Vol. 78, No. 13, April 5, 1974. 6 pages. View this issue
Preparations for the 1974 JACL national convention in Portland, Oregon, led the front page. National Director Henry Tanaka described the work of the National Convention Board and the national staff and urged members to reserve early. Inside, nominations for JACL offices were due April 23, and nominations for the top three biennium awards were due May 23. A Seattle resolution by Dr. Minor Masuda would remove the citizenship requirement for JACL membership.
Also in this issue: San Jose Mayor Norman Y. Mineta’s congressional campaign sought contributions, and the Chicago JACL objected to a racial slur in the Tribune and on WGN-TV. Harry K. Honda wrote about the dictionary’s treatment of that word. Edison Uno was honored by the San Francisco Examiner, and he also wrote about hospital life. Ruth Kurata Yamazaki told of a Nisei couple who defied the Army’s 1942 orders and stayed in Los Angeles.
What’s in this issue
JACL
- On To Portland, by Henry Tanaka, page 1. JACL National Director Henry Tanaka describes the intensive preparations underway for the 1974 national convention in Portland, Oregon, including the work of the National Convention Board and national staff. He stresses that the convention is for the membership and encourages early reservations.
- 1000 Club awards 9 grants to attend Presidential Classroom, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Nine high school students received JACL 1000 Club grants of $225 each to attend the 1974 Presidential Classroom for Young Americans in Washington, D.C. Six additional Sansei students attended with full or partial chapter sponsorship.
- Nominations for JACL offices due April 23, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Nominations are being accepted at National Headquarters for JACL offices to be elected at the Portland convention in July. The deadline for submitting nominations is April 23.
- Deadline nears for top three JACL awards, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Nominations are sought for the Japanese American of the Biennium, JACLer of the Biennium, and George J. Inagaki Chapter Citizenship Award to be presented at the 1974 convention. Nominations are due to National Headquarters by May 23.
National
- Ask removal of alien restrictions in JACL memberships, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Seattle JACL chapter members are considering a resolution by Dr. Minor Masuda to remove the citizenship requirement for JACL membership, arguing it is an unfair restraint on non-citizen residents. The resolution would also reconsider the Japanese American Creed’s place in JACL policy.
- Sen. Song’s ties with hospital helpers cleared, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The state Legislative Ethics panel found no conflict of interest in Senator Song’s dealings with state and local agencies on behalf of Hatcher. The panel concluded his actions were routine constituent help.
Community
- Elks lodge votes in Seattle Nisei veteran, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Seattle Nisei veteran Hid Hoshide was initiated into the Seattle Elks Lodge 92, which had previously been picketed for its whites-only membership policy. The lodge’s change to admit him is noted against that history.
- Nisei contributions sought for Mineta for Congress campaign, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japanese Americans are urged to contribute to the campaign of San Jose Mayor Norman Y. Mineta, a former JACL leader seeking a House seat that could make him the first mainland Nisei elected to Congress. Mike Masaoka argues the election is an important opportunity for Japanese American representation.
- Edison Uno: Bay Area community JACLer on Examiner’s Most Distinguished list, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Edison Uno was named among the San Francisco Examiner’s 1973 Phoebe Apperson Hearst Award honorees for civic contributions. His work includes the repeal of the Emergency Detention Act and reforms to the county grand jury.
- Reveal Nisei pair defied evacuation, lived in L.A. undetected for a year, by Ruth Kurata Yamazaki, page 3. Ruth Yamazaki relates the story of a Nisei couple who ignored Army evacuation notices in 1942 and remained in Los Angeles for a year. The columnist writes about their risk and the sense of defiance it gave them.
- Sen. Inouye to speak at Rep. Wilson dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Senator Daniel Inouye is to be featured speaker at a fundraising dinner for Rep. Charles Wilson in Los Angeles on April 15. The event honors Wilson’s support for bilingual education.
Commentary
- Use of ‘Jap’ (letter to Chicago Tribune and WGN-TV), by Joseph Miyamoto, Jr., page 2. The Chicago JACL objects to the Tribune’s use of the slur ‘Jap’ and to WGN-TV’s airing of the film Objective Burma. The letter asks the station to review its programming and to protest the offensive language.
- Editor’s Desk: Seattle JACL statement, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. The editor discusses the controversy over the term ‘Jap’ and the Merriam-Webster dictionary’s treatment of it, noting that the Seattle JACL statement and related reactions reflect ongoing concern. The column argues the dictionary should not sanction an offensive epithet.
- Never Mind ‘Gaman’, by Alma Kirkland, page 3. Mary Arimoto, project director of the Reaching Out Service to Asian Women in Long Beach, shares her experience of divorce and the cultural pressure toward silence. She describes the center’s bilingual outreach to Asian women needing support.
- Brouhaha in Boston, by Kats Kunitsugu, page 4. Kunitsugu responds to Ruth Yamazaki’s critical columns about the Asian Americans for Fair Media group, defending the group’s concern over media stereotyping. The column reflects on Yamazaki’s account of her Motor Trend editing experience.
- Taking things for granted, by Edison T. Uno, page 6. Uno reflects on his hospitalization and his experience with the kidney transplant unit at San Francisco Medical Center. He also urges that the early history of JACL and the Issei be recorded before it is lost.
Arts & Entertainment
- East-West Players opens its ’73 season, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The East-West Players opened its season with Harry Kelly, a play about a Nisei evacuee and an American Indian set in an Arizona relocation center. The production is a love story against the backdrop of camp life.
Military & Veterans
- Nisei Veterans Committee news (Seattle), by P.C. Staff, page 4. Seattle JACL officers for 1974 were installed at the February banquet. The photo caption identifies the newly elected chapter leaders.
Obituaries
- Mary Ann Tsukamoto obituary, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Mary Ann Tsukamoto, 41, of San Mateo, died March 11. She was active with the Ikenobo Society and is remembered in the community.
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