Civil rights in 1967: the Civil Rights Act and a bowling bid for San Jose

Vol. 64, No. 12, March 24, 1967. 6 pages. View this issue

Civil rights ran through this six-page issue. Mike Masaoka urged JACL members to write their Senators during the Easter recess in support of the Civil Rights Act of 1967, and short items explained its titles on federal and state juries, equal employment and fair housing. William Marutani wrote about defending clients in the Mississippi Delta, and Jerry Enomoto’s column on the National Civil Rights Clearing House Committee opened the front page. The U.S. Supreme Court heard final arguments on California’s Proposition 14.

Also inside: San Jose was awarded the 1969 JACL National Bowling Tournament, and the PSWDC convention was set for May 5-7 in Venice-Culver. Columns by Bill Hosokawa, Ken Kuroiwa and Berry Suzukida cover trade with Japan, interracial dating and a Granada camp bedbug episode. Allan Beekman reviewed four books on the Massie case, and Ellen Nakamura reported on Marutani’s JACLer of the Biennium scroll.

What’s in this issue

Community

• San Jose Awarded 1969 JACL National Bowling Tournament, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL National Advisory Board on Bowling voted to award the 1969 national tournament to San Jose at its March meeting in Los Angeles. The bid was made by Kin Mune on behalf of the San Jose Nisei Bowling Association and San Jose JACL chapter.
• Friendship Luncheon, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. Enomoto attended the 13th annual International Friendship Luncheon in Sacramento alongside Sacramento JACL members. The Japanese community was well represented with a decorated table and participation in the event.
• PSWDC Confab Nearing, by Frances Kitagawa, page 1. The PSWDC biennial convention will be held May 5-7 at Airport Marina Hotel, hosted by Venice-Culver JACL. The program includes a 1000 Club dinner, business sessions, a banquet speaker, and a delegates luncheon with national president Jerry Enomoto.
• D.C. Chapter to Stress Cultural Heritage, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Washington, D.C. JACL announced it will emphasize cultural heritage in chapter events this year. The first general meeting featured a slide presentation by Chiyo Yoshihashi on a recent trip to Japan.

JACL

• Clearing House, by Jerry Enomoto, page 1. JACL has been represented on the National Civil Rights Clearing House Committee for some time. The column discusses the organization’s continued participation and suggests speakers from the Youth Council.

National

• Historians Belittle Asia Immigrants, by P.C. Staff, page 1. UCLA history professor Dr. Roger Daniels argues that historians have treated Asian immigrants differently from European immigrants. He notes that Chinese and Japanese Americans remain discriminated against in education and income.
• Sick Leave Incentive Proposed for Federal Workers in Matsunaga Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Spark Matsunaga introduced legislation to reward federal employees who do not use their accumulated sick leave. The bill would credit unused hours toward retirement annuity computations or pay employees for unused leave.
• Matsunaga Supports Better Cities Program, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Spark Matsunaga expressed strong support for President Johnson’s urban programs in a House floor speech. He also urged that Honolulu be designated a model city under the Demonstration Cities Act.
• Kyoto Church Commemorating Work of Relocation Camp Chaplains Completed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Christ the King Church in Katsura, Kyoto, was completed to honor Maryknoll Fathers who served Japanese Americans in WWII relocation camps. Designed by Nisei architect George Nakashima’s collaborator, it may become a pilgrimage site for Issei and Nisei.
• U.S. High Court Hears Final Pleas on Cal. Prop. 14, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Oral arguments on California’s Proposition 14 concluded before the U.S. Supreme Court with Solicitor General Thurgood Marshall urging the court to uphold the state supreme court’s ruling. The decision on the fair housing measure is expected in several weeks.
• Federal Jury Reform, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Title II of the proposed Civil Rights Act of 1967 regulates federal jury selection to prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or economic status. It establishes random, representative selection methods.
• State Jury Reform, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Title III of the proposed Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the selection of state juries and provides enforcement mechanisms including civil action and discovery procedures. Courts are authorized to fashion relief where discrimination is found.
• Equal Employment, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Title IV would strengthen the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission with subpoena power, hearing authority, and cease and desist orders. The Commission would also gain the ability to file civil suits.
• Fair Housing, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Title V would prohibit housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, or national origin in stages, reaching the total housing market by 1969. Enforcement would be administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Incarceration & Redress

• Okei Story Told at California History Institute, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The story of Okei-san, the first Japanese maiden in California, was related at the 20th California History Institute at University of the Pacific. Her grave at Gold Hill has become an official California landmark and Japanese shrine.

