JACL priorities and the Tule Lake pilgrimage, 1974

Vol. 78, No. 22, June 7, 1974. 6 pages. View this issue

JACL’s priorities and staffing led this six-page issue. Dr. Paul Ellis wrote at length on what the organization should stress, including discrimination legislation, an ombudsman role and public attitudes, after the resignation of Washington Representative Barry Matsumoto. The front page also reported on a pilgrimage to the Tule Lake camp site, with memorial services at Linkville Cemetery in Klamath Falls, and K. W. Lee’s profile of Mrs. Tome Takatsuki on page 2 tied back to that trip. Other JACL news included the nomination of James Murakami of Sonoma County for president-elect and a higher goal for the national headquarters building fund.

Columns this week came from Bill Hosokawa, who wrote about fishing with his father, and Toaru Ishiyama of Cleveland. Tatsuya Nakae wrote from a youth’s view on government. The issue also covered Nelson Doi’s race in Hawaii, the closing of the musical Ride the Winds amid protest, and two book reviews.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Dr. Paul Ellis Writes on JACL Priorities, Staffing and Volunteerism, by Henry Tanaka, page 1. Dr. Paul Ellis, a longtime JACL member, responds to the resignation of Washington Representative Barry Matsumoto and outlines JACL’s major priorities including discrimination legislation, an ombudsman role, and improved public attitudes. He also addresses volunteerism, the structure of the National Board, and the need for reorganization.
• Editor’s Desk: Preparing for the Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The editors preview the new format of the proposed National JACL budget and the upcoming convention delegate decisions on membership policy, the Japanese American Creed, and board composition. They also note the need for resolutions to receive three-fourths concurrence when intended for the constitution.
• Cleveland JACL: Plight of the Average J.A., by Toaru Ishiyama, page 2. Ishiyama reflects on the tension Japanese Americans face between asserting racial and cultural pride and avoiding racist labeling. He argues that Japanese Americans have grown more secure in their identity but must avoid overreaction and treat other Asian and minority groups with respect.
• Letters: JACL Building Fund and Mental Health, by Seuchi Ono; Robin L. Matsui, page 2. A Placer County JACL member praises the JACL building fund drive and the Pacific Citizen’s support of it. A letter from the Bay Area Community JACL responds to President Henry Tanaka’s comments on mental health, condemning the suggestion that Asian Americans and poor whites prefer harsh treatments.
• Youth Speaks: Reevaluating Our Government, by Tatsuya Nakae, page 3. A Sacramento youth recounts his participation in the Presidential Classroom for Young Americans in Washington, D.C., which transformed his cynical view of government. He argues that Watergate reflects citizen indifference and that Americans must renew their civic responsibility.
• Fishing with My Father, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa reflects on his father’s fishing stories and the connection they shared despite the difficulty of communicating across language and generation. He recalls how he never learned to fish as his father did and wishes he had.
• Kimono and the Japanese Image: A Book Review, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The review discusses the 1922 novel Kimono by John Paris, which portrays Tokyo life through a young woman’s story. The author’s observations on Japanese society and his portrayal of class and poverty are examined.

JACL

• Sonoma County’s James Murakami to Be Nominated for President-Elect, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The NC-WNDC district council will nominate James Murakami of Sonoma County for National JACL president-elect at the Portland national convention. Murakami has served on the national board since 1970 and was previously NC-WNDC governor.
• NC-WNDC Offers JACL Building Fund Drive; Inflation Slams Goal Higher, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rising construction costs have raised the JACL National Headquarters Building Fund goal from $250,000 to $375,000 and extended the campaign. The $317,500 construction contract was awarded to Handa & Sons Construction Co. of San Francisco.

Incarceration & Redress

• Pilgrimage Returns to Tule Lake Camp Site 30 Years Later, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Pilgrims from NC-WNDC traveled by bus to the site of the former Tule Lake WWII camp for a Memorial Day weekend pilgrimage, including memorial services at Linkville Cemetery in Klamath Falls. Speakers and former residents recalled camp life and the lasting impact of the incarceration.

