Redress hearings approach as JACL president reports on Japan

Vol. 92, No. 18, May 8, 1981. 8 pages. View this issue

JACL National President Dr. James K. Tsujimura returned from a three-week trip to Japan on April 22 and said the organization can play a vital role in improving U.S.-Japan relations. The same front page followed the push toward the first hearing of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, as JACL’s redress committee and local chapters worked to recruit witnesses. Peter Imamura reported on that effort, Harry Kawahara described meeting commission chairperson Joan Bernstein, and a Whittier College conference heard research on the financial losses of Japanese American businesses during the World War II incarceration (often called internment).

Also inside: the news that subscription rates for non-members would rise on June 1, a Walnut Grove reunion planned for Memorial Day weekend, and the story of Brig. Gen. Kendall J. Fielder, who helped bring about the 100th Infantry Battalion. Columns by Bill Hosokawa and Bill Marutani, a review of the documentary Yankee Samurai, and news of 14 Nikkei National Merit Scholarship winners round out the eight pages.

What’s in this issue

National

• Tsujimura Returns From Japan, page 1. National JACL President Dr. James K. Tsujimura returned from a three-week trip to Japan on April 22, stating that JACL can play a vital role in improving U.S.-Japan relations. He noted that Japan is aware of problems facing Nikkei communities and that the JACL Japan Chapter serves as an important link between JACL and Japanese officials.
• Enomoto Asks Reinstatement With Pay, page 1. Former corrections director Enomoto asked the Supreme Court to order his reinstatement with back pay pending a hearing by the Board of Corrections. He had been appointed by Gov. Brown in December 1975 and was removed in 1980 for what the governor called a normal course of administration.
• JAs Concerned With Illegal Alien Laws, page 1. At the JACL’s Los Angeles Tri-District Conference, a resolution supported S 47, the U.S.-Mexico Good Neighbor Act, aimed at establishing a legal temporary worker visa program for Mexican laborers. Sen. S.I. Hayakawa introduced a similar bill, S 930, the Guest Worker Act of 1981, both intended to curb illegal immigration while protecting American workers from unfair competition.
• Newly-Arrived Aliens in U.S. Face New Fed-Income Rules, page 2. The Asian American Legal Defense Fund of New York reminded aliens that new Supplemental Security Income regulations, effective since September 30, 1980, now count a sponsor’s income and resources when determining the alien’s eligibility for benefits. Aliens who applied before that date are not affected, nor are refugees or those granted political asylum.
• L.A. Dedicates New Flower Market, page 2. The new $10 million Los Angeles Wholesale Flower Market was dedicated April 29 by federal, city, and business leaders. Ron Muranaka, president of the Southern California Flower Growers, called the planned expanded project the largest and most modern flower market in the U.S.
• New Foundation Formed to Push U.S.-Japan Ties, page 2. A Japanese group pledged $48 million to create the United States-Japan Foundation, an independent grantmaking entity aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two nations. Diplomat Angier Biddle Duke and other prominent figures including Henry Kissinger helped establish the foundation to close the knowledge gap between the countries.
• 14 Nikkei Win $1,000 Merit Scholarships, page 7. Fourteen Japanese American high school students were announced as recipients of National Merit Scholarship awards worth $1,000 each. Winners hail from California, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, New York, Oklahoma, and Utah.
• ‘Order of Canada’ for Sansei Stolen, page 7. Dozens of Canada’s prestigious Order of Canada medals have been stolen, with some surfacing in pawnshops and museums, according to the Toronto Star. Among the victims is Dr. David Suzuki, a Sansei scientist and broadcaster who was recognized in 1977 for his work in genetics and was once active with the Chicago Jr. JACL.
• Court Sees No Sex Bias in Japan’s Nationality Law, page 8. A Japanese court ruled that the nationality law, which denies citizenship to children of Japanese mothers and foreign fathers, does not violate the constitution despite Article 14’s equality provisions. Two mothers, including Etsuko Sugiyama, plan to continue their legal challenges as the Ministry of Justice studies revising the law to comply with the UN Convention on eliminating discrimination against women.
• Children’s Epidemic Hits Hawaii’s Youth, page 8. Doctors at Kapiolani-Children’s Medical Center in Honolulu reported a new epidemic of Kawasaki Syndrome, a disease that can cause fatal heart attacks in children, with at least 35 cases since January compared to 12 the previous year. The disease disproportionately affects Asian children, with researchers working since 1971 to find its cause and improve treatment.
• Senate ‘Regrets’ Nissho-U.S. Sub Fix, page 8. The Senate expressed regret over an incident involving a Japanese fishing vessel and a U.S. submarine, the George Washington. Sen. S.I. Hayakawa, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was involved in addressing the matter.

