Repealing the Emergency Detention Act, and the Issei centennial

Vol. 68, No. 18, May 2, 1969. 8 pages. View this issue

A bill to repeal the Emergency Detention Act drew the most attention in this 8-page issue. Twenty-two senators from 17 states co-sponsored S. 1872, introduced by Senator Daniel Inouye, and Mike Masaoka’s Washington Newsletter described how JACL letter-writing helped build that support. National JACL President Jerry Enomoto and Bill Hosokawa also wrote about planning for the 1969 Issei Immigration Centennial, including a search for the oldest living Issei and a June 7 monument dedication at Gold Hill.

Other pages covered the Pacific Southwest District Council convention, where Dr. S. I. Hayakawa and UCLA’s Yuji Ichioka offered differing views for young people. Support for Dr. Thomas Noguchi appeared on the front page and in a letter from Dr. David M. Miura. Sansei and Jr. JACL columns by Patti Dohzen, Gale M. Asaka and Don Hayashi share the middle pages, and Joe Oyama writes about a Japanese house rebuilt at New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• Inouye Title II repeal bill, S 1872, co-sponsored by 21 senators, by Special to The Pacific Citizen, page 1. Twenty-two senators from 17 states co-sponsored S. 1872, Senator Daniel Inouye’s bill to repeal the Emergency Detention Act (Title II of the Internal Security Act of 1950). The bill was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee after introduction on April 14.

Commentary

• Enomoto: Executive Committee meeting and centennial planning, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. National JACL President Jerry Enomoto reports on an Executive Committee weekend with Bill Hosokawa discussing his forthcoming book and centennial planning. He also praises Secretary Robert Finch’s candid remarks on academic institutions’ responsibilities.
• Washington Newsletter: Inouye bill to repeal Title II, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Mike Masaoka reports on Senator Inouye’s introduction of S. 1872 and the widespread co-sponsorship it attracted through JACL grassroots letter-writing. He notes possible Senate Judiciary moves to repeal Title II within a broader internal security bill.
• Hosokawa: Gathering of the clan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa describes a weekend meeting in Los Angeles of JACL leaders planning the Issei centennial and the JACL role in promoting a forthcoming Japanese American history book. He reflects on the dedication of longtime leaders who sustain JACL work.
• Editorial: Roof cause of crime, by Philadelphia Tribune, page 4. This reprinted editorial argues that crime stems partly from law enforcement’s unequal application of laws, citing discrimination against Black citizens and preferential treatment of wealthy offenders. It concludes that justice for all citizens is necessary to end crime.
• Dr. Noguchi letter from Ethnic Concern Committee, by Dr. David M. Miura, page 4. Dr. Miura, chairman of the JACL Ethnic Concern Committee, expresses support for Dr. Noguchi and praises Black and Brown community backing. He calls for minority unity against efforts to divide communities.
• Asian American perspective on Eisenhower and the atomic bomb, by Maxine R. Naka, page 4. A letter writer praises Eisenhower’s wartime opposition to unconditional surrender and to atomic bomb use, and argues Oriental history should be taught. The writer also warns that racial stereotypes can shift and urges organized minority advocacy.
• Random questions on prejudice, Japanese style, by Jim Hamanaka, page 4. Hamanaka poses questions about Japanese Americans’ attitudes toward Blacks, prompted by Dr. Hayakawa’s remarks. The column probes whether prejudice in Japan and among Nisei and Sansei is inherited or learned.
• Where chickens dare, page 5. A satirical column using zodiac references to comment on draft-dodging, earthquake fears, and Japanese cultural self-image. The writer argues that people often make poor decisions when confronted with problems.
• Sansei Slant: Junior die-hard dilemma, by Patti Dohzen, page 5. Patti Dohzen, national Youth Council chairman, addresses the problem of Jr. JACL members over age 21 who remain active in the organization. She suggests older members form their own young adult groups.
• Adviser assesses JACL role with youth, by Gale M. Asaka, page 5. Washington D.C. Jr. JACL adviser Gale Asaka reflects on his role in helping young people maintain Japanese American pride and identity. He argues that Sansei need understanding of the qualities that motivated their parents.
• Potshots: Sansei not up to Issei-Nisei hopes, by Don Hayashi, page 5. A column reflects on the Sansei generation and whether they meet the expectations of the Issei and Nisei. It explores the tension between assimilation and maintaining Japanese cultural identity.
• Oriental identity and racism: Chopsticks, technology and racism, by Paul Takagi, Ph.D., page 6. Takagi argues that white racism may shift from blacks to Asians as American industries decline and scapegoats are sought. He contends a meaningful Asian American identity requires solidarity with all oppressed groups.
• Book review: Japanese Americans by Roger Daniels, by Roger Daniels, page 6. Daniels reviews Dr. Harry Kitano’s Japanese Americans, praising its sophisticated treatment of Japanese American history and the wartime evacuation. The reviewer calls it an important contribution to the study of ethnicity.
• Reporter’s Notebook: Chiyo Tashima joins Hall of Fame, by Jim Henry, page 6. Jim Henry profiles bowler Chiyo Tashima, who was inducted into the Southern California Women’s Bowling Hall of Fame. He recounts her career, honors, and contributions to bowling.

