Vol. 88, No. 49, June 29, 1979. 8 pages. View this issue
Redress and the memory of the wartime incarceration ran through this eight-page issue. Congressman Norman Mineta reflected on his own time in camp and on Executive Order 9066, which removed over 112,000 Japanese Americans. Letters to the editor and a California columnist weighed in on redress and on Senator Hayakawa, while JACL National President Clifford Uyeda wrote about political appointments. On page 1, news turned to Los Angeles, where a new Children’s Museum pushed out a Japanese restaurant bid, and to California, where up to 500 Filipino accountants won an exemption from a 242-day examination.
Also inside: Wendy Yoshimura’s appeal for public support, Reiko Weston of Minneapolis named a Small Business Person of the Year, and Dr. Edmund Jung’s discrimination case. Sheridan Tatsuno reviewed the film Home Movies from Manzanar, and Joe Oyama and Sachi Seko wrote columns.
What’s in this issue
Community
- L.A.’s New Children’s Museum Crowds Out Japanese Restaurant, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Los Angeles City Council refused to hear restaurant proposals, including one from Tokyo Kaikan Restaurants, for space in the new Children’s Museum facility. The council approved a recommendation favoring a different use for the space, which had been unoccupied since the mall opened five years earlier.
- Minnesota’s Small Business Awardee: Restaurant Entrepreneur Honored, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Reiko Weston, who runs three Minneapolis restaurants, was named Minnesota’s Small Business Person of the Year by the SBA. Her story traces her move to Minneapolis, her founding of Fuji-Ya in 1959, and her expansion into additional restaurants.
- Boise Valley, IDC Honor Grads and a Longtime Friend, page 6. Intermountain District Council delegates joined Boise Valley JACL to honor area high school graduates and longtime friend Harry McCluskey. McCluskey received a National JACL certificate and a resolution recognizing his support of the Idaho Japanese community.
National
- Filipino Accountants Win in State Fight, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The California State Board of Accountancy voted to recognize licensing exam results from past policy, exempting up to 500 Filipino accountants from a 242-day examination. Attorney Robert Gnaizda called the change an opening wedge for professional opportunities for immigrants from Pacific nations.
- Dr. Edmund Jung Wins Bias Case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A federal appeals board found Dr. Michael Geokas guilty of racial discrimination against Dr. Edmund Jung at a Martinez VA hospital. Jung has since filed a civil rights suit in federal court, with a trial date set for the fall.
- Commerce Department Reorganization and Federal Discrimination Rulings, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A Commerce Department reorganization of minority enterprise programs could harm most minority businesses, according to Dr. Berkeley Burrell. Several Supreme Court rulings on job discrimination, veterans preference, and handicapped access were also summarized.
Incarceration & Redress
- Wendy Yoshimura Seeks Public Support, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Wendy Yoshimura appealed for public support at a Nihonmachi press conference after the state supreme court refused to hear her appeal. Supporters described her community service and argued that imprisonment would serve no useful purpose.
- A Time for Reflection, by Norman Y. Mineta, page 4. Congressman Norman Mineta reflects on his own wartime internment and the history of Executive Order 9066 and the removal of over 112,000 Japanese Americans. He argues the lessons of internment must be preserved so that civil liberties are defended for all groups.
Commentary
- Political Game, by Clifford Uyeda, page 4. JACL National President Clifford Uyeda argues that political appointments reflect the payment of political debts earned through votes, money, and labor. He urges greater Japanese American political involvement to gain influential appointments.
- A Variety of Views of Redress, page 4. Letters to the editor offer differing opinions on redress, including support for court action and monetary compensation and criticism of Senator Hayakawa. Writers debate the proposed Congressional commission approach.
- ‘John Wayne’ Alive and Well, by Sachi Seko, page 4. Sachi Seko describes a friend in Salt Lake City nicknamed John Wayne, reflecting on his stubborn character and complicated views on race. The column explores tensions over prejudice and the author’s personal relationship with him.
- Frantic Spectators at a Swim Meet, page 5. A Denver parent recounts his young son’s first swim meet and the intense cheering of parents. The column draws memories of the author’s older son’s own championship relay victory years earlier.
- Calif. Columnist Raps Hayakawa for Failing to Understand Redress, page 5. A California columnist criticizes Senator Hayakawa for his insensitivity to the suffering of Japanese Americans during internment. The piece argues the internment was economically motivated and that reparations are needed to correct the record.
- Sansei ‘Adopt’ the Hinomaru, by Joe Oyama, page 8. Joe Oyama observes Sansei displaying the Hinomaru flag on cars and clothing and wonders whether fear of reprisal keeps other Nikkei from doing so. He also reflects on the Japanese American experience after the war.
Arts & Entertainment
- Home Movies from Manzanar, by Sheridan Tatsuno, page 8. Sheridan Tatsuno reviews the film Home Movies from Manzanar, produced by the American Committee of Los Angeles, noting its Chaplinesque sequences and patriotic displays under internment. He recounts his personal connection to the camp experience through his father’s history.
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