Title II repeal and Senator Hiram Fong’s recognition

Vol. 71, No. 15, October 9, 1970. 8 pages. View this issue

The fight over Title II of the Internal Security Act ran through this eight-page issue. A Washington JACL Office memo reported that the House Internal Security Committee narrowly rejected repeal and urged members to back the Senate-passed bill. Senator George Murphy also called for repeal, and a St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial on the Emergency Detention Act was reprinted. National President Raymond Uno described his Seattle visit, and the JACL presented Senator Hiram Fong with a scroll of recognition.

Also inside: the case of Mieko Tsutsumida, fired from an Arizona auto licensing office, with an open letter by Orien Fifer. Harry K. Honda wrote on an almost-forgotten Arizona law, Mike Masaoka backed Spark Matsunaga’s reelection, and Berkeley Mayor Wallace Johnson wrote about Ronald Tsukamoto. Pages 2 and 3 cover Asian American studies and a proposed Asian Community Service Center.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• Seattle Visit: Notes from the National President, by Raymond S. Uno, page 1. National President Raymond Uno describes his visit to Seattle, including a 1000 Club gathering, meetings with community leaders, and a VIP luncheon featuring the Imperial Drum and Bugle Corps. He also notes his maiden speech as JACL President before a chapter audience.
• JACL Scroll of Recognition for Championing Nisei Causes, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL presented Senator Hiram Fong with a hand-lettered citation honoring his distinguished Senate service. The citation recognizes his advocacy for Japanese Americans on immigration, naturalization, and civil rights.

Incarceration & Redress

• Oldest Nisei in U.S. to Be Honored by JACL in New York, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL and the New York chapter will honor Yoneo Arai, 80, the oldest Nisei in the continental U.S., at a dinner during the Japanese Immigration Centennial. National President Raymond Uno will attend the Oct. 24 event.
• ‘Title II’ Campaign: Latest Action Memo, by Washington JACL Office, page 1. The House Internal Security Committee narrowly rejected repeal of Title II of the Internal Security Act, then reported out amendments that JACL argues do not eliminate its dangers. The memo urges members to lobby for the Senate-passed repeal bill as a substitute.

Community

• NC-WN Delegates to Elect Governor at Nov. 8 Session, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Ten candidates have announced they will run for vacancies on the Northern California-Western Nevada District Council executive board. Under new rules, delegates will directly vote for the District Governor at the Nov. 8 meeting in Berkeley.
• Auto Licensing Office Was on the Road to ‘Bankruptcy’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. State Auditor General Ira Osman said the Maricopa County auto licensing office had lax practices, including unaccounted license tabs and poor record-keeping. These conditions formed the backdrop for the dismissal of Mrs. Tsutsumida.
• Community Colleges Respond on Asian American Studies, by Kazuo Higa, page 2. Higa reports that Los Angeles-area community colleges have large Asian American enrollments but lack resources and programs for them. He describes how the new Asian American Studies Central clearinghouse aims to coordinate courses and faculty recruitment.
• Asian Community Service Center Under L.A. County Gov’t Proposed, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Council of Oriental Organizations has drafted a proposal for an Asian Community Service Center in Los Angeles County. The eight-part plan covers purposes, beneficiaries, services, staffing, and location in the Little Tokyo-Chinatown-Filipinotown area.
• Call Fire Ruins Nisei-Owned Lemon Grove, Damages Nursery Areas, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Wind-driven brush fires in Southern California destroyed the Kotake Bros. lemon orchard in Camarillo and damaged several Nisei nurseries in Malibu Colony. Several families reported close calls as the fire spread toward homes.
• Kido Retires After 43 Years of Public Service, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Attorney Saburo Kido announced his retirement after a career that included founding the San Francisco JACL and serving as national JACL president during World War II. His legal affairs are being referred to attorney Kei Uchima.
• Should Kona Go High-Rise?, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Hawaii county officials heard a request from the Kona Conservation Group to lower the building height limit in Kona’s resort areas from seven stories to three. The county is considering the proposal.

