JACL apologizes to Michi Weglyn over redress testimony

Vol. 91, No. 10, October 10, 1980. 8 pages. View this issue

The front page carried a public apology: on Sept. 30 the Japanese American Citizens League apologized to Michi Weglyn for using passages from her book “Years of Infamy” in its Senate testimony on redress without credit. The statement was signed by national president James K. Tsujimura, and the omission was raised in a letter from Bob H. Suzuki. Also on page 1: Dr. Richard Ikeda’s $2 million lawsuit against a UC Davis department chairman, and three federal judges of Asian descent, Herbert Y. Choy, Thomas Tang and Shiro Kashiwa, sitting together on one Ninth Circuit panel.

Inside are Florence Garnett’s testimony as a Hiroshima survivor, Nathan Glazer’s review of “East to America,” Bill Hosokawa’s column from eastern Oregon, and Barry Saiki’s impressions of the national convention and the passage of the redress study commission bill. The “35 Years Ago” digest looked back at October 1945, including Tule Lake. Page 8 announced a Nikkei conference in Mexico City and the end of the National JACL Travel Program.

What’s in this issue

National

• JACL Apologizes Over Weglyn Book Use in Senate Testimony, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL publicly apologized to Michi Weglyn for failing to credit passages from her book ‘Years of Infamy’ that were used nearly verbatim in Senate testimony on redress. The oversight was brought to light by Bob H. Suzuki, who called the omission irresponsible and noted the irony given JACL had honored Weglyn in 1976.
• Sansei Pathologist Sues UC Davis Chief for $2 Million, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dr. Richard Ikeda, a Sacramento JACLer and former teacher-researcher at UC Davis Medical Center, filed a $2 million lawsuit against Dr. George Lundberg, chairman of the pathology department. Ikeda alleges Lundberg stalled grievance proceedings for over two years after he was harassed and fired, and says rebuilding his academic career will take years.
• Unique Panel: Choy, Tang, Kashiwa on Case Together, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Three federal judges of Asian descent sat together on a Ninth Circuit appeals panel in San Francisco, a first in the history of the federal judiciary. Presiding Judge Herbert Y. Choy noted the historic nature of an all-Asian-descent panel including Judge Shiro Kashiwa and Judge Thomas Tang.
• Hawaii’s Filipinos to Mark 75th Year, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Filipinos in Hawaii will begin a year-long celebration in December marking the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the first group of sugar cane workers in 1906.
• EEOC Guidelines to Affect ‘Speak English Only’ at Work, by P.C. Staff, page 1. New EEOC guidelines issued during Hispanic Heritage Week state that employers cannot require bilingual workers to speak only English on the job unless business necessity dictates otherwise. The rules aim to clarify provisions of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and affect an estimated 28 million people whose primary language isn’t English.
• VC Attends Fete at White House, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Visual Communications, a Los Angeles-based Asian American media producer, was among nearly 100 minority media producers invited to a Presidential reception at the White House. Attendees included Steve Tatsukawa, Lonnie Ding, and Dennis Kita, who also promoted the upcoming film premiere of ‘Carved in the Banner.’
• ALRB Orders Rehiring of Tomato Workers, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The California Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal by tomato grower Kawano, Inc., allowing an Agricultural Labor Relations Board order to stand requiring the firm to rehire 55 seasonal workers with back pay. The workers had not been rehired due to their support of the United Farm Workers.
• Nikkei International Conference Slated, by P.C. Staff, page 8. JACL’s international relations committee chair Chuck Kubokawa announced plans for an international Nikkei conference in Mexico City for the July 24-26, 1981 weekend. The JACL Northern California-Western Nevada-Pacific District Council may sponsor a group tour for attendees.
• Nat’l JACL Travel Program Ending, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The National JACL Travel Program will be discontinued after this year following elimination of the Group Affinity Program, despite over 7,000 members having participated in low-cost group tours to Japan. Local JACL travel agents will continue working with chapters to arrange group tours independently.

