National JACL scholarships, a film on Jim Yoshida, and the Nixon resolution

Vol. 78, No. 5, February 8, 1974. 6 pages. View this issue

Seventeen National JACL scholarships were the front-page announcement, with chapters facing a March 25 deadline to choose a high school graduate. Welly Shibata reported that a motion picture will be made about Seattle-born Jim Yoshida, with filming set for Japan this summer. Other front-page news included the resignation of Barry Matsumoto, JACL Washington Representative, to teach at the University of Iowa College of Law. President Henry T. Tanaka wrote about what Cleveland’s Japanese Americans know of other Asian residents. The PSWDC planned a district meeting on a Nixon resolution.

Elsewhere in these six pages, Pat Okura asked JACL members to keep calm as U.S.-Japan relations strained. Kats Kunitsugu wrote about karuta games and the haiku magazine Tachibana. Little Tokyo Towers reported about 450 applications for senior housing, and Bill Hosokawa covered a bilingual education bill. Two pieces reviewed Trevor Ling’s book on the Buddha.

What’s in this issue

Community

• PSWDC to Meet on Nixon Resolution in L.A. Feb. 9, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The PSWDC’s newest chapter, Metropolitan L.A., hosts its first district meeting on February 9 at the Hotel Olympic in Los Angeles. The agenda includes a resolution on Nixon’s impeachment, committee reports, and Bicentennial celebration plans.
• Other Ohio Asians, by Henry T. Tanaka, page 1. National JACL President Henry Tanaka reflects on how little the Japanese American community in Cleveland knows about other Asian residents. A brief encounter with a Filipino woman prompts him to consider the need for common ground among Asian groups.
• Little Tokyo Towers Senior Housing Applications Reach 450, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Little Tokyo Towers received about 450 applications for senior citizen housing, many from outside the Little Tokyo area. Construction is expected this year with occupancy in early 1975, as HUD fulfills its commitment for 300 units.
• New York Group on Hunt for Locale, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Japanese American Housing for the Aging in New York is seeking a property on West 14th Street for a home for aging Issei. Member organizations are discussing acquisition efforts with the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race.
• Calif. Court Hears Hayakawa Bid for U.S. Senate Seat, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The California Supreme Court heard arguments on whether Dr. S.I. Hayakawa may run as a Republican for the U.S. Senate after switching parties within the past year. Secretary of State Brown defended the election code provision barring him.
• Salt Lake JACL Installs Officers, Recognizes Volunteers, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Salt Lake JACL chapter held a Thousand Club dinner-dance where Ted Nagata was installed as president and several members received awards for their service. Immediate past National President Ray Uno conducted the installation.
• Monterey Peninsula JACL Installation Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Congressman Spark Matsunaga addressed the Monterey Peninsula JACL installation dinner, calling for President Nixon’s impeachment or resignation. Jim Fukuhara was installed as the new chapter president.
• Bannai Bills to Affect Juvenile Law Enforcement, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Assemblyman Paul Bannai introduced two bills aimed at strengthening the handling of juvenile offenders. One would involve the district attorney when police disagree with probation leniency, and the other supports probation officers in juvenile court cases.
• Japan Investments in California Up 40%, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Japanese investment in California increased 40 percent over the past year, reaching an estimated $750 million. Ten of the 30 foreign-initiated manufacturing and petroleum firms in the state are Japanese, including Hitachi and Sony.

In-Depth

• Two Worlds of Jim Yoshida, by Welly Shibata, page 1. A motion picture will be made about Seattle-born Jim Yoshida, whose life of adventure and ordeals across four countries is told in a best-selling book. Filming will begin in Japan this summer, with the film to be released next winter.

JACL

• Matsumoto to Teach at Iowa Law School This Coming Fall, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Barry Matsumoto, JACL Washington Representative, announced his resignation effective June 1 to accept a teaching position at the University of Iowa College of Law. National Executive Director David Ushio praised his work in Washington, D.C.

Commentary

• Hand-in-Hand, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Chicago JACL-affiliated Young Japanese Americans have supported a handicapped children’s group through an annual talent show. The piece invites other JACL groups to get involved in similar mental health and disability causes.
• Tokyo’s Dry Spell, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Tokyo endured a record 71-day dry spell that ended with a snowfall on January 21. The drought caused water conservation measures, vegetable price increases, and concern among firefighters and farmers.
• Let’s Keep Our Cool, by Pat Okura, page 2. Pat Okura urges JACL members to remain calm amid strained U.S.-Japan relations that may bring renewed anti-Japanese sentiment. He calls for public education and careful public relations rather than aggressive or hostile responses.
• Cranston-Kennedy Bilingual Education Bill Combined and Adopted by Senate Subcommittee, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Two bilingual education bills were combined into one measure and adopted by a Senate subcommittee. The legislation expands services to bilingual students across pre-school, elementary, and secondary levels.
• Karuta Season, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A reflective piece on the karuta card game once played in Seattle homes during the holidays. The author notes the poetic depth of the 100-poem classical anthology.

Arts & Entertainment

• Karuta Memories, by Kats Kunitsugu, page 3. The author recalls childhood karuta card games played by Issei parents and reflects on the classical waka poetry underlying the game. He notes how the Issei’s cultural refinement was overlooked by the young Nisei of that era.
• On the Margin: An Occasion Which Calls for Haiku, by Kats Kunitsugu, page 3. The author describes a birthday dinner that inspired a haiku, then discusses the imminent end of Tachibana, the Nisei haiku magazine founded in 1926. He profiles its editor Warren Tsuneishi, a longtime haiku poet still active at 85.
• Aloha from Hawaii: Buddhism as Secular Philosophy, by Richard Gima, page 5. A book review of Trevor Ling’s study of the Buddha and Buddhist civilization in India and Ceylon, covering the founder’s life and the spread of the religion. The reviewer notes the book is well-written despite some repetitiveness.
• Book Review: The Buddha, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Trevor Ling’s book traces Buddhism from its origins in the secular teachings of Siddhartha Gautama to its development in Japan. The review highlights the transformation from philosophy into religion and its adaptation across cultures.
• The Two Worlds of Jim Yoshida, by Welly Shibata, page 6. Producer Victor Stoloff announced a film adaptation of Jim Yoshida’s memoir, with about half to be shot in Japan. The story follows a Seattle-born Nisei forced to serve in the Japanese army and later regain his U.S. citizenship.

Sports

• 40 Bowlers from Japan Due in Sacramento, by Shig Sakamoto, page 4. A bowling delegation from Japan has reached an agreement to enter the 28th JACL Nationals in Sacramento after earlier misunderstandings were resolved. The column also urges host committees to prepare for the tournament.

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