INS raids in Little Tokyo and the redress debate, 1982

Vol. 94, No. 6, February 12, 1982. 12 pages. View this issue

Immigration raids in Little Tokyo led the front page. Writer Peter Imamura reported on the Immigration and Naturalization Service arrests at restaurants, a travel agency and a giftshop, and on the panic they caused among workers. INS officials said the community was overreacting. The story continued on page 12, where officials defended their actions, and Harry Honda wrote about the confusion in his column. Redress ran through the issue too: John Tateishi set out JACL’s position on compensation, and the paper noted that a Day of Remembrance rally for the signing of Executive Order 9066 was planned in Little Tokyo for Feb. 20. The former Merced Assembly Center, which held Japanese Americans before their transfer to Amache, was to be named a California Historical Landmark on Feb. 19.

Also inside: Dr. Frank Miyamoto on why JACL endured, M.M. Sumida on the Korematsu case, and Chuck Kubokawa’s report on forming a Pan American Nikkei Organization. Chapter installation dinners fill much of pages 6 through 10.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Immigration Raids Alarm Little Tokyo, by Peter Imamura, page 1. INS agents conducted large-scale arrests of undocumented Japanese, Mexican, and other workers in Little Tokyo, arresting 34-38 people according to differing official accounts. The raids caused panic among documented and undocumented workers alike, though INS officials said the community was overreacting.
• Lawyers Plan to Oppose INS Actions, page 1. Japanese and Asian American attorneys met in Marina Del Rey to discuss opposing INS raid tactics in Little Tokyo, with Attorney Dennis Mukai noting businesses were being devastated by employee fears. Attorney Fred Fujioka said PAART and JADC would formally express opposition to the raids.
• Recipient Donates to Hayashi Law Fund, page 2. The Thomas T. Hayashi Law Scholarship fund received a $200 contribution from Bruce Hironaka, a 1977 scholarship recipient now practicing law in San Francisco. Committee vice-chair Harry Takagi noted it was the first contribution from a former recipient.
• APAAC Agenda Covers Nearly 30 Items, page 3. The Asian Pacific American Advocates of California board met in Sacramento and passed nearly 30 action items covering civil rights, redress, education, and other issues affecting Asian Pacific American communities. The group, led by executive director Morris Argiaga, opened new headquarters near the State Capitol.
• Boy Scouts Honor Kaji, page 3. Bruce T. Kaji, president of Merit Savings and Loan, received the 1982 Distinguished Citizen Award from the L.A. Area Council of Boy Scouts at a testimonial dinner attended by over 600 people. Tributes came from numerous elected officials including Sen. S.I. Hayakawa and local community leaders.
• Boy Scouts to Attend Nippon Jamboree, page 3. An L.A. Area Council Boy Scout troop is being organized to attend the 8th Nippon Boy Scout Jamboree near Sendai, Japan. The jamboree is open to qualified scouts aged 12-18, with organizers Mas Dobashi and James Nakagawa leading the delegation.
• Liquor Store Owner Killed by Robbers, page 3. Larry Ryuichi Tsuji, 46, was shot to death during an armed robbery at his southwest L.A. liquor store. Police later arrested two suspects, James Harris and Willa Mae Givens, on suspicion of the crime.
• Fremont JACL Honors Dedicated Members, page 6. The Fremont JACL presented special achievement awards to Kaz Shikano and Mrs. Chiyemi Sakuda for their contributions to the chapter and the Irvington Cemetery Restoration Project. Masutaro Kitani was also honored for a $10,000 donation.
• Buddhist Lecture Slated Feb. 13, page 6. Dr. Shoyu Hanayama will lecture on comparing Buddhist and Christian thinking at the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley. Hanayama previously served as minister of the Seabrook Buddhist Temple.
• Santa Barbara Installation Set, page 6. The Santa Barbara JACL Chapter will hold its 1982 installation dinner at the Montecito Country Club, with PSWDC Governor Cary Nishimoto as keynote speaker. Local officials including the mayor and a judge are expected to attend.
• Tak Matsuda to Speak at South Bay Luncheon, page 6. South Bay JACL Chapter’s 1982 officers will be installed by Mayor Jim Armstrong, with guest speaker Tak Matsuda presenting a slide show on Japanese American history. The event will be held at the Torrance Recreation Center.
• NC-WN-PDC Begins 1982 Program, page 6. The Northern California-Western Nevada-Pacific District Council opened its first quarterly session with a fun night in Stockton, raising over $11,000 for redress through prize drawings donated by numerous businesses. Winners of the district redress committee prizes were announced.
• Marina JACL Officers Installed, page 6. Ed Goka was installed as the 1982 Marina JACL chapter president at a fun-night dinner party at a restaurant recently opened by chapter members. Several longtime members were recognized for their service including 26-year 1000 Clubber Sam Miyashiro.
• Sansei Majority Now at Seattle Helm, page 7. Seattle JACL’s 60th Anniversary Installation Banquet drew a record crowd of nearly 500 to install Kathryn Bannai as the chapter’s first Sansei woman president with a board having a majority of Sansei and women. The event honored numerous longtime members and supporters, including the Woodwards of the Bainbridge Review for their wartime support of Japanese Americans.
• Fresno Nisei Wins School Board Post, page 7. Mae Morita was elected to the new Central Unified School District board as trustee in Biola, California, receiving 59 percent of the vote.
• Nagano Heads Orange County JACL, page 8. KNBC news anchor Tritia Toyota spoke at the Orange County JACL installation dinner, warning that public empathy for minorities was waning amid economic tensions. New chapter president Warren Nagano expressed hopes for increased Nisei-Sansei-Yonsei involvement in the community.
• Sansei High School Student Wins Science Talent Award, page 9. Lynn Uyeda, a 17-year-old Monterey High School student, was named one of 40 winners in the Westinghouse Science Talent Search for her research on germination differences in chickpea varieties. She was among six Nikkei honorees among the 300 student finalists nationwide.
• Pasadena JACL Installation Set, page 9. The Pasadena JACL installation dinner will be held at Paul’s Kitchen in Monterey Park, with past national president Dr. Roy Nishikawa serving as installing officer.
• Canada Commissions Book on Issei, page 9. Rev. Canon G.G. Nakayama, known for documenting Japanese Canadian evacuation history on film, was commissioned by Canada’s Ministry of Multiculturalism to write a book on Japanese Canadian pioneer stories. Nakayama is the father of celebrated author Joy Kogawa.
• Tri-Valley Honors Past President, page 10. Tri-Valley JACL held its installation dinner honoring outgoing president Dr. Eric Torigoe with a pin and plaque, while incoming president Tom Mori was celebrated with a ‘This Is Your Life’ presentation. JACL National Director Ron Wakabayashi served as installing officer and guest speaker.
• PC People: Awards, Business, Film, Government, Medicine, Press, Sports, page 11. This roundup column covers community achievements including Hiroshima Kenjinkai scholarship winners, California First Bank board appointments of Masashi Kawaguchi and others, and a Franklin Life Insurance manager award. Also featured are film credits for Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘One From the Heart,’ government appointments, medical professional honors, journalism scholarships, and college tennis success for Glenn Michibata.
• INS Raids Continued: Officials Defend Actions Amid Community Concern, page 12. Continuing coverage details INS officials’ defense of the Little Tokyo raids, with district director Mike Landon insisting there was no targeting of any specific ethnic group despite Japanese nationals comprising the majority of arrests. Community groups distributed bilingual leaflets informing aliens of their legal rights amid fears of aggressive questioning tactics by agents.

