Fair housing and a JACL goodwill tour to Japan

Vol. 65, No. 15, October 13, 1967. 6 pages. View this issue

Fair housing ran through the front page of this six-page issue. National JACL President Jerry Enomoto criticized the California Real Estate Association for its fight against the Rumford Act, and in a second column defended the president of San Jose State College for cancelling a football game over racial equality concerns. The JACL’s first official tour also made the news: 100 members were set to leave San Francisco for 14 days in Japan, led by Pat Okura and Masao Satow. Harry Honda wrote about how quickly the tour filled.

Other front-page stories covered a California bill giving war relocation leave credit to state employees, Jennette Hayakawa’s perfect 300 game in San Francisco, and a report on Japanese immigrants in 19th-century Hawaii by Allan Beekman. Inside are columns from Ron Nakayama, Alan Kumamoto and Yosh Hotta, a film review, a piece on Japanese in Brazil by Jim Henry, and an immigration Q&A.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• Professionalizing the Real Estate Business, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. National JACL President Jerry Enomoto criticizes the California Real Estate Association for opposing fair housing and seeking repeal of the Rumford Act. He contrasts this with Denver’s realtors, who accepted an open housing law after a failed opposition campaign.
• More Controversy, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. Enomoto defends San Jose State College’s president for cancelling a football game over threats tied to racial equality concerns. He argues the real issue is correcting unequal treatment of Negro students and criticizes politicians who denounced the decision.
• Sounding Board, by Marion Glasser, page 4. The columnist argues that American intellectuals and youths are excessively critical of their country, comparing the nation unfavorably with others. The piece suggests that fair comparisons would show America ahead.
• Accent on Youth, by Alan Kumamoto, page 4. The column reflects on its own reception and humorously discusses writing about youth issues. It touches on how readers recognize the writers without knowing their identities.
• Breaking the Law, by Ron Nakayama, page 4. The author examines whether there is a right to defy unjust laws, weighing civil disobedience used by draft resisters and civil rights activists. He concludes that exhausting legal avenues should come first, while acknowledging the frustration that drives protest.
• West Wind, by Yosh Hotta, page 4. A columnist reflects on the pleasant Indian summer weather and the family routines it brings. The piece is light and personal in tone.
• Point on Accent, by Joanne Kojima, page 4. Columnists discuss their readers’ reactions and the challenge of being recognized by name in the paper. The piece is a lighthearted reflection on writing a youth column.
• Immigration Question and Answer, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A Q&A explains that immigrants may not be admitted to an area where job openings exist only because of a labor dispute, but the applicant may choose another area. The answer draws on Department of Labor interpretations of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
• Editorial: Pacific Citizen Editorial, by Harry K. Honda, page 6. The editorial notes presidential messages to the Anti-Defamation League and argues JACL should consider charitable giving and philanthropy in the coming decade. It draws parallels between JACL’s goals and those of the ADL.
• Opinions on Evacuation, by John K. Yanagisawa, page 6. A University of Hawaii student seeks readers’ views on the Hirabayashi and Korematsu cases for a research thesis on legal restrictions and wartime evacuation. He asks for direct personal accounts.
• Battleship Maine, by Arthur T. Lou, page 6. A letter corrects a Washington Newsletter item, noting that the Battleship Maine exploded in Havana on February 15, 1898, and that seven Issei were among its dead. It also points to the USS Olympia in Philadelphia as a Spanish-American War landmark with Oriental crew members.
• By the Board: When Am I Going to Pack?, by Lily Okura, page 6. National board member Lily Okura reports on the Mountain Plains District reorganization and an upcoming district council meeting. She also raises the question of Omaha’s continued membership in the district and discusses selecting national nominees by quality.

