San Francisco State strike and the Nisei community, 1968

Vol. 67, No. 24, December 13, 1968. 6 pages. View this issue

The student strike at San Francisco State College divided the Japanese American community in December 1968, and the front page covered it from several sides. Japanese American civic leaders circulated a petition backing acting president S.I. Hayakawa, while the San Francisco JACL board supported Nisei students seeking an ethnic studies department. Panelists from the Asian American Political Alliance spoke of their frustrations, and editor Henry K. Honda wrote on the strike’s polarized debate. National JACL President Jerry Enomoto described two Buddhist youth conferences in Northern California.

Elsewhere in the six pages are columns by Mike Masaoka on the 1968 election results, Bill Hosokawa on a failed family investment, and Bill Marutani on color terms in American speech. Hiroko Okada and Don Hayashi wrote about campus life and minority groups. News items include Mas Satow’s fortieth blood donation, a Seattle safety committee for Issei, and plans for a Sansei scout contingent to Japan.

What’s in this issue

Community

• San Francisco State Issue Splits Nisei Community, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japanese American civic leaders in San Francisco circulated a petition supporting acting president S.I. Hayakawa’s efforts to keep San Francisco State College operating. The petition criticized extremist tactics while acknowledging legitimate grievances behind the student strike.
• Hayakawa Keeps His Word by Reopening Strike-Riddled College, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Acting president Hayakawa reopened San Francisco State College amid violent clashes between police and striking students. He later announced a full black studies department and faced arrests and lawsuits during a turbulent week.
• Japanese Ethnic Studies Sought, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Asian American Political Alliance and Third World Liberation Front members discussed their demands for an ethnic studies department with Japanese culture courses at San Francisco State. Panelists, including young Sansei students, explained frustrations over lack of identity-focused curriculum.
• San Francisco JACL Board Supports Students’ Ethnic Studies Effort, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The San Francisco JACL board of governors backed Nisei students seeking an ethnic studies department but declined to take further positions in the campus dispute. A letter from Dr. Clifford Uyeda urging support for Hayakawa was read at the meeting.
• East Los Angeles JACL Installation Date Set, by P.C. Staff, page 1. East Los Angeles JACL announced its installation dinner-dance for January 11 at the Montebello Country Club. Reservations were being accepted through listed contacts.
• Berkeley Elects Harry Takahashi, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Harry Takahashi was installed as Berkeley JACL president, succeeding Goro Endo. National JACL President Jerry Enomoto served as installing officer for the chapter’s new cabinet.
• Japanese Communities Warned on Invasion of Swindlers From Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco warned Japanese communities about a group soliciting names to award honors to community leaders for a fee. The consulate said it had doubts about the group’s sincerity.
• Right to Vote at 18 Would Give Youth Dignity, Churchman Says, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Rev. Seido Ogawa of the Hawaii Council of Churches criticized voters for rejecting lowering the voting age to 18. He argued that youth deserve dignity and inclusion in society.
• Christmas Decoration Workshop a Sparkler, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Women at Pine Methodist Church learned to make Christmas decorations from soap and matchboxes under instructor Millie Foley. The workshop encouraged creative holiday crafts.
• Northwest Picture: Safety Committee Formed in Seattle, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A Seattle volunteer committee of Nisei organizations formed a nonaggressive defense program to help Issei avoid street crime. The group plans transportation, phone networks, and home security assistance.

National

• NIMH Continues Support of JACL History Project, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National Institute of Mental Health granted $91,751 for the 1968-69 fiscal year to the Japanese American Research Project at UCLA. The funding continues a JACL-initiated effort to produce a scholarly history of Japanese Americans.
• Over Quarter-Million Photographs of Pres. Johnson Reported, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A New York Times report describes the extensive photographic archive of President Johnson created largely by Nisei photographer Yoichi Okamoto. The operation is estimated to cost the government about $250,000 a year.

