Bill Hosokawa’s book finds a publisher, and JACL looks to its public image

Vol. 68, No. 6, February 7, 1969. 8 pages. View this issue

A publisher for Bill Hosokawa’s forthcoming book on Japanese Americans led the news. William Morrow & Company of New York was selected, with publication tentatively set for September 1969, and executive editor Howard Cady placed a bid before seeing the manuscript. JACL’s own house was also in view: President Jerry Enomoto announced a Chapter Relations committee chaired by Fred Hirasuna, and the new department of public affairs, supervised by Kaz Horita, began work with three committees. A Nisei Who’s Who was discussed there and argued for in an editorial.

Other pages cover Mike Masaoka’s column on the Senate cloture votes, Patti Dohzen on the National Youth Council summit, and John Sugiyama’s view of the strike at San Francisco State. Orange County trustees removing John Hersey’s Hiroshima from a book list drew comment. The last page recalls the Tule Lake riot through the memories of WRA official Paul G. Robertson. This eight-page issue also includes a column on immigration.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• JACL Public Relations Aims Updated, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL Committee on Public Relations outlined its objectives at a meeting in Washington on January 5, including preparing a budget for proposed programs. Immediate interest was shown in wider use of the JACL Story brochure, and the committee recommended gift subscriptions to the Pacific Citizen for national organizations and officials.
• Chapter Relations Committee Organized, by P.C. Staff, page 2. JACL President Jerry Enomoto announced a new national Chapter Relations committee chaired by Fred Hirasuna of Fresno. The committee assumes the internal public relations functions aimed at improving the JACL image.
• JACL Department of Public Affairs Launched with Three Committees, by P.C. Staff, page 2. JACL’s department of public affairs, supervised by National 2nd Vice President Kaz Horita, was launched with nucleus groups in public relations, legislative, and international affairs committees. The groups discussed a Nisei Who’s Who, gift subscriptions, and anti-Nisei films.

National

• Publisher Selected for Hosokawa Book on Japanese Americans, by P.C. Staff, page 1. William Morrow & Company of New York was selected to publish Bill Hosokawa’s forthcoming book on Japanese Americans, with publication tentatively scheduled for September 1969. The firm’s strong offer and enthusiasm from executive editor Howard Cady were deciding factors.
• Flower Growers and Farmers Hard Hit by Nine-Day California Rain, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Nine days of heavy California rain caused flooding that damaged farms and flower growers, with Frank Kuwahara of the Southern California Flower Growers Association noting possible disease losses. Nisei ranches at higher elevations suffered soil erosion that will delay planting, and Central California farms in Orosi and Dinuba were underwater.
• Abductor Chased by Police Kills Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Nancy Yamamoto, 19, of Dallas was killed by her abductor Morgan Foster during a police chase in Silver City, New Mexico. Foster was shot to death by a state patrolman, and an autopsy was ordered to determine whether the officer or Foster’s weapon killed her.
• Anti-Alien Public Works Law Ruled Unconstitutional, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Superior Court Judge Robert W. Kenney ruled that a 1931 California law prohibiting employment of aliens on public works projects is unconstitutional. He ordered the Los Angeles school system to pay $680 withheld from a contract because a Canadian citizen worked as an electrical foreman.
• Hallmark Told Greeting Cards Demean Chinese, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The China Institute complained to Hallmark Cards about greeting cards depicting Chinese as fools with stereotyped imagery. Author Pearl Buck also wrote Hallmark that such cards were beneath the company’s dignity, though Hallmark’s president said few complaints had been received.
• Mink Bill Asks $300 Million for Preschool Centers, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Rep. Patsy Mink introduced a bill authorizing $300 million annually in federal grants to improve public and private nonprofit preschool and day care centers. A separate bill by Rep. Matsunaga would establish a 60-day residency requirement change for presidential voters.
• Maniac Suspect in Killing of Nikkei Couple, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Police sought a goateed gunman who killed Ryozo Matsui DeVinna and his wife Misao, longtime operators of a small cafe in Los Angeles, during a robbery. The same suspect is believed responsible for other killings at liquor stores in the area.