Community

• Fujishin Named Youngest College of Idaho Trustee, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Barry Fujishin, 31, became the youngest member of the College of Idaho board of trustees. A 1972 graduate of the college and a Marshall Scholar, he went on to earn a master’s degree at a university abroad.
• Sansei Recruits for Foreign Service, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Lorraine Takahashi, daughter of Clovis JACLers, is touring California college campuses to recruit women and minorities for the U.S. Foreign Service exam. She will visit several campuses in October ahead of the December entry examination deadline.
• Union City Mayor Kitayama Now Target of Recall Campaign, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A group critical of Union City Mayor Tom Kitayama’s treatment of striking nursery workers filed notice of intent to recall him, needing 2,800 signatures within 120 days. Kitayama denied allegations of misusing police and alienating the Mexican American community, calling the recall claims rhetoric without basis.
• JAHFA Awarded $24,000 to Aid Issei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japanese American Help for the Aging, Inc. received a one-year $24,000 grant from the New York Foundation to help elderly Japanese access social services. The organization previously received $30,000 from the New York Community Trust for its outreach program.
• Careers for Asian Women on Focus, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A conference titled ‘Women in the Professions: the Asian American Case’ was scheduled for Oct. 24-25 at the University of Pennsylvania, co-sponsored by the Asian American Council of Greater Philadelphia. Speakers included sociologists Dr. Gloria Kumagai and Dr. Evelyn Nakano Glenn.
• A Warm Response, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Berkeley JACL hosted a Sayonara barbecue for 15 exchange students and leaders from its Sister City Sakai, Japan, featuring yukata-clad guests, cultural performances, and discussion of a planned multicultural center. The event closed emotionally with singing of ‘Auld Lang Syne’ and promises to meet again.
• Ichisaka to Address Fremont Grand Reunion, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Vernon Ichisaka, founder of the Fremont JACL chapter in 1934, will be the guest speaker at the chapter’s Grand Reunion on Oct. 25. Organizers are working to contact all past chapter members from 1934 to the present.
• Monterey Peninsula JACL Hosts Needle Arts Lecture, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Embroiderer’s Guild of America and Monterey Peninsula JACL co-sponsored a lecture-demonstration on Asian needle arts featuring Maggie Backman, who studied at the Kunimitzu School in Japan. JACL-sponsored cooking classes with Chef Komatsu have also been meeting regularly at the JACL Hall.
• South Bay JACL to Host Kitano Talk on Japanese Heritage, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Dr. Harry H.L. Kitano of UCLA will speak on ‘Our Japanese Heritage: Past, Present and Future’ at a South Bay JACL dinner meeting. Kitano is co-director of the Alcohol Research Center and is researching alcohol drinking patterns in Asian American communities.
• West Los Angeles JACL to Discuss Ballot Issues, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Speakers from the League of Women Voters will discuss November ballot issues at a West Los Angeles JACL dinner meeting. Tickets were $6.75 and reservations could be made through Mary Ishizuka.
• Research Help Available at Asian American Voluntary Action Center, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Data and Research Center for Asian American Voluntary Action Center in Los Angeles offers assistance to those preparing proposals requiring population and resource data. Technical assistance on grantsmanship is also available.
• Oka Named District Manager at Equitable Life, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Orange County JACLer Shigeko Betty Oka was appointed district manager with the Richard Bonadio Agency, becoming the first Nikkei woman promoted to district manager for Equitable Life Assurance Society. She joined the firm in 1974 and is pursuing a C.L.U. designation while active in JACL and church leadership.
• Suzuki Named Dean of Graduate Studies at CSU-LA, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Bob H. Suzuki was appointed Dean of Graduate Studies and Research and Professor of Education at California State University, Los Angeles, effective January 1, 1981. He previously served as Professor and Director of Multicultural Education at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
• Nikkei Groups to Honor Gil Lindsay, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Over 40 Japanese American organizations formed a unity committee to honor Los Angeles Councilman Gilbert Lindsay with a testimonial dinner. Lindsay has represented the 9th District, which includes Little Tokyo, since 1963.
• UTB Guidebook to Debut in October, by P.C. Staff, page 8. United Television Broadcasting Systems announced plans to publish a bilingual Japanese-English tourist guidebook titled ‘Welcome to L.A.’ President Yasushi Haneda said it would be distributed free at popular tourist stops.

In-Depth

• Dietitician Breaks Silence as Hiroshima Hibakusha, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Florence Garnett of Monterey Park, a survivor of the Hiroshima atomic bombing, testified before Senator Edward Kennedy’s health subcommittee about her experiences and the ongoing effects of radiation. She described searching for and ultimately burying her grandparents and aunts, and only began speaking publicly about her ordeal two years ago.
• East to America: A History of the Japanese in the United States, by Nathan Glazer, page 3. A book review of ‘East to America’ by Robert A. Wilson and Bill Hosokawa, which traces Japanese American history from early immigration through internment and beyond, emerging from a JACL-UCLA research project. The reviewer praises the book’s accessibility and documentation while noting gaps in coverage of Sansei experience and postwar economic history.
• Joseph Heco: The First Naturalized Issei in the U.S., by H.H., page 3. The article recounts the stories of Manjiro Nakahama and Hikozo Hamada (Joseph Heco), the first two recorded Japanese to come to America, with Heco becoming the first naturalized Japanese American citizen in 1858. Heco had a remarkable career meeting three U.S. presidents and later founding Japan’s first modern newspaper.
• The Square Tohinaka Teacups, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A profile of ceramist Ray Tohinaka, who makes unconventional square teacups despite market preference for rounded vessels, supporting his craft through his family’s Daimaru shop in a former Sugarhouse fire station. The piece reflects on Ray’s idealism and ties his pursuit of art to the broader American dream of individual expression.