National

• FDR ‘Tapes’ Tell More Than a Few Racial Slurs, page 1. American Heritage magazine revealed secret Oval Office recordings of President Roosevelt from 1940 showing candid comments about Japan, political rival Wendell Wilkie, and segregation of Black servicemen. The tapes showed how domestic politics and foreign policy intermingled during a tense pre-war period.
• FDR Brain-Truster Applauded at Fete, page 1. Benjamin Cohen, 87, one of FDR’s brain-trusters, was applauded in Congress during a commemoration of Roosevelt’s 100th birthday anniversary. Cohen had headed government lawyers who justified the wartime evacuation of Japanese Americans under the President’s war powers.
• FDR Tapes Reveal More on Political Rivals, page 7. Continuing coverage of the FDR tapes reveals Roosevelt’s private conversations about New York Gov. Lehman and criticism from Republican opponents including Alfred Landon, who accused Roosevelt of seeking to dominate world politics. Roosevelt privately acknowledged Landon’s attack was ‘vicious’ and ‘horrible.’
• Tamura Backs Plan to Reapportion Cal., page 8. The California Supreme Court ruled that the 1981 Democratic reapportionment plan should be used in 1982 elections while allowing a Republican-sponsored referendum on the June ballot. Retired appellate justice Stephen Tamura was part of the 4-3 majority decision.

