JACL tour to Japan, plus a railroad firing claim from 1942

Vol. 65, No. 17, October 27, 1967. 6 pages. View this issue

The JACL Japan Tour was the thread through this six-page issue. National President Jerry Enomoto described the send-off at San Francisco Airport in his column, and the paper followed the group to Tokyo. Foreign Minister Takeo Miki urged tour leaders to use the Japanese language, U.S. Ambassador U. Alexis Johnson briefed nearly 100 members, and Harry K. Honda wrote about the group’s first morning in the city. Another front-page story covered Hashime Saito, who sought compensation for his Issei father, fired by Union Pacific Railroad in February 1942 for being Japanese. The case continues on page two.

Other pages carry Mike Masaoka on immigration amendments, Bill Hosokawa on Chinese American friends and Betty Lee Sung’s book Mountain of Gold, and Yosh Hotta on a Civil Rights Commission study of racial isolation in schools. Rep. Patsy Mink’s call to halt bombing in North Vietnam and the National JACL Credit Union’s student loans also appear.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Vicarious Thrill, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. Enomoto describes the excitement of seeing JACL members off on the Japan tour from San Francisco airport. He also reflects on a testimonial honoring San Francisco Issei pioneers and notes changes to the paper’s deadlines.
• Immigration Amendments, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Masaoka reports that Senator Kennedy and Congressman Celler introduced bills to remove remaining inequities in the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952. He summarizes provisions of interest to JACL, including visa appeals, parental preference, and naturalization changes.
• East Wind: All Look Alike, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The columnist reflects on the common stereotype that Orientals all look alike and recounts being mistaken for a Chinese man at a restaurant. He notes shared pronunciations and ancient lore linking Chinese and Japanese people.
• From the Poa Frying Pan: Sons of Cathay, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa recalls Chinese American friends from his youth and college days. He reviews Betty Lee Sung’s book Mountain of Gold, which addresses distorted stereotypes of Chinese Americans.
• Ghost Stories, by Jim Henry, page 3. Henry discusses the enduring popularity of Japanese ghost stories, including the Yotsuya Kaidan tale of Oiwa. He also describes a modern ghost rumored in Yamakawa and a ghost show at a Tokyo cabaret.
• Elections Coming Up, by Russell Obana, page 3. Obana urges outgoing and incoming Jr. JACL officers to set clear goals and purposes for their chapters. He encourages involving new members and working with advisors to define direction.
• Run, Paul, Run, by Alan Kumamoto, page 4. Kumamoto uses a convention queen contest question about facing death to explore personal values. He then discusses minority identity and four possible aims minorities may pursue.
• Smog City, by Jeffrey Matsui, page 4. Matsui criticizes Los Angeles politicians and citizens for tolerating severe smog. He urges readers to send postcards to politicians demanding action.
• Horatio Alger attitude key to success, by Todd Endo, page 4. Endo reports on interviews with Boston students who believed individuals alone control their progress, citing Horatio Alger stories. He argues society also has a responsibility to remove unjust barriers.
• Racial Isolation in Schools: Civil Rights Commission says segregation harmful to all, by Yosh Hotta, page 4. Hotta summarizes a U.S. Commission on Civil Rights monograph finding that racial isolation in schools harms all children. The piece reviews compensatory education, magnet schools, and desegregation approaches.
• Father Clement Reports, by Father Clement, page 6. Father Clement describes his cross-country trip from California to Pennsylvania and visits with JACL friends along the way. He also reports on his temporary assignment at the Maryknoll house in Clarks Summit.
• Where JACL Can Help Fight Negro’s Employment Fears, by Don Hayashi, page 6. Hayashi argues that Japanese Americans experience little job discrimination, while Negroes face significant employment barriers. He urges JACL to support civil rights efforts and address minority employment problems.
• Editor’s Desk: Tokyo, We Are Here, by Harry K. Honda, page 6. The editor describes the JACL Japan Tour group’s first morning in Tokyo and reflects on its experiences. He notes observations about Japanese society, including housewives’ household management and high real estate prices.
• Old Timers: Are JACL leaders getting too old?, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The column questions whether JACL boards at chapter, district, and national levels are dominated by long-serving members. It suggests term limits and constitutional changes to bring in new leaders.

