Vol. 72, No. 17, April 30, 1971. 6 pages. View this issue
Norman Mineta’s election as mayor of San Jose led the news in this six-page issue. Marcie Rasmussen reported on his win, and a column by Bill Hosokawa looked at what the election said about the human spirit of the Nisei. The paper also followed a 1948 presidential pardon for 282 Japanese American draft resisters that the Justice Department had never delivered. Sen. Daniel Inouye told JACL about it, and Helen Altonn wrote about a Hawaii Nisei who learned he had been pardoned. JACL National President Raymond Uno wrote a commentary on the limits of the Executive Committee’s authority, answering Fred Hirasuna.
Elsewhere, the Senate confirmed Herbert Y.C. Choy to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and Sens. Hiram Fong and Edward Kennedy put forward an immigration bill. The House Judiciary Committee advanced repeal of Title II of the Internal Security Act of 1950. Mike Masaoka’s Washington newsletter covered a school desegregation ruling, and Oakland voters returned Frank Ogawa to the City Council.
What’s in this issue
Commentary
- Commentary on Power, by Raymond Uno, page 1. JACL National President Raymond Uno responds to Fred Hirasuna’s comments on the Executive Committee’s role, arguing for clarified authority limits within the organization’s structure. He defends the Executive Committee’s actions on the curriculum issue and outlines the proper grievance process under the Constitution.
- Four Nisei Killed in Thai Hotel Fire, page 2. Four Japanese Americans, including the Matsuo family, were among 24 people killed in a fire at the Imperial Hotel in Bangkok. Officials called for an inquiry into the fire safety failures.
- Washington Newsletter: School Desegregation Decision, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. The Supreme Court ruled that all available techniques should be used to correct persistent segregation in the South, while leaving de facto segregation in the North and West unaddressed. Masaoka argues the decision may eventually affect integration nationwide, including for Asian American students.
- Bill Hosokawa: The Human Spirit, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Bill Hosokawa reflects on Norman Mineta’s election as mayor of San Jose and the nobility of the human spirit shown by Nisei who overcame wartime adversity. He notes the importance of broad community support in such electoral success.
- A View from Solitary, page 4. A St. Louis JACL member reflects on the decline of ethnic fraternity among Japanese Americans as assimilation grows. The piece discusses the challenges of maintaining chapter membership and community identity.
- Truman Amnesty Story Prompts Family Reflections, page 6. A Hawaii Nisei couple recount their wartime experiences at Heart Mountain, including the husband’s draft resistance and imprisonment at Leavenworth. They describe how the family had been unaware of the presidential pardon until recently.
- Gratuitous Remark, by Murray Sprung, page 6. A letter to the editor objects to a racial slur used by an Army major describing a sergeant’s reaction during a family housing dispute at Fort Campbell. The writer urges Japanese Americans to publicly challenge prejudice.
- A Rose Is a Rose, page 6. The writer defends the use of the term Oracle as a name for a Japanese American organization, arguing that such groups provide positive benefits to the American social fabric. The column urges JACL members to use their societal acceptance to strengthen Oriental Americans and society broadly.
National
- U.S. Senate Confirms Choy to Ninth Circuit Appellate Court, page 1. The U.S. Senate confirmed Honolulu attorney Herbert Y.C. Choy to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, making him the first Hawaii resident and first person of Asian ancestry named to that bench. Sen. Hiram Fong, who proposed Choy, praised his qualifications and the JACL had supported the nomination.
- Kennedy-Fong Bill to Correct 1965 Immigration Act Loopholes, page 1. Sen. Hiram Fong co-sponsored a bipartisan bill with Sen. Edward Kennedy to further liberalize immigration and naturalization laws and close loopholes left by the 1965 Act. The proposal includes reuniting families, a world-wide visa ceiling, and a statute of limitations on deportation.
- CCDC Gov. Hirasuna Calls for Utmost Care When Redistricting California, page 1. Fred Hirasuna, JACL governor for Central California’s district council, urged the state Senate reapportionment committee to ensure fair and equitable redistricting. He reminded the committee of Japanese Americans’ history of discrimination and wartime detention.
- Secretary of Interior Pardon Notice Sent to JACL, page 1. Sen. Inouye informed JACL of a 1948 presidential pardon for 282 Japanese American draft resisters that the Justice Department had never delivered to them. The pardon restored full citizenship rights to those who had avoided wartime service.
Community
- Tragedy Stalks Okubo Family of Stockton as Grocer Shot, page 1. Raymond Okubo, a South Stockton grocer and brother of Evelyn Okubo, was shot and wounded during a robbery at his market. His pregnant wife and young daughter were forced to open the register but were not harmed.
- Newsman Originating Term, Nisei, Honored, page 1. Rev. Tenyo Yasaki, who reportedly originated the terms Issei and Nisei in the 1920s while at the Rafu Shimpo, celebrated his diamond wedding anniversary in Los Angeles. His six children and grandchildren hosted about 100 guests.
- Seattle Japanese Look for Community Queen, page 1. Applications are being accepted until May 10 for the title of Greater Seattle Japanese Community queen. Judging and coronation events are scheduled for May 15 and May 21.
- Oakland Voters Return Ogawa to City Council, page 1. Oakland councilmen Frank H. Ogawa and Dr. Raymond Eng were re-elected to four-year terms despite a challenge from a coalition seeking a stronger minority voice. Ogawa, a Nisei nurseryman, defeated Doug Jones in his 7th District race.
- Norman Mineta Elected Mayor of San Jose, by Marcie Rasmussen, page 3. Norman Mineta became the first Nisei elected mayor of a major American city after winning San Jose’s mayoral race with a clear mandate. Mineta, who was held at a detention camp during World War II, outlined plans to build community involvement and civic pride.
- Harrington School Parents Call for Boycott, page 4. Parents at Denver’s Harrington Elementary School temporarily boycotted classes to protest the principal and conditions at the school. They demanded changes in teaching and programs and called for the principal’s resignation.
Military & Veterans
- Rights Fully Restored Back in ’48, by Helen Altonn, page 3. A Hawaii Nisei who was imprisoned for draft resistance during World War II learned he had received a full presidential pardon from President Truman in 1948. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin investigated the case with help from Sen. Daniel Inouye.
- Lt. Calley Case, page 5. Four Hawaii labor leaders issued a statement defending Lt. William Calley, convicted in the My Lai killings, calling him the lowest man on the totem pole. The statement argues that placing guilt on one individual cannot cleanse the national conscience.
Incarceration & Redress
- House Judiciary Committee Advances Title II Repeal, page 3. The House Judiciary Committee approved a bill to repeal Title II of the Internal Security Act of 1950, which authorized detention camps, and sent it to the full House. The committee’s hearings included testimony from Japanese Americans and civil rights organizations.
In-Depth
- Cross-Country Pilgrimage, by Joe Oyama, page 6. Ricky Yoshizawa, a Los Angeles resident, recounts a cross-country vacation revisiting places from his youth, including a farm in Buffalo and New York City. His visit includes a stop to meet an elderly Japanese family in Kerhonksen who preserve Japanese cultural traditions.
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