Nisei of the Biennium nominees and a civil rights summer

Vol. 62, No. 24, June 17, 1966. 6 pages. View this issue

Nine nominees for JACL’s “Nisei of the Biennium” honor led the front page, with the winner to be announced at the convention banquet in San Diego. The Supreme Court’s June 13 rulings drew attention too, as did a challenge by attorneys A.L. Wirin and Joseph Rauh over unpaid Yokohama Specie Bank claims. Civil rights ran through the issue: JACL joined more than 100 organizations urging a stronger civil rights bill after the shooting of James Meredith, and Harry K. Honda’s editorial desk column and an unsigned editorial on page 2 took up the same events.

Columns offered a range of views. Bill Marutani wrote on facts and civil rights, Phil Hayasaka described teaching Japanese American history to Tacoma teachers, and Allan Beekman traced how Hawaii’s sugar planters shaped Japanese immigration policy. A syndicated column answered a Sansei teenager, and page 6 carries chapter news, including the Seabrook installation with Mike Masaoka.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• Nine Candidates Up for ‘Nisei of the Biennium’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Nine Japanese Americans have been nominated by JACL chapters for the ‘Nisei of the Biennium’ honor, with the winner to be announced at the national convention banquet in San Diego. The nominees span a range of professions and communities across the country.

National

• Supreme Court June 13 Rules Interest JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a section of the 1965 Voting Rights Act allowing Spanish-language schooling to qualify voters and ruled that criminal suspects have a right to counsel during police questioning. JACL had sought to extend the voting waiver to certain naturalized Issei but Congress did not accept the proposal.
• Stronger Civil Rights Bill Sought in Wake of Meredith Shooting, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL joined more than 100 national organizations in urging Congress to add four strengthening amendments to the Administration’s 1966 Civil Rights Act following the attempted murder of James Meredith. The proposed amendments would create an indemnification board, enforce fair housing administratively, automate jury discrimination remedies, and extend Title VII coverage to state and local employees.
• Single-Family Home Owners Not in Real Estate Business May Discriminate, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The California Supreme Court denied rehearing on its Prop. 14 decision but clarified that owners of single-family homes who receive no public assistance and are not in the real estate business may discriminate on racial grounds. The clarification sets the stage for an expected appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
• Ex-Japan Princess Sums Up Stay, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Former Princess Suga reflected on her two years in Washington, D.C., noting American friendliness alongside a certain uniformity in daily life. She said she intended to encourage Japanese women to express their own opinions after returning home.

Incarceration & Redress

• Injustice Yokohama Specie Bank Claims, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Attorneys A.L. Wirin and Joseph Rauh are challenging the Government’s refusal to repay about 7,500 Japanese American claimants for pre-war deposits in the Yokohama Specie Bank at the full rate, after a technicality dismissed their claims. The article calls on the Attorney General to settle the claims at one hundred cents on the dollar, as was done for other claimants.

Commentary

• Insight to Group Stereotyping, by Phil Hayasaka, page 1. Hayasaka recounts presenting on Japanese American history to Tacoma public school teachers and reflects on responses that showed both understanding and persistent misconceptions. He argues that comparing levels of discrimination misses the point and that the goal should be measuring progress toward full equality.
• Long Hot Summer, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The editorial examines the shooting of James Meredith during his civil rights march in Mississippi and the growing tensions between moderate and militant civil rights factions. It argues that the Nisei must face their own decisions about involvement in the Negro struggle for human dignity.
• Ye Editor’s Desk: Long Hot Summer, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. The editorial describes the shooting of James Meredith in Mississippi and the civil rights march that followed, including the participation of King, Carmichael, and McKissick. It also draws a parallel to Nisei responsibilities in the broader struggle for human dignity.
• Letters: California Primaries, by Kazuo Umemoto, page 2. Kazuo Umemoto thanks supporters for their help during his campaign in the California primary election. He urges continued community involvement after the election.
• Don’t Confuse Me with Facts, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Marutani argues that both blind liberals and blind conservatives resist considering facts, and he advocates the inquisitive conservative approach. He critiques the claim that Negroes have been given everything they demanded by pointing to continuing discriminatory laws in states such as Louisiana.
• Chicago Summers and European Travel, by Kuroiwa, page 4. The author describes a year of study and travel in Europe funded by summer work in Chicago, reflecting on how travel broadened horizons. The column recounts a near-accident on the Autobahn and the difficult process of obtaining visas for a trip to Russia.
• Need for JACL Will Continue, by San Diego JACL, page 5. A San Diego JACL member argues that complete integration is not yet achieved for Japanese Americans, who remain physically identifiable and subject to subtle prejudice. The writer contends that the organization remains necessary while cautioning against sacrificing worthwhile traditions in the pursuit of assimilation.
• Variety Show Brings Back Memories, by Elmer Ogawa, page 5. Ogawa recalls the talent and variety shows of the past at Nippon Kan Hall in Seattle and describes a recent SJR 20 fund benefit show featuring performers such as Keiko Kimura and Akiko Yamanouchi. The column reflects on how the community’s entertainment traditions have changed over four decades.

