California primary candidates and a new JACL membership system

Vol. 94, No. 22, June 4, 1982. 8 pages. View this issue

Asian American candidates in California’s June 8 primary led the front page. Several filed for political and judicial office, including Secretary of State March Fong Eu, who sought a third term, and Rose Matsui Ochi, a congressional candidate. Also on the front page were Oxnard Mayor Tsujio Kato’s run for the Assembly, a new anniversary-date system for JACL memberships reported by Harry Honda, and Judge William Marutani’s remarks on redress for the wartime incarceration (often called internment).

Inside are columns by Bill Hosokawa, Bill Marutani and Ron Wakabayashi, an essay by Glen S. Fukushima on pressure for Japan to rearm, and a retirement tribute to Yori Wada of the Buchanan Street YMCA. Pages 6 and 8 carry chapter scholarship nights, a report from the national aging and retirement committee, and a preview of the Nisei Relays.

What’s in this issue

National

• Asian Americans to Make Their Bid in Calif. Primary Elections, page 1. Several Asian Americans filed for political and judicial offices in the June 8 California primary, including Secretary of State incumbent March Fong Eu and congressional candidate Rose Matsui Ochi. Other candidates included Milton Shiro Takei, Eleanor K. Chow, Monty Manibog, and several judicial candidates including Judge Ernest Hiroshige.
• Oxnard Mayor Kato Seeks Assembly Seat, page 1. Dr. Tsujio Kato, retiring mayor of Oxnard, is running for the 36th Assembly District seat against Tom McClintock. Kato served 10 years on the Oxnard city council and seven years as mayor, and was praised by Assemblyman Charles Imbrecht at his testimonial dinner.
• Nisei Motel Owner Killed in Robbery, page 1. Kiyoshi Miyazaki, 59-year-old owner of the Holiday Motel in South Salt Lake, Utah, was shot and killed during an armed robbery by two juveniles on May 15. Police were searching for one suspect while another was held in juvenile detention for questioning.
• Japan Marks 35th Constitution Day With Pro & Con on Revision, page 1. Civic and political groups held rallies throughout Japan on May 3 both for and against revising the war-renouncing constitution. Former prime minister Nobusuke Kishi favored amendment while Japan Socialist Party chairman Ichio Asukata warned of a crisis from the movement to change the constitution.
• North Carolina DMV Starts Recalling ‘JAP’ License Plates, page 1. North Carolina officials recalled 90 automobile license plates beginning with the letters ‘JAP’ out of concern they might offend the Japanese government. The plates will be flattened, remarked, and sold again at an estimated cost of less than $100.

JACL

• Anniversary Date Approved for Membership Expiration, by Harry Honda, page 1. JACL’s National Board approved a new ‘anniversary date’ membership system to replace the calendar system, effective this year for all membership categories. The change aims to equalize membership categories and stimulate recruitment throughout the year, with expiration dates now tied to individual anniversary dates rather than Dec. 31.
• Aging/Retirement: Summary No. 1, by Dr. Michael Ego, page 6. The National Aging and Retirement Committee held its first meeting under new chair direction on May 21-22, reporting that Ways and Means fundraising collected $18,000 for the program. The committee passed a resolution focused on raising awareness of Nikkei aging and retirement issues among JACL leadership and the broader community.
• Recognition Pins, page 6. New York JACL awarded Sapphire and Silver Recognition Pins to Ruby Yoshino Schaar and Ron Inouye respectively for their contributions to the chapter, including Inouye’s work obtaining cancellation of a trademark application for ‘JAP’. Additional Chapter Recognition Awards were presented to numerous longtime New York JACL members.

