JACL Council backs coram nobis; convention coverage

Vol. 95, No. 9, August 27, 1982. 12 pages. View this issue

The front page carried the news that the JACL National Council passed a resolution supporting attorneys who seek to correct the Hirabayashi, Yasui and Korematsu Supreme Court decisions through a writ of coram nobis. The article credits Frank Chuman with first raising the idea in 1955 and names Peter Irons, Dale Minami, Kathryn Bannai and Peggy Nagae among the team now pursuing it. Also on the front page: Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. signed a bill paying up to $5,000 to Nisei fired from California state jobs during World War II, and JACL National named Lia Shigemura as its new Program Director.

Much of the rest looks back on the 27th Biennial Convention, with pieces by Floyd Shimomura, Henry Sakai, Harry Honda, Bill Hosokawa and Bill Marutani. Inside are also a history of Hawaii’s Emergency Service Committee by Ted Tsukiyama, Dr. Michael Ego’s study of Nikkei widows, a call for a cultural center in San Francisco’s Japantown, and a candlelight Hiroshima vigil in Little Tokyo.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• JACL National Council Supports Coram Nobis Legal Challenge, page 1. The JACL National Council passed a resolution supporting attorneys seeking to overturn the Hirabayashi, Yasui and Korematsu Supreme Court decisions via a writ of coram nobis. Los Angeles attorney Frank Chuman had first proposed the idea in 1955, and the case is now being pursued by a team including Peter Irons, Dale Minami, Kathryn Bannai and Peggy Nagae.
• Brown Signs Calif. State Worker Compensation Bill to Pay Nisei, page 1. Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. signed a bill providing up to $5,000 in compensation to Nisei who were fired from California state jobs during WWII because of their ancestry. About 80 to 100 of the 314 originally dismissed workers are expected to file claims under the new law, which takes effect Jan. 1, 1983.
• Presbyterian Church Supports Redress, page 2. The General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church adopted a resolution urging Congress to provide monetary compensation to Japanese Americans and Aleuts interned during WWII. The resolution suggested compensation could include scholarships, research funding, and memorial projects.
• 400 March in L.A. Hiroshima Vigil, page 3. An estimated 400 people marched in a candlelight procession through Little Tokyo marking the 37th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. An interdenominational religious service honored the more than 370,000 killed by the bombings.

JACL

• National HQ Hires Program Director, page 1. JACL National has named Lia Shigemura as its new Program Director responsible for programs and services. Shigemura, a Honolulu native with degrees from the University of Puget Sound and University of Wisconsin, Madison, began her duties Aug. 2 and brings experience in counseling and Asian American identity research.
• Aging and Retirement Resolution Fails to Win Funds From Council, page 1. A resolution requesting a national staff person and $5,000 per year for the National Aging and Retirement Committee failed to win the required three-fourths council approval, though a revised resolution without funding passed by consent. Delegates debated whether aging and retirement should be a JACL priority alongside redress or whether the League should narrow its focus to civil rights.
• Timetable Set for JACL Reorganization, by Floyd Shimomura, page 4. New JACL National President Floyd Shimomura outlines the timetable established by the National Board for reorganizing the national organization following the 27th Biennial Convention. The plan includes committee assignments, a Comprehensive Action Plan by elected officers, and a National Board meeting in October to confirm appointments.
• Aging Committee Seeks Other Funding Sources After Council Vote, page 6. Dr. Michael Ego, chairperson of the JACL Aging and Retirement Committee, said the committee raised about $18,000 through direct solicitation but must now seek additional funding after the council denied its request. Ego expressed disappointment that the committee could not secure the requested $10,000 to raise awareness among JACL leadership.
• 27th Biennial Convention: A Convention Overview, by Henry Sakai, page 7. Past National Secretary/Treasurer Henry Sakai reviews the 27th Biennial Convention, highlighting decisions on the Washington Representative Office, redress guidelines, and a dues increase. He notes membership growth in several chapters and praises Mike Masaoka’s convention remarks on JACL’s history.
• What JACL-JARP Has Meant Over 20 Years, by Shig Wakamatsu, page 10. Shig Wakamatsu, honored with the Ruby Pin for his leadership of the JACL-Japanese American Research Project since 1961, expresses gratitude to contributors, researchers, and committee members who made the project possible. He thanks numerous individuals and institutions, including UCLA, for supporting the Issei, Nisei, and Sansei research studies.

