Japantown: TOOYOO-DO Newspaper July 1970

TOOYOO-DO JULY 1970 VOL. 1 NO. 1

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA P.1

DROP IN MOTIONS

"DROP IN: With this purpose uppermost in their minds, many young San Francisco sansei have begun painting, cleaning, sweeping, and mopping the upper floors of the Morino building (you know, Honnami gift shop) at Sutter and Buchanan Streets. The Japanese Community Youth Council (JCYC) became the building's legal tenants when Jeff Mori, JCYC Chairman, finally executed a contract with the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency after months of negotiations. The building will be headquarters of the JCYC and a drop-in center. Proposed programs include arts and crafts, an issei lounge and library, film series, draft counseling, a photographic club, and just dropping in.

JCYC represents all the youth organizations in San Francisco with membership including both high school and college students. Organized last summer by Ron Kobata, JCYC’s purposes are: 1) to establish better working relationships and communication between the groups; 2) to represent and speak for the youth of San Francisco’s Japanese community; 3) to help provide an answer to the widespread sansei question of identity, and finally 4) to facilitate the exchange of ideas to solve organizational problems of developing and sustaining involvement, initiative, and imagination for constructive social change.

ON COMMUNITY

"Today, a lot of people are talking about getting it together with their people. The problems that confront us today are many and complex and so, it is impossible to deal with these problems as individuals any longer. One reason why we are not together today is because we spend more time badmouthing each other. How many times have you heard people say:

'Those guys on the corner think they’re bad.' ‘See that guy--see the way he walks—he thinks he’s bad.’ ‘See the way she wears her skirts--Who does she think she is.’

Familiar lines—coming from people who look the same, dress the same, talk the same, and do the same things as the people they’re talking about. The only thing that separates them is their affiliation with a different club, youth group, church, athletic team or any other organization that people belong to. As long as we continue to badmouth each other, we will never come together. But, one may ask, why come together?

Coming together and building community has two main advantages over working as individuals. First, in building a community, you start to build a trust between each other. Instead of always just looking out for yourself, you start to look out for others. You start to check-out problems in the community and then try to develop programs which help meet the needs of the community. If the issei’s needs aren’t being taken care of (welfare, health, general friendship) then you develop programs to meet these needs; if brothers or sisters are being busted, you get them out; if quality education isn’t being developed, you develop relevant curriculum; if there are no recreational facilities, you create them. In short, it's a totally new feeling of looking out for each other instead of always cutting each other down. Dig it — if we didn’t take care of the needs of our people, who else would? Besides developing a ‘look out for each other attitude’, you also start to realize that if you are ever in trouble or need assistance the community will also look out for you. It's a two-way process — by taking care of others, you will be taking care of yourself.

The second aspect of community is the potential power which we will have if we did come together. Understand that people means power—the more people behind you means the more power you have. Certain issues which we all generally agree upon--end racism, insensitivity to Asian people in schools as well as general society, end to war and all involvement in Indochina, end to poverty, exploitation and oppression-- will be dealt with if we spoke as one, united, rather than speaking as scattered individuals. Dig it—no one is ever going to consider us unless we come together. Our ideas, opinions, and perspectives will be heard and our influence will be felt.

Working together, learning together, and trusting each other-- that’s what we’re talking about. We must start at the community level, and try to continually expand until our influence is felt nationally. We are moving in the direction of a better life for all our people as well as all the people of the world. Get on it!"

Japantown: RODAN Newspaper August 1970

“RODAN is not a name, it’s a feeling and it’s real. It’s alive because it’s a feeling and it’s real. Dig it. RODAN, much like Godzilla and Mothra in the cellophane world of movies, was placed in Asia and was a result of a nuclear explosion. Never will the American moviemakers ever relate the nuclear explosions as those of Hiroshima or Nagasaki but that can be an assumed fact. An American-Bomb ( A-Bomb ) created a monster which withstood all mankind’s technology, and such is the concept of RODAN.

RODAN is an expression in the feeling of unity amongst the Asian-American people—an attenpt to offset a technology which is insensitive to humanity. The much used myth of ‘Yellow Peril' can be considered real, as RODAN soars over America.”

JAPANTOWN: Taishu newspaper APRIL1973 V,1 N.1 pg.1

JAPANTOWN: New Dawn J-Town Collective April 1974 CANE RALLY

NEW DAWN J-TOWN COLLECTIVE APRIL 1974 V3N8 P3

CANE SPONSORS COMMUNITY RALLY

STRUGGLE CONTINUES, SUPPORT GROWS

"SAN FRANCISCO— Over the past 14 months CANE (Committee Against Nihonmachi Evic­tion) has waged an unceasing struggle a­gainst destruction of the Japanese commu­nity by Kintetsu Enterprises from Japan and the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency. Drawn from three generation of Japanese A­mericans CANE has responded to Kintetsu­-RDA’s manipulation and destruction by forming a broad community movement.