Community

• Credit Union Reveals Student Loans, by Hito Okada, page 1. The National JACL Credit Union has become a lender under the Federally Insured Student Loan Program. Members’ children can borrow up to specified annual and total limits for undergraduate and graduate study.
• American florists styles wow floral designers in Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Los Angeles florist Art Ito lectured to over 1,600 Japanese florists on American flower design, speaking in Japanese. His demonstrations drew packed crowds across several Japanese cities.
• Professor to speak on Japan culture, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. John C. Kimura will present a lecture on Japan’s cultural geography at the Institute of Japanese Language and Culture in West Los Angeles. The lecture is open to the public.
• Isles educator Kanda to quit, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Honolulu District School Superintendent Stephen Kanda will retire after more than 41 years in Hawaii’s public school system due to health problems. He reflected on his career beginning as a teaching principal in 1926.
• Miki tells tour leaders to speak Japanese to understand heritage, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Foreign Minister Takeo Miki urged Japanese Americans to use the Japanese language to better understand their heritage during a meeting with JACL Japan Tour leaders. The conversation took place in both English and Japanese.
• ELA Jr. JACL Chapter formed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. More than 100 JACLers attended the first meeting of the East Los Angeles Jr. JACL at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. District youth officials and representatives from kin clubs were present.
• Talented young Suzuki violinists perform for spellbound audience at Lincoln Center, by Joe Oyama, page 1. Young students of Dr. Shinichi Suzuki’s Talent Education method performed at Lincoln Center’s Philharmonic Hall. The performers, aged six to fifteen, impressed the audience with works by Corelli, Mozart, Vivaldi, and Bach.
• WLA Auxiliary Elections Held, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The West Los Angeles JACL Auxiliary elected a new cabinet for 1968 at a dinner meeting in Century City. Mrs. Denby Nakashima will serve as president, and plans for a December Holiday Fun Fair were discussed.

National

• Representative Mink joins halt bomb group, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Patsy Mink joined 30 Congressmen urging President Johnson to halt bombing of North Vietnam. The group cited Defense Secretary McNamara’s questioning of expanded air attacks.
• JACLers Briefed By Ambassador, by P.C. Staff, page 1. U.S. Ambassador U. Alexis Johnson briefed nearly 100 JACL tour members at the embassy residence in Tokyo. He described healthy U.S.-Japan relations and discussed trade issues and the security treaty.

Incarceration & Redress

• Nisei claims dad’s discharge by railroad during WW2 illegal, seeks compensation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Hashime Saito is seeking compensation for his Issei father, who was fired by Union Pacific Railroad in February 1942 for being Japanese. He has petitioned the National Railroad Adjustment Board, arguing the dismissal was illegal and discriminatory.
• Nisei claims dad’s discharge by railroad during WW2 illegal, seeks compensation (continued), by P.C. Staff, page 2. Union Pacific submitted a rebuttal arguing that wartime security concerns justified removing Japanese nationals from railroad service. The railroad also contended Saito waived objections by not requesting a hearing.

Military & Veterans

• Ponder reason Army over Navy, by Lyle Nelson, page 1. Hawaii Star-Bulletin writer Lyle Nelson examines why few island boys of Japanese ancestry enlist in the Navy compared to the Army. Recruiters offer varying explanations, including the legacy of the 442nd and 100th.
• Vietnam Casualty Report, by P.C. Staff, page 1. First Lieutenant Lawrence Gallego, husband of Karen Oyanagi, was killed in a helicopter accident while evacuating wounded men in Vietnam. A full military funeral was held at Rose City Methodist Church in Oregon.
• Conference Report: Rights and Responsibilities entwined in good citizenship, by Richard Okabe, page 2. JACL MDYC Chairman Richard Okabe reports on the National Conference on Citizenship in Washington, D.C. Speakers emphasized youth’s challenge and responsibility in democracy.

JACL

• Nobe grant reminder out, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A reminder was issued that the Dr. Mutsumi Nobe Memorial Graduate Scholarship application deadline is October 31, 1967. The $500 grant is for male Japanese American graduate students in biological or physical sciences or engineering.

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