JACL’s youth programs and the Noguchi defense, August 1969

Vol. 69, No. 9, August 29, 1969. 6 pages. View this issue

Youth was the first subject on the front page of this six-page issue. National JACL President Jerry Enomoto wrote about naming a Civil Rights Committee and a National Youth Commissioner to the National Board, and Alan Kumamoto described the National Youth Commission meeting in Los Angeles. Enomoto also criticized a boycott of Bill Hosokawa’s book Nisei: The Quiet Americans over its title. Rep. Jeffrey Cohelan spoke in Oakland about the bill to repeal Title I of the Internal Security Act.

The Thomas Noguchi dispute with Los Angeles County ran through the issue, from Dr. Harry Kitano’s view of enryo to $1,720 sent by the Chicago JUST committee. Elsewhere, S.K. Uyeda’s Little Tokyo store neared its 25th year. Harry Honda wrote on chapter finances, and Hideo Magara started a Q&A column. Allan Beekman reviewed a novel about the Tanaka family’s forced removal during World War II.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• A Look at Youth, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. JACL National President Jerry Enomoto describes his appointment of a Civil Rights Committee and National Youth Commissioner to the National Board, reflecting JACL’s focus on youth programs. He reports on the Jr. JACL conference and the National Youth Commission meeting, thanking the commissioners for their service.
• Enomoto opposes boycott of book over title, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL President Jerry Enomoto criticized a boycott of Bill Hosokawa’s book Nisei: The Quiet Americans over its title, arguing it contradicts free expression. He said the Ethnic Concerns Committee should not be undermined by such efforts.

National

• Rep. Cohelan talks on Title I repeal bill, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Jeffrey Cohelan, co-sponsor of the bill to repeal Title I of the Internal Security Act, spoke about the repeal effort at a community meeting in Oakland. The report covers his advocacy for ending the detention provisions.
• McGraw-Hill documentary on life of Senator Hiram Fong, by P.C. Staff, page 5. McGraw-Hill Films began filming a documentary on Hawaii Senator Hiram Fong, one of six prominent figures in its biographical film series. The film will be shown in schools nationwide.

Community

• Fremont JACL assures perpetual care of Japanese cemetery at Irvington, by Ted Inouye, page 1. The Fremont JACL chapter arranged endowment care for the Japanese section of Irvington Memorial Cemetery, where 65 Japanese are buried. The chapter raised funds and contacted relatives to ensure perpetual maintenance of the graves.
• George Ishii, chief criminalist: biggest job analyzing narcotics for Seattle police; more help needed, by Jim Mallery, page 1. George Ishii, chief criminalist for the Seattle Police Department, oversees narcotics analysis, weapons identification, and other forensic work with a staff of only three. He says the department needs at least double its staff to handle its caseload.
• Centennial fete slated Sept. 14 in San Francisco, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Northern California JACL chapters were urged to attend the Japanese Centennial banquet during San Francisco’s Japan Week on Sept. 14. Issei aged 70 or older with 45 years of U.S. residence are invited as guests.
• Over 1,200 expected in Japan Week parade, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A costume parade of over 1,200 participants will march in San Francisco’s Japan Week on Sept. 14, depicting Japanese history from ancient times through the Meiji era. Organizers say it will be the first such historic costume parade held outside Japan.
• Enryo syndrome seen as dissipating after Noguchi case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Harry Kitano says the Japanese American tendency toward enryo, or deference to authority, is weakening after the Thomas Noguchi dispute with Los Angeles County. The community’s defense through the JUST Committee marked a dramatic change from earlier attitudes.
• Aleutian island artifacts may be akin to pre-Japan culture, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Archeologist Roger Desautels reported finding artifacts on Amchitka Island, Alaska, dating about 9,000 years, that predate the Aleuts. Dr. Richard Daugherty said the finds could bear on theories of Oriental migration into North America.
• Chicago JUST sends $1,720 for Noguchi defense, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Chicago committee of the JUST Noguchi Defense Fund sent $1,720 from 175 donors to Los Angeles, after expenses of $541.78. Former national JACL president Shig Wakamatsu forwarded the funds.
• Charge Asian students barred from University student minority program, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Asian Coalition for Equality in Seattle charged that the University of Washington’s Special Education Program discriminates against Asian students. The group presented four demands, and the university responded by selecting five student recruiters from Filipino and Oriental communities.
• Little Tokyo’s first postwar store about to celebrate its 25th year, by P.C. Staff, page 4. S.K. Uyeda reopened his department store at 250 E. First St. in Little Tokyo on April 1, 1945, one of the first Japanese American businesses reopened on the Pacific Coast after the war. He later acquired several Little Tokyo buildings.
• S.F. youth council car wash nets $200, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The newly organized San Francisco Japanese Community Youth Council raised $200 from a car wash to fund a newsletter. Several local youth and church groups participate in the council.
• Fresno market pickets case pending, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A Fresno County court postponed until Sept. 17 an injunction suit against the NAACP over picketing of Boys Market in West Fresno. The temporary order limits pickets and bars defamatory signs.
• Ethnic isolation hurts integration of whites and Negroes, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Professor Nathan Kantrowitz found that ethnic groups tend to isolate themselves, which hinders integration of whites and Negroes in New York. His segregation index shows persistent separation among European ethnic groups.