Community

• Youth Count at San Diego Confab Being Requested, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Organizers of the 19th Biennial JACL Convention in San Diego requested youth counts from chapters to determine lodging allocations at El Cortez Hotel. The request is part of convention planning ahead of the July gathering.
• Kumamoto to Assist Intergroup Workshop, by P.C. Staff, page 1. National JACL Youth Director Alan Kumamoto will visit the Intergroup Relations workshop at Whittier College June 20-July 1 to discuss the Oriental American community. The workshop is co-sponsored with the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith.
• Youth Oratorical Contest Winner Criticizes Parents, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Henry Hasebe of Ontario, Oregon, won first place in a Snake River Valley Jr. JACL oratorical contest with a speech criticizing parents who do not understand the problems of Sansei teenagers. He argued that teenage misbehavior reflects poorly on the Japanese American community and blamed parental indifference.
• Shark Teeth Diggers, by P.C. Staff, page 3. West Los Angeles JACL members studied and identified fossils collected on earlier field trips to Shark Tooth Hill, Barker’s Ranch, and Marble Mountains. The group also took an overnight trip to Kennedy Meadows in the high Sierras.
• Ex-Japan Princess Sums Up 2-Year Stay in U.S., by P.C. Staff, page 5. Former Princess Suga, youngest daughter of the Emperor, described her two years in Washington, praising American women’s independence while criticizing the uniformity of American life. She said her stay abroad gave her a deeper appreciation for Japanese history and culture.
• Hollywood Ikebana Class and Community Notes, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Chapter news from several JACL groups includes graduates dinners, dances, and an installation event in Seabrook, New Jersey. The notes cover local events from Berkeley, Contra Costa, Florin, and other chapters.
• Sister City Anniversary Celebrated in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Some 750 guests marked the sixth anniversary of the Los Angeles-Nagoya sister city affiliation at the Dept. of Water and Power Building. Eiji Tanabe was recognized for his role as the first chairman of the affiliation.
• Gardena Japanese Community Notes, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Local news from Gardena and surrounding areas covers housing, business, and community events. The notes highlight the role of the Japanese community in the South Bay region.

Arts & Entertainment

• PC Quarterly Summer Supplement, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A reader praises the summer supplement of the Pacific Citizen and corrects a caption identifying the dancers pictured. The letter clarifies the identities of Michiyo Hanayagi and Marjorie Iwasaki Nakaji.
• Newsweek Magazine Life & Leisure Dept. Tells of Japanese Gardeners, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A Newsweek article reports that Issei and Nisei gardeners in Beverly Hills can earn about $15,000 a year and dominate the Southern California gardening trade. The piece notes that many are now starting their own nurseries and sending children to expensive colleges.

Military & Veterans

• Rev. George Aki Given Honorary Doctor of Divinity, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Rev. George Aki of Hollywood Independent Church of Christ received an honorary doctor of divinity degree from the Pacific School of Religion. Aki, who was evacuated to Tanforan in 1942, later served as an army chaplain with the 442nd RCT.
• Seabrook JACL Installs Officers, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Seabrook JACL installation dinner featured Washington Representative Mike Masaoka as keynote speaker and honored graduates and scholarship winners including Ronald Nakayama. The event installed new chapter and Jr. JACL officers.

In-Depth

• Japanese Shipping Under Scrutiny Abroad, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 4. A report examines the historical record of Japanese immigration and labor policies, including the Hawaiian sugar planters’ role in shaping restrictions. The article traces how planters sought Japanese laborers and how immigration rules evolved.
• Hawaii Immigration Policy Molded Japanese Labor Law, by Allan Beekman, page 4. Beekman traces how Hawaiian sugar planters shaped discriminatory immigration policy toward Japan, including the 1909 Hawaiian sugar strike and the planters’ influence over federal restrictions. The article recalls how planters sought cheap labor and opposed the mainland migration of Japanese workers.
• Sansei Hates Japanese Tradition, by Ele and Walt Dulaney, page 5. A syndicated advice column responds to a Sansei teenager who feels embarrassed by family Japanese customs such as a household shrine and removing shoes indoors. The columnist advises the teen to explain these traditions to friends and see them as a source of enrichment.

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