The 1982 JACL convention: a fired Livingston teacher and redress

Vol. 95, No. 10, September 3, 1982. 8 pages. View this issue

The front page carried the National JACL Council’s resolution, passed at its Biennial Convention, to support Mitsue Takahashi, a Livingston, Ca. teacher fired in 1980 after 20 years of service. Redress ran alongside it: the Portland City Council backed financial compensation for Japanese Americans interned during World War II, and JACL National President Floyd Shimomura wrote that the redress program was running low on funds. Rose Matsui Ochi called for lobbying to keep the fifth preference in immigration law, and Bill Marutani proposed collecting soil from the camp sites.

Other pages follow up on the convention. Bill Hosokawa wrote about the decision to fund efforts to improve U.S.-Japan relations, and the Salinas Valley JACL presented Ansel Adams’ book on Manzanar to the redress committee. An overnight pilgrimage to Tule Lake was announced for Oct. 1-2, and Sachi Seko and Harry Honda contributed columns.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• Nat’l JACL Offers Support to Dismissed Livingston Teacher, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National JACL Council passed a resolution at its Biennial Convention supporting Mitsue Takahashi, a Livingston, Ca. teacher fired in 1980 after 20 years of service amid disputed discipline charges. JACL will monitor the case and keep it visible, while Takahashi has also received support from teacher associations.

Incarceration & Redress

• Portland Council Backs Redress, by The Oregonian, page 1. The Portland City Council approved a resolution supporting financial compensation for Japanese Americans interned during World War II, with Mayor Frank Ivancie dissenting. Supporters including the Portland JACL and ACLU spoke in favor, while some veterans and residents opposed the measure.
• After 40 Yrs., Fresno Bee Takes New Stand on WW2 Evacuation, page 2. The Fresno Bee, which in 1943 had defended the internment of Japanese Americans as a military necessity, published a 1982 editorial calling for redress and atonement for the injustice. The article contrasts the newspaper’s wartime editorial stance with its modern reversal supporting compensation and memorials.
• Japan Had Nuclear WW2 Bomb Planned, page 2. A Japanese physicist revealed that a naval officer ordered a crash program to build an atomic bomb in retaliation for Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but the plan was abandoned after Emperor Hirohito’s surrender decision. The secret lab was to be built in a cave in Nagano prefecture.
• To the New JACL Board: A Project, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Bill Marutani’s column proposes a memorial project collecting soil samples from all 25 WWII camp and assembly center sites to be displayed at JACL offices, with donations funding support for remaining Issei. He recounts his personal memories of internment at Pinedale and Tule Lake as context for the proposal.
• Plaque for Tule Lake Cross to Be Placed, page 8. An overnight pilgrimage to Tule Lake is scheduled for Oct. 1-2 to dedicate a bronze plaque at the site of the internee-erected cross, with buses departing from Berkeley and Sacramento. A memorial service will also be held at Klamath Falls Cemetery for those who died at Tule Lake.

National

• Lobbying Effort Sought to Keep 5th Preference in Immigrant Law, page 1. Attorney Rose Matsui Ochi called for a lobbying campaign to retain the fifth preference immigration category for siblings of U.S. citizens, which was threatened by revised Senate legislation. Ochi warned the change would severely curtail Asian family reunification and urged people to contact Congress.
• Revised WW2 History Becomes Japanese Foreign Policy Issue, page 1. Japan faced diplomatic criticism from China, South Korea, and Okinawa after its Education Ministry revised school textbooks to soften descriptions of wartime aggression. The government promised future corrections but said the current textbooks already in print would remain in use until 1985.
• Two Japan Electronic Firms Cited with ‘Dumping’ Radios, page 1. Motorola filed a petition with the International Trade Commission accusing Matsushita and NEC of dumping radio pagers in the U.S. at unfairly low prices. The practice forced Motorola to cut its own prices, resulting in significant losses for the company.
• Mitsubishi Defendants Are No Shows, page 1. Three Mitsubishi Electric employees failed to appear in a U.S. federal court in San Jose to face charges related to the IBM computer secrets scam. A U.S. magistrate issued $250,000 arrest warrants for each of the three defendants.
• Long Prison Term Meted Rapists, page 3. Under California’s determinate sentencing law, several men convicted of rape received lengthy prison sentences, including Byron Akira Miyamoto, a 36-year-old Gardena man sentenced to 27 years for raping four women. Other cases cited include sentences as long as 151 and 114 years.
• Minority Bias Removed from IQ Test, page 6. Two psychologists developed a new intelligence-achievement test, the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, designed to reduce cultural and racial bias against minority children. The test separates achievement from intelligence scores and limits verbal directions to reduce unfair disadvantages.
• Bomb Victim Returned to Japan, page 6. The parents of 16-year-old Toru Ozawa, killed by a bomb aboard a Pan Am airliner near Honolulu, returned to Japan with his remains. Detectives continued investigating the plane’s stopover in Narita the night of the bombing.
• Japan Times Prints Its 30,000th Edition, page 6. The Japan Times, the first English-language newspaper published in Japan, marked its 30,000th issue with two special supplements. The paper was first launched in 1897 to bridge understanding between foreigners and Japanese.
• Matsui Bill to Add Prize for Voting, page 8. Rep. Robert Matsui introduced a bill to legalize prize giveaways for voters to encourage turnout in the 1984 presidential election, inspired by a similar California sweepstakes. The bill was requested by a Hollywood promoter seeking to boost voter participation.