National

• Career U.S. envoy likely for Japan, page 1. Career diplomat Armin Meyer’s selection as ambassador to Japan surprised Tokyo officials, who see it as a sign of President Nixon’s preference for quiet diplomacy. Meyer, then ambassador to Iran, is viewed as well qualified to negotiate Okinawa’s reversion.
• Asian American studies at UC Berkeley expand to 375 students, page 3. Asian American ethnic studies courses at UC Berkeley have enrolled 375 students of Asian ancestry across four courses. The programs are part of efforts toward a Department of Ethnic Studies planned for fall 1969.

Community

• Ann Nakadate running for queen of Rose Festival, by Don Hayashi, page 1. Ann Nakadate, a Wilson High School student, was selected as one of 13 princesses competing for Portland’s Rose Festival queen. She previously was named Miss National Jr. JACL in 1968.
• Judge Kurata may run for alderman as vindication, page 1. Toronto Provincial Judge Lucien Kurata, facing a judicial inquiry into his conduct, said he may run for alderman in Ward 1 as a vindication campaign. He believes the charges and inquiry stem from his Japanese ancestry.
• PSWDC hears two sides of how-generation problems, by Harry Honda, page 1. Dr. S. I. Hayakawa addressed the PSWDC convention in Anaheim while a picket protested outside, and UCLA’s Yuji Ichioka gave a counterpoint luncheon address to youth. Ichioka criticized Hayakawa’s views on assimilation and the Sansei, while Hayakawa defended academic freedom and integration.
• Dentist refutes charges, supports Dr. Noguchi, page 1. Dr. Yoshio Yamaguchi spoke at a public meeting in support of Dr. Thomas Noguchi, dismissed as Los Angeles County chief medical examiner, and refuted county charges about his drug use. Noguchi’s case goes before the Civil Service Commission May 12.
• Volunteers to America tell it like it is at home, page 5. Four foreign volunteers in the Los Angeles city schools APEX program share their cultures with American students. The program brings volunteers from abroad to teach about their countries.

Incarceration & Redress

• Search starts for oldest Issei on mainland, page 1. JACL has launched a search for the oldest living Issei in the continental United States and the oldest mainland-born Nisei as part of the 1969 Issei Immigration Centennial. Information is being requested by the JACL centennial committee, with events planned including a Gold Hill plaque dedication June 7.
• Stone masons cut granite for Gold Hill centennial monument, page 1. Rocklin stone masons began cutting a 17-ton granite boulder for a memorial monument commemorating the first Japanese immigrants in California at Gold Hill, to be dedicated June 7. The monument marks the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Farm Colony founded in 1869.

Sports

• Second Biennial Tri-District Youth Conference planned, by Ben Matsuura Jr., page 5. Ben Matsuura Jr. announces the first biennial Tri-District Jr. JACL conference for August 23-24, designed to address youth identity questions. Sponsorship and attendance details are provided.

Arts & Entertainment

• Japanese cultural heritage laws preserve national treasures, by Don Estes, page 7. Don Estes describes Japan’s systematic efforts to protect its cultural heritage through national laws and designation of cultural properties after World War II. The article highlights the preservation of buildings, art, and traditional craftsmanship.
• The House from Japan, by Joe Oyama, page 8. Joe Oyama describes a traditional Japanese house shipped to New York’s Museum of Modern Art and reassembled by Japanese carpenters. The article explores the philosophical roots of Japanese carpentry and architecture.

Obituaries

• Ichiro Takahashi dies at 46, page 8. Ichiro Takahashi, a conditioning engineer with Kilpatrick, died of a heart attack in Los Angeles on April 17 at age 46. He was an active Los Angeles JACL member.

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