Civil rights and the road to the 1966 San Diego convention

Vol. 62, No. 15, April 15, 1966. 6 pages. View this issue

Civil rights was the main subject of this six-page issue. Pat Okura, writing from Omaha, previewed the agenda for the 1966 National Convention in San Diego, including the JACL Civil Rights Statement and the question of how to raise a Civil Rights Fund. Other front-page stories followed the same thread: the Chicago JACL formed a Human Relations Committee, and a report on the Watts riot looked at its effect on Nisei business. Four JACLers were named to attend a civil liberties conference in Washington. Alan Kumamoto, Bill Nagata and Joanne Sasada wrote on youth dues and a human relations conference.

Also inside: Bill Hosokawa on Issei truck farmers in Seattle and a Boeing engineer, Mike Masaoka’s Washington newsletter, and an advice column on immigration preferences. Scholarship and JACLer of the Biennium nominations were announced, and a mural found in a Mexican cathedral was described.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• Re: Civil Rights, by Pat Okura, page 1. Omaha JACL official Pat Okura previews the civil rights agenda for the 1966 National Convention in San Diego, including implementation of the JACL Civil Rights Statement and raising a Civil Rights Fund. He reviews the chapter guidelines and the nine goals set by the Ad Hoc Committee, which include Congressman Spark Matsunaga’s co-chairmanship of the national committee.

Incarceration & Redress

• History Project Finds Some Balk at Questioning, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL-UCLA Japanese American Research Project is stepping up interviews of Issei and Nisei for its history, but some respondents have resisted questions they consider too personal. Director Robert Wilson stresses that responses will be kept strictly confidential and that family cooperation is indispensable to accurate study.

Community

• Four JACLers to Attend 18th Annual Conference of National Civil Liberties Clearing House April 21-22, page 1. Todd Endo, Bruce Yamasaki, Kenneth Oye, and Elaine Yamada will represent JACL at the Clearing House conference in Washington. The article describes the Clearing House’s history and the diverse national organizations that participate.
• Watts Riot Affects Nisei Business, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Nichibei Mainichi reported that the Watts riot has forced Nisei investors to weigh the hidden costs of doing business in affected areas. Insurance executives note that higher premiums and limited coverage leave property owners in substandard areas exposed.
• Chicago JACL Human Relations Group to Tackle Nisei Prejudices, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Chicago JACL organized a Human Relations Committee to identify where the chapter can most effectively join current civil rights efforts. Members concluded that the Nisei need education about their own prejudices toward Negroes and that chapters have too often acted only after tensions erupt.
• Nakaoka Elected Councilman, May Be Gardena’s Next Mayor, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Ken Nakaoka, a longtime JACLer and businessman, won a Gardena city council seat in his first political race with 3,867 votes. Under local custom, the top vote-getter may be chosen as mayor by fellow councilmen.
• Denver Police Chief Commends Alert Youth, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Denver Police Chief Harold Dill commended Art Iwasaki Jr. and Jay Jernigan for helping capture two county jail escapees. The officers noted the youths’ responsible conduct challenged common assumptions about young people.
• Lucia Marie Brandt Named Track Meet Queen Candidate, page 1. Lucia Marie Brandt, 17, is the forthcoming queen of the Jr. Track Meet on May 22 at Venice High. She is also West Los Angeles JACL’s candidate for Nisei Relays queen.
• Vietnam Topic, by P.C. Staff, page 2. KLZ news director Jim Bennett, who recently visited Southeast Asia, addressed the Ft. Lupton JACL meeting on March 25. About 100 people attended the event.
• Eddie Shimomura Resigns as President-Elect, by Elmer Ogawa, page 3. Seattle JACL president-elect Eddie Shimomura resigned from the post due to work and other commitments. The writer expresses regret that the chapter loses his leadership.
• Japan Air Lines Lowers Fares for Trans-Pacific Trips, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Japan Air Lines will cut normal economy and first class fares between the West Coast and Tokyo effective May 7, subject to government approval. New group fares and inclusive tour fares are also introduced.
• Art Festival Off to Good Start, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Japan Art Festival at the Union Carbide Building in New York opened to more than 800 guests. The festival runs through April 23 and features contemporary painting, prints, ceramics, and Ikenobo flower arrangements.
• Mohole Project Site, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Rep. Spark Matsunaga wrote to the Mohole Project prime contractor indicating that Maui should be the site chosen. A University of Hawaii expedition also completed a survey north of Maui.
• Accent: Is It True?, by Alan Kumamoto, page 4. JACL Youth Director Alan Kumamoto describes his honeymoon through the Pacific Northwest, which included JACL visits in Portland and Seattle and a bout of measles. He also previews National Convention preparations, including the dues question and the youth program.
• Mexican American Conference Brings Groups Together, by Joanne Sasada, page 4. Joanne Sasada reports on a Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations conference at Camp Hess Kramer where young representatives of Negro, Oriental, and Mexican American groups discussed stereotypes. She says the workshops broke down barriers and drew the groups closer together.
• Youth Dues Increase Under Discussion, by Bill Nagata, page 4. National Interim Youth Council treasurer Bill Nagata proposes raising Jr. JACL national dues to $5 per year to fund the National Youth Program. He explains the budget shortfall and asks members for their views ahead of the convention vote.
• Sonoma County May Organize Jr. JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Prospects for organizing a Sonoma County Jr. JACL were discussed at the chapter’s family conference in Sebastopol. National first vice president Jerry Enomoto was scheduled as guest speaker.
• JACL Scholarship Nominations Due May 30, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Chapters have until May 30 to nominate candidates for the 1966 JACL scholarships, which include the Masaoka, Tsukamoto, Terami, and supplemental awards. The article explains how chapters forward nominations to the National Scholarship Committee.
• Seek JACLer of Biennium, by K. Patrick Okura, page 5. Nominations for the 1965-66 JACLer of the Biennium are open until June 30. The award is named for Dr. Randolph Sakada and will be judged by the National Board at its San Diego meeting.
• Nisei Commands Honor Guard for Saskatchewan, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Capt. Richard Y. Nakamura, a Regina Rifle Regiment company commander, presented an honor guard at the opening of the Saskatchewan legislature. He is believed to be the only Japanese Canadian to command such a detail.
• Canadian Pacific to Reduce Airline Fares to Orient, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Canadian Pacific Airlines plans to cut normal fares between the West Coast and Orient and introduce group rates in early May. Reductions are also proposed for off-season and large group travel.
• Chapter Call Board: Sebastopol and Other Chapter Events, page 6. A chapter call board lists local JACL events such as community picnics, fashion shows, dances, and meetings. Items include the Watsonville picnic and the Long Beach-Harbor fashion show.

