Vol. 82, No. 22, June 4, 1976. 4 pages. View this issue
Reparations and the future of JACL ran through this four-page issue. Dr. Paul Takagi reported on a survey of Alameda County voters, in which 74 percent disagreed with the World War II incarceration and 64 percent supported reparations. Chapter members from the San Francisco area questioned JACL’s plans for approaching foundations, and proposed amendments to the national constitution and by-laws were released for study. National JACL executive director David Ushio asked Muhammad Ali to stop using the term “Jap” to promote his Japan wrestling match.
Elsewhere are a Mineta-sponsored bill on federal retirement credit for time in camp, Ambassador Fumihiko Togo at the JAL-JACL fellowship banquet, and news of the Wendy Yoshimura trial. Harry K. Honda’s Editor’s Desk paid tribute to his daughter Teresa, and Edison Uno wrote on death and living wills. Wayne Horiuchi covered Hawaiian primaries, and the issue closed with Sacramento convention news.
What’s in this issue
Community
- Twenty-one people from San Francisco-area chapters attend Foundation Responsiveness Project workshop, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Members from San Francisco, San Jose, San Mateo, and Sequoia chapters questioned JACL’s approach to foundations at a May 18 workshop. They asked for more transparency and clearer strategy before outreach proceeds.
- Hollywood Japanese Cultural Center launches $60,000 expansion campaign, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Hollywood Japanese Cultural Center announced a campaign to add a kitchen and classroom annex. Campaign chairman Masaru Okamoto reported $33,000 committed in cash and pledges.
- Chapter Pulse: Scholarship awards and June events across chapters, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Spokane, Sacramento, San Fernando Valley, and other chapters announced scholarship winners and upcoming June events. Puyallup Valley, Riverside, and West Los Angeles also list programs.
- Eight Asian American finalists and winners in Hawaii and Bay Area events, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Local Asian American groups and political committees announced endorsements and events. The coverage includes UCLA Nikkei alumni fundraising and East Los Angeles College Asian American weekend.
National
- Proposed amendments to JACL national constitution and by-laws released for study, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Constitutional revision committee chairman Yamasaki Jr. circulated proposed amendments covering membership, voting rights for Special Members, and executive officer duties. Proposals were released for study pending National Council consideration.
- Reparations study finds shifting public attitudes toward Japanese American incarceration, by Dr. Paul Takagi, page 1. A survey of Alameda County voters found 74 percent disagreed with WWII camp incarceration and 64 percent supported reparations. Findings came from a secondary analysis of data collected for the Wendy Yoshimura jury project.
- Ambassador Fumihiko Togo honored at JAL-JACL Cultural Heritage Fellowship banquet, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japanese Ambassador Fumihiko Togo spoke at the May 23 San Francisco banquet on evolving Japan-U.S. relations. Four fellowship winners were announced for an eight-week study program in Japan.
- JACL asks Muhammad Ali to refrain from using ethnic slur, by P.C. Staff, page 1. National JACL executive director David Ushio asked Muhammad Ali to stop using the term ‘Jap’ in promoting his Japan wrestling match. Ushio compared the offensiveness of the term to the slur against Blacks.
JACL
- Twin Cities selected for 1976 JAYS convention, August 10-15, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The sixth biennial National JAYS convention will be held in Minneapolis, with a schedule of business meetings, workshops, and recreation. Final night activities will be at L’hotel Sofitel in Bloomington.
- Sacramento convention package registration deadline extended, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Convention Chairman Alan Oshima extended the package registration deadline and invited the community to support the June 21-26 National JACL Convention in Sacramento. Special events for spouses and children were also highlighted.
Military & Veterans
- Mineta-sponsored bill would credit wartime camp time toward federal retirement, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Testimony before a House subcommittee in San Jose supported bills granting retirement credit for WWII camp internment to about 1,500 federal employees. Speakers argued the years in camp represented uncompensated loss.
Incarceration & Redress
- Wendy Yoshimura trial motions heard; judge denies most defense requests, by Lee Ruttle, page 1. At a May 21 hearing, Judge Martin Pulich denied defense motions to postpone the June 14 trial and to dismiss the case over publicity. He allowed separate juror examination on prosecution objections.
- Reparations proposal: trust foundations to fund Nikkei and Japan-U.S. relations work, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A reader proposal outlines a Columbia Basin Plan dividing any reparations award between class-action trust foundations and public relations organizations in the US and Japan. The plan argues for Nikkei-controlled administration over individual claims.
Commentary
- Editor’s Desk: Toccata for Teresa, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. Editor Harry Honda reflects on the death of his daughter Teresa, recalling her joy, affection, and experiences at Ninth Street School. The tribute is written in a free-verse style.
- Minority of One: Thanatos, by Edison Uno, page 2. Edison Uno examines death, euthanasia, and the Karen Ann Quinlan case, favoring a living will as a way to express wishes about life support. He encourages readers to plan ahead, including organ donation and estate bequests.
- The PC Observer, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A brief satirical column notes a candidate complaining about poverty at a $500-a-plate dinner. It is a short observational item.
- Justice Overdue: television program on Evacuation draws mixed audience response, by Eira Nagaoka, page 3. Seattle callers reacted to a KING/KCTS program on Evacuation, with most rejecting its message. The article recounts personal testimony on property losses, camp life, and the Hirabayashi case.
- Plain Speaking: Hawaiian primaries and Japanese American political representation, by Wayne Horiuchi, page 3. Horiuchi discusses the Hawaii congressional races and the prospects for Japanese American candidates in the 1976 elections. He notes Patsy Mink and Spark Matsunaga as strong vote-getters.
Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.