Repealing the Detention Act, and Dr. Hayakawa’s speech to JACL

Vol. 68, No. 20, May 16, 1969. 6 pages. View this issue

The campaign to repeal Title II of the Internal Security Act of 1950, the law that allows detention camps, led this six-page issue. Three more groups passed repeal resolutions: the National Association of Social Workers, the California Democratic Council and the American Jewish Congress. The San Jose City Council voted 6-1 to back repeal. On page 6, Senator Daniel Inouye’s statement and a JACL letter from Mike Masaoka appear with editorials from the San Francisco Chronicle, the Chicago Daily News and the Los Angeles Times. Jerry Enomoto, the national JACL president, wrote about a JACL program to help the Yellow Brotherhood, a group of ex-delinquents, get young people back into school.

Dr. S. I. Hayakawa’s talk at the NC-WNDC banquet in Turlock drew several responses, including a challenge to Nisei from Ray Okamura. Also inside: the Wakamatsu Colony story told to Congress as part of the Japanese Immigration Centennial program, plans for the 1970 Chicago convention, and Bill Hosokawa’s column on a stormy Denver week.

What’s in this issue

National

• Three More Organizations Join Campaign to Kill Detention Act, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National Association of Social Workers, California Democratic Council, and American Jewish Congress have passed resolutions urging repeal of Title II of the Internal Security Act of 1950. The resolutions followed JACL delegates’ efforts to build support for the repeal campaign.
• San Jose City Council Backs Title II Repeal, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The San Jose City Council voted 6-1 to endorse repeal of Title II of the Internal Security Act of 1950. The move follows the JACL’s adoption of repeal as part of its program at the 1968 national convention.
• Provincial Cabinet Ousts Judge Kurata, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Ontario Provincial Cabinet removed Judge Lucien C. Kurata from the bench after an inquiry found him unfit to serve due to misbehavior. Justice Donald A. Keith’s 221-page report rejected Kurata’s testimony on most major points of conflict.
• Pay Raise Issue to Federally Impacted Schools, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Hawaii legislators debated a pay raise bill for teachers and an impacted schools funding crisis after federal budget cuts. The article covers the proposed salary ranges and school impact in the state.

Commentary

• Student Aid, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. JACL National President Jerry Enomoto praises the JACL’s approved program supporting the Yellow Brotherhood, a group of ex-delinquents helping young people return to school. He argues that self-help is the true path to rehabilitation and that JACL serves the community by encouraging it.
• A Dark and Stormy Night, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Bill Hosokawa describes a rare four-day rainstorm in Denver and reflects on the flooding it causes. He also recounts news of his father-in-law’s death and a visit to Colorado’s state penitentiary.
• Pepper Pot: Ruy Okamura, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Pepper Pot column reports on the JACL Oregon Nisei Veterans and other groups’ scholarship awards to high school graduates in Portland. It also notes recognition given to outstanding students at the Portland JACL banquet.
• Text of Inouye Comments, JACL Letter to Kleindienst, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The article reprints Senator Daniel Inouye’s statement criticizing Deputy Attorney General Richard Kleindienst’s reported remark about detention camps, and the JACL letter from Mike Masaoka urging Kleindienst to support repeal of the Emergency Detention Act.
• Concentration Camps Should Be Outlawed, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The San Francisco Chronicle editorial supports Senators Alan Cranston and Daniel Inouye’s effort to repeal the 1950 authorization for federal detention camps. It argues the law has embarrassed the nation and frightened citizens without serving any purpose.
• Detention Law Should Go, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Chicago Daily News editorial calls for repeal of the Emergency Detention Act, noting that the designated camp sites are unused but the law remains a source of misunderstanding. It urges Congress to remove the dangerous provision.
• U.S. Needs No Concentration Camps, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Los Angeles Times editorial argues the federal government should not retain power to detain citizens during security emergencies without due process. It endorses the bipartisan effort in Congress to repeal the Emergency Detention Act.
• Eminent Japanese Americans, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Pacific Citizen editors describe their efforts to compile a list of eminent Japanese Americans from the Nisei of the Biennium honors. They explain how the award categories have evolved since 1950.
• We Don’t Shut Off Our Hearing Aid to Opposition, by Alfred Hatate, page 6. PSWDC Governor Alfred Hatate reflects on the Pacific Southwest District Convention and newspaper coverage of Dr. Hayakawa’s speech. He defends the principle of listening to all viewpoints and offers advice on conducting business sessions and respecting Junior JACL donors.
• Accent on Youth, by Joe Oyama, page 6. Joe Oyama discusses the middle-class economic realities that may be pricing young adults out of JACL activities. He argues the organization should reconsider its costs to include younger members.
• Roger’s Dodgers, by Roger Nikaido, page 6. Roger Nikaido’s column in the Pacific Citizen discusses Japanese nightclub hostesses in Tokyo and the growing demand for American bar hostesses. He comments on the cultural exchange trend of Japanese and American men seeking foreign companions.
• Stay Hep!, by Frank Sakamoto, page 6. Frank Sakamoto’s column humorously comments on generational language and trends. He describes a conversation with a young person about letting loose and the generational gap it reveals.

