Nisei and Sansei in 1969: campus unrest, narcotics and a coming centennial

Vol. 68, No. 7, February 14, 1969. 6 pages. View this issue

Nisei and Sansei talked past and with each other across this six-page issue. Several articles turned on the student protests at San Francisco State: Rep. Spark Matsunaga spoke on the revolt, the San Francisco JACL board voted 14-2 not to invite S.I. Hayakawa to its installation, and Penny Nakatsu and Warren Furutani described campus tactics at a civil rights workshop. Columns by Kats Kunitsugu, Colin Watanabe and Mori Nishida, and Edison Uno looked at how the generations saw one another. On the front page, Jerry Enomoto announced fall plans for the centennial of Japanese immigration, beginning with a June 7 monument dedication at Gold Hill.

Also inside: Mas Fukai’s warning on narcotics at the Gardena Valley JACL installation, where George Aoyagi became president, and Hallmark’s decision to stop carrying ‘Oriental dialect cards.’ Mike Masaoka wrote on Japan and President Nixon, and Bill Hosokawa previewed his book ‘Americans with Japanese Faces.’

What’s in this issue

JACL

• Gardena Valley JACL Installs George Aoyagi as 1969 President, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Gardena Valley JACL held a large installation banquet at Mishima’s Restaurant, where George Aoyagi succeeded Tosh Hiraide as chapter president. Festivities included musical entertainment and a message on the dangers of narcotics.

Community

• Nisei Commissioner Reveals Hard Facts on Narcotics at Gardena Valley JACL Fete, by P.C. Staff, page 1. County Narcotics Commissioner Mas Fukai told the Gardena Valley JACL installation audience that one in four Japanese American students at Gardena High School had been arrested for narcotics possession in 1968. He blamed lack of home discipline and moral training and urged education on drug dangers starting in the fourth grade.
• San Francisco JACL Decides Not to Invite Dr. Hayakawa to Installation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The San Francisco JACL board voted 14-2 not to invite S.I. Hayakawa to speak at its installation banquet due to concerns about his role in the San Francisco State controversy. The board later stated he could be invited to address the general membership at a future date.
• Watsonville JACL Named Organization of the Year, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Watsonville JACL received the Organization of the Year award from the Watsonville Chamber of Commerce for its support of city-community projects. Chapter president Tak Higuchi accepted the award.
• Hallmark Responds to Kojima Protest on Cards, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Hallmark Cards announced it would stop carrying ‘Oriental dialect cards’ and expressed regret for offense caused, following a protest by Masamori Kojima, field deputy to Councilman Thomas Bradley. Kojima had criticized stereotyped caricatures in American culture.
• Hosokawa Gives San Jose Greeting, Book Preview, by Phil Matsumura, page 3. Bill Hosokawa previewed his forthcoming history ‘Americans with Japanese Faces’ for the San Jose JACL installation crowd of 175. Dr. Tokio Ishikawa received the JACL Silver Pin for long service.
• JACL to Support Human Rights Body for Utah, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Intermountain District Council adopted a program supporting establishment of a Utah state human relations commission to enforce anti-discrimination laws following federal court decisions and the Civil Rights Act of 1968. Proposed authority would cover FEPC, public accommodation, and open housing.
• PSWDC Civil Rights Workshop Hears Views of Two Involved Sansei, by Ellen Endo, page 4. Penny Nakatsu of San Francisco State and Warren Furutani of College of San Mateo, both involved in recent campus protests, spoke to a PSWDC civil rights workshop. They discussed the tactics of campus unrest, ethnic studies demands, and the problems of non-white student education.
• JACL Chapters Add Japanese Touch to Coloma Gold Discovery Festival, by Roy Yoshida, page 4. Five Northern California JACL chapters combined to present a Japanese cultural program at the Coloma Gold Discovery Day celebration. The program marked the centennial of the first Japanese settlement in America at the Wakamatsu Colony.

National

• Matsunaga Focuses on S.F. State Issue, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Spark Matsunaga (D-Hawaii), speaking to the Washington, D.C. JACL, addressed the San Francisco State College student-teacher revolt and called the prime objective of 1969 ‘peace at home and abroad.’ He urged keeping channels of communication open and proposed a Department of Peace.

Incarceration & Redress

• Immigration Centennial Plans Set for Fall, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL president Jerry Enomoto announced a major nationwide celebration in fall 1969 marking the 100th anniversary of Japanese immigration to the United States. The centennial will begin with a June 7 monument dedication near the Okei grave at Gold Hill, site of the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Farm colony.

Military & Veterans

• AAPA Leaflet Draws Nisei Protest, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A leaflet distributed by the Asian American Political Alliance at UC Berkeley, which altered a 1942 Army evacuation poster, drew protest from Nisei readers who viewed it as exploiting past wartime injustice. The leaflet’s changed wording was criticized as cruel and misleading.

Commentary

• Japan and President Nixon, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Mike Masaoka urges Japanese leaders to withhold judgment on President Nixon, arguing that Nixon’s long record of congressional support for Japanese American and Japanese interests suggests he will be attentive to Japan. He also notes Nixon’s appointment of Alexis Johnson, an experienced Japan hand, as Under Secretary of State.
• Middle-Size Blues, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa contrasts small, close-knit chapters with large ones and describes the decline of the Denver Mile-Hi Chapter, which revived around a farewell for departing member Dave Furukawa. He argues that JACL must find roles in the community to remain relevant.
• Inside-out Your Insides, by Patti Dohzen, page 4. Patti Dohzen, chairman of the National Youth Council, reflects on the emphasis society places on outward appearance and argues for greater attention to inner character. She calls for self-examination and sensitivity among Sansei.
• Align All the Colors, by Frank Sakamoto, page 4. Frank Sakamoto calls on 1000 Club chairmen to rally toward a goal of 3,000 members, drawing a parallel to the Union stand at Seminary Ridge at Gettysburg. He praises dedicated leaders who have sacrificed for the organization.
• Witnessing Confrontation in Silence, by Kats Kunitsugu, page 6. The columnist describes attending a USC meeting of the Asian American Political Alliance on repealing Title II of the Internal Security Act and reflects on silence and generational differences in responding to young activists. The piece questions the Nisei community’s reaction to student activism.
• No Laughing Matter, by Colin Watanabe, Mori Nishida, page 6. Two members of the Ethnic Concern Committee describe a civil rights workshop bringing Nisei and Sansei together to narrow the generation gap. They recount awkward moments that revealed generational attitudes toward campus unrest and bail funds.
• Time Magazine, by Edison Uno, page 6. Edison Uno writes to the editor objecting to a Time Magazine article describing Japanese Americans as enemies of Black communities and calling for the JACL to respond responsibly to racial tensions. He urges Japanese Americans to examine their own prejudices.

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