Vol. 93, No. 25, December 18, 1981. 128 pages. View this issue
The Pacific Citizen devoted this holiday issue largely to the 1981 hearings of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians (CWRIC) and the push for redress. It printed Pat Okura’s testimony, Floyd Shimomura’s analysis of the commission’s duty to recommend remedies, and Roger Daniels’s argument that Congress should admit the error of the 1942 evacuation. Marshall Sumida wrote on Executive Order 9066 and the coram nobis route to reopening the Hirabayashi, Yasui, Korematsu and Endo cases, and the Bay Area Attorneys for Redress brief ran in two parts. Pete Imamura’s interview with Mike Masaoka covered JACL’s role in the evacuation, and Eric Saul wrote on the 442nd and 100th Battalion.
Also inside: Mary Tsukamoto’s history of Florin and a report on its reunion, Allan Beekman’s feature on Japanese tourists in Hawaii, and Sachi Seko’s Christmas memories. About 85 of its 128 pages carry holiday greetings, with JACL chapters from San Diego, Cleveland, Berkeley and Milwaukee among the senders.
What’s in this issue
Incarceration & Redress
- We Who Suffered and Survived, by Pat Okura, page 3. Pat Okura recounts his testimony before the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, describing his father’s arrest by the FBI, his own harassment as a city employee, and his blacklisting from federal employment for 20 years after the war. He discusses the psychological and psychiatric consequences of incarceration documented by researchers studying trauma survivors.
- Bay Area Attorneys for Redress: A Legal Brief to the CWRIC, by Bay Area Attorneys for Redress, page 4. A coalition of attorneys and legal workers submitted a legal brief to the Commission on Wartime Relocation arguing that the exclusion and imprisonment of Japanese Americans during WWII was unconstitutional discrimination based on race. The brief argues the Supreme Court’s wartime decisions rested on racial stereotypes rather than evidence and created a dangerous precedent for future government abuse.
- CWRIC Chair’s Opening Statement: To Address the Issue of Appropriate Redress, page 4. The Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment chair welcomed attendees to the first hearing, outlining the commission’s mandate to review Executive Order 9066’s impact and recommend appropriate remedies. The chair described the commission’s educational function and its plan to hold hearings nationwide, including introducing fellow commissioners such as Congressman Daniel Lungren and Judge William Marutani.
- Legal Remedies: CWRIC Has Option to Recommend Appropriate Redress, by Floyd Shimomura, page 57. Law professor Floyd Shimomura analyzes Public Law 96-317 establishing the CWRIC, arguing that despite its title the Commission’s primary duty is to recommend appropriate remedies rather than merely determine if a wrong occurred. He proposes a three-part remedy structure covering individual monetary payments, community assistance programs, and national legislation to prevent future occurrences.
- CWRIC Has Option to Reopen Japanese American Wartime Court Cases, by Marshall Sumida, page 79. Sumida argues that Executive Order 9066 and related wartime orders violated specific constitutional prohibitions including protections against ex post facto laws, bills of attainder, and treason convictions without proper witnesses. He suggests the common law principle of writ of error coram nobis could be used to reopen the Hirabayashi, Yasui, Korematsu, and Endo cases and proposes legislation holding officials accountable for constitutional violations.
- Bay Area Attorneys for Redress Brief Continued: Equal Protection and Due Process Violations, by Bay Area Attorneys for Redress, page 92. The legal brief continues its detailed constitutional analysis, arguing that the exclusion and detention violated the Fifth Amendment’s equal protection guarantees and due process rights, as well as First, Fourth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendment protections. The brief also contends that Executive Order 9066 constituted an unconstitutional Bill of Attainder and improperly delegated legislative power to the military.
National
- Mike Masaoka Interview: An Overview of JACL’s Role in the 1942 Evacuation, by Pete Imamura, page 5. JACL redress coordinator John Tateishi conducted an informal interview with Mike Masaoka and Min Yasui in Washington to discuss JACL’s wartime role, prewar discrimination against Japanese Americans, and the organization’s decisions during the evacuation. Masaoka defends JACL’s cooperation with the government as a necessary strategy to protect the Japanese American community and prove loyalty, while addressing numerous criticisms including allegations about hearing boards, loyalty oaths, and the formation of the 442nd.
