Seattle’s mayoral race and the JACL Building Fund campaign

Vol. 77, No. 17, October 26, 1973. 6 pages. View this issue

The Seattle mayoral race led the news in this six-page issue. The city’s ethics committee asked the city council to look into a $5,000 fee that candidate Liem Eng Tuai received in 1971 from client John Y. Sato, and the Seattle Times called the charges a desperate smear. Also on the front page, Pulitzer Prize-winning author James A. Michener and retired Justice John F. Aiso were named co-chairmen of the JACL Building Fund. Its kickoff dinner, with Sen. Daniel Inouye as speaker, moved to the Hotel St. Francis because so many people wanted tickets.

Other front-page stories covered California teachers of Japanese ancestry gaining retirement credit for the years of the World War II incarceration (often called internment), and an exhibit of Kango Takamura’s camp sketches in Los Angeles. Inside are columns by Bill Hosokawa, Harry K. Honda and Rep. Patsy T. Mink, plus chapter news from Fresno, Sacramento, Sonoma County and Milwaukee.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Seattle Mayoral Race Turns Acrimonious as Ethics Committee Demands Investigation of Tuai’s $5,000 Fee, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Seattle ethics committee asked the city council to investigate a $5,000 fee that mayoral candidate Liem Eng Tual received in 1971 from client John Y. Sato. The Seattle Times called the charges a desperate smear effort, and Tual had previously disclosed the fee himself.
• Sacramento YBA to Host NC-WNDC Young Buddhist League Conference, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The 28th annual Northern California Young Buddhist League conference will be hosted by the Sacramento YBA on Nov. 24 at the local Betsuin. Registration is open until Nov. 11, and the day will close with a dinner dance and crowning of Miss Northern California Bussei.
• Kickoff Banquet for JACL Building Fund Moved to Hotel St. Francis, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL Building Fund kickoff dinner on Oct. 28 was moved from Miyako Hotel to the Hotel St. Francis due to overwhelming demand for tickets. Sen. Daniel Inouye is the keynote speaker for the event sponsored by the Northern California-Western Nevada District Council.
• Chinese American Farmers in Cranbury, New Jersey Prospering but Face Labor Shortage, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Chinese American growers supplying New York’s Chinese market in Cranbury, New Jersey are enjoying strong prices but struggle to find enough labor. Some farmers previously worked on Long Island before suburban development pushed them out.
• Milwaukee JACL Hosts Holiday Folk Fair and Upcoming Events, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Chapter news covers the Milwaukee JACL’s plans for its holiday folk fair and an incorporation vote. Several other chapters including St. Louis and Puyallup Valley JACL announced meetings and events.
• Fresno JACL Celebrates 30th Anniversary with Pioneer Member Markai Mimura Konishi Honored, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Fresno JACL marked its 30th anniversary at a banquet where pioneer member Markai Mimura Konishi was honored with a plaque. The Dinuba Sentinel recounted her life, from her Hawaii birth to her years as a JACL member.
• Sally Taketa Named Outstanding Woman in Sacramento, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Sally Taketa was selected by the Sacramento Union as one of 10 outstanding women for 1974. Her community contributions include serving on the Crocker Art Gallery board and founding the Japanese Art and Flower Festival.
• Metropolitan Los Angeles JACL Installs First Cabinet, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Metropolitan Los Angeles JACL installed Mrs. Ellen Endo Kayatio as its charter president at a dinner on Oct. 19. The chapter, organized in April, has been active in community affairs including the Nisei Week Festival.
• Sonoma County Jr. JACL to Honor Issei and Nisei Over 65, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Sonoma County Jr. JACL will recognize at least 68 Issei and Nisei over 65 at a dinner on Nov. 10 at Enmanji Memorial Hall in Sebastopol. The youth chapter officers will be installed by NC-WNDC governor Dr. Harry Hatasaka.
• Foreign Wines Slated for West L.A. Tasting, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The West Los Angeles JACL Auxiliary announced a foreign wine tasting event. Details on venue and date were included in the chapter notes.
• Japanese Americans Mark Anniversary of Sister City Ties Between Nagoya and Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Architect Toshikazu Terasawa represented Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley at the 15th anniversary celebration of the Nagoya-Los Angeles sister city affiliation. The event highlighted cultural exchange between the two cities.
• JACL 1000 Club Hosts Chicago Reunion and Photo Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Chicago JACL 1000 Club held a get-together with about 43 attendees, featuring Japanese and Hawaiian foods and a photo contest. Dr. Frank Sakamoto and Tad Hirota led the event, which included prizes for best photo and best dressed.

National

• Mineta Will Seek Re-election as San Jose Mayor, by P.C. Staff, page 1. San Jose Mayor Norman Mineta announced he will seek re-election as mayor rather than run for lieutenant governor. Mineta, the first Japanese American mayor of a major U.S. city, had been urged by Democrats to pursue the state office.
• Japan Seeks Damages After Israeli Attack Hits Japanese Freighter, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Japanese government moved to seek damages after the NYK freighter Yamashiro Maru was reportedly hit by Israeli rocket shells during an attack on the Syrian port of Latakia. Observers expected compensation to be demanded if the attacking aircraft knew the vessel was Japanese.
• Democrats Modify Party Quota System for Convention Delegates, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Democratic National Committee adopted new guidelines for selecting convention delegates that call for women and minorities as indicated by their presence in the Democratic electorate. The change replaces McGovern’s earlier formula of reasonable relationship to population presence.
• Hawaii Delegation Faces Difficult Test in Confirming Agnew’s Successor, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Following Vice President Spiro Agnew’s resignation, Hawaii’s congressional delegation reacted with surprise and discussed the upcoming confirmation of a new vice president under the 25th Amendment. Sen. Daniel Inouye predicted Congress would scrutinize any nominee with presidential ambitions.
• Gunman’s Assault on KGO-TV Station Highlights Need for State Mental Health Aid, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Lawrence Kwong shot a KGO radio-TV personality and killed advertising executive Benjamin Munson in Oakland before taking his own life. Oakland attorney Joe Morozumi, who had tried to help Kwong, blamed the tragedy on lack of mental health facilities and state budget cuts.
• Japan Foundation Makes First Awards for Promoting Japanese Culture, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Japan Foundation made its first awards for promoting Japanese culture to three institutions and one individual. The Japan Society of New York and the International House of Tokyo each received 10 million yen.