Community

• Orange County Bans Hersey’s ‘Hiroshima’, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Orange County school trustees removed John Hersey’s ‘Hiroshima’ from a list of library books for a new county school. Dr. Dale Rallison argued the book presents a one-sided view of the atomic bombing, and the Los Angeles Times criticized the board’s action as thought control.
• Ichiban Chapter: San Jose JACL Installation, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Bill Hosokawa describes the San Jose JACL installation dinner on January 25, noting the chapter’s membership of nearly 1,900 and its strong vitality after hosting a national convention. He also profiles Councilman Norman Mineta and NASA physiologist Dr. Tom Taketa.
• UCLA Establishes American Cultures Project, by P.C. Staff, page 3. UCLA announced an American Cultures Project to study ethnic minorities, with four programs covering Afro-American, American Indian, Mexican-American, and Oriental American cultures. The project resulted from student initiative joined by administrative and faculty support.
• Salt Lake JACL Elects Kimura 1969 President, by P.C. Staff, page 3. George Kimura was elected president of the Salt Lake JACL by its board of directors and installed by Mas Satow during the IDC quarterly session. Mrs. Tomoko Yano was appointed chapter secretary.
• Merit in Jr. JACL Enumerated, by Merilynne Hamano, page 4. Former PSWDYC co-chairman Merilynne Hamano reflects on how her years in Jr. JACL provided leadership development and exposure that shaped her later race relations work. She frames the JACL theme of Better Americans in a Greater America through her own experience.
• S.F. State: An Inside View, by John Sugiyama, page 4. John Sugiyama describes the turmoil at San Francisco State College, including the demands of the Black Students Union and Third World Liberation Front. He recounts the strike, police presence on campus, and the arrests while questioning the lack of adult understanding of young people’s concerns.
• Tokyo Odyssey, by Joe Oyama, page 5. Joe Oyama recounts his nephew Wesley’s observations after three and a half years in Tokyo, including language misunderstandings and differences between Tokyo and New York. The nephew noted Japanese courtesy while also finding people everywhere similar.
• Honolulu Stadium, by Richard Gima, page 6. Richard Gima reports on efforts to build a new Honolulu Stadium, weighing a $25 million city project against a privately-owned proposal from Los Angeles interests. Mayor Frank Fasi and the City Council have been negotiating over the stadium’s financing and location.
• Mike Masaoka: Character Portrait, by Roger Nikaido, page 7. Roger Nikaido, who has worked as Masaoka’s assistant in Washington, offers a character portrait of Mike Masaoka as an energetic and sensitive man who is often misunderstood. The piece highlights his candor, self-reflection, and commitment to learning and doing.

Military & Veterans

• Vincent H. Okamoto Awarded DSC, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Army Lt. Vincent H. Okamoto of Gardena received the Distinguished Service Cross for courage under enemy fire in Vietnam. He is the son of Henry Okamoto of Gardena.

Commentary

• Crucial Votes on Senate Cloture, by Mike Masaoka, page 3. Two Senate votes in January defeated efforts to change Rule XXII and reduce the two-thirds requirement for cloture on filibusters. Masaoka explains the rulings by Humphrey and Agnew and notes that JACL has consistently supported a more reasonable closure rule.
• Canadian Nisei Judge Unbenched, by Brian Hartley, page 3. Ontario Provincial Judge Lucien Kurata was removed from the bench pending a Judicial Council inquiry into complaints against him. Kurata, the first Canadian of Japanese descent called to the Commonwealth bar, had previously drawn controversy over his remarks and conduct.
• Are You Proud?, by Karen Sumida, page 4. Karen Sumida reflects on whether young Nisei and Sansei should feel proud of their heritage and of contributions to American society. She urges working toward a more just America and challenges readers to consider what it means to be a better American.
• Letters from Our Readers: Racial Epithet, by Berry Suzukida, page 6. A reader writes to object to a racial epithet and the sentiments expressed in a published piece. The letter calls for more responsible writing about Japanese Americans.
• Creation Nippon Style, by Murray Sprung, page 6. A reader recalls a Japanese-style Creation story told by Rev. Herbert Nicholson at Granada Relocation Center in 1949, in which God shapes the first Japanese man last and brown. The letter reflects on racial attitudes and prejudice.
• Nisei Who’s Who, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The editorial argues that a Nisei Who’s Who would be a valuable research tool and source of inspiration, reducing racial stereotypes and helping Sansei with identity. It also comments on the Orange County book ban and the status of the Third World Liberation Front.
• Immigration, by P.C. Staff, page 7. An immigration advice column answers questions about whether a visiting mother can remain in the U.S. until her son becomes a citizen and petitions for her. A second question addresses whether a Third Preference professional immigrant may take other employment before practicing his profession.

Sports

• Sansei Slant: National Youth Council Seven-Hour Summit, by Patti Dohzen, page 4. The JACL National Youth Council and national leaders met for a seven-hour summit in San Francisco to discuss issues and coordinate between JACL and the Youth Program. The meeting established a foundation for future cooperation between representative bodies of JACL and the youth program.

In-Depth

• Ruffians & Gamblers, by Jim Henry, page 5. Jim Henry recounts the diary of Yonekichi Sakuma, one of the first Japanese immigrants to Hawaii aboard the Scioto in 1868. The passengers were largely gamblers and roughnecks, yet their descendants’ later achievements made the Nisei admired by society.
• Tule Lake WRA Riot Recalled, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Paul G. Robertson, a WRA official who later directed the Leupp camp for segregated Japanese, recalls riots at the Tule Lake relocation center. He describes how he calmed striking workers by speaking to them in Japanese, reflecting on his lasting regard for the Japanese people.

Arts & Entertainment

• East-West Players Expand, by Mary Oyama, page 5. Mary Oyama profiles the East-West Players of Los Angeles, the only Oriental repertory theatre group in the U.S., which presents plays from Chinese, Japanese, and Korean traditions in English. The group has expanded its membership and planned a fundraising drive for its own theatre building.
• Sogetsu School Plans to Rebuild for Growing Enrollment, by Patsy Matsuura, page 5. Honolulu floral instructor Mrs. Sogyoku Sayegusa reports that the Sogetsu School in Tokyo will replace its three-story building with a 24-story building to accommodate overflow of students. She describes changes in arrangement styles she observed during a two-month study trip.

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