Nominees for national JACL office and the 1982 convention budget

Vol. 94, No. 21, May 28, 1982. 12 pages. View this issue

The front page of this issue carried the ten JACLers nominated for national office ahead of the National JACL Convention at the Los Angeles Airport Hyatt, with the election set for the final session on Aug. 13. One office, vice president for membership and services, had no nominee. Harry Honda reported on the JACL budget for ’83-’84, which could bring a $1.25 or $1.75 dues increase depending on the future of the Washington JACL Office, and John Tani wrote about the Midwest District Council’s views on keeping a presence in Washington, D.C.

Immigration ran through several stories: the proposed Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1982, and a look back at JACL’s role in the Walter-McCarran Act. Also inside are John Tateishi on a California bill to compensate state employees fired in 1942, redress proposals from NCRR and NCJAR, George Kondo’s letter answering a Fortune column, and commentary from Bill Hosokawa, Bill Marutani and Ron Wakabayashi. A Gila River camp reunion notice appears on page 12.

What’s in this issue

National

• Ten Nominated for National JACL Offices, page 1. Ten JACLers have been nominated for national office ahead of the election at the final session of the 27th Biennial National JACL Convention in Los Angeles. One office, VP for membership and services, has no nominee, and nominations will reopen at the convention’s first session.
• Fortune Mag Says ‘Orientals’ Don’t Need Affirmative Action, page 1. A Fortune magazine column by Daniel Seligman argued it was disconcerting that Asian Americans still qualified for affirmative action despite economic success, drawing a protest letter from JACL regional director George Kondo. Kondo criticized the column’s use of the term ‘Oriental’ and its cartoon depicting Asian Americans as economic threats.
• Immigration Law May Undergo Major Change, page 1. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1982, sponsored by Sen. Alan Simpson and Rep. Romano Mazzoli, proposes major changes including granting status to long-term illegal aliens, limiting visas per country, and requiring a national identification system. JACL Washington Representative Ron Ikejiri raised concerns about eliminating the fifth preference category for siblings of citizens and potential discrimination risks.
• Retired Detroit Auto Worker Shoots Gun at Driver in a Datsun, page 2. A retired autoworker and WWII veteran was arraigned after allegedly firing four gunshots at a motorist driving a Japanese-made Datsun on a Michigan highway. Merritt told police he could not tolerate discovering the car was foreign-made and referenced his wartime service in the Pacific.
• Letter Responds to Fortune Column, by George Kondo, page 5. George Kondo’s letter to Fortune magazine criticizes columnist Daniel Seligman’s piece suggesting Asian Americans don’t need affirmative action, arguing the term ‘Oriental’ carries negative connotations akin to outdated racial terminology. Kondo contends that Asian American success is earned through skills and education, not a threat to be begrudged.
• Asian Deaths Baffle Scientists, page 8. Health researchers at the CDC continue investigating mysterious nighttime deaths among Asian men in the U.S., a phenomenon not limited to Hmong tribesmen targeted by chemical attacks in Laos. The CDC lacks vital statistics and autopsy reports but continues gathering information from relatives of victims.
• Unification Church 3rd Anniversary Newspaper Launches, page 10. The Washington Times, owned by Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s Unification Church, began publication, becoming the only other daily newspaper in the capital besides the Washington Post. The paper said it would not carry advertising initially and that the church would not influence its news coverage.

JACL

• Convention Credentials Required, page 1. To be certified to vote at the National JACL Convention, chapters must meet bylaw requirements including minimum membership, elected officers, and paid dues. Voting delegate forms must be submitted to the National Credentials Committee by July 30.
• JACL Budget for ’83-’84 Calls for $1.75 Dues Increase, by Harry Honda, page 1. JACL chapter delegates face difficult budget choices at the upcoming National Convention, with the National JACL Board considering a $1.25 or $1.75 dues increase depending on the future of the Washington JACL Office. If dues aren’t increased, drastic cuts loom in areas like aging and retirement, district allocations, and youth programs.
• Ft. Lupton Hosts MPDC Meet, page 7. The Mountain Plains District Council held its Spring session in Ft. Lupton, Colorado, hosted by the local JACL chapter and presided over by Gov. Ron Shibata. Workshops on ways & means and aging/retirement were conducted by national committee representatives.
• ‘Wash., D.C. Presence’, by John Tani, page 7. John Tani outlines the Midwest District Council’s extensive deliberation on the future of the JACL Washington D.C. office, establishing key premises for maintaining an effective national presence. The MDC proposed alternatives including relocating the Executive Director to Washington or increasing the Washington Representative’s salary to retain qualified staff.

