Vol. 89, No. 72, December 7, 1979. 8 pages. View this issue
Support for a Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians ran through this eight-page issue. Rep. Norman Mineta spoke in Santa Monica on the educational role JACL members must take on for the bills, S 1647 and HR 5499, arguing the commission approach suited the World War II incarceration (often called internment). Rep. Mike Lowry introduced a separate redress bill, and a San Jose Mercury editorial backed the commission. Harry K. Honda’s column, “Dec. 7 Daze,” looked back at the long effort to undo Executive Order 9066.
The Iranian crisis drew its own front-page coverage. JACL asked California’s U.S. Attorneys for a federal ombudsman, endorsed Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti’s stand, and Stockton JACL president George Baba answered a city council vote. Elsewhere are Joe Oyama’s review of Hito Hata: Raise the Banner, a letter marking the paper’s 50th anniversary, and a new community center in Santa Maria.
What’s in this issue
National
- Commission approach ideally suited for internment experience, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Norman Mineta spoke in Santa Monica on the educational role JACL members must play to pass S 1647 / HR 5499, the bills establishing a Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians. He argued the commission model, as used by the Kerner and Eisenhower commissions, was well suited to examining the internment experience.
- Federal ombudsman proposed for all Iranians, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL, Chinese for Affirmative Action, and the Mexican American Political Association asked the four U.S. Attorneys in California to appoint a federal ombudsman for Iranian residents. The request followed mob actions after the U.S. Embassy in Tehran was occupied and warned against repeating WWII treatment of Japanese Americans.
- Civiletti’s stand toward Iranians endorsed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. National JACL applauded U.S. Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti’s statement that noncitizens are protected against national-origin discrimination. JACL executive director Karl Nobuyuki warned that abridging constitutional rights risked repeating the wartime confinement of Japanese Americans.
- Japan’s artificial blood saves life, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Experimental artificial blood Fluosol, developed in Japan by Dr. Ryoichi Naito of Green Cross, was credited with saving a 67-year-old Jehovah’s Witness at the University of Minnesota Hospital. The patient remains stable after receiving the product.
- Mayor Fasi strident over Iranian crisis, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Honolulu Mayor Frank Fasi told the Asian People’s Anti-Communist League that the U.S. should hold Iranian diplomats and students as hostages and deport 45,000 Iranian students. His remarks called for an eye-for-an-eye response to the Tehran crisis.
- 24 Japanese aboard jet crash in So. Pole, by P.C. Staff, page 1. An Air New Zealand sightseeing flight to Antarctica crashed into Mt. Erebus on Nov. 28, killing all 257 aboard, including 24 Japanese tourists. The report noted the date was 50 years after Admiral Byrd’s flight over the South Pole.
- JACL briefed on White House Conference on Families, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Washington JACL representative Ron Ikejiri attended a White House briefing on the Conference on Families, which encourages national organizations like JACL to participate. Suggested JACL roles included sponsoring activities, testifying at hearings, and submitting recommendations.
Community
- Stockton JACL president raps city council call for confinement, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Stockton JACL president George Baba noted that JACL helped win the law barring internment of citizens on assumption alone. He spoke after the Stockton city council voted 6-3 to urge President Carter to confine 50,000 Iranian students.
- New Santa Maria Minami community center opens, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The $1.2 million Minami Community Center in Santa Maria was dedicated Sept. 15 and named for the late Yaemon Minami. The 24,000 square foot facility, funded without city tax dollars, offers gym, dance, arts, and weight training programs.
- Trustee ends respected career of 22 years, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Livingston school trustee Kishi, a Nisei who served 22 years on local school boards, is leaving the Merced Union board this fall. He reflected on his career, teacher salary issues, and district achievements.
- High Cost of Living, by Ted Miyasaki, page 6. San Jose JACL member Ted Miyasaki describes inflation in Argentina during a JACL tour, noting a 160.9 percent price rise in one year. He observes that despite economic hardship, city shoppers appeared prosperous.
Incarceration & Redress
- Work on Walerga Camp park starts, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Construction was scheduled to begin to convert part of the former Walerga Assembly Center site in Sacramento into a park. A Day of Remembrance program has been held there and is expected to become annual, with donation details provided.
- Useful Bed of S 1649/HR 5499, by San Jose Mercury, page 4. A San Jose Mercury editorial supports the proposed fact-finding commission to examine the wartime internment of Japanese Americans. It argues the commission would educate a generation unfamiliar with EO 9066 and help reunify the community divided over reparations.
Military & Veterans
- Rep. Lowry introduces bill for direct redress, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Rep. Mike Lowry (D-Wa.) introduced legislation on Nov. 28 to provide direct redress payments to Japanese Americans interned during World War II. The bill would also provide $15,000 plus $15 per day of internment to each internee.
- When Navy Had Issei Sailors, by Jin Konomi, page 6. A columnist recounts the story of Osamu ‘Gooseneck’ Kageyama, an Issei sailor who slept through the Battle of Santiago de Cuba in the Spanish-American War. The tale highlights early Japanese service in the U.S. Navy.
Commentary
- Mindguards, by Harry K. Honda, page 4. Editor Harry Honda argues that meetings should include devil’s advocates and time for disagreement to avoid groupthink. He proposes ‘mindguards’ that protect decisions from self-deceit.
- Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission, by Chuck Kubokawa, page 4. JACL International Relations chair Chuck Kubokawa argues Nisei should be named to the U.S.-Japan Friendship Commission to broaden its scope beyond the arts. He says grassroots Nikkei perspectives can improve relations and questions the value of the Translation Service Center.
- PC’s 50th Anniversary letter, by Mine Kido, page 4. San Francisco reader Mine Kido congratulates the Pacific Citizen on its 50th anniversary. She praises its editors for maintaining JACL’s principles.
- ‘China Girl’, by Emory M. Lee, page 4. Palo Alto reader Emory Lee responds to a column about a racist ‘China Girl’ taunt by explaining the historical context of the TV episode’s protagonist. He urges Asian Americans to condemn corporate racist programming while avoiding pitting groups against each other.
- Oaxtepec, Mexico, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A columnist reports from a conference of American and Mexican editors on border issues, including Mexico’s oil wealth, illegal immigration, and rural poverty. He notes the historical parallel with Asian and Japanese laborers in the U.S.
In-Depth
- Dec. 7 Daze, by Harry K. Honda, page 4. Honda reflects on Dec. 7 and the long JACL effort to nullify Evacuation-era decisions, including EO 9066 rescission and the redress campaign. He also comments on how the Iranian crisis echoes wartime treatment of Japanese Americans.
Arts & Entertainment
- Hito Hata: Raise the Banner a surprise hit, by Joe Oyama, page 5. Joe Oyama reviews Hito Hata: Raise the Banner, a pilot film about Issei railroad workers directed by Bob Nakamura. He praises the film’s portrayal of hardship and says it is planned as a two-hour CBS production.
Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.