Taro Yamasaki’s Pulitzer, and the WWII surveillance debate

Vol. 92, No. 16, April 24, 1981. 8 pages. View this issue

Taro Yamasaki of the Detroit Free Press won the Pulitzer Prize for feature photography, and the front page carried one of his prison pictures. Alongside it, Peter T. Suzuki told a Whittier College conference that the government’s Community Analysis Section spied on people held in the World War II incarceration camps. M.M. Sumida’s two-part account traced how lobbyists and newspaper columnists pushed for the evacuation. Bill Hosokawa, Bill Marutani and Joe Oyama wrote columns.

Elsewhere, the paper covered Michael Woo’s runoff in Los Angeles and Richard Takechi’s primary win in Omaha. It also reported a pictorial book on the Manzanar pilgrimage, JACL’s work on the “JAP” trademark, redress fundraising and a Mexico City registration deadline.

What’s in this issue

Arts & Entertainment

• Sansei Photojournalist Wins Pulitzer Prize, page 1. Taro Yamasaki of the Detroit Free Press became the first Japanese American to win the Pulitzer Prize for feature photography, for a grim series of pictures taken over 10 days at a Michigan state prison. The Sansei photographer, son of architect Minoru Yamasaki, left the University of Michigan before graduating and worked his way up from construction to professional photography before joining the Free Press.
• PBS Will Reconsider ‘Hata’, page 8. PBS senior vice president Wayne Godwin said the network will review Visual Communications’ film ‘Hito Hata: Raise the Banner’ again after rejecting it for national distribution, citing concerns about production values, pacing, and costuming accuracy. Godwin clarified that PBS did not consider the film fundamentally substandard and invited a condensed resubmission.
• Visual Communications Wins Film Awards, page 8. Visual Communications won four prizes at the first annual ‘Cultures in Focus’ Film/Video Showcase in Denver, including first place for ‘Wataridori: Birds of Passage’ and second place for ‘Hito Hata: Raise the Banner.’ Other honored entries included ‘Cruisin’ J-Town’ and ‘Kites and Other Tales.’

