Repealing Title II, the Noguchi case, and Earl Warren’s retirement

Vol. 69, No. 1, July 4, 1969. 8 pages. View this issue

The Emergency Detention Act ran through this issue. Congressman Glenn Anderson warned that Title II of the Internal Security Act of 1950 threatens the civil liberties of all Americans, and Rep. Orval Hansen called it repugnant. Rep. Spark Matsunaga tied his tribute to retiring Chief Justice Earl Warren to the effort to repeal it. JACL President Jerry Enomoto praised Warren on the front page but regretted that he never answered a May 18 letter about the 1942 detention of Japanese Americans. The firing of Los Angeles county coroner Dr. Thomas Noguchi drew a column by attorney Godfrey Isaac and an editorial on Nisei attitudes toward racism.

Other pages cover the debate over the title of Bill Hosokawa’s book, with letters from Enomoto and Florence Yoshiwara, and the Yellow Brotherhood, a youth self-help group. Also here are the Nisei Week Festival schedule, Dr. Fumio Robert Naka’s Air Force appointment, and a Hawaii study of tooth decay.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Perspectives: Earl Warren, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. JACL President Jerry Enomoto praises retiring Chief Justice Earl Warren while expressing regret that Warren did not answer his May 18 letter requesting a statement on the unconstitutional detention of Japanese Americans in 1942. He calls the failure to acknowledge the letter a discourtesy unbecoming the Court’s dignity.
• Seattle Chapter Gadfly, by Joseph T. Okimoto, M.D., page 1. Dr. Joseph Okimoto, a Seattle JACL board member, argues that the chapter should examine the goals of the JACL rather than focusing on ego satisfaction and status for past officers. He questions whether the organization is serving its purpose and whether it can attract youth.
• Dr. Noguchi and the Nisei Fight for Justice, by Godfrey Isaac, page 3. Attorney Godfrey Isaac, addressing Sansei graduates and an Orange County audience, argues that silence in the face of injustice is betrayal. He urged young Japanese Americans to fight for individual dignity and due process in Dr. Noguchi’s case.
• Femininity, American Style, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Bill Hosokawa’s column From the Frying Pan reflects on Tokyo visits, friends, and food, including a Takarazuka musical and a Mongolian barbecue. He also notes Nisei journalists advancing in Japan.
• Sounding Board: Yesterday’s Liberals, by Jeffrey Matsui, page 4. Jeffrey Matsui argues that the JACL and Nisei must move beyond passive accommodation and get involved in civil rights issues, criticizing S.I. Hayakawa’s stance toward the Black community. He contends that Japanese Americans cannot stay comfortable while racial injustice spreads.
• Nisei Attitudes on Racism Tested in Noguchi Case, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial examines differing Nisei attitudes toward racism as revealed by the Noguchi hearing, from those who see discrimination as pure racism to those who reject the notion. It urges Nisei to think critically about discrimination within their own community.
• Pacific Citizen Editorial: ‘Dignity of the Individual’ and an Open Letter to Man, by Barry K. Honda, page 4. The editorial praises an ‘Open Letter to Man’ by Sy and Jill Miller calling for an end to the sexual objectification of women in advertising and media. It connects the message to the JACL’s belief in the dignity of the individual.
• Nisei: The Quiet Americans? A Letter on the Book Title, by Florence Yoshiwara, page 5. Florence Yoshiwara, a school district advisory specialist, argues that the title ‘Nisei: The Quiet Americans’ is inappropriate because it perpetuates a stereotype, citing violence and dissent in the camps, including Tule Lake and Amache. She urges a history that reflects the active struggles of Japanese Americans.
• Not a Black Problem, by Alan Kumamoto, page 5. A Portland writer criticizes a parade stunt that painted a mustache and beard on OSU coach Dee Andros in mockery of Black athletes’ protest. The writer argues the incident was an obscene insult to Black people and that the community should speak up against such racism.
• Yesterday’s Liberals / Sansei Slant: Patti Dohzen on the Yellow Brotherhood, by Patti Dohzen, page 6. National Youth Council chairman Patti Dohzen reports on a June 22 Yellow Brotherhood community dinner and the group’s mission to alleviate drug, fighting, and dropout problems among Oriental youth. She notes growing community support for the group.

JACL

• Quiet Americans? Controversy over book title, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. Enomoto addresses complaints from JACLers about the forthcoming Bill Hosokawa book title ‘Nisei: The Quiet Americans,’ which critics say perpetuates a stereotype. He defends the publisher’s judgment and notes the JACL Executive Committee of the Japanese American Research Project exercised its judgment on the title, which remains open to criticism.
• Youth Intern Appointed: David K. Takashima Joins JACL Staff, by P.C. Staff, page 6. David K. Takashima joined the Southern California JACL office on June 15 as the National JACL summer youth intern for three months. The program gives youth an opportunity to work on national JACL activities as a staff member.

