Vol. 75, No. 11, September 15, 1972. 6 pages. View this issue
The Honolulu summit between President Nixon and Prime Minister Tanaka ran through this six-page issue. Page 1 gathered Japanese press reaction, and page 3 printed the full joint statement. A report by James O. Clifford of UPI described West Coast Nisei who feared being caught in a US-Japan trade war. Gerry Keir of the Honolulu Advertiser reported twice on Senator Dan Inouye, first on his years overseeing the District of Columbia budget and then on his move to the Foreign Operations Subcommittee.
Inside are debates over the future of JACL, including letters from Paul T. Takagi and Karen Kaizuka on the Bay Area chapter and the national convention. Harry K. Honda reported on the Pacific Southwest District Council meeting in Pasadena. Allan Bosworth’s book America’s Concentration Camps appeared in a Japanese translation. Don Estes searched for the story behind two photographs of a Japanese Bazaar store, and Allan Beekman reviewed Lewis Bush’s memoir The Road to Inamura.
What’s in this issue
National
- Senator Dan Inouye Reveals Woes as Former Overseer of D.C. Appropriations of $950 Million, by Gerry Keir, Honolulu Advertiser, page 1. Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii describes the difficulties he faced as chairman of the Senate subcommittee overseeing the District of Columbia budget, including a lack of staff and the effects of the district’s lack of home rule. He notes the subcommittee’s limited capacity to assess the city’s roughly $950 million annual budget.
- Veteran Taiwan Ex-Diplomat Predicts ‘Single China’ Along Socialist Lines, by Anthony Sommer, Phoenix Gazette, page 1. Victor Kwong, a former Taiwanese diplomat now teaching in Arizona, predicts eventual reunification of China under a socialist-leaning system. He is critical of Nixon’s visit to mainland China and describes continuing refugee flight from the mainland.
- Japanese Press Reaction Cool to Hawaii Summit, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japanese newspapers and political parties offer mixed assessments of the Honolulu summit, with some viewing it as a boost for Nixon’s reelection campaign. Opposition parties criticized the outcome as following U.S. policy.
- Hawaii Senator Inouye Turns to Foreign Aid Subcommittee Work, by Gerry Keir, Honolulu Advertiser, page 2. Inouye gives up the District Appropriations subcommittee chairmanship after a shift in Senate seniority and takes over the Foreign Operations Subcommittee. He discusses his plans for reviewing the foreign aid budget.
- Nixon-Tanaka Joint Statement from Honolulu Summit, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The full text of the joint communique issued by President Nixon and Prime Minister Tanaka after their Honolulu summit is printed. It covers security ties, Asian stability, strategic arms, trade, monetary reform and cultural exchange.
- West Coast Nisei Express Fear in Being Caught in Trade War, by James O. Clifford, UPI, page 3. Japanese Americans on the West Coast express concern that rising US-Japan trade tensions could cause backlash against them. Several community leaders describe incidents and the need to distinguish Japanese Americans from Japanese nationals.
Military & Veterans
- PW’s Letter to Mom 10 Lines Long, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Honolulu mother Matsue Kobashigawa receives a brief letter from her son Sp/5 Thomas Kobashigawa, a prisoner of war in Vietnam. The article describes her long wait and her hopes for other families of missing servicemen.
Arts & Entertainment
- Judy Canova’s Prized Fan Came from Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The article notes entertainer Judy Canova’s collection item, a fan that originated in Japan. It is a brief feature about a personal possession with Japanese origins.
Commentary
- Identity: Who Am I?, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A guest columnist reflects on the questions Japanese Americans are routinely asked about their origins and the difficulty of defining Japanese American identity. The writer argues that identity is only complete when outsiders recognize it.
- Secession Issue, by Paul T. Takagi, page 3. Oakland reader Paul Takagi challenges an editorial comparison between states seceding and a voluntary organization leaving its parent body. He questions why the editorial was framed around the future of the Bay Area Community Chapter.
- Thoughts on JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A reader expresses concern about the uncertain future of JACL and urges continued existence and growth of the organization. The writer reflects on how wartime internment experiences shape individual thinking about community organizations.
- JACL Convention, by Karen Kaizuka, page 4. Orange County JACL member Karen Kaizuka responds to a letter from Mr. Enomoto about the national convention’s selection of a personnel committee. She argues delegates deserved the opportunity to review resumes and questions the defensive reactions of leaders.
- A Tale of Japan and Japanese Women’s Lives, by Allan Beekman, page 6. A book review of Lewis Bush’s memoir The Road to Inamura, which recounts a British journalist’s marriage to a Japanese woman and his years in Japan through World War II. The review praises the book’s affectionate portrait of Japanese customs and wartime experiences.
Incarceration & Redress
- Bosworth Book on Evacuation Translated into Japanese, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Allan Bosworth’s book America’s Concentration Camps has been translated into Japanese by Yukio Morita and published as a paperback in Toyama. The original English edition remains available from National JACL.
Community
- Japanese Bazaar: In Retrospect, A Tale of Two Pictures, by Don Estes, page 3. San Diego JACL researcher Don Estes investigates two early photographs of a Japanese Bazaar store on Fifth Street. His search through city directories and diplomatic records leaves the store’s identity and location unresolved.
- Japanese American Woman Leads Bay Area Chapter Debate, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Members of the community discuss local JACL matters and chapter affairs. The article reports on chapter activities and local concerns.
- Pacific Southwest JACL District Council Gets Back on Track, by Harry K. Honda, page 5. The PSWDC met in Pasadena and heard National President Henry Tanaka call for positive long-term programming for JACL. The council endorsed a Hollywood JACL project to publish Estelle Ishigo’s sketches of camp life and discussed the need for an education director.
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