Community

• ‘Most Complicated Man,’ Says Okamoto, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Yoichi Okamoto, former White House photographer, recalled President Lyndon Johnson as a complicated, demanding man who was very sensitive to criticism. Okamoto spoke at an international communications arts conference in Miami.
• Sansei Students in San Francisco Seek Asian Studies at High School, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Students of the United Asian American Students group at George Washington High School in San Francisco presented recommendations to school officials. The proposals include hiring Asian American teachers, bilingual classes, and an Asian American history course.
• NC-WNDC Continues Aid for Summer Tutorial Work, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Northern California-Western Nevada-Idaho District Council approved $500 for a San Francisco JACL tutorial program and $250 for a Sacramento Junior JACL request. The council also reported progress on the Issei Centennial fundraising drive.
• Safety Messages in Nihongo Initiated, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Honolulu traffic officials began broadcasting safety messages in Japanese on radio and television to reach Oahu drivers with limited English. The effort aims to communicate traffic safety to all drivers.
• Hayakawa Addresses NC-WN JACL Banquet, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Dr. S. I. Hayakawa, acting president of San Francisco State College, urged Japanese Americans to take a more active role in helping other minorities at the NC-WNDC banquet in Turlock. He drew on the history of Jewish Americans and the Japanese American experience with discrimination.
• Angry Students Disrupt B’nai B’rith Presentation of Award to Dr. Hayakawa, by P.C. Staff, page 3. About 200 angry Jewish students disrupted a B’nai B’rith Man of the Year award presentation to Dr. S. I. Hayakawa in Oakland. Rabbis and speakers criticized the choice, and many protesters walked out during the ceremony.
• Sacramento JACL Aids Ethnic Study Classes in Colleges, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Sacramento JACL endorsed Asian American studies programs at UC Davis and Sacramento City College. A similar endorsement was requested for Sacramento State College, where an Oriental Student Association seeks support.
• Dr. Hayakawa’s Rise in Popularity Hardly Surprising, Says Newscaster, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Seattle newscaster Bob Roberts commented that Dr. S. I. Hayakawa’s rising popularity as a potential Democratic vote getter in California is unsurprising given his stand on academic order. Roberts praised him for standing firm against campus disorder.
• Midwest District Youth Council Workshop Attracts Crowd, by Rod K. Henmi, page 4. The Midwest Youth Council held its annual spring workshop in St. Louis with 118 attendees discussing morality and modern society. The weekend also included social events, business sessions, and installation of new officers.
• Detroit JACLers Exhorted to Become Involved in Civil Rights, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Detroit Common Council member Mel Ravitz urged members of the Detroit JACL to become involved in civil and human rights at the chapter’s installation dinner. Awards were also presented to local members at the event.
• Young Adult’s View of Hayakawa’s Address: A Challenge to Nisei, by Ray Okamura, page 4. Ray Okamura, a young JACL member, criticizes the Nisei audience for standing to applaud Dr. Hayakawa at the Turlock banquet. He argues Nisei should stop accepting their oppression and start acting with self-respect.
• Oregon Nisei Veterans Establish New Scholarship in Memory of Sansei, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Eighty-four high school and college graduates were honored at the Portland JACL awards banquet, and the Oregon Nisei Veterans awarded new scholarships for Sansei killed in Vietnam. Several other organizations also presented scholarships.

JACL

• Five Utahns Named Judges for National JACL Undergraduate Scholarships, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Five Utah residents have been named judges for the National JACL undergraduate scholarship program. The article profiles each judge, including Dr. A. Ray Olpin, a former president of the University of Utah who speaks fluent Japanese.
• 1970 JACL Confab Board Seeks Help, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Chicago JACL is hosting the 21st biennial National JACL Convention July 14-18, 1970, at the Palmer House. The convention board under chairman Hiro Mayeda has announced committee chairmen and is seeking volunteers for open positions.
• Wakamatsu Colony Story Told to Congress, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Congressman Harold T. Johnson formally launched the Japanese Immigration Centennial program with remarks about the Wakamatsu Colony dedication. The year-long celebration was mandated by the National JACL Council and includes events in the U.S. and Japan.

Incarceration & Redress

• Wakamatsu Colony Story Told to Congress, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Congressman Harold T. Johnson entered remarks into the Congressional Record honoring the June 7 dedication of a historical landmark at the site of the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Colony in El Dorado County. The celebration is part of the national JACL Japanese Immigration Centennial program.

Sports

• The Foul Line: Gary Yamauchi, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Columnist Richard Gima profiles bowler Montie O’Quinn and his views on bowling skill and instruction. He argues that rhythm and dedication are key to bowling success and that high-average bowlers are not always the best teachers.

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