Vol. 62, No. 3, January 21, 1966. 6 pages. View this issue
A $41,000 Carnegie Corporation grant to the Japanese American Research Project at UCLA led the news. JACL President Kumeo Yoshinari called it a second vote of confidence, and project chairman Shig Wakamatsu urged chapters to tape-record Issei before they pass away. Chapter news followed: the Orange County installation dinner, with Ben Shimazu taking over as president, and praise from Elmer Ogawa for the White River Valley chapter in Auburn, Washington.
Elsewhere in these six pages, Bill Hosokawa wrote about Japanese from Peru who were deported to the United States during World War II. Joe Grant Masaoka traced the lives of two Japanese castaways who shaped early U.S.-Japan relations. Alan Kumamoto reported on youth plans for the San Diego convention, and Allan Beekman reviewed Jon Shirota’s novel Lucky Come Hawaii. A Bronze Star story from Vietnam and a recipe for kimpira gobo round out the issue.
What’s in this issue
JACL
- Carnegie Grant to History Project Lauded, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL President Kumeo Yoshinari hailed a $41,000 Carnegie Corporation grant to the Japanese American Research Project at UCLA as a second vote of confidence. Chairman Shig Wakamatsu reported on interview progress and urged chapters to tape-record Issei before they pass away.
Community
- White River Valley JACL Commended for Being Part of Community Picture, by Elmer Ogawa, page 1. The Auburn, Washington chapter, known as the White River Valley Civic League, is praised for its public relations work and its warm relations with local residents since the postwar years. Its installation dinner at the Red Lotus Restaurant was cited as a lesson in community relations.
- 300 Attend Orange County JACL Fete; Ben Shimazu Takes Over Chapter Reins, by P.C. Staff, page 1. More than 300 attended the 29th annual Orange County JACL installation dinner, with Consul General Toshiro Shimanouchi as principal speaker. Awards were presented to honorees including publisher R.C. Hoiles and Clarence Nishizu, who was named 1966 grand jury foreman.
- Philadelphia JACL Highlights 1965 EDC-MDC Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Philadelphia chapter, with 188 members, recounts its successful hosting of the 1965 EDC-MDC Convention, chaired by Richard Horikawa. The article also covers the chapter’s installation dinner, Folk Fair plans, and events throughout the year.
- Idaho Falls JACL Winter Carnival Set for Jan. 29, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Idaho Falls JACL announces its annual Winter Carnival at the National Guard Armory, featuring home-made noodles, chow mein, and other food booths. Chairman Ruo Yamasaki leads a committee of volunteers organizing the event.
Military & Veterans
- Paratrooper Wins Bronze Star, Nabs Six Viet Cong in Fist-Swinging Melee, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Army Sgt. James K. Akune, a Hawaiian Nisei, and Pfc. John P. Stewart received Bronze Stars after capturing six Viet Cong near Bien Hoa. The account describes a judo-assisted struggle in which the two paratroopers took the guerrillas prisoner.
Obituaries
- Chief Justice Tsukiyama Honored at Tokyo Memorial, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 2. Tokyo West Rotary held memorial services for Hawaii Chief Justice Wilfred Tsukiyama, who had received Japan’s Order of the Sacred Treasure in 1963. Flags in Hawaii were flown at half-mast in his memory.
Incarceration & Redress
- Two Japanese Castaways Who Shaped Early U.S.-Japan Relations, by Joe Grant Masaoka, page 3. The article traces the lives of Manjiro Nakahama and Hikozo Hamada, two Japanese sailors rescued by American ships who learned English and later influenced Japan’s opening to the West. Manjiro later served as a key interpreter during the negotiations that followed Commodore Perry’s arrival.
Commentary
- Dredging Up the Past, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa highlights a New York Times Magazine footnote by Prof. William Petersen describing how Japanese from Peru were deported to the United States during WWII and later faced deportation to Japan. He argues such episodes must be aired so the American conscience prevents their repetition.
- Mixing Races Not a Simple Answer, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The column argues that simply bringing people of different races together does not reduce prejudice, citing contact in the South and the West Coast. Drawing on Gordon Allport, it contends that the nature of the contact, including cooperative goals and equal status, is what matters.
- Ashamed of Nihongo?, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A Detroit JACL newsletter piece urges Nisei to teach their children the Japanese language and culture, noting common Japanese expressions such as arigato and kinodoku. It quotes James Michener warning that losing these values would impoverish both Japanese Americans and the wider society.
- Youth Council Column: Ole ’66 and Convention Planning, by Alan Kumamoto, page 4. Alan Kumamoto reports on a Sunday youth work session in Burbank and outlines plans for the National JACL Convention in San Diego. He also covers membership goals, a proposed dues increase to fund the Interim Youth Council, and the Peace Corps-linked national project.
- Nihongo Recipes: Kimpira Gobo, by Kimi Shimamoto, page 4. A recipe column presents kimpira gobo, a spicy burdock root dish, with preparation steps for soaking, sauteing, and seasoning with soy sauce, sugar, and pepper. It is offered as an easy home-cooking option.
- Lucky Come Hawaii Powerful Novel of Pearl Harbor Era, by Allan Beekman, page 5. Beekman reviews Jon Shirota’s novel about the Gusuda family of Maui, whose patriarch rejoices at the Pearl Harbor attack while his children react differently. The reviewer finds the characters believable and the story powerful despite a loose plot and repetitive dialogue.
- Hawaiian Civilization and Other Book Notes, by P.C. Staff, page 5. This book review column surveys several new titles, including works on Hawaiian civilization, the game of Go, Japanese diplomatic history, the Vietnam War, and Korean Sijo poetry. Each is briefly described with publisher and price information.
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