Hawaii’s residency law, the Chinatown killings and JACL fund drives

Vol. 85, No. 12, September 16, 1977. 8 pages. View this issue

A federal judge’s ruling against Hawaii’s one-year residency law for state and county jobs led the front page. Judge Samuel P. King called the law unconstitutional and issued a preliminary injunction, and Gov. George Ariyoshi said he would appeal if he lost. Ken Kobayashi of The Honolulu Advertiser reported from Honolulu. Also on the front page: the Sept. 4 killings at a San Francisco Chinatown restaurant, which took the life of Paul R. Wada, and Frank Iwama’s account of the Okubo-Yamada case and the JACL fund drive to help the families.

Inside are a hearing on the Mineta bill for retirement credit, a proposed tax credit as reparations, and the Supreme Court’s Oct. 12 date for the Bakke case. The commentary pages include Harry Honda on the Panama Canal treaties, Bill Hosokawa on family ties, Sachi Seko, and Wayne Horiuchi on legislation affecting undocumented aliens.

What’s in this issue

National

• Judge Cites Residency Law in Hawaii, by By Ken Kobayashi (The Honolulu Advertiser), page 1. Federal Judge Samuel P. King issued a preliminary injunction against Hawaii’s one-year state and county job residency law, calling it unconstitutional. Gov. George Ariyoshi vowed to appeal if the law is ultimately struck down.
• New Regents Win 1st O.K., by P.C. Staff, page 1. Four appointees of Gov. Brown Jr. to the University of California Board of Regents were recommended for Senate confirmation by the Senate Rules Committee. Questioning focused on UC investments in South Africa, with appointee Yoritada Wada favoring affirmative action pressure over divestment.
• Pennsylvania Court Opens Up Job-Wanted Ads, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court unanimously ruled that the state human relations commission went too far in barring job-wanted ads listing sex, race, age, and religion. The court found the cease and desist order against the Pittsburgh Press constitutionally invalid.
• Japan ‘Reliable Ally’ Say 46% in Poll, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Gallup Poll commissioned by the Japanese Foreign Ministry found 46 percent of Americans regard Japan as a reliable ally. The survey of 1,525 randomly chosen Americans was conducted in March.
• Baseless’ Race Bias Case Ends With ‘Fine’, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A federal judge dismissed a sex and race job discrimination suit by Barbara N. Copeland as baseless and frivolous and ordered her to reimburse the government’s costs. A related ruling ordered a black Navy engineer to pay costs after losing his discrimination suit.
• Hawaii Residency Ruling Continued, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Judge King said the residency law lacked a rational basis or overriding state interest, noting state officials could not show its effect on jobs. The ACLU’s Clayton Ikei and state attorney Lawrence Kumabe disagreed on whether the ruling extended to counties and the University of Hawaii.
• Court Sets Oct. 12 to Hear Bakke, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Supreme Court scheduled October 12 for arguments in the Allan Bakke reverse discrimination case, which many experts consider the most important race relations decision since 1954. Multiple organizations filed amicus briefs supporting affirmative action while opposing racial quotas.

Community

• S.F. Police Chief Blamed for Chinatown ‘Silence’ on Help, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Assemblyman S. Floyd Mori criticized San Francisco Police Chief Charles Gain for blaming Chinese Americans for not aiding investigations into the Chinatown mass slaying. Mori argued Gain should work on police-community relations rather than making accusations.
• Sansei Slain in S.F. Chinatown Restaurant, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Paul R. Wada, 25, a University of San Francisco law student, was one of five people killed in a Sept. 4 gang-related shooting at the Golden Dragon restaurant in Chinatown. His family stated he had no gang associations, and police attributed the violence to a feud between rival Chinatown gangs.
• Chinatown Editor Blames Silence on S.F. Police Ties, by P.C. Staff, page 2. East West editor Gordon Lew charged that Chinatown residents stay silent about the mass shooting because police and officials associate with community leaders linked to the underworld. Police Chief Gain responded that he avoids associating with citizens who have criminal connections.
• JACL Officers Readying 1978 National Convention Agenda, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The National JACL Executive Committee convenes to act on proposals from chapters and committees ahead of the 1978 national convention in Salt Lake City. Major expected decisions include employment discrimination, the Equal Rights Amendment, anti-busing legislation, and reparations.
• Chinatown Silence Continued, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Chinatown gangs such as the Wah Ching and Joe Fong gang have been engaged in extortion, gambling, and violence, with investigations hampered by a traditional Chinese code of silence and witness fears. Mayor George Moscone offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to convictions.
• Seattle JACL Meeting Features Attorney George Koshi, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Retired government attorney George Koshi spoke at a June Seattle JACL meeting on Washington community property law. He explained how couples can avoid complicated accounting in divorce or probate by consolidating property as community or jointly owned.

