Vol. 87, No. 11, September 22, 1978. 8 pages. View this issue
Redress led the news as JACL’s campaign moved into its second phase. The National JACL Committee on Redress, chaired by John Tateishi, met in San Francisco to prepare legislation for the next Congress, with Ellen Endo and Ron Mamiya leading subcommittees on media strategy and legislation. A page 4 item brought a call for volunteers to help the effort. A bill sponsored by Rep. Norman Mineta, granting retirement credit to Japanese American civil servants for time spent in internment camps, went to the President. The California Department of Parks and Recreation asked former Manzanar internees for comments on three plans for developing the camp as a historical site.
Columns by Bill Hosokawa looked at the 1941 Niihau incident and a poor mushroom season in Denver. Another page covered scientists at City of Hope who created a gene that makes human insulin. A Little Tokyo health fair, Doris Matsui’s Rosalie Stern Award and the Weber v. Kaiser affirmative action case are also inside.
What’s in this issue
Incarceration & Redress
- JACL redress campaign steps into 2nd phase, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL’s redress campaign moved into its second phase, with the National JACL Committee on Redress meeting in San Francisco to prepare suitable legislation for the next Congress. The committee rejected a dual judicial approach and a special congressional study, focusing instead on the Salt Lake City convention mandate and a media strategy.
- Comments wanted on Manzanar plans, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The California Department of Parks and Recreation is seeking comments from former Manzanar internees on three proposed approaches to developing the camp as a historical site. The options range from exhibit panels only to full reconstruction of barracks, guard towers, and barbed wire.
- Reverse bias issue back in high court, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Supreme Court was asked to review Weber v. Kaiser Aluminum, a case challenging a voluntary affirmative action training program that a lower court found violated federal law. The unresolved question is whether employers may legally adopt affirmative action programs without proven past discrimination.
- Expulsion & Detention (Section 5), by P.C. Staff, page 4. This installment describes the construction of permanent inland detention camps after the threat of invasion had passed, and the harsh conditions detainees endured including barbed wire, guard towers, and crowded quarters. It also covers the 1943 loyalty questionnaire and its divisive impact on detainees.
- A case for redress, by P.C. Staff, page 4. JACL redress coordinator John Tateishi calls for more volunteers and help to make the redress effort successful. Readers are directed to contact JACL Headquarters for involvement.
National
- Internment credit bill goes to President, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Congress gave final approval to a bill sponsored by Rep. Norman Mineta granting civil service retirement credit to Japanese American civil servants for time spent in internment camps during World War II. The measure now awaits the President’s signature.
- Senior citizen housing approved, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A $4.8 million federal loan was approved for a senior citizen housing project in Monterey Park sponsored by the Chinese-American Golden Age Association. The project will provide 120 units for elderly residents.
- U.S. job bias laws streamlined, by P.C. Staff, page 2. New Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures were announced by EEOC head Eleanor Holmes Norton to replace competing federal hiring regulations. The guidelines shift enforcement focus to the overall effect of employment practices rather than technical violations.
In-Depth
- Scientists create gene which makes human insulin, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A team of scientists from City of Hope National Medical Center and Genentech synthesized genes capable of producing human insulin in bacteria. The achievement, led by Dr. Keiichi Itakura, uses recombinant DNA techniques and has potential commercial applications for diabetics.
- Niihau Incident, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa revisits the 1941 Niihau incident in which Japanese pilot Shigenori Nishikaichi and resident Yoshio Harada attempted to seize the island, drawing on Allan Beekman’s research. The account covers the pilot’s suicide and the Army rescue detail led by Lt. Jack Mizuha.
Community
- Doris Matsui wins Rosalie Stern Award, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Doris Matsui, wife of Sacramento Councilman Robert Matsui, received the prestigious Rosalie Stern Award from UC Berkeley. The $1,000 award honors women graduates who contribute extraordinarily to their communities.
