July 1975: headquarters dedication, refugee aid and a gerontology audit

Vol. 81, No. 2, July 11, 1975. 4 pages. View this issue

JACL’s new National Headquarters on Sutter Street in San Francisco was the focus of this four-page issue, with a Dedication Day set for July 20 after a two-year fund drive. National President Shig Sugiyama wrote about his trip to Boise for the Intermountain District Council, while Harry Honda reported on a special board meeting that voted for an independent audit of the gerontology project. Wayne Horiuchi covered bills in Congress, including one on education for Cambodian and Vietnamese refugees, and Stan Kiyokawa wrote about the Indochinese refugee program.

Also inside: membership stood at 83% of the 1974 total, and the JACL Credit Union declared a 6.5% dividend. A short piece described a work party at the Topaz camp site, and another covered Mine Okubo’s art in Japan. Bill Hosokawa’s column described a Midwestern family vacation, and scholarship news came from several chapters.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• To the Point: Back to Boise, by Shig Sugiyama, page 1. JACL National President Shig Sugiyama recounts his trip to Boise, Idaho for the Intermountain District Council’s quarterly meeting despite anxiety following a recent airline tragedy. He praises IDC’s chapter programs, youth activities, and plans for honoring the Issei at the upcoming district convention in Pocatello.
• Editor’s Notebook: What’s in a Name?, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. The column discusses a Daily Yomiuri editorial questioning why American Ernest Stanley’s surname had to be rendered in Kanji on his Japanese naturalization papers. It also touches on historical Japanese naturalization cases and zodiac-themed commentary related to an upcoming JACL conference.
• Plain Speaking: Indochinese Refugees, by Stan Kiyokawa, page 2. The author describes attending a meeting on the Vietnamese Refugee Program where he raised concerns about the lack of Asian American representation in the administration of the resettlement program, noting no Asian American was selected to the 17-member White House Interagency Task Force. He argues JACL’s involvement stems from Japanese Americans’ own historical experience with discrimination and relocation.
• Notes to Grads, by Wayne Horiuchi, page 2. A column addressed to graduates encourages them to use their skills constructively for community needs while maintaining respect for the sacrifices of the Issei and Nisei generations. The author also discusses the importance of chapter communications with the Northwest-Intermountain district.
• From the Frying Pan: Midwestern Vacation, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Bill Hosokawa recounts a family vacation to Columbia, Missouri, visiting relatives including his brother, a journalism professor, and his son’s family. The column also describes a side trip to Des Moines, Iowa, to reunite with former wartime neighbors.

National

• JACL Thanked for Viet Refugee Support, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The White House acknowledged JACL’s support for Vietnamese refugee resettlement efforts. President Gerald Ford’s correspondence thanked the organization for its assistance regarding the refugee crisis.
• Legislation of JACL Interest Introduced in Washington, by Wayne Horiuchi, page 1. Several bills of interest to JACL were introduced in Congress during June, including HR 7897 regarding assistance for Cambodian and Vietnamese refugee education, and a bill providing tax deductions for volunteer service expenses. The Burke bill was criticized for its overly broad application to non-501(c)(3) organizations.
• Stricter Whaling Quotas Adopted by International Body, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The International Whaling Commission adopted new rules on June 27 described as the strongest conservation measures ever taken to protect whale populations from extinction. The new catch quotas should reduce the global whale catch by about 23% in the coming season.
• Cape Verdeans in U.S. Seek Ethnic Identity, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Americans of Cape Verdean descent are experiencing an identity crisis, with light-skinned individuals passing for white while younger generations increasingly identify as Black. The New Bedford Human Relations Commission favors a congressional bill to add Cape Verdean as a separate ethnic classification in the federal census.
• Asian Ethnic Cases in Seattle Courts, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Forty Central Area minority school staff and parents filed suit in U.S. District Court claiming staff layoffs constituted unconstitutional segregation, seeking $800,000 in damages. Separately, Superior Court Judge Donald Horowitz dismissed disorderly conduct charges against 14 persons arrested during minority hiring demonstrations, ruling police failed to give adequate warning.
• Supreme Court to Rule on Illegal Alien Hiring Ban, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Supreme Court agreed to decide whether states can prohibit employers from hiring illegal aliens, in a case brought by California Rural Legal Assistance on behalf of migrant farm workers. A California law imposing fines on employers was previously held invalid by a state appellate court as an unlawful intrusion into federal immigration matters.
• Ford Appoints Mineta to Olympic Commission, by P.C. Staff, page 4. President Ford appointed Rep. Norman Y. Mineta (D-Calif.) to the 18-member President’s Commission on Olympic Sports on June 19. The commission was created to resolve disputes among national sports federations and will report on the organization of the U.S. Olympic Committee.

