Vol. 67, No. 2, July 12, 1968. 6 pages. View this issue
The coming national convention in San Jose filled this six-page issue. National President Jerry Enomoto looked ahead to the 20th Biennial Convention and the fellowship it promised, and the paper named Whitney M. Young Jr. of the National Urban League as principal speaker at the recognitions banquet. Fifty-one high school graduates were nominated for JACL scholarships, and the Recognitions Committee added four names to the Nisei of the Biennium candidates, among them Isamu Noguchi. Russ Obana Jr. looked back on two years of the National Youth Council.
Elsewhere, Grayce Uyehara wrote on civil rights for the Eastern District Council. Mike Masaoka commented on the nuclear nonproliferation treaty, and Bill Hosokawa profiled Hawaii’s superintendent of education. The paper also carried chapter news from Contra Costa, San Francisco, Oakland and Alameda, and a report on Japanese immigration and naturalization figures.
What’s in this issue
JACL
- Convention—’68 Model, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. JACL National President Jerry Enomoto previews the 20th Biennial Convention in San Jose, highlighting the host city, hotel arrangements, and planned events including human rights and youth sessions. He emphasizes the fellowship and hospitality that make national conventions memorable.
- Urban League exec to address Banquet, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Whitney M. Young Jr., executive director of the National Urban League, will be the principal speaker at the JACL convention recognitions banquet in San Jose. Enomoto says his presence enhances the convention and notes his record of leadership in advancing Negro rights.
- Chapters name 51 high school graduates for JACL scholarships, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Fifty-one high school graduates were nominated by JACL chapters for National JACL scholarships, with 14 awards administered by the organization. The top three collegiate scholarships were boosted to $500 and additional graduate and college awards were outlined.
- Nisei of Biennium judges to consider 19 candidates, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL Recognitions Committee added four nominees for the Nisei of the Biennium Award, including Kenneth Nakaoka, Isamu Noguchi, Edward Tsutakawa, and Ray T. Yasui. Profiles describe each candidate’s public service, artistic, or community accomplishments.
Incarceration & Redress
- EDC Position Paper on Civil Rights, by Grayce Uyehara, page 1. Eastern District Council civil rights chairman Grayce Uyehara urges JACLers to act individually and through chapters on housing, employment, and education. She argues that Nisei must take responsibility for civil rights work rather than leaving it to the Sansei.
National
- Conservative-minded in Japan losing optimism on future, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 2. Murayama reports rising anti-American sentiment in Japan following a U.S. reconnaissance plane crash into a Kyushu University building and government moves to relocate Itazuke airbase. He argues that conservatives are losing optimism about the U.S.-Japan relationship amid radical agitation.
- U.S. admits 4,000 Japanese immigrants, by P.C. Staff, page 2. JACL’s Washington Office reports that nearly 4,000 Japanese immigrants were admitted and 2,474 persons of Japanese ancestry were naturalized in fiscal 1967. The article breaks down admissions and naturalizations by category and entry period.
- Biennium in review, by Russ Obana Jr., page 4. National Jr. JACL chairman Russ Obana reflects on the two years since the National Youth Council was formed, recalling district youth visits and convention memories. He invites youth to the San Jose national convention and asks delegates to bring clothing for donation to the poor in the Deep South.
Commentary
- Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Masaoka welcomes the nuclear nonproliferation treaty signed by some 50 nations and the U.S.-Soviet pledge to slow the arms race. He also notes that France, China, Japan, West Germany, and India did not sign and urges Congress to pass domestic measures on gun control, housing, jobs, and welfare.
- North Vietnamese representatives comment on Japan, by Jim Henry, page 2. Three North Vietnamese visitors told Japanese reporters that Japan lacked the green of spring and appeared dominated by American advertising and military presence. The article notes the political framing of their criticism.
- Business of Education, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa profiles Ralph Kiyosaki, Hawaii’s superintendent of education, describing his rise and the large budget he administers. He reflects on the role of citizens and school boards in shaping state education.
- Where the Action Is, by Jeffrey Matsui, page 6. Matsui urges Nisei who have left JACL to return to the Nisei community and channel their interest in social change into concrete programs. He argues that the JACL organization is the most effective vehicle for that action.
- If Beards Could Speak, by Alan Kumamoto, page 6. Kumamoto reflects on how people form judgments about bearded men, recalling a psychology professor’s remarks about unshaven students. He questions whether a beard changes the wearer or only the viewer’s perception.
Military & Veterans
- Capsules, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Brief items report on Nisei servicemen among casualties in Vietnam and aboard a downed charter flight, a Nisei cadet’s award at UCLA, and the new commander of a Monterey VFW post. Additional items cover Japanese Garden acquisition in Los Angeles and sports and crime news.
Arts & Entertainment
- Cultural Festival: Japanese doll-making highlight at Seattle Center, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Seattle Japanese Cultural Festival at Seattle Center will feature demonstrations of Japanese doll-making, a traditional hobby and art. The article describes the variety of Japanese dolls and their cultural meaning.
- Sansei seeks art emphasis in schools: Ruth Asawa, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Sculptor Ruth Asawa told a San Francisco JACL Women’s Auxiliary audience that cuts to arts programs since Sputnik deprive children of cultural education. She recounted an Einstein anecdote to suggest that imagination should be nurtured through fairy tales.
Community
- Contra Costa JACL welcomes new members, by P.C. Staff, page 3. About 400 people attended the Contra Costa JACL Appreciation and Welcome New Member Night at John F. Kennedy High School in Richmond. The evening featured a potluck, music by the Shinsei Band, and remarks by chapter president Don Matsubara.
- Chapter news: San Francisco JACL Women’s Auxiliary visits Issei at Laguna Honda, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Members of the San Francisco JACL Women’s Auxiliary visited Issei patients at the Laguna Honda Nursing Home and Hospital on June 2. The visitors brought sushi and other Japanese foods and took one patient outside to the Japanese Cultural Center.
- Oakland slates cruise as fund raising event, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Oakland JACL plans a Bay Cruise fund-raiser on Saturday, Aug. 3, launching from Jack London Square with dinner, games, and dancing. Chapter president Dr. Yukio Kawamura and co-chairmen Paul Yamamoto and Tom Tsuji are organizing the event.
Sports
- Alameda golf results, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Alameda JACL’s first golf tournament, chaired by Gordy Kono and Harry Ushijima, was won by Yuk Yuwata in the first flight and Mas Iwamoto in the second. George Nomura won the hole-in-one contest.
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