JACL chapter life, Manzanar’s future and the ‘Untold Story’ debate

Vol. 72, No. 12, March 26, 1971. 6 pages. View this issue

National JACL President Raymond Uno opened the issue with a column on his visits to Detroit, the national bowling tournament and Idaho Falls, while Toshi Shimoura reported on Detroit’s 25th anniversary dinner, where more than 200 people heard Uno describe JACL’s updated directions. The paper also followed plans to designate the Manzanar Cemetery as a historic site, with a statewide teach-in on the forced removal and incarceration planned for the summer.

The Japanese American Cultural and Community Center in Little Tokyo named its board of 27, and a House subcommittee heard testimony urging repeal of Title II of the Internal Security Act. Letters from Henry K. Hayase, William Nosaka and Clifford L. Uyeda took up the book Japanese Americans: The Untold Story. Robert M. Takasugi wrote on the Supreme Court’s Miranda ruling, and Dillon S. Myer’s account of the War Relocation Authority was reviewed. The issue runs six pages.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• Three in One: Detroit, the National Bowling Tournament and Idaho Falls, by Raymond Uno, page 1. National JACL President Raymond Uno recounts his visits to Detroit’s 25th anniversary installation dinner, the national bowling tournament, and Idaho Falls. He describes the warmth of the chapters and the leadership of their members.
• MDC ‘no-frill’ format successful, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Nineteen delegates met in St. Louis for a no-frill Midwest District Council session that proved successful. The council adopted an informal format for future business meetings and passed several resolutions on youth funding and public issues.
• JAL-JACL fellowship applications due, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL members aged 21 to 40 have until April 2 to apply for the 1971 Japan Air Lines-JACL summer fellowship at Sophia University in Tokyo. The six-week program includes room, board, and round-trip air transportation.

Community

• Detroit celebrates 25th anniversary, hears Uno update on JACL directions, by Toshi Shimoura, page 1. Over 200 people attended Detroit JACL’s 25th anniversary and installation dinner, where Raymond Uno outlined JACL’s updated directions. Uno stressed trust in leadership, youth involvement, and JACL’s role in minority relations.
• Coachella Valley JACL to become PSW’s 25th chapter, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Coachella Valley JACL has been reactivated with Tom S. elected president, becoming the Pacific Southwest District’s 25th chapter. The chapter had originally organized after World War II and was deactivated in 1960.
• PSWDC executive board, by P.C. Staff, page 1. PSWDC Governor Mas Hivohaka called a special executive board meeting to discuss district activities and the selection of a site for the May 2 district convention. Committee reports for the convention agenda are due in writing that weekend.
• 27 named to head Li’l Tokyo center, by P.C. Staff, page 1. All 27 nominees to the first board of directors of the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center in Los Angeles have accepted. The board will oversee the non-profit corporation that will build the center in Little Tokyo.
• San Francisco Nihonmachi set for cherry blossom festival, by P.C. Staff, page 2. San Francisco’s Japantown will host cherry blossom festival events including Japanese Tea Garden blossoms and two weekend Matsuri. The festivities provide a Japanese-style celebration of the spring season.
• Installation, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Detroit JACL held its 25th anniversary and installation dinner on February 27 with national and district leaders in attendance. Shinkie Sano received the 1970 Detroit JACLer of the Year award.
• ‘Nisei-Sansei’ topic for Contra Costa forum, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Contra Costa JACL meeting will discuss the need for better communication between Nisei and Sansei and related issues such as Sansei activism and Asian studies. Panelists will bring different viewpoints on the topic.
• Venice-Culver schedules 2d drug education talk, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Parole agents Albert G. Smith and Jackie White addressed a Venice-Culver JACL drug education seminar on state and county rehabilitation programs for drug users. Discussion covered gang involvement and the need for family communication.
• United Methodists: $50,000 ball reduced; needs of Asian American ministries studied, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The United Methodist Convocation on Asian American Ministries met in Santa Monica to address the church’s historical paternalism toward ethnic constituents. Participants called for liberation from racism and greater mobility in relations with the national board.
• Bank of Tokyo, Calif., to split stock 2 for 1, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Shareholders of the Bank of Tokyo of California approved a two-for-one stock split subject to state regulatory approval. The bank reported total assets of $404 million at year-end 1970.
• Thai baby born in plane is named ‘TWA’, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A Thai woman gave birth on a Thai Airways flight between Thailand and Hawaii and abandoned the infant in the restroom. The baby was named Twa after the airline.
• Salinas CLer bids for city council, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Henry Hibino, a farmer and former local JACL president, became the first official candidate for the June 1 Salinas City Council election. If elected, he would be the first non-Caucasian to serve on the council.
• Paul Bannai uninterested in Gardena council seat, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Paul Bannai declared he would not be a candidate in the June 8 special election to fill a vacancy on the Gardena City Council. His name had been proposed for appointment but the council deadlocked.
• Douglas Yamamoto charged with firebombing recruiting station, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Douglas P. Yamamoto of Oakland was charged in federal court with firebombing an armed service recruiting station in Santa Cruz. He was released on a cash bail deposit after his family and friends posted the bond.
• Publish critiques on ‘Untold Story’, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Stanford University Asian-American Student Alliance published a 46-page compilation of critiques of the JACL-sponsored book Japanese Americans: The Untold Story. The booklet includes reviews from Buddhist churches, JACL, and university professors.

