Immigration reform and a redress recommendation: November 1982

Vol. 95, No. 22, November 26, 1982. 8 pages. View this issue

Two subjects led the front page. Peter Imamura reported from Los Angeles on Rep. Romano Mazzoli, co-sponsor with Sen. Alan K. Simpson of the proposed Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1982, who said he did not expect the bill to discriminate against minorities. The other was redress: a member of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, Fr. Robert Drinan, suggested the panel might recommend individual compensation of up to $25,000 for camp survivors. The Pacific Citizen followed with an editorial, “Cautious Optimism?”, continued coverage of the reaction, and a statement from National JACL.

Other items include Los Angeles County’s ordinance to pay Japanese American employees forced out during World War II, a Bill Hosokawa review of Herbert V. Nicholson’s memoir, and Bill Marutani’s column “Sufferance.” The front page also noted astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka’s place on a 1983 Challenger crew. Several JACL chapters announced new officers and installation dinners, including Contra Costa, San Francisco and West Los Angeles.

What’s in this issue

National

• Mazzoli Sees No Bias in Immigrant Reform Bill, by Peter Imamura, page 1. Rep. Romano Mazzoli defended the Simpson-Mazzoli immigration bill against charges of discrimination, saying safeguards would keep such effects to a minimum. He discussed provisions on employer sanctions, guest-worker programs, and amnesty during a Los Angeles press conference.
• Japan Grows Weary of Being ‘Scapegoat’ for U.S. on Trade, page 1. Japanese officials say they have become a scapegoat for America’s economic troubles and election rhetoric amid rising trade friction. Both sides cite disputes over tariffs on beef, oranges, cigarettes and auto imports as tensions mount ahead of a new U.S. Congress.
• Astronaut Onizuka Will Fly in Fall ’83, page 1. NASA astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka will join the crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger set to launch in November 1983, becoming the first Asian American in space. He will serve as a mission specialist alongside four other crew members.
• Doctor Forfeits License on Drug Charge, page 2. Los Angeles physician Dr. Masaharu Tokunaga agreed to surrender his medical license to avoid contempt proceedings over improperly prescribing controlled drugs. He still faces 19 felony charges related to writing unwarranted prescriptions under false names at several weight-control clinics.

Incarceration & Redress

• CWRIC Member Says Commission May Urge Individual Reparations, page 1. Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians member Fr. Robert Drinan suggested the panel may recommend up to $25,000 in compensation for each of the roughly 60,000 camp survivors. A CWRIC spokesperson cautioned that no final decision has been made, with the report expected the following month.
• L.A. County Supervisors Pass Bill to Pay Fired Nikkei Workers, by Peter Imamura, page 1. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors formally adopted an ordinance providing up to $5,000 in compensation to Japanese American county employees forced to take leave during WWII. Gardena’s city council also rescinded a 1942 resolution calling for removal of Japanese aliens from the city.
• 35 Years Ago in the Pacific Citizen, page 4. This historical column recaps news items from the Pacific Citizen issue of November 22, 1947, including a federal indictment against Tomoya Kawakita and a bill introduced by Rep. Emanuel Celler permitting naturalization regardless of race. It also notes a Nisei veteran joining an Alaska American Legion post and survivor accounts of the Hiroshima bombing.
• Redress: CWRIC Member’s Remarks Spark Reaction, page 4. Continuing coverage details reactions to Fr. Robert Drinan’s comments about possible CWRIC compensation recommendations, including differing views among commission members and community figures. Los Angeles Herald Examiner and Times editorials supported reparations, while critics like Yo Takagaki argued against payments.

Community

• Abacus Still Popular in Japan Despite Boom in Calculators, page 1. Despite the rise of electronic calculators, Japan’s traditional abacus remains widely used in schools, banks, and businesses. Educators and workers say the device remains fast and reliable, with millions of students still taking proficiency tests each year.
• 24 Nikkei Students From UC Berkeley Win Scholarships, page 2. More than 400 UC Berkeley students received alumni scholarships for the 1982-83 academic year, including 24 students with Japanese surnames. The scholarships, totaling over $130,000, were awarded based on academic achievement and leadership potential.
• Nightclub Owner Killed in Robbery, page 3. Kenichi Igarashi, owner of two nightclubs and a restaurant in the Los Angeles area, was shot and killed outside his Rowland Heights home. Robbery is suspected as