Whaling ad backlash, Manzanar oral history and Walter Lippmann’s 1942 columns

Vol. 80, No. 1, January 5, 1975. 6 pages. View this issue

A newspaper ad urging a boycott over whaling drew a sharp response from JACL in this six-page issue. An environmental group asked that its name be removed from the ad, and JACL demanded an apology and a retraction for its racist language toward Japanese. Bill Hosokawa looked back at Walter Lippmann’s 1942 columns that argued for the mass evacuation of Japanese Americans. They were based on faulty information, he wrote, and helped build support for the incarceration. California State University Fullerton was also gathering interviews for a Manzanar oral history project.

On the community pages, JACL listed its 1975 charter flights to Japan, and the Eastern District Council presented a $12,000 check to the National JACL Scholarship Foundation. Craig Shimabukuro and Prof. Iga took part in the “Racism Within Us?” exchange. Ken Numata wrote about his first months in Japan as a Sansei, and Bob Norberg profiled Pleasanton Mayor Floyd Mori.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Half Dozen Flights to Japan Set, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL chartered flights to Japan for 1975 have been scheduled with a fare change and eligibility rules for members. The article outlines the flight options and membership requirements.
• $12,000 Scholarship Check Presented to JACL Foundation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Eastern District Council presented a $12,000 check to the National JACL Scholarship Foundation to fund scholarships for outstanding Japanese American students. Chapter and district officials were involved in the presentation.
• West L.A. Cookbook Being Plagiarized, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The West Los Angeles JACL Women’s Auxiliary learned that its Ease-West Flavors No. 1 cookbook was being reprinted and sold by another group. The auxiliary is preparing a sequel cookbook.
• Miyazaki Travel Agency Accepted by NABER, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Miyazaki Travel Agency of New York was accepted as a member of the National Association of Business and Educational Radio. The company has been using two-way radio since September and moved to new offices in the Statler Hilton.
• Chinese Community Takes Over Christmas Cheer Program, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Pacific Southwest District Council reported Christmas Cheer contributions totaling nearly $9,000 for 1974. Major donors and individual contributions were listed.
• Reno JACL to Hear Gov. O’Callaghan, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Nevada Governor Michael O’Callaghan will speak at the Reno JACL installation dinner. The chapter also elected new officers including David Babs as president.
• Sansei in Japan Reflects on Culture Shock, by Ken Numata, page 5. A Sansei writer recounts his first months living in Japan, describing the cultural adjustments, Tokyo’s crowds, and an encounter on a train. He reflects on Japanese and American cultural differences.
• Mini Overview of Japanese Culture Learned in Japan, by Ken Numata, page 5. The writer describes exploring Shinjuku and the challenges of navigating Tokyo’s rail system. He reflects on feeling like a minority and the experience of being noticed as a Nikkei visitor.
• Utah NAACP Drops Discrimination Suit Against Mormon Church, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Utah NAACP dropped its discrimination lawsuit against the Mormon Church after an agreement was reached concerning Boy Scout troop policies. The church’s policy changes were adopted in August.
• Chicago Trails Major U.S. Cities in Minority Hiring, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A Chicago monitoring group found that minorities hold only 24.7 percent of city jobs despite comprising 41 percent of the population. The city has kept hiring statistics inaccessible.
• Floyd Mori: Pleasanton Mayor in Assembly Bid, by Bob Norberg, page 6. Pleasanton Mayor Floyd Mori, a Nisei economics teacher, is considering a run for the Assembly seat vacated by Carlos Bee’s death. He discusses his background, his political views, and his Mormon upbringing.

JACL

• ‘Save Whale’ Boycott Ad Too Racist for Ecology Unit, by P.C. Staff, page 1. An environmental group asked that its name be removed from a save-the-whales advertisement containing racist overtones toward Japanese. JACL condemned the Animal Welfare Institute’s campaign for fostering harassment of Japanese Americans.
• JACL Condemns Racist Angle of Half-Page Display, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL demanded an apology and immediate retraction for a half-page display that used racist language against Japanese people in the whaling controversy. The organization supported conservation of whales while opposing anti-Japanese campaigns.
• Personnel Guidelines Debate, by Craig Shimabukuro, page 4. Craig Shimabukuro discusses JACL’s personnel policies and the National Board’s handling of a personnel dispute. He argues for more open dissent in decision-making while acknowledging procedural failures.

In-Depth

• Manzanar Oral History Project at Cal State Fullerton, by P.C. Staff, page 1. California State University Fullerton is conducting an oral history project on the Manzanar war relocation center using interviews with Japanese Americans and others involved. Dr. Arthur Hansen is writing a book on Manzanar and seeks more interviewers.

Commentary

• Racism Within Us? Letters and Responses, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Letters to the editor respond to recent columns on prejudice, racism, and JACL policies. Readers discuss charter flight discrimination and the Pacific Citizen readership survey.
• Racism Within Us?, by Craig Shimabukuro, page 4. A reader responds to Sugiyama’s column on internal prejudice, arguing that Japanese American prejudice toward other groups stems from authoritarian traditions and cultural relativism. The writer calls for greater sensitivity to common human needs.
• Racism Within Us? (Continued), by Prof. Iga, page 4. Professor Iga argues that cultural relativism and emphasis on tradition can produce insensitivity to common human needs and undermine democracy. He calls for breaking down barriers between groups and promoting rational humanism.

Military & Veterans

• Lippmann & Evacuation, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Columnist Bill Hosokawa examines Walter Lippmann’s 1942 newspaper columns advocating the mass evacuation of Japanese Americans. He argues those columns were based on faulty information and helped build support for the incarceration.

Sports

• Football Honors and Lellehua Victory, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Lellehua High School defeated Punahou in the Oahu championship on Thanksgiving Day. The team’s victory is noted in the Hawaii sports coverage.

Obituaries

• Kiro Nagano Retired Pioneer Dies, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Kiro Nagano, 78, a retired pioneer and Los Angeles judo figure, died after a heart attack. He was a native of Sapporo and a naturalized U.S. citizen who pioneered judo in America.
• Walter Lippmann Dies at 85, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Walter Lippmann, the Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist, died December 14 at age 85. He was known for advocating the wartime evacuation of Japanese Americans in 1942.

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