusiastic participation following official proclamations by President Carter and many mayors. The celebration is seen as a significant recognition of Asian and Pacific Americans in American history and communities.
- Times Mirror Foundation Donates $10,000 to JACCC, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Times Mirror Foundation donated $10,000 to the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center fund drive. JACCC officials noted the Center Building still requires substantial funds to be built mortgage-free and that the organization has entered deficit financing.
- Fishking Announces Charity Awards, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Fishking processors announced $100,000 in charitable gifts made through the Kawaguchi-Kihara Memorial Foundation to numerous Los Angeles-area organizations. Recipients were required to use the funds for charitable or educational purposes by March 31, 1980.
- Inoway Heads SLC Multi-Ethnic Board, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Salt Lake City architect Carl Inoway was elected chairman of the Multi-Ethnic Housing Board. The board is pursuing HUD approval for a high-rise senior housing project with groundbreaking scheduled for July, and a fundraising drive is underway for a senior citizens center.
- Asian Elderly Needs Survey Underway in Westside L.A., by P.C. Staff, page 2. A West Los Angeles-Santa Monica community study committee is surveying Asian elderly residents to determine support for a nursing home or low-income retirement home. The 15-question survey is distributed through community organizations and churches.
- Prime Minister Ohira Due in L.A., by P.C. Staff, page 3. Japanese Prime Minister Masayoshi Ohira will stop in Los Angeles on May 5 at the end of his seven-day American visit. His itinerary included White House summit talks and Japan Today activities in New York.
National
- Omission of Asians ‘Glaring Oversight’ on U.S. List Designating ‘Minorities’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Phillip Burton criticized the Small Business Administration’s omission of Asian Americans from minority preference lists, calling it a glaring oversight. He argued that Asian Americans, despite their contributions and the Japanese American 442nd record, should receive protections under PL 95-507.
- Hibakusha Bills Back, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Two bills providing medical assistance to A-bomb survivors who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents were reintroduced in the 96th Congress. Rep. Roybal’s measure has six cosponsors to date, compared with 29 last session.
- Chinese Americans Protest ‘Opium’, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A coalition of Chinese Americans set a May 4 deadline for Yves Saint Laurent, Charles of the Ritz, and Squibb Corp. to rename the fragrance Opium. The group argued the name constitutes negative stereotyping and psychological pollution.
JACL
- Tri-District JACL Protests, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Over 200 JACL members at the 1979 Tri-District Conference unanimously voted to act against the SBA and Office of Federal Procurement Policy over guideline changes excluding Asian Pacific Americans from minority business assistance. A workshop on discrimination and affirmative action preceded the resolution, which requested legal and political action.
- TDC Consensus Backs Redress, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Delegates at the Tri-District Conference unanimously supported the National JACL Redress Committee’s strategy to pursue redress through a legislative commission. The consensus followed a workshop led by redress chair John Tateishi addressing the bill, strategy, and recent events.
- Tri-District Coordinating Body for JACL State Track Meet Seen, by P.C. Staff, page 12. Chapter representatives at the Tri-District Conference supported making the planning committee for the second annual State JACL track meet a permanent body. Volunteers, advertising support, and host families were requested for the June 10 event at Laney College.
In-Depth
- Angel Island Immigration Station Dedicated, by Connie Young Yu, page 3. The Angel Island Immigration Station memorial was dedicated, honoring Asian immigrants detained there between 1910 and 1940. The article traces the history of exclusion laws, interrogation practices, and the restoration of Building 317 as a national historical monument.
Commentary
- President’s Corner: Nisei Soldiers, by Clifford Uyeda, page 4. JACL President Clifford Uyeda responds to backlash against redress by detailing the extensive military service of Japanese Americans during World War II. He notes their high enlistment rate, the 442nd’s record, and the MIS contributions in the Pacific.
- Redress: Pro and Con, by William Hohri, page 4. William Hohri dissents from the National Committee’s decision to pursue a commission rather than direct reparations appropriations. He argues the commission approach evades the reparations issue and urges continued pursuit of a genuine appropriations bill.
- Higher Education—XII, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This column addresses the emotional needs of college freshmen whose families have supported their education. It uses an anecdote about a student who left university to illustrate how young people need encouragement and moral support.
- From the Frying Pan: Hokkaido’s Evacuees, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa describes the Soviet seizure of four northern Japanese islands and the displaced residents who relocated to Hokkaido. He also reports on the Ainu village he visited and the parallels between Ainu and Native American cultural preservation.
- No Kiddin’: The Carp and Boy’s Day, by Gene Konomi, page 5. Gene Konomi explains the symbolism of carp streamers and Boy’s Day customs in Japan, tracing the carp legend of the Dragon Gate. He proposes May 5 be adopted as an International Boy’s Festival.
- From Happy Valley, by Sachi Seko, page 5. Sachi Seko describes a dinner party conversation about garden problems caused by fungus and a dog. She draws a reflective comparison between gardeners’ reluctance to share plans and Nisei hesitancy about their true feelings on redress.
Military & Veterans
- Yankee Samurai, by Joseph D. Harrington, page 9. This excerpt from Joseph Harrington’s book details Nisei linguists’ experiences in the Pacific during the 1945 campaigns, including Iwo Jima and the Philippines. It covers the Okinawan language team, POW interrogation, and the firebombing of Tokyo.
- Alien Farmland Bill in Calif. Withdrawn, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Assemblyman Richard Lehman withdrew ACA 20, a proposed constitutional amendment to bar non-resident aliens from owning California farmland. The JACL International Relations Committee had been closely monitoring the measure.
Sports
- 27th Junior Olympics June 3, by P.C. Staff, page 12. The San Francisco JACL Junior Olympics will be held June 3 at Laney College, with the top three finishers in each event qualifying for the State JACL track meet. Team registration, age divisions, and event schedules are outlined.
- Sacramento JACL Nets Cage Trophy, by P.C. Staff, page 12. The Sacramento JACL All-Star team won the second annual Sacramento JACL Boys High School Tournament, defeating Orange County 102 to 75. Jon Viacrucis of Sacramento scored 32 points and was named Most Valuable Player.
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