Redress hearings ahead and a new Asian American coalition

Vol. 93, No. 2, July 10, 1981. 8 pages. View this issue

A new Asian American coalition and the coming redress hearings led this issue. Peter Imamura reported on the Asian-Pacific American Round Table (A-PART), announced at a Los Angeles press conference on July 1 and modeled after the Anti-Defamation League. Other front-page stories followed the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians (CWRIC), where JACL was expected to present its opening case on July 14 and 16, seeking redress for those affected by Executive Order 9066. Phil Shigekuni urged that evacuees gather in small groups to share their stories, and Marshall M. Sumida wrote about Justice William O. Douglas and the wartime Nisei cases.

Elsewhere in the issue, Bill Hosokawa recounted an odd wartime experiment involving 25 Nisei soldiers and attack dogs on Cat Island, Mississippi. The paper also announced that the 1982 JACL National Convention would be held in Los Angeles, and printed chapter news, community notices and columns by Sachi Seko, Bill Marutani and Jin Konomi.

What’s in this issue

National

• Asian American Coalition Formed to Battle Racism, by Peter Imamura, page 1. A new group called the Asian-Pacific American Round Table (A-PART), modeled after the Anti-Defamation League, was announced at a Los Angeles press conference on July 1. Spokesman Fred Fujioka cited incidents including KKK activity, anti-Japan sentiment, and the Peggy Stevenson campaign as reasons for forming the coalition, which plans a fall fundraiser.
• Hayakawa Wants 500,000 for His Guest Worker Program, page 1. California Senator S.I. Hayakawa told the Reagan Administration that allowing only 50,000 Mexican workers into the proposed guest worker program is insufficient to test its effectiveness, suggesting 500,000 to one million visas instead. Meanwhile, a presidential task force recommended amnesty for undocumented aliens present before Jan. 1, 1980, and doubling annual immigration quotas from Mexico and Canada.
• Ethnic Mix on Draft Boards Sought, page 1. The California Headquarters of the Selective Service System has begun recruiting and training civilian volunteers for possible appointment to future draft boards statewide. The program does not indicate a return to the draft but is preparing for potential emergencies.
• Post Office Raises 2nd Class Rates July 6, page 3. Second class postage rates increased July 6, with minimal effect on the Pacific Citizen compared to other nonprofit publications. The PC’s postage bill during June averaged about $1500 covering some 23,000 copies.

JACL

• 82 JACL Convention Site, Date Set, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The 1982 JACL National Convention will be held Aug. 1-7 at the Hyatt Airport Hotel in Los Angeles, confirmed by Lou Tomita, Gardena Valley JACL president and convention committee chair. This marks the first National JACL Convention hosted in the Los Angeles area since 1954.
• Astronaut Onizuka to Address JACL Fete, page 1. Ellison Onizuka, the first Nikkei in NASA’s astronaut program, will be the keynote speaker at a benefit dinner for the National JACL Redress Program on Aug. 15 at the Japan Center Theatre in San Francisco. The dinner, sponsored by the Northern California-Western Nevada-Pacific District Council, will honor Nikkei civic and judicial leaders.
• Philadelphia JACL Directory Updated, page 4. The 1970 Philadelphia JACL directory is being updated by Kuniaki Mihara, with over 800 JACL families and friends in the Delaware Valley to be listed. The directory will also include advertiser pages called “Kiroi Pages.”
• First Sansei to Head Seabrook, page 6. C. Scott Nagao was installed as Seabrook JACL president on June 20, becoming the third Nagao family member to lead the chapter and the first Sansei chapter president. The installation dinner at Centerton Golf Club drew 180 people and honored local scholarship recipients and longtime volunteer Iddy Asada.

