The 1974 holiday issue: a Tule Lake pilgrimage and Manjiro’s saga

Vol. 79, No. 25, December 20, 1974. 48 pages. View this issue

The 1974 JACL pilgrimage to the former Tule Lake camp filled much of this 48-page issue. P.C. Staff reported on the gathering of about 200 people under the theme “Never Let This Happen Again.” Newell Noda wrote about his return as a Sansei, Ben Takeshita spoke as a No-No family member, and Harry H. Hatasaka gave the keynote. A reprinted 1942 WRA report described the fears of those held at Tule Lake. The front page also began the serialized saga of Manjiro, the young fisherman rescued by an American whaler.

Elsewhere, David Ushio reported to the JACL convention on membership and programs, and Mike Masaoka asked whether JACL should still be all things to all people. Bob H. Suzuki questioned who discovered America, Eira Nagaoka remembered Seattle’s Nihonmachi, and Allan Beekman described the attack on Pearl Harbor. About 43 of the 48 pages carry holiday greetings from JACL chapters and friends across the country.

What’s in this issue

In-Depth

• Manjiro: Man Who Discovered America, page 1. The serialized saga of Manjiro, a young Japanese fisherman shipwrecked and rescued by an American whaler, who later returned to Japan and became an important interpreter and navigator. The story traces his adventures across the Pacific and his lasting influence on Japan’s modernization.
• How Do We Discover Who Discovered America?, by Bob H. Suzuki, Ph.D., page 2. A speech arguing that Western history wrongly credits Columbus with discovering America, citing evidence of earlier Asian and Native contact. It then examines how multicultural perspectives challenge racism in American school curricula.
• Retention of Japanese Values, by John W. Connor, page 9. A study using the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule comparing Issei, Nisei, and Sansei with Caucasian Americans. It finds that Japanese American generations retain certain traditional values such as nurturance, order, and affiliation.
• Education in Japan, by Roy Doi, page 12. An overview of Japan’s postwar educational reforms, the rigid university entrance examination system, and proposals for greater creativity and flexibility. It discusses pressures on students and the Ministry of Education’s continued authority.

JACL

• On the Threshold of Immense Promise, by David Ushio, National JACL Executive Director, page 1. Biennial report to the 1974 JACL Convention summarizing the organization’s programs, membership growth to nearly 29,000, regional office expansion, and convention restructuring. It also outlines future priorities including public relations, funding, and civil rights advocacy.

Incarceration & Redress

• Prevalent Fears in Tule Lake, page 1. A reprinted 1942 WRA report examining the anxieties of Tule Lake internees, including postwar livelihood, food and clothing shortages, winter fuel, and fear of further evacuation. The report attributes these fears to the newness of camp life and the uncertainty of the future.
• Sansei Returns to Tule Lake, by Newell Noda, page 1. A Sacramento Sansei describes his pilgrimage to the former Tule Lake camp, recalling the barbed wire, the cross on Castle Rock, and the remnants of camp life. He reflects on why younger generations should understand the incarceration experience.
• Tule Lake Pilgrimage Theme: Never Let This Happen Again, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Coverage of the 1974 JACL pilgrimage to the former Tule Lake camp, attended by about 200 people, with a theme of peaceful remembrance. Organizers and media coverage drew national attention to the site’s history.
• Some Impressions: No-No, by Ben Takeshita, page 4. Pilgrimage speaker Ben Takeshita recounts his family’s evacuation from San Mateo to Tanforan, Topaz, and Tule Lake as a No-No family. He insists there were no disloyal Americans in Tule Lake and urges Japanese Americans to hold their heads high.
• Governor’s Keynote: Part of History, by Harry H. Hatasaka, page 4. Northern California-Western Nevada JACL District Governor Harry Hatasaka’s keynote at the Tule Lake pilgrimage ceremony. He emphasized the fragility of constitutional protections and the importance of remembering the camp experience.
• Inside Tanforan, Topaz, by Sarah Mason, page 5. A study of camp newspapers from Tanforan and Topaz analyzing Japanese American attitudes of obligation and loyalty during evacuation and relocation. It draws on Japanese cultural values to explain the cooperative response of internees.

Community

• Seattle Nihonmachi: Beat of the ’20s and ’30s, by Eira Nagaoka, page 2. A nostalgic account of Seattle’s prewar Japanese community, covering its businesses, schools, churches, theaters, newspapers, and farming economy. It describes the community’s self-sufficiency before wartime removal.
• Cincinnati: The Nikkei in Mid-America, by Faith Zavon, page 3. A profile of Japanese Americans in Cincinnati since World War II, covering resettlement, the Soya Food store, family traditions, and local JACL activities. It highlights community cultural life and the area’s Asian studies program.

Commentary

• Should JACL Still Be All Things to All Peoples?, by Mike Masaoka, page 3. Mike Masaoka offers two alternatives for JACL’s future: becoming a strictly Nisei association with a separate Sansei organization, or a federated structure with autonomous district councils. He argues the organization currently tries to serve too many diverse needs.
• Positive Look on Camp Life, by Ivy Makabe Down, page 4. Ivy Makabe Down argues that recounting the internment should aim to clear victims’ suppressed feelings and illustrate the dangers of ethnocentrism, not to create guilt. She notes the Evacuation was a betrayal of American ideals.
• Who’s Really Who, Min Yasui, by James Meadow, page 9. A profile of Minoru Yasui, Denver’s Commission on Community Relations director, examining his career, his legal challenge to the curfew, and criticisms of his leadership. It portrays a forceful, controversial civil rights figure.

Arts & Entertainment

• Mellow Meadow Wedding, by Ferris Takahashi, page 5. A short story depicting a counterculture wedding held in a muddy meadow, with clashing families and a comedic ceremony disrupted by insects and mishaps. It satirizes generational and cultural tensions.

Military & Veterans

• Attack on Pearl Harbor, by Allan Beekman, page 5. A detailed account of the Japanese decision to attack Pearl Harbor, the Japanese fleet’s approach, the diplomatic breakdown, and the attack itself. It covers the American failure to anticipate the strike and the lasting memorial at Pearl Harbor.
• Navy Selects Sansei Design, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Brief report that Sandra Higashi, a Gardena Sansei high school student, had her design selected as the emblem for the USNS Los Angeles. She was commended by state legislators.

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