National

• Minorities Would Be Ignored Under Plan to Elect President Directly, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Senator Hiram Fong argued that direct popular election of the President would leave racial and other minorities ignored by candidates. He defended the electoral college as a means of giving minorities decisive swing-vote influence.
• Mrs. Tsutsumida Fired in ‘Noguchi Case’ in Arizona, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mieko Tsutsumida, acting head of an accounting section in the Maricopa County auto licensing office, was dismissed in July after a supervisor’s letter criticized her. She is contesting the firing before a merit system commission hearing.
• Murphy Pushes Title II Repeal, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Senator George Murphy urged repeal of the emergency detention provisions of the Internal Security Act. He described the wartime relocation of Japanese Americans as contrary to American traditions and constitutional procedures.

Commentary

• Dear Mrs. Tsutsumida, by Orien Fifer, page 2. Reprinted from the Phoenix Gazette, this open letter addresses Mieko Tsutsumida, recounting her family’s wartime history as aliens and her career at the license office. It praises her competence and criticizes the unfounded letter that led to her dismissal.
• Reelect Congressman Spark Matsunaga, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Mike Masaoka urges support for Congressman Spark Matsunaga’s 1970 reelection campaign and provides a contribution address for Sparky’s Friends. He lists Matsunaga’s legislative record on Title II repeal, ethnic studies, and civil rights.
• Hazard Pay for U.S. Fire-Fighters Urged, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Rep. Spark Matsunaga criticized the Nixon administration for opposing his bill giving federal firefighters hazardous-duty retirement benefits. He argued they deserve the same early retirement provisions as law enforcement personnel.
• The Yellow Seed: A Stockton Asian-American Identity Group, by Rev. Saburo Masada, page 4. Rev. Masada explains the rationale behind the Stockton-based Yellow Seed, an Asian-American identity group, and frames it as a response to racism in American society. He argues that ethnic awareness groups help individuals overcome internalized prejudice.
• Respectively Yours: First Bay Area ‘FOX’ Report, by Dennis Yotsuya, page 4. A Bay Area FOX team describes its role as JACL field personnel working on community service projects. The team focuses on Asian studies in schools and Asian legal services, and seeks to open communication with district chapters.
• The Days of Our Youth, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A columnist contrasts the childhood of older Nisei with the pressures faced by today’s youth, including war, draft threats, and polluted environments. The writer suggests parents should understand young people’s struggles rather than simply condemn them.
• Immigration Q&A: Labor Certifications and Western Hemisphere Preference, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A column answers reader questions about recent changes to Labor Department certification requirements for radio repairmen and about waiting periods for spouses from the Western Hemisphere. It advises consulting experienced immigration professionals.
• Concentration Camps, by St. Louis Post-Dispatch, page 4. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial criticizes Representative Ichord’s defense of the Emergency Detention Act and its concentration camp authorization. It argues the law reflects national paranoia and should be repealed.
• Ye Editor’s Desk: An Almost-Forgotten Arizona Law, by Harry K. Honda, page 4. The editorial recalls a 1943 Arizona ‘legal boycott’ law that restricted commercial dealings with persons ineligible for citizenship. It describes how JACL, through the Ikeda case, challenged the law until the Arizona Supreme Court struck it down.
• 25 Years Ago, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A retrospective from October 1945 covers the Justice Department’s findings on Tule Lake, opposition to using Japanese POWs for farm labor, and the 442nd’s casualties. It also reports on post-war Nisei citizenship and housing issues.
• We Care, Let’s All Care, by Dave Takashima, page 6. Takashima reflects on a Nisei family’s grief over their son’s extended Vietnam service and on student poems protesting war. He reflects on generational differences and calls for mutual understanding between Issei, Nisei, and Sansei.
• A Clean Lesson, by Wallace Johnson, page 6. Berkeley Mayor Wallace Johnson writes that the killing of Sansei police officer Ronald Tsukamoto reveals the dehumanizing effect of calling police ‘pigs.’ He urges rejection of violent rhetoric.
• Ronald Tsukamoto (Letter to editor), by Wallace Johnson, page 6. Berkeley Mayor Wallace Johnson’s letter denounces the dehumanizing use of the term ‘pig’ for police officers. He argues the rhetoric of violence contributed to the killing of Ronald Tsukamoto.
• Letters: Picture, Please and Charter Flight Inquiry, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Letters to the editor request a photo of a San Gabriel Valley scholarship recipient and ask how to contact the 1000 Club about a charter flight. The editors respond to both requests.
• Gima–, by Richard Gima, page 7. Richard Gima writes a column on JACL community life and political divisions between conservatives and liberals. He reflects on how hurt and political struggle shape his commitment to JACL.

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