The Manzanar plaque and the debate over its wording

Vol. 76, No. 20, May 25, 1973. 6 pages. View this issue

The wording of the new historical plaque at Manzanar dominated this six-page issue. National JACL President Henry T. Tanaka answered critics on the front page, and the editorial “Priorities” argued that they had missed the point of the dedication. Mrs. Lillian Baker objected to the term “concentration camp,” and Ken Kawa, Tom Shigekuni and the JACL National Executive Committee wrote back. Gardena residents and the Pacific Southwest JACL District Council also took up the question.

Elsewhere, the Santa Maria JACL called for a boycott of the Elks Rodeo and Parade over the club’s membership practices, and New Mexico moved against liquor licenses for clubs that bar members by race. Bill Hosokawa wrote about Heart Mountain and memory in Powell, Wyoming. Senator Hiram Fong introduced a civil service retirement credit bill for time spent in relocation centers. Denver dedicated Sakura Square.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Games People Play, by Henry T. Tanaka, page 1. National JACL President Henry Tanaka responds to Mrs. R.A. Baker’s criticism of the Manzanar historical plaque wording and to Ed Sakamoto’s Daily Breeze articles on Nisei absence at the dedication. He argues Baker and Sakamoto misread the evacuation’s historical significance and the plaque’s purpose.
• Priorities, by P.C. Staff, page 1. An editorial argues that critics of the Manzanar plaque missed the dedication’s basic intent: to convey that American citizens were denied constitutional rights and detained in concentration camps. It urges focus on that message.
• Mrs. Baker and Ken Kawa Exchange Letters on Manzanar, by Lillian Baker; Ken Kawa, page 2. Lillian Baker and Ken Kawa exchange sharp letters over the Manzanar plaque, the term concentration camp, and Nisei experience. Kawa rebuts Baker’s arguments from his own wartime and postwar experience.
• Watergate and Values, by David Ushio, page 2. David Ushio argues Watergate reflects a broader erosion of values, where expediency and arrogance lead to law violation. He hopes the independent prosecutor will reach a complete conclusion so the nation can heal.
• From the Frying Pan: Forgotten Chapter, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Bill Hosokawa describes Powell, Wyoming residents’ reluctance to discuss the nearby Heart Mountain camp and efforts to record local memories. He recounts the lost honor roll of camp servicemen and the community’s ambivalence.
• Letters on Manzanar and Relocation, by Lillian Baker; Kats Kunitsugu, page 3. Mrs. Lillian Baker and letter writers debate whether the wartime evacuation was racist and whether internment protected Japanese Americans. The exchange covers student relocation and the government’s treatment of ethnic groups.

National

• Santa Maria JACL Calls for Boycott of Elks Rodeo and Parade, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Santa Maria JACL chapter urges ethnic groups not to participate in the June 1 Elks Rodeo and Parade to protest the Elks Club’s discriminatory membership practices. The action follows a National JACL resolution and reports of similar Elks exclusion battles in other states.

Community

• Irrigation Dam Breaks, Nikkei Property Damaged, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Several Nikkei families in Kersey, Colorado suffered property damage when a local irrigation dam broke on April 12. Congressman James Johnson called for Kersey to be declared a national disaster area.
• New Mexico to Ban Liquor at Clubs With Bias, by P.C. Staff, page 1. New Mexico’s Attorney General ruled the State Liquor Director may suspend liquor licenses of private clubs that restrict membership by race. Letters were sent to 210 club license holders requiring bylaw revisions.
• Plaque at Manzanar Camp Outraged Residents Seek Change, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Gardena residents and the Pacific Southwest JACL District Council protested the wording of the Manzanar historical plaque, including the term concentration camp. Mrs. Lillian Baker’s objections were rejected by the advisory committee and the council reaffirmed the original text.
• Groups in Plea to County Board, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Union of Pan-Asian Communities in San Diego County asked the Board of Supervisors to ensure fair hiring of Asians, revenue-sharing funding for Asian programs, and permanent positions under PEP. The group represents about 40,000 residents.
• Denver Dedicates Sakura Square, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Denver’s Tri-State Buddhist Church dedicated the $4 million Sakura Square complex on May 12, part of the Skyline Urban Renewal project. The development includes a 20-story senior apartment tower, commercial space, and church facilities.
• From Happy Valley: When It’s Springtime, by Sachi Seko, page 3. Sachi Seko reflects on living close to nature, the stirring of spring, and the fulfillment found in gardening rather than material acquisition. She describes the anticipation that accompanies working with the earth.
• Downtown’s Mother of the Year Fete Attracts 200, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Downtown Los Angeles JACL honored 85-year-old Shige Nishizu of Buena Park as Issei Mother of the Year at its Mother’s Day banquet. Tributes recognized her courage and perseverance in raising seven children.
• Chinese in U.S. to Form Group Similar to JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Organization of Chinese Americans will hold its inaugural convention June 8-10 in Washington, D.C. to organize a central committee and draft a constitution. Its structure is modeled partly on the JACL.
• Riverside JACL Plans Events, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Calendar of upcoming chapter events and community activities across several JACL districts. Includes potluck and luau gatherings and graduation recognitions.
• Management Firm Branch Opens in Pasadena, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Heagstedt Associates opened a Western Region branch in Pasadena led by Edward Tokeshi, a veteran manager and San Gabriel Valley JACL president. The firm is a Chicago-based management consulting and executive search company.
• Montebello JWC Cited for Decade of Aid to Keiro, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Montebello Japanese Women’s Club received a certificate of appreciation from Keiro Nursing Home for a decade of service and over $12,000 in contributions. The club’s name will go on a community honor roll plaque.

Incarceration & Redress

• Seek Civil Service Retirement Credit for WRA Time, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Senator Hiram Fong introduced legislation giving Japanese Americans civil service retirement credit for time spent in WWII relocation centers. The bill mirrors Social Security wage credits already extended to internees.
• Manzanar Pilgrimage Dialogue, by Tom Shigekuni; JACL San Francisco, page 2. Tom Shigekuni defends the South Bay Nisei absence at the Manzanar pilgrimage and rebuts Baker’s claims. The JACL National Executive Committee clarifies how the plaque wording was negotiated and documented.

Military & Veterans

• As It Was: Memorial Day, by Mas Satow, page 3. Mas Satow recalls Amache recruitment meetings, the Army classification of Japanese Americans, and the reversal of volunteer numbers after the Army’s correction. He reflects on Memorial Day at Golden Gate National Cemetery.

Arts & Entertainment

• Racism in Media Talk by George Takei, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Actor George Takei will speak on racism in the media at a Portland Community College event sponsored by the Portland JACL. The talk addresses how media has portrayed minorities.

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