Redress hearings in Washington and a Senate vote on AWACS

Vol. 93, No. 19, November 6, 1981. 8 pages. View this issue

The front page carried two stories from Washington. The Senate approved President Reagan’s AWACS sale to Saudi Arabia, 52 to 48, and the Nikkei senators split 2 to 1: Hawaii’s Inouye and Matsunaga voted against, California’s Hayakawa for. Author James Michener, his wife Mari and longtime JACL leader Mike Masaoka were scheduled to testify before the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians. Inside, John Tateishi wrote on how the redress hearings broke forty years of silence, and Leland Barrows, a top War Relocation Authority official, gave testimony about the camps and the Tule Lake segregation crisis. Bill Hosokawa wrote on a coming Heart Mountain reunion, and Ron Wakabayashi reported that the JACL budget was back in the black.

Other pages include Jim Okutsu’s review of a photo-essay on the Manzanar pilgrimage, a testimonial dinner for Justice Stephen K. Tamura, and chapter and district council news from around the country. The last page notes Norm Mineta’s 50th birthday dinner and a Pan Asian Repertory Theatre production of Phillip Kan Gotanda’s play.

What’s in this issue

National

• Nikkei Senators Vote 2-1 Against Reagan AWACS Sale, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Senate approved President Reagan’s AWACS sale to Saudi Arabia by a vote of 52-48, with California’s Sen. Hayakawa supporting the sale while Hawaii’s Senators Inouye and Matsunaga voted against it. Inouye worried about the AWACS falling into hostile hands while Matsunaga argued there was no political or strategic advantage given Saudi support for the PLO and opposition to Camp David.
• Minority Quota Ban Amendment Proposed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. California Supreme Court Justice Stanley Mosk was asked by a state Senate committee to draft a constitutional amendment banning the granting or withholding of benefits based on race, sex, color, religion or national origin. A competing amendment by Sen. John Schmitz would extend quota bans to both private and public sectors, with either requiring two-thirds legislative approval before reaching the ballot.
• Nikkei Named to California Conservation Corps in L.A., by P.C. Staff, page 8. Bruce Saito, 30, was named director of the California Conservation Corps Central Los Angeles Center by John E. Saito received his B.A. from San Francisco State University and has worked as a projects coordinator at the center since 1977.

Incarceration & Redress

• Michener, Masaoka Testify at CWRIC Hearing, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Author James Michener, his wife Mari, and longtime JACL leader Mike Masaoka were scheduled to testify before the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians in Washington. Michener has been critical of the government’s wartime internment decision, while additional CWRIC hearings and related community forums were being organized in New York, Boston, and Medford.
• Redress Phase 3: Silence Snapped, by John Tateishi, page 2. As the CWRIC hearings near their conclusion, columnist John Tateishi reflects on the historic significance of Issei and Nisei testimony breaking forty years of silence about the wartime evacuation. He describes the dignity and courage shown by witnesses and the nation’s partial catharsis for the wrong committed against Japanese Americans.
• Barrows Speaks on WRA Before CWRIC, page 2. Leland Barrows, a top WRA administrative official under Milton Eisenhower and Dillon Myer, testified before the CWRIC about the agency’s history, including congressional investigations, the Tule Lake segregation crisis, and the renunciation of citizenship by Japanese Americans. His testimony details WRA’s efforts to relocate evacuees and close the camps despite public and internal resistance.