Community

• JACL ‘Distressed’ by Remark From L.A. Supervisor’s Wife, page 1. Gary Yano, Ethnic Concerns chair of JACL’s Pacific Southwest District, criticized Doris Dana, wife of L.A. County Supervisor Deane Dana, for an insensitive comment about Japanese residents in Palos Verdes. Yano wrote a letter to the editor condemning the stereotyping and expressed hope that Supervisor Dana does not share his wife’s views.
• 1st Woman Named to Snake River School Bd., page 1. Christine Wada, a 22-year-old homemaker, became the first woman trustee elected to the Snake River School District board, defeating incumbent Delos Elison and two other challengers. She will take office in July and plans to prioritize budgetary matters and discipline.
• Alameda JACL to Celebrate 50th, page 1. Alameda JACL is planning a 50th anniversary dinner for June 19 at the Oakland Airport Hilton’s Crystal Room. National redress chair Min Yasui will be the keynote speaker.
• Semper Fidelis, Boy Scout Troop 379, by Kats Kunitsugu, page 2. Boy Scout Troop 379, sponsored by Koyasan Buddhist Temple in Los Angeles, celebrated its 50th anniversary with a dinner attended by the author and her husband Kango, who edited a 144-page anniversary booklet. The column recalls the troop’s history, including being named the nation’s outstanding troop in 1935, and the author’s personal memory of the troop’s Drum and Bugle Corps performing outside her barrack at Heart Mountain internment camp.
• Yori Wada Retires From YMCA, Distinguished Career Recalled, page 2. Yori Wada, executive director of the Buchanan Street YMCA in San Francisco, retired after 22 years of service and was honored at a dinner attended by 600 people. Wada, the first Asian American UC Regent, reflected on his childhood experiences with discrimination in Hanford and his plans for retirement including reading and hiking.
• Suburban Optimists Name Queen Candidate, page 3. Barbara Vollmer of Fullerton was named 1982 Miss Suburban Optimist of Buena Park and will represent the Optimists in the Nisei Week Queen Pageant in August. She was crowned by the previous year’s representative and reigning Nisei Week Queen, Frances Shima.
• Mitsubishi Pledges to Help Save Cable Cars, page 3. Mitsubishi Shoji of Japan pledged $100,000 to help San Francisco’s ailing cable cars. The gift was presented to Mayor Dianne Feinstein in a City Hall ceremony on May 18 by Mitsubishi International Corp. president Toshihiro Tomabechi.
• Center on Aging to Focus on Funding, page 3. The National Pacific/Asian Resource Center on Aging will sponsor a workshop titled ‘Private Sector Funding: A New Reality?’ on June 15 in San Francisco. Speakers include representatives from the Levi Strauss Foundation, Peninsula Fdn., and San Francisco Development Fund.
• Applications Due for Akira Mori Scholarship, page 3. Applications for the Akira Mori Scholarship Fund are due June 20, established to honor and assist qualified graduating high school seniors. Consideration is given to grade point average and community, church, and school activities.
• UCLA Acquires Issei Leader’s Memoirs, page 3. The memoirs of the late Toyoji Chiba, a prominent Issei figure active in Japanese immigrant agriculture and the fight against Japanese exclusion, have been acquired by the UCLA Asian American Studies Center. The two handwritten volumes were donated by his eldest son, a former Japanese diplomat.
• Student Relocation Group in Reunion, page 5. Persons who helped WRA camp evacuees continue their education during WWII will hold a reunion June 5 in Philadelphia, highlighted by the first annual grant from the Nisei Student Relocation Commemorative Fund. Expected attendees include several professors and relocation council figures.
• SFV Scholarship Night Slated June 4, page 6. San Fernando Valley JACL and the Japanese American Community Center will hold Scholarship Awards Night on June 4 honoring Nikkei graduating high school seniors. Multiple scholarships will be awarded including the Eugene Oda Memorial Scholarships and JACL-JACC scholarships to numerous students.
• Bob Suzuki to Address WLA Grad Dinner, page 6. Dr. Robert Suzuki, CSULA dean of graduate studies and research, will address the West Los Angeles JACL scholarship dinner on June 4. Four $500 scholarships will be awarded to high school seniors including the Taye Isono Memorial Award recipient.
• WLA Queen Named, page 6. Deborah Michiko Oishi, 23, was named Miss West Los Angeles JACL and Auxiliary during the chapter’s recent pageant. She will represent WLA JACL in this year’s Nisei Week Queen Pageant on Aug. 7.
• Benefit Hop for S.J. Nursing Home Slated, page 6. Three San Jose area JACL chapters will host a benefit dinner-dance on June 12 to raise funds for a nursing home. The event will be held at Lou’s Village in San Jose.

