Vol. 70, No. 24, June 19, 1970. 6 pages. View this issue
The 21st Biennial Convention in Chicago, less than a month away, ran through this six-page issue. JACL National President Jerry Enomoto urged delegates to do their homework before arriving and invited members to bring concerns to their chapter delegates. Mike M. Masaoka looked back at the 1950 Chicago convention, Richard Sasaki offered a tour of the host city, and Kathy Kadowaki wrote about the Junior JACL’s mixed feelings about the gathering.
Elsewhere, the paper reported on Title II of the Internal Security Act, with a TV station’s editorial calling for its repeal, and on Senator Daniel K. Inouye’s warning about government surveillance. Roy Sano and Bill Marutani wrote about the San Francisco State strike and campus protest. Bill Hosokawa’s column turned to his daughter’s wedding. Washington, D.C. JACL members honored 25 Nisei war dead at Arlington National Cemetery.
What’s in this issue
Commentary
- Perspectives: The Course Ahead, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. JACL National President Jerry Enomoto urges delegates to prepare thoroughly for the Chicago convention and encourages members to voice concerns to their chapter delegates. He also comments on Vice President Agnew’s rhetoric and the responsibility of national leaders to avoid inflammatory language.
- Rep. Matsunaga interested in U.S. Senate seat, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Representative Spark Matsunaga indicated interest in challenging Senator Hiram Fong for his Senate seat in Hawaii. He set conditions including labor union endorsements before committing to the race.
- Feedback and the Wild Onion, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Bill Hosokawa reflects on his daughter Christie’s wedding and the departure of his children from Denver. He ponders the freedom and loneliness of an empty nest amid a nation at war.
- Astronauts in Amerikkka, by Roy Sano, page 4. Roy Sano recounts a student-faculty delegation from Mills College to Washington, D.C., to protest the Vietnam War and domestic repression. He likens the effort to fleas biting a dog, concluding that significant administrative change was unlikely.
- Asstronuts in Amerikkka, by Roy Sano, page 4. Roy Sano criticizes the Hayakawa administration’s handling of student dissent and the Nixon administration’s military policies. He argues that repression breeds radicalism and that the community must oppose such policies.
- Shimasaki’s Sansei column, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A columnist reflects on campus unrest and the role of Japanese Americans in responding to repression. The column addresses generational differences within the community.
- Tussaud’s in Tokyo, by Jim Henry, page 5. A Tokyo branch of Madame Tussaud’s wax museum opened in the Tokyo Tower with over 100 life-like figures of historical and famous personalities. The article describes the wax-making craft and the exhibits.
- Gima: 1970 Census, by Richard Gima, page 5. Richard Gima reports preliminary 1970 census figures for Honolulu and comments on Hawaii’s tourism growth. He also covers local news including gambling arrests and political appointments.
- Jr. JACLs have mixed emotions, by Kathy Kadowaki, page 6. Kathy Kadowaki, MDYC Chairman, describes mixed feelings among Junior JACL members about the upcoming National Convention in Chicago. She highlights convention events and questions about youth involvement in JACL leadership.
- Proposal: National Education Committee, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The editorial proposes a new JACL national standing committee on education to produce research and curriculum materials about Japanese Americans. The committee would coordinate various existing projects.
- East Wind: The Intermediary, by Bill Marutani, page 6. Bill Marutani critiques S.I. Hayakawa’s role in the San Francisco State strike and his treatment of minority students. He argues JACL must take a stand on repression and not remain neutral.
- Youth Speaks column, by Kathy Kadowaki, page 6. Kathy Kadowaki discusses the purpose of the upcoming Junior JACL convention and the involvement of young members. She urges participation in the convention.
Community
- Chicago, Chicago, by Richard Sasaki, page 1. Richard Sasaki offers a tour-guide style look at Chicago’s major landmarks, business districts, and cultural attractions. He reflects that the true character of the city lies beyond its famous sights.
- Fresno State Nisei Mary C. Baker scholarship awardee named, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Gail Akiko Takayama of Del Rey was named the first recipient of the Nisei Mary C. Baker Scholarship at Fresno State College. The award honors the former dean of women who defended Nisei during the evacuation.
- Seattle sansei bid for Seafair honors, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Seven candidates were announced for queen of the Greater Seattle Japanese Community, with the winner to be revealed at the Coronation Ball on June 26. The candidates represent various Seattle-area high schools and colleges.
- Sacramento and San Diego JACL events, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Enomoto recounts speaking at a Sacramento Nisei Post installation and a San Diego Wakamatsu Centennial medal presentation honoring Issei pioneers. He also congratulates George Takei, Min Yasui, Wayne Maeda, and Howard Henjyoji on JACL-JAL fellowships.
