Youth, health plans and a Nisei bid for Congress in 1968

Vol. 66, No. 10, March 8, 1968. 6 pages. View this issue

Jerry Enomoto, the JACL national president, opened this six-page issue with the Youth Explore Sacramento program, which brought teenagers of many racial and religious backgrounds together ahead of a March 16 convention. Also on the front page: San Jose attorney Grayson Taketa announced he would seek the Democratic nomination for Congress, and the JACL major medical plan reached Oregon members and the Cortez Growers Association. Yosh Hotta wrote on efforts to repeal California’s Rumford Fair Housing Act, and a news story described how a radio host’s false claim about Chief Justice Earl Warren and the Evacuation was challenged.

Columns include Bill Hosokawa on why these old issues keep coming up, Alan Kumamoto on talking across generations, and George Yasukochi on the Vietnam War. Other stories report on the choice of Rev. Takashi Tsuji as head of the Buddhist Churches of America, a Canadian claim over land taken during World War II, and the JACL oratorical and essay contests.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• Youth Explore Sacramento Program Promotes Racial and Religious Understanding, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. National JACL President Jerry Enomoto describes the Youth Explore Sacramento program, a pilot effort bringing together teenagers of diverse backgrounds to promote understanding, culminating in a March 16 convention. He also reports on Sacramento JACL installation events and his visits with southland staff regarding the Executive Reorganization proposal.
• Heritage for the Future: JACL Oratorical and Essay Contests, by Shirley Matsumura, page 2. The National JACL Oratorical and Essay Contests for youths aged 16 to 21 are announced, with the 1968 convention theme ‘JACL Heritage for the Future.’ Rules, judging criteria, prizes, and eligibility are outlined for contestants.

National

• Grayson Taketa of San Jose Plans to Run for U.S. Congress, by P.C. Staff, page 1. San Jose attorney Grayson Taketa, 33, announced he will seek the Democratic nomination for the 10th congressional district seat held by Rep. Charles Gubser, becoming the first mainland Nisei to bid for Congress. Taketa, a Vietnam-era hawk who supports President Johnson’s Vietnam policy, outlined his background and civic involvement.
• California Fair Housing Act Still Subjected to Repeal Tries, by Yosh Hotta, page 2. Efforts to repeal or weaken California’s Rumford Fair Housing Act continue in the 1968 legislative session, led by the California Real Estate Association. Hotta reviews the legislative landscape, including Assemblyman Willie Brown’s appointment that is seen as making repeal unlikely to pass.
• Negro Ghettos Still Hear Detention Camp Rumors, by Paul W. Valentine, page 2. A Washington Post survey finds a widespread belief among urban Black Americans that the federal government is preparing concentration camps for ghetto residents if summer rioting erupts. Officials deny any such preparations, though the McCarran Act detention camps remain legally available under emergency conditions.

Community

• Oregon JACLers Now Enrolling in Group Major Medical Plan, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Oregon members of the Pacific Northwest JACL District Council are being enrolled in the Capitol Life Insurance Co. JACL major medical plan. District Governor Henry Kato said Washington residents may apply soon, and the plan was chosen after a thorough investigation of available options.
• Cortez Growers Join JACL Blue Shield Plan, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Cortez Growers Association, a group of Japanese American fruit growers in Turlock, voted to switch its group health insurance to the JACL-California Blue Shield plan. A comparison showed the JACL plan offers broader basic benefits and a $15,000 major medical supplement versus the association’s former limited coverage.
• Nisei to Be Elevated Bishop of Buddhist Churches of America, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The BCA national council selected Canada-born Rev. Takashi Tsuji, its bureau of education director, to succeed Dr. Shinsho Hanayama as bishop effective June 1. Tsuji, 48, will be the first English-speaking head of the church and the youngest ever to hold the post.
• Dr. George Togasaki Gains New Honor as Berkeley Fellow, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Dr. George Kiyoshi Togasaki, president-elect of Rotary International, was named a charter member of the newly created University of California Berkeley Fellows honorary society. The group of 100 fellows was established as part of the university’s centennial celebration.
• NC Health Plan Expands Coverage, Open Enrollment Extended to Mar. 31, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The JACL-California Blue Shield group health plan adds $5,000 in major medical coverage, bringing it to $15,000, with no rate increase for the coming year. Open enrollment for the 14 participating Northern California and Western Nevada chapters is extended through March 31.
• Placer Community Picnic Set for April 21, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Placer County JACL’s 20th annual community picnic is scheduled for April 21 at the JACL Recreation Park in Penryn. Committee chairmen were named for games, food, prizes, and an Issei entertainment program featuring Japanese movies.
• How Much Do We Care?, by Michael Odanaka, page 4. Odanaka, writing after returning from college, criticizes the Chicago JACL and Jr. JACL for minimal involvement in civil rights despite claims of leadership. He calls on members to take concrete action and challenges the chapter to stop being unconcerned.

