A ‘Go For Broke!’ exhibit opens and Ron Wakabayashi becomes JACL director

Vol. 92, No. 6, February 13, 1981. 8 pages. View this issue

The front page carried news of the “Go For Broke!” exhibit at the Army Museum at the Presidio in San Francisco, built by Nisei veterans of the 100th Infantry and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. It opened March 7 with a troop review, a reunion and a banquet emceed by Mike Masaoka. Harry Honda reported that the JACL national board appointed Ronald Kaoru Wakabayashi as National Executive Director. Thelma Burnside wrote about the Feb. 21 Day of Remembrance ceremony at Walerga Park in Sacramento, where about 4,800 Japanese Americans were held in 1942.

Inside are columns by Peter Imamura on the song “Turning Japanese,” Bill Hosokawa on Nisei in retirement, Bill Marutani, Raymond Uno and Dennis Kunisaki. Chapter news came from Cleveland, Arizona, Mile-Hi, Salinas Valley, Diablo Valley and West Valley. Other items covered a planned JACL chapter for Nisei from Latin America, the South Bay Keiro nursing home purchase, and the East West Players’ staging of “Hokusai Sketchbooks.”

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• ‘Go For Broke!’ Reunion to Dedicate Army Exhibit, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Nisei veterans of the 100th Infantry, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and related units are expanding the ‘Go For Broke!’ exhibit at the Presidio’s Army Museum in San Francisco, opening March 7 with a troop review, reunion, and banquet emceed by Mike Masaoka. The exhibit features unpublished photos, dioramas, uniforms, and memorabilia, and will remain open through March 1982.

Community

• JACL Chapter for Nisei from Latin America Seen, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A new JACL chapter for Spanish-speaking Nisei is being organized in Los Angeles, with a second organizational meeting scheduled Feb. 28 at Nishi Hongwanji. Peruvian-Nisei Luis Yamakawa has been leading the effort, estimating about 2,000 Nikkei from Central and South America could be reached, including Spanish-speaking Nikkei in Miami.
• Asians to Honor Candidate Mike Woo, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Southern California’s Asian American community leadership will honor Mike Woo, candidate for Los Angeles City Council’s 13th District, at a dinner Feb. 17 emceed by actor George Takei. Woo, son of Wilbur K. Woo, would become the first Asian American on the L.A. City Council if elected.
• Local Human Rights Agencies ‘Cool’ to Racial Slur Upon Nikkei, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Gregory K. Koyama of Fremont appealed to the White House after local human rights agencies showed indifference to his complaint about being called a racial slur by an employee at a Hayward restaurant. Koyama said agencies including a human relations commission and the state attorney general’s office all told him the matter was not their concern.
• Sansei Named to Press Deputy’s Post, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Joanne Inouye, a 1976 CSULB graduate, was appointed to a press deputy position, becoming the first Sansei to hold it. She previously worked as a production researcher for George Schlatter Productions and as an Action Reporter for KNX Newsradio.
• So. Bay Keiro Nursing Home Site Acquired for $1.3 Million, by P.C. Staff, page 2. South Bay Keiro, a long-hoped-for facility, became reality with the purchase of a 98-bed nursing home in Gardena for $1.3 million, joining City View Hospital, Keiro and Minami Keiro Nursing Homes under the ‘Umbrella of Care.’ A public fund drive led by Helen Kawagoe aims to raise $800,000 toward the $13 million mortgage, with a kickoff dinner set for Feb. 22.
• Cleveland Identifies Local Concerns, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Cleveland JACL chapter board, led by Henry Tanaka elected to his fourth term as president, identified eleven areas of concern including newcomers, membership retention, and communication with Japanese American youth. The chapter is also preparing for a redress commission hearing in Chicago involving a local race discrimination case.
• Arizona JACL Movie Night and Credit Union Update, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Arizona JACL Hall hosted a movie night featuring films on Japanese American history and culture, including a CBS News documentary narrated by Walter Cronkite. The Arizona JACL Credit Union also held its annual meeting, announcing an 8.25% dividend on shares and a 10% rebate on loan interest, while redress chair Dr. Dick Matsuishi noted Phoenix may host a redress commission hearing.
• Mile-Hi JACL Installation Dinner Set, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Mile-Hi JACL’s annual installation dinner will be held Feb. 20 at Little Shanghai Restaurant with Bill Hosokawa of the Denver Post as keynote speaker. Dr. William Takahashi was re-elected chapter president.
• Salinas Valley JACL Forms Young Adult Group, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Under newly installed president Bob Uyemura, Salinas Valley JACL is assisting in creating a young adult group called the ‘Tomodachi Club’ to give young Japanese Americans a chance to socialize together.
• Diablo Valley Installs Mollie Fujioka, by Wilma Hayashi, page 7. Guest speaker Yori Wada addressed issues facing the University of California Board of Regents, including high Asian enrollment, at the Diablo Valley JACL installation dinner. Mollie Fujioka was installed as the 1981 chapter board head by acting national director J.D. Hokoyama.
• West Valley JACL Long-Term Goals Aired, by P.C. Staff, page 7. West Valley JACL’s outgoing president reported on chapter goals including expanding services to Nikkei senior citizens, acquiring new facilities, and increasing programs for young members. The new board, led by Kayo Kikuchi, was installed January 24 with plans to build on these priorities.
• Cal J-Alumni to Meet Feb. 20, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The California Japanese Alumni Association will hold a dinner meeting Feb. 20 at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, featuring an all-you-can-eat buffet. Reservations were required in advance for the event.

