Vol. 59, No. 15, October 9, 1964. 4 pages. View this issue
California’s Proposition 14 was the main subject of this four-page issue. On the front page, JACL leaders and civil rights groups opposed the measure, which would permit racial discrimination in housing sales. They argued that it would undermine fair housing laws and open housing protections in the state. The page also reported on a National JACL Committee study of Japanese American employment in Seattle, Spokane and Portland, and on record JACL membership, with San Jose and San Francisco leading the large chapters.
Page 2 carries two editorials: one on an American Nazi party member’s stunt at a Hollywood benefit against Prop. 14, and one on election funds. A reader’s letter on Nisei in Japan is there too. Bill Hosokawa wrote on the Supreme Court hearing arguments on the Civil Rights Act, and page 4 looks ahead to a possible repeal of Washington State’s alien land law in 1966.
What’s in this issue
National
- Gov. Brown’s Power to Discriminate and Prop. 14 Opposed by JACL Leaders, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL and civil rights groups opposed California Proposition 14, which would permit racial discrimination in housing sales. Leaders argued the measure would undermine fair housing laws and open housing protections in the state.
- Employment Profile Study Underway in Pacific Northwest, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National JACL Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity began a preliminary study of Japanese American employment in Seattle, Spokane, and Portland. The survey aims to identify barriers and guide career counseling for young Nisei.
- Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Civil Rights Act, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. The Supreme Court heard arguments on the Civil Rights Act, with a decision possibly coming before the November 3 elections. The case concerns federal enforcement of equal rights protections.
Community
- JACL Membership Hits Record Mark; Chapters Take Big Lead, by P.C. Staff, page 1. National JACL membership reached new highs as chapters competed in membership drives this year. San Jose and San Francisco led the largest single chapters with strong renewal figures.
- Washington Land Law Repeal Expected in 1966, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Efforts to repeal Washington State’s alien land law were expected to succeed in 1966. The repeal would remove remaining legal restrictions on property ownership by Japanese Americans.
Commentary
- American Swastika, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The editorial condemns an American Nazi party member’s publicity stunt at a Hollywood benefit against Prop. 14. It argues that white supremacist ideology persists in the Ku Klux Klan, White Citizens Councils, and segregated northern communities.
- Election Funds, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The editorial compares British campaign finance restrictions with the far looser American system, where a single Senate race can cost millions. It warns that the link between money and electoral success is too close for democratic comfort.
- Nisei Can Find Himself in Japan, by Letter to the Editor, page 2. A reader responds to a previous column about Nisei experiences in Japan, arguing that being a minority means belonging to a community in the United States. The letter reflects on identity and cultural belonging.
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