Commentary

• Keeping Record Straight, by George Yamaoka, page 2. Attorney George Yamaoka writes to correct the record that Hawaii Nisei lawyers were the first of Japanese ancestry to argue a major case before the Supreme Court. He notes he appeared before the Court in 1939 and later argued the Hirota v. MacArthur habeas corpus petitions in 1948.
• Nisei Ambassadors, by A Nisei Ambassador Who Cares, page 2. A member of the Chicago Nisei Ambassadors Jr. Drum and Bugle Corps appeals for $12,000 to fund the group’s trip to compete on the East Coast. The writer describes the corps’ discipline and achievements and lists contact addresses for contributions.
• Immigration and Naturalization: Can a Preference Approved Before Dec. 1, 1965, Still Be Used?, by American Council for Nationalities Service, page 2. This advice column explains that first preference petitions approved before December 1, 1965 were converted to third or sixth preferences under the 1965 immigration law. It outlines how an applicant can then complete adjustment of status.
• From the Pan Frying Pan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 3. Bill Hosokawa recounts how Issei truck farmers in South Park, Seattle, were displaced when Boeing built its plants, and profiles Boeing engineer Tom Yamauchi as an example of Nisei talent nearly lost to wartime hysteria. He also recalls two Nisei named Dave Hara and quotes Eleanor Dulaney’s column on breaking ethnic stereotypes.

National

• Springtime in Washington, by Mike Masaoka, page 2. The Washington Newsletter reports on the arrival of spring in the capital, including the Cherry Blossom Festival with a Japanese queen for the first time. It also reviews Congress’s Easter recess and the mixed legislative record of the Second Session of the 89th Congress.

In-Depth

• Nagasaki Martyrs Found on Mexican Mural, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Workmen restoring a 300-year-old cathedral in Cuernavaca, Mexico uncovered murals depicting Japanese and European Christians martyred in Japan. The article traces early Japan-Mexico contacts, including the 1610 voyage of Japanese merchants to Acapulco, and the Tokugawa persecution of Christians.

Sports

• The Two-Handed Chucker, by Elmer Ogawa, page 3. Shozo Yoshinari, a Japanese pitcher who throws overhand with his right arm and underhand with his left, came to the United States to pursue a pro baseball career. Although he was released by the Giants’ farm system, the article profiles his unusual ability and mentions Seattle’s Joe Tsujimoto.

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