Incarceration & Redress

• Issei Artist Kango Takamura’s Internment Camp Sketches on Exhibit in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Issei artist Kango Takamura’s sketches and paintings of camp life during World War II are on exhibit in Los Angeles. The works depict the internment experience through his pencil and brush.
• California Teachers of Japanese Ancestry Granted Retirement Credit for Internment, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Governor Ronald Reagan signed SB 173, authored by Sen. Ralph C. Dills, granting four years of retirement service credit to Nisei teachers forced to leave their positions during the 1942 evacuation. The bill does not cover Caucasian teachers who lost credit while teaching at WRA camps.

JACL

• Justice John F. Also and James Michener Named Co-Chairmen of JACL Building Fund, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Pulitzer Prize-winning author James A. Michener and retired Justice John F. Aiso were named national co-chairmen of the JACL Building Fund campaign. The campaign kicks off with a dinner featuring Sen. Daniel Inouye as keynote speaker, aiming to raise at least $250,000.
• Placer County JACL Goodwill Dinner to Feature National President Henry Tanaka, by P.C. Staff, page 4. National JACL president Henry Tanaka will address the third annual Placer County JACL goodwill dinner on Nov. 3 at Johnson Hall in Roseville. Proceeds benefit the Japanese Philharmonic Orchestra of Southern California.

Commentary

• The Tokyo Rose Trial: Was She Really a Traitor?, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The column revisits the treason trial of Iva Toguri d’Aquino, known as Tokyo Rose, citing master’s theses finding the trial marred by misconduct and wartime broadcasts with no demoralizing effect. Attorneys Wayne Collins and Theodore Tamba continue to argue for her pardon and compensation.
• Editorial: The Seattle Story, by Honolulu Star-Bulletin & Advertiser, page 2. The editorial comments on the Seattle mayoral race between incumbent Wes Uhlman and challenger Liem Eng Tual, the son of a Chinese immigrant cook. It notes Seattle’s voters appear to judge candidates on individual merit rather than race.
• Editorial: Japanese Investment, by Honolulu Advertiser, page 2. The editorial discusses growing concern over Japanese investment in Hawaii and the mainland, noting possible racial backlash. It calls for balanced perspective and suggests Japanese investors could demonstrate benefits in Hawaii, where racial animosity runs low.
• From the Frying Pan: The Yoshida Sequel, by Harry K. Honda, page 3. Harry Honda discusses the success of Jim Yoshida’s book and how it led to reunions with old friends and military comrades. He highlights General Weyand’s praise of Yoshida’s patriotism at a Honolulu reunion.
• Vietnamese American Unloved War Orphans, by Patsy T. Mink, page 4. Rep. Patsy Mink describes the desperate conditions of Vietnamese American orphans in Saigon orphanages, many left behind after the war. She argues that bureaucratic adoption paperwork should be eliminated to help these children.
• Reflection of a Nisei Upon Hearing a Sansei Had Just Turned 30, by Angela Alcaraz, page 4. A Nisei writer reflects on generational change after learning a Sansei had turned 30, considering how the community has evolved. The piece draws on personal memories of family and identity.
• Ghetto Life and the Chinese American Experience in Chinatown, by Brett de Bary, page 5. A review of a documentary study of San Francisco’s Chinatown examines how residents face exploitation, poverty, and division. The authors trace the community’s history from exclusion laws through the transcontinental railroad and later struggles.

Military & Veterans

• The Two Worlds of Jim Yoshida Sequel: Honolulu Veteran Recognized by General Weyand, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa describes the impact of Jim Yoshida’s memoir, including reconnecting with wartime comrades and being recognized by Gen. Frederick Weyand at a Honolulu veterans reunion. Yoshida, who served in the Japanese Army, later fought in Korea with a U.S. unit to regain his standing.
• Japanese Fighter Plane Hayate Returned to Japan After Postwar Use by U.S. Forces, by Richard Gime, page 5. A Japanese Army Hayate fighter plane captured by U.S. forces in the Philippines in 1946 was returned to Japan and displayed at the International Aerospace Show. Its former pilot Lykinas of Los Angeles kept the aircraft flight-worthy for decades.

Arts & Entertainment

• Ghost Stories of Japan in Art to Be Featured, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A feature on an upcoming exhibit of Japanese ghost stories in art. The event is part of community programming for the fall season.

Sports

• Golf Tournament Raises Scholarship Funds for Three JACL Chapters, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Proceeds from a Japan Air Lines golf tournament among Santa Clara Valley multinational executives were presented as $200 scholarships to JACL chapter presidents in San Jose, West Valley, and Sequoia. The scholarships promote study of Japanese culture, history, and language.

Obituaries

• Mrs. Toshikazu Maeda Dies at Age 65, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Mrs. Toshikazu Maeda, a longtime community member, passed away and was remembered by family and friends. Services were held in her honor.

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