Redress bill support grows, and the PC marks its 50th year

Vol. 89, No. 65, October 19, 1979. 8 pages. View this issue

Redress led the news. Majority Leader Jim Wright of Texas introduced the internment commission bill into the Congressional Record, and more senators and representatives signed on as co-sponsors. JACL chapters were asked to write thank-you letters to supportive members of Congress. Diablo Valley JACL became the first chapter to answer the National Redress Committee’s appeal, sending $174. A column asked every chapter to give one dollar per member toward a $30,000 goal.

The issue also looked at the paper itself. Bill Hosokawa wrote about editor Harry Honda ahead of the paper’s 50th anniversary dinner, and Sachi Seko explained why she could not attend. Other pages cover Judge Richard M. Ishikawa taking the bench in Washington state, a 1944 column on Heart Mountain and Manzanar, Victor Tanaka’s question about the camp sites, Clifford Uyeda’s President’s Corner, and the Hoosier chapter, JACL’s 100th.

What’s in this issue

National

• More co-sponsors back internment commission bill, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Majority Leader Jim Wright introduced the internment commission bill into the Congressional Record, and additional senators and representatives have joined as co-sponsors. JACL chapters were asked to send letters of appreciation to supportive members of Congress and to press for hearings.

Community

• Diablo Valley JACL first to respond, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Diablo Valley JACL became the first chapter to answer the National Redress Committee’s appeal by turning in $174 to JACL Headquarters. The campaign asks each member to donate one dollar as soon as possible.
• Judge Richard M. Ishikawa sworn into office, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Richard M. Ishikawa became the first Japanese American to serve on the Washington state superior court bench in a ceremony in King County. The 48-year-old Nisei had previously been a superior court commissioner, county prosecutor, and private attorney.
• Mineta to address Mountain Plains DC, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Norman Mineta will be the main speaker at the Mountain Plains District Council dinner in Denver on November 10. The district session runs November 10-12.
• Another Nisei general named, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Col. Allen K. Ono, chief of staff of the U.S. Army Recruiting Command, was nominated by President Carter to be brigadier general. He is among 68 colonels awaiting Senate confirmation.
• Matsui to speak at CCDC parley, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Central California JACL District Council will meet November 17-18 in Fresno, with Rep. Robert Matsui as keynote speaker at the Sunday banquet. Chapters are assessed $2 per capita toward convention expenses.
• Grand marshal, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Judge Mikio Uchiyama, 57, served as grand marshal of the Fowler Fall Festival parade. A Sanger native and Fowler resident since 1951, he has been active in civic and community organizations.
• Yoshimura release date stays the same, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Wendy Yoshimura was not classified as a serious offender by the Community Release Board at her October 12 hearing, so her original September release date remains. The board voted 2 to 1 after a case presented by deputy public defender Dennis Riordan.
• Judges urged to challenge bilingual education in California, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Encouraged by Masons, judges were urged to challenge bilingual education requirements in California school districts. The article discusses the Lau v. Nichols decision and its significance under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
• 80,000 Koreans living in N.Y., by P.C. Staff, page 2. An estimated 80,000 Koreans live and work in metropolitan New York, second only to Los Angeles, yet remain largely less visible. The community supports professional and social associations, four Korean-language newspapers, and numerous restaurants and stores.
• ICU celebrates its 30th year, by P.C. Staff, page 2. International Christian University in Tokyo marks its 30th anniversary with an event for alumni and friends in Southern California on November 17. Dr. Atsuko Fujimoto, a graduate of the second class, will be the speaker.
• UCLA Nikkei alumni seek endowed chair, by P.C. Staff, page 2. UCLA Nikkei alumni will hold a November 15 dinner at the Biltmore Bowl to raise funds for an endowed chair. Advance gifts to date total $75,000, with expectations to top $100,000 by the event.
• Airline captain, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Wayne Nakaoaka, who has flown with Continental Airlines for twelve years, was promoted to captain. A UC Santa Barbara graduate and USAF-SAC veteran, he is the son of Fred K. Nakagawa of Encinitas.
• Marina to win top prize in membership derby, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The new Marina JACL won the $300 prize for the best percentage membership increase in the four-month derby ending September 30. San Francisco took the $100 prize for the largest numerical increase, and South Bay took the $100 prize for best increase over the 1978 total.

