Washington’s E-1 tuition law and a debate over JACL’s role

Vol. 85, No. 1, July 1, 1977. 8 pages. View this issue

Immigration and education led the news in this eight-page issue. Washington Gov. Dixy Lee Ray signed Senate Bill 2113 on June 6, giving dependents of Japan Air Lines employees who are Japanese nationals in-state tuition, after four years of effort that included Eiichi Ohara. Other front-page stories covered a Carter administration proposal for a “nondeportable” class of long-term residents, JACL joining 20 other groups in a brief in the Bakke case, and Hawaii’s new residency rule for public jobs.

The commentary pages carried several voices. Bill Hosokawa wrote his first column as editor of The Denver Post’s editorial page, Wayne Horiuchi described the Seabrook JACL’s showing at the Smithsonian, and Ken Hayashi argued for JACL’s continuing purpose. Jim Murakami’s report thanked Don Hayashi for his service, and letters took up Wendy Yoshimura’s bail fund and a teacher’s use of the term “Jap.” Chapter news, a Little Tokyo bookmobile and bowling and Jr. Olympics results fill the back pages.

What’s in this issue

National

• Gov. Ray signs E-1 visa alien tuition law, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Washington Governor Dixy Lee Ray signed Senate Bill 2113 on June 6, granting in-state tuition to dependents of Japan Air Lines employees who are Japanese nationals. The law followed four years of effort by legislators and community members, including Eiichi Ohara, who had faced higher fees at the University of Washington.
• ‘Nondeportable’ status likely to relieve longtime ‘illegals’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Carter administration is considering a new ‘nondeportable alien’ class to address an estimated 8 million illegal aliens in the U.S. The proposal would grant permanent residency to long-term residents while limiting rights for those who arrived more recently.
• Peace Academy study being urged, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Senate passed a bill creating a commission to study a National Academy of Peace. Sen. Spark Matsunaga has pushed for a Cabinet-level Department of Peace since 1968.
• JACL joins 20 other national groups in case against Bakke, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL joined 20 national organizations in an amicus brief supporting the University of California’s special admissions program in the Bakke case. The brief argues that race-conscious admissions programs are constitutional and that no realistic alternatives exist.
• Public jobs in Hawaii not up for newcomer, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Hawaii Gov. Ariyoshi’s one-year residency requirement for county and state jobs took effect June 21, and the ACLU announced it would challenge the law. University of Hawaii jobs requiring specialized skills are exempt.
• Hawaii native claims measure to mandate exhaustive study, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Senate hearing on SJR 4, sponsored by Senators Inouye and Matsunaga, will examine native Hawaiian claims arising from the 1893 overthrow of the monarchy. The resolution proposes a commission to study the claims and recommend reparative legislation.

Community

• Asian American voice being heard in Chicago, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japanese Americans in Chicago, many descended from wartime camp internees, are becoming more politically assertive. Quoted community leaders describe growing participation in politics and education.
• Seattle Nikkei name new queen, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Beverly Reiko Akada was selected Greater Seattle Japanese Community queen at the Bush Garden on June 11. She succeeds outgoing royalty including Queen Susan Ishimitsu.
• Hawaii Senators sponsor bill for native claims, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A bill to establish a Hawaiian Native Claims Settlement Study Commission was introduced by Senators Inouye and Matsunaga. Hearings were scheduled in Hawaii to build support for the measure.
• Abe Hagiwara student aid applications deadline July 30, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Applications are being accepted for student aid named for Abe Hagiwara, with about $4,000 to be awarded based on financial need and motivation. The deadline is July 30, 1977.
• $50,000 bail for Wendy posted as per schedule, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Commitments totaling over $50,000 were made to post bail for Wendy Yoshimura pending appeal, according to the Northern California Wendy Yoshimura Fair Trial Committee. The appeal is expected to take a year or more.
• Japan-JACCC office being established, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Leaders returning from Japan announced staffing arrangements for a Japan fundraising office for the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center. Industrialist Konosuke Matsushita pledged $1 million from the Osaka area.
• Sansei returning from Malaysia stay, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Kerry Kuroki, 29, was due to return to Southern California in June after a two-year Peace Corps assignment teaching preschool in Malaysia. She previously taught in east Los Angeles.
• Addresses of Poston graduates sought, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The registration deadline for the Poston II High Reunion in San Jose was extended to July 16. Organizers are seeking addresses for numerous former graduates from several classes.
• ‘Tokyo Rose’ book off press July 1, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Rex Gunn’s book on Iva Toguri d’Aquino, ‘They Called Her Tokyo Rose’, was delayed by printing problems. Its publication was expected around July 1.
• S.F. rights commission backs J-town tenants, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The San Francisco Human Rights Commission urged the Redevelopment Agency not to evict tenants from two Nihonmachi buildings slated for demolition. Tenants proposed forming a nonprofit to buy and repair the buildings as low-income housing.
• Music store for pros in Orange County, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Gerald Ishibashi and Robert Morinishi opened Stonebridge Music Co. in Garden Grove, selling and servicing professional musical equipment. Ishibashi leads the Stonebridge Band and Morinishi brings radio and electronics experience.
• Restaurant fined for dirty conditions, by P.C. Staff, page 3. General Lee’s Restaurant in Los Angeles was fined $4,000 after pleading no contest to nine health violations. President David Foo Lee was placed on 24-month summary probation.
• Cleveland State monograph covers Asian communities, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Cleveland State University published a monograph on four Asian ethnic communities in Cleveland, including Chinese, Japanese, Filipino and Korean groups. The study traces history and immigration for each group.
• New Yorkers hear challenge for return to ‘academic excellence’, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Dr. Joseph E. Black, director of social sciences at the Rockefeller Foundation, spoke at the New York JACL scholarship event on the decline of academic excellence. He urged a return to rigor and the purpose of education as opening doors to lifelong learning.
• Time to Renew Membership, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A reminder to renew JACL membership was published as a call to members. It appears alongside chapter pulse news items.
• Riverside JACL and San Gabriel Valley JACL chapter pulse, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Riverside JACL prepared for its annual Sendai Festival and hosted visitors from sister city Sendai. San Gabriel Valley JACL awarded scholarships at its May 29 luau.
• City bookmobile to be welcomed, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Los Angeles Public Library’s bookmobile, stocked with materials in several languages, will be welcomed July 2 at the Higashi Hongwanji parking lot in Little Tokyo. Japanese books were purchased for the Little Tokyo stop.
• Roy Nakadegawa, Chako Higuchi, and Pacific Citizen people notes, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Brief people notes cover travel, medicine, churches, sports, courtroom, and military achievements of Nikkei individuals. Items include a Girl Scout’s trip to Kenya and a Libertarian Party candidate in Canada.

