Vol. 62, No. 20, May 20, 1966. 4 pages. View this issue
A proposal to reshape JACL’s districts led this four-page issue. The Planning Commission sent the National JACL Board a plan to limit district councils to 10 chapters each, and the Pacific Citizen polled the district chairmen. Four saw no need to change, while Lily Okura of the Mountain-Plains council offered a plan of three regions, each overseen by a national vice president. The board was to take up the question before the San Diego convention opened. Mike Masaoka’s column looked at civil disobedience, and Alan Kumamoto wrote about the District Youth Councils.
Also inside: Dr. Takeyama’s retirement after 43 years of medical service, Rep. Spark Matsunaga’s objection to a racial survey of federal workers in Hawaii, and Memorial Day plans in San Jose and at Arlington. Harry Honda and Tamotsu Murayama wrote about efforts to restore the Wakamatsu Colony site and honor Okei. A recipe column and chapter news close the issue.
What’s in this issue
JACL
- Bold Reorganization Plan Revealed for 3 JACL National Vice Presidencies, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL Planning Commission forwarded a proposal limiting district councils to 10 chapters each to the National JACL Board, which will consider it before the San Diego convention. District chairmen responded with mixed views, and Mountain-Plains chairman Lily Okura proposed an alternative plan dividing the nation into three regions, each overseen by a national vice president.
Military & Veterans
- Nisei Physician Dr. Takeyama Culminates 43 Years of Medical Service, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Takeyama, a Stanford Medical graduate and second JACL national president, was honored at a retirement event in Niigata after 43 years of practice. He had served as a World War I veteran, chief medical officer at a War Relocation Authority camp, and later with the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
- San Jose Judge Kanemoto to Address JACL-VFW Memorial Day Observance, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Judge Wayne Kanemoto, a war veteran who trained with the 442nd and MIS, will speak at the joint JACL-VFW Memorial Day service at Golden Gate National Cemetery on May 30. His biography includes Army Air-Force intelligence service in Burma and a long career in San Jose law and municipal courts.
- EDC Combines Pre-Convention Session with Memorial Day Rites at Arlington, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Eastern District Council will hold its pre-convention session in Washington May 28-29, followed by annual Memorial Day rites at Arlington on May 29 with Maj. Glenn Matsumoto as main speaker. The agenda includes scholarship, oratorical, and convention bid items.
Community
- 900 Over-65 Members in JACL-CPS Health Plan to Transfer to Medicare by July 1, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Roughly 900 JACL-CPS health plan members aged 65 or older will transfer to the government Medicare program beginning July 1. The new Medicare signup deadline is May 31.
- Seattle JACLers Start Indian Discussions, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Seattle JACL began monthly discussions at the local Indian Center to promote understanding between American Indians and persons of Japanese ancestry. The first meeting was held in April.
- Nisei Worker in Watts Area Founds Minister’s Group, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Tom C. Owan, regional director for the South Central Area Welfare Planning Program, started a volunteer ministers’ group in Watts to help underprivileged residents address health, education, and transportation needs. The program involves local churches in community problem-solving.
- Convention Booklet Shaping Up, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The San Diego convention booklet is expanding to about 150 pages, including roughly 40 devoted to youth, though only four of eight District Youth Councils submitted materials on time. Organizers also urge members to purchase Package Deals for convention savings.
- Dr. Watanabe Marshal for Nisei Relays, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The 15th annual Nisei Relays, sponsored by the Pacific Southwest District Council, will be held June 5 at Rancho La Cienega Stadium in Los Angeles. Dr. Robert Watanabe was named meet marshal in recognition of his sportsmanship.
- Chapter Call Board: Community Briefs, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Multiple chapters announced local events including a San Francisco JACL fine arts program, a San Jose JACL potluck dinner-dance, a Sacramento JACL honoring Issei birthday celebrants, and a Seattle JACL Vietnam discussion and benefit variety show.
National
- Sparky Raps Racial Quiz of U.S. Employees, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Spark Matsunaga opposed a U.S. Civil Service Commission survey asking Hawaii federal employees their racial ancestry, warning it could stir group feelings and destroy the merit system. He argued that racial proportions in an industry do not imply equal capability for supervisory positions.
Incarceration & Redress
- Restoration of Schnell’s Wakamatsu Colony Sought, by Harry Honda, page 2. JACL has long sought a historical park in El Dorado County marking the original 1869 Wakamatsu Colony site, with the centennial approaching in three years. Efforts include purchasing Okei’s grave and the surrounding hillside, with Dr. Terry Hayashi and Ichiro Matsudaira agreeing to begin acquisition steps.
Commentary
- Civil Disobedience: Right or Duty, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Masaoka reviews a Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions publication examining whether civil disobedience is a right or duty in democracy. Contributors including Harrop Freeman, Bayard Rustin, and Richard Wasserstrom offer differing views on its legitimacy and proper consequences.
- Fair Housing Issue, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The editorial examines the California Supreme Court ruling that Proposition 14, which allowed property owners to refuse buyers or renters, is unconstitutional. It discusses the constitutional basis for the decision and its implications for the Rumford Act.
- Naturalization, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A Q&A column explains that elderly applicants who have lived in the U.S. for at least 20 years may request a naturalization examination in their native language. It directs readers to a booklet on becoming a citizen.
- A Day with Debs, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Nisei from across political affiliations gathered at the invitation of Mr. and Mrs. Yosh Inadomi to meet Supervisor Ernest Debs, a candidate for re-election. The gathering illustrated the growing Nisei involvement in nonpartisan local politics.
- Okei-san, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 2. Efforts continue to commemorate Okei and the Wakamatsu Colony, including research into her grave and the Sakurai and Masumizu burial sites in California. Researchers including Mrs. Fern Sayre and Soichi Nakatani are pursuing archival and family leads.
- Accent on Youth: DYCs Warming for San Diego, by Alan Kumamoto, page 4. Kumamoto previews upcoming District Youth Council meetings and argues that JACL already has a National Youth Program requiring improvement rather than a new structure. He urges discussion at the San Diego convention about integrating the 21-30 age group.
- Soup Symbolic of Spring, by Kimi Shimamoto, page 4. A recipe column presents Wakatakesuru, a young bamboo and wakame soup symbolizing spring, along with a nanohana shitashi recipe using mustard green buds. Each dish is described with ingredients and preparation steps.
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