Repealing Title II: San Diego’s fight over a 1942 resolution

Vol. 70, No. 16, April 24, 1970. 8 pages. View this issue

The campaign to repeal Title II of the Internal Security Act ran through this eight-page issue. On page one, San Diego JACL pressed the county board of supervisors to rescind a 1942 resolution that called Nisei disloyal. The board only amended it, and local JACLers called that a cop-out. P.C. Staff compiled a boxscore of the governments, groups, newspapers and churches that have endorsed repeal. National JACL President Jerry Enomoto wrote about a “credibility gap” and urged members to speak up at the coming convention.

Elsewhere, Rev. S. Michael Yasutake reviewed Rev. Daisuke Kitagawa’s book on the wartime incarceration, and a page of reviews covered Bill Hosokawa’s Nisei: The Quiet Americans. Hosokawa’s own column asked whether Nisei should work through JACL or through integrated groups. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye’s Vietnam speech began on page one and continued on page eight. Mike Masaoka’s column, a Little Tokyo piece by Richard Toguchi and the Cherry Blossom Festival queen also appeared.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Credibility Gap, by By JERRY ENOMOTO, National JACL President, page 1. JACL National President Jerry Enomoto argues that recent national events, including the Carswell nomination rejection, Governor Kirk’s defiance on school desegregation, and Attorney General Mitchell’s role, reveal a credibility gap in the Nixon Administration’s commitment to racial equality and law and order. He urges JACL members to make their views known at the upcoming National Convention and to push the organization to take a visible stand against racism and poverty.
• Capital Comments, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Mike Masaoka reflects on the Apollo 13 mission as a reminder of human courage and of how much remains to be done in social justice on earth. He comments on the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Harry Blackmun and on House efforts to impeach Justice William Douglas, which he calls political reprisal.
• A Persistent Issue, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Bill Hosokawa examines the long-standing debate over whether Nisei should work through segregated organizations like the JACL or through integrated community groups for social justice. He concludes that both approaches have value and that each Nisei working for justice is doing valuable work.
• Conspiracy 7 Trial, by Arlene and Hiroshi Kanno, page 7. Arlene and Hiroshi Kanno respond to a prior commentary on the Conspiracy 7 trial, arguing it was an attempt by those in political power to silence dissenting voices. They draw on Professor Grant Gilmore’s warning that political trials signal a breakdown of the rule of law in a polarized society.
• Manzanar Speech, by Fred Y. Hirasuna, page 7. Fred Hirasuna responds to a Manzanar speech by Jim H. Matsuoka and asks for a full transcript so readers can judge its statements about the Nisei generation. He states the speech seemed to glorify one segment of the Sansei while demeaning the Nisei who lived through the evacuation.
• Sen. Inouye’s Speech on Vietnam, Continued, by Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, page 8. Senator Daniel Inouye argues that the United States must recognize its failure in Vietnam and seek a negotiated end to the war. He cites the costs in American and Vietnamese lives and warns that the conflict’s lessons should guide future commitments in Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand.

National

• Title II Repeal Campaign: Why San Diego’s Riled, page 1. San Diego JACL has pressed the county board of supervisors to rescind a 1942 resolution labeling Nisei as potentially disloyal, but the board only partially responded by amending it to say the action ‘is not now considered appropriate.’ Local JACLers view the amended stand as a cop-out, while other Title II repeal endorsements continued across California, Illinois, and Missouri.
• Sen. Inouye Calls Vietnam War a Tragic Mistake, page 1. In a speech to the IBM World Trade Corporation convention, Sen. Daniel K. Inouye urged the United States to admit its tragic mistake in Vietnam and propose an immediate, complete cease-fire. He also called for an Asian conference on Indochina and criticized Operation Phoenix and other tactics that he said made American actions nearly indistinguishable from the enemy’s.

Community

• Francis Ching Confident, Will Head Arboretum Despite Staff Squabble, page 1. Francis Ching, a Hawaii-born Chinese American, was appointed director of the County Department of Arboreta and Botanic Gardens after months of controversy that led to the resignation of the board president. Ching faces the task of resolving personal and professional differences with staff members who opposed his promotion over the department’s primary mission.
• Cherry Blossom Queen Crowned, page 1. Marilyn Matsuno was crowned queen of the 1970 Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco at ceremonies at the Japanese Cultural Trade Center, inaugurating the program’s third season. The week-long celebration of arts and culture was to climax with a grand parade on April 19.
• JACL Criticizes Non-Asian Casting in L.A. Musical, page 2. The JACL Pacific Southwest District Council criticized the Civic Light Opera’s production of Teahouse of the August Moon for casting Caucasian actors as Asian characters. George Takei, PSWDC cultural committee chairman, asked producer Herman Levin and director Edwin Lester to reconsider, noting qualified Asian performers are available.
• Little Tokyo Movement, by Richard Toguchi, page 7. Richard Toguchi, a community worker with JACS, raises questions about whether Asian American social problems such as drugs, unemployment, and housing are being adequately addressed. He calls on the community to consider coalitions with other minorities and to voice their opinions in letters to the JACS office.

Military & Veterans

• Veterans Seek List of Nisei KIA Since 1950s, page 1. Roy Shiraga, chairman of the 1970 Nisei Veterans Coordinating Council, is seeking information to update the Nisei GI Memorial Monument at Evergreen Cemetery with names of Nisei soldiers killed in action since the Korean War. The plaque listing the additional names is due to be dedicated May 30.

JACL

• Convention Anticipates Change Based on Theme: Understanding, page 2. Convention program chairman Chiye Tomihiro predicts the 21st Biennial JACL Convention in Chicago will be remembered for its business sessions as the convention when JACL came of age. The theme ‘Understanding: The Basis for the Changing JACL’ is meant to help Nisei and younger Asian liberals understand each other’s concerns.

Incarceration & Redress

• Title II Repeal Boxscore, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This compiled list documents the many governmental bodies, organizations, newspapers, and churches that have passed resolutions or commented favorably on repeal of Title II of the Internal Security Act. The list largely reflects the efforts of JACL members across the country.
• The Issei-Nisei: Fr. Kitagawa’s Account Shows Compassion for Kibei, by Rev. S. Michael Yasutake, page 4. Rev. S. Michael Yasutake reviews Rev. Daisuke Kitagawa’s book Issei and Nisei: The Internment Years, a first-hand account of the wartime incarceration by an author who was himself a victim. The review highlights Kitagawa’s sympathetic treatment of the Kibei and his candid admission that he did not speak out at a public hearing.

Arts & Entertainment

• Nisei: The Quiet Americans Reviewed in Multiple Papers, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A compilation of reviews of Bill Hosokawa’s book Nisei: The Quiet Americans from newspapers across the country praises it as a comprehensive, well-written history of Japanese Americans. Reviewers note its treatment of the Issei, the wartime evacuation, and the 442nd, while some Nisei critics found its tone too restrained.

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