Commentary

• Clearing House, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Masaoka urges JACLers to contact their Senators during the Easter recess to support the Civil Rights Act of 1967. He notes the bill is stalled in Senate committees chaired by segregationists and lists current co-sponsors.
• Newsletter Washington: Civil Rights Act of 1967, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. Masaoka urges JACL members to lobby Congress during the Easter recess to support the Civil Rights Act of 1967. He explains that the bill is blocked in Senate committees and that additional co-sponsors are needed.
• Pacific Neighbors, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Hosokawa reports on a Japan Trade Center exhibit in Denver showcasing modern Japanese products. He discusses Japan’s dependence on trade and the remarkable postwar recovery aided by American assistance.
• Naturalization, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A question-and-answer column addresses whether a child born out of wedlock abroad to a U.S. citizen mother who was never physically present in the United States acquires citizenship. The answer explains the derivation rules in effect before and after December 24, 1952.
• Days in the Delta, by William Marutani, page 4. Marutani describes his week defending Negro clients in the Mississippi Delta as JACL’s representative. He recounts observations of rural poverty and his cooperative meeting with a firm but fair county prosecutor.
• Today’s Challenge, by Frank Yoshimura, page 4. The author argues JACL must broaden its activities beyond issues affecting only persons of Japanese ancestry to remain relevant. He says protecting and extending past gains requires engagement in civil rights and human relations for all groups.
• Episodes of Evacuation: Bedbug Midnight Intruders, by Berry Suzukida, page 4. Suzukida recounts a Granada camp incident in which a mess hall worker was misdiagnosed with allergies before neighbors identified bedbug bites from boxcars used by evacuees on railroad work. Once she sprayed DDT, she finally slept well.
• Interracial Dating, by Ken Kuroiwa, page 5. Kuroiwa reflects on how his travels in Europe and conversations with a Thai woman changed his views on interracial dating and marriage. He questions whether Nisei communities are perpetuating a form of racial prejudice.
• Books: The Massie Murder Case, by Allan Beekman, page 5. Beekman reviews the 1931 Massie case in Honolulu, in which a Navy wife’s rape accusation led to the murder of Joe Kahahawai by Navy men and others. The case is recounted through four new books on the subject.
• Letters from Our Readers: Regarding Regents, by Joe Grant Masaoka, page 6. Masaoka corrects a prior caption, noting that Paul Watanabe is the first Nisei regent of a privately endowed university while Ray Yasui is the first on a public university board. Professor Robert Wilson is credited for the correction.
• Truth of the Matter, by Fred Hirasuna, page 6. Hirasuna argues that JACL must remain larger than any one individual or faction and that donors should be able to specify scholarship conditions consistent with JACL philosophy. He also defends moderate positions on civil rights.
• Chuckles or Chucking, by Roy H. Doi, page 6. Doi comments on the humor and expressiveness of reader letters and notes errors in some letter writers’ statements about the budget and UC. He suggests the paper either edit out errors or let readers keep enjoying the exchanges.

Military & Veterans

• JACLer of Biennium Scroll Presented, Recalls Marutani’s Services in South, by Ellen Nakamura, page 3. William Marutani received the Dr. Randolph M. Sakada Memorial Award for the 1965-66 biennium for his civil rights work in the Deep South. The scroll was presented at a Philadelphia JACL anniversary dinner by Eastern District Governor Kaz Horita.

Obituaries

• Newspaper Veteran, by Tamotsu Murayama, page 6. Murayama honors George Iwao Tomimoto, an Issei journalist and promoter of Nisei interests who died March 12 in Tokyo. Tomimoto had worked on West Coast Japanese newspapers and helped arrange recognition of Issei pioneers by the Japanese government.

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