National

• Mike Woo Could Be First Asian on Los Angeles City Council, page 1. Chinese American Michael Woo finished within 1,000 votes of incumbent Peggy Stevenson in the April 14 primary, forcing a June 2 runoff for the 13th district seat on the Los Angeles City Council. Other incumbents including Mayor Tom Bradley, Marvin Braude, Zev Yaroslavsky and Gil Lindsay won re-election; Woo previously served as an aide to State Senator David Roberti.
• Omaha Incumbent Takechi Survives, page 1. Omaha City Councilman Richard Takechi, the first Japanese American elected to public office in the Midwest in 1977, survived the April 7 primary with 40% of the vote to advance to the May 12 general election. He faces former city planning commissioner Connie Findlay in a historic election that for the first time used district-based voting instead of at-large seats.
• Bright Hope Seen for Shuttle, by Peter Imamura, page 1. Rockwell International engineer Hank Sakai, who is also JACL’s National assistant treasurer, discussed the successful April 12-14 flight of the space shuttle Columbia and the roughly 400 Asian American engineers and scientists who contributed to the program. Sakai described his role analyzing flight control systems and expressed optimism about future shuttle missions despite early technical delays.
• ‘JAP’ Trademark Fight Continues, page 1. JACL Washington Representative Ron Ikejiri and legal counsel David T. Nikaido continue efforts to cancel the trademark registration for ‘JAP,’ working with congressional members and expecting a response from the Swiss trademark owner, Condas, S.A. The cancellation petition has been assigned number #12840 with the Patent and Trademark Office.
• Hayakawa Wants English to Be ‘Official’ U.S. Language, page 2. Senator S.I. Hayakawa is pushing a constitutional amendment declaring English the official language of the United States, aiming to prevent the kind of bilingual strife seen in Canada and Belgium. He argued that legal and public documents should be protected from forced translation requirements such as bilingual city council meetings.
• LCCR Appoints New Executive Director, page 2. The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights named Ralph Graham Neas, former chief legislative counsel to Senators Edward Brooke and David Durenberger, as its new executive director. The JACL is a charter member of the 150-organization coalition advancing civil rights through federal legislation.
• U.S.-Japan Summit Still Scheduled, page 2. Government sources confirmed President Reagan will hold a U.S.-Japan summit in Washington May 7-8 as planned, despite recovering from an assassination attempt. Prime Minister Zenko Suzuki also plans to visit Mexico in late April as part of his diplomatic schedule.
• Chinese Americans Host D.C. Gala, page 7. Over 600 Chinese Americans and friends gathered at the Cannon House Caucus Room on March 25 to welcome Reagan Administration officials and 97th Congress members, co-chaired by Anna Chennault and Rep. Norman Y. Mineta. JACL was represented by Washington D.C. Chapter President K. Patrick Okura and Washington Representative Ron Ikejiri.
• Ten Nikkei Win Merit Scholarships, page 7. Ten Japanese American students were among 1,460 winners of corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarships announced by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. The recipients hail from high schools across California, Georgia, Hawaii, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
• Pulitzer Jury Declines Editorial Writing Award, page 8. For the first time since 1935, no Pulitzer Prize was given for editorial writing, despite three finalists including Kirk Scharfenberg of the Boston Globe being considered. Jury chairman Bill Hosokawa explained the committee felt none of the finalists were sufficiently distinguished to win, even though the Globe’s entry on racial harassment was the unanimous first choice among the three.
• Shuttle Analysis Continues at Rockwell, page 8. Engineer Hank Sakai explained that the space shuttle Columbia’s launch delay stemmed from synchronization problems among its five onboard computers, a previously unseen issue. He noted each shuttle is designed for about 100 missions and that data from the first flight suggests the craft is highly reliable, with the next launch tentatively set for late September or early October.
• Mother of 14 Dies in Fight With Cancer, page 8. Mrs. Toyoka Eguchi, mother of the largest number of children in Japan with 10 sons and 4 daughters, died of breast cancer on March 30 at age 39 in Kita-Kyushu, Fukuoka. She had become aware of a lump in her breast around 1978, shortly after giving birth to her youngest child.
• Asian Count in New York Over 230,000, page 8. The Asian population in New York City more than doubled over ten years, rising from 94,499 to 231,505, now representing 3.3% of the city’s total population of over 7 million. White population declined while Hispanic, Black, and American Indian populations all increased during the same period.
• Hiroshima M.D.s to Visit U.S., page 8. The Hiroshima Medical Prefectural Association announced plans to send physicians to the United States to examine the effects of radioactivity on atomic bomb survivors in four American cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle in May. Local support groups including JACL members are organizing to assist with the visit and ongoing survivor support activities.
• Nisei Judge Stirs Dispute in Rape Case, page 8. A Nisei Superior Court judge named Kakita stirred controversy after overturning a jury’s guilty verdict in a rape case involving a nightclub hostess, with prosecutors calling the decision a ‘setback’ for rape victims. The judge cited inconsistencies in testimony and lack of corroborating evidence, while prosecutors argued these inconsistencies were simply due to the passage of time.

Incarceration & Redress

• Prof. Says WRA ‘Spied’ on Japanese Americans, page 1. Professor Peter T. Suzuki of the University of Nebraska charged at a Whittier College conference that the U.S. government’s Community Analysis Section spied on and informed on internees and staff during World War II, citing declassified documents from the National Archives. Suzuki said social scientists who were supposed to remain objective instead served as conduits of information to the Justice Department, violating the inmates’ trust.
• Whittier Conference Details WRA Surveillance, page 3. An in-depth account of the Whittier College conference describes how anthropologist G. Gordon Brown and other community analysts at camps like Amache and Jerome gathered intelligence on draft evaders and alleged ‘disloyals,’ sometimes leading to removals to the Leupp isolation camp. Sociologists Frank Miyamoto and Tom Sasaki joined Suzuki in discussing how difficult neutrality was for social scientists during that era, contrasting it with the honored work of Dr. Robert O’Brien.
• ‘Manzanar’ Pictorial Going on Sale, page 3. A pictorial essay titled ‘Manzanar Pilgrimage: A Time for Sharing,’ published by the Manzanar Committee, goes on sale April 25, the date of the 12th annual pilgrimage to the campsite. The book chronicles past pilgrimages since the first in 1969 and is available for $6.50 postpaid.
• PSW Needs Redress Funds, page 6. The Pacific Southwest District redress campaign has raised $11,800 in donations so far, with Vice-Governor Cary urging continued fundraising to support effective presentation of evidence to the Commission investigating the WWII evacuation. Donations can be sent to JACL’s Pacific Southwest District office in Monterey Park.