National

• Navy Secretary Sees No Japan ‘Militarism’, page 1. U.S. Navy Secretary John F. Lehman Jr. said the U.S. does not see evidence of resurgent militarism in Japan despite pressure for increased defense spending. He urged Japan to move faster to build up naval capability to protect its sea lanes.
• L.A., S.F. Civil Rights Groups File Suit Against INS for ‘Raids’, page 1. Civil rights organizations and attorneys filed suit against the INS, charging that immigration raids during ‘Project Jobs’ violated Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights by detaining people based on appearance without warrants. The suit, filed in federal court in San Francisco, seeks an injunction against the discriminatory practices affecting Hispanic workers.
• Senate Immigration Bill Opposed by Civil Rights Groups, page 1. The Senate passed a sweeping immigration bill sponsored by Sen. Alan Simpson that imposes employer sanctions, offers limited amnesty, and caps alien admissions, while also adding an English-as-official-language amendment by Sen. S.I. Hayakawa. Civil rights groups criticized the bill as scapegoating minorities for the nation’s economic troubles.
• Japan Trade Minister Protests ‘North American Content’ Bill, page 2. Japan’s International Trade Minister criticized proposed U.S. legislation requiring a percentage of auto content be made in North America, saying it violates international trade agreements. Japan lodged a formal protest with U.S. officials in Tokyo.
• Mansfield Warns of US-Japan ‘Recrimination’, page 2. U.S. Ambassador to Japan Mike Mansfield expressed concern about an atmosphere of mutual recrimination between Japan and the United States stemming from trade disputes and spy scandals. He urged both countries to resolve trade friction and defense issues while noting Japan’s large trade surplus was straining relations.
• Japanese Give $660,000 to Cable Cars, page 12. Representatives of 54 Japanese companies presented San Francisco’s Save the Cable Cars campaign with more than $660,000, the largest single contribution to the fund drive. The gift brought the total raised to $8.5 million toward the $80 million reconstruction project for the city’s century-old cable car system.

Commentary

• Letterbox: Misconception?, by Daniel H. Pollitt, page 2. A law professor responds to John Tateishi’s earlier article, arguing that the legal basis for redress remains open despite the Hirabayashi and Korematsu decisions. He cites the Endo case and historical precedents like reparations to Confederate states and Indian tribes as models for addressing the wartime wrong.
• Letterbox: Convention Problems, by Tetsuya A. Kato, page 4. A Stockton JACL president describes difficulties attending the National JACL Convention, including high hotel costs and poor service at a Gardena restaurant when he mentioned JACL. He felt the convention was informative but logistically inconvenient for families.
• Letterbox: Theater Review, by Tomi, page 4. A reader reviews the one-man show ‘Life in the Fast Lane: Requiem for a Sansei Poet’ starring Lane Nishikawa, praising his characterizations and use of lighting. The show was playing at the Odyssey Theatre in West L.A. through Aug. 29.
• Letterbox: ‘Go For Broke!’, page 4. A reader praises Bill Hosokawa’s column tribute to the Nisei veterans titled ‘Go For Broke!’ as a long-overdue and magnificent tribute. The letter reflects on the confusion and despair of the WWII generation’s youth.
• Ye Editor’s Desk: When Mike Spoke Up, by Harry Honda, page 4. Harry Honda recounts Mike Masaoka’s extensive remarks at a JACL convention workshop defending JACL’s wartime actions, addressing accusations that the organization ‘sold out’ Japanese Americans during the Evacuation. Masaoka discussed the political climate after Pearl Harbor, JACL’s role in advocating for Nisei loyalty, and the lack of alternatives given military authority at the time.
• East Wind: Origami at the Convention, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Bill Marutani recounts meeting Barry Saiki, an origami expert from the Tokyo chapter, who entertained dinner companions with paper creations at the JACL convention. He then challenges a claimed study suggesting Japanese have higher intelligence than other groups, arguing such racial comparisons are flawed and dangerous.
• Guest’s Corner: A ‘Lucky’ Friday, the 13th, by Henry Mori, page 5. Henry Mori recounts attending the JACL convention’s Sayonara dinner dance after being invited by Bull Kawamoto, reconnecting with old friends and colleagues including Ayako Noguchi Nakamura, Mike Masaoka, and Togo Tanaka. He reflects on the changing generations of JACL leadership and the evolving focus of convention topics.
• From the Frying Pan: Convention Memories and Personalities, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa shares anecdotes from convention attendees including origami folder Barry Saiki, classic car collector Ben Yumori, and Nisei Week Queen Janet Barnes. He also highlights Minoru Yasui’s JACLer of the Biennium award and notes Hawaii will host the 28th Biennial Convention in 1984.