Commentary

• JACL Founders, by Harry Honda, page 4. The editor reflects on JACL’s golden jubilee and laments that a planned national award to honor JACL’s prewar founding chapter members never materialized. He hopes chapters will prepare founder lists ahead of the 1982 convention when Bill Hosokawa’s new JACL history book will be released.
• Nat’l Board Road Tour, by Dennis Kunisaki, page 4. A young JACL member criticizes the National Board’s ‘road tour’ meetings for spending most of their time in executive session rather than engaging with members, calling out complacency and lack of accountability. He also raises concerns about the treasurer selection controversy and the search for a new National Director, urging other districts to attend and question the Board.
• Letterbox: Shogun World, by Yamanaka Iseke, page 4. A reader praises the TV miniseries ‘Shogun’ for making her proud of her Japanese ancestry and crediting the women of 16th century Japan with cultural refinement amid violence. She contrasts this civility with modern warfare’s impersonal destructiveness.
• Letterbox: Why People Join, by Miyo Hayashi, page 4. Responding to a JACL membership chair, a reader explains that people join organizations for social, personal, and intellectual fulfillment rather than just services. She describes her own involvement in groups addressing education, international relations, and women’s issues.
• Far Eastern Trait in Eastern Oregon, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa recounts stories told by newspaper editor Bob Chandler about confronting racial discrimination in Bend, Oregon, including ending an unofficial policy against Black residents staying overnight and preempting bad publicity over discriminatory treatment at motels and restaurants. The column highlights how quiet, diplomatic questioning proved more effective than confrontation.
• ‘Little Boy’ and ‘Fat Man’ (Part One), by Bill Marutani, page 5. Marutani recounts the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and highlights the plight of Nisei survivors now living in the U.S. who continue to suffer health consequences decades later. He questions what obligation the U.S. government has to these citizen-survivors and previews a follow-up column on government action.
• Tortiman, Tsuriman, Tourtiman (Part IV), by Jin Konomi, page 8. Contributing writer Jin Konomi continues his critique of the Japanese kana writing system, detailing its inadequacies for transcribing foreign names and words and its unwieldy typewriter requirements. He advocates for adoption of Romaji to resolve ongoing confusion, citing examples like ‘Virchow’ being mistranslated and inconsistent transliteration of names like Truman.

Incarceration & Redress

• 35 Years Ago, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A historical digest of Pacific Citizen news items from October 1945, covering topics such as Tule Lake renunciants seeking repatriation, MIS graduation ceremonies, housing issues for returnees, and county welfare support for evacuees. Items also note opposition to using Japanese POWs for farm labor and Governor Warren’s related stance.

JACL

• Post-Convention Impressions, by Barry Saiki, page 6. A first-time convention attendee from the Japan JACL Chapter reflects on the 30th anniversary national convention, describing the camaraderie, international panel discussions, and the passage of the redress study commission bill. He notes continued work ahead to secure a favorable commission recommendation and compensation.

Arts & Entertainment

• Former Dancer Sono Osato Publishes Memoir, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Sono Osato, Omaha-born daughter of an Issei photographer, published her autobiography ‘Distant Dances’ detailing her career with the Ballet Russe and on Broadway in shows like ‘One Touch of Venus’ and ‘On the Town.’ She maintained her Japanese ancestry and name throughout her career despite wartime pressures.
• Hwang’s ‘FOB’ to Open at East West Players, by P.C. Staff, page 8. David Henry Hwang’s play ‘FOB,’ blending American drama with Peking opera elements, had its West Coast premiere at East West Players starring John Lone, Kim Yumiko and Keone Young. The play previously drew raves in its New York run.
• Japanese Genre, Ukiyo-e Show Slated at LACMA, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Thirty-one genre and early Ukiyo-e paintings from the Kyusei Atami Art Museum in Japan will be exhibited at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art from Oct. 23 to Dec. 7. Several pieces are classified as Important Cultural Properties by the Japanese government, and curator Dr. Howard Link will lecture on ‘The Japanese Beauty.’

Sports

• Nikkei Huskie, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Kevin Ikeda of Tacoma is a defensive tackle on the University of Washington football team, standing 5’10” and weighing 245 pounds. He is a sophomore on the Huskies squad.

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