Mixed marriages, the JACL building fund and a Nixon impeachment vote

Vol. 78, No. 12, March 29, 1974. 6 pages. View this issue

Interracial families were the subject of the editorial on the front page of this six-page issue. Using a letter from Harriet Kimura, a mixed-marriage wife, the P.C. Staff asked how JACL treats such families and their children. Also on page one: the National JACL Building Fund Drive passed $125,000 in pledges and was extended to June 1, and Pacific Southwest District Governor Kojima ordered a new chapter poll on a resolution to impeach President Nixon, with ballots due April 24.

Elsewhere, Bill Hosokawa described the Pacific Citizen’s offices in Little Tokyo’s Sun Building. Kats Kunitsugu wrote about a television tribute to James Wong Howe, and Richard Gima and Allan Beekman reviewed books on Hawaii. Other items covered a House bill on citizenship tests for those over 50, an Asian American conference planned for San Francisco, and chapter news from Milwaukee, West Valley and San Francisco.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Mixed Marriages, by P.C. Staff, page 1. An editorial uses a letter from Harriet Kimura, a mixed-marriage wife, to question how JACL treats interracial families and their children. The piece argues that Japanese Americans themselves often discriminate and that mixed-marriage children have been overlooked by JACL leadership.
• Letter: Chapter in Southeastern District, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. A Jacksonville, Florida reader asks why JACL has no chapter in the Southeastern District and offers to start one. The editor explains the requirements for forming a chapter.
• Legislative Committee Alert: HISC Abolition Effort, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Rep. Richard Ichord’s effort to abolish the House Internal Security Committee is described, along with the Select Committee’s 1973 recommendation to transfer its functions. Readers are urged to contact their representatives on the appropriations question.
• Editor’s Desk: Streaking and the Role of Leadership, by Jim Fukumoto, page 2. A reader writes about the tension between individual rights and collective JACL statements, arguing that silence should not be treated as consent. The letter challenges the organization to respect members’ right to dissent.
• Letter on Demeaning TV Commercials and Stereotypes, by Lillian Baker, page 2. A reader recounts childhood experiences with ethnic humor and reprints an older column about a demeaning ‘Mr. Cohen on the Telephone’ routine. The writer argues that demeaning portrayals should be avoided.
• Bill Hosokawa: The Strange and Wonderful World of Little Tokyo, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa describes the offices of the Pacific Citizen in Little Tokyo’s Sun Building and the mix of cultures surrounding it. He reflects on the changing demographics of the Los Angeles Japanese American community.
• Don’t Look Behind, by Kats Kunitsugu, page 4. The columnist reflects on turning 49 and a press tribute to cinematographer James Wong Howe on television. He notes the film clips contained a demeaning and untrue wartime claim about a Japanese gardener.
• Hawaiian Tales: Book Review by Richard Gima, by Richard Gima, page 5. A review of Allan Beekman’s Hawaiian Tales, a collection of stories about Hawaii’s Japanese immigrants. The reviewer notes the book’s strengths and the remaining gaps in its coverage.
• Things Japanese in Hawaii: Book Review, by Allan Beekman, page 5. A review of John DeFrancis’s guide to Japanese influence in Hawaii, covering festivals, language, and customs. The reviewer finds it a useful resource for visitors and residents.
• Racism and Mental Health: Book Review, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A review of the edited volume Racism and Mental Health, which collects essays on how racism affects mental health institutions. The contributors call for institutional change.

JACL

• JACL Building Fund Drive: Over $125,000 Acknowledged, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National JACL Building Fund Drive has passed the halfway mark with more than $125,000 in pledges and donations. The drive has been extended to June 1 to give members time to respond to direct mail appeals.
• Kojima Calls for New PSW Vote on Impeachment Issue, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Pacific Southwest District Governor Kojima ordered a new chapter poll on the resolution to impeach President Nixon after procedural confusion over the February vote. Ballots are due April 24.

National

• Emergency Powers: Detention Law Still On Books, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Senate subcommittee found that the United States has operated under a national emergency since 1933, giving the President sweeping powers. The committee is studying which emergency statutes should be repealed or time-limited.
• House Passes Bill Expediting Citizenship Test for Those Over Age 50, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The House passed a bill exempting long-term permanent resident parents over age 50 from English language requirements for naturalization. The measure now goes to the Senate.

Community

• San Mateo JACL: Ruth Asawa Shares Work with School Children in Slide Presentation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sculptor Ruth Asawa gave a slide presentation at a San Mateo JACL wine tasting benefit for the JACL National Headquarters building fund. The event drew about 100 people and raised funds for the new building.
• Seabrook JACL Starts Sunday Radio Show, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Seabrook JACL launched a Sunday radio program aimed at the Issei and Japanese-speaking residents of the Delaware Valley region. The show was part of the station’s 30th anniversary programming.
• Gardena Police Charge Alleged Senate Investigator With Passing Bad Checks, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Police in Gardena are involved in the case of Kenneth Young Hee Choy, arrested by FBI agents for allegedly posing as a Senate staffer and passing $1,200 in bad checks to local businesses. Several Japanese American businesses were among the victims.
• Portland and Gresham-Troutdale JACL Co-Host 23rd Biennial National Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Portland and Gresham-Troutdale JACL chapters announce they will co-host the 23rd Biennial National Convention at the Sheraton Motor Inn. The article notes weeks remain until convention week.
• Paul H. Kusuda: Milwaukee JACLer Profiled, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Paul Kusuda, a Milwaukee JACL member and state corrections official, is profiled for his career and community work. He recalls his wartime incarceration at Death Valley and how it shaped his view of democracy.
• Sogetsu Plans First County-Wide Flower Arrangement Exhibit, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Sogetsu flower arrangement school will hold its first Los Angeles County-wide exhibit at the Datsun Building. Over 100 arrangements will be displayed with demonstrations.
• Asian American Confab Slated for May 3-4 in San Francisco, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A two-day Asian American conference to discuss shared concerns is being organized in San Francisco. Invitations have gone out to about 400 groups.
• San Francisco JACL: Assemblywoman March Fong Recalls State History of Chinese and Japanese, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Assemblywoman March Fong, a candidate for Secretary of State, spoke at the San Francisco JACL installation dinner about the history of Chinese and Japanese Americans in California. She noted her candidacy as an Asian American woman.
• Sacramento Youths Win After Protesting Demeaning Mini-Golf Signs, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Asian youths in Sacramento won a conditional agreement to have caricature signs removed from a mini-golf course. The signs were seen as demeaning to Asians.
• Sacramento Asian Clubs and Chapter News Briefs, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Brief news items from chapters across the country including scholarship awards, events, and officer installations.

Military & Veterans

• Pacific Citizen Feature Plus Installation Notes on Chapter Pulse, by Ed Kawahara, page 4. West Valley JACL installed Dave Sakai as 1974 president with a talk by Stanford’s Dr. Robert Ward on US-Japan relations. Chapter service awards were presented to several members.

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