A Terminal Island film project and the redress debate

Vol. 89, No. 59, September 7, 1979. 8 pages. View this issue

A film about Terminal Island dominated the front page. The JACL and the California Council for the Humanities approved the project on Japanese Americans who lived there before World War II and were removed in 1942. Fundraising goals of $10,000 per district were set, with Greenwood as producer. Harry Farrell, a San Jose Mercury News columnist, rebuked Senator Hayakawa’s account of wartime West Coast conditions. A question and answer fact sheet on redress addressed fears of a white backlash.

The commentary pages range widely. Clifford Uyeda wrote about ethnic heritage and support for the redress campaign, George Kondo about a visa request, and John J. Saito about helping refugees at Camp Pendleton in 1975. Elsewhere, Gardena Valley and Orange County JACL both bid for the 1982 National Convention, and the Hayashi law scholarship awardees were named. Robert H. Kono looked back at the Satsuma Rebellion.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• On Terminal Island: JACL-Terminal Island Film Project, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL and the California Council for the Humanities approved funding for a film project on Terminal Island Japanese Americans before World War II and their removal in 1942. Fundraising goals of $10,000 per district were set, with Greenwood as producer and former residents assisting.
• Five awardees named for Hayashi law scholarships, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Five students were named recipients of the Hayashi Memorial Law Scholarships administered by EDC JACL. Awardees include Cyril Nishimoto, Carol Izumi, Bruce Hironaka, and Susan Kamei, each with academic and community backgrounds.
• Question and answer fact sheet on redress: Won’t campaign cause a white backlash?, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A continued fact sheet addresses concerns about backlash, comparisons with other groups’ claims, and the resistance of draft resisters during WWII. It argues redress is necessary to ensure such injustice never happens again.

Community

• Midwest media looking for local Hibakusha, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Media requests to the Midwest JACL office sought atomic bomb survivors for local human interest stories following a Chicago Sun-Times piece. Rev. Michael Yasutake urged passage of a bill to provide medical aid to survivors in the U.S.
• Court commissioner Ishikawa candidate for superior court, by Eira Nagaoka, page 1. Seattle’s Richard M. Ishikawa, a King County Superior Court Commissioner, announced his candidacy for an unexpired one-year term on King County Superior Court. His background includes service as a deputy prosecuting attorney and leadership roles in Seattle JACL and community organizations.
• Intermountain District prepares for convention, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Idaho Falls JACL is hosting the 20th biennial Intermountain District Convention over Thanksgiving weekend, with planning updates given at the third quarterly session. Agenda items include a redress resolution regarding Intermountain Nikkei during WW2 and proposed constitutional revisions.
• PSWDC adopts $43,811 budget, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Pacific Southwest District Council adopted its 1979-80 budget totaling $43,811, with most funding from district allocations and per capita dues. The council also approved a resolution on the Westside, a seed contribution to the Terminal Island Film Project, and welcomed the new Marina Chapter.
• Parasites found in some striped bass, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The State Department of Health Services warned that striped bass from San Francisco Bay or the Delta should not be eaten raw due to parasites. Fish must be frozen at least 60 hours at 4 degrees below zero before serving.

JACL

• Two chapters bid for 1982 National Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Gardena Valley JACL and Orange County JACL both expressed interest in hosting the 1982 National JACL Convention. The Pacific Southwest District Council accepted the national request to host the biennial in Southern California.

Commentary

• Veteran reporter corrects Hayakawa on early WW2 era, by Harry Farrell, page 1. San Jose Mercury News columnist Harry Farrell rebuked Senator Hayakawa’s claims about wartime West Coast conditions and the need for Japanese American evacuation. Farrell argued the 1942 evacuation was unjustified and driven by bigotry and economic greed.
• President’s Corner: Nisei expertise and the value of cultivating ethnic heritage, by Clifford Uyeda, page 4. JACL President Clifford Uyeda reflects on meeting Norwegian and Greek American groups who supported the redress campaign and on San Francisco’s support for Senate Bill 1647. He argues that cultivating ethnic heritage enriches America’s diversity.
• Corralling a quorum, by Harry K. Honda, page 4. Editor Harry Honda describes delays at the PSW District Council quarterly session caused by difficulty securing a quorum. He notes the council’s procedures and the need to address chapters in good standing.
• In search of a job of happiness, by Sachi Seko, page 4. Sachi Seko reflects on her son’s search for employment after college and her own changed understanding of happiness. She contrasts the fairy-tale ideals of her youth with the realities of job hunting.
• Down the South Fork of Snake River, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The author recounts a fishing trip on the South Fork of the Snake River with Alfred Wada, Frank Wada, George Shiozawa, and Masa Tsukamoto. The piece reflects on the friendships, farm life, and the men’s leisure while their wives remained at home.
• Can I help?, by George Kondo, page 6. JACL executive George Kondo recounts a request from a non-member seeking JACL help with his Japanese wife’s visa status. Kondo explains the limits of JACL’s role and notes the man subsequently joined the organization.
• Boat People, by John J. Saito, page 6. John Saito recalls assisting Southeast Asian refugees arriving at Camp Pendleton in 1975 and compares their living conditions to Japanese American internment at Poston. He reflects on the mental and emotional toll of sudden displacement.
• Affirmative Action, by Bill Yoshino, page 6. Midwest JACL director Bill Yoshino satirically discusses a Japanese American individual implicated in organized crime in Chicago. He humorously explores whether the crime group has an affirmative action program.
• Random Musings: The Last Rebellion, by Robert H. Kono, page 8. Robert Kono examines the Meiji era and the 1877 Satsuma Rebellion led by Saigo Takamori. He discusses the tension between modernization and the displaced samurai class.

Arts & Entertainment

• Carole Kai a unanimous hit at Las Vegas, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Singer Carole Kai received critical acclaim for her week-long main stage engagement at the Sahara alongside Don Rickles. Reviewer Eddie Sherman praised her as a distinct personality and predicted a return engagement.

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