Looking ahead to 1974: JACL goals and a slur in state publications

Vol. 78, No. 3, January 25, 1974. 6 pages. View this issue

JACL National President Henry Tanaka opened the issue with a look at the year ahead. He set a membership target of 35,000 and named education, redress, regionalization and legislation as priorities. Also on the front page, Dr. Clifford Uyeda asked Governor Ronald Reagan to stop state agencies from abbreviating Japan with a racial slur. Reagan agreed to review state publications after Uyeda found the abbreviation in a medical licensing directory. Mike Masaoka’s Washington Newsletter warned that rising U.S.-Japan tensions could bring new discrimination, drawing on the wartime forced removal, and Harry K. Honda wrote about the energy crisis.

Elsewhere in the six pages: Bill Hosokawa on the youth of Japan, Kats Kunitsugu on giving up her rice cooker to save electricity, a Hollywood film in production based on Jim Yoshida’s book, and chapter news including installations in Detroit and Contra Costa. Letters to the editor touch on Manzanar and bigotry.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• The Year Ahead, by Henry Tanaka, page 1. JACL National President Henry Tanaka outlines the organization’s goals for 1974, including a membership target of 35,000 and priority programs in education, redress, regionalization, and legislation. He notes expanded staff and growing responsibility for community action affecting Asian Americans.
• JACL clarifies travel policy for national officers, by P.C. Staff, page 1. National Headquarters clarified policy on expense sharing when national officers and staff visit chapter and district council events. Chapters pay half of transportation, housing and meals, while district councils assume registration costs.

National

• Reagan wants Jpn. for state use, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Clifford Uyeda asked Governor Ronald Reagan to direct state agencies to stop abbreviating Japan as “Jap,” and Reagan agreed to review state publications. The request followed Uyeda’s discovery of the slur in a state medical licensing directory.
• Push for equal rights law lags, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Supporters doubt the Equal Rights Amendment will be ratified this year, with 30 of the 38 required states having approved it. The amendment will expire if not ratified by March 1979.
• Racial fairness ruled for New York voting, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A federal judge ruled that congressional and legislative districts in Manhattan and the Bronx are subject to the Voting Rights Act and Justice Department scrutiny. The decision may create new districts that could elect Black or Puerto Rican representatives.
• Public disclosure law in Wash. state upheld, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Washington State Supreme Court upheld a 1972 initiative requiring public officials and lobbyists to file yearly reports of personal finances and business dealings. The court also allowed citizens to sue officials who fail to report.
• Racial fairness ruled for New York, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A federal judge applied Voting Rights Act protections to Manhattan and the Bronx, potentially creating districts for Black and Puerto Rican representatives. The ruling could affect several congressional and state legislative seats.