Community

• TV Documentary on Wakamatsu Fete Produced, by Roy Yoshida, page 1. A KXTV documentary on the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Farm Colony centennial events at Gold Hill and El Dorado Ranch is being edited to run about 30 minutes. The Wakamatsu Centennial Committee also announced commemorative coins and booklets available by mail and to chapters.
• Nisei Week Festival Scheduled from Aug. 16 to 24, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The 29th annual Nisei Week Festival in Los Angeles is expected to draw about 100,000 visitors to Little Tokyo during August 16-24. Highlights include the Coronation Ball, the Aug. 24 parade, and cultural events.
• Noguchi Optimistic, Feels His Case Proved, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Ousted Los Angeles county coroner Dr. Thomas Noguchi, unemployed for nearly four months, expects reinstatement after the Civil Service Commission hearings concluded with final pleas. His attorney Godfrey Isaac argued the county failed to prove its charges, while county officials defended the dismissal.
• Yellow Brotherhood: Youth Self-Help Group, by Kats Kunitsugu, page 4. At a June 22 community dinner at the Crenshaw YMCA, members of the Yellow Brotherhood, a group of youths helping peers with drug, fighting, and dropout problems, described their turnarounds. Dr. David Miura praised the group for reaching outward and urged the community to support them.

National

• Anderson Sees Emergency Detention Act as Civil Rights Threat to All, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Congressman Glenn Anderson warned that the Emergency Detention Act of the Internal Security Act of 1950 threatens civil liberties of all Americans and urged colleagues to support its repeal. He cited the experience of Japanese Americans in World War II and a resolution from the Council for Civic Unity in San Francisco opposing the act.
• Idaho Rep. Hansen Calls Title II of 1950 Internal Security Act ‘Repugnant’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Orval Hansen co-sponsored legislation to strike Title II of the Internal Security Act of 1950, which authorized detention camps like those used against Japanese Americans in World War II. He called the law repugnant to legal traditions and an ongoing embarrassment to the Japanese American community.
• Majority of Japanese Favor Early Reversion of Ryukyus, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A May 1969 public opinion survey of 3,000 Japanese found a majority want Okinawa returned to Japanese jurisdiction as soon as possible. Respondents were also polled on the Mutual Security Pact with the United States and future defense policy.
• ILWU Auxiliaries Call for Repeal of Title II, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The ILWU Federated Auxiliaries at their 14th biennial convention in Seattle called for repeal of Title II of the Internal Security Act of 1950 by supporting the Inouye and Matsunaga-Holifield bills. The resolution urges separate legislation and copies sent to Congress.

Incarceration & Redress

• Japanese in U.S. Still a Minority, by Seattle Times, page 2. Nisei religious leaders Dr. Jitsuo Morikawa and Rev. Mineo Katagiri urged Japanese Americans to take a more aggressive role in fighting for their rights and those of other minorities. They argued that Japanese Americans’ destiny is more closely tied to Black Americans than to whites and that complacency about having arrived is misplaced.
• Matsunaga Pays Tribute to Retiring Chief Justice Warren in House Speech, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Rep. Spark Matsunaga praised retiring Chief Justice Earl Warren in a House speech, highlighting the Court’s role as an instrument of constructive social change. Matsunaga also tied Warren’s legacy to ongoing efforts to repeal Title II of the Internal Security Act.

Military & Veterans

• Time in WRA Camps Sought as Federal Service Time for Federally Employed, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Mort Kurotori proposed that time spent in relocation centers be recognized as federal service time for current federal employees who were interned. He argued the interned should receive additional Social Security credit as consolation.
• Los Angeles-Born Nisei Appointed Air Force Deputy Undersecretary, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Dr. Fumio Robert Naka, a Los Angeles native and chief scientist of MITRE Corporation, was appointed Deputy Undersecretary of the Air Force. His career includes radar work at MIT Lincoln Laboratory and service on governmental advisory groups.

In-Depth

• Link Tooth Decay to Race, Japanese Have Highest Rate, by William Helton, page 8. A University of Hawaii study led by Dr. Chung found that Oriental students have the highest rate of tooth decay in Hawaii, while Hawaiians and Filipinos show other patterns. The four-year project examines factors like diet, rice and candy consumption, and fluoridated water.

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