Hawaii growth control, a Tule Lake plaque and a new JACL director

Vol. 84, No. 11, March 25, 1977. 12 pages. View this issue

Governor George Ariyoshi’s plan to limit population growth in Hawaii led the issue. Jerry Burris wrote that the proposals might need the kind of justification once used for the wartime forced removal of Japanese Americans, since courts have struck down residency rules as violations of the right to travel. The front page also reported that California’s Herbert Rhodes ordered the Tule Lake plaque to call the site an “American concentration camp,” using text proposed by the JACL. The JACL board appointed Karl Nobuyuki as national executive director, and a profile by Marlene Cimons looked at Sen. S.I. Hayakawa.

Inside are a profile of Hershey Miyamura and Harry Honda’s editorial about him, Seattle’s objection to paying redress money to community groups, columns by Bill Hosokawa, Chuck Kubokawa and Jon Inouye, and Chizuko Crocker’s history of a slur. Chapter news covers a Nisei retirement conference and a cooking class.

What’s in this issue

National

• Ariyoshi Plan to Save Hawaii Lifestyle Against Population Growth May Need Type of Justification Used for Evacuation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Governor George Ariyoshi’s growth control proposals in Hawaii, aimed at limiting welfare costs and population influx, may invoke legal arguments similar to those used to justify the wartime internment of Japanese Americans. Legal experts note courts would need a compelling state interest to override the constitutional right to travel.
• ‘Free Spirit in Washington’ Continues, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Los Angeles Times writer Marlene Cimons profiled Sen. S.I. Hayakawa, describing the newly elected senator as an unconventional and candid figure in Washington. Colleagues recount his frankness, his refusal to fit a reactionary image, and his patient approach to issues.
• Ariyoshi Continued from Front Page, by Jerry Burris, page 3. Continuing the Hawaii growth control analysis, the article notes that past residency requirements were struck down by courts as violations of the right to travel. Burris argues Hawaii’s leaders must show a compelling interest that outweighs constitutional protections.
• Hayakawa Continued from Front Page, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The article describes Sen. Hayakawa’s bipartisan work with Sen. Alan Cranston on a panel to screen federal judicial and U.S. attorney candidates in California. It portrays him as a patient, deliberate senator who avoids rushing to judgment.

Incarceration & Redress

• Text for Tule Lake Plaque OK’d, by P.C. Staff, page 1. California Parks and Recreation director Herbert Rhodes ordered the Tule Lake landmark plaque to describe the site as an ‘American concentration camp,’ overriding the State Historic Resources Commission. The approved text, proposed by the JACL, recounts the camp’s history and the injustices suffered there.

JACL

• Karl Nobuyuki Appointed New JACL National Executive Director, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL national board appointed Karl Nobuyuki, a Gardena Valley JACLer and city administrator, as national executive director effective May 1. The board also approved several decisions, including a West Los Angeles chapter flight program and a blue-ribbon committee to develop reparations legislation.
• 1978 Convention Booklet Proposed, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A committee proposed distributing a souvenir booklet for the 1978 JACL National Convention in Salt Lake City to all member households, the first such distribution in the organization’s history. It seeks endorsement and funding support from chapters, district councils, and national headquarters.

Community

• March Fong Eu Keynoter for JACL Tri-District Conference, by P.C. Staff, page 1. California Secretary of State March Fong Eu will deliver the keynote address at the JACL Tri-District Conference in Reno on April 23, speaking on Asian Americans in government and politics. Cherry Tsutsumida will serve as emcee for the event.
• Reparation Grants to Community Groups Seen as ‘Misappropriation’ by Seattleites, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Seattle JACL Evacuation Redress Committee opposed proposals to pay reparations to community organizations rather than to individual evacuees. The committee argued that block payments would misappropriate funds meant for victims and that surveys show most former evacuees want direct payments.
• Intermountain Nisei Interest on Retirement High, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Over 100 people attended a Nisei retirement conference in Salt Lake City, prompting plans for follow-up meetings. Keynoter Edward Okazaki urged planning for the cultural differences in retirement needs between generations and for all elderly people.
• Eden Township’s Cooking Class, by Masako Minami, page 6. Forty-two women attended a series of Japanese and Italian cooking classes sponsored by the Eden Township JACL, taught by Harumi Mori of Tokyo and Alex Guiliani. Organizers are considering additional classes based on the strong response.
• Seabrook Minyo Dancers Pleased by Carter Inauguration Performance, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Seabrook JACL Minyo Dancers performed at the People’s Inaugural for President Carter in January, drawing a crowd of 6,000 and worldwide media coverage. President Carter personally wrote to thank the group for its contribution to the inauguration.

Military & Veterans

• ‘The Only One’ — Some American Heroes, by Little Tokyo Magazine, page 2. The article profiles Hiroshi ‘Hershey’ Miyamura, a Gallup, New Mexico Nisei veteran who received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions in Korea and survived 28 months as a prisoner of war. He is the only living Japanese American recipient of the medal among the three who have received it.
• Human Secret Weapon: Story of the Military Intelligence Service Language School, by P.C. Staff, page 12. The advertisement-style notice promotes a booklet on the Military Intelligence Service Language School at Camp Savage and Fort Snelling, Minnesota. The text describes the school’s role in training Nisei linguists during World War II.

Commentary

• A Rare Recollection, by Harry Honda, page 4. Editor Harry Honda recounts an evening when Hershey Miyamura viewed George Akimoto’s painting of his heroic 1951 actions in Korea and shared memories he had rarely voiced. The editorial also praises the JACL’s presence in the Rockies and the Mountain Plains district.
• The Term: ‘Gook’, by Chizuko Crocker, page 4. Chizuko Crocker responds to a prior letter by tracing the history of the derogatory term ‘gook’ through U.S. military usage and dictionary definitions. She argues that racism runs deeper in Western history than the explanation offered in that letter.
• Something’s Rotten in the U.S.: Anti-Nisei Racism, by Chuck Kubokawa, page 4. NC-WNDC District Governor Chuck Kubokawa criticizes continued questioning of Japanese American loyalty decades after wartime sacrifices. He argues that Nisei must keep confronting racism and that JACL membership is essential to that fight.
• For Today & Tomorrow: A Major Ethnic Disaster, by Jon Inouye, page 5. Jon Inouye argues that intermarriage among Japanese Americans poses a graver threat to the community’s survival than external persecution. He calls on Nikkei to confront this issue to preserve their culture and identity.
• From the Frying Pan: Bias in the Academe, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa describes the Committee on Scholars of Asian Descent, formed within the Association for Asian Studies to address discrimination against Asian American scholars. He outlines five categories of problems and explains why CSAD seeks media attention.
• Plain Speaking: Reasons for Joining JACL, by Wayne Horiuchi, page 5. JACL Washington Representative Wayne Horiuchi urges readers to renew their membership by listing the organization’s travel, credit union, scholarship, insurance, and publication services. He also highlights its social, cultural, and national advocacy programs.
• Students in Japan Grow Up Ignorant of WW2 Era, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Teachers in Japan report that many students learn little about the causes of World War II or how Japan’s wartime actions are portrayed, and textbook interpretations differ sharply from Western accounts. Some educators are campaigning for more accurate teaching about the war’s origins and Japan’s role in it.

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