Vol. 81, No. 8, August 22, 1975. 6 pages. View this issue
JACL money problems led the news. After membership income fell short, leaders adopted a reduced budget of $490,734 for fiscal 1976, cutting national headquarters staff, travel and office expenses while starting a membership and donation campaign. Shigeki J. Sugiyama reported on the cuts, and a second story covered the Executive Committee’s orders. Also on page one, Japanese Prime Minister Takeo Miki promised personal help in raising money for the Little Tokyo cultural center, a $10 million campaign described by organizers Katsuma Mukaeda and George Doizaki.
Elsewhere, Harry K. Honda wrote about Little Tokyo as his hometown, David Ushio argued for medical help for Hibakusha living in the United States, and Bill Hosokawa described a visit to Hong Kong. Wayne Horiuchi explained bilingual election information under the Voting Rights Act. Page four covers a celebration honoring Issei citizenship, and page five a funding drive for the Pasadena Japanese Cultural Institute.
What’s in this issue
JACL
- Gen. Belt-Tightening Takes Over, by Shigeki J. Sugiyama, page 1. JACL leaders have adopted a reduced budget of $490,734 for fiscal 1976 after membership income projections fell short. Cuts target national headquarters staffing, travel, and office expenses while a membership and donation campaign is launched.
- EXECOM Orders Cutbacks, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL Executive Committee set a $490,734 spending ceiling for fiscal 1976 and launched a membership and donation campaign. Decisions also covered a political education arm, Vietnamese refugee resettlement, chapter charters, and an Ethnic Heritage Project.
Community
- Premier Miki Promises Personal Effort to Raise ¥100 Million, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japanese Prime Minister Takeo Miki pledged personal help in raising about $3 million for the Little Tokyo Japanese American cultural center complex. Organizers Katsuma Mukaeda and George Doizaki reported on the $10 million fund-raising campaign.
- Higashi Hongwanji Builders Designated, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The construction contract for the new Higashi Hongwanji in Los Angeles was awarded to RST Construction Co., with groundbreaking rescheduled to Sept. 7. The brief also notes Rep. Norman Mineta’s participation in a congressional visit to Tokyo.
- Mukai to Speak on Future of JACL at IDC Quarterly, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Gerrold Mukai, National JACL Planning Committee chairman, will be the main banquet speaker at the Intermountain District Council quarterly session in Idaho Falls. The meeting will also feature a discussion of JACL programs and guidelines.
- Two Decades of Citizenship Celebration for Issei, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Issei residents were honored in a celebration recognizing their newly acquired American citizenship, with speakers and community members participating. The event highlighted the long struggle for naturalization rights.
- Cultural Center in Financial Bind, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Pasadena Japanese Cultural Institute is facing a financial crisis with an annual deficit over $3,000 and needed repairs. An interim committee led by Dr. Kiyoshi Ogawa has launched a community fund drive after a $500 Optimist Club donation.
Incarceration & Redress
- CANE Unable to Secure NC-WNDC Support to Act on National Mandate, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A convention-passed resolution urging federal review of urban redevelopment in Nihonmachis was debated at the NC-WNDC council, where a San Francisco-specific action request was ruled a local matter. Kawahara of CANE’s attack on the NCDC drew rebuttal from NCDC president Masao Ashizawa.
Commentary
- Culver City Mayor Denies Remarks in Council ‘Racist’ as Charged by Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Culver City Mayor Richard Pachtman denied that his July remarks comparing West Los Angeles College trustees to the Pearl Harbor attack were racist, as charged by Dr. Harold Harada. Pachtman apologized to Venice-Culver JACL president Jane Yamashita, saying no offense was intended.
- Editor’s Desk: Little Tokyo—My Hometown, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. Editor Harry Honda reflects on Los Angeles as a uniquely rich mix of cultures, centered on Little Tokyo and the Nisei Week tradition. He emphasizes the lasting presence of Japanese Americans in the city despite wartime uprooting.
- Unfulfilled U.S. Obligation, by David Ushio, page 2. Ushio recalls visiting the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and describes the ongoing suffering of Hibakusha in the United States. He argues the U.S. has a clear obligation to provide medical assistance to American citizens affected by the atomic bombings.
- From the Frying Pan: The Incredible City—Hong Kong, by Bill Hosokawa, page 2. Bill Hosokawa describes the crowded, energetic streets, transit, and tenements of Hong Kong during a visit. He reflects on the territory’s capitalist vitality and the puzzle of how Communist China’s system took hold on the mainland.
National
- Bilingual Vote Information, by Wayne Horiuchi, page 3. The 1975 extension of the Voting Rights Act added bilingual election information requirements and expanded covered jurisdictions to include Asian American language minorities. Horiuchi notes the act’s major provisions and its impact on voter access.
Obituaries
- Edith Kedama Divelbiss, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Edith Kedama Divelbiss, 63, of Los Angeles died of cancer at UCLA Medical Center. She had worked at the JACL regional office and served in WWII-era roles in Japan and Europe.
Military & Veterans
- Vincent H. Okamoto Beattie, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Vincent H. Okamoto of Gardena, a former Army captain, was honored with the Distinguished Service Cross for heroism in Vietnam. He also received the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart.
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