Commentary

• Buddhist Teenagers and Adults, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. National JACL President Jerry Enomoto describes attending two Buddhist conferences in Northern California focused on youth communication and social unrest. He sees growing willingness among Japanese Americans of differing faiths to consider new perspectives.
• State Houses in 1969, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Mike Masaoka analyzes the 1968 election results, noting Republicans will hold 31 governorships and control many state legislatures in 1969. He highlights the implications for Japanese American communities in key states including California, Illinois, and Washington.
• Flowers to Sick in Hospital Not Welcome in Japan, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 2. Tamotsu Murayama explains Japanese superstitions around gifts to hospital patients, such as potted plants with roots suggesting lying in bed. He also covers beliefs about lucky and unlucky numbers and the significance of the 1969 zodiac year.
• End of the Line, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Bill Hosokawa recalls his mother’s 1930s investment of $500 in a dry ice company stock, which returned only $55.94 when dissolved. He reflects on how the loss and inflation illustrate the cost of unwise ventures.
• Membership Appeal, by Al Hatate, page 3. Al Hatate, Pacific Southwest District governor, urges chapters to plan strong membership drives and praises chapters that reached all-time highs. He encourages members to renew promptly despite dues increases needed to support national programs.
• Ushijima Answers His Critics on Radio-TV Film, by George Wakiji, page 3. Chicago filmmaker Henry Ushijima responds to critics of his film on the 1968 Democratic National Convention disorders. He explains the limited footage available and defends the film as a fair attempt at showing the full context.
• Minority Groups, by Don Hayashi, page 4. Don Hayashi reports on student discussions in a minority groups course, noting attitudes toward Black Power and views on Japanese American evacuation. He argues JACL must respond by educating others while preserving Japanese cultural identity.
• Cruising, by Patti Dohzen, page 4. Patti Dohzen describes a Saturday night cruise along Sunset Strip in Hollywood, depicting the sights and sounds of the street scene. She portrays the strip as a sidewalk circus of real people.
• Editorial: December Ides and the Holiday Issue, by Henry K. Honda, page 6. Editor Henry K. Honda describes preparations for the Holiday Issue, including new format changes and features. He also reflects on the San Francisco State strike and the editorial challenge of its polarized debate.
• Color Me Yellow, by Bill Marutani, page 6. Bill Marutani examines how color terms like yellow, red, and black carry derogatory connotations in American language. He argues such color symbolism is childish and rooted in prejudice.
• Roger’s Dodgers, by Roger Nikaido, page 6. Roger Nikaido offers a light column on Dr. S.I. Hayakawa’s unlikely role as a hero at San Francisco State, along with humorous observations on hippie culture and television commercials.

JACL

• Mas Satow Cited for 40 Blood Donations, by P.C. Staff, page 1. National JACL director Mas Satow received the Five Gallon Blood Donor Award from the Irwin Memorial Blood Bank for his fortieth donation. The donation was credited to the JACL Blood Donor Club account.
• Jr. JACL Image Failing on Campus, by Hiroko Okada, page 4. Santa Barbara Jr. JACL vice president Hiroko Okada describes UC Santa Barbara’s recent campus unrest and the difficulty of recruiting Japanese American members there. She explains how a new student club formed with different objectives than the JACL.
• Russell Obana’s Open Letter to PSWDYC, by Russell Obana, page 4. Russell Obana writes an open letter to the Pacific Southwest District Youth Council praising its dynamic leadership and membership. He urges members to keep communicating and to define their own involvement.
• Sansei Delegation Sought for Japan Scout Jamboree, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Southland Japanese American Boy Scout leaders met to plan a Sansei scout contingent for the 1971 World Jamboree at the foot of Mt. Fuji. Units were asked to submit candidate names to Frank Chuman.

Military & Veterans

• Richard Tanimura Granted Asylum in Sweden, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A news capsule reports that Richard Tanimura of Honolulu was among 11 U.S. war resisters granted asylum in Sweden. Separately, Hawaii National Guard troops protested their activation for Vietnam duty.

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