Planning the 1972 JACL convention and the search for a new director

Vol. 74, No. 14, April 14, 1972. 6 pages. View this issue

Preparation for the 1972 National JACL Convention in Washington, D.C. ran through this six-page issue. Alice Endo outlined the package of tours, a congressional dinner, a White House visit and a banquet, and a profile introduced Kaz Oshiki, who helped coordinate the event. Another article said JACL stood at a crossroads after the retirements of Mas Satow and Mike Masaoka. A nationwide search began for an executive director to succeed Satow, who was recovering from meningitis. JACL leadership also described budget pressures as membership grew, and renewals passed 80 percent.

Elsewhere, Michael Berger and a guest column described young Japanese Americans studying in Japan and feeling like outsiders. About 650 people gathered for a Manzanar pilgrimage. Helen Kawagoe reported on a Pacific Southwest District Council resolution about drug overproduction. Allan Beekman reviewed a book on Japanese Americans, and Warren Furutani wrote about the word “Jap.”

What’s in this issue

JACL

• Pacific Citizen: Sakura Festival Testimonial, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL leadership describes the Mas Satow testimonial as a feature of the national convention and asks members to contribute. The column also notes budget pressures facing the organization as membership grows.
• Chicago JACL Asked to Hear Nisei Farm Stand, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Nisei Farmers League invited Bill Minami, Chicago JACL president, to speak on the chapter’s board resolution supporting the United Farm Workers. Negotiations for the address were underway.
• Search for JACL Executive Director Underway, Job Specs Drafted, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL began a nationwide search for an executive director to succeed Mas Satow, who steps down in February 1973. The article lists job duties, qualifications, salary range up to $18,000, and regional search committee contacts.
• Mas Satow Able to Meet Visitors, by P.C. Staff, page 1. National JACL Director Mas Satow, hospitalized for meningitis, was recovering well and had been moved out of intensive care. He hoped to be released April 17 and recuperate at home in San Francisco.
• Membership Tops 80% in Renewals, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL membership renewals passed 80 percent of last year’s registrants by the first quarter. Several chapters set new all-time highs, and San Jose, San Francisco, and Sacramento led in numerical strength.
• PSWDC Resolution Hits Drug Overproduction, by HELEN KAWAGOE, page 1. The Pacific Southwest District Council urged Congress to strictly control drug production and hold manufacturers and distributors responsible for legitimate shipments. The resolution cites the overproduction of barbiturate derivatives and unverified pill shipments.
• Convention to Decide New JACL Focus, by P.C. Staff, page 3. JACL is described as being at a crossroads following the retirements of Mas Satow and Mike Masaoka. Chapters are urged to prepare their members’ views on the organization’s direction for the National Council sessions in Washington.
• Something for Everyone at D.C. Convention, by Alice Endo, page 3. The 1972 National JACL Convention in Washington, D.C. offers a package deal including tours, a congressional dinner, a White House visit, and a banquet. Registration details, transportation, and sightseeing options are outlined.
• Dress for Convention in Washington, D.C., page 3. Guidance on clothing for the summer JACL convention in Washington notes the heat and recommends lightweight fabrics and one dressy outfit for formal events. Recreational options and sightseeing tips are also included.
• Washington D.C. Chapter Membership Tour of Capitol, by P.C. Staff, page 4. More than 130 Washington, D.C. chapter members toured the U.S. Capitol and Senate offices with Senator Hiram Fong’s assistance. The event was viewed as a preview for convention delegates.

