Three Americans: Hirabayashi, Yasui and Korematsu in 1978

Vol. 87, No. 14, October 13, 1978. 12 pages. View this issue

Bill Marutani’s East Wind column on the front page looked at the Supreme Court cases of Gordon Hirabayashi, Minoru Yasui and Fred Korematsu, three U.S. citizens convicted for resisting wartime curfew and exclusion orders. He argued the cases reflected the guilt-by-ancestry climate of the time. Bill Hosokawa’s Frying Pan column returned to the same decisions and argued that Japanese Americans have a duty to press for redress. The front page also reported a federal grand jury probe into a plot to blow up Soviet and Japanese whalers, and George Ariyoshi’s narrow win in Hawaii’s Democratic primary for governor.

Elsewhere in the 12 pages: a three-page look at Japan’s aquaculture and Senator Daniel K. Inouye’s bill on the industry, Joe Oyama’s interview with a Sansei social worker in Osaka, Gene Konomi’s Vacant Lot, and chapter news from Fresno, Seattle, Stockton, Reno and Cincinnati.

What’s in this issue

National

• Whale War: Scheme to Blow Up Soviet and Japanese Whaleboats Under U.S. Probe, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Federal Grand Jury is investigating a plot to blow up Soviet and Japanese whalers off the Chilean coast after former Navy diver James R. Rose Jr. was arrested with buried plastic explosives. Rose denies being a mad bomber, and the case has drawn comparisons to a 1976 novel while Greenpeace denies involvement.