Incarceration & Redress

• Merced Assembly Center to Be Designated Historical Landmark, page 1. The former Merced Assembly Center, which held 4,669 Japanese Americans in 1942 before their transfer to Amache, will be dedicated as a California Historical Landmark on Feb. 19. The Livingston-Merced JACL Chapter is sponsoring the ceremony, with various elected officials and JACL leaders expected to attend.
• Cal Japanese Alumni Assn. Donates $5,000 to Redress, page 1. The California Japanese Alumni Association’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously to contribute $5,000 to the National JACL Redress Committee. Chairman Min Yasui thanked the group, noting the donation increases Northern California’s redress fundraising total to more than $63,000 for the year.
• N.Y. City Council Supports Redress, page 2. The New York City Council passed a unanimous resolution urging the CWRIC to recommend redress/reparations to Congress for Japanese Americans and Aleuts affected by Executive Order 9066. The resolution was submitted by Councilwoman Ruth W. Messinger.
• Daniels to Keynote Cleveland Dinner, page 2. Historian Roger Daniels, a member of the JACL National Committee for Redress, will speak at the Cleveland JACL/JAYS installation dinner. Dr. Toaru Ishiyama will also give a redress report at the event.
• ‘Day of Remembrance’ Rally Slated Feb. 20, page 2. A rally, march and speakers program commemorating the Feb. 19, 1942 signing of Executive Order 9066 will be held in Little Tokyo. Congressman Mervyn Dymally and Councilman Mas Fukai are among scheduled speakers, with several community organizations participating.
• PC Chronology: September-December 1981 Events, page 8. A chronological digest of major events affecting the Japanese American community from September through December 1981, including CWRIC hearings across multiple cities, Nikkei election wins, and significant community milestones. Highlights include hearings addressing WWII evacuation and incarceration, the Pan American Nikkei Organization’s formation in Lima, Peru, and various community anniversaries and honors.

Commentary

• Redress Phase 3: Clarifying JACL’s Position on Compensation, by John Tateishi, page 2. Tateishi explains JACL’s redress position established at Salt Lake City and Millbrae conventions, advocating both individual compensation through a trust/foundation and community programs rather than direct government payments. He notes JACL has not settled on a specific dollar figure, believing the original $25,000 figure may be inadequate given the scope of injustice suffered.
• Nikkei Reaction Mixed to Hayakawa’s Decision, page 3. Japanese Americans gave mixed reactions to Sen. S.I. Hayakawa’s announcement that he would not seek re-election, with former JACL president Dr. Clifford Uyeda calling it a good decision given his low polling numbers. Longtime supporter Yoshio Takagaki disagreed, insisting Hayakawa could have won and defending his record against critical press coverage.
• Midweek Pandemonium, by Harry Honda, page 4. Editor Harry Honda reflects on the chaos caused by INS raids in Little Tokyo, noting over a dozen Japanese restaurants were shut down and community organizations scrambled for information while official confirmation was delayed. He suggests JACL has not done enough to help Americanize new Japanese immigrants despite its historic mottos.
• 1000 Club Honor Roll Correction, by Natsuko Irei, page 4. A letter from the Contra Costa JACL membership chairperson demands correction of errors in the Pacific Citizen’s listing of chapter Century Life members for the second year in a row. She lists the six correct Century Life members for the chapter.
• Membership Years Correction, page 4. A reader writes to correct their membership tenure listed in a prior issue, noting they have a charter membership certificate dated 1950 and a 20-year cumulative certificate from 1971. They ask the Pacific Citizen to clarify whether they have reached Life Member status.
• 35 Years Ago Column Praised, by Bess (Matsuzawa) Saito, page 4. A reader expresses delight at seeing a historical item about her mother, Mrs. Kazue Matsuzawa, being the first Issei to file naturalization papers in Cincinnati federal court. She notes it was actually her father who took the bold step on her mother’s behalf, which drew local newspaper attention.
• Long Range Goals for JACL, by Mas Odoi, page 4. A reader suggests that former JACL chapter presidents, who have experience and dedication, should participate in district workshops to outline long-range goals for the organization. He proposes these ideas be presented to the National Council at the August convention in Gardena.
• Year of the Dog, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Columnist Bill Marutani humorously addresses rumors of his poor health, assuring readers he remains active and healthy with only minor aches from yard work. He reflects on aging, diet struggles, and the remarkable longevity of Nisei in his community, closing with New Year wishes for the Year of the Dog.
• Musubi: Nikkei as Middlemen in U.S.-Japan Trade Tensions, by Ron Wakabayashi, page 5. Wakabayashi discusses his personal discomfort being caught between U.S.-Japan economic tensions due to his Japanese American identity, and argues Nikkei should actively engage in trade disputes to prevent conflation of economic issues with racism. He also criticizes Japanese businesses for not sufficiently involving Nisei employees at significant levels despite their reliability and professionalism.