Incarceration & Redress

• Can’t Calculate Redress in Dollars, Says Marutani, page 1. Judge William Marutani told attendees at New York JACL’s appreciation dinner that restitution for wartime incarceration cannot be calculated in dollars, but tangible evidence of contribution is needed. Marutani, the only Japanese American member of the CWRIC, described the hearings as a cathartic experience for the community.

Commentary

• Clarification, by Harry Honda, page 4. A clarification regarding National JACL Board News/Notes states that the Board will propose integrating the ‘1000 Club’ designation into the title of Vice President for Membership. Budget requests for Aging and other matters should be stated in detail prior to approval.
• PC Ad Policy, page 4. National legal counsel determined that a Marina JACL advertisement endorsing a chapter member for a superior court seat violated the organization’s tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status restrictions on political campaign participation. The policy clarifies that ads endorsing candidates for JACL national offices are welcome, though individuals may still place political ads independently.
• The Testimonial, by Sumi Shimizu, page 4. The letter defends Shig Wakamatsu’s testimonial, explaining he accepted it in the spirit of honoring everyone involved in JARP’s success, not personal recognition. The writer notes Wakamatsu opposed fund-raising on his own behalf, saying he did it ‘for a cause, not for any personal gain.’
• Proclamation 4927, by R. Mike Hamachi, page 4. The letter credits Asian American advocates Laura Chin and Franklin Chow for their efforts in securing the use of terms like ‘incarceration’ in the 1982 Presidential Proclamation on Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week. The writer encourages readers to send appreciation letters to Chin and Chow at their respective government offices.
• Grave Implications of Forcing Japan to Rearm, by Glen S. Fukushima, page 4. The op-ed argues that pressuring Japan to remilitarize, as urged by Defense Secretary Weinberger, could have serious negative consequences including altering Japan’s relationship with the U.S., provoking Soviet hostility, and alarming Asian neighbors who suffered under Japanese colonialism. The author contends that a Japan devoted to economic prosperity is more likely to contribute to world peace than a remilitarized one.
• Of Tourists, Picture Brides, Books and Removal, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. The column discusses various topics including why young Japanese women outnumber men among tourists, a profile of diplomat Henry Toshiro Shimanouchi whose father arranged picture bride marriages, and mystery novels featuring Nisei detective Masao Masuto. It also revisits editor Kiyoaki Murata’s book about his WWII internment experience and the controversy over his use of the word ‘removal’ instead of ‘internment.’
• Small World, by Bill Marutani, page 5. The column reflects on the vibrant Korean American community in Philadelphia, noting their establishment of ethnic newspapers, churches, and political organizations, and their enthusiastic participation in Pan-Asian events. The author also notes the social-class strata within the Korean community and his surprise at young Korean women fluently speaking Japanese.
• Family History, by Ron Wakabayashi, page 5. The column recounts the author’s childhood confusion about his family’s wartime camp experiences, initially believing ‘camp’ referred to a fun summer camp since his relatives were scattered across five different internment camps. He reflects on realizing later that his family did not have a good time in the camps.
• Why Don’t You Go Back Where You Came From?, by Joe Oyama, page 8. The columnist recalls being told as a student to ‘go back to Japan’ and reflects on feeling like a latecomer in California despite being born there. He explores pre-historic evidence of Chinese presence in the Americas and speculates whether Japanese people might have similarly arrived in prehistoric times, referencing writer Ishmael Reed’s work on overlooked history.

Arts & Entertainment

• PC People, page 7. Hideo Sasaki, landscape architect and UIUC alumnus, was awarded an honor at the 111th Commencement; Stella Kiyota of San Francisco received UCSF’s Chancellor’s Award for Public Service for her leadership in the Filipino community. Marcus Mukai joined KOMO News as anchor/reporter after working in Santa Barbara, and Henry Mori, associate editor of the Rafu Shimpo, retired after 37 years with the paper.

Sports

• 300 Expected at ’82 Nisei Relays, page 8. Over 300 athletes signed up for the 1982 PSWDC-Mikasa Nisei Relays at Santa Ana College on June 6. The Orange County team returns as defending champions, with new entrants including a Las Vegas JACL trio and a Latin American JACL contingent; the annual North-South JACL state meet was cancelled due to high transportation costs.

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