Community

• Teacher’s Methods Embarrass Young Asian Student, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL Regional Director George Kondo protested a Belmont, California fifth-grade teacher’s use of racial and physical characteristics to illustrate points and to select teams. Kondo asked the school superintendent for assurances that such racial incidents will not be repeated.
• Gov. Ariyoshi Edges Mayor Fasi a Second Time for Gubernatorial Bid, by P.C. Staff, page 1. George R. Ariyoshi won the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in Hawaii’s Oct. 7 primary over Honolulu Mayor Frank Fasi by fewer than 3,600 votes. Jean Sadako King also won the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor.
• Nisei with Kreps on Trade Mission, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Kazuo Watanabe of Seattle and Yukuo Takenaka of Los Angeles are members of a U.S. export development mission to Japan led by Commerce Secretary Juanita Kreps. Watanabe heads Washington’s commerce and trade department, and Takenaka serves on a California trade task force.
• Peruvian Nikkei Plan Celebration, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Some 70,000 Japanese in Peru plan to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Japanese immigration to Peru next August. The first immigrants, farmers, disembarked at Callao on April 3, 1899.
• Calif. to Advance Viet Refugee Aid, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Assemblyman S. Floyd Mori noted Governor Brown signed AB 3792, which lets the state advance federal refugee funds quarterly to community organizations. The funds support English, vocational training, job placement, and social services for California’s 80,000 Indochinese refugees.
• Matsui Faces Strong Opposition from GOP in Congressional Bid, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Democrat Robert Matsui faces Republican state senator Sandra Smoley for the 3rd district congressional seat being vacated by John Moss. Both candidates are expected to spend heavily, with Smoley projecting $250,000 and Matsui about $225,000.
• Prisons Face Massive Jam, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Jerry Enomoto, director of the California Department of Corrections, warned that Proposition 13 may cause county courts to send more prisoners to state prisons. He predicted severe overcrowding by 1980 and 1985 absent additional capacity.
• Alameda JACL Movies and Cake Sale Benefit, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Alameda JACL will show two Japanese films on Nov. 11 at the Alameda Buddhist Temple to raise funds for the Issei housing project. The chapter also honored two Issei who reached their 88th birthdays.
• Inouye Writes Aquaculture Policy Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Congress passed Senator Daniel K. Inouye’s aquaculture bill providing federal grants, demonstration projects, loans, and insurance for developing the industry. The measure directs agencies to develop a national policy within 18 months.
• Snake River Hosts IDC Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Intermountain JACL District Council’s final quarterly session will be hosted by Snake River Valley JACL on Nov. 18 in Ontario, Oregon. National JACL Executive Director Karl Nobuyuki will keynote the recognitions dinner.
• Sonoma Srs. Win Volleyball Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Eight teams competed in the second JACL Marin-NCWNDC volleyball tournament at Terra Linda High. The Sonoma Seniors won first place, with Marin second and Sacramento third.
• Homemaker Program Started at Pioneer Center, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Pioneer Center in Little Tokyo launched a one-year CETA-funded pilot project providing homemaker services to shut-in elderly Japanese. The program aims to reach 160 clients and train 40 service providers.
• Sociology Grad Named Buddhist Youth Director, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Steve Takeuchi, a University of Washington sociology graduate, was appointed coordinator of the Buddhist Churches of America’s RAB Youth Program. He began his duties at BCA headquarters on Sept. 1.
• Seabrook CLer 31,000th, by P.C. Staff, page 6. National JACL acknowledged Henry Kato of Seabrook, N.J., as the 31,000th member of 1978 and presented him with a JACL pin. Membership totals as of Sept. 30 were ahead of the 1977 pace.
• Calendar Items and Chapter News, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Several chapters announced fundraising events, benefit dances, and community programs for the coming weeks. Events included Alameda’s movie and cake sale for the Issei housing project.
• Fresno JACL Lists 25 for Registry, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Fresno JACL nominated twenty-five individuals of merit for the National JACL Nikkei Talent Registry, according to committee chairperson Dr. George Suda. The nominees’ names were not disclosed.
• Fresno JACL Nominees Presented for Board Slate, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Norton Nishioka presented profiles of nine nominees for the Fresno JACL board of governors for 1979-80. The profiles describe each nominee’s professional background and chapter service.
• PCYA Applications Urged, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Fresno JACL is offering a $500 scholarship to a local junior or senior high student attending the 1979 Presidential Classroom for Young Americans in Washington, D.C. Applications are due Dec. 1.
• Disco Dance with D.J. Bobby Gee, by P.C. Staff, page 7. San Francisco JACL’s scholarship fund benefit dance will feature disc jockey Bobby Gee at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. Tickets are $3.50 in advance and $4 at the door.
• Far Out! Seek Astronaut for Installation, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Seattle JACL announced its 1979 installation dinner-dance and awards banquet for January 19 at Bush Garden. A possible guest speaker, astronaut trainee Ellison Onizuka, was mentioned.
• Mutsfukumoto Fires 72 to Lead Golfers, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Winners were announced for Stockton JACL’s seventh annual golf tournament held Oct. 1 at Van Buskirk. Mutsfukumoto took the low gross trophy with a 72.
• Chinese Dinner Featured as Wind-Up Affair, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Reno JACL’s annual wind-up dinner is set for Nov. 1 at the Rice Bowl with a Chinese menu. Members pay $1 and non-members $5, with reservations taken by several chapter contacts.
• Some to Learn How to Play Hana, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Riverside JACL’s next general meeting on Oct. 28 will include slides on Japan, a convention report, and the 1979 board nominee slate. Members will also learn the Japanese card game hana.
• Cincinnati Folk Festival Fund Raiser, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Cincinnati JACL’s International Folk Festival runs Nov. 17-19 with dance performances and cultural exhibits. Advance tickets and craft sessions support the chapter’s fundraising.
• Fremont Teriyaki Beef a Fast Sell-Out, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Fremont JACL sold out its teriyaki beef at the Hub Center Community Charity Mall bazaar, netting about $560. The chapter also tied for second in booth decorations.
• Executive Secretary for 28 Years Resigns JAA, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Hideo Kitayama, secretary of the Japanese American Association of New York for more than 28 years, submitted his resignation effective Sept. 5. He agreed to remain until a replacement is named.
• Elderly Nikkei Survey Funded by New York Community Trust, by P.C. Staff, page 9. JAHFA received a $20,000 grant from the New York Community Trust for a bilingual survey of Japanese American elderly in metropolitan New York. The six-month project will identify program priorities for seniors.
• Taro Yashima’s Golden Village Film, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Artist Taro Yashima made a half-hour film returning to his Nejime, Kagoshima birthplace to find former classmates. The film Taro Yashima’s Golden Village premieres on KCET on Oct. 16.
• Bassoon Cracks Up in Aspen, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Bassoonist Ryohei Nakagawa’s instrument cracked during a performance at the Aspen Music Festival because the dry Colorado air differed from Japan’s humidity. The incident briefly amused the audience.
• Gardeners Dedicate Co-op Warehouse, by P.C. Staff, page 10. The Southern California Gardeners Federation dedicated a two-story Co-op Enterprise warehouse at 333 S. San Pedro St. on Aug. 27. The $115,000 facility was financed through the federation treasury and member bonds.
• Sister City Artists Start Exchange Fund, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Twelve artists from Tokushima, Saginaw’s Japanese sister city, exhibited paintings, prints, and Otani ware at the Saginaw art museum. Auction proceeds funded a new artists exchange fund.
• Undersea Explorers Find Traces of Japan’s Atlantis, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Divers off Heshima Island located stone remains believed to be from Kurodagori, a city said to have sunk after a 684 earthquake. Further salvage and inspection are planned.
• JACLer Heads Merced County League of Women Voters, by P.C. Staff, page 12. Frances Kirihara, a school nurse and charter member, was elected president of the League of Women Voters of Merced County. She has been active in health education and community representation roles.
• JA Optimists Mark 25th Year, by P.C. Staff, page 12. The Japanese American Optimist Club of Los Angeles began its 25th year with the installation of Tom Iwasaki as president. A silver jubilee celebration is planned for the next installation.
• Buddhists in B.C. to Build New Church, by P.C. Staff, page 12. A Vancouver Buddhist congregation plans an $800,000 temple and complex in the Oppenheimer district near Chinatown. Donations of $100,000 have already been received toward the project.