Community

• Need for Cultural Center in S.F. Japantown Voiced, page 3. Community leaders Masao Ashizawa and Yori Wada recalled Japantown’s 80-year history, including its origins in the Western Addition and the displacement during WWII. The community is trying to raise $3 million for a new cultural and community center to help maintain cohesion as younger generations move to other neighborhoods.
• San Jose Outreach Project Seeks Coordinator, page 3. The Coalition for Minority Outreach, including Yu-Ai Kai/Japanese American Community Senior Service, received a $25,887 grant to implement an outreach project for isolated ethnic minority elderly in San Jose. The coalition is seeking a qualified coordinator for the project.
• EBJA-Sakura Kai to Hold Art Auction, page 3. The sixth annual Asian American Art Auction will be held Oct. 3 at the El Cerrito Community Center, featuring over 100 works by Northern California Asian American artists. JACL National Director Ron Wakabayashi and National VP Ben Takeshita will serve as celebrity auctioneers.
• LTSC Needs Funds From L.A. Council, page 3. The Little Tokyo Service Center is seeking funding renewal from the City of Los Angeles amid stiffer competition due to federal cutbacks. LTSC has launched a letter-writing campaign to Councilman Gilbert Lindsay to secure more funds.
• Nisei Retirement Faire Set for JACCC, page 3. A Nisei retirement faire titled ‘Is There Life After Retirement?’ will be held Sept. 25 at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center in Los Angeles. The program includes workshops on continuing education, sexuality, recreation, and social security information.
• WLA JACL to Hold ‘Steak Bake Fun Night’, page 6. The West L.A. JACL will hold its annual Benefit Steak Bake-Fun Night on Aug. 28 at the Japanese Institute of Sawtelle. Reservations can be made through Bill Sakurai.
• West Valley JACL Sets Bridge Tournament, page 6. West Valley JACL will sponsor a bridge tournament on Sept. 18 at the El Paseo de Saratoga Community Room in San Jose. Chairperson Helyn Uchiyama is coordinating the event.
• Pocatello Nisei Elected Head of Rocky Mountain Soroptimists, page 10. Mary Kasai Suenaga, a longtime dance studio owner in Pocatello, Idaho, was installed as governor of the Rocky Mountain Area Soroptimist International clubs, believed to be the first Japanese American to hold the position. She has an extensive dance career including study with the Kirov and Bolshoi Ballets and various community honors.
• Three Chikaraishi Quints Improving, page 10. Three of five Chikaraishi quintuplets born to Amy Chikaraishi of Glenview improved to fair condition at Lutheran General Hospital, while two others remained in critical but stable condition. The infants were born after their mother took a fertility drug and were delivered via caesarean section at 31 weeks.
• PC People, page 11. This roundup of community news includes Norman Arikawa’s seminar invitation as Port of Los Angeles risk manager, Dr. Francis Nakano’s appointment as Jefferson High School principal, Roy Takemura’s appointment to the State Board of Optometry, and Yori Wada’s reappointment to the San Francisco Criminal Justice Council. Also noted are Dr. Wayne Aoki’s mental health center appointment, Veronica Ohara’s Las Angelenas chairmanship, swimmer Teruko Onuki’s English Channel crossing, and photographer Richard Ito’s retirement after 34 years in business.

Arts & Entertainment

• Exhibit to Display Korean Ceramics, page 3. The Korean Cultural Service will sponsor an exhibition of 80 contemporary Korean ceramic treasures from Aug. 31 to Sept. 30 in Los Angeles. An opening reception will be held Aug. 30.
• Honoree Named at 37th CCYBA Fete, page 12. Paige Tamaye Takahashi of Clovis was crowned 1982 Central California YBA Miss Bussei at the 37th annual carnival in Fresno. She succeeded Noreen Osaki, also of Clovis, in the honor.

Military & Veterans

• Aging/Retirement: Nikkei Widowhood Study, by Dr. Michael Ego, page 6. A study of Japanese American widows in Los Angeles found loneliness, fear of crime, and financial insecurity as major problems, particularly for Japanese-speaking widows. The study recommends hotline services and discussion groups, with a Nikkei Widowed Group now holding monthly support meetings.
• Behind the War Clouds: A Story of Unsung Valor and Devotion, by Ted Tsukiyama, page 8. This history details the work of Hawaii’s Emergency Service Committee (ESC), a civilian group formed in 1942 to help Japanese Americans navigate wartime discrimination and support the war effort. The ESC worked on morale, recruitment for military service including the 100th Battalion and 442nd, and maintaining inter-racial harmony, while also supporting the Varsity Victory Volunteers (VVV).

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