Vol. 81, No. 21, November 21, 1975. 4 pages. View this issue
Wendy Yoshimura’s own account of her life ran across the front page and onto page 2 of this four-page issue. The Fresno native described her upbringing, her education and her path into radical politics, while a fair trial support fund drew letters, including one from Michi Weglyn. Sen. Daniel Inouye, in a piece by Gael Muramoto, told a Lone Mountain College audience that democracy and equality demand constant vigilance, pointing to the wartime incarceration and discriminatory immigration laws.
Elsewhere on the front page, Ken M. Kawaichi was inducted as a municipal court judge in Oakland, and the California State Parks and Recreation Commission asked for new wording on a Tule Lake plaque. Plans for a Seattle city park on the Kubota family gardens, a Denver tribute to Governor Ralph L. Carr, and help for Vietnamese refugees in Little Tokyo also appear. Page 2 carries an editorial and a column by Bill Hosokawa.
What’s in this issue
Community
- Wendy Yoshimura Bares Own Background, page 1. Fresno native Wendy Yoshimura described her background, including her upbringing, education, and involvement in radical politics after college. The article details her later activism and the legal case that followed her arrest.
- Central California District JAYs Elect Cabinet; Plan Workshops, page 1. The Central California District JACL Youth elected co-chairs Albert Fujiteubo and Kevin Imoto at a meeting in Lindsay. Workshops on relocation experiences and the Wendy Yoshimura fair trial fund were planned for the CCDC convention.
- Bussei in L.A. Help Viet Refugees, page 1. Five Vietnamese refugees were temporarily housed near a Little Tokyo hotel through the Buddhist Committee for Peace Relief. The committee sought donations and job offers to assist them.
- Kubota Family Gardens to Be Seattle City Park, page 1. The 22-acre Japanese garden developed by Fusataro Kubota and his family is being appraised for purchase by the Seattle Park Department. A federal grant of nearly $300,000 would fund acquisition as a Bicentennial project.
National
- Vigilance Key to Democracy, Equality, by By Gael Muramoto, page 1. Sen. Daniel Inouye told a Lone Mountain College audience that democracy and equality require constant vigilance. He cited wartime incarceration and discriminatory immigration laws as examples of past injustices.
- California’s First Sansei Judge Inducted, page 1. Ken M. Kawaichi was inducted as a municipal court judge in Oakland, becoming California’s first Sansei judge. He was appointed by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. along with Roderic Duncan.
Incarceration & Redress
- Tule Lake Plaque Wording Not Fully Acceptable to State Group, page 1. The California State Parks and Recreation Commission rejected JACL’s proposed wording for a Tule Lake plaque and asked for revisions. Lillian Baker had objected to the term ‘concentration camp’ used on the plaque.
- Denver Testimonial to Salute Governor Who Welcomed Evacuees, page 1. A Carr Memorial Project fund is being raised to honor Colorado Governor Ralph L. Carr, who welcomed Japanese American evacuees in 1942. A bronze bust is planned for Sakura Square in Denver.
Commentary
- S.F. Nihonmachi Study Reviewed, by By Sylvia J. Yanagisako, page 1. Yanagisako reviews Christie W. Kiefer’s ethnographic study Changing Cultures, Changing Lives of San Francisco’s Japanese American community. She finds the book’s methodology and conclusions insufficiently supported.
- Editorials: U.N.’s Anti-Zion Resolution, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Pacific Citizen editorial criticizes the UN General Assembly resolution equating Zionism with racism. It argues that the resolution misapplies a valid concept of racism.
- Wendy Yoshimura Fair Trial Support Letter, by Michi Weglyn, page 2. A letter writer praises the NC-WNDC resolution supporting Wendy Yoshimura’s right to a fair trial. The writer argues that all Japanese Americans should defend constitutional rights.
- Review: Japanese Americans and Imperial Visit, page 2. A reader recalls TV coverage in Japan of the Imperial visit to the United States and its Japanese American theme. The letter reflects on the significance of that coverage.
- From the Frying Pan: Japanese Ways of Thinking, by Bill Hosokawa, page 2. Hosokawa reflects on a Japan-United States editors’ conference and the cultural traits that distinguish Japanese and American behavior. He connects Japanese group conformity to Issei and Nisei responses during wartime incarceration.
- Yoshimura Continued: Wendy’s Politics, page 2. Wendy Yoshimura describes her political awakening through Vietnam War protests, the Venceremos Brigade trip to Cuba, and the Berkeley People’s Park events. She concludes that her frustration as a woman shaped her activism.
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