Community

• April Is Sakura Festival Time in San Francisco, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Fifth Annual Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco’s Nihonmachi runs over two weekends in April and closes with a grand parade. Events include classical and folk performances, ikebana, bonsai, tea ceremony, and martial arts demonstrations.
• Sebastopol Issei Head Apple Blossom Parade, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Walter and Jim Taniguchi, retired apple growers from Hiroshima, served as grand marshals of the Sebastopol Apple Blossom Festival parade. They had farmed locally since becoming ranchers in 1926.
• Gardena Valley JACL to Host PSWDC Pre-Convention Rally, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Gardena Valley JACL will host the PSWDC pre-convention rally on April 23 with an agenda covering national planning, budget, and resolutions. A companion event was planned at a local Baptist church the previous day.
• Phase 2 in L.A.-Area Drug Offensive to Be Initiated with JACL Assistance, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Los Angeles Asian American communities launched a second phase of anti-drug activity after several overdose deaths. JACL was to serve as an intermediary seeking support from public officials.
• Archives to Rid Wartime Data on Evacuation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Bay Area Community JACL chapter urged immediate steps to preserve World War II evacuation records held by the National Archives, which were reportedly slated for destruction. It asked Congress to intervene and sought funds for a West Coast Japanese American archive.
• Convention Profile: Kaz Oshiki, page 3. Kaz Oshiki, administrative assistant to Congressman Robert Kastenmeier, is profiled as a key figure in coordinating the 1972 National JACL Convention in Washington, D.C. His experience working with Congress and his personal history as a Nisei are highlighted.
• French Camp Picnic This Sunday at Micke Grove, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The French Camp JACL annual community picnic was held at Micke Grove with games and entertainment. The article also reports the chapter dropped sponsorship of the picnic for the year after deciding it had grown unwieldy.
• Placer County JACLer in Five-Way Race for Loomis Judicial District Constable, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Yego, a Placer County JACL charter member, is running in a five-candidate race for constable of the Loomis judicial district. The article details his law enforcement background, community involvement, and platform.

National

• Florida School District Labels All Orientals, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Florida school district claimed it had not integrated because its entire student body was Oriental, a classification used to avoid a desegregation order. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the district’s argument.
• Ingersoll Sworn In as U.S. Envoy, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Robert Ingersoll was sworn in as U.S. ambassador to Japan, pledging to strengthen relations and communication between the two countries. He also criticized growing protectionism and blamed labor unions for much of the sentiment in the United States.

Military & Veterans

• VVV Honors Defender of Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Hung Wai Ching was honored at the 30th anniversary banquet of the Varsity Victory Volunteers for vouching for Hawaii’s Japanese Americans during World War II. The VVV served as a labor battalion before its members enlisted in the 442nd.

Commentary

• Public Health Nurse, page 2. San Mateo JACL and community members protest the transfer of bilingual public health nurse Suzu Kunitani, arguing her removal harms services to the Japanese community. The writer demands her reinstatement and rejects the department’s justifications.
• Jack Ninomiya Letter on Prejudice and JACL Goals, by Jack Ninomiya, page 2. A Ford engineer disputes a speech urging JACL to protest prejudice and push Asian American studies, arguing Japanese Americans should see themselves as Americans. He contends that dwelling on wartime incarceration and name-calling teaches young people to feel inferior.
• Sansei in Japan Return Home More Mixed Ethnically, by Michael Berger, page 2. Young Japanese American students studying in Japan describe culture shock and a sense of being outsiders, with reactions ranging from bitterness to acceptance. Many discovered they felt more American than they had expected.
• Seldom Seen Epithet, by Warren Furutani, page 2. The column notes that Japanese English-language media avoid the slur ‘Jap’ and that Japanese people rarely object to the term. It contrasts this with Japanese American protests in the United States.
• Guest Column: Sansei in Japan Feel Gap, page 4. A Sansei writer reports that young Japanese Americans studying in Japan often feel more Japanese than expected and then discover they are American. The column notes that Japanese people tend to expect Nisei to behave like Japanese, creating friction.
• Nomenclature Misleads Readers in Book Review, by Allan Beekman, page 5. A review of the book Japanese Americans: The Untold Story criticizes its wording and historical inaccuracies, particularly how it describes wartime vigilantes and Japanese Americans. The reviewer argues the book needs revision before republishing.

Incarceration & Redress

• Manzanar Pilgrimage, page 2. About 650 people gathered at the abandoned Manzanar concentration camp for a pilgrimage with speeches and ceremonies. The writer argues the event should inspire opposition to similar injustices elsewhere.

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