A Carter transition memo questions Nisei loyalty, and JACL responds

Vol. 84, No. 8, March 4, 1977. 8 pages. View this issue

A confidential Carter-Mondale transition team memorandum, co-authored by former JACL National Director David Ushio, drew the most attention in this eight-page issue. It described a Japanese American candidate for a high post whose loyalty a staff member questioned. Ushio confirmed his role and argued that Asian Americans must make more noise in federal appointments. Rep. Phillip Burton made a similar charge, and California’s Democratic House delegation urged President Carter to consider Asian American appointees. Mike Masaoka was reported among the candidates for ambassador to Japan.

Elsewhere, Dr. Gordon Hirabayashi spoke in Seattle on the value of education in the reparations campaign. Wayne Horiuchi wrote on the bill giving Civil Service retirement credit to Japanese Americans interned in World War II. Bill Hosokawa profiled Colorado labor contractor Harry Naoichi Hokazono. JACL scholarship and fellowship applications were open, and membership stood at 29,704.

What’s in this issue

National

• Question of Nisei Loyalty to U.S. Raised by Carter Transition Staff, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A confidential Carter-Mondale transition team memorandum co-authored by former JACL National Director David Ushio sparked controversy after a transition staff member questioned a Japanese American candidate’s loyalty to the United States. Ushio confirmed his role, denied leaking the memo, and argued Asian Americans must make more noise to be heard in federal appointments.
• East Coast Nisei ‘Enryo’ About Retirement, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A New York JACL conference on Nisei retirement, held Feb. 13 at the Japanese American United Church, explored the uniqueness of Nisei wartime experience and their social and psychological needs. Participants urged Nisei to educate the public about the Evacuation and to overcome enryo in seeking help.
• Supreme Court Takes On ‘Reverse Bias’, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Supreme Court agreed to decide the legality of the University of California’s special admissions program for racial minorities in the Bakke case. The California Supreme Court had ruled the program unconstitutional.
• Carter Transition Staff Memorandum Follow-up: Asian Americans Seek Appointments, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The California Democratic House delegation unanimously urged President Carter to give favorable consideration to Asian American appointees at all levels. The motion was prompted by a JACL Washington Office letter.

Incarceration & Redress

• Hirabayashi Cites Value of Education in Reparations, by P.C. Staff, page 1. At the Seattle JACL installation dinner, Dr. Gordon Hirabayashi urged that the reparations campaign’s primary value is educating a public too eager to forget the wartime evacuation. He criticized the lingering Nisei reluctance to revisit the past and noted the Canadian Japanese centennial connections.
• Internment Credit Bill Activity, by Wayne K. Horiuchi, page 5. Congressman Norman Mineta planned a Dear Colleague letter seeking co-sponsors for the bill providing Civil Service retirement credit for WWII internment. Readers were urged to contact their representatives to support it.

Community

• Sentencing Postponed on Yoshimura Case, by Lee Ruttle, page 1. Sentencing for Wendy Yoshimura was continued to March 17 after the judge had not reviewed the probation report. The prosecutor recommended the maximum penalty, while the defense prepared a motion for a new trial.
• Mike Masaoka Eyed as Envoy to Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mike Masaoka is reportedly among candidates for U.S. ambassador to Japan, according to congressmen briefed by Secretary of State Cyrus Vance. Masaoka would be the first person of Japanese ancestry considered for the post.
• Bill Asks for 6 More Years, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Washington state bill would extend the Commission on Asian Affairs until June 30, 1983, with endorsement from the governor and four state JACL chapters. The Commission was due to expire in June 1977.
• Nisei Edges Incumbent Mayor by 1, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Mas Nishiyama won the mayoralty of Port McNeill, British Columbia by a single vote over incumbent Gerry Furney. Other Japanese Canadians were re-elected to local councils in Kelowna and Slocan.
• Nat’l JACL Membership Near 30,000, by P.C. Staff, page 2. JACL’s 1976 year-end membership reached 29,704, a new national high. Gardena Valley JACL set a chapter record with 1,908 members, and Northern California-Western Nevada District remained the largest district.
• Redwood Dedicated to Lodi Grower, by Lodi News-Sentinel, page 2. A redwood tree in Jones Gulch was dedicated with a plaque honoring James Sasaki, retiring Lodi Unified School District trustee. The ceremony took place during a sixth-grade science camp visit.
• Honorable Serpent Welcomed, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Los Angeles Chinatown celebrated the Year of the Serpent with festivities welcoming the new lunar year. The brief notes traits associated with those born under the Serpent sign.
• Sonoma Issei Project OK’d, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Sonoma County JACL board approved a local Japanese history project including a written history and gathering of artifacts. Members were urged to contribute pictures, documents, and camp-made items.

