Asian American studies, JACL member services and redress debate

Vol. 87, No. 15, October 20, 1978. 12 pages. View this issue

A new Asian American studies course at Washington State University led the front page, with a full minor program planned for the fall under Dr. Bryan Man. Hawaii’s primary returns, a new manager for the National JACL Credit Union and a benefit dance for the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center also ran on page 1. Inside, page 3 gathered JACL member services: group health plans, chapter credit unions and 16 group flights to Japan for 1979.

Redress drew attention on several pages. The series “A Case for Redress” continued with its section on redress, and readers wrote in for and against the proposed $25,000 payments. Pages 5 and 10 to 11 covered books, including Sachi Seko on Bill Hosokawa’s collection and two reviews of James Edmiston’s novel Home Again. Clifford Uyeda’s President’s Corner offered his view of what the paper needed, and page 1 reported on claims for retirement credit for camp internment under PL 95-382.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Washington State launches Asian studies class, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Washington State University will offer its first Asian American studies course in spring 1979 and a full minor program in fall. Dr. Bryan Man, recently hired to lead the program, is building a 16 semester-hour minor across several departments.
• Nikkei dominate Hawaii primary returns again, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japanese American candidates posted strong showings in Hawaii’s Oct. 6 primary, with many Nikkei running for state senate, house, school board, and county council seats. The article lists vote totals for governor, lieutenant governor, and key legislative races.
• Architect vows to fight as WSU, by P.C. Staff, page 1. China-born WSU architect Anthony Wong has received job offers elsewhere but chooses to stay and fight for Asian American rights at the university. He has pursued a job reclassification for five years, and the EEOC found reasonable cause to believe harassment occurred.
• Nisei vets host JACCC benefit dance, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Nisei Veterans Coordinating Council will hold a benefit dance Oct. 28 at Nishi Hongwanji Kaikan to raise funds for the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center. Tickets are $5 per person.
• Watsonville receives U.S., Calif. flags, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Watsonville JACL Center held a flag presentation ceremony on Columbus Day, receiving U.S. and state flags that had flown over the Capitol dome. Congressman Leon Panetta’s wife and Assemblyman Henry Mello made the presentations.
• Boeing workers donate $75,000 to Seattle Keiro, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Boeing Employees’ Good Neighbor Fund awarded $75,000 to Seattle Keiro Nursing Home for capital improvements, including a multipurpose activity center. Tosh Okamoto succeeded Tomio Moriguchi as president of Issei Concerns, the nonprofit that operates the facility.
• Nishida Koto Ensemble JACL concert tour arranged by No. Calif. heritage group, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Eight NC-WNDC chapters have signed up to sponsor concerts by the Nishida Koto Ensemble of Japan during its January-February 1979 JACL tour. The group, formed in the early 1970s, will perform classical and modern koto music.
• Political pull of MDC vital to Nat’l JACL, by Hoosier JACL, page 8. The Hoosier JACL argues the Midwest District Council, though small in membership, is politically important for congressional action and deserves more attention from National JACL. The writer calls for National to address the unique needs of MDC chapters.
• CHAPTER SPIRIT: A busy summer passes, by Vicky Mikesell, page 8. Dayton JACL had a busy summer hosting Japanese volleyball players, hydroplane racers, and a Yamagata City girls’ choir. The chapter also held its annual Corn Fest.
• New MDC director, by P.C. Staff, page 8. William Yoshino was named permanent regional director of the Midwest District Council after serving as interim director. He plans youth programming revitalization and seeks funding for a traveling pictorial exhibit on Japanese American history.

JACL

• JACL credit union treasurer named, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Ichiro Doi of Bountiful, Utah, was appointed Manager-Treasurer of the National JACL Credit Union, filling the post left vacant by the death of Albert U. Oshita. Doi has served on the credit union board for over 25 years.
• 1979 JACL travel program, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The National JACL Travel Committee announced 16 group flights to Japan for 1979 and invited local districts and chapters to administer them. Requests must be submitted to JACL headquarters by Nov. 15, 1978.
• JACL’s most attractive benefit: group health plans offered, by Harry Honda, page 3. The article surveys JACL-affiliated group health plans, including Blue Cross groups in Utah and Northern California and the California Blue Shield program administered from JACL headquarters. It lists chapter contacts for each program.
• Chapter credit unions thrive as convenient, ready service, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Three JACL chapter credit unions continue to serve members: Chicago, San Francisco, and Twin Cities. The article gives current contacts, loan rates, and membership requirements for each.
• If you are not a National JACL Credit Union member, here’s how, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The National JACL Credit Union explains eligibility, how to join for a $5.50 initial outlay, savings dividend rates, life insurance coverage, and loan terms. Contact information and board officers are provided.

