Redress, Tule Lake and Manzanar pilgrimages, and JACL’s future

Vol. 88, No. 40, April 27, 1979. 12 pages. View this issue

JACL’s own direction was the main subject of this 12-page issue. Former National Presidents Hito Okada and Henry T. Tanaka wrote on page 3 about membership decline and the 1980 Constitutional Convention, and the Ad Hoc Committee on Organization Structure laid out its proposals for reforming the National Council and National Board. Camp history ran alongside. Karl Nobuyuki argued that Japanese Americans are entitled to redress for the World War II incarceration (often called internment). Registration closed May 7 for chartered buses to the Tule Lake Pilgrimage, and the Manzanar Committee asked for volunteers for its April 28 pilgrimage.

Other items include Frank Ogawa’s fourth term on the Oakland City Council, a doubtful-trial inquiry in the Charles B. Nakao case, and columns by Bill Hosokawa on Hokkaido and Bill Marutani on ethnic pride. A Joseph D. Harrington excerpt follows Nisei linguists on Iwo Jima.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Ogawa elected to fourth term, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Oakland JACLer Frank Ogawa was re-elected to a fourth term on the Oakland City Council. He is credited with helping the Port of Oakland build trade ties with Japan.
• Nakagawa in bid city council post, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Frank Nakagawa, a retired mail carrier, filed his intent to seek an at-large seat on the Commerce City council. He is a longtime Scouting leader and Memorial Day parade chairman.
• HEW civil rights office finds WSU free of racial bias in JACL complaint, by P.C. Staff, page 1. HEW’s Office of Civil Rights found no discrimination at Washington State University in response to a Spokane JACL complaint about Asian American Studies and counseling programs. Spokane JACL and their attorney immediately challenged the finding as insensitive and unsupported.
• Festival queen, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Karen Michiko Asano of San Francisco was chosen queen of the 1979 San Francisco Cherry Blossom Festival. She is a student at Mills College.
• Chicago Nisei heads northside chamber, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Longtime JACLer Dr. Frank F. Sakamoto became the first non-Swedish president of the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce in Chicago. The group is predominantly Swedish and celebrates Swedish festivals throughout the year.
• Manzanar trip needs volunteers, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Manzanar Committee is asking ex-internees to volunteer as resource people for mini-tours of the camp site during the April 28 pilgrimage. Volunteers are also needed to help repair fences, paint the monument and clean up tea garden areas.
• Tab Lyn Uno, 23: School board member to seek change, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Tab Lyn Uno, a 23-year-old University of Utah student and Salt Lake JACL treasurer, was elected to the Salt Lake City Board of Education. He favors community involvement, alternative teaching methods, and shifting school financing away from property taxes.
• Guidelines issued for educational programs, by P.C. Staff, page 10. The Department of Health, Education and Welfare issued guidelines prohibiting discrimination in federally assisted educational programs on the basis of race, national origin, sex and handicap. The guidelines also require that students with limited English skills be afforded equal opportunity.
• Nisei Week slated Aug. 11-19 in L.A., by P.C. Staff, page 11. Organizers met to plan the 1979 Little Tokyo Nisei Week festival, scheduled for August 11-19. The parade will be held August 11, with the carnival and Ondo dancing on later dates.

Incarceration & Redress

• San Francisco Nakao murder case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. An independent ad hoc committee investigating the conviction of Charles B. Nakao, who was found guilty of murder in the death of 11-year-old Gary Ellenburg, has raised doubts about the fairness of his trial. The committee recommended further investigation and is seeking help to determine whether Nakao received a complete and fair trial.
• May 7 deadline for ride to Tule Lake, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Chartered buses for the Tule Lake Pilgrimage May 26-28 are limited to the first 375 persons registering by May 7. The program includes a monument dedication, a reunion picnic, a campsite tour and evening entertainment.

