Redress hearings ahead, and Detroit’s J-cars meet Japanese imports

Vol. 92, No. 21, May 29, 1981. 8 pages. View this issue

The front page of this 1981 issue looked at the American car market. Peter Imamura reported on General Motors’ new J-cars and the anti-Japanese feeling among Midwest auto workers and dealers, while noting that in California Japanese imports had helped the local economy. Alongside it, the paper covered preparations for the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians hearings in San Francisco. JACL redress coordinator John Tateishi reported on meetings with the commission chair, and two articles explained how to request camp files from the National Archives and how to prepare personal testimony. Ken Toguchi of the Hawaii Herald wrote about a possible alliance between Hawaiian and Japanese American communities on redress.

Inside are columns by Toy Kanegai, Sachi Seko and Bill Marutani, and Bruce K. Shimizu’s account of the JACL National Youth Conference. Chapter news includes graduation and scholarship dinners in Puyallup Valley, West Los Angeles and Stockton, and Portland’s Nikkei phone directory. There is also a review of Pete Hironaka’s book and a report that the U.S.-Japan Wisemen’s Group was to fold.

What’s in this issue

National

• GM’s Targets: Bright Hopes or More Backlash Due?, by Peter Imamura, page 1. With the introduction of GM’s new J-cars, Detroit automakers attempt to compete with Japanese imports amid rising anti-Japanese sentiment among auto workers and dealers. The article details racist campaigns in the Midwest against Japanese cars while noting that in California, Japanese imports have actually benefited the local economy.summary.summary.summary
• U.S.-Japan Wisemen’s Group to Fold, page 1. The U.S.-Japan Wisemen’s Group, formed under President Carter to address trade and economic issues between the two nations, is being disbanded as the Japan-U.S. Businessmen’s Conference takes over its functions. The group had proposed measures to increase U.S. productivity and improve relations between the countries.summary
• High Court Denies Enomoto’s Claim, page 1. A brief notice reports that the high court has denied a claim by Enomoto. Limited details are provided in the OCR text about the nature of the case.summary
• News Services Asked to Stop Poll Projections, page 8. Common Cause and 30 national organizations have called on news agencies to stop making election result projections based on exit polls before voting concludes nationwide. The letter noted concerns that projections, especially after the Reagan presidential election, could influence actual voting results in later time zones.summary
• Ohno Elected to Nat’l Science Academy, page 8. Susumu Ohno, Ph.D., chairman of the Division of Biology at the City of Hope, was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, the official science advisory body to the federal government. Ohno has a world-wide reputation for his work in cytogenetics, sex differentiation pathology, and vertebrate evolutionary genetics.summary
• Common Cause Adds Nikkei Director, page 8. Sue K. Embrey was appointed to the national governing board of Common Cause, becoming its first Asian American director in the organization’s 10-year history. She will serve a three-year term.summary

Community

• Miss Sansei Cal. Pageant Set for July 18, page 1. The Nisei Relays Queen contest will proceed as scheduled on the announced date despite earlier uncertainty. Four contestants have signed up for the pageant so far.summary
• Nisei Week Events for ’81 Slated, page 1. Los Angeles announced the schedule for the 1981 Nisei Week Festival, including dedication rites, exhibits, a coronation ball, the Grand Parade, a carnival, and a street dance. The events span from August 5 through mid-August.summary
• Sumoists to Compete for San Jose Basho, page 3. Thirty-five top-ranked sumo wrestlers from Japan, including Hawaiian sumoist Takamiyama (Jesse Kuhaulua), will compete in the San Jose Basho tournament June 6-7 at Independence High School’s new fieldhouse. A dinner reception for the sumo entourage is scheduled at the Hyatt House, with tickets available through local sumo ticket offices.summary
• Idaho Falls JACL Holds Graduation-Issei Appreciation Night, page 6. The Idaho Falls JACL chapter held its annual event honoring graduates and Issei community members on May 15 at Ada’s Cafe. Several Issei were specifically recognized at the event.summary
• Puyallup Valley Fete for Grads Set June 14, page 6. The Puyallup Valley JACL will honor area graduates from high school and college at a banquet June 14 at the Poodle Dog Restaurant in Fife, with UW dean Dr. James Doi as guest speaker. Twelve college graduates and sixteen high school graduates were listed as honorees.summary
• WLA JACL Scholarship Dinner Set June 5, page 6. West Los Angeles JACL will hold its annual scholarship dinner June 5 at Bullock’s Westwood featuring guest speaker Allan Nishio of CSU-Long Beach. The chapter has awarded over $3,000 in scholarships over the past year for various educational purposes.summary
• Stockton JACL to Honor Eight Scholars, page 6. Stockton JACL will honor its 1981 scholarship winners and their parents at a June 7 luncheon at Kazan Restaurant. Multiple named scholarships were awarded including the JACL-Elizabeth Humbargar Scholarship and awards from Sumitomo Bank of California.summary
• JACL Tennis Tourney, page 6. San Jose’s local JACL-California First Bank-Sumitomo Bank tennis tournament will be held with an entry deadline of July 1 at San Jose State. Competition will be classified by men’s, women’s, and mixed doubles categories.summary
• Portland JACL’s Community Project: Nikkei Phone Book, page 7. The Portland JACL chapter is nearing completion of a Nikkei phone directory expected to contain about 2,000 names from the Portland area, compiled through a multi-step verification process. The project revealed interesting findings, including names presumed Japanese that were actually of other ethnic origins, and will serve as an index of Nikkei talent in the area.summary
• Seinan Ctr. Gets Grant for New Bldg., page 8. The Seinan Senior Citizens Center in Los Angeles received a $368,000 grant from the Dept. of Housing Development for a new building. Groundbreaking ceremonies were scheduled for May 28 at the property location on W. Jefferson Blvd. and 12th Ave.summary
• Fundraiser Set for Carole Fujita, page 8. A fundraising event was organized in Gardena to acknowledge Dr. Carole Fujita’s recent promotion. Community members organized the event with several named coordinators.summary
• Konko Church to Celebrate 50 Yrs., page 8. The Konko Church of San Francisco will celebrate its 50th anniversary on May 30-31 at its Social Hall and the adjacent Christ United Presbyterian Church facilities. The celebration marks five decades of the church’s presence in the community.summary

