Vol. 89, No. 56, August 17, 1979. 8 pages. View this issue
Redress and the memory of the World War II incarceration (often called internment) ran through this 8-page issue. Up to 300 people were expected at the Minidoka dedication, with Senator Frank Church and Bill Hosokawa among the speakers. California’s Day of Remembrance on Feb. 19, 1980, was set by a bill marking Executive Order 9066, and a new National Council for Japanese American Redress was formed. Clifford Uyeda described his meeting with three senators about a Senate study bill, and Marilyn Owen Robb and Mike Ushijima wrote on the redress debate.
Other pages looked at job discrimination cases against Japanese-owned firms in the U.S., Okinawan children left behind by American servicemen, and a court ruling on affirmative action. Timothy Takata talked with a Nisei Week Queen, and Kimi Tambara profiled Portland Mayor Neil Goldschmidt. Bill Marutani’s East Wind column met tourists from Japan, and the front page told of a girl who shared her birthday cake each year with her heart doctor.
What’s in this issue
Community
- Lass Shares Her Birthday Cake With Heart Doctor Each Year, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Adrienne Norbeck, born with a rare cardiac abnormality, survived 36 hospitalizations and a final catheterization as an infant. Her cardiologist, Dr. Stanley Higashino, received a birthday cake message from her each September.
- Job Bias Cases by Japanese Firms in U.S. Complex to Pursue, page 1. A JACL representative discussed the difficulties of pursuing discrimination claims against Japanese-owned subsidiaries in the U.S. A ruling against C. Itoh & Co. in Texas showed such firms can be sued.
- Reflections of a Queen, by Timothy Takata, page 1. Lisa Yamamoto, a math major who reigned as Nisei Week Queen, reflects on her year of travel and public appearances. She describes her ethnic pride and her wish for a more active role for the queen’s court.
- Hizzoner, the Mayor, by Kimi Tambara, page 6. Portland Mayor Neil Goldschmidt is profiled for his longtime JACL ties and support of mass transit and Day of Remembrance. The writer notes his council resolution on the Evacuation.
- Nikkei Service Center, by Sachi Kuwamoto, page 6. The Nikkei Service Center in Fresno provides hot meals and activities for the Issei elderly. The article describes staff and program services funded through CCDC-JACL and state grants.
- Kamon Authority Writes for Show, page 8. Japanese family crest expert Niwa Motoji prepared a paper on kamon history for the Nisei Week exhibit at Nishi Hongwanji. The paper traces how samurai and commoners adopted family crests.
- George Ohashi Holds Golden Wedding Fete, page 8. George and Bernice Ohashi celebrated their golden wedding anniversary with 175 guests in Santa Barbara. George has served as president of several JACL chapters and is a 1000 Club life member.
National
- Okinawa Asks U.S. Aid for Deserted Children, page 1. Okinawan educators asked Japanese and U.S. governments to compel servicemen to pay child support for about 3,000 children born to Japanese women. Only 8 percent of such children receive aid from American fathers.
Incarceration & Redress
- 300 Expected at Minidoka Dedication, page 1. Up to 300 people are expected at the Minidoka Relocation Center historical site dedication on Aug. 18. Senator Frank Church and Bill Hosokawa are among the principal speakers.
- Assemblyman Mori’s Day of Remembrance Bill Signed, page 1. California will mark a Day of Remembrance on Feb. 19, 1980, under AB 621 authored by Assemblyman Mori. The date commemorates Executive Order 9066, which led to the incarceration of Japanese Americans.
- New Redress Group Set, page 2. The newly formed National Council for Japanese American Redress was endorsed by the Conference of Western Attorneys General. The council seeks compensation for former evacuees and internees.
Military & Veterans
- MISLS ‘Gopher’ Featured on Banner, page 2. A banner bearing the MIS Language School emblem was unveiled at a luncheon honoring author Joe Harrington. The gift was presented by the California National Guard commander.
Commentary
- Comments From the Midwest on Evacuation and Redress, by Marilyn Owen Robb, page 4. A Chicago minister recounts her experience of forced removal and incarceration during World War II. She argues the government’s actions were driven by racism rather than military necessity and calls for apology.
- A Variety of Views on Redress, by Mike Ushijima, page 4. A letter writer criticizes the proposed Study Commission as a stalling tactic and urges pursuit of the moral issue of government guilt. Another letter challenges the JACL’s claim that chapters broadly endorsed the commission approach.
- East Wind: Tourists From Japan, by Bill Marutani, page 4. The columnist strikes up a conversation with a tour leader from Tokyo at the New Otani Hotel. The tour leader operates a Dunkin’ Donuts shop and asks about the chain’s absence in Los Angeles.
- President’s Corner: Senate Bill, by Clifford Uyeda, page 4. JACL’s president describes a meeting with Senators Hayakawa, Inouye and Matsunaga on a Senate bill to study E.O. 9066. Hayakawa deferred the question and Inouye urged correcting the wrong.
- Harold Ickes Vis-a-Vis Issei/Nisei, page 5. A review of Professor Morita’s publication of Harold Ickes diary references on the Japanese American evacuation. Ickes criticized the evacuation but few officials spoke up on behalf of Japanese Americans.
- Didn’t Pearl Harbor Justify Your Detention?, page 5. A question-and-answer fact sheet argues that Pearl Harbor did not justify the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans. It notes the lack of espionage convictions and the physical impossibility of a Japanese invasion of the West Coast.
- Editorial: Minnick Case Good News for Affirmative Action, by Lorrie Inagaki, page 6. A California appeals court decision in Minnick v. Dept. of Corrections supported affirmative action in prison staffing. The ruling was significant given recent challenges claiming reverse discrimination.
Arts & Entertainment
- Random Musings: Leaders in Time of Need, by Robert H. Kono, page 6. The columnist profiles Fukuzawa Yukichi, a 19th century leader who helped modernize Japan after Western contact. His writings promoted Western learning and individualism.
Obituaries
- Motoo Itatani, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Motoo Itatani, 80, of San Francisco, former president of the Nichibei Kai, died July 31 after a long illness. He was decorated by the Japanese government for community service.
- Etsuko Murayama, M.D., by P.C. Staff, page 8. Dr. Etsuko Murayama of San Francisco died following a long illness. She was the sister of Tamotsu Murayama, longtime PC correspondent in Japan.
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