JACL

• Membership at 83% of ’74 Total, by P.C. Staff, page 1. National JACL membership as of May 1975 totaled 83% of the 1974 total across 95 chapters nationwide. Fifteen chapters exceeded their previous year’s totals, with five hitting all-time highs including Gardena Valley, which led the Ichiban Chapter bid with 1,310 members.
• Credit Union Declares 6.5% Dividend, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National JACL Credit Union declared its highest per annum dividend of 6.5% for the first half of 1975, distributing approximately $61,000 to member accounts. President S. Ushio and Treasurer Hit Okada urged members to increase their share accounts toward the $2,000 insurable maximum.
• Wilshire JACL Bids for Expressions of Reconciliation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Wilshire JACL chapter board urged Pacific Southwest and Midwest District Councils, along with other JACL bodies, to work together to promote organizational growth after months of internal conflict. The resolution, authored by Dr. Roy Nishikawa, addressed the improper February 1975 impeachment attempt against National President Shig Sugiyama and called for unity within the organization.
• San Jose to Host Next NC-WN Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 1. San Jose JACL will host the next quarterly session of the Northern California-Western Nevada District Council. Registration begins at 9 a.m. with business sessions and luncheon planned at the venue.
• JACL—Headquarters Dedication: Two-Year Wait Ends July 20, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL leaders from across the United States will gather in San Francisco for the July 20 Dedication Day ceremonies marking the official opening of the National JACL Headquarters on Sutter Street. The event culminates a two-year fund raising drive and will include notable attendees such as Mike Masaoka, Congressman Spark Matsunaga, and sculptress Ruth Asawa.
• JACL Initiates Audit of Gerontology Project, by Harry Honda, page 1. At the special National JACL Board meeting in San Francisco, discussion turned to the controversial gerontology project, with the Midwest District Council questioning accounting practices during the period National JACL administered the program. The board moved to have financial records updated and independently audited before the Japanese American Service Committee in Chicago, which now administers the project, undergoes its own audit.
• Group Votes to Retain PSWDC Participants, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A resolution to disassociate Pacific Southwest District participants from the Northern California-Western Nevada District-based JACL-Blue Shield Group Health Plan was defeated in a chapter commissioner vote. The proposal had aimed to address operational problems stemming from higher usage costs among PSW participants compared to other areas.
• National JACL Board Continues Discussion on Gerontology Project, Executive Session, by Harry Honda, page 2. Continuing coverage of the special National JACL Board meeting details executive director David Ushio’s explanations regarding accounting practices, travel expenses, and consultant fees for the gerontology project. The board carried a motion requiring an independent audit after lengthy debate about record-keeping problems during the project’s JACL administration period.
• East Los Angeles JACL Awards Seven Scholarships, by P.C. Staff, page 3. East Los Angeles JACL awarded $100 scholarships to seven high school graduates from area schools, funded through scholarship benefit dances and individual donations. An eighth Hayashida scholarship went to Ellen Tamaki, Miss East Los Angeles JACL in the Nisei Week queen contest.
• Chicago JACL Holds Lavish 1975 Scholarship Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The 1975 Chicago JACL scholarship dinner at the Marriott Motor Hotel was the most lavish in years, presenting awards to seven high school graduates including new scholarships named for Dr. Thomas T. Yatabe and Dr. William Hiura. Guest speaker Mike Masaoka recounted Dr. Yatabe’s selfless contributions to founding JACL and resettling evacuees during WWII.
• Headquarters Dedication Committee Finalizes Plans, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Dedication Day planning committee worked to arrange reservations and seating for the July 20 event, ensuring speeches would be bilingual and food selected with Issei preferences in mind. Dr. Hayashi emphasized that all chapters are being contacted to send official delegations, stating the building belongs to every JACL member.

Obituaries

• JACL Founder Dr. Takeyama Dies, Was Nat’l President, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. George Yoshio Takeyama, a retired public health officer and founding JACL national president, died at age 78 with final rites held July 2 in Los Angeles. A fifth-generation physician and Stanford Medical School’s first Nisei graduate, he served as medical director for Indian Service hospitals after being incarcerated at Amache during WWII.