Incarceration & Redress

• ‘Survivors’ to Screen in Little Tokyo May 28, page 1. A JACL-sponsored documentary film on Japanese American victims of the Hiroshima-Nagasaki atomic bombings will be shown at Little Tokyo Towers. The screening is sponsored by Asian Pacific Americans for Nuclear Awareness.
• JACL Role in Walter-McCarran Act Recalled, page 1. JACL’s historic involvement in immigration law dates back to lobbying for amendments to the Cable Act of 1922 and culminated in the 1952 Walter-McCarran Act, which allowed Issei to gain citizenship. Mike Masaoka led the campaign that saw Congress override President Truman’s veto of the bill.
• Johnston’s AB 2710, by John Tateishi, page 2. John Tateishi recounts the lengthy hearing process for AB 2710, legislation by Assemblyman Patrick Johnston to compensate former California state employees fired in 1942 due to Japanese ancestry. After a contentious vote and a late addition of a supporting vote, the bill passed the Ways and Means Committee and moved to the Assembly floor.
• NCRR, NCJAR Offer Proposals, page 2. Two redress organizations, NCRR and NCJAR, announced separate plans for achieving monetary compensation for Japanese American evacuees following CWRIC hearings. NCRR plans to submit a draft to Congress for direct compensation, while NCJAR’s law firm proposed a lawsuit against the U.S. government through the D.C. District Court.
• JACL Role in Walter-McCarran Act Recalled (continued), page 6. The article continues detailing the 1965 amendments to the Walter-McCarran Act, which eliminated the National Origins System and Asia-Pacific Triangle provisions that had discriminated against Asian immigrants. JACL lobbied for these changes, which based immigration on skills and family relationships rather than race or national origin.

Community

• Noguchi Hearing Date Set; ‘Racism’ Charged, page 3. The appeals hearing for demoted LA County coroner Dr. Thomas Noguchi will begin July 6 before the Civil Service Commission, with his attorney alleging racial prejudice influenced the Board of Supervisors’ actions. County attorney William Masterson called the racism charge unsubstantiated and said the demotion resulted from a careful investigation into mismanagement allegations.
• Kuwahara Named JACCC Pres., page 3. Frank Kuwahara, former general manager of the Southern California Flower Growers, was named president of the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, succeeding the late George Doizaki. Kuwahara has an extensive list of community honors including induction into the Society of American Florists Hall of Fame.
• CSULA Slates Asian Theater Arts Project, page 3. CSU Los Angeles will launch a pilot project in Asian Theater Arts this summer, employing actress Nobu McCarthy as assistant professor and artist-in-residence. The program, said to be first of its kind in the country, will include two courses with workshops and guest lectures during the summer quarter.
• AAJA Awarded Grant from Times Mirror, page 3. The Asian American Journalists Association received a $5,000 grant from Times Mirror Co. to fund community projects including a media guide book and journalism career conferences. The grant will also support a job network to help news organizations find qualified Asian American journalists.
• Downtown to Fete 3 Mothers of Year, page 6. Downtown L.A. JACL’s 30th annual Mother’s Day luncheon will honor three Issei women as mothers of the year at the New Otani Hotel. The 1982 honorees are Mrs. Kaneko Murayama, Mrs. Kiku Yamaka, and Mrs. Riyo Kowta.
• JCCC-NC to Start Up New Center, page 6. The Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California announced plans to launch a fund-raising drive for a new community center on Sutter Street in San Francisco. The two-story project will include a community hall/gym, kitchen, and conference rooms based on a survey of 80 Nikkei community organizations.
• Reception Slated for Judge Hiroshige, page 6. The Friends of Judge Ernest M. Hiroshige will hold a fundraising reception in his honor at Mishima’s Restaurant in Torrance. Hiroshige faces two challengers for his L.A. Superior Court seat in the upcoming June 8 elections.
• Marina JACL Invites LAPD to Discuss Asian Task Force, page 6. In response to growing community fears over crime, the Marina JACL invited members of the LAPD Asian Task Force to address the chapter at its June meeting. The discussion will focus on how best to protect one’s home and person.
• Ft. Lupton-You’re Beautiful, page 7. The author recounts the Mountain Plains District’s Spring Council meeting hosted by the Ft. Lupton JACL, highlighting the hospitality of local members despite the busy farming planting season. The piece also humorously notes Dr. Michael Ego’s difficulty jogging at altitude during the visit.
• Pan Asian JACL Testimonial Dinner to Fete Mitsu Sonoda, page 7. The Pan Asian JACL will hold a tribute dinner honoring Mitsu Sonoda for her contributions to community services, fine arts, and politics, featuring numerous political dignitaries. Sonoda has an extensive record of JACL service including work on ethnic concerns, scholarships, and redress fundraising committees.
• Mrs. Norm Mineta Co-Edits 10th Congressional Club Cook Book, page 10. May Mineta, wife of Congressman Norman Mineta, served as co-chairman and co-editor of the tenth edition of the Congressional Club Cook Book, which includes recipes from over 500 contributors including Mrs. Ronald Reagan. The 744-page publication is divided into 18 chapters themed around Washington institutions, with proceeds supporting the prestigious Congressional Club.
• PC People, page 11. This roundup covers various community honors and achievements, including a fellowship for John Robert Nambu, the Maeda family being named Gardena Valley Kiwanis family of the year, and a $1,000 scholarship awarded to Kelvin Sewake. Also noted are a judicial race update for Judge Harkjoon Paik and an award presented to pathologist H. Tamaki in Philadelphia.
• Canal Camp Reunion May Draw 700, page 12. The 40th year Gila River Canal Camp reunion is expected to draw 700 attendees to a weekend event in Fresno featuring a golf tournament and keynote speaker Dr. Akemi Kikumura. Pre-registration is required and a souvenir directory book is being prepared.

