Reparations, refugees and a JACL board under review, 1975

Vol. 80, No. 25, June 27, 1975. 4 pages. View this issue

Reparations for the wartime incarceration (often called internment) ran through the front page of this four-page issue. JACL headquarters named evacuee reparations a theme of its communication and dedication events, Rep. William M. Ketchum introduced a retirement credit bill for Japanese Americans held in the camps, and the VFW Department of Pacific Areas backed a reparations resolution. A Southern California committee took the name For American Internment Reparations. Shig Sugiyama’s column urged graduates to see education as a way of learning how to do what they want in life. Inside, Harry Honda continued his report on the June 7-8 special National Board meeting, and Craig Shimabukuro wrote about how the board handled the MDC charges.

Vietnamese refugees drew several pieces, including Washington state’s resettlement program, a Philadelphia meeting with Judge William Marutani, and David Yamamoto’s short story “Remember the Dream.” Edison Uno wrote two columns, and Frank Fukazawa described Singapore. Nihonmachi evictions, a CANE rally in Japan Center and the Nisei Week queen contest also appeared.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• To Our Graduates, by Shig Sugiyama, page 1. Sugiyama urges graduates to view education as a process for learning how to do what they want in life rather than a guarantee of a better job. He argues that continued emphasis on education is an investment in the future that benefits both individuals and the wider world.
• Target Practice or Legitimate Pitches?, by Dr. Toaru Ishiyama, page 2. Ishiyama argues that those who judge others by standards they cannot meet often plant the seeds of their own destruction. He calls for productive action and cooperation rather than recriminations and scapegoating.
• Meet the Puerto Ricans, by Wayne Horiuchi, page 2. The author describes a meeting with young Puerto Rican activists in Lorain, Ohio, and their plans to build pride, history, and political engagement in their community. He draws parallels between their discrimination experiences and those of Japanese Americans.
• JACL ‘Due Process’, by Craig Shimabukuro, page 2. The author praises the JACL National Board for handling the MDC charges through a fair process, resolving 14 of 15 charges and passing a unity resolution. He credits long-time members and expert participants for careful consideration of due process issues.
• Language as she are spoke, by Frying Pan, page 3. The column discusses Dr. Abiko’s view that Japanese students struggle with English pronunciation because they learn it through katakana. The author concludes that Japanese students are fully capable of learning English.
• When Words Fail, by Edison Uno, page 4. Uno reflects on the deaths of several longtime JACL figures and community members, including Fred Takata, Dr. Carl Hirota, and Rev. Arnold Nakajima. He recalls their contributions to the organization and to the Nisei community.
• Minority One, by Edison Uno, page 4. Uno reviews the revised edition of a bibliography of Japanese American materials and compares it with other reference works. He notes its strengths as a research tool and identifies some errors and omissions.

National

• Evacuee reparations theme of JACL communication, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL national headquarters announced that evacuee reparations would be a theme of its communication and dedication events. The item provides background on the planned program and its objectives.
• Mariana Islanders to be U.S. citizens, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Voters in the Northern Mariana Islands overwhelmingly chose commonwealth status with the United States in a June 17 plebiscite. The covenant still requires ratification by Congress and the United Nations.
• Retirement credit for evacuees sought, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. William M. Ketchum introduced a federal civil service retirement credit bill covering Japanese Americans held in WWII evacuee camps. The bill would also cover aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence.

JACL

• John Dean speech at JACL-IDC, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL’s Intermountain District Council featured a speech by John Dean. The article notes the event’s connection to ongoing JACL district business.
• JACL—Special Board Meeting: Part 2, by Harry Honda, page 2. The article continues coverage of the June 7-8 special National Board meeting, covering the agenda, the MDC memo and PSW transcript disputes, and the Ray Nagai and Marumoto cases. Board members debated due process, travel program guidelines, and the Sugiyama testimony issue before recessing for lunch.

Community

• Proper perspective urged by Wash. Asian affairs group on Viet refugees, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Washington State Asian American Affairs Commission issued a statement welcoming Vietnamese refugees while condemning anti-Asian sentiment and urging attention to the needs of all people of color. It listed recommendations including family unity, careful employer screening, and a toll-free hot line for sponsors.
• So. Calif. ad hoc reparations group adopts FAIR, Inc.; membership sought, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Southern California ad hoc committee on reparations adopted the name For American Internment Reparations (FAIR, Inc.) and is organizing subcommittees. A general membership meeting was scheduled at the JACL regional office.
• Vietnamese refugees in Washington state, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Washington state developed a Vietnamese refugee resettlement program with a Vietnamese Assistance Center at Camp Murray, job matching, and sponsor recruitment. Officials and residents hope the refugees will integrate well into the state’s ethnic communities.
• Philadelphia JACL air Viet refugee issue, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Japanese American Council of Greater Philadelphia met to discuss resettling Vietnamese refugees at Fort Indiantown Gap. Judge William Marutani was the main speaker.
• Bombers arrested in Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Eight suspects were arrested in Japan for bombings of business and industrial establishments since the previous summer. One suspect confessed to planting a bomb at a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries office.
• Singapore, by Frank Fukazawa, page 4. The author describes Singapore’s history under British and Japanese rule and its modern development as a prosperous, multilingual society. He praises its government-supported welfare programs and Chinese mercantile business culture.
• CANE rally against Kintetsu expansion, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Committee Against Nihonmachi Eviction planned a rally in Japan Center to oppose a proposed bowling alley by Kintetsu Enterprises. CANE urged replacement of low-rent housing and small businesses displaced by redevelopment.
• Mary Morimoto competes for 1975 Nisei Week queen, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Mary Morimoto, a contestant for the 1975 Nisei Week queen title, was honored at a tea hosted by West Los Angeles JACL and its auxiliary. She is a business major at Pierce College.

Military & Veterans

• Pacific Areas VFW for evacuee reparations, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The VFW Department of Pacific Areas approved a resolution supporting reparations for evacuees, to be presented at the national VFW convention in August. The resolution notes that a number of Nisei VFW members were evacuated and interned yet still served in the military during WWII.

In-Depth

• Remember the Dream, by David Yamamoto, page 3. A short story follows Nuyen Van Loc, a nine-year-old Vietnamese refugee, from his mother’s farewell through his arrival in the United States and a Fourth of July birthday cake celebration. The story ends with the refugees finally being resettled.

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