Crisis in U.S.-Japan relations, and a lawsuit over the 1970 JACL convention

Vol. 73, No. 11, September 10, 1971. 6 pages. View this issue

Mike Masaoka’s column returned to open this six-page issue, and it set the tone. Masaoka wrote that relations between the United States and Japan may be at their most critical point since the end of World War II, and the front page followed that thread with news of Japan’s public relations push in the U.S., burned Japanese flags in Salt Lake City, and Sachi Seko’s warning of “another Dec. 7” for Nikkei. A $1.25 million suit against the Palmer House Hotel over the 1970 National JACL convention, where Evelynn Okubo was killed, also ran on page one.

Other pages carried Bill Hosokawa’s report on a JACL Planning Commission session, a note that JACL membership stood at 24,491, and David Ushio’s column on the needs of poor Issei. Letters from Jerome R. Waldie and Fred Hirasuna took up the farm labor issue, and George Yoshinaga wrote from Sao Paulo, Brazil.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Crisis in U.S.-Japan Relations, by Mike Masaoka, page 1. Masaoka argues that U.S.-Japan relations are at a critical juncture after recent Nixon administration policy shifts on China and economics. He calls for renewed understanding and partnership between the two nations.
• Plight of Issei Needy, by David Ushio, page 2. Ushio responds to a Nisei friend’s belief that Japanese Americans always care for their own elderly, citing surveys showing many Issei live in poverty and neglect. He argues that the myth hides the real needs of isolated Issei.
• Capital Scene, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa reports on a JACL Planning Commission session where members discussed how to attract 25-40 year old Sansei and Nisei into JACL membership. The discussion covered image problems, insurance and membership drive ideas.
• Another ‘Dec. 7’ for Nikkei seen, by Sachi Seko, page 4. Seko, editor of the Salt Lake JACL Newsletter, warns that rising US-Japan economic tensions and Nixon’s China policy may force Nisei to unite as a political voice again. She argues JACL is the only national body that must be re-evaluated and strengthened.
• Editor’s Desk: Planning Commission tapes, by Barry K. Honda, page 6. The editor introduces transcribed extracts from the recent JACL Planning Commission meeting, explaining how they were edited for print. He notes the commission’s composition and suggests long-range planning and committee structure as future priorities.
• Farm labor issue, by Jerome R. Waldie, page 6. Congressman Jerome Waldie praises Warren Furutani’s earlier report on farm labor as a fair and comprehensive treatment of a complex subject. The letter commends the Pacific Citizen for its coverage.
• Farm labor letter from Fred Hirasuna, by Fred Hirasuna, page 6. Hirasuna, of the Nisei Farmers League, criticizes UFWOC tactics including secondary boycotts, coercive organizing, and picket violence. He argues that workers should decide through secret-ballot elections and that the Cory Bill needs modification.
• The Creature That Surfaces: Amazon at Dawn, by George Yoshinaga, page 6. Yoshinaga describes flying over the Amazon at dawn and arriving in smoggy Sao Paulo, Brazil, where he finds a large Japanese community. He comments on language barriers, taxis, and the city’s disappointing conditions.

Incarceration & Redress

• Palmer House sued for $1.25 million, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A $1.25 million damage suit was filed against the Palmer House Hotel on behalf of two Japanese American girls who were stabbed at the 1970 National JACL convention. One victim, Evelynn Okubo, was killed, and the suit alleges inadequate hotel security.
• GIs abandon ‘hanayome’, by Associated Press, page 1. Many Japanese war brides in the Los Angeles area have been abandoned by their American GI husbands, leaving them in poverty. The Oriental Service Center estimates about 2,000 such wives in the area and deals with about 50 cases a year.

Community

• Hawaii life style ‘beautiful’ set up as rest of U.S. just starting that way, by Leonard Lu, page 1. Honolulu Advertiser writer Leonard Lu profiles Lang Akana, a multiethnic local youth who praises Hawaii’s racial harmony after attending a national youth conference. Akana contrasts Hawaii with the mainland’s racial tensions.
• Japan flags on display in Peace Garden burned, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japanese flags in an international display at Salt Lake City’s Peace Gardens were burned by vandals. The Salt Lake JACL newsletter reported the incident as a possible sign of economic tension between the U.S. and Japan.
• Race tension over choice of Parlier police chief affects Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Tension in Parlier escalated after a council-appointed white reserve officer was chosen as police chief over a Mexican American candidate. The mayor was arrested on suspicion of arson after a store fire, and picketing of councilmen’s businesses continued.
• S.F. Chinese lose appeal to stop school bussing, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Justice William O. Douglas rejected an appeal by Chinese parents seeking to halt court-ordered school bussing in San Francisco. Parents argued the bussing violated their cultural heritage and constitutional rights.
• Korean youth engaged in forming L.A. area directory, by Rafu Shimpo, page 2. A government-funded group of Korean teenagers is compiling a directory of the 30,000 Korean residents in Los Angeles County to improve communication among the splintered community. The project is coached by volunteer Debbie Shon.
• San Mateo senior citizen project proves heartwarming for volunteers, by Mary Tamura, Hash Hashiguchi, Mary Tsuda, page 2. The San Mateo JACL’s Issei senior program, Tkoi no Tomo, meets weekly with about 35 participants for crafts, games, and folk dancing. Volunteers seek more help with transportation and volunteer teachers.
• Keiro-no-Hi set for Sept. 19, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Four San Francisco organizations will host an Issei Appreciation Day on September 19 with entertainment, door prizes, and tea. The event honors San Francisco Issei and is free of admission.
• JACL membership nearing 25,000, by P.C. Staff, page 4. National JACL active membership reached 24,491 as of August 31, with San Fernando Valley JACL becoming the 19th chapter to attain an all-time high this year. The chapter has set new records for 13 consecutive years.

National

• ‘Something ugly’ hitting Hawaiian aloha spirit, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Former Interior Secretary Stewart Udall criticized a recent masked assault on American Youth Hostels tourists on Kauai as a sign of ugliness in Hawaii’s social climate. He compared vigilante behavior to the Ku Klux Klan.
• Japan in big pitch to boost its image in U.S., by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japan’s Foreign Ministry plans to request 540 million yen for a fiscal 1972 public relations campaign in the United States. The effort aims to ease trade tensions and explain Japanese economic policy to Americans.
• Ethnic heritage act due House action, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The House was expected to consider the Senate-passed Education Amendments of 1971, which include the Ethnic Heritage Studies Centers Act. The National Confederation of American Ethnic Groups also formed a coordinating committee for an October ethnic conference.
• Japan Defense Agency seeks 20% increase, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Japan’s Self-Defense Agency will request a budget increase of 22.6 percent for next year. The buildup calls for ships, aircraft, tanks, and missile facilities but not additional manpower.

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