Commentary

• Editor’s Desk: Financial Accountability, by Harry Honda, page 2. The editor addresses a dispute in the Sacramento JACL over the funding of a baseball team and questions about accounting for chapter funds. He urges financial responsibility and suggests the players join JACL.
• A New Column: Return Call, by Hideo Magara, page 4. Hideo Magara, Northern California JACL office manager, introduces a Q&A column answering member questions about JACL services, books, and community matters. He provides information on topics ranging from bonsai literature to medical insurance.
• Political Action, by Raymond Uno, page 4. Raymond Uno urges young people to become politically active by joining parties, running for office, and participating in civic organizations. He cites the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders grievances as areas for action.
• Chief Justice Warren and the AJAs, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A Hawaii Hochi editorial reflects on Chief Justice Earl Warren’s retirement and his civil rights record, while noting his wartime support for Japanese American internment. The editorial credits his later judicial work with making up for that past.
• Novel on Evacuation still needed, by Allan Beekman, page 6. Book reviewer Allan Beekman assesses Jerome Charyn’s novel American Scrapbook, which depicts the Tanaka family during the evacuation. He finds the novel’s characters and stream-of-consciousness technique unconvincing despite its research.
• Wakamatsu Centennial, by Fred Fertig, page 6. Fred Fertig writes to note an Idwal Jones story about Misa Mori, a fact-based fiction connected to the Wakamatsu Colony. He suggests readers look at the book for historical context.
• By the Board, by Ken Hayashi, page 6. A letter writer responds to a column on group insurance, agreeing that the insurance program is a fringe benefit. He suggests chapters survey members to better engage them.
• Accent on Youth: National Youth Commission Meeting, by Alan Kumamoto, page 6. Alan Kumamoto describes the National Youth Commission meeting in Los Angeles, which produced new resolutions and a stronger working group. He reflects on the informal atmosphere and the commissioners’ discussions.

Sports

• Golfing vacation in Spokane: Pacific Northwest divot diggers all set for 35th annual tournament, by Jon Hamanaka, page 2. The 35th Pacific Northwest Golf Association tournament will be held in Spokane over Labor Day weekend with about 180 golfers. The article traces the tournament’s history back to 1931 and profiles the participating clubs.

Military & Veterans

• Isao Fujimoto’s experience with stereotypes, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Sociology professor Isao Fujimoto recounts being sent to a World War II camp as a child and later facing stereotyping as a Nisei. He says his experiences shaped his commitment to social concerns.

Arts & Entertainment

• Delta Japanese town site for new movie, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Japanese community in Walnut Grove was used as a filming location by MGM for The Moonshine War, starring Richard Widmark. Crews remodeled buildings to represent a Kentucky town in the 1930s.

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