Commentary

• Lima, Peru, Designated Site of ’83 PANA Confab, by Chuck Kubokawa, page 4. In this installment on international relations, Chuck Kubokawa describes meeting Nikkei community leaders in Lima, Peru, at a reception for Pan American Nikkei Association delegates. He announced that the U.S. would relinquish the 1983 conference site to Lima and discussed plans to formally establish PANA with a ratified constitution.
• Copper Canyon, by Naomi Kashiwabara, page 4. A reader clarifies that her earlier article on Copper Canyon in Mexico was edited to remove her comment that the canyon pales in comparison to the Grand Canyon. She also notes that Rosarito Beach is Gardena’s sister city and has affordable accommodations.
• Thank You, by Judge Jon M. Mayeda, page 4. Judge Jon Mayeda thanks supporters after his opponent withdrew from the judicial race, requiring a court order to remove both names from the June 8 ballot. He urges continued support for Judge Ernest Hiroshige, who still faces a contested election.
• Memory of a Child Who Laughed at Death, by Sachi Seko, page 4. Sachi Seko reflects on the death by suicide of her 16-year-old relative Cary, recalling an earlier childhood memory of him laughing at his grandfather’s casket a decade before. She grapples with grief and unanswered questions about why he could not face life despite having a loving family and friends.
• A Taboo Topic, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Bill Marutani reflects on cultural attitudes toward homosexuality among Nisei, discussing his personal discomfort despite intellectual acceptance of gay rights. He also describes homosexual-themed entertainment phenomena in Japan, including male hostess clubs and the all-female Takarazuka revue.
• Compensation Act for A-Bomb Fallout Victims, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa discusses Senator Orrin Hatch’s bill to compensate victims of radioactive fallout from Nevada nuclear bomb tests, noting efforts to include servicemen exposed in the South Pacific. He argues the 491 registered members of the Committee on A-bomb Survivors in the U.S., many Nisei exposed during the Hiroshima-Nagasaki bombings, deserve consideration for similar compensation.
• We Need to Keep a Better Eye on the Media, by Ron Wakabayashi, page 5. Ron Wakabayashi examines how mixed media portrayals of Japan and Japanese Americans, from economic trade friction to census income data, shape public perception. He warns that this media mosaic could lead to backlash, scapegoating, and renewed targeting of Japanese Americans.
• Aging and Retirement Committee Needs Chapter Support, by Dr. Michael Ego, page 6. Dr. Michael Ego describes frustration over low chapter response to a needs assessment on Nisei aging and retirement issues, despite strong membership support for related programs and surveys. He urges JACL chapters to engage more with the National Aging and Retirement Committee’s efforts.
• ‘Buy American’ Campaign Hides Mistakes of U.S. Management, by Richard Cohen, page 8. Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen criticizes the ‘Buy American’ campaign for appealing to patriotism rather than product quality, arguing it obscures real problems in American management and manufacturing. He contends that Japanese automakers succeed due to better management and inventory systems, not just lower wages, and warns the campaign taps into racist sentiment.
• A Close Encounter, by Barry Saiki, page 12. Barry Saiki compares the euphemistic nature of Japanese argumentative language to the more colorful and vulgar expressions used in English confrontations. He argues that Japan’s long, stable history and class-based social discipline shaped a language that suppresses overt emotional expression.

In-Depth

• Poston Teacher’s Novel, page 10. Georgia Day Robertson, a 94-year-old former teacher at the Poston camps, wrote a historical novel decades ago about a Japanese American family interned there, but was unable to get it published. The manuscript was later discovered at CSU-Fullerton and plans are underway to publish it with an introduction by Prof. Arthur Hansen.

Military & Veterans

• Dutch Harbor Reunion to Recall Only WW2 Battle in No. America, page 10. Former enemies will gather at Dutch Harbor, Alaska to dedicate a peace monument commemorating the only WWII campaign fought on North American soil, 40 years after the Japanese attack. Retired admirals Lt. Cmdr. James Russell and Lt. Hiroichi Samejima, who led opposing forces, will attend as now-friends with parallel military careers.

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