JACL

• PC Subscription Rates Going Up!, page 1. The Pacific Citizen announced that effective June 1, 1981, subscription rates for non-members will rise to $16 a year, $31 for two years and $46 for three years. Current Reader/Non-Member subscribers can renew at old rates if postmarked by May 31, 1981.
• NCWNP-DC Seeks Nominations for 1981 JACL Scholastic Honor Roll, page 6. The JACL Northern California-Western Nevada-Pacific District Council is accepting applications through June 30 for its annual Scholastic Honor Roll award recognizing outstanding high school graduates. Candidates must have a minimum 3.6 GPA and be children of current JACL members in the district.
• Nat’l JACL Board to Meet May 29-31, page 6. The JACL National Board will convene at National Headquarters in San Francisco starting May 29 and adjourning by May 31. The agenda includes reports from national officers and staff, including a report on National President Jim Tsujimura’s recent trip to Japan.

Incarceration & Redress

• Redress Push in JACL: Where Is It Now?, by Peter Imamura, PC Staff Writer, page 1. As the first hearing of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians approaches, JACL’s National Committee for Redress and local chapters are working to recruit witnesses to testify, though many potential witnesses remain hesitant due to intimidation. Various districts, including Pacific Southwest, New York, Midwest, and Seattle, report progress gathering witness names and holding mock hearings to prepare the community.
• Redress Guidelines Face Criticism, page 6. JACL received criticism from community vernacular newspapers regarding the vagueness of its Redress Guidelines, though officials John Tateishi and Dr. Clifford Uyeda defended the open-ended approach as necessary for the commission and Congress to determine appropriate remedies. Ruby Schaar emphasized that the hearings represent the community’s best chance to set the historical record straight.

Community

• Financial Losses Due to Evacuation Studied, page 1. At a conference on the American concentration camp experience at Whittier College, researcher Larry Boss presented findings that financial losses to Japanese American businesses during WWII internment could total as much as $3 billion in lost retail sales statewide. His two-year study of Long Beach county archives showed that 90 percent of Japanese businessmen suffered financial loss, with only a few able to recover afterward.
• Judge Madge Watai Up to Superior Court, page 1. Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. elevated Nisei municipal court Judge Madge S. Watai, 83, of Gardena to the Los Angeles superior court on April 9. The appointment marks a significant judicial advancement for the longtime jurist.
• Walnut Grove Reunion to Attract Over 500, by Shig Sakamoto, page 2. A reunion is being organized for the Memorial Day weekend to bring together former Nikkei residents of Walnut Grove, a farming community along the Sacramento River, with over 500 expected to attend. The event, organized by Isao Pedro Hamada with assistance from James Aki Watanabe and George Kawamura, will recall the small-town atmosphere of the once-thriving Japanese American community.
• A-Bomb Film Project Aided, page 2. The Survivors documentary project received a $15,000 grant from the Columbia Foundation of San Francisco to produce a film about American atomic bomb survivors. The film, by Steven Okazaki and Frances Politeo, will examine the emotional, social and financial impact on an estimated 1,000 A-bomb survivors living in the United States.
• Summer Program for Cultural Understanding, page 2. A two-week summer institute for cultural understanding targeting Hispanic, Asian and Native American college students is scheduled for July at the University of the Pacific. The program, funded by a $10,000 grant from the United Methodist Church, is one of three such sessions nationwide.
• Imperial Valley Reunion Planned for November, page 2. Nikkei in Imperial Valley are planning a reunion for mid-November following the success of a similar April 25 gathering in Los Angeles that drew over 300 attendees from across the country and Japan. JACL leader Pro Nimura is coordinating the event.
• Noguchi Helps Form Nation’s First Rules on ‘Pulling Plug’, page 3. Dr. Thomas T. Noguchi, Los Angeles County coroner-medical examiner, and George Oakes of the district attorney’s office developed guidelines, believed to be the first in the nation, for doctors deciding whether to remove life support. The guidelines outline three specific circumstances under which doctors may discontinue a respirator sustaining a patient’s life.
• Interest Shown for Colorado Asians, page 7. Interest in assisting Asian American projects in Colorado was indicated through grant proposals submitted to the Colorado Humanities Program, with an August 1 deadline for applications. All grants must be matched dollar for dollar with other funds, cash or in-kind services.