Incarceration & Redress

• Landmark status for Manzanar eyed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A community-wide meeting will be held to discuss designating the Manzanar Cemetery as a historic site and setting aside adjacent land for a park. A statewide teach-in on the evacuation and internment experience is also planned for this summer.

Commentary

• Hearst medallion for distinguished women presented to Dr. Kazue Togasaki, by Mildred Hamilton, page 1. Dr. Kazue Togasaki was selected as one of the Ten Most Outstanding Women of 1970 by the San Francisco Examiner. The profile traces her family history, her work as a physician, and her opposition to war and violence.
• Idaho Falls: a JA politician in the making?, by Scott Yamasaki, page 4. A columnist recounts a visit to Idaho Falls and reflects on the local JACL community and its potential for political leadership. The piece is a personal and lighthearted account of chapter life.
• Persisting Images, by Rev. Dr. Paul Nagano, page 6. A guest column argues that Asian American Methodist churches face declining ministry and must develop an indigenous ethnic rationale for identity and dignity. It calls for ethnic Christian leadership to guide the community.
• Charlie Chan issue, by Henry K. Hayase, page 6. A letter to the editor urges Universal Studios to avoid reviving Charlie Chan-type stereotypes in a television series. It argues that media portrayals of Asian Americans should reflect their full humanity.
• ‘Untold Story’ and Nisei Buddhists, by William Nosaka, page 6. A letter argues that the Untold Story book fails to recognize the Buddhist heritage of most Issei and many Nisei soldiers. The writer calls for accurate historical treatment of Buddhism in Nisei history.
• Value of the forum, by Clifford L. Uyeda, page 6. A letter describes a San Francisco Center for Japanese American Studies panel discussing the Untold Story book, which drew a crowded and emotional audience. The writer defends the forum as a valuable space for community discussion.
• A Requiem for Miranda, by Robert M. Takasugi, page 6. JACL legal counsel Robert Takasugi examines the Supreme Court’s Harris v. New York decision, which allows illegally obtained confessions to be used for impeachment. He argues the ruling weakens constitutional protections established in Miranda.
• Eighty-Six, by Robert M. Takasugi, page 6. A short column notes legal assistance in a youth’s reinstatement after drug-related suspension and comments on a Justice Department opinion regarding a brochure on Japanese girls. The writer criticizes the brochure as misleading.
• Lighting a Candle, by Warren Furutani, page 6. A column on community involvement recounts JACL’s 1968 San Jose convention allocation for a civil rights coordinator position. It describes the community projects and groups the position was intended to support.

National

• Calif. alien welfare issue aired, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Asian American witnesses testified at a California Department of Social Welfare hearing on proposed changes to Manual Letter 155 affecting alien welfare. JACL presented proposals including a presumption of eligibility for current recipients.
• ‘Title II’ campaign: Judiciary subcommittee meets to urge repeal, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A House Judiciary subcommittee heard congressional and departmental witnesses urge repeal of Title II of the Internal Security Act of 1950 on March 18. No one testified in opposition to repeal.
• Yoshinaga case: city council recommends emergency appointment as city planner, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Los Angeles City Council personnel committee recommended emergency appointment of Yoshinaga as city planner after he placed first on civil service tests but was passed over several times. The recommendation is expected to be acted on by the full council.

Military & Veterans

• Dr. Togasaki’s record should stand the test, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Dr. Kazue Togasaki discussed her career as a physician, her public health work, and her advocacy for Japanese Americans during World War II relocation. She reflected on her commitment to service and healthcare.
• Nisei takes job as Micronesia AG, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Richard I. Miyamoto, a Hawaii attorney for 17 years, assumed the post of attorney general of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. He was confirmed by the Congress of Micronesia after appointment by High Commissioner Edward Johnston.

Sports

• National JACL bowling tournament results, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The 1970 JACL national bowling tournament crowned champions across men’s, women’s, and mixed divisions. Organizers and sponsors were recognized for putting on a successful event.

In-Depth

• Uprooted Americans: The Japanese Americans and the War Relocation Authority, by Dillon S. Myer, page 5. Former WRA Director Dillon Myer offers an inside account of the administration of the relocation centers and the pressures faced by the agency. The book discusses policy decisions made during the wartime evacuation.

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