Community

• San Gabriel Valley JACL Reactivated, Elects Officers, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The reactivated San Gabriel Valley JACL held its first postwar election, returning charter president Frank Tanaka to office. National JACL President Jerry Enomoto will install the officers at a November dinner-dance.
• Berkeley JACL Cites 5 Leaders, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Berkeley JACL honored more than 100 Issei and presented certificates of appreciation to five community leaders. The event also featured a salute to sister city Sakai.
• 3rd Nisei Woman Bowls Perfect Game, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Jennette Hayakawa became the third Nisei woman to bowl a perfect game, achieving the feat at Park Bowl in San Francisco. Her 300 is the first by any woman in the bowling alley’s 17-year history.
• Radio Showman Suggests Use of ‘Jappish’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Chicago radio host Don Cannon dismissed the offensiveness of the term ‘Jap’ on air. Longtime JACLer Berry Suzukida wrote in to explain why the term is derogatory, comparing it to slurs against Negroes and Jews.
• DWP Nisei Employee Restored Rights Retires, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Ernest Fukuda, one of four Nisei Los Angeles Department of Water and Power employees whose pension rights were restored by ballot initiative, retired after a career starting in 1928. He and his wife spent the war years at Amache and plan a trip to Japan.
• Spokane Church Preserves Issei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Spokane church is preserving the history of Issei members through photographs and records. The effort documents the congregation’s early Japanese pioneers.
• Capsules, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Brief news items cover entertainment, government appointments including Frank Ogawa to a human relations committee, Okinawan nationality reverting to Japanese, and agriculture. Also noted are business and music achievements in the Nisei community.
• Role of Japanese in History of Mexico Chronicled from Archives, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Researcher Koichi Olzumi found records in Mexican archives of 120 samurai who visited Mexico in 1613 and a Japanese soldier of the Mexican revolution. The article traces the connections between the samurai mission and later Japanese-Mexican families.

Military & Veterans

• War Relocation Leave Credit Authorized for Cal Employees, by P.C. Staff, page 1. AB 1607 extends war relocation leave credit to prewar California state employees of Japanese ancestry who were absent during the Evacuation and later returned. The measure was expanded from school personnel to include all eligible members of the State Employees Retirement System.

In-Depth

• Japanese Immigrants in Hawaii of 19th Century with High Expected Death Rate, by Allan Beekman, page 1. Robert Schmitt’s statistical study shows Japanese immigrants in 19th-century Hawaii had a mortality rate more than double the expected figure, higher than the aborigines. The authors attribute the neglect of this fact to the authorities treating Japanese laborers as an economic resource to exploit.
• Brazilians Favor Japanese, by Jim Henry, page 3. Brazilians admire Japanese immigrants for their work ethic, education, and national unity, with about 550,000 Japanese living in Brazil. The article describes their success in agriculture, industry, and politics across the country.

JACL

• 100 JACLers Poised for Japan Tour, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A 100-member JACL goodwill tour departs San Francisco for a 14-day visit to Japan, led by Pat Okura and Masao Satow. Itinerary includes Tokyo, Kyoto, and a meeting with Ambassador U. Alexis Johnson.
• Eight-Year Dream Come True: JACL’s First Official Tour Oversubscribed, by Harry Honda, page 1. The JACL Japan tour, first proposed eight years earlier, was oversubscribed within weeks of its announcement. Japan Air Lines called the early oversubscription unprecedented.

National

• New City Council for D.C., by Roger Nikaido, page 2. President Johnson appointed a five-Negro majority nine-member city council for Washington, D.C., with Walter E. Washington as the city’s first Negro chief executive. The appointments were praised by civil rights leaders as a milestone for the civil rights movement.

Arts & Entertainment

• Authors, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A column reviews a wave of recent books about Japan, including accounts of Japanese soldiers hiding on Guam and the Russo-Japanese War. It also notes memorable trivia about Hiroshima and early foreign contact with Japan.
• When the Sugar Cookie Crumbles, by Allan Beekman, page 3. A review of Daiei Studio’s film based on Ayako Sano’s novel, which loosely draws on the life of Marilyn Monroe. The film follows its protagonist through exploitation, failed relationships, and frustrated ambitions.

Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.