Incarceration & Redress

• Japanese American sites listed in ethnic resources survey, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The California Ethnic Minority Cultural Resources Survey released its first eleven Japanese American sites to the State Office of Historic Preservation. The list includes camps, health and welfare institutions, schools, churches, and the Terminal Island fishing village.
• Heart Mountain and Manzanar, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This 1944 retrospective column recounts wartime news items including Nisei military service, anti-evacuee resolutions, and state actions on Nisei citizenship. It highlights the ongoing tensions surrounding the evacuation.
• SWRA Campsites, by Victor Tanaka, page 4. Reader Victor Tanaka asks for the locations of WRA relocation centers and what remains today. The editor responds with a list of camp locations, surviving remnants, and a request for reader updates to compile a feature.

Commentary

• Editorial: End of the Citizen, by P.C. Staff, page 3. This 1943 editorial argues that the Pacific Citizen and Nisei press exist only because of racial injustice, and that they will be unnecessary once all Americans are fully assimilated. It expresses hope that the paper will disappear when that ideal is achieved.
• Dollar per Member, by P.C. Staff, page 4. JACL’s Redress Committee asks each chapter to contribute one dollar per member to fund the campaign for the commission bill, with a goal of $30,000. National President Clifford Uyeda made a personal appeal to meet immediate financial needs.
• President’s Corner: Heart Attacks, by Clifford Uyeda, page 4. JACL President Clifford Uyeda argues that low-cholesterol diets alone do not prevent heart disease, since many heart patients do not have high cholesterol. He emphasizes that blood pressure and overall lifestyle are also important risk factors.
• Manzanar Hush Song, by Mas F. Shono, page 4. A poem by Mas F. Shono, written in 1979, describes the desert landscape and dust of Manzanar. It includes a chorus composed by the S’47 class under the direction of A. Frizell.
• From Happy Valley: Missing the Oct. 20 party, by Sachi Seko, page 5. Sachi Seko explains why she cannot attend the Pacific Citizen 50th anniversary dinner honoring editor Harry Honda. She reflects on Honda’s encouragement of her writing and her return as a PC contributor.
• From the Frying Pan: Thoughts on PC’s Fiftieth Anniversary, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa profiles Harry Honda, who has served as Pacific Citizen editor for 27 years, describing the demands of a small-town-style weekly editor. He praises Honda’s integrity and dedication ahead of the Hollywood JACL anniversary dinner-dance.
• Hoosier Chapter: JACL’s 100th Chapter, by Bill Yoshino, page 6. The Hoosier JACL chapter in Indianapolis, chartered in 1976 as JACL’s 100th chapter, has a membership largely made up of New Issei and Sansei. The chapter takes an active role in the Indianapolis International Festival and cultural demonstrations.
• Divide and Conquer, by John J. Saito, page 6. John J. Saito describes the Los Angeles Community Coalition on Redress-Reparation as a unique group whose members hold differing approaches but work together. He argues that the coalition’s unity across approaches is its strength.
• Midwest Comments: Winds of Change Blow, by Hiroshi Tokubo, page 6. Hiroshi Tokubo argues that racial discrimination still affects Japanese Americans and that JACL must continue to combat it, including on credential issues facing Asian professionals. He also discusses the difficulty of gaining media attention for JACL causes.
• The Nikkei Tradition, by P.C. Staff, page 8. This column reflects on the Nikkei tradition of perseverance, hard work, and self-reliance forged through the wartime incarceration. It urges the community to dream bigger and to carry forward the legacy of the 442nd and MIS.

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