Community

• APAAC Helps to Win Improved School Materials in California, page 1. The California State Board of Education adopted revised standards to ensure accurate and fair portrayals of minorities and women in public school instructional materials. The Asian Pacific American Advocates of California, led by Dr. Allan Seid, played a key role in pushing for these stronger standards.
• California Arts Council Grants 4 Artists in Residence to JACCC, page 3. The California Arts Council selected four Asian American artists, including playwright Momoko Iko and performer Nobuko Miyamoto, to be artists in residence at the JACCC for 1982-83. The artists will provide workshops and may collaborate on a joint piece.
• Japanese ‘Slumlord’ Fined $10,400, page 3. Hideo Matsumoto, former owner of the St. Francis Hotel in Hollywood, was fined $10,400 for numerous health and safety code violations after being charged by the city. His attorney argued Matsumoto had only owned the property 18 months and was unfairly singled out.
• Sansei Was Target of Murder Plot, page 3. A Cupertino accountant jailed on narcotics and theft charges allegedly offered an undercover detective $2,000 to kill Deputy Sheriff John Nakao, one of the officers who had arrested him. The plot was uncovered when the hired contact alerted authorities.
• Auto Wreck Kills Altadena Nikkei, page 3. Douglas Kazuo Furuya and his companion Mayet Lasco were killed when a car traveling the wrong way on the Pasadena Freeway struck their vehicle head-on. The driver, Rafael Castro, was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter.
• Salinas JACL Donate ‘Born Free & Equal’, page 6. The Salinas Valley JACL presented a rare, author-autographed first edition of Ansel Adams’ ‘Born Free and Equal,’ a photographic narrative of the Manzanar camp, to the JACL National Committee for Redress. The presentation was made during the final business session of the National Convention.
• Pre-War Little Tokyo Pictures at Library, page 8. A photographic exhibit titled ‘Before the War: the Japanese of Los Angeles 1890-1942,’ on loan from CSULA’s Kennedy Memorial Library, is on display at the Los Angeles Public Library through Sept. 25. The exhibit documents pre-war Japanese American life in Los Angeles.

Arts & Entertainment

• East West Players Unveil New Season, page 3. East West Players announced its 1982-83 season lineup including plays by Momoko Iko, David Henry Hwang, Harold Heifetz, Roger Pulvers, and R.A. Shiomi. Unlike the previous season focused on WWII camps, this season covers a wider range of subjects.

Commentary

• PANA Is Ready for ’83, by Harry Honda, page 4. Harry Honda’s column ‘Ye Editor’s Desk’ describes the Pan American Nikkei Association’s executive committee meeting held in Los Angeles to prepare for the 1983 PANA Convention in Lima, Peru. The column details PANA’s history and activities connecting Nikkei communities across the Americas.
• Redress Pledges, by Floyd Shimomura, page 4. JACL National President Floyd Shimomura writes that the JACL redress program is running low on funds despite its success, and the National Council passed a resolution seeking loans secured by chapter and district pledges. He urges all chapters to promptly send pledges of $5 per member per year for three years to sustain the redress campaign.
• Dr. Noguchi, The Man, by Thomas Komatsu, page 4. A letter writer defends Los Angeles County Coroner Dr. Thomas Noguchi against what he calls an unfair ouster effort, praising his scientific achievements and reputation. The writer calls on the Pacific Citizen to solicit more articles about Noguchi’s career and contributions.
• ‘Hidden Flame’, by Mrs. Haruo (Masako) Imura, page 4. A reader’s letter seeks help locating a rare 1930 book of poems, ‘Hidden Flame’ by her late brother Bunichi Kagawa, of which only 200 copies were printed. She asks for assistance from readers in finding a copy for her family.
• Scholarship, page 4. A letter thanks the Pacific Citizen for covering the East Los Angeles JACL scholarship recipients and specifically recognizes June Kurisu for her contributions to the scholarship program. The writer credits a supportive board for the program’s success.
• In Praise of Issei Women, by Sachi Seko, page 4. Sachi Seko’s column reflects on a conversation with her sister about their Issei mother, inspired by Akemi Kikumura’s book ‘Through Harsh Winters,’ which chronicles the life of a Japanese immigrant woman. The column praises the strength and resilience of Issei women, often underappreciated compared to the patriarchal image of Japanese families.
• A Prickly Task in U.S.-Japan Affairs, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa’s column discusses the JACL convention’s decision to fund efforts to improve U.S.-Japan relations, noting the potential pitfalls given Japanese Americans’ complicated position between the two countries. He cites a notable speech by Consul General Hiroshi Kitamura acknowledging the impact of Japan-U.S. tensions on Japanese Americans.
• Communication: How JACL Processes Information, by Ron Ikejiri, page 5. Ron Ikejiri’s Washington Wrap-Up column explains the multi-stage process by which the JACL Washington Office gathers, interprets, and acts on information affecting the organization’s interests. The piece details how data moves from information-gathering to advocacy before Congress and federal agencies.
• Civil Defense, by Dr. Clifford Uyeda, page 6. Dr. Clifford Uyeda’s column criticizes the Reagan administration’s civil defense and nuclear strategy, arguing that evacuation plans are unrealistic and that nuclear war cannot truly be ‘won.’ He contrasts U.S. assumptions about Soviet civil defense capabilities with CIA assessments of Soviet unpreparedness.

Military & Veterans

• Nisei Vets Fete Ark. Legionnaires, page 8. The Chicago Nisei Veterans Post 1183 hosted a reception honoring Arkansas American Legion members for their efforts memorializing 32 Nisei soldiers who volunteered from the Rohwer and Jerome Relocation Centers. Twelve past national commanders of the American Legion attended the event.

In-Depth

• Revised WW2 History Draws International Criticism, page 8. A Christian Science Monitor editorial criticized Japan’s centralized control over textbook content, contrasting it with the decentralized U.S. system where no single authority dictates textbook content nationwide. The piece argued Japan’s government should heed its own citizens’ objections, not just foreign pressure, regarding historical revisionism.

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.