Sports

• ASU Coach Bill Kajikawa Inducted into Arizona Basketball Hall of Fame, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Bill Kajikawa, a 1937 ASU graduate and longtime coach, was inducted into the Arizona Basketball Hall of Fame at a banquet in Tempe. He was honored for his contributions as a player and coach in high school and college.

Commentary

• Enomoto Column: Board Discussion on Convention and Reorganization, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. National President Enomoto reports on staff meetings in Los Angeles and discussions with officers about the Executive Reorganization proposal. He encourages chapters to evaluate the draft proposals and prepare delegates to vote at the convention.
• It Keeps Coming Up, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa reflects on why the Nisei press continues to write about the Evacuation and discrimination, noting that high school teachers asked him to explain the wartime removal in detail. He argues that renewed national soul-searching over racial justice keeps these issues alive.
• Cold Prevention, by Jeffrey Matsui, page 4. Matsui offers a humorous, tongue-in-cheek plan for preventing the common cold involving liquid diets, alcohol-laced citrus juices, and chilled drinks. He concludes by admitting his personal cold-fighting streak ended when he caught a cold.
• West Wind: Home, by Yosh Hotta, page 4. Hotta reflects on the meaning of home, recounting a friend who moved from Kansas to California and Yonemura’s instinct to touch the soil of Japan. He suggests the JACL, like its members, is seeking a lasting home and deeper roots.
• Nitty Gritty, by Alan Kumamoto, page 4. Kumamoto argues that real communication between youth and adults is often replaced by platitudes and assumptions, and urges both groups to engage openly on basic issues. He calls on adults to listen and on youth to use their resources to take responsibility.
• A Pig in a Poke, by Harold Gordon, page 5. Gordon explains how the 1965 Immigration Act amendment, despite its promise, has created new obstacles for skilled immigrants, particularly through labor clearance requirements. He warns that the elimination of individual country quotas on July 1, 1968 will further restrict skilled workers without relatives in the U.S.
• Sounding Board: Vietnam and Shared Responsibility, by George Yasukochi, page 6. Yasukochi urges the JACL to inform members about the Vietnam War, noting the personal toll on families and communities. He argues that democracy requires an informed citizenry and that the organization should facilitate education on the issue.

Incarceration & Redress

• Nisei Groups Duty-Bound to Correct Misstatements About Evacuation, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Amid renewed talk of concentration camps, Edison Uno challenged radio host Ray Taliaffero’s false claim that Chief Justice Earl Warren had repeatedly apologized for his role in the Evacuation. The article urges Nisei groups to supply the media with informed speakers on the constitutional history of the Evacuation.
• Canada Evacuee Asks $1.5 Million for Land Misdeal, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Torazo and Mrs. Iwasaki seek $1.5 million in compensation from the federal government for 640 acres of Saltspring Island land confiscated during World War II. A Vancouver judge ordered their statement of claim clarified before proceeding.

Military & Veterans

• Reedley Nisei Killed Near Vietnam DMZ, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Pfc. Terry Ogami, son of Reedley residents, was killed in action near the DMZ on Feb. 19 while serving with a cavalry unit assisting marines. The 21-year-old had enlisted in 1966 and was scheduled to return to the United States within a month.

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