Vol. 88, No. 25, January 5, 1979. 16 pages. View this issue
Redress filled much of this 16-page issue. JACL’s National Committee for Redress planned educational activities about the 1942 Evacuation before a redress bill goes to Congress in mid-summer, and Clifford Uyeda explained in his column why the committee proposed $25,000 per individual. John Tateishi introduced the members who will carry out the campaign’s second phase. Two long pieces looked back at the U.S. Occupation of Japan: Mas Manbo recalled his years as a Nisei newsman in Tokyo, and Nobuyuki Nakajima wrote from a Japanese point of view.
The front page also followed Sam Fujimoto’s run for the Los Angeles school board and support for Fumio Kumagai as dean of the UC Davis medical school. Asian/Pacific groups pressed for a seat on the President’s immigration commission, and the Carter Administration said it would admit 21,875 more Southeast Asian refugees. Mike Hoshide wrote about Japan’s WWII balloon bombs, and Jon Inouye profiled screenwriter Desmond Nakano.
What’s in this issue
Community
- Support for Dr. Kumagai to be named dean of UC Davis medical school, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Fumio Kumagai, chief of endocrinology at UC Davis, is being considered for appointment as dean of the school of medicine, and support letters are being solicited. The appointment process was expected to close by the end of January.
- Nisei seeks L.A. school board seat, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Businessman Sam Fujimoto, an outspoken busing opponent, is running for the Los Angeles school board’s District 7 seat under the new district-based elections. He cites carpetbagging by the incumbent and forced busing as key issues, tying his stance to his own wartime removal.
- Togo Tanaka named to L.A. Federal Reserve Bank board, by P.C. Staff, page 14. Togo W. Tanaka, president of Gramercy Enterprises, was appointed to the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Los Angeles effective Jan. 1, 1979. His appointment reflects a long record of civic and community service.
- Fujimoto seeks L.A. school board seat, by P.C. Staff, page 14. Sam Fujimoto, running in District 7 for the Los Angeles school board, explains his opposition to forced busing and his criticism of the incumbent. He ties his stance to his own wartime forced removal and community ties in Gardena.
- Kumagai appointment as UC Davis medical dean supported by letters, by P.C. Staff, page 14. Support continues for Fumio Kumagai’s appointment as dean of UC Davis school of medicine, with letters to be sent to the chancellor. His qualifications and long service at Utah and Davis are summarized.
JACL
- JACL to file redress bill, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL’s National Committee for Redress planned a series of educational activities about the 1942 Evacuation before introducing a redress bill in Congress mid-summer. The committee’s campaign will depend on membership efforts, and it consulted Congressman Norman Mineta on the bill.
National
- Asian/Pacific groups push choices for President’s immigration panel, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Asian/Pacific American groups are urging appointment of an Asian American or Pacific Islander to the new Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy. PAC endorsed Ellen Ma Lee and Mike Masaoka and urged letters to the President.
- JACL probes revocation of Nisei’s license, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL charged that the California Real Estate Commissioner violated the fair hearing rights of Nisei broker Robert J. Matsumoto, whose license revocation stems from an alleged discrimination case. JACL argues the case against him rests on weak and contradictory evidence.
- U.S. to admit more refugees, by P.C. Staff, page 15. The Carter Administration told Congress it would admit 21,875 more Southeast Asian refugees this year. A Chinese American group in Maryland also organized to petition Congress for help for Vietnamese refugees.
Military & Veterans
- Sugiyama cited for efforts in reorganizing U.S. Civil Service, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Shigeki J. Sugiyama received the Civil Service Commissioners’ Award for Distinguished Service for his work on Civil Service Reform. He will join the Special Counsel at the new Merit Systems Protection Board when the agency splits.
In-Depth
- When Douglas MacArthur ‘reigned’, by Mas Manbo, page 2. Mas Manbo recalls working as a Nisei newsman in postwar Tokyo, describing colleagues, the Occupation’s effect on Japanese society, and stories he covered. He portrays the early Occupation period through personal anecdotes.
- What was the U.S. Occupation of Japan like?, by Nobuyuki Nakajima, page 3. Nobuyuki Nakajima describes the Occupation from a Japanese perspective, covering the emperor photo, the new constitution, food shortages, housing, labor reforms, and communism. He argues that U.S. media created a myth of a generous Occupation.
- Konnyaku Bakudan, by Mike Hoshide, page 5. Mike Hoshide describes Japan’s secret fu-go balloon bomb project of WWII, built from kozo paper and konnyaku paste. He recounts how the balloons reached the U.S., the secrecy surrounding them, and the fatal incident that ended the program’s effect.
Commentary
- Redress, by Clifford Uyeda, page 4. JACL President Clifford Uyeda explains the decision to propose $25,000 per individual in redress, arguing a specific sum makes the proposal substantive. He says the committee remains flexible on method and that community funds could serve future generations.
- Thanks, Again, by Harry K. Honda, page 4. Editor Harry K. Honda thanks chapters for strong advertising support for the 1978 Holiday Issue and notes some special articles were held over. He also mentions community traditions such as mochitsuki and the proposed Asian-Pacific Cultural Heritage Week.
- Fantasy Island, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Bill Marutani reflects on how his life might have differed had his Issei parents never emigrated, imagining farm life in his father’s village and wartime service. He recalls visiting his father’s homestead after the war and feeling like a soldier with no one to greet him.
- Lingua Franca, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa recounts a Denver dinner party hosted by Lee Chia of Central News Agency, where guests spoke multiple languages. He notes that Lee Chia was the only one who could speak with each guest in their preferred tongue.
Obituaries
- Top-ranking Nisei official dies, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Judge Roy Hirai, 61, Malheur County commission chairman and former president of the Assn. of Oregon Counties, died Dec. 22 after collapsing at a restaurant. He was the first Nisei elected to a major Oregon state office and was known for speaking about his wartime internment.
- Roger Tomita, 54: Seattle ‘activist’ in and out, by Eira Nagaoka, page 8. Eira Nagaoka remembers Masao ‘Roger’ Tomita, a Seattle community and church leader who died after heart surgery. She highlights his volunteer work, his discrimination complaint against the Postal Service, and his role in Nikkei community organizations.
Incarceration & Redress
- Phase II: Who’s Who, by John Tateishi, page 10. John Tateishi introduces the members of the Redress Committee who will design and carry out the campaign’s second phase. He profiles each member’s background and role in the Redress effort.
Arts & Entertainment
- Desmond Nakano: a young talent struggles for freedom, by Jon Inouye, page 13. Jon Inouye profiles Sansei screenwriter Desmond Nakano, whose first major film Boulevard Nights was set for release by Warner Brothers. Nakano discusses his path into writing, his views on Hollywood and TV, and the difficulty of Japanese American stories in commercial film.
- Josephine Duveneck’s autobiography honors wartime defenders of the Nisei, by Harry K. Honda, page 13. Harry K. Honda reviews Josephine Duveneck’s autobiography Life on Two Levels, which includes a chapter on the Evacuation of Japanese from California. He notes her and her husband Frank’s support for Nisei students during the war.
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