Vol. 85, No. 8, August 19, 1977. 12 pages. View this issue
Rep. Norman Mineta’s call for better census data on Asian and Pacific Island Americans led the news. He introduced HJ Res 567 to require the Census Bureau and other agencies to publish reliable statistics, and he argued that the lack of detailed figures puts states with large Asian populations at a disadvantage in seeking federal funds. The front page also reported on a remark by Folsom-Cordova school board president David Marty that angered the Sacramento JACL, and on job bias charges against Sumitomo Bank of California.
In JACL news, the EDC/MDC Convention in Washington, D.C. included the presentation of a Nisei Veterans Plaque at Arlington Cemetery, with Sen. Spark Matsunaga speaking for the National Nisei Veterans Association. Inside are reports on reparations meetings held by the NC-WNDC, the Intermountain District’s convention plans, and Ryozo Kado, who built the Manzanar memorial shrine. Pages 11 and 12 turn to Hiroshima and to Japan’s Unit 731.
What’s in this issue
National
- Mineta Calls for Better Asian/Pacific Census Data, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Norman Mineta introduced HJ Res 567 requiring the Census Bureau and other agencies to collect and publish reliable statistics on Asian and Pacific Island Americans. He argued that the lack of detailed data disadvantages states with large Asian populations when seeking federal funding.
- 280,000 Koreans Live in U.S., by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Korean Foreign Ministry reported 1.05 million Korean residents overseas as of June 30, with 280,752 in the United States. Japan hosts the majority, with Canada and West Germany also having significant populations.
- School Board Official’s Remark on Buddha Stirs Controversy, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Folsom-Cordova school board president David Marty said ‘this country wasn’t founded on Buddha’ while opposing release-time for non-Christian religious instruction, angering the Anti-Defamation League and the Sacramento JACL. Marty later said he had withdrawn the remark, and the board referred the question of release time to county counsel.
- New Relief Laws Urged for Atomic Bomb Victims in Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A 1977 World Convention for a Ban on Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs in Hiroshima called for international action to abolish nuclear weapons. Japanese attorneys also urged new relief laws for atomic bomb victims, including foreign victims such as Koreans and Taiwanese forcibly brought to Japan.
- Sumitomo Bank Denies Charge of Job Bias, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sumitomo Bank of California vigorously denied job discrimination charges brought by a coalition of women, Black and Hispanic groups who rallied at its San Francisco headquarters. The bank said women and minorities hold most of its positions, and a complaint filed by Public Advocates challenged its pending acquisition of Bank of California branches.
JACL
- EDC-MDC Theme Manifested at Washington-Hosted Confab, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The EDC/MDC Convention hosted by the Washington, D.C. chapter emphasized cooperation among district chapters, legislators, and other groups through meetings, panels, and tours. Highlights included presentation of a Nisei Veterans Plaque at Arlington Cemetery and a congressional lobbying program.
Military & Veterans
- Nisei Vet Plaque Presented, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A plaque inscribed with a FDR quotation and the motto ‘Go For Broke’ was placed in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier museum room at Arlington Cemetery on July 30. Sen. Spark Matsunaga presented it on behalf of the National Nisei Veterans Association.
Community
- Intermountain Talks Up Two Conventions, by Yuki Harada, page 2. The Intermountain District’s second quarterly session discussed the 1977 district convention in Ogden and the 1978 national convention in Salt Lake City. Chapter leaders reported on plans and youth program needs.
Incarceration & Redress
- NC-WNDC Steps Up Community Meetings on Reparations Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The NC-WNDC Committee on Reparations is conducting community meetings and distributing a bilingual questionnaire to gather opinions on reparations for Japanese Americans interned during World War II. Several chapters have held meetings and designated chairpersons.
Obituaries
- Pioneer Issei Landscaper Retires at 87, by John Truxaw, page 9. Ryozo Kado, a renowned builder of rock gardens and religious grottoes, retired from the Los Angeles archdiocese cemeteries at age 87. He built around 75 shrines, including many Lourdes grottoes, and also created the Manzanar guardhouse and memorial shrine during World War II incarceration.
Commentary
- Enola Gay Co-Authors Tell of Americans Killed in A-Bomb Blast, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Authors Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan Witts claim in their book Enola Gay that American prisoners of war held in Hiroshima were killed in the 1945 atomic bombing, a fact the authors say was suppressed for 32 years. The Pentagon confirmed between 10 and 20 American POWs were in the area at the time.
In-Depth
- Japan Germ Warfare Test Called ‘Living Cemetery’, by P.C. Staff, page 12. A Tokyo Broadcasting System documentary alleged that Japanese Unit 731 scientists killed at least 3,000 Chinese prisoners through bacteriological experiments during World War II and that the scientists escaped prosecution by sharing findings with U.S. occupation forces. A former member, Dr. Sueo Akimoto, described the unit as a death factory.
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