Vol. 78, No. 11, March 22, 1974. 6 pages. View this issue
The work of JACL staff was the subject of the front-page commentary by National President Henry Tanaka, who wrote about the dedication the job takes and argued for a team approach and open, honest communication between board members and staff. Nearby, the front page covered a new freshman scholarship, the 18th in the JACL national program, and a debate over who may bowl in the national tournament. Harry Honda reported on the board’s nondiscriminatory policy, and Masao Satow covered the Sacramento tournament.
Elsewhere in the six pages, Bill Hosokawa compared a fenced New Jersey retirement community with the wartime incarceration camps. Col. Toshi Kuge, who began his career as a private in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, was honored on his retirement. Two ambassadorships to Japan were in the news, and Allan Beekman reviewed a book on China, Japan and Korea.
What’s in this issue
Commentary
- JACL Staffers Speak: Priorities, by Henry Tanaka, page 1. JACL National President Henry Tanaka reflects on the special dedication required of JACL staff and the relationship between board members and staff. He argues for a team approach and open, honest communication between the two groups.
- New JACL Bldg. changing times, by Barry K. Honda, page 2. The editor reflects on the changing needs of JACL and whether to build a new headquarters building. The piece weighs the decisions facing the organization.
- Minibike project, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. The columnist describes NYPUM, a YMCA anti-delinquency project using minibikes to reach unreachable youth. He reports favorable evaluation results and reflects on its implications.
- Letters: De Funis case and JACL participation, page 2. Letters to the editor discuss the De Funis reverse-discrimination case and JACL’s involvement in it. Readers offer views on racial discrimination and the responsibilities of Japanese Americans to respond to slurs.
- From the Frying Pan: Concentration camps, U.S.A., by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa compares the barbed-wire fenced Leisure Village retirement community in New Jersey with the wartime Japanese American incarceration camps. He notes that Time magazine overlooked the earlier fenced communities.
- Liberation—Female and Yellow, by Kats Kunitsugu, page 4. Kunitsugu comments on recent television portrayals of women’s liberation, including a Marlo Thomas special and a GE Theater drama. He also reflects on how Asian women are depicted in media.
- Shujin and the Suzukis, page 4. A column on Japanese women’s objections to the word shujin meaning husband and proposals for alternative terms. It also covers a young man’s complaint about his very common name.
Community
- Argentine Nisei named ambassador to Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Jorge Kawabata, an Argentine Nisei lawyer, was appointed by President Juan Peron as ambassador to Japan. He is the first person of Japanese ancestry named to that post by the Argentine government.
- Lockheed exec named U.S. ambassador to Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 1. James D. Hodgson, a Lockheed vice president and former Secretary of Labor, was expected to be confirmed as U.S. ambassador to Japan. The post had been vacant since October 1973.
- Sac’to tougher this time on bowlers, by Masao Satow, page 1. Tough lane conditions at the 28th annual National JACL Bowling Tournament in Sacramento kept scores lower than in past years. George Gee and Nobu Asami won the men’s and women’s all-events titles.
- Calif. congressmen remembered for opposing Japanese Evacuation, by P.C. Washington Bureau, page 3. Rep. Chet Holifield of California announced his retirement and is remembered by JACL for supporting Japanese Americans during WWII. He opposed the evacuation and supported later JACL legislation.
Incarceration & Redress
- New JACL Freshman Scholarship is 18th in National Program, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mrs. Shizuko Kato of Los Angeles donated $3,000 to establish the Magoichi Kato Memorial Scholarship in memory of her husband. The $225 annual award will go to a freshman entering medicine or the ministry beginning in 1975.
National
- Nat’l TV rating services inadequate, by P.C. Staff, page 1. KTVU Oakland general manager Roger Rice argued at a NATPE convention that national ratings services underrepresent minority viewers. He said this makes FCC requirements for minority primetime programming unworkable.
JACL
- Who can bowl in JACL tournament, by Harry Honda, page 1. The National JACL Board reaffirmed a nondiscriminatory eligibility policy for its national bowling tournament, prompting debate over whether the tournament should remain open to non-Japanese participants. Several alternatives were discussed, including changing eligibility standards or ending JACL sponsorship.
Military & Veterans
- Col. Toshi Kuge, M.D. ends 30-year military career, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Col. Toshi Kuge retired from a 30-year military career that began as a private in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. He received the Legion of Merit at a ceremony at the Presidio of San Francisco.
In-Depth
- Six Centuries in East Asia: China, Japan and Korea, by Allan Beekman, page 5. Book review of Peter Lum’s study of cultural interaction among China, Japan and Korea from the 14th century to 1914. The reviewer notes the authoress’s clear and well-organized treatment of the subject.
Obituaries
- Muneno obituary, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Muneno of San Mateo died Mar. 2 at age 80. He was born in California and is survived by a son, four daughters and siblings.
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