Community

• Buddhist Temple Approved Despite Neighbors’ Protests, page 2. San Francisco’s planning commission voted 5-2 to approve a small Shinnyoen Buddhist congregation’s request to hold services in a Marina district home, despite furious protests from neighbors fearing traffic and cultural disruption. Commissioner Dr. Yoshio Nakashima, who is Methodist, defended the group and was challenged to recuse himself, while another commissioner invoked the Tule Lake internment camp in the debate.
• UW Library Opens Evacuation Exhibit, page 2. The University of Washington’s Suzzallo Library opened a public exhibit on Japanese American reactions to the WWII Evacuation, featuring letters and archival material dedicated to the memory of the late Minoru Masuda. A companion exhibit on the Japanese Canadian experience opens later at the Frye Art Museum with a related symposium.
• Tomy Corp. Grant Funds Cultural Program, page 3. A $500 grant from Tomy Corp. will initiate a demonstration cultural enrichment program for school children at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center. Maria Masunaka, program coordinator, announced the effort, which builds on past help from Pioneer Center volunteers.
• Two Nikkei Involved in Shooting Spree, page 3. A shooting spree at a Hollywood motel on March 31 left one dead and three wounded after suspects Charles Amos and Amber Stevens were confronted by motel clerk Sozo Takagi, who was shot in the head. Assistant manager Kono Takujin returned fire, wounding Stevens, before Amos was apprehended.
• Marina-Venice Area Redress Meeting Set, page 6. Marina and Venice-Culver JACL chapters are co-sponsoring a redress meeting on April 30 at the Venice Japanese Community Center. Speakers from various viewpoints, including JACL and NCRR representatives, are scheduled to participate.
• Las Vegas JACLers Off to Busy Start, page 6. Las Vegas JACL members are holding weekly ondo practices for a presentation at the International Festival at the Convention Center in June, with one session taped by local TV. The chapter’s redress liaison and scholarship committee co-chairs are also seeking input from evacuees and setting a May 15 scholarship deadline.
• Pocatello-Blackfoot to Hold Honors Night, page 6. A total of 19 Issei and seven special guests were honored at the annual Pocatello-Blackfoot JACL Honors Night dinner on April 15 at Idaho State University. The chapter was also acclaimed the IDC Chapter of 1980 for its activities and received a $150 award.
• Portland Set for Annual Grad Banquet, page 6. The annual Portland Japanese Community Graduation banquet will be held May 3 at the Red Lion Inn at Lloyd Center, with local JACL members selling tickets. Other community events include a Women and World Issues workshop and a Meiji Era art exhibit at the Portland Art Museum.
• Sacramento JACL Plans Benefit Film Showing, page 6. Sacramento JACL and local community groups have tentatively scheduled a benefit showing of ‘Hito Hata: Raise the Banner’ on May 9 at the Sacramento Community Center. Proceeds will benefit Visual Communications, producers of the film, and a fund to assist Asian artists.
• Multi-Ethnic Highrise Dedicated in Salt Lake City, page 7. Salt Lake City Mayor Ted Wilson honored the opening of the Multi-Ethnic Highrise, a 15-story, 140-unit facility for low-income elderly and handicapped residents. The project received architectural input from Inoway, who previously founded ASSIST, Inc., providing free architectural services to low-income groups.
• East Coast Asian/Educational Conference Set, page 7. The second East Coast Asian conference on ‘Educational and Legislative Processes’ will be held May 8-9 at the Arlington Hyatt House in Rosslyn, Virginia. Interested parties can contact Nguyen Ngoc Bich for information.
• JASC Votes to Keep Issei Workshop, page 7. The Board of Directors of the Japanese American Service Committee in Chicago voted unanimously to continue its Sheltered Workshop program, which serves 61 Japanese/Asian elderly and 40 former mental health patients. The Board also formed a committee to raise funds to eliminate a projected $60,000 deficit and set a $150,000 fundraising goal for 1980-81.
• Home for Aged Seeks Donations, page 7. The Methodist Church Home for the Aged in New York is raising $3 million for repairs and new construction, and currently houses eight Issei whose residence was made possible through Japanese American Help for the Aging. The organization’s volunteers make frequent visits to support the residents.