National

• House approves farm data bill, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The House approved HR 13356, the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act, directing the Secretary of Agriculture to study foreign ownership of U.S. farmland. The measure is a data-gathering step rather than a restriction on foreign investment.
• Hattiesburg city hit by U.S. suit, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Justice Department sued Hattiesburg, Mississippi, alleging the commission form of government and at-large council elections dilute black voting strength. No black person has ever been elected to the city council despite a substantial black population.
• Ex-CIA director agent for Japan industries, by P.C. Staff, page 12. Former CIA director William E. Colby registered with the Justice Department as a political consultant for a Tokyo-based public relations firm representing Japanese industries. Colby defended the arrangement, saying he sees nothing wrong with applying his intelligence experience.

Incarceration & Redress

• Claims now being accepted under PL 95-382 internment credit, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japanese American civil servants may now apply for retirement credit for time spent in WWII internment camps under PL 95-382, according to Rep. Norman Mineta. The article explains verification steps and claim procedures for retired and currently employed workers.

Commentary

• Pacific Citizen reader critique (President’s Corner), by Clifford Uyeda, page 2. JACL President Clifford Uyeda shares his view as a reader that the Pacific Citizen needs more news about Japanese Americans, more in-depth analysis, and fuller coverage of JACL internal issues. He suggests a Washington correspondent and soliciting paid contributions from general readers.
• Friday Theme, by Harry K. Honda, page 4. Editor Harry Honda explains new Friday themes for the Pacific Citizen, including Page 3 features on people and pictures, special topics, and membership-focused content. He outlines plans for future essays and themed issues.
• Alien Landowners, by Letters to the editor, page 4. A letter writer defends restrictions on foreign ownership of California farmland, arguing foreign investors bid up prices and hurt farmers including Mexican-American growers. The writer criticizes the JACL resolution opposing such restrictions.
• History Overlooked, by Letter to the editor, page 4. A reader criticizes the opening paragraphs of the earlier ‘A Case for Redress’ series for distorting history and echoing wartime propaganda. The letter argues Western powers’ imperialism and provocations are omitted.
• Redress: Pro & Con, by Letters to the editor, page 4. Several letter writers debate the proposed reparations of $25,000 per evacuee, with one arguing taxpayers paid for camp costs and another supporting redress and suggesting educational funds. Writers disagree on the merit and fairness of the proposal.
• Reading for Sheer Pleasure, by Sachi Seko, page 5. Sachi Seko reviews Bill Hosokawa’s collection ‘Thirty-Five Years in the Frying Pan,’ praising its down-to-earth voice and its record of Nisei life. She calls the book the journal of their generation.
• The New Issei, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa observes a young Japanese couple and their children in a Denver restaurant and notices how the children mix Japanese and English, recalling his own childhood. He reflects that the newcomers are effectively a new Issei generation.
• Riding the rails to Lillooet, B.C., by Herb Izuno, page 5. Herb Izuno recounts a train trip to Lillooet, British Columbia, where he met Dr. Masajiro Miyazaki, an Issei doctor who served the community for decades. He describes the visit and Miyazaki’s autobiography.
• A Case for Redress: Section 8, Redress, by P.C. Staff, page 9. This installment argues that redress for Japanese American wartime incarceration is consistent with American legal tradition and with Germany’s restitution to Jewish victims. It notes President Ford’s 1976 rescission of Executive Order 9066 and calls for meaningful correction.

Obituaries

• Active Fresno pair die in auto mishap, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Tom and Sumi Saito, active leaders in the Fresno JACL chapter and Japanese Congregational Church, died in an auto accident on Labor Day. Over 700 attended their memorial service, and survivors are listed.
• In Memory of Esther Anna Peterson, by Joyce Hirabayashi, page 8. Joyce Hirabayashi remembers Esther Hagiwara, longtime Midwest JACL office secretary, who died recently. She recalls Esther’s warmth, dedication, and tireless service to the JACL.

Arts & Entertainment

• Home Again, by Larry Tait, page 10. Larry Tait reviews James Edmiston’s novel Home Again, which follows the Mio family of Santa Clara Valley through Evacuation and return. The reviewer praises its fusion of fiction and history as a representative Japanese American story.
• Edmiston’s novel, by Phil Jordan, page 11. Phil Jordan recommends James Edmiston’s Home Again, a 1955 novel about Evacuation that he finally read decades late. He argues it deserves republication for a new generation.
• Asian American Perspectives, by P.C. Staff, page 11. This advertisement-style notice describes the Counterpoint and Letters in Exile anthologies and Amerasia Journal from UCLA’s Asian American Studies Center. It is included as a book notice rather than an editorial article.

In-Depth

• Tokyo can be ‘fun’—only if you have the yen to do it, by P.C. Staff, page 12. A Wall Street Journal reporter’s cost breakdown of a two-day Tokyo visit shows extremely high prices for meals, taxis, and hotels. Former JACL president K. Patrick Okura confirms similar costs during his August stay.

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