Vol. 77, No. 15, October 12, 1973. 4 pages. View this issue
Immigration and civil rights ran through this four-page issue. The House voted to cap visas from Western Hemisphere countries at 20,000 a year, and a federal judge ordered translators and a bilingual election for Spanish-speaking voters in New York. Harry K. Honda reported on the Elks lifting their white-only membership clause, and Guy Nemiro wrote about Minoru Yasui and Oski Taniwaki recalling the wartime curfews, arrests and forced removal under Executive Order 9066, including Yasui’s Supreme Court challenge.
Other pages carry news closer to home. George and Sumi Mizushima live in the Grand Junction, Colorado, house with the worst radiation reading in town. Pat Nakano wrote about JACL’s work toward an Asian American legal service network. Japanese Foreign Minister Masayoshi Ohira spoke at the UN, and three visiting Japanese were detained in Chile after the military coup.
What’s in this issue
National
- Chile Detains Visiting Japanese After Coup, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Three visiting Japanese were detained in Chile last month and released following the September 11 military coup, according to Kyodo. One youth said he was not socialist or communist and intends to continue his visit.
- Translators at Poll for New York Puerto Ricans, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A federal judge ordered New York City to provide translators and a bilingual election at polling places with large Spanish-speaking populations. The ruling followed a suit by the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Educational Fund under the Voting Rights Act.
- Ohira Speaks on UN Role in Asia, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Japanese Foreign Minister Masayoshi Ohira urged the UN to make a concrete contribution to Asia in a Sept. 25 General Assembly speech. He also pledged $10 million toward UN debts and proposed a UN University in Japan.
- House Votes Immigration Limit for the First Time, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The House voted to impose a 20,000-visa annual limit per country in the Western Hemisphere, which would greatly reduce immigration from Mexico. Critics argued the proposal discriminates against the nation’s closest neighbors.
Community
- Nisei Living Over Radioactive Heap in Grand Junction, by P.C. Staff, page 1. George Mizushima and his wife Sumi live in a home with the worst radiation reading in Grand Junction, Colorado, from mine residue. About 2,800 neighbors face similar radiation from the same source.
- Community Banks Cited by SBA for Aiding Minorities, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Small Business Administration honored community banks for aiding minority businesses at a San Francisco anniversary event. Japanese American banks and leaders were recognized for helping Asian American small businesses grow.
- Sacramento Asian Community Group Voluntarily Closes, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Asian Community Services, an Sacramento volunteer group, disbanded after spawning several programs for the area’s Asian community. Coordinator Guy Saika said members will continue supporting programs as individuals.
Commentary
- Asian American Legal Services, by Pat Nakano, page 2. The author describes the JACL’s progress toward establishing an Asian American legal service network working with the Asian Law Caucus. The piece argues that minorities need dedicated legal assistance to counter unequal access to justice.
Incarceration & Redress
- Elks Ratify Removal of Color Ban by 4-1 Margin, by Harry K. Honda, page 3. The Elks lifted their 105-year-old white-only membership clause after a 4-1 vote by members. The article traces JACL’s long campaign against exclusionary clubs and the legal pressures that led to the change.
- Executive Order 9066: Yasui, Taniwaki Recall Evacuation Experience, by Guy Nemiro, page 3. Minoru Yasui and Oski Taniwaki spoke in Denver about their wartime experiences of curfews, arrest, and evacuation to camps. Yasui recounted his Supreme Court challenge and urged Americans to defend each other’s rights.
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