Vol. 93, No. 10, September 4, 1981. 8 pages. View this issue
Redress ran through the September 4, 1981 front page and inside. Rep. Norman Mineta told a JACL benefit dinner that Congress faces a very difficult task in answering the recommendations of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians. On page 2, Dr. Clifford Uyeda and Dr. Mary S. Oda gave testimony about the long-term costs of the World War II incarceration (often called internment), and the commission announced three hearings in Alaska. Also on page 1, Dr. Alan Seid and other leaders announced plans to open an Asian Pacific advocacy office by 1982.
Elsewhere in the eight pages: Nancy Yoshihara on racial slurs in the media, Karen Seriguchi on a symposium for atomic bomb survivors in Seattle, Marshall M. Sumida’s “Haji vs. Go for Broke,” and columns from Bill Hosokawa, Bill Marutani and Ron Wakabayashi. Lou Tomita gave an update on planning for the 1982 JACL national convention in Los Angeles, and the sports page covered the NCWNP swim meet.
What’s in this issue
National
- Asian Pacific Advocacy Group Set to Open Office, page 1. Dr. Alan Seid and other leaders announced plans to open a statewide office for the Asian Pacific American advocacy group by 1982, with funding raised from JACL and various California chapters. The group’s board outlined priorities including hiring an executive director and administrative assistant and securing office space.
- L.A. Times Writer Discusses Racial Slurs in the Media, page 1. L.A. Times writer Nancy Yoshihara spoke at a JACL PSWDC meeting about anti-Japanese racial slurs appearing in mass media, citing cartoons and NBC’s Saturday Night Live sketches using the term ‘Jap.’ She discussed the difficulty of persuading media companies to drop offensive material and noted that some firms, like Isuzu’s ad agency, consulted JACL before airing commercials.
- Jung v. Geokas Race Bias Case Still Simmers, page 1. A 1975 racial discrimination complaint by Dr. Edmund Jung against Dr. Michael Geokas at the Martinez VA hospital was settled in June, with a federal judge finding nine instances of discrimination. Despite the settlement, Jung remains bitter that Geokas still holds his position and has never apologized.
- Voting Rights Act Extension to 1992 Urged, page 3. The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights testified before a House subcommittee urging Congress to strengthen and extend the Voting Rights Act through 1992. Commission chairman Arthur Flemming warned that newer, subtler forms of discrimination are being used to deny minorities full political participation.
- Art Scholarships Patterned After Nat’l Merit’s Launched, page 3. The Educational Testing Service created the Arts Recognition and Talent Search (ARTS) program to identify and support young artists aged 17-18 in dance, music, theater, visual arts, and writing. JACL’s Washington Office sits on the program’s advisory committee, which aims to increase participation from minority students.
Incarceration & Redress
- Mineta Expresses Caution on Redress, page 1. Rep. Norman Mineta told a JACL NCWNPDC redress benefit dinner audience that Congress faces a very difficult task in addressing the recommendations of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians. He said the redress issue is difficult for Japanese American legislators due to divided opinions, while NASA astronaut Ellison Onizuka also spoke at the event about the space shuttle program.
- After 40 Years, Misconception Over Evacuation Still Lingers, page 2. Dr. Clifford Uyeda testified before the CWRIC that misconceptions persist about Japanese Americans having fully recovered from wartime losses, noting many elderly Nikkei still live in poverty. He argued that only congressional redress action can correct the public’s false belief that no real injustice occurred.
- Individual Testimonies: Dr. Mary S. Oda (Concluding Installment), by Dr. Mary S. Oda, page 2. Dr. Mary Oda recounts her family’s suffering during and after internment, including the deaths of her sister, brother, and father from illnesses linked to camp conditions, and her own psychosomatic symptoms. She describes the long-term economic, psychological, and physical toll of evacuation on her family and reflects on why Japanese Americans served in the military despite their treatment.
- 3 CWRIC Hearings in Alaska Scheduled, page 2. The Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians announced hearings in Anchorage, Dutch Harbor, and St. Paul, Alaska in September. Persons wishing to testify were asked to register with the Aleutian/Pribilof Islands Assn. by Sept. 10.
Community
- UBC Asian Center Opens After 14-Yr. Wait, page 1. The University of British Columbia’s Asian Center finally opened in June after 14 years of delays and rising construction costs. The building, originally the Sanyo pavilion at Osaka’s Expo-70, was a gift from Japan and includes a 220-seat auditorium, library, and exhibition galleries.
- Watanabe Retires From Railroad, page 1. Paul Watanabe, a controversial Nisei public and private figure who advised former Washington Gov. Dixie Lee Ray, has retired as vice president of Burlington Northern Railroad. He will become executive vice president of Bob Walsh & Associates, providing international consultation for sports figures.
- Sacramento JACL to Mark 50th Anniversary, page 1. Sacramento JACL will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a gala dinner-dance on Nov. 14 at Woodlake Inn. Charter members from the chapter’s founding in October 1931 are being invited as honored guests.
- West Valley to Burn Clubhouse Mortgage, page 1. West Valley JACL will hold a mortgage-burning party on Oct. 11 at its clubhouse, followed by dinner, to celebrate paying off the clubhouse mortgage. The event recognizes donors and pledgees who helped retire the debt.