As one form of protest against Kintet­su’s use of the community for a tourist showcase, CANE sponsored an informational rally on March 10, consolidating support from residents, community organizations and anti-redevelopment groups. Guy Ono, CANE president, expressed the significance of the day being the first time Japanese Americans joined together in an open rally to criticize what RDA has done to Nihonma­chi. The rally, directed at saving the community and demanding that the redevel­opment process be used to improve the quality of life was a demonstration of deep concern for the community, its resi­dents and future.

Sharing the speakers’ platform, Mrs. Sue Wong, long time resident and small business owner, spoke on the history of the Japanese community, its colorful past and solidarity. ‘There was a time when the streets were safe at night, when you didn’t worry about your kids because everybody knew and took care of each o­ther..’ Dr. Kazue Togasaki, highly re­spected member of the community spoke of the racism that Japanese Americans have faced, the hardships and resulting strength we must utilize to save Nihonma­chi. It isn’t the first time, ‘During the war they called us Japs and sent us to the Camps...but RDA does not have the right to take land from people to sell to out­siders… people should stay here if they want to.’

Pete Mendolson (Tenants and Owners in Opposition to Redevelopment) stated his full support for CANE and denounced the city government’s misuse of power and ne­glect of the people.

Lastly and particularly significant was the extensive participation of community organizations. Representatives from Kimo­chi, Japanese Community Services and Japa­nese Community Youth Council spoke stress­ing the just and lasting unity we must have to meet the aspirations of our community.

­CANE has turned these lessons from eva­cuation in WWII and eviction by RDA today into the determination and hard work that has won them majority support and recognition in the community. Reliance on the experiences and ideas the many people involved in CANE linked to the needs and interest of the community has built an organization committed to struggle, united to win."

JAPANTOWN: New Dawn J-Town Collective April 1974 Issue

NEW DAWN J-TOWN COLLECTIVE APRIL 1974 V3N8 P3

LET THE PEOPLE SPEAK

“This month New Dawn is initiating a column in our paper entitled ‘Let the People Speak’. This column will serve as a forum to highlight the experiences and ideas of Asian Americans. Countless discussions with people in the community sparked the idea for the column. From these discussions, the New Dawn staff has gained a deeper understanding of the importance of drawing lessons from the people’s wealth of experiences. The people are truly the moving force in history, providing strength for our struggles today.

The following column was written by Mr. Tokuo Miyao, long-time resident of SAN Francisco’s Nihonmachi and a staunch member of the Committee Against Nihonmachi Evictions since its birth. Here Mr. Miyao writes of the growth and needs of the Japanese community.”

Nihonmachi Shield- The creation of Japanese American destiny

By Tokuo Miyao

“Ever since Japanese immigrants started to come to this country during the late 1800’s, and early 1900’s Issei pioneers faced economical, political and social re­sistance, discrimination and prejudice. ‘Yellow Peril’ was the slogan of the ra­cists of California. Overcoming and with­standing this rampant hatred, Issei pio­neers began to form their communities throughout California. San Francisco was not an exception. Labor discrimination, school discrimination, housing discrimina­tion and untold other forms of discrimina­tion were faced by Issei pioneers and their offspring. Amidst such social and economic discrimination they were able to establish a community we today call Nihon­machi.

The 1920’s were equally as bad, months of detention in Angels Island, wives and husbands and children separately confined was an every-day affair. But Nikkeijin (Japanese Americans) withstood with tears and anger. Issei worked hard to establish their community but with the coming of World War II, they were forced to be eva­cuated and herded into concentration camps encircled with barbed wire and machine guns pointing at them. All constitutional rights and due process of law were either ignored or scraped in the name of National Defense.

Nisei who were just growing from their teens to draft age were all in concentration camps, actually a prisoner’s camp…. Many Nisei discovered that they must sacrifice themselves to earn the right of citizenship by voluntarily serving in the armed forces. Whether the action was a smart action is debatable. But the fact is they have honorably served and accomplished their mission of credibility as citizens of the U.S.A. Returning from the camps and from services in the armed forces, Issei and Nisei again reestablished the second Nihonmachi. . .Nihonmachi again became an active focal point of spiritual and cultural life for Japanese in America. However, Nihonmachi was confronted with still another enemy. This time in the form of the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency. The situation of Nihonmachi in 1974 has been a result of RDA and the master plan of this city and the federal government.

Today, since the formation of the Committee Against Nihonmachi Eviction -“CANE”, fighting against elements forcing small businesses and residents out of Nihonmachi. Many people have joined and have been strategically struggling, mobilizing the Japanese community and have exerted their ideas and have been successful in many ways.. CANE has been shielding, guiding and planning the present hardship faced by the community and is laying the course of Nihonmachi’s destiny fortelling the fate of the Nihonmachi of the future.