- Welfare service for aging Issei initiated in Boyle Heights, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A new Information and Referral Service and Welfare Counseling Service were launched at Evergreen Baptist Church to serve Issei in Boyle Heights. The services were started by Emi Yamaki of Koreisha Chushoku Kai and are sponsored by the City of Los Angeles Area Agency on Aging.
- Li’l Tokyo health fair slated Nov. 12, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A Little Tokyo Health Fair is being planned for Nov. 12 at Nishi Hongwanji, offering flu vaccinations and medical screenings. Organizers are seeking medical workers and bilingual volunteers, with JACL serving as a co-sponsor.
Military & Veterans
- 3rd Order of Sacred Treasure conferred on Taul Watanabe, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Seattle businessman Taul Watanabe received the Third Order of the Emperor’s Sacred Treasure from the Japanese government in a ceremony in Seattle. He was described as the youngest man ever to receive the honor, recognized for his decades of trade relations work between Japan and the United States.
- JACL-Hagiwara Student Aid: Eight awards made for 1978, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Eight students received the eighth annual JACL-Abe Hagiwara Student Aid grants of $500 each, awarded on the basis of financial need and motivation. Names of recipients are withheld under program policy.
Arts & Entertainment
- NHK-TV cast complete for ‘America Monogatari’, by Welly Shibata, page 3. Casting has been completed for NHK-TV’s four-part drama ‘America Monogatari,’ which will trace three generations of Japanese in America. Location filming is underway in California and Hawaii for an autumn 1979 broadcast.
Commentary
- Weber vs. Kaiser, by H.H., page 4. The editorial examines the Weber v. Kaiser case and its implications for affirmative action, noting that the appeals court ruling places employers in a bind over voluntary programs. It argues that without a proven history of bias, companies face difficulty adopting remedial preferences, and concludes that white is not supreme.
- D’Aquino lauded, by Mary Lee Coday, page 4. A letter writer praises Dr. Clifford Uyeda’s support for Iva Toguri D’Aquino and calls for a Declaration of Innocence and a monument in her honor. The writer argues she was a loyal American wrongly convicted because of her Japanese ancestry.
- A ‘legend’ innovator, by Douglas Kendall, page 4. A reader remembers composer Koga Masao following his death, recalling his talent for love songs and his role in guiding singer Misora Hibari’s career. The writer also requests a copy of an early 1950s Japanese song.
- JACL@NACL, by Naomi Kashiwabara, page 4. A reader jokingly suggests that the organization’s name, if ‘Japanese’ were replaced by ‘Nipponese,’ would produce the acronym NACL. The brief letter is a lighthearted comment on the organization’s name.
- Is Race Necessary?, by Roy Uno, page 4. The writer questions the Santa Ana Police Department’s practice of recording race on traffic citations after the ACLU raised objections. He argues the officer’s racial classifications are arbitrary and urges the Orange County JACL to take up the issue.
- Peanut Butter Sandwich, by Sachi Seko, page 5. Sachi Seko recounts a dinner with a friend and shares a spinach salad dressing recipe, reflecting on cookbooks and family cooking traditions. She also highlights the West Los Angeles JACL Auxiliary’s East-West Flavors II cookbook.
- Not Enough Rain, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa describes a poor mushroom season in the Denver area caused by a hot, dry summer. He also comments on Professor Kaname Saruya’s reports on the JACL convention, the redress campaign, and the Niihau incident of 1941.
- Editor’s Desk, by Harry K. Honda, page 5. Honda’s column discusses the scorching summer weather in Denver and the difficulty of mushroom hunting, but the text is not included here. Note: the Editor’s Desk column appears on page 5 under Bill Hosokawa’s From the Frying Pan.
Obituaries
- Keiichi Itakura, Ph.D., by P.C. Staff, page 7. A profile of molecular biologist Keiichi Itakura of City of Hope, born in Tokyo in 1942, who was a key figure in the synthetic insulin gene work. His research interests center on DNA and protein chemistry.
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