Incarceration & Redress

• Topaz Fenced and Cleared, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A group visited the Topaz WRA camp site on June 8 to clear debris within the one-acre historical monument plot, once the fifth largest city in Utah. Youth adviser Frank Yoshimura described his experience being taken from his home to an assembly center and then relocated to a WRA camp, while funds continue to be raised for the Topaz Project.

Arts & Entertainment

• Mine Okubo Adds to ’66 Japan Show’, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Images from Mine Okubo’s ‘Citizen 13660’ and six additional originals by the Nisei artist are being exhibited in Japan and Okinawa by Seibu Department Store, opening at Seibu’s Shibuya store. The exhibit is part of the California Historical Society’s ‘Executive Order 9066’ photographic exhibition depicting the Japanese American evacuation experience.
• Twin Bill at East-West Players, by Kats Kunitsugu, page 4. A review of a two-play production at East-West Players discusses character portrayals described as stereotypical, with one piece relying on choreographed tableau staging due to underdeveloped characters. The reviewer praises the costume design by Rence Gendron as the most notable element, while noting the second play, ‘S.P.Q.O.S.,’ fared better in its presentation.

Community

• Chapter Pulse: Seabrook Installation and Scholarships, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Approximately 200 EDC delegates and Seabrook JACL members attended a graduates recognition dinner featuring speaker K. Patrick Okura discussing assistance for Vietnamese refugees. Geri Ann Kato received the $250 chapter scholarship, and Mrs. Sunkie Oye was installed as chapter president for a second term.
• Garden Dedicated to Nisei Street Minister, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Rev. Akira Makino, a Chicago street minister who died recently after an extended illness, made such a lasting impression on young people in Homewood, Illinois that they built a memorial garden in his honor. The garden was dedicated in the courtyard of the First Presbyterian Church of Homewood.
• Benefit Dance July 26, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Nisei Singles and We Are One clubs are co-sponsoring a benefit dance on July 26 at the Santa Monica Miramar Hotel to support Asian Rehabilitation Service. Tickets are $5 per person.
• Fukushima Mixed Chorus to Sing in Sacramento July 18, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Twelve Rotary Clubs of Greater Sacramento, the Northern Japan Society, and Sacramento Nikkeijinkai are co-sponsoring a free concert by the 84-voice Fukushima Mixed Chorus at Luther Burbank High School. The visiting singers are on a goodwill exchange tour and will also perform in Chicago and Los Angeles, with a stop planned at Gold Hill where the first Japanese immigrants settled in 1869.
• Chapter Pulse: Scholarships and Summer Events, by P.C. Staff, page 4. San Jose JACL named Jane Sakauye its 1975 scholarship winner among several other chapter award recipients, while West Valley JACL presented scholarships to Vicki Konno and Mark Karwowski. Cleveland JACL honored Laura Fujimura at its graduates dinner, and several chapters including French Camp, Cincinnati, and Riverside announced upcoming summer bazaars and festivals.
• Local Scene: Los Angeles, San Jose, S.F.-East Bay, Sacramento, Seattle, Cleveland, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Asian Rehabilitation Services was denied a $185,000 state grant request for facility expansion, while Higashi Hongwanji temple set a tentative August groundbreaking date for its new building. Various community events were announced including the Day of Lotus Festival in Echo Park and bazaars in Southern Alameda County and French Camp.
• PC’s People, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This roundup column highlights notable Japanese Americans including Susan High, selected Miss Suburban Optimist and 1975 Miss Nisei Week candidate; Sharon Yamato Danley, named community relations administrator at KNBC; and Rotarian Tom T. Kobayashi, now governor of District 506. The column also notes a mistrial declared in a Los Angeles murder case involving defendant Debra Joy Kantaeng.

Military & Veterans

• Dr. Fred Fujikawa: Long Beach JACLer, Medic for 40 Years, Sheathes Scalpel, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Dr. Fred Fujikawa, a Long Beach JACL member and chest surgeon, is retiring from Long Beach General Hospital after 40 years in medicine due to age and regulatory restrictions, though he continues private practice and consulting work. A WWII veteran who was incarcerated at the Jerome WRA camp, he pioneered use of the flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope and established a bronchoscope clinic at UCLA.
• Co. L 442nd Reunion, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Mainland veterans of the 442nd’s Love Company will host buddies from Hawaii visiting the West Coast during the latter half of July. The Northern California event will be a July 23 banquet at Spenger’s Restaurant in Berkeley, organized by Hiroshi Hanamura.

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