Commentary

• Okubo-Yamada Case: Seven Years Later, by By Frank Iwama, Nat’l JACL Legal Counsel, page 1. Frank Iwama recounts the 1970 Palmer House Hotel tragedy in Chicago, in which Evelynn Okubo was murdered and Ranko Carol Yamada was assaulted during the JACL convention. He explains the families’ ongoing civil appeal against Hilton Hotels and the national JACL fund drive to help cover legal expenses.
• JACL Fund Drives, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial supports JACL’s assistance to the Okubo and Yamada families and reflects on the community’s tradition of generosity inherited from the Issei. It acknowledges the constant stream of fundraising appeals while urging members to give when a cause is worthy.
• Hooray for Jimmy, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial praises President Carter’s emphasis on human rights in foreign policy, citing South Korea and the Philippines releasing political prisoners as signs of change. It argues human rights is a universal value despite criticism that it imposes American standards.
• Panama Canal Issue: Notes and Background, by Harry Honda, page 4. Editor Harry Honda reviews the Panama Canal treaties, recalling Nisei GIs stationed in the Canal Zone during WWII and summarizing Sen. S.I. Hayakawa’s position supporting the treaty. The piece traces the historical background of the 1903 canal treaty and the events leading to Panama’s independence.
• Derogatory Terms, by John Kimata, page 4. A reader objects to comedian George Carlin using the slur ‘Jap’ during his Tonight Show monologue and questions why the offense drew less protest than a racial slur against Blacks would. The letter urges that such insults not be accepted without protest.
• The King & I, by Joseph Halpin, page 4. Joseph Halpin responds to a critic of San Diego’s production of The King & I, arguing that Western art has long exoticized Asia through works like Madame Butterfly and The Mikado without comparable protest. He concludes that banning art reflecting stereotypes recalls book burnings in Nazi Germany.
• Manner of Censure, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A letter writer argues that violent reactions to inadvertent racial slights strain relations and suggests a more measured approach. The writer addresses a board member’s remarks about a time-release law for Christian instruction.
• Time to Remember, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A Hoosier JACL member praises the Japanese American community’s self-reliance and crime-free record. The letter reflects on the purpose behind forming the local JACL chapter.
• Changes of the Season, by Sachi Seko, page 5. Sachi Seko uses the ripening of peaches and pears and a summer of voluntary water conservation to reflect on how abundance breeds waste. She argues JACL must change beyond its Nisei-focused, World War II-centered orientation to remain relevant.
• Togetherness, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa describes a 25th anniversary party for Dr. Herb and Ruby Maruyama in Denver, showcasing their close family bonds. He reflects that family ties are weakening in American life and that such closeness deserves to be valued.
• Plain Speaking, by Wayne Horiuchi, page 5. Wayne Horiuchi analyzes the Carter administration’s undocumented alien legislation, warning that employer citizenship checks could lead to racial discrimination against Asian Americans. He also criticizes a proposed temporary resident status for its limits on civil rights and family reunification.

Incarceration & Redress

• Interment Credit Bill Being Heard, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A public hearing on the Mineta bill granting retirement credit to Japanese American civil service employees for internment years was advanced one day. Representatives of the JACL and the Committee for Internment Credit were invited to testify on HR 6412-13-14.
• Tax Credit Proposed as Reparations, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Sacramento JACL president Floyd D. Shimomura submitted a draft bill proposing a federal income tax credit of $10,000 for adults and $5,000 for children evacuated or interned during World War II. The proposal was presented to stimulate debate ahead of the National JACL Executive Committee meeting on reparations.

Military & Veterans

• Spartan Beat: Mas Mambo, by P.C. Staff, page 7. This column reports on Gordon Lau’s withdrawal from a San Francisco planning commission seat to campaign for supervisor and notes actor Jack Soo’s TV work. It also mentions Gov. Brown signing Assemblyman Mori’s tax loophole legislation.

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