Vol. 75, No. 22, December 1, 1972. 6 pages. View this issue
Attitudes toward interracial and interfaith marriage led this six-page issue. A Gallup Poll from November 19 found Americans more tolerant, with approval of black-white marriages up from 20 percent in 1968 to 29 percent. Also on the front page, the JACL Executive Committee awarded $9,000 to Visual Communications for a Secondary Curriculum Project, Dr. Thomas Yatabe urged JACL to help other minorities overcome discrimination, and Allan Beekman wrote on the Honolulu mayor’s race.
On the inside pages, Dr. Roy Doi offered a Nisei view of ritual in Japanese life, and Fukazawa asked whether Japan’s economy is truly affluent for its people. Letters from Alvin Hayashi and Robert M. Nakamura discussed the JACL convention and a chapter installation speech. Allan Beekman reviewed a reissue of the Nihongi, and a book of essays on Issei experience was also reviewed.
What’s in this issue
National
- Mixed Marriages Being Tolerated More These Days, page 1. A Gallup Poll from November 19 shows Americans are becoming more tolerant of interracial and interfaith marriages. Approval of black-white marriages rose from 20 percent in 1968 to 29 percent currently.
- Buddhists Oppose Divine Creation in Public School Textbook on Science, page 1. Rev. Hogen Fujimoto of the Buddhist Churches of America presented the Buddhist view against teaching Divine Creation alongside evolution at a California public hearing. He argued that Buddhism holds the universe is cyclical and co-created, not produced by a single first cause.
- 200 Asians, Blacks, Chicanos, Indians, Whites March for Low-Cost Housing, page 1. About 200 people from diverse communities marched in Seattle to demand low-cost housing and protect the Chinatown area, where many older Filipino men live. Filipino community leader Pompeyo Guloy spoke about the plight of solitary Filipino workers and political patronage in the Philippines.
- Japan Economy: Affluent or Not?, by Fukazawa, page 3. Fukazawa argues that Japan’s apparent wealth benefits corporations and the state rather than individual citizens. He explains that individual incomes remain modest despite the nation’s economic strength.
- State Supreme Court Asked to Cite Proposition 21 Invalid, page 3. The ACLU asked the California Supreme Court to declare Proposition 21, the Student Assignment Initiative, unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment. The National JACL Executive Committee had opposed the measure as its only official stand in the November election.
- South African Seeks Gov’t OK to Wed Japanese Girl, page 3. A South African farmer, Chris Butler, seeks government permission to marry Japanese woman Yuko Gejima, whom he met in Bangkok. He notes that although Japanese are classified as honorary whites in South Africa, such interracial marriages are not permitted.
Community
- JACL Awards $9,000 Planning Grant for Secondary Curriculum Project, page 1. The JACL Executive Committee awarded $9,000 to Visual Communications’ Secondary Curriculum Project to develop Asian American curriculum models for secondary schools. The project includes monographs on Asian American history and a film on Japanese pioneers, plus conferences with educators and students.
- Chinese Courses at Arizona State Use New Curriculum as Enrollment Goes Up, page 1. Arizona State University split its Chinese language program into humanities and specialist tracks to handle rising enrollment. The new approach replaces traditional lectures with student-centered learning.
- Honolulu Mayor’s Race Outrivals Governor’s Race, by Allan Beekman, page 1. Frank Fasi won reelection as Honolulu mayor by a narrow 3.6 percent margin, a result that may foreshadow a fiercer 1974 contest for Hawaii’s governorship. Analysts say his weakened support and political maneuvering set up a challenging future campaign.
- Gardena Valley JACL Installation Dinner, page 4. The Gardena Valley JACL installed Stuart Tsujimoto as chapter president at a dinner attended by some 200 members. The evening included recognition of community leaders and scholarship winners.
Incarceration & Redress
- Yatabe Reminds JACL Role to Help Groups Rid Bias, page 1. Dr. Thomas Yatabe, a JACL founder, urged the organization at the Central California District Council convention in Fresno to help other minorities overcome racial discrimination. He recounted his own experiences with prejudice and the early history of JACL.
Commentary
- Yatabe Reminds JACL Role to Help Groups Rid Bias, page 2. A Happy Valley letter writer recounts feeling silenced at a community meeting on the Japanese Community Improvement Program. The writer criticizes the lack of open public questioning and the leadership’s handling of dissent.
- A Sansei Viewpoint, page 2. A Sansei writer critiques the community meeting process and calls for open, honest public questioning. The piece argues that community projects require mutual respect and genuine dialogue.
- Letters: JACL Convention, by Alvin Hayashi, page 3. Chicago JACL member Alvin Hayashi responds to Dr. Roy Nishikawa’s article on the Washington convention and the JACL staff resignations. He defends David Ushio and explains the staff’s frustrations with the organization.
- San Diego Installation Speech Clarification, by Robert M. Nakamura, page 3. Robert Nakamura clarifies his installation speech comparing JACL conformance to a Thanksgiving turkey syndrome. He explains his point was that conformance can dehumanize one’s ideologies.
- Sakura Script, by Vaughn Greene, page 3. Vaughn Greene questions a claim about 500,000-year-old remains in Japan and offers comments on recent PC news. He praises Sachi Seko’s essay as a refreshing read.
- Hawaii Today, page 4. Hawaii news includes congressional members cosigning a telegram to President Nixon on the West Coast shipping strike and projections of a state financial deficit. Businessmen and economists voice concern about the economic impact.
In-Depth
- A Nisei View of Japan: Ritualistic Behavior, by Dr. Roy Doi, page 3. Dr. Roy Doi reflects on ritualistic behavior in Japanese society, including resignations of officials and traditional festivals. He argues that ritual gives meaning and stability to life in Japan.
- Conroy-Miyakawa Essays Delineate Issei Experience, page 5. The book East Across the Pacific collects historical and sociological essays on Japanese immigration to Hawaii, the Pacific Islands, and mainland North America. Edited by Hilary Conroy and T. Scott Miyakawa, it covers immigrant experiences from the early Meiji era through World War II internment.
Arts & Entertainment
- Reissue of Basic Classic: Nihongi, by Allan Beekman, page 5. Beekman reviews the reissue of W.G. Aston’s translation of the Nihongi, the classical Japanese chronicle. He explains its significance as a foundational text of Japanese history and culture.
Obituaries
- Tsunesaku Kawasaki, page 6. Tsunesaku Kawasaki, a 55-year-old pioneer Delano labor contractor and operator of Kawasaki Camp, died Nov. 19. He is survived by his children Hisao and Shizuko.
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