Through faith in their struggle, people from all aspects of Nihonmachi are beginning to understand what it means to stand up and struggle so that the ethnic unity of Nihonmachi can survive and have the credibility of existence. If the people of Nihonmachi were aware twenty years ago, this present destruction could have been prevented. All future forces must be crushed today or the Nihonmachi will be washed away not only the spread of tourism, but also by the multinational expansion of Ugly Americanism and Ugly Japanese economic expansion. This struggle is slowly defining the philosophical basis of existence and undoubtedly has taken a first step of the coming of the New Age -where solidly molded thinking will control the future action of this community. The struggle must be unified into action to be successful.”

Japantown: New Dawn J-Town Collective April 1974 MANZANAR

NEW DAWN J-TOWN COLLECTIVE V.3N.8 APRIL 1974 P.5

A TRIBUTE TO MANZANAR

Asian-Americans commemorate concentration camp struggle

“The rising interest to participate in nationwide pilgrimages to the sites of World war II concentration camps repre­sents a significant development among Japanese-Americans today.

" For many Sansei (3rd Generation Japanese Americans) it represents an opportunity to lean about the concrete experience of the camps from those that were imprisoned. For all Japanese Americans, it marks a beginning in summing up an experience that will help in advancing the struggles of today.

'This year we’ve received more inquir­ies about the Manzanar Pilgrimage than ever before.”'As part of the Manzanar Com­mittee in Los Angeles, Sue Kunitomi Embrey commented on the dynamic growth of the Manzanar Pilgrimage from its modest begin­nings in 1969 where 250 people attended commemoration ceremonies in southern Calif­ornia to its present development into a nationwide movement that now includes pilgrimages to the sites of 5 U.S. concentration camps. Throughout California, in Texas, Colorado and Arkansas, broad sec­tions of Japanese-Americans are joining together in commemoration of the camp ex­perience that imprisoned 110,000 persons of Japanese ancestry during-World War II.

LESSONS PROM CAMP IMPRISONMENT

"The lessons to be learned from the incarceration of Japanese point to the na­ture of racism in the U.S. as a tool for the benefit of the rich, greedy few_, and more importantly- the courageous struggle that was waged against the injustices of the camps.

The campaign of violent and rampant ra­cism against Japanese in the U.S. develop­ed with the unfolding of the war between Japan and the U.S. for control of the land and resources of the Pacific and Southeast Asian countries. However, within the U.S. the racism directed against the Japanese took on a deliberate course engineered by farming interests who stood to gain mil­lions of dollars by the removal of Japa­nese farmers, the Hearst Press that gross­ly distorted the struggle between Japanese and U.S. industrial elites for the Pacific empire into a vicious racist attack a­gainst American citizens of Japanese an­cestry and by politicians at all levels of government who stood to gain popularity and fortune by giving their support to the racist campaign against the Japanese in the U.S.

This campaign of terror and racism took a heavy toll on the Japanese. Uprooted from their homes, livelihoods and communi­ties and forced to abandon personal pos­sessions, the Japanese suffered losses es­timated to be $400 million. General cur­few and restricted travel were imposed upon the Japanese population, Japanese com­munities along the West Coast were subjec­ted to frequent raids and roundups by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies, and community leaders were quickly separa­ted from their communities.

RESISTANCE SWELLS UP

"However, the Japanese did not accept the unjust conditions imposed on them without a fight. Strikes and mass protest took place in several camps throughout the internment period against living conditions, starvation wages and the indiscriminate treatment against internees who tried to organize for better conditions within camp. During the early months of internment at Manzanar, California, approximately 800 internees went on a 2-day work strike against a government camouflage project in protest against the injustice of their incarceration. Later that year in what became known as the Manzanar riot, 2 Japanese were killed and 10 wounded by military police as the demonstrators demanded the release of a jailed internee who had been in the forefront of organizing for better living conditions within the camp.

Another front of resistance developed against the attempt by military and government officials to form an all-volunteer combat unit of Japanese-Americans among the male population of internees. In the final recruitment effort the government managed only 1,200 volunteers from an anticipated goal of 3,500. At Tule Lake in a related attempt by the government to draft internees, the first eligible draftees refused to accept this added form of injustice and set an example for many other internees who also refused in protest against their imprisonment.

The bitter experience of discrimination and internment and the heroic struggles that ensued against the conditions of imprisonment, serve as a grim reminder of the fragile nature of a democratic system that can trample on the rights of people when it is in the hands of a ruling few who seek their own self interest.

THE FIGHT MUST GO ON

"The struggles that Japanese faced in the past against discrimination and injustice did not end with the concentration camps, but continue today and are deeply interwoven with the broad movement of the American people today. In California, within the Japanese communities of both Los Angeles and San Francisco the fight for low cost housing has mobilized the fighting spirit and broad support of community residents, shopowners, workers and students. On the campuses of Berkeley and Oakland, California, Japanese-Americans are part of the Third World student movement deeply engaged in defending ethnic studies programs from administrative cutbacks.

In Los Angeles and San Francisco, where various teach-ins and community forums are being planned around the camp experience, and throughout the nationwide movement to revisit the camp sites, we must ensure that we link the struggles of the past to those of the present. For it is in the struggles of today that lie the victories of tomorrow.”