JACL

• On My Way to Peru: International Relations Report, by Chuck Kubokawa, page 4. Kubokawa reports on the Act of July 26, 1981 signed in Mexico City by delegates from eight countries agreeing to form a Pan American Nikkei Organization and hold a second conference in Lima, Peru in 1983. He describes his role representing JACL in forming this international Nikkei organization and outlines remaining questions to resolve before the 1983 conference.

In-Depth

• ‘The Fukuyama Family’ Filmstrip Documents Japanese American History, page 5. The Anti-Defamation League produced a 23-minute filmstrip chronicling the Fukuyama family’s immigration from Japan in 1905 through their WWII incarceration and eventual success, part of a 12-part series on ethnic groups in America. The filmstrip, praised for its accuracy with Dr. Harry Kitano as consultant, is intended for use in schools and discussion groups to promote understanding of different cultures.
• Why the JACL Endures, by Dr. Frank Miyamoto, page 7. University of Washington sociology professor Frank Miyamoto analyzes why JACL, unlike other ethnic organizations, has endured as a national organization of native-born citizens. He compares JACL to organizations of Italian, Jewish, Chinese, Black and other communities, concluding that racial hostility combined with an outward orientation toward gaining acceptance in American society were key factors in JACL’s unique development.
• Nisei Scientist Wins Aeronautics Award, page 8. Professor Henry T. Nagamatsu of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute received the Aeroacoustics Award from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics for his hypersonic and jet noise research. A former General Electric researcher, Nagamatsu has worked on re-entry physics for NASA and noise suppression for jet engines, among other achievements.
• Major Supreme Court Error of WW2: Evacuation Cases, by M.M. Sumida, page 9. Sumida argues the Supreme Court made a critical legal error in the Korematsu case by avoiding broad constitutional review and using narrow procedural grounds to uphold the WWII evacuation of Japanese Americans. The piece details how the Court sidestepped fundamental constitutional principles regarding military subordination to civilian rule and due process.
• Japan’s Defense Budget, by Barry Saiki, page 10. Saiki examines Japanese reluctance to increase defense spending despite U.S. pressure, tracing historical memories of WWII devastation and the postwar constitution renouncing war. He notes Japan’s defense budget remains under 1% of GNP despite international pressure to increase military spending in line with other Asian and Western nations.

Arts & Entertainment

• Educator Says Japan Is a Nation of ‘Overachievers’, by Virginia Carter, page 6. Fort Lupton High School principal William Johnson told a JACL installation banquet audience that Japan has 115 million overachievers, citing high literacy rates, test scores, and graduation rates. He attributed Japan’s success to factors like respect for law, individual creativity, and early childhood education, while criticizing declining U.S. educational outcomes.
• 17-Year-Old Nisei Publishes Book, page 9. Joyce Harada, a 17-year-old student at San Mateo High School, published her first children’s book, ‘It’s the ABC Book,’ which she created and illustrated at age 15. The book will soon be available in bookstores.

Military & Veterans

• Vets Object to ‘Rising Sun’ Design on License Plates, page 10. Oklahoma State Rep. Frank W. Davis introduced a bill to prohibit rising sun symbols on state license plates after veterans protested a new tag design resembling the Japanese Imperial Army flag. Davis said the tag designers failed to remember Pearl Harbor.

Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.