Politics and leadership: JACL members weigh in after the 1970 election

Vol. 71, No. 21, November 20, 1970. 6 pages. View this issue

National President Raymond Uno opened this six-page issue with a column on how hard it is to make every JACL member happy, and he urged the organization to lead rather than follow. Politics ran through the rest of it. A panel of Japanese American political figures told a Berkeley audience that racial identity was no barrier to office, and Uno’s speech to the NC-WNDC pressed Nisei to run for office and back one another. Allan Beekman reported on George Ryoichi Ariyoshi’s election as Hawaii’s Lieutenant Governor, and Mike Masaoka’s Washington Newsletter looked at what the November 3 results meant for JACL.

Elsewhere, William Marumoto was named a White House consultant, and the JACL Blue Shield health plan was set to go statewide on January 1, 1971. Columns by Bill Hosokawa and Don Hayashi, a profile of a Sansei Democrat by Linda McCreary, and a report on a Berkeley drop-in center for Issei fill out the pages.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• Uno Bar: It Is Easier for a Camel to Walk Through the Eye of a Needle, by By RAYMOND UNO, page 1. JACL National President Raymond Uno reflects on the difficulty of making all members happy and on the need for JACL to lead rather than follow in its progressive commitments. He urges members to light a candle rather than curse the darkness.

Community

• ‘Mo’ Marumoto Named to Staff at White House, by P.C. Staff, page 1. William Marumoto of Whittier was appointed as a White House consultant on executive manpower, believed to be the first person of Oriental ancestry on the White House staff. He previously held posts at HEW and the Teacher Corps and has been active in university and community affairs.
• JACL Chapter Marks 25th Anniversary in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Los Angeles County Conference on Community Relations, a founding member organization that included JACL, celebrated its 25th anniversary at the Palladium. The group was honored for its assistance to evacuees resettling after the camps.
• WRA School Teacher’s Husband Is Gov. Shapp, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Muriel Mutzkin Shapp, a former Topaz high school teacher, will become Pennsylvania’s first lady after her husband Milton Shapp took office as governor. Her husband became a millionaire industrialist after forming a company to manufacture community TV antennas.
• Asian Americans Not as College Conscious Today, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A JACL office spokesman noted that Asian American high school graduates are increasingly less college-conscious than before. Educational Opportunity Programs at Cal State LA, Cal State Long Beach and UCLA have established Asian American facilities to recruit students.
• Konkokyo Raps Religious-Type School Events, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Nobusuke Fukuda of the Konko church asked the San Francisco JACL to support his resolution against religiously oriented school programs, but the chapter voted it down 8-7 with four abstentions. The resolution followed the National JACL’s opposition to a textbook deemed too pre-Christian and anti-Buddhist.
• Hawaiian Election Parade: Lt. Gov. Post Goes to Ariyoshi, by By ALLAN BEEKMAN, page 1. George Ryoichi Ariyoshi was elected Hawaii Lieutenant Governor, the highest executive position yet achieved by a Nisei in the state. The article traces his rise from Honolulu roots through the legislature to the state senate.
• JACL Blue Shield Health Plan to Become Statewide, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Pacific Southwest District Council adopted the JACL Blue Shield health plan, making it available statewide starting January 1, 1971. The plan was originated in 1964 by the Northern California-Western Nevada District Council.
• Nisei Medic Calls for Legalized Marijuana, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Ted Mikuriya of Oakland told a Fresno drug abuse conference that marijuana should be legalized and heavily taxed. He argued that drug control should return from law enforcement to physicians.
• Two Japanese-style Bath Houses to Open in San Francisco, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Two Japanese-style Toruko bath houses are being built in San Francisco, one at the Japan Center and another downtown by Tokyo Onsen. The Japan Center facility is expected to open in spring 1971.
• Contra Costa Nikkei Indicted in Estate Fraud, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Sumao T. Nakano and broker Joan Yamagata were indicted by a Contra Costa grand jury on 169 counts of real estate fraud. The charges stem from land development projects in Lake and Contra Costa counties sold to investors.
• New S.F. Bay Area Community JACL Being Formed, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Organizers are forming a Bay Area Community JACL chapter with no geographic limits, aimed at members interested in specific issue-based action. It will supplement rather than compete with existing chapters.

