Redress planning, a judicial nomination and a job bias ruling

Vol. 90, No. 80, February 15, 1980. 8 pages. View this issue

The front page carried news of a ruling for Robert Chun, an engineer with the California Department of Water Resources, who won a racial discrimination case before the State Personnel Board. It also reported that Sen. Alan Cranston recommended A. Wallace Tashima for a federal judgeship in Los Angeles. Redress planning ran through the issue: Mike Masaoka and Minoru Yasui spoke about the need for a commission to investigate the World War II incarceration under Executive Order 9066, and preparations continued for a March 22 testimonial dinner honoring five Nikkei members of Congress. Harry Honda wrote about John Tateishi’s call for a presidential commission, and John Tani answered a Chicago Tribune letter defending the wartime internment.

Other pages include Clifford Uyeda’s President’s Corner, Bill Hosokawa on Japan’s role abroad, and Barry T. Saiki on Japanese television programs about the Nisei. JACL scholarship deadlines, chapter news, and a notice that the Pacific Citizen office was moving to the JACCC also appeared.

What’s in this issue

National

• Nisei Named for U.S. Judge Seat in L.A., page 1. A. Wallace Tashima, a Los Angeles attorney and partner at Morrison and Foerster, was recommended by Sen. Alan Cranston for a vacancy on the U.S. Federal District Court in Los Angeles. He was born in Santa Maria, graduated from UCLA and Harvard Law School, and previously served as a deputy state attorney general.
• State Engineer Wins Unique Job Bias Issue, page 1. Robert Chun, an Asian American engineer with the California Department of Water Resources, won a racial discrimination ruling from the State Personnel Board after being passed over for promotion in favor of a Caucasian candidate. Attorney Frank Iwama argued the case involved ‘discriminatory compaction,’ where Asian Americans are hired readily but blocked from advancing to higher management positions.
• Job Bias (continued), page 2. Continuing coverage of the Robert Chun discrimination case, detailing attorney Frank Iwama’s argument about numerical parity figures being misleading without considering specific job classifications. Chun expressed hope that other Asian Americans would come forward to challenge similar discrimination.

Community

• PC Office to Move to JACCC, page 1. The Pacific Citizen office in Los Angeles is scheduled to move locations next Tuesday, Feb. 19. The phone number will remain the same.
• Modesto Nisei Eyes State Assembly Seat, page 1. Westley farmer Mamoru Yamaichi announced he will challenge Assemblyman John Thurman if he wins the Republican primary nomination in June. Also covered are actor George Takei’s potential run against Assemblyman Mike Roos, Assemblyman Paul Bannai’s filing for a fifth term, and a rally for Assemblyman S. Floyd Mori.
• Deadlines for JACL Awards: Mar. 15 Freshman Scholars, Apr. 15 Upper Div. & Graduate, page 2. National JACL scholarship applications are due March 15 for freshman scholarships and April 15 for upper division and graduate scholarships. Various named scholarships are available including from California First Bank and Sumitomo Bank of California, with the national committee having awarded over $90,000 since 1946.
• Asian Women Conference Set, page 2. Over 40 Asian/Pacific women workshops with prominent speakers are scheduled for a three-day conference at USC February 29-March 2. Similar programs are planned later in Hawaii and New York, culminating in a national conference in August.
• Tea Garden May Charge, page 3. San Francisco’s Japanese Tea Garden at Golden Gate Park may begin charging a 50-cent admission fee, opposed by George Hagiwara, grandson of the garden’s founder. The garden’s concessionaire warned that excessive fees could hurt business despite generating substantial revenue for city parks.
• Chapter Pulse: Eden Township, Fremont, Houston, Marin County, Milwaukee, page 6. Roundup of chapter news including Eden Township JAYS hosting a DYC quarterly meeting, Fremont JACL installing Ted Inouye as president, and Houston JACL hosting the Mountain Plains District Council winter session featuring John Tateishi and Minoru Yasui. Milwaukee JACL’s inaugural event will feature Ron Ikejiri as keynote speaker with new president Andy Mayeshiba.
• Seattle JACL Installs Co-Presidents, page 7. Seattle JACL installed its 1980 officers, with Charles Kato and Ben Nakagawa sharing the presidency as co-presidents, similar to a prewar cabinet arrangement. Both have extensive backgrounds in community and civic engineering/education roles, succeeding outgoing president Mich Matsudaira.