Commentary

• Parallax View, by Peter Imamura, page 3. The columnist contrasts Reagan’s pardon of two FBI officials convicted of illegal surveillance in the 1970s with accounts from Japanese Americans like George Shimamoto and Yuri Kochiyama describing FBI surveillance and arrests before and after Pearl Harbor. He argues Congress must restrain FBI power to protect citizens from their own government, hoping Japanese Americans will someday receive a similar vindication.
• Cliffs Corner: Budget, by Dr. Clifford Uyeda, page 4. Uyeda breaks down JACL’s $800,000 annual budget, explaining that salaries account for half of expenditures, with Pacific Citizen, National Headquarters, and district offices comprising most of the remainder. He notes over 85% of revenue comes from membership dues and describes ongoing cost-cutting efforts like limiting travel and using volunteer lodging.
• Letters: Verbal Skills, Gun Control, Silent Majority, Redress, and Occupation Era, by Yenchi Kuwayama, George Ogawa, M. Yamanaka Iseke, James Oda, Vaughn M. Greene, page 4. Several readers write in on varied topics: Kuwayama discusses Nisei verbal skills and career advancement; Ogawa supports gun control measures; Yamanaka Iseke calls for vigilance on civil rights; Oda examines diverse opinions on redress including silence from veterans’ groups and support from the ACLU; and Greene defends the conduct of U.S. occupation forces in postwar Japan compared to the Japanese army’s record in Nanking.
• West Wind: 100th/442nd Exhibit, by Joe Oyama, page 4. Oyama critiques a San Francisco Chronicle editorial on the 100th/442nd exhibit for failing to note that half the 442nd’s soldiers came from the mainland, many volunteering from concentration camps, not just Hawaii. He also notes rising hostility toward Japanese Americans amid Japan-U.S. auto trade tensions, including vandalism of Japanese cars, and praises the exhibit’s emotional impact.
• From the Frying Pan: A Pleasant, Relaxing Evening Being Together, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa recounts a warm family gathering in Denver celebrating birthdays, including his grandson Matt turning nine, filled with pies, cake, piano music, and children dancing. He reflects that while nothing in the evening was socially significant, simply being together as an extended family provided valuable perspective.
• East Wind: Needed: An ‘Ethnic Anchor’, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Marutani reflects on the importance of the Buddhist church (Bukkyo-kai) in preserving Issei cultural and ethical values for future generations of Japanese Americans. He expresses concern that without such an ‘ethnic anchor,’ similar to how Jewish traditions preserve identity, future generations may face identity crises despite continuing racial visibility.

In-Depth

• Lobby, Power Groups and Press, WW2 Officials Are Accountable, by M.M. Sumida, page 5. Sumida details how lobbyists including Austin Anson of Salinas growers, the American Legion, Congressman Leland Ford, and columnist Walter Lippmann used economic self-interest disguised as ‘military necessity’ to push for the evacuation and detention of Japanese Americans during WWII. The piece traces a timeline from December 1941 through February 1942 showing coordinated lobbying efforts that shaped government policy, to be concluded in a future issue.
• Lobby, Power Groups and Press (Continued), by M.M. Sumida, page 8. The continuation details how columnist Walter Lippmann, after an uncorroborated briefing from General DeWitt, wrote influential columns implying American citizens of Japanese descent were suspects for espionage, comparing their treatment to wartime necessity overriding constitutional rights. Attorney General Biddle criticized Lippmann’s irresponsibility, but his and other newspapers’ commentary fueled public and political support for evacuation and detention.

JACL

• Lake Washington JACL Seeks Design Contest Entries, page 6. The Lake Washington JACL chapter in Redmond, Washington is running a design contest with a $50 prize, open to Northwest District JACL members and extended family. Entries are due by June 30, 1981, with the winning design to be awarded in person.
• Prices Increase for JACL Awards, Pins, page 6. JACL Headquarters announced sharp price increases for JACL awards and pins in 1981, according to membership coordinator Emily Ishida. The price list covers items such as Past President pins and necklaces and JACL member pins.
• Cutoff Near for Mexico City Confab Sign-Up, page 8. April 27 was set as the deadline to register for the JACL-organized flight to Mexico City for the first international Nikkei conference, July 23-28, with registration fees raised from $20 to $80 due to inflation. Chuck Kubokawa, chairman of the JACL International Relations Committee, confirmed details after visiting the conference committee in Mexico City in early April.

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