- Auto-Ready marks first anniversary, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Auto-Ready, a Nisei-owned auto rental and leasing firm in Los Angeles, celebrates its first anniversary. The company has expanded its fleet and opened additional service locations.
- Yellow Brotherhood fund drive tops $20,000, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Yellow Brotherhood Community Center fund drive in Los Angeles passed $20,000, and the Special Service for Groups agency will manage its finances and programs. Community support will be crucial to the project’s success.
- Masaoka Trust Fund nears $20,000, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Masaoka Trust Fund reached $19,190 by June 5 from 1,095 contributors across JACL districts. Contribution lists by district and chapter are reported.
- Round the World Trip Fund and Hall of Fame, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Contribution reports for the Round the World Trip Fund list donors from various chapters. The report includes running totals by district.
- Asian studies coalition formed, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A coalition formed in San Francisco to improve Asian American studies in public schools and curriculum. The group plans to work with district and curriculum leaders.
- Parents to rap with college students, by Emi Somekawa, page 6. The Puyallup Valley JACL hosted a panel to help parents understand college students’ participation in recent demonstrations. The meeting followed a letter from student Jon Nakagawara urging adults to engage with campus concerns.
- Venice Center fund passes $90,000 mark, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Venice Japanese Community Center building fund reached over $90,000 toward a $250,000 goal. The new center will include a multi-purpose room and serve several local community groups.
National
- KTVU-Oakland backs Title II repeal, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Oakland television station KTVU aired an editorial supporting repeal of Title II of the Internal Security Act and broadcast a documentary on emergency detention. The actions followed a luncheon meeting with East Bay JACL representatives.
- Increased governmental snooping and repression of dissent decried by Inouye, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Senator Daniel K. Inouye warned Honolulu Community College graduates that growing government surveillance and suppression of dissent signal an age of terror and fear. He drew parallels to the Hitler era and the McCarthy period.
- Denver Community Relations Commission, Yasui under fire, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Denver Commission on Community Relations and its director Minoru Yasui faced criticism after two Mexican American members resigned, with Chicano groups alleging the commission was not serving their community. Yasui defended the firing of consultant George Garcia as based on performance.
JACL
- Alternate named for JACL-JAL fellowship award, by P.C. Staff, page 1. G. Yoshida of Seattle was selected as alternate for the 1970 JACL-JAL fellowship after Howard Henjyoji withdrew due to plans to study in Japan. She plans to study social changes in Japanese families.
- Seattle South Park group donates $10,000 to National JACL for scholarships, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The South Park Japanese Community of Seattle contributed $10,000 to National JACL to fund a new scholarship beginning in 1971. The scholarship will bear the donor community’s name.
- Chicago convention comment, by Mike M. Masaoka, page 2. Mike Masaoka reflects on the 1950 Chicago JACL convention and its legislative achievements, including naturalization rights. He argues that the upcoming 21st Biennial Convention faces internal debate similar to challenges JACL has overcome before.
Incarceration & Redress
- E. Warren for evacuee seeking retirement help, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Former Chief Justice Earl Warren endorsed a bill to grant retirement credit to Alice Inoshita, a state employee whose probationary period was interrupted by WWII detention. The bill, SB 583, is moving through the California legislature.
Military & Veterans
- Japan-born killed in Vietnam action, wanted citizenship, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Takeshi Sato, a Japanese national who enlisted in the US Army to obtain citizenship, was killed in Vietnam in 1969. He was the first Japanese national to die in battle since World War II.
- Nisei Week and other news capsules, by P.C. Staff, page 2. News capsules cover Nisei Week queen contestants, a Long Beach-Harbor JACL dinner, academic achievements, military appointments, and science news including Japanese research vessels and Thor Heyerdahl’s expedition. Several community members receive honors and appointments.
- New York-born Nisei officer with 442nd addresses D.C. Memorial rites, by Key Kobayashi, page 6. On Memorial Sunday, Washington D.C. JACL members honored 25 Nisei war dead at Arlington National Cemetery. Lt. Col. George Kent, a 442nd veteran, delivered the address and the chapter adopted resolutions opposing the Vietnam escalation.
Obituaries
- Deaths: Tokuze Takasumi and Yukie Shinoda, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Tokuze Takasumi, a Hood River cherry pioneer, died at age 80 after establishing the region’s first successful cherry production. Yukie Shinoda of Stockton, a county public assistance employee and JACL member for 15 years, died suddenly at 47.
Arts & Entertainment
- A Treasury of Japanese Wood Block Prints, by Allan Beekman, page 5. Allan Beekman reviews Sadao Kikuchi’s encyclopedic collection of ukiyo-e woodblock prints, tracing their influence on European painters. The book contains 100 color plates and 1,500 illustrations.
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