National

• Patsy Mink helps Women USA to form, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Former congresswomen Bella Abzug, Yvonne Brathwaite Burke and Patsy T. Mink announced the formation of Women U.S.A. Abzug described it as a special project of the Women’s Lobby in Washington.
• Public school teachers must be citizens, says high court, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a New York law requiring public school teachers to be U.S. citizens or applicants for citizenship. Justice Powell wrote for the majority, while Justice Blackmun dissented.
• Assemblyman Mori’s AB 545: Charitable deduction boost, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Assemblyman S. Floyd Mori introduced AB 545 to allow all taxpayers a deduction for charitable contributions whether or not they itemize. He argues the measure would benefit lower and middle income taxpayers as well as charitable organizations.
• Carter appoints Sato to new post, by P.C. Staff, page 1. President Carter nominated Frank S. Sato of Puyallup, Wash., to be inspector general of the Department of Transportation. Sato is currently deputy assistant secretary of defense for audits.
• Inouye proposes office of minority concerns, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye introduced a measure to establish an Office of Minority Concerns within ADAMHA. The office would focus on training minority mental health workers and researchers and addressing the specific needs of minority groups.
• Nikkei undercover federal agent shot, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Federal DEA undercover agents Wallace Tanaka and Salvatore DiJamco were wounded in a shooting in San Francisco’s Mission District after a heroin buy went wrong. One suspect was killed and another critically wounded.
• U.S. Civil Rights Commission zeroes in on Asian/Pacific American issues, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights will hold a two-day consultation on Asian and Pacific American civil rights issues in May in Washington. Several Nikkei panelists are scheduled to speak on topics including employment, housing, health and social services.
• Inouye wonders about $73,000 job, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sen. Daniel Inouye questioned a $73,000-a-year Inter-American Development Bank employee whose job description involved setting up meetings and filling water pitchers. The revelation stunned Treasury Secretary Blumenthal during a congressional hearing.

Commentary

• Is JACL Dying?, by Hito Okada, page 3. Former National President Hito Okada argues JACL faces serious membership decline, with insurance and travel benefits now driving much of its income. He calls for better internal education, research into membership turnover, and a reexamination of the organization’s priorities.
• Presidential pointers on JACL Constitution, by Henry T. Tanaka, page 3. Former National President Henry T. Tanaka urges members to take part in deliberations ahead of the 1980 Constitutional Convention so JACL becomes a responsive membership organization. He proposes clearer constitutional statements of purpose and structural reforms.
• Mariculture, by Clifford Uyeda, page 4. JACL President Clifford Uyeda writes about Japan’s efforts to cultivate tai and other fish, and the global potential of mariculture. He argues the ocean will be essential for solving future food problems.
• Redress comment, by William M. Nosaka, page 4. A letter writer criticizes JACL for dwelling on past grievances and losing relevance, while also urging the Pacific Citizen to adopt editorial policy reflecting the wider Nikkei community. The writer also calls for early amnesty for Wendy Yoshimura.
• Higher education, by Nobuyuki Nakajima, page 4. The writer reflects on whether college education is necessary for skilled craftsmen, using the example of a carpenter who was a Harvard graduate. He suggests a college degree shaped how that craftsman ran his business.
• Polish National Anthem, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Columnist Bill Marutani reflects on why ethnic groups like Polish Americans openly honor their ancestral homelands while Nisei generally do not sing Kimigayo or display Japanese flags. He concludes he identifies with cultural values but feels no particular national affinity.
• First Look at Hokkaido, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa describes his first visit to Hokkaido, noting its settlement history resembles the American West and that Americans advised its development in the 1870s. He highlights the Ainu people and the Sapporo landmarks linked to American influence.
• An 1871 Law, by Karl Nobuyuki, page 7. Karl Nobuyuki argues that Japanese Americans were denied civil liberties during the Evacuation and are entitled to redress under federal law. He rebuts claims that incarceration was for their own protection.

JACL

• Structure reorganization proposal for JACL in changing times, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Ad Hoc Committee on Organization Structure presents its recommendations for reforming JACL’s decision-making, including changes to the National Council, National Board and national officer elections. The committee believes the basic structure is sound but needs clearer goals and more efficient processes.

Military & Veterans

• Yankee Samurai excerpt: Iwo Jima and the Nisei linguists, by Joseph D. Harrington, page 8. An excerpt from Joseph Harrington’s book describes Nisei military linguists in the Pacific, including their service on Iwo Jima and Saipan. It recounts interrogations of prisoners, cave-flushing operations, and the courage of several soldiers.
• George Y. Yasuda, 96, recalls being Pres. Taft’s honor guard, by P.C. Staff, page 11. George Y. Yasuda celebrated his 96th birthday on April 26. He recalled serving as an honor guard cadet for President William Taft during a Salt Lake City visit and later farming in Utah and Idaho.

Sports

• Sansei koto-samisen student wins Mombusho Fellowship, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Lynn Wakabayashi, a Wesleyan University senior, won a Mombusho Fellowship for advanced study in Japan. She plans to study musical theory and historical background of the koto and shamisen at Tokyo University of Fine Arts.

Arts & Entertainment

• There ought to be Nikkei fine arts directory, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Jerry Yoshitomi proposed a directory of Nikkei professionals in the arts after a Denver luncheon. He suggested it include curators, collectors, and museum supporters.

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