- NCWNP Recognizes Outstanding Grads, page 6. Six outstanding high school graduates were recognized by the Northern California-Western Nevada-Pacific JACL district council for their scholastic achievements and community activities. The awardees, announced by scholarship chair Wilson Makabe, included students with GPAs of 3.6 or better, with two achieving perfect 4.0 averages.
- Nisei-Sansei Widow/Widowers Group to Meet Sept. 5, page 6. A recently formed Nisei-Sansei widow/widowers group will meet at Akasaka Hanten in Weller’s Court on Sept. 5. Validated parking and contact information for additional details were provided.
Obituaries
- 1st ACLU Director Roger Baldwin Dies, page 1. Roger Baldwin, founding director of the American Civil Liberties Union, died Aug. 26 at age 97 from emphysema and heart disease. The article recounts his cautious stance on the WWII evacuation of Japanese Americans and his later work defending evacuees and receiving honors from JACL, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1981.
Commentary
- Who Are We?, page 3. This reprinted Los Angeles Herald Examiner editorial explores the identity struggles of Asian Pacific Americans caught between assimilation and maintaining ethnic ties. It notes ongoing racial tensions, such as conflict between Vietnamese and local fishermen in Texas, and argues the crisis is about more than just race.
- Haji vs. Go for Broke, by Marshall M. Sumida, page 4. This piece examines the concept of ‘haji’ (losing face/shame) among Nisei, particularly in the context of WWII military service and loyalty questions. The author uses poetry and personal reflection to explore the emotional and moral complexities faced by Nisei soldiers fighting for a country that had imprisoned their families.
- Letter: Memorial Contributions Suggested Instead of Individual Redress, by Herbert V. Nicholson, page 4. Rev. Herbert Nicholson recounts his experiences helping Japanese Americans during the WWII evacuation and suggests that funds be directed toward medical facilities and pioneer centers for aging Nikkei instead of individual redress payments. He describes specific wartime incidents, including helping a doctor family get permission to move to Salt Lake City.
- Letter: Hiroshima-Nagasaki Anniversary Overlooked, by Bruce Eejima, page 4. A reader criticizes the Pacific Citizen for failing to cover the 36th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, noting commemorations were held worldwide. He suggests the paper review the book ‘Hiroshima and Nagasaki’ from a Nikkei viewpoint.
- The Last Samurai, by Jin Konomi, page 4. In this Moshi-Moshi column, the author reflects on his ambivalent feelings toward samurai culture through memories of his uncle, who embodied samurai values despite being born after the caste’s formal abolition. He recounts his uncle’s stoic refusal of anesthesia during a dangerous operation as emblematic of assumed samurai honor.
- Picture of Picnickers Changing, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. In this Frying Pan column, Hosokawa observes that the Denver Japanese community picnic now reflects increasing interracial marriages, with fewer Issei attendees. He also discusses a Policy Review article questioning the difficulties of legally defining racial minority classifications for affirmative action purposes.
- A Tear Jerker, by Bill Marutani, page 5. In this East Wind column, Marutani reviews the Brazilian-produced film ‘Gaijin’ about early Japanese immigrants, noting it moved him emotionally despite odd Portuguese-style spellings of Japanese names in the credits. He laments that more Nikkei are not involved in film and mass media production to tell their community’s stories.
- Remembering Dad, by Ron Wakabayashi, page 5. In this Musubi column, Wakabayashi fondly recalls his Issei father’s old-fashioned habits, love of Japanese food and movies, gardening, and frugal lifestyle. He reflects on how he once found his father embarrassingly traditional but came to appreciate him over time.
JACL
- Pacific Northwest Symposium a Step Forward for Hibakusha, by Karen Seriguchi, page 3. The PNW JACL district organized a symposium on atomic bomb survivors (hibakusha) in conjunction with medical examinations conducted by a visiting Hiroshima medical team in Seattle. The event provided medical exams for 24 survivors and raised public awareness of radiation effects, demonstrating JACL’s ongoing commitment to hibakusha issues alongside other district projects like redress preparation and fundraising.
- Who’s Who with Lou Tomita: Convention Planning Update, by Lou Tomita, page 6. The Gardena Valley host chapter’s ad hoc Convention Board has been preparing for the 1982 JACL National Biennium Convention at the Hyatt Airport Hotel in Los Angeles since April 1980. Various committee chairs were highlighted, including those for the convention booklet, 1000 Club activities, housing, fashion show, and publicity.
Sports
- Sequoia Wins NC Swim Meet for 7th Consecutive Year, page 7. Sequoia JACL’s swim team won first place for the seventh time at the seventh annual NCWNP JACL swim meet held at Gunn High School in Palo Alto. Tri-Valley JACL placed second and Watsonville third, with detailed results listed across multiple age groups.
Military & Veterans
- MIS 40th Anniversary Reunion Set Nov. 1 in S.F., page 8. The 40th anniversary reunion of the Military Intelligence Service Language School will be held over the Nov. 1 weekend in San Francisco. Organizers are seeking memorabilia, artifacts, and photos for an Army Museum exhibit, to be submitted by Sept. 20.
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