Incarceration & Redress

• Fred, Gordon & Min: Three Americans, by Bill Marutani, page 1. Bill Marutani reviews the Supreme Court cases of Gordon Hirabayashi, Minoru Yasui, and Fred Korematsu, all U.S. citizens convicted for resisting wartime curfew and exclusion orders. He argues the cases reflected the guilt-by-ancestry climate of the time.

Military & Veterans

• Japanese Naval Flag Unfurled at Houston Party, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Bob D. Cook recounts how, as a Marine in Sasebo after World War II, he encountered a young Japanese soldier who took his own life rather than surrender a flag. Cook keeps the flag and displays it at a yearly GI party in Texas.

Commentary

• Mineta Cites Conditions for National Health Plan, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Rep. Norman Mineta outlined the requirements for a successful national health insurance program at a San Jose Medical Clinic dinner. He stressed comprehensive affordable care, preventive services, senior prescription coverage, and limiting bureaucracy.
• Whale War (continued), by P.C. Staff, page 2. Continuation of the whale war report details the diving gear, the chartered boat, and the two-man submarine purchased by suspect James Rose. Federal investigators are examining the financing and connections to environmental groups.
• Prices Swim Past Hamburger, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Commerce Department figures show fish prices rising faster than meat prices, driven by overseas demand and limited new fishing grounds. U.S. consumers are also turning to fish for cost and health reasons.
• Roots of Apartheid, by Harry K. Honda, page 4. The editorial comments on South Africa’s bulldozing of the Crossroads squatter village and contrasts it with the Nisei experience of racial exclusion. It notes Japan’s limited direct investment in South Africa while observing that the country’s gold, platinum, and resources make apartheid a continuing global problem.
• Zaki Pipes Letter: Book Reading Anecdotes, by Shirasu Alameda, page 4. A reader describes reading Bill Hosokawa’s Thirty-Five Years in the Frying Pan on buses and enjoying its camp-life passages. She also shares anecdotes about ordering unfamiliar foods abroad.
• Letters: Book Reading and Frying Pan Anecdotes, by Shirasu Alameda, page 4. A reader describes reading Bill Hosokawa’s book on buses and recalls camp life similarities. The letter also shares humorous food-ordering experiences abroad.
• Frying Pan: Bill Hosokawa Column on Family and Redress, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa reflects on the birth of his grandson Tug and recalls the wartime removal and Supreme Court decisions in Hirabayashi, Yasui, and Korematsu. He argues Japanese Americans have a duty to press for redress of the wrong.
• Vacant Lot, by Gene Konomi, page 9. Gene Konomi reminisces about playing in a vacant lot across from his childhood home in Fukuoka, Japan. He reflects on the freedom of those childhood games and their lasting nostalgic meaning.

In-Depth

• Aquaculture: Japan Ichiban, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Japan’s Chitose salmon hatchery and other fish-farming programs have pioneered aquaculture techniques that boost coastal fish and shellfish production. Officials aim to meet the nation’s seafood needs within its own 200-mile zone by 2000.
• Sansei Working with Koreans in Osaka Tells of Their Plight in Japanese Society, by Joe Oyama, page 4. Social worker Ron Fujiyoshi describes discrimination against Korean and Burakumin minorities in Japan’s homogeneous society. He also explains divisions among Korean residents and the struggles of Southeast Asian migrants.

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