Commentary

• Nisei in Canadian Elks Honored, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Masajiro Miyazaki of Lillooet, B.C., a charter member of the local Elks Lodge, received the honor of Freeman of the Village at a community testimonial. He was the first Japanese Canadian elected to public office in Canada after Nisei regained voting rights in 1949.
• Washington Newsletter: Election Results for JACL, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Mike Masaoka analyzes the November 3 election results and their implications for JACL, including likely shifts in Senate and House leadership and committee chairmanships. He notes that Democratic gains in governorships and state legislatures may create opportunities for Nisei candidates.
• From the Frying Pan: Marysville, Calif., by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Bill Hosokawa describes his trip from Denver to Marysville, Calif., for the chapter’s 35th anniversary, comparing the Sacramento Delta to the Mekong Delta. He recounts the warm welcome and celebration with longtime members.
• Coming Together: Ethnic Ministries Consultation, by Don Hayashi, page 4. Don Hayashi reports on a United Methodist consultation in Chicago where four ethnic caucuses met together for the first time. Roy Sano’s keynote address emphasized that the church must accept pluralism and empower minority communities.
• The Tutorial Project, by Dave Takashima, page 4. A Los Angeles Sansei describes volunteer students teaching grade school children at Castellar Elementary in New Chinatown, many of whom speak little English at home. The author reflects on the challenges facing Asian American children in classrooms.
• Letter: R. C. Hoiles, 91, by Hitoshi Nitta, page 5. Hitoshi Nitta recalls newspaper publisher R.C. Hoiles, who opposed the evacuation and urged repeal of racist laws. Nitta describes the Orange County JACL’s appreciation for Hoiles’s wartime stance.
• Letter: Leo W. Butler, 66, by Sam Koshio, page 5. Sam Koshio mourns the death of Leo W. Butler, former superintendent of Fort Lupton schools, who befriended evacuee students. The Fort Lupton JACL had honored Butler for his contributions to Japanese Americans.
• Political Activism: Nisei Style, by By RAYMOND UNO, page 6. JACL President Raymond Uno’s speech to the NC-WNDC urges Nisei to become actively involved in politics as candidates and in party positions. He calls for political workshops, financial support for Nisei candidates, and mutual support within the community.
• Sansei Views Real Politics, by By LINDA McCREREY, page 6. Honolulu Advertiser reporter Linda McCreary profiles David Hagino, a 23-year-old Sansei Democrat who lost a Waikiki-Moiliili legislative bid. Hagino discusses his legislative aide experience and his views on young leadership and urban issues.
• Hunt for Sakini, by By MANCHESTER FU, page 6. Director Lawrence Kasha explains that he could not find an Oriental actor for the role of Sakini in the musical Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen, despite auditions. The JACL had organized protests against the casting.

In-Depth

• Racial Identity Not Hindrance, Panel of Japanese American Politicos Hold, by By PATRICK MURPHY, page 1. A panel of Japanese American political figures told a Berkeley JACL audience that racial identity does not hinder access to political office. Panelists including Ray Uno urged young people to enter politics early and take definite stands on issues.
• East Bay Issei Taking Charge, by Dennis Yotsuya, page 4. East Bay Sansei students and Issei are developing an Issei drop-in center in Berkeley to address loneliness and alienation among older Japanese Americans. The project grew from a summer program that met the cultural needs of Issei poorly served by mainstream senior centers.

Military & Veterans

• Japan Army General Who Commanded Troops at Kiska Saved 20,000 Jews, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Memorial services were held for Kichiro Higuchi, a former Imperial Army lieutenant general credited with saving about 20,000 Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution in 1938. Higuchi sent trains to bring the refugees from the Soviet border to Harbin.
• Nisei Veteran Honored at Marysville, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A wounded 442nd veteran was recognized in a 25-years-ago feature from the Pacific Citizen archive. The item recalls wartime service of Japanese American soldiers.

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