Incarceration & Redress

• ‘American Testimonial’ Fete in L.A. Bolstered, page 1. About 70 people gathered at General Lee’s Restaurant to support a community-wide testimonial dinner planned for March 22 honoring five Nikkei members of Congress. Mike Masaoka and Minoru Yasui spoke about the need for a commission to investigate the WWII incarceration under Executive Order 9066.
• First Reservation In for Mar. 22 Fete, page 1. Bob Goka, proprietor of Frank’s Nursery & Flowers, made the first $1,000 table reservation for the American Testimonial dinner honoring five Nikkei members of Congress. The dinner will be held March 22 at the Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles.
• State Landmark Registry for All 12 Temporary Detention Centers Asked, page 1. The Ethnic Minority Cultural Resources Survey-Japanese Americans filed an application to register the WWII temporary detention camps as California state historical landmarks. The 21-page application includes historical documentation and argues for use of the term ‘Temporary Detention Camps’ rather than euphemisms used by the government at the time.
• Dinner (continued), page 3. Continued coverage of the American Testimonial dinner planning, noting it will be the first time all five Nikkei federal legislators gather for a single event. JACL leaders Karl Nobuyuki and John Tateishi noted the redress campaign requires a budget of about $220,000, with honorary co-chairs being Mayor Tom Bradley and Issei leader Katsuma Mukaeda.
• An Exchange of Letters to the Tribune, page 6. The Chicago Tribune published a letter from Milan G. Weber defending the WWII internment of Japanese Americans as a wartime necessity, followed by a detailed rebuttal from Chicago JACL president John Tani. Tani argues the internment was rooted in racism and economic motives rather than legitimate security concerns, citing the lack of any sabotage and the disparate treatment of Hawaii’s Japanese population.

In-Depth

• Nisei Business Keeping Up Despite Interstate 5, page 3. Joe and Miyo Takeshita’s business, Tokyo Joe’s Gas Mart in Lathrop, has survived despite Interstate 5 diverting traffic from the old Highway 50 thoroughfare. The couple, longtime French Camp JACL members, took the business back in 1979 after a previous sale fell through, and it remains a beloved pioneer establishment in the area.
• New Japan Look at the Nisei, by Barry T. Saiki, page 5. Japanese media is increasingly covering Nikkei history, with NHK producing TV programs on Japanese emigration to Hawaii, the U.S. mainland, and internment experiences, and novelist Toyoko Yamazaki planning a serial for Shukan Shincho magazine. The programs aim to educate the Japanese public about Nisei experiences including wartime internment and military service.

Commentary

• Young Pioneers, by Clifford Uyeda, page 4. President’s Corner column describes observing China’s Young Pioneers, gifted children ages 6-12 who are tasked with helping lower-achieving classmates. The author reflects on China’s emphasis on discipline as a key to societal success based on his observations during a visit to Beijing.
• Redress John, by Harry Honda, page 4. Editor Harry Honda recounts John Tateishi’s keynote address at Riverside JACL’s installation dinner regarding the push for a presidential commission (S 1647/HR 5499) to investigate the WWII incarceration. The column also covers Riverside JACL’s history and the generational transition from Nisei to Sansei leadership.
• Mobilize the Middle-Aged Men, by Sachi Seko, page 4. A reflective column on the psychological toll of war on young veterans, arguing that the draft burden disproportionately falls on youth while older generations who avoided war romanticize it. The author proposes that men over 50 who never served should be conscripted instead, as a check on those eager for conflict.
• Nobu-‘Yaki’: A Rebuttal, by Karl Nobuyuki, page 4. A humorous column describing a Pan Asian JACL fundraiser ‘Yaki’ event where Nobuyuki was roasted by a lineup of community figures acting as mock chefs. The author recounts the comedic skits, gag gifts, and entertainment, praising the chapter for bringing Sansei and Nisei together for a fun community event.
• Japan’s Yes and No: Internationally, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa’s column explores why Japan, despite its economic power, rarely takes diplomatic initiative internationally, citing insights from Asahi editorial writer Yukio Matsuyama. Matsuyama explains that Japanese leadership values harmony, patience, and avoiding confrontation over boldness, which limits Japan’s global political assertiveness.
• Ancient Japanese Folktale, by Mas Manbo, page 8. The Spartan Beat column describes the author’s enjoyment of a Japanese children’s TV program featuring old folktales, including stories of the Seven Deities of Fortune and a bride whose flatulence had magical powers. The column humorously recounts how the folktale explains the origin of the Japanese word ‘heya’ meaning room.

Military & Veterans

• 35 Years Ago in the Pacific Citizen, page 4. A historical digest of news items from January-February 1945, including the Long Beach YWCA welcoming returning evacuees, the death of Rev. H. Barnabas Terasawa at Topaz, and various incidents of discrimination against Japanese Americans. It also notes JACL headquarters receiving funds to reopen West Coast offices to assist returning evacuees.
• MIS/S. Cal. to Show War Crimes Trial, page 7. The MIS of Southern California New Year’s dinner on Feb. 23 at the Kawafuku restaurant in Gardena will feature a videotape showing of the Tokyo War Crimes Trial. The event begins at 6:30 p.m.

Sports

• Sansei Wins Top Backgammon Prize, page 7. Sansei truck driver Wayne Araki of Vancouver, B.C. won the third annual Plimpton Cup backgammon championship in Las Vegas, earning $150,000 in prize money. The 24-year-old beat nine other competitors at the Dunes Hotel in December.

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