Community

• Ex-Chicago Cops Sentenced for Tavern Shakedown, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Two former Chicago policemen were sentenced for their roles in a tavern shakedown scheme that collected $275,000 in payoffs from westside taverns. The case was part of a larger scandal involving 13 former officers.
• Tule Lake Pilgrimage Participants Remember Benefactors, by K. W. Lee, page 2. Sacramento Union writer K. W. Lee profiles Mrs. Tome Takatsuki, whose Sacramento home purchase in the 1920s drew newspaper hostility, and the Caucasian benefactors who helped her family keep their property. The story also covers the Takatsukis’ postwar gratitude and their continued ties to those who helped them.
• CCDC Regional Office Opens in Fresno J-Town, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Central California District Council opened a regional office in Fresno’s Nihonmachi, with space reserved for an Issei drop-in center. Volunteers and local businesses have pledged support for services for elderly Issei.
• Nelson Doi Almost Unopposed in Bid for Lt. Gov. Nomination, by Allan Beekman, page 3. Former judge Nelson K. Doi has distanced himself from Thomas Gill’s gubernatorial campaign, improving his odds in the Hawaii Democratic primary for lieutenant governor. Gill’s campaign drew opposition from Hawaiian groups over his stance on the appointment of Matsuo Takabuki to the Bishop Estate.
• Philadelphia JACL Weekend to Remember at Folk Fair, by Machiko Simmons, page 3. The Philadelphia JACL participated in the 1974 Philadelphia Folk Fair with a food booth, koto and odori performances, and a Japanese cook book sale. The chapter’s involvement drew large crowds and was praised as a unifying cultural event.
• Parker Mitose Plead Not Guilty in Namimatsu Murder Case, by P.C. Staff, page 4. James and Dorothy Mitose and their son Alvin pleaded not guilty at a Los Angeles arraignment on charges including murder, extortion, and conspiracy in the death of Frank Namimatsu. Prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty under new special circumstances legislation.
• Woman Fatally Stabbed in Seattle Downtown, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A Seattle woman, Miss Yonekawa, was fatally stabbed near Fifth Avenue and Pike Street, and a 21-year-old man was arrested in connection with the attack. Police were seeking a second suspect.
• Ichiro Yamashita Reports on Tule Lake Pilgrimage Media Coverage, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Pilgrimage organizers and participants discussed media coverage of the Tule Lake trip, including a Sacramento TV station’s coverage. Former residents described the camp’s history and the emotional impact of the return visit.

Sports

• Garden Valley JACL Wins 1974 PSWDC Nisei Relays, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Gardena Valley JACL won the 1974 PSWDC Nisei Relays at CSU Fullerton with three teammates setting new records. The meet drew 180 competitors across four divisions.

National

• Argentina Wants a Million More Japan Immigrants, Says Envoy, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Argentine Ambassador Jorge Kawabata, of Japanese ancestry, said at a Tokyo press conference that Argentina seeks one million additional Japanese immigrants, particularly for agriculture and industry. He described the roughly 30,000 Japanese already in Argentina as hardworking and well-regarded.

Military & Veterans

• Record Is Clear: Nisei GIs Turned Attitude Around, by Takeshi Yoshimura, page 2. Navy Captain Tak Yoshihiro, speaking at the Washington D.C. JACL Memorial Day observance at Arlington National Cemetery, honored Nisei soldiers who died in World War II. He argued their sacrifice changed national perceptions and urged continued vigilance in preserving democratic gains.

Arts & Entertainment

• Ride the Winds Closes After Three Weeks Amid Protest, by Yoshio Kishi, page 4. The Off-Broadway musical Ride the Winds, about the samurai Miyamoto Musashi, opened at the Bijou Theater and closed after three weeks. The Oriental Actors of America protested the production for its casting and its treatment of Zen Buddhism and Japanese culture.
• Books: Kamikaze Pilots and Wartime Japanese Suicide Attacks, by Allan Beekman, page 5. A review of Horn to Die and Japan’s suicide pilots of World War II, drawing on letters, memoirs, and family reminiscences from the Hagoromo Society. The book explores the Ohka suicide planes and the human cost of the kamikaze campaign.

Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.