Military & Veterans

• Officer Who Helped Form 100th Dies, page 2. Retired Brig. Gen. Kendall J. Fielder, who was instrumental in allowing Nisei soldiers to serve in combat during WWII, died April 13 at Tripler Army Medical Center at age 87. His efforts prompted Army Chief of Staff George Marshall to form the 100th Infantry Battalion, which later became part of the famed 442nd Regimental Combat Team.

Arts & Entertainment

• Actor Morita to M.C. ‘Hito Hata’, page 2. Actor-comedian Pat Morita is scheduled to emcee a program preceding the benefit showing of the film ‘Hito Hata-Raise the Banner’ in Sacramento on May 9. Former state assemblyman Floyd Mori will also participate in the program.
• Noh Luminary to Lecture at JACCC, page 3. Fusataka Homma, designated an Important Intangible Cultural Property holder by the Japanese government, will lecture at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center. Michele Garza, who has studied Noh, will translate the lecture into English.
• TV Review: ‘Yankee Samurai’, by Dan Nakatsu, page 4. A 50-minute Japanese television documentary titled ‘Yankee Samurai,’ based on the book by Joseph D. Harrington, reveals the previously secret story of Nisei military intelligence operations during WWII. The film, produced by NHK and directed by Shin Matsuo, details how Nisei linguists served as translators and interrogators, credited with shortening the war and saving countless Allied lives.

Commentary

• Heroes and Symbols, by Peter Imamura, page 3. The author reflects on his uncle, a Nisei WWII veteran who received the Distinguished Service Cross and Italian Cross of Military Valor but was denied the Medal of Honor due to his Japanese ancestry. He discusses how many Nisei veterans prefer to be remembered as equal citizens rather than heroes, carrying both pride and painful memories of their wartime service.
• Ye Ed at Japan Times: K. Murata, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Columnist Bill Hosokawa recounts the remarkable life story of Kiyoaki Murata, who succeeded Mas Ogawa as editor of the Japan Times, detailing his arrival in the U.S. just before Pearl Harbor, his time at Poston internment camp, and his eventual return to Japan in 1948. Murata has completed a book manuscript about his American experiences titled ‘Saigo no Ryugakusei’ (The Last Overseas Student).
• ‘Japanese Time’, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Columnist Bill Marutani reflects humorously on the phenomenon of ‘Japanese Time,’ recalling how Issei parents were punctual for work but chronically late for social gatherings. He notes this tendency persisted among Nisei as well, and concludes that lateness is a universal phenomenon across many ethnic groups, though perhaps uniquely pronounced among Nisei at both the start and end of events.
• Call Me Jodie, by Harry Kawahara, page 5. The author describes a positive meeting with Joan ‘Jodie’ Bernstein, chairperson of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, at the Tri-District Conference in Los Angeles. He praises her warmth, flexibility regarding hearing formats, and sensitivity to witnesses’ anxieties, while also discussing ongoing efforts to recruit witnesses for the upcoming Los Angeles hearings.
• On Being a Governor, by Dr. Yosh Nakashima, page 6. JACL District Governor Dr. Yosh Nakashima reflects on his role since taking office in November 1980, emphasizing the importance of representing chapter interests at the National Board and encouraging greater member involvement. He also addresses concerns raised at the Tri-District Conference about the inclusion of women in leadership roles and decision-making.

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