Incarceration & Redress

• CWRIC Adds Three to Staff, page 1. The Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians named three new staff appointments: Dr. Tom Taketa, a retired NASA scientist and San Jose JACLer; Cheryl Yamamoto of Hawaii, staff liaison to chair Joan Bernstein; and Stuart Ishimaru of San Jose as research staff. The appointments were announced June 24.
• CWRIC Will Try to Set the Record Straight, page 1. JACL is expected to present its opening case to the nine-member Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians on July 14 and 16 in Washington, seeking redress for persons affected by Executive Order 9066. JACL president James Tsujimura will introduce Redress Committee chair Minoru Yasui, who will ask the CWRIC to examine the legal and constitutional aspects of the evacuation and to request monetary and individual reparations.
• NC-WNPDC Mock Hearing Produces Tips on Testimony, page 1. A mock hearing held June 14 at Laney College in Oakland drew 86 JACLers and non-JACLers to practice testimony presentation before ‘commissioners’ including UC Berkeley Chancellor Michael Heyman. Organizers compiled detailed guidelines for witnesses on how to present effective, concise testimony at the upcoming CWRIC hearings.
• Memo to CWRIC: Gather a Group of Evacuees to Tell the Story, by Phil Shigekuni, page 2. The author recounts an evening where several Japanese Americans shared personal stories of evacuation and internment, including painful accounts of sold property, family separation, and death following release from camp. He recommends gathering people in small groups to share testimony as preparation for CWRIC hearings, noting the sense of unity it created.
• Internment Camp Life Featured in L.A. Times Student Outlook, page 2. The Student Outlook, published by the L.A. Times educational services department, featured interviews by two students with their family members about internment camp experiences. Paul Okui interviewed his father Mas Okui about life at Manzanar, while Sindy Saito interviewed her grandmother about being sent to Pomona and Heart Mountain.
• Peninsula Forum on Redress Acclaimed, page 2. A successful educational forum was held June 13 by the Peninsula Redress Committee at Cubberly High School, featuring Rep. Norman Mineta and JACL redress committee chair Min Yasui as speakers. The film “Guilty by Reason of Race” was shown, followed by an audience question panel.
• 35 Years Ago, page 4. A historical recap of events from July 1946, including a Ninth Circuit Court ruling upholding sentences for Poston draft evaders, the expiration of the U.S. FEPC, and housing discrimination faced by a Nisei couple at the University of Minnesota. Also noted is the 442nd RCT’s review by President Truman and a court order restoring a commercial fishing license to Torao Takahashi.
• L.A. Mayor Bradley Commends CWRIC, page 5. Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley signed a proclamation on the eve of his inauguration commending the establishment of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians. The proclamation recognized the Commission’s mandate to investigate the circumstances of Executive Order 9066 and the Evacuation.

Military & Veterans

• “Go For Broke” Pictorial Delayed Until Dec., page 1. A permanent trustee group will be established for the 100th/442nd “Go For Broke” museum exhibit during a conference July 24-26 at the Californian Hotel in San Francisco. The pictorial book publication has been delayed until December to better focus documents and photos into a cohesive portrayal of the unit.
• Northwest MIS Vets Organize, page 7. The Military Intelligence Service Northwest Association was recently established in Seattle, with officers elected including Tak Matsui as president, Kaz Watanabe as vice president, Bill Nishimura as secretary, and George Kuwahara as treasurer. Those interested in joining can contact Kuwahara.

Commentary

• Of War and Remembrance, by Peter Imamura, page 3. The article examines opposing viewpoints emerging alongside the CWRIC hearings, highlighting letters from Lillian Baker and H.R. McGrary that argue the WWII internment was justified and that Japanese Americans were not truly imprisoned. The author counters that such arguments rely on semantic distinctions and incomplete history, and that facts must be brought to light to counter them.
• By the Board: 35,000 Members, by Henry Sakai, page 4. The author advocates for growing JACL membership to 35,000, citing successful membership drives led by individuals like Evelyn Hanki and Emily Ishida. He also discusses the importance of planned giving through wills and trusts to sustain JACL programs long-term.
• From Happy Valley: On Becoming a ‘Grandmother’, by Sachi Seko, page 4. The author humorously recounts arranging a ‘marriage’ for her dog Nicholas using Japanese omiai customs, including a dossier exchange and dowry negotiation. The wedding ultimately failed when Nicholas showed no interest in consummating the match, sparing the author from becoming a ‘grandmother’ just yet.
• Speaking Out: K-9 Corps vs. 25 Nisei GIs, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. The column recounts a bizarre WWII experiment in which 25 Hawaiian Nisei soldiers from the 100th Infantry Battalion were sent to Cat Island, Mississippi, to train attack dogs to hate the scent of Japanese soldiers. The experiment ultimately failed, as the dogs could not detect any special odor, and the soldiers returned to their unit overweight from good food and light duty.
• Justice Douglas Reflects His Role in Wartime Nisei Cases, by Marshall M. Sumida, page 5. Justice William O. Douglas, who wrote the majority opinion in Ex Parte Endo and withdrew his opinion in Korematsu, reflected in his final book that he regretted bowing to colleagues and not addressing the detention issue directly. Douglas also proposed a constitutional model giving the Senate final appellate jurisdiction over Supreme Court decisions involving wartime suspension of civil rights.
• East Wind: The Changing of the Guard, by Bill Marutani, page 5. The author reflects on generational change within JACL leadership, discussing the tension between ‘old guard’ leaders and emerging young leaders. He advocates for mutual understanding and cooperation during leadership transitions, citing his own experience stepping back from the National Board over a decade earlier.
• Moshi-Moshi: Quality Control Japanese Style, by Jin Konomi, page 8. The author traces the evolution of Japanese manufacturing from the ‘cheap in price, cheap in quality’ reputation of the past to today’s high-quality reputation, attributing part of early quality issues to pressure from American buyers seeking low prices. He discusses the concept of ‘iji’ (personal integrity) among traditional Japanese craftsmen, illustrating with the story of carpenter Toraji Ajikata’s dedication to his tools and craft.