Military & Veterans

• Military Intelligence Service feature booklet offer, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A promotional notice offers copies of an MIS booklet about the Military Intelligence Service training at Camp Savage and Fort Snelling. It is an advertisement and may be excluded.
• Tri-District Conference Pre-Signup Moved, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Pre-registration for the JACL Tri-District Conference in Reno was extended to April 1 with reduced early rates. Registration details were to appear in the following week’s PC.

Commentary

• Carter Virtually Ignores Asian Americans, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Rep. Phillip Burton charged that Asian and Pacific Basin Americans are being overlooked for Carter Administration appointments. He urged pressure on the President and private citizens were encouraged to write letters.
• Japlish Acceptable, by Tokyo, page 3. The writer defends the PC’s use of the word ‘Japlish’ against critics, arguing it is innocuous to Japanese readers in Tokyo. The column also surveys historical uses of the shortened term ‘Jap’ to challenge the criticism.
• JACL and Other Asians, by Barry Saiki, page 3. Saiki questions whether JACL should broaden its membership to all Asians, arguing that its success stems from its homogeneous Japanese American base. He suggests JACL better serves other Asian minorities by helping them form their own organizations.
• Redress Measures ‘Nisei Retirement’ Conference Summary, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Continued from the retirement conference coverage, participants discussed whether Nisei would accept services as Issei have and urged educating the public about the Evacuation. Dr. Robert Suzuki wrapped up the discussions.
• For PC Readers Only, by Harry K. Honda, page 4. The editorial explains recent changes in the Pacific Citizen’s production and invites chapter involvement in advertising ahead of the Tri-District Conference. It also introduces new columnists Hoover and Maggie Tateishi and urges concise letters to the editor.
• For Today & Tomorrow: PC Staffers Are Human, by Jon Inouye, page 4. Inouye reflects on the power of newspapers and the invisibility of those who produce them. He argues that the staff behind the paper are ordinary human beings deserving recognition.
• Cherry Trees, by Marie Belt, page 4. Belt proposes planting cherry trees in Little Tokyo during its redevelopment as a symbol of Japanese culture and a draw for visitors. She suggests donor-sponsored trees and support from sister city Nagoya.
• National Director, by Henry S. Sakai, page 4. Sakai voices frustration among Pacific Southwest JACL members about the lack of information on the national director search and the President’s communication. He calls for the PC to inform members about national JACL activities.
• The Term: ‘Gook’, by Hashiguchi, page 4. The writer offers a theory that the derogatory term ‘gook’ arose from a misunderstanding of the Korean phrase ‘Mi Guk’ for America during the Korean War. Had GIs understood Korean, the slur might have been avoided.
• Plain Speaking: Internment Credit Bill, by Wayne Horiuchi, page 5. Horiuchi outlines upcoming activity on the bill providing Civil Service retirement credit for Japanese Americans interned during WWII, including co-sponsorship efforts led by Rep. Norman Mineta. He includes a table showing projected annuity increases for civil servants by pay level.
• From Happy Valley, by Sachi Seko, page 5. Seko describes her reluctance to start spring yard work and her ongoing battle with rocks in her garden. She reflects on the necessity of clearing obstacles so growing things can flourish.
• From the Frying Pan: Hokazono: Colorado Pioneer, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa profiles Harry Naoichi Hokazono, an Issei labor contractor who supplied crews for Colorado’s water, rail, and tunnel projects. He notes Hokazono’s belated recognition with a stained glass window in the State Capitol.

JACL

• JACL Scholarships Applications Available, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Applications are now available for the 1977 JACL National Scholarship Program offering 19 awards ranging from $250 to $1,000. Judging is based on academic excellence, financial need, and extracurricular activities.
• JAL Fellowship for Study in Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Four JAL-JACL Cultural Heritage Fellowships will send JACL members aged 18 to 26 to study at Sophia University this summer. Applications are due April 1, 1977.

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