Community

• Alternate JACL Health Plan to Attract Younger Group Eyed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National JACL health insurance committee is studying a self-insured alternate health plan designed to attract younger members and control rising premium costs. The plan would have JACL collect premiums and pay claims directly, with stop-loss and liability insurance protecting the organization from financial risk.
• Retirement Testimonial Dinner Nov. 14 for Justice Tamura, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A testimonial dinner will honor Justice Stephen K. Tamura on his retirement as associate justice of the 4th District Court of Appeal, held Nov. 14 at Saddleback Inn in Santa Ana. Tamura, the first Japanese American to serve in this capacity, has received numerous awards including the JACL National Recognition Award and was honored alongside his wife Kay and their three children.
• Farewell Dinner Held for Mary and Kumeo Yoshinari, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A farewell dinner was held Oct. 30 in Chicago for Mary and Kumeo Yoshinari, who moved to Oceanside, California on Nov. 1. Kumeo, a retired Turtle Wax Co. employee and national JACL president in 1966-68, was a founding member of the Chicago JACL in 1945.
• West Valley JACL to Open Shop, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The West Valley JACL Senior Club will open a boutique at its clubhouse on Teresita Drive in San Jose. The shop will run from Nov. 16 through December.
• Seattle 60th Anniversary Committee Seeks Material, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Seattle JACL 60th Anniversary Committee is preparing a commemorative booklet and is seeking old chapter records, photos, and news clippings from community members. Chapter president Lloyd Hara urged old timers to help fill gaps in the chapter’s history across multiple decades.
• Centenary Honors Pioneers at 85th Anniversary, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Several longtime members and pioneers of Centenary United Methodist Church in Los Angeles were recognized at its 85th anniversary banquet at the New Otani Hotel. Honorees included George Kawazoye, a 50-year choir member, and Choichiro Akamatsu, an Issei lay preacher.
• Sansei County Official Under D.A.’s Investigation, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Orange County official Ishikawa, a former Orange County JACL president and PSWDC governor, is under investigation by the District Attorney for allegedly using county employees and resources for his private public relations firm. The charges allege he used his county phone number for business purposes and earned up to $50,000 annually from outside work while maintaining his full county schedule.
• Witnesses Testify in Court Over Mayor Sato’s Holdup, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A 15-year-old testified in Long Beach Juvenile Court that his brother and another boy committed the Sept. 2 shotgun robbery of Mayor Eunice Sato while he waited in a nearby car, receiving immunity for his testimony. Sato and Rev. Richard Edgar both testified that two armed boys demanded money in a church parking lot, leading to arrests within a week of the incident.
• Banquet Planning for Asian American Journalists Assn. Scholarship Dinner, by Cyrena Chang, page 3. Frank Kwan, Tritia Toyota, and Bill Sing are working on the first Asian American Journalists Association scholarship benefit dinner featuring NBC’s Tom Brokaw as keynote speaker. The event will be held Nov. 6 at the Hyatt Regency in Los Angeles.
• Sonoma CL Board to Answer Joiner, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Sonoma County JACL Board discussed a controversial newspaper column by Ernest Joiner that appeared in the Sebastopol Times and was read on San Francisco radio station KGO. The board plans to formally respond to address half-truths and present an accurate view of the wartime evacuation and internment of Japanese Americans.
• Detroit JAYs Host MDYC Workshop, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Detroit JAYs met to re-establish their chapter ahead of hosting the Midwest District youth workshop at Farmington Hills Holiday Inn. The chapter has struggled with declining membership as young leaders depart for college, leaving MDYC chair Alysa Watanabe and a small group to maintain momentum.
• Milwaukee JACL to Hold Redress Fundraising Party, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Milwaukee JACL Chapter will hold a redress fundraising dinner party on Nov. 14 at the Servite Woods Lodge, featuring witnesses who testified at the Chicago CWRIC hearings. Space is limited to 100 persons with reservations required.
• Club Doesn’t Want Name to Be ‘JAWS’, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A social group of working Nisei widows and widowers meeting in Southern California is still searching for an appropriate club name, having rejected ‘Japanese American Widows Society’ due to its unfortunate initials. The group will meet for Sunday brunch Nov. 15 at the New Otani Hotel.
• PC People, by P.C. Staff, page 7. This roundup column covers various achievements including U.S.-Asia Institute awards to Rocky Aoki and others, a National Endowment for the Arts grant to Aiko Tangan, and recognition of federal employee Roy Teranishi. It also highlights scientist Dr. Kiyo Tomiyasu’s Microwave Career Award and twin brothers Walter and Alvaro Tatekawa’s football achievements as featured in the New York Times.
• Buddhist Temple in D.C. Area to Open, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Ekoji, a new Buddhist temple in the Washington, D.C. area, will be dedicated. The brief article notes the temple’s upcoming opening ceremony.
• EBIH Proposal for HUD Funds Rejected, by P.C. Staff, page 8. East Bay Issei Housing’s proposal for HUD funding was rejected again, prompting the group to consider alternatives for establishing a senior citizen facility in Oakland. A related emergency fund was initiated by East Bay Japanese for Action after two of its four escort-drivers were terminated due to budget cuts.
• Mineta to Fete 50th Birthday, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A celebration of Congressman Norm Mineta’s 50th birthday will be held Nov. 14 at the Hyatt House in San Jose, hosted by several Northern California Congressmen. The $100-per-plate dinner will include a ‘roast’ of Mineta.
• Former Cherry Blossom Queen to Wed Policeman, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Noriko Jenny Toriumi, queen of the 1980 Sakura Matsuri Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco, will wed police officer David Tambara next June. Their engagement was announced at a party at the Yamato Restaurant on Fisherman’s Wharf.
• S.F. Mayor Calls Goodwill Mission to Asia a Success, by P.C. Staff, page 8. San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein reported her Friendship Mission to Asia successfully built new cultural and commercial relations with cities including Osaka, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Manila. Agreements included Osaka’s pledge to help restore San Francisco’s Japanese Tea Garden and a Shanghai-San Francisco cultural garden project.