Incarceration & Redress

• Upcoming CWRIC Hearings Main Topic at Monterey Meet, page 1. The NC-WNPDC JACL district council discussed the upcoming Presidential Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians hearings in San Francisco, urging former evacuees to testify. JACL redress coordinator John Tateishi reported on meetings with commission chair Joan Bernstein and discussed JACL’s position favoring monetary reparations, while expressing concern about planned informational picketing by the NCRR.summary
• Camp Files in U.S. Archives Available Upon Personal Query, page 1. The JACL National Committee for Redress outlines the procedure for former evacuees to request their personal and family case files from the National Archives in Suitland, Maryland. The process requires a letter with identifying information and camp names, with duplication costing 20 cents per page.summary
• Guidelines: Personal Testimony for CWRIC, page 2. The JACL National Committee for Redress provided detailed guidelines for individuals preparing written and oral testimony for the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians hearings. The guidelines cover structuring testimony with an introduction, body, and conclusion, and suggest focusing on narrow, specific personal experiences rather than broad historical or legal arguments.summary
• Hawaii (continued): OHA-JACL Redress Alliance, by Ken Toguchi, Hawaii Herald, page 8. The continuation of the front-page story details Frenchy DeSoto’s comments on the political evolution in Hawaii and the parallels drawn by JACL president Tsujimura and local chapter president Earl Nishimura between Hawaiian and Japanese American civil rights struggles. The article also notes the Native Hawaiian Claims bill’s history in Congress and JACL’s support for Hawaiian sovereignty issues.summary

JACL

• Office of Hawaiian Affairs-JACL Tie on Redress Seen, by Ken Toguchi, Hawaii Herald, page 1. Groundwork for an alliance between Hawaiian and Japanese American communities was laid during a Honolulu JACL chapter board meeting attended by national JACL president James Tsujimura and OHA chairperson Frenchy DeSoto. DeSoto discussed the historical and ongoing injustices faced by Hawaiians regarding land rights, and both leaders identified parallels between the Hawaiian and Japanese American struggles for recognition and redress.summary
• What Is a JACL National Youth Conference?, by Bruce K. Shimizu, page 5. The JACL Youth Director describes the value and camaraderie of the National Youth Conference, scheduled for June 22-27 at UC Irvine, which brings together Japanese American youth from across the country. He urges JACL chapters and parents to support youth attendance, noting that the Northern California-Western Nevada District missed an opportunity to send youth to a leadership seminar this summer.summary

In-Depth

• Town in Hiroshima to Build Hall as Auschwitz Memorial, page 2. The town of Kurose near Hiroshima is raising funds to build a $1.14 million memorial hall affiliated with the Auschwitz museum, citing shared victimhood from mass atrocities. About 200 items from Auschwitz, including wooden beds, poison gas canisters, and children’s shoes, have already arrived for the planned spring 1982 opening.summary

Commentary

• Report on Mexico City, by Toy Kanegai, page 4. The author recounts a trip to Mexico City with four companions, describing visits to archeological museums, the pyramids, and meetings with Japanese Mexican Nisei community members arranged through Dr. Luis Kobashi. The piece highlights the thriving Japanese Mexican school and discusses the upcoming Pan American Nisei Convention in Mexico City in July 1981.summary
• Memorial Day… Is ‘Everyday’, by Sachi Seko, page 4. The author reflects on the death of her brother from cancer at age 48, whose ashes were scattered at sea without a formal memorial service per his wishes. She explores themes of grief, privacy, and the promise she kept to not visit him near the end of his life, emphasizing his desire for dignity rather than public mourning.summary
• East Wind: An Erudite Rendition, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Marutani’s column explores wordplay, puns, and humor in Japanese and English, recalling kanji flashcard games and jokes from friends. He reflects on language mastery and how foreign words or puns can be amusing across cultures.summary

Arts & Entertainment

• Hironaka’s Report: A Welcome Addition, page 5. A review of cartoonist Pete Hironaka’s self-published book recounting his life from leaving the Poston WRA camp to building a career and life in Dayton, Ohio. The book captures Hironaka’s experiences as a Nisei in “Round-Eye country” and his eventual connection to JACL and Pacific Citizen as a cartoonist.summary
• Koto-Samisen Concert Honors Students, page 8. Ten students receiving certification in koto and samisen from the Miyagi Institute of Japan will be honored at a concert presented by the Kensho Kai on June 7 at Zenshuji. Proceeds from the event will benefit the JACCC Theater building fund.summary

Obituaries

• Memorial Day…Is ‘Everyday’ (continued), by Sachi Seko, page 8. Continuing her reflection, the author describes keeping her brother’s terminal illness secret from their father and youngest sister at his request, honoring his wish to die with dignity without emotional scenes. She describes the lasting grief and the private nature of mourning a sibling who was also a talented artist.summary

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