Community

• Issei Dentist Honored, page 3. Members of the Southern California Japanese American Dental Society paid tribute to Dr. Mizushima, a native of Shingu City who became one of the first Japanese American dentists, graduating from USC in 1916. He was awarded the “Outstanding Pioneer in the Field of Dentistry” award at a dinner, accepted by his son due to his ill health.
• Miss Sansei Pageant Program Set, page 3. The Miss Sansei California Pageant will be held July 18 at the Beverly Hilton, featuring choreographer Helen Funai’s production and comic Johnny Yune. Guests of honor include Lt. Gov. Mike Curb and author James Clavell, who sponsors an annual short story prize for Nikkei writers.
• LAPD Seeks Asian American Recruits, page 3. The Los Angeles Police Department is seeking to recruit Asian American officers to augment its roster of 80 Asian American officers. Interested applicants can contact Officer Steve Takeshita at City Hall East.
• From Pacific Southwest: Round Trip, by John Saito, page 6. The author describes completing visits to every chapter in the Pacific Southwest district over two years, including recent stops in Arizona, Ventura, and Imperial Valley. He highlights the warm receptions and renewed enthusiasm found in each chapter, particularly Ventura’s goal to become the top chapter in the organization.
• Dayton World’s Fair Festival a Success, page 6. The Dayton JACL’s World’s Fair Festival booth, featuring yakitori and chicken sales along with a prize-winning cultural booth by the Fujinkai Club, raised over $8,000. The JACL cultural booth placed 5th among 34 entrants, and a wine and cheese party is planned to thank volunteers.
• Salinas Valley JACL Planning Golden Jubilee, page 6. The Salinas Valley JACL announced plans for a special 1982 installation dinner marking the chapter’s 50th anniversary. The chapter was originally chartered in 1932 with the late Dr. Harry Kita as founding president.
• West Valley to Burn Clubhouse Mortgage, page 6. West Valley JACL has tentatively scheduled a September party to celebrate paying off its clubhouse mortgage at 1545 Teresita Dr., which serves as home for chapter activities and the Senior Center. The chapter also is preparing for its annual Daruma Folk Festival on Aug. 15 benefiting the senior citizens program.
• East L.A. Benefit Steak Fry Set July 12, page 6. East L.A. JACL’s 10th annual steak fry benefit for the Japanese Welfare Rights Organization will be held July 12 at Barnes Park in Monterey Park. Plates with all trimmings cost $5 for adults and $2.50 for children.
• South Bay Keiro Home Campaign Over $500,000, page 7. Over half of the $500,000 raised for South Bay Keiro Nursing Home was pledged in May, starting with a $15,000 contribution from the Kuida family, according to campaign chairperson Helen Kawagoe. Contributions came from across the country, with a goal of raising $1,000,000 total.
• Sansei Woman Dies in Auto Accident, page 7. A Japanese American woman, identified as Ogawa of West Covina, was killed and four others seriously injured in a collision in Burbank on June 23. The driver of the van that struck the other vehicle was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving.
• S.F. Trade Official, Son Mugged in Japantown, page 7. A Japanese executive, Motoi Toki, deputy manager of Mitsui Bussan, and his teenage son were mugged by five youths on June 20 in the Japan Center Garage in San Francisco. The father was robbed of $170 and credit cards and injured in the leg, while his uninjured son lost spending money.
• Asian American Journalists Assn. to Hold Wine & Cheese Party, page 7. The newly formed Asian American Journalists Association will hold a wine and cheese party July 10 at the JACCC in Los Angeles. The event invites working colleagues in press, radio, and TV to learn about the group’s purposes and concerns.
• First Asian Heads Lions International, page 8. Kaoru Murakami of Kyoto, Japan was elected president of the International Association of Lions Clubs at its 64th Annual Convention held in Phoenix, becoming the first Asian to head the organization. Murakami has been a Lion for 27 years and is affiliated with Uramatsu Kosan Co. and Kyoto Foreign Language University.
• Tofu-Udon Factory Opens New Plant, page 8. Azumaya, Inc., a local tofu-noodle factory founded about 75 years ago in San Francisco’s Nihonmachi, moved to a new $2-million office and plant in the Islais Creek Industrial Park. The company is currently run by brothers George, Jack, John, and Bill Mizono.

Sports

• JACL Swim Meet Entries Due July 22, page 6. The seventh annual JACL Closed League swim meet will be held Aug. 2 at Gunn High School under the sanction of Pacific Swimming. Entries must be postmarked by July 22, and JACL ribbons and trophies will be awarded to top finishers.

Arts & Entertainment

• East West to Debut ‘Life of the Land’, page 7. East West Players will premiere Ed Sakamoto’s play “Life of the Land” on July 16 at its theater on Santa Monica Blvd, with a projected closing date of Aug. 23. The Los Angeles theater company continues to showcase Asian American works.
• JACCC to Display Taro Yashima’s Art, page 7. A special exhibition titled “Storybooks and Sketches” honoring artist Taro Yashima opens July 11 at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center and runs through Aug. 2. Yashima will appear at a book-signing party on the opening day.

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