JACL

• CCDC to Hear March Fong Eu, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The 32nd convention of the JACL Central California District Council will be held Nov. 14-15 at the Hacienda Inn in Fresno. California Secretary of State March Fong Eu will speak at the event.
• Shibata Named MPDC Governor, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Ron Shibata of the New Mexico Chapter was elected district governor of the Mountain Plains District Council at an election held Oct. 24 in Rocky Ford, Colorado. Shibata succeeds Em Nakadoi, who took over after Mits Kawamoto was elected national JACL vice-president for planning and development.
• San Gabriel Chapter to Hold Installation Nov. 14, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The San Gabriel Valley JACL will hold its annual Installation and Scholarship Dinner on Nov. 14 at Lord Charley’s Restaurant in West Covina. Chapter scholarship co-chairs June and Deni Uejima will discuss the national JACL scholarship competition selection process.
• CCDC Endorses APAAC as Group, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Central California District Council voted to join the Asian Pacific American Advocates of California as an organizational member, contributing $100. Individuals and organizations in Central California are raising $9,000 toward the new statewide educational advocacy group, with new board members including Taro Katagiri and Dr. Vivian Kunimitsu.

Commentary

• How We Ended, by Ron Wakabayashi, page 4. National JACL Director Ron Wakabayashi discusses the organization’s finances, noting the budget returned to the black for the first time since 1977 through spending cuts and staff/volunteer cooperation. He reflects on JACL’s core purpose, the aging Nisei membership base, and the need for adequate reserve funds to effectively advocate for the community.
• Soviet Birth Rate, by Walter Hashimoto, page 4. A letter to the editor discusses a UPI story about Soviet concerns over low birth rates among ethnic Russians compared to higher birth rates in Asian Soviet republics. The writer sardonically notes there is ‘nowhere to hide’ for Asians and warns of potential exploitation by hate groups.
• The Opportunity to Suffer, by Sachi Seko, page 4. In this personal column, the author humorously recounts evicting her adult son from the family home to teach him independence and the value of suffering. She describes his initial carefree lifestyle and eventual struggles with car repairs and utility bills, pondering whether her generation helped their children too much compared to how they treated their own Issei parents.
• Heart Mountain Reunion and Redress, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Columnist Bill Hosokawa discusses an upcoming Heart Mountain camp reunion in Los Angeles, reflecting on a previous reunion of camp newspaper staff and comparing WRA camp reunions to Nazi concentration camp survivor gatherings. He questions what redress commissioners might think of former internees celebrating reunions with dinners and dancing in light of the serious human rights violations being documented in hearings.
• With the Kalmucks, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Judge Bill Marutani describes officiating a wedding for a Kalmuck Mongolian bride and learning about the history of this ethnic group, who fled Mongolia under Russian rule and were later conscripted into forced labor by Nazi Germany. He notes the parallels between Kalmuck resilience and that of Issei parents, and their interest in the Japanese American internment experience.
• Roundtable on TV Programming, by Ron Ikejiri, page 5. The Washington JACL representative proposes a national roundtable discussion among Japanese American community leaders to explore creating a national television broadcasting plan. He poses several questions about current media coverage and the feasibility of a Japanese American-controlled public corporation to produce network and cable programming.

Arts & Entertainment

• A Time for Sharing, by Jim Okutsu, page 4. A book review of ‘The Manzanar Pilgrimage: A Time for Sharing,’ a photo-essay documenting a decade of annual pilgrimages to the Manzanar internment camp site. The reviewer recalls his own visits and the moving memorial services, potluck feasts, and Tanko Bushi dancing that mark the annual event.
• Early Showa Japan, page 4. A review of Dr. Kurt Singer’s ‘Mirror, Sword and Jewel,’ a book reissued by Kodansha about 1930s Japan based on the author’s experiences teaching at Tokyo Imperial University. Singer’s observations on samurai ethos and the cultural significance of sumo wrestling are highlighted.
• ‘Bullet Headed Birds’ by Pan Asian Rep. Theatre, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Phillip Kan Gotanda’s play ‘Bullet Headed Birds,’ featuring live music about a Japanese American songwriter, will open the Pan Asian Repertory Theatre’s fifth season at the 28th Street Playhouse in New York. The production opens Nov. 19.
• Asian TV Program Sets New Format, by P.C. Staff, page 8. ‘Asians Now!’, a weekly television program produced by KTVU in Oakland, has adopted a new monthly format featuring three main segments: a newsmaking issue interview, a feature story, and a shorter profile segment. At least half of each month’s programs will include bilingual segments in community languages.

Military & Veterans

• CWRIC Testimony Continued: Barrows on WRA’s Final Years, page 4. Continuing testimony from Leland Barrows describes the WRA’s relocation efforts, the dissemination of former internees across 48 states, and WRA’s belief that this dispersal helped give Japanese Americans a more secure place in American society. Barrows also discusses the transfer of WRA responsibilities to the Department of Justice and unfulfilled efforts to address property losses through a claims commission.

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