Incarceration & Redress

• Walerga Park Site for Feb. 21 Rites, by Thelma Burnside, page 1. The annual Day of Remembrance ceremony will be held Feb. 21 at Walerga Park in Sacramento, a site now designated a State Historical Landmark that once served as a temporary detention station for about 4,800 Japanese Americans in 1942. Several community groups helped develop the park on donated land.

JACL

• Ron Wakabayashi Appointed Director, by Harry Honda, page 1. Ronald Kaoru Wakabayashi was appointed National Executive Director of JACL by the national board, succeeding Karl Nobuyuki and interim director J.D. Hokoyama, after a difficult selection process among three strong finalists. The board also addressed budget issues, committee appointments, and other organizational matters during its Feb. 6-8 meeting in San Francisco.
• Nat’l JACL Credit Union to Meet Feb. 28, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The National JACL Credit Union’s annual meeting will be held Feb. 28 in Salt Lake City, featuring a business meeting, officer elections, dinner, and dancing. Reservations are required through the Credit Union office.

National

• L.A. Nisei Businessman Slain, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Joe Miyoshi, 66, of Gardena was shot and killed outside his auto parts business in southeast Los Angeles, apparently by robbers who approached his car. Police believe three to five men were involved, though it is unclear if money was taken.
• NAACP Asks Reagan to Call Minority Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The NAACP board called on President Reagan to convene a conference within his first 100 days to address the economic plight of minorities. The brief item notes the request was made by the NAACP board in New York.
• Search Ends: Woman to Meet American Father, by Daily Yomiuri, page 8. Midori, a mixed-race woman from Okinawa, traveled to the United States to search for her American father, Peter J. Mihalak, who had worked at an American Express Bank branch in Okinawa decades earlier. After an extensive search including visits to UCLA library records, she finally connected with him by phone and they plan to meet in person.

Commentary

• Turned Off by ‘Turning Japanese’, by Peter Imamura, page 3. The author criticizes the pop song ‘Turning Japanese’ by the Vapors and its accompanying radio ad as racist and insulting to Japanese Americans, despite the songwriter’s claims of innocent intent. He argues that labeling such content ‘art’ does not excuse its damaging stereotypes, and expresses hope that future generations of Asian Americans will counter such portrayals in media.
• Transition, by Harry Honda, page 4. Harry Honda writes about the emotional transition as J.D. Hokoyama handed over acting national director duties to newly appointed Ron Wakabayashi, describing the difficult ten-hour board selection process. He also notes the passing of two Little Tokyo community figures, Amy Uno Ishii and Soichi Fukui, and a visit to the Presidio Army Museum exhibit preparations.
• Amazing Sansei, by Dennis Kunisaki, page 4. Kunisaki reflects on an article he received from a Nisei senior program director praising the Sansei generation for their community contributions, including founding the Japanese Community Pioneer Center and senior lunch programs. He shares the full laudatory piece about Sansei dedication to Issei elders and community building.
• Riding Circuit, by Raymond Uno, page 4. The author reflects on a lifetime of ‘circuit riding’ through military service, judo, JACL, tennis, and his career as a circuit judge in Utah, describing the travel and commitment each phase required. He also discusses raising five sons involved in various sports and activities, and reflects on the value of community and family engagement.
• What Are Nisei Doing in Retirement?, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa discusses different retirement lifestyles among Nisei, contrasting his own continued work pace with friends like Joe Oyama and Henry Fukuhara who have embraced leisure and creative pursuits like painting. He highlights Fukuhara’s successful watercolor art career, which blossomed after he began painting during recovery from surgery in 1972.
• A Point of View, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Marutani criticizes the tendency of some Asian Americans, including Nisei, to use ‘Americans’ as a synonym for white citizens, arguing this reflects a damaging self-image as second-class citizens. He asserts that Nisei have as much claim to being American as anyone, citing their sacrifices and contributions, and urges correction of this language whenever it is used.
• ‘Samrai’ Without Mystique, by Jin Konomi, page 5. Konomi corrects an earlier column’s characterization of ronin, explaining the varied and evolving history of masterless samurai from the Era of Civil Wars through the Tokugawa peace. He describes how ronin survived through various trades and the concept of ‘iji’ (personal honor) that motivated many, while also critiquing historical inaccuracies in the novel Shogun.

Arts & Entertainment

• Fashions of Five Top Sansei Designers to Be Featured, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Los Angeles-Nagoya Sister City Affiliation will present ‘Clothes Encounter of the Third Generation,’ a fashion show featuring five young Sansei designers including Peggy Higuchi and Cheryl Kobayashi, on March 29 at the Biltmore Hotel. Producer Fran Jones commented on the unusually high enthusiasm for the event, which will feature numerous beauty queens as models.
• E-W Players to Stage ‘Hokusai’, by P.C. Staff, page 7. East West Players will present the American premiere of ‘Hokusai Sketchbooks’ starting Feb. 19 at their theater in Los Angeles. The production reunites actors Mako, Soon Teck Oh, and Yuki Shimoda for the first time since their roles in the Broadway production of ‘Pacific Overtures.’

In-Depth

• Drawing by Heart Mountain Artist Printed, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Roy Matsumura, who was interned at Heart Mountain, reproduced a 1944 pencil drawing of Beethoven by fellow internee Hideo Date at his Gardena print shop. The drawing, titled ‘Struggle to Survive,’ was created during camp concerts and is now being offered to readers as a limited-edition print.

Sports

• 30-Year Nisei Teacher Voted Calif. Coaches Assn. President, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Dan Fukushima of Independence High School in San Jose was installed as president of the California Coaches Association for a two-year term. The veteran Nisei coach, a WWII Army veteran and MIS graduate, was previously named National Basketball Coach-of-the-Year in 1973 and received the Rockwell Distinguished Service Award.

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