Community

• HUD okays S.F. JARF apartment, by P.C. Staff, page 1. HUD approved $6.2 million for construction of a senior citizens apartment project by the Japanese American Religious Federation in San Francisco. Construction is expected to start within 45 days.
• Sen. Inouye coming to honor Mrs. Kawagoe, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Senator Daniel Inouye will attend a public reception on Feb. 9 in Carson honoring Helen Kawagoe, a candidate for city clerk. The senator has long supported Kawagoe’s civic career, which they developed together through JACL.
• DWP imposter exploits L.A. Korean community, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Impostors posing as Department of Water and Power officials demanded payment from Korean residents in Los Angeles under threat of power cutoff. JACL-Asian Involvement Office warned residents that DWP does not collect bills in person.
• Placer County JACL goodwill dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Placer County JACL held its 33rd annual goodwill dinner in Roseville with national and local officials attending. National President Henry Tanaka was the guest speaker.
• Trombonist Higaki slain, suspect indicted by jury, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Reno grand jury indicted a suspect on a capital murder charge in the slaying of trombonist Higaki. The case drew attention within the local community.
• Five fishermen on sampan rescued after search stopped, adrift 8 weeks, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Five fishermen adrift for eight weeks on a leaking sampan near Easter Island were rescued by a Japanese fishing vessel. The men returned to Hawaii to reunite with relatives after a search had been called off.
• Research planned on Boyle Heights, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A UCLA Asian American Studies Center project is organizing community groups in Boyle Heights to develop a historical and contemporary profile of the Japanese American community. The study aims to identify major problems and concerns of residents.
• Craig Shimabukuro district dialogue: The Year of the Tiger, by Craig Shimabukuro, page 4. Shimabukuro reports low chapter participation and few nominees for district council offices in 1973. He calls for active member involvement to meet the challenges of 1974.
• Min Togasaki elected Detroit JACL chairman, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Veteran JACLer Minoru Togasaki will be installed as Detroit JACL chapter chairman at a February 9 dinner-dance in Royal Oak. The event will feature a belly dancer and national officers serving as installing officers.
• Ex-Islander to head Contra Costa JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Architect Dan Uesugi will be installed as Contra Costa JACL president at a February 2 dinner in Oakland. The chapter plans to involve younger members and promote Asian cultural activities.
• Wine tasting benefits Philharmonic Orchestra, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The West Los Angeles JACL Auxiliary donated $1,000 from its October wine tasting party to the Japanese Philharmonic Orchestra. The orchestra runs a scholarship program and regular concert series.
• Cathay de Grande grand opening, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Cathay de Grande in Hollywood celebrated Chinese New Year with a special dinner attended by KNXT newscaster Jerry Dunphy. Chef Hal Lin Tien, who has cooked in several countries, prepares Mandarin and Szechwan dishes.
• Merit S&L hits new highs in 1973, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Merit Savings and Loan reported assets of $21.6 million at year-end 1973, a new high. The company paid $973,232 in interest and increased its reserves despite inflation and the energy crisis.
• Asian teachers urged to administrative posts, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Los Angeles superintendent William Johnston urged more Asian educators to pursue administrative positions. He noted Asian educators make up about 4% of the teaching staff and are the only ethnic group in the district whose numbers are decreasing.
• Asian American Mental Health Federation established, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A national Asian American Mental Health Federation was established through a $463,500 NIMH grant over three years. It will be headquartered in San Francisco and organized into nine regions to address Asian American community needs.
• Milwaukee distributes Christmas Cheer baskets, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Milwaukee JACL chapter hosted a family Christmas party and distributed Christmas Cheer baskets of canned goods to four needy Asian families. Door prizes and carols were part of the event.
• 1975 international ocean exposition postponed, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Japan’s 1975 international ocean exposition was postponed to a July 20, 1975 to January 14, 1976 schedule, according to the Bureau of International Expositions. The change was announced to the Bureau in Paris.

Commentary

• Anti-Japanese American acts (it can happen here, again), by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Washington Newsletter columnist Mike Masaoka warns that rising US-Japan tensions could bring anti-Japanese discrimination against Japanese Americans in business, employment, housing, education and politics. He urges vigilance by drawing on the wartime evacuation experience.
• The energy crisis, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. Editor Harry Honda reflects on how the energy crisis and Japan’s foreign oil policy could heighten tensions affecting Japanese Americans. He draws parallels to wartime anti-Japanese actions on the Pacific Coast.
• Missile testing proposal, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A letter writer questions a Pentagon plan for missile tests from Idaho over several states, asking about fuel waste during an energy crisis and safety risks. The writer argues government should conserve energy as it asks citizens to do.
• Letters to the editor on Manzanar and bigotry, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Readers respond to a Houston book review, a television portrayal of race, and a Japanese newspaper letter on wartime camps. Contributors discuss prejudice and historical accuracy.
• What? Give up my rice cooker?, by Kats Kunitsugu, page 3. Kunitsugu humorously describes her household’s efforts to cut electricity use under a Los Angeles DWP order. She wryly reflects on giving up ironing and appliances while attempting to comply.

Arts & Entertainment

• Youth of Japan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa summarizes Boye De Mente’s Japan Air Lines article on Japanese youth, describing their Westernized tastes alongside traditional marriage customs and strong ambitions. He notes that many young Japanese save heavily and are critical of national policies.
• Not about to retire yet, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Author James A. Michener discusses his life in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, his writing career, and his political involvement. He also previews a new essay on American sports.
• Hollywood film production starts on saga of Nisei stranded in Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A film based on Jim Yoshida’s book “The Two Worlds of Jim Yoshida” is announced for worldwide distribution. The story follows a Nisei who was forced into the Japanese Army during World War II yet remained loyal to the United States.

Military & Veterans

• Dubby and Bubbles, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Sacramento bowling leaders Dubby and Bubbles are profiled as advisers preparing for an upcoming JACL bowling tournament. Their long records of tournament work and bowling accomplishments are highlighted.

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