In-Depth
- Florin Monogatari, 1882-1980: Story of Japanese Who Flourished with Berries and Tokay, by Mary T. Tsukamoto, page 10. Mary Tsukamoto chronicles the history of Florin, California’s Japanese American farming community from its founding by pioneer Kuzo Tsukamoto in 1892 through its transformation into a thriving strawberry and grape growing center, and its devastating destruction by the WWII evacuation. The article traces the community through racial discrimination, the Alien Land Law, wartime internment, and the difficult postwar recovery.
- Japanese Strangers in Paradise, by By Allan Beekman, page 15. This feature examines the phenomenon of Japanese tourism to Hawaii, profiling the Honolulu Japanese Language Guide Association and the challenges tour guides face introducing visitors to local culture, history, and safety concerns. The article highlights police efforts to bridge cultural and language gaps and criticizes the lack of adequate Japanese-language resources for both tourists and the broader community.
- Japanese Strangers in Paradise (continued): Crime and Cultural Differences, by By Allan Beekman, page 42. The article continues examining challenges facing Japanese tourists in Hawaii, including vulnerability to theft due to cultural reluctance to report crimes, aggressive religious solicitors, and the yakuza’s reported infiltration of local businesses. It also critiques the lack of Japanese-language resources at major attractions like the Arizona Memorial and calls for a comprehensive Japanese-English dictionary of Hawaiian terms.
- Introduction to JACL’s Testimony to the CWRIC, by Dr. Roger Daniels, page 53. Historian Roger Daniels argues it is time for Congress to go on record admitting the error of the 1942 evacuation, outlining four areas the Commission can impact: history, education, prevention, and redress. He advocates for simple, quick monetary redress for survivors given that time is of the essence for aging victims.
- Evolution of Japanese American Communities, by Dr. Alex Yamato, page 53. Dr. Yamato traces the historical development of Japanese American communities from early immigration through decades of discrimination, including the Alien Land Laws, school segregation battles, and the 1924 Immigration Act. He argues these communities developed in response to systematic racial exclusion and that the wartime internment must be understood within this century-long context of anti-Asian discrimination.
- Economic Effects of WW2 upon Japanese Americans in California, by Lon Hatamiya, page 62. An academic analysis using Census data examines the economic status of Japanese Americans in California before and after WWII, tracing immigration history, prewar occupational concentration in agriculture, and the dramatic postwar shift toward professional occupations. The study concludes the internment forced economic adaptation that ultimately led to rapid upward mobility despite initial devastating losses.
Community
- 800 Attend Old-Timer Reunion at Florin, Ex-Berry-Grape Hub, page 10. Nearly 800 former Florin area residents gathered for a reunion honoring the Issei pioneers, including recognition of two Gold Star mothers and the oldest Issei attendees in their 80s and 90s. Mary Tsukamoto paid tribute to the Issei generation, noting how their struggles and sacrifices enabled their descendants’ achievements.
Commentary
- Year of Tears, page 14. A reflective column describes the emotional outpouring at the 1981 CWRIC hearings, where Japanese Americans collectively mourned and shared grief over the injustices of the wartime evacuation 39 years earlier. The author notes the community’s shared understanding of pain and unnecessary suffering that transcended individual stoicism.
- Christmas Chronicles, by Sachi Seko, page 106. In this nostalgic holiday column, Sachi Seko shares humorous family memories of past Christmases, including a drunken hired Santa Claus who frightened her children and an arduous family trip to cut a fresh Christmas tree in Utah. She reflects on how childhood memories of the holiday season become treasured family traditions despite their imperfections.
JACL
- By the Board: Membership, by Vernon Yoshioka, page 14. JACL Vice President for Membership Vernon Yoshioka discusses strategies for growing and retaining JACL membership amid inflation and dues increases for 1982, highlighting new recruitment materials featuring Japanese American history graphics and a calendar. He also promotes the opportunity to become a life member before rates increase on January 1, 1982.
Arts & Entertainment
- When Your Body Has Been Rolled in Thorns, by Ferris Takahashi, page 14. A short story depicts a Japanese American family’s painful return home from an internment camp, finding their house vandalized with racist graffiti and stripped of belongings. The narrator finds comfort in his elderly mother’s resilient wisdom about enduring hardship after having already survived greater suffering.
Military & Veterans
- Contributions of the 442nd/100th/MIS, by Eric Saul, page 60. Army museum curator Eric Saul chronicles the history of the 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the most decorated unit for its size in U.S. Army history, detailing their campaigns in Italy and France including the rescue of the ‘Lost Battalion’ and the Gothic Line breakthrough. He compares their sacrifice to the Spartans at Thermopylae in changing the course of history for Japanese Americans.
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