Commentary

• Mukai takes post in Washington as director in new CSA agency, by Ted Matsushima, page 2. Gerrold K. Mukai, a founder of the Wasatch Front North JACL, has become director of economic development for the Community Services Administration in Washington, D.C. He resigned his JACL and college posts to take the position.
• Tougher Issues Ahead, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial welcomes Gov. Brown’s appointment of Yori Wada as the first Asian American UC regent and notes the challenges facing the university. It emphasizes the need for expanded public trust in higher education.
• The Pride at Seabrook, by Wayne Horiuchi, page 4. JACL’s Washington representative praises the Seabrook JACL for showcasing Japanese culture at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. He argues that America is a mosaic rather than a melting pot and that cultural pride should be celebrated.
• Now, the Silent Nisei, by Nobuyuki Nakajima, page 4. A reader responds to Hashime Saito’s letter about the Wendy Yoshimura fund, arguing that silence allows injustice to continue and that Nisei must voice their opinions. He questions whether financial contributions substitute for public expression.
• San Benito teacher, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A letter writer urges that the JACL respond to a teacher’s derogatory use of the term ‘Jap’ with dignity rather than hostility. The writer argues that offensive terms should not be permitted in classrooms but that responses should be measured.
• Domo Arigato, Don, by M. Murakami, page 4. A Sonoma County JACL member thanks Donald Hayashi for his service as Acting National Director during eight difficult months. The writer praises his dedication and personal sacrifice.
• West Wind: You Can’t Go Home Again, by Joe Oyama, page 4. Joe Oyama reflects on living in Hoboken, New Jersey and his memories of Japanese American life in East Los Angeles before the war. He recalls his family’s home and evacuation to Santa Anita.
• From the Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. In his first column as editor of The Denver Post’s editorial page, Bill Hosokawa reflects on his immigrant father’s journey and the progress America has made toward its promise. He recalls wartime incarceration and the changes since.
• Emergency Bandwagon, by Ken Hayashi, page 4. Ken Hayashi argues for the continued necessity of JACL by recounting its historical achievements, from celebrations to wartime advocacy to eliminating Title II. He concludes that JACL remains essential.
• Jim Says: The May-June Report, by Jim Murakami, page 4. JACL National President Jim Murakami reports on the ratification of Karl Nobuyuki as Executive Director and thanks Don Hayashi for his service. He also describes an ad hoc committee documenting employment discrimination against Asian Americans.

Obituaries

• Beaths, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Brief death notices for Art A. Katayama, Mrs. Okuri Ogawa, and Kamekichi Shibayama, with surviving family members listed.

Sports

• 14 men, 8 women teams in first Satow kegfest, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The first Mas Satow Memorial JACL national handicap bowling tournament was held at Japantown Bowl in San Francisco with teams from across the country. Results and team standings were listed.
• San Francisco JACL Olympics, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Sequoia JACL won the 25th annual San Francisco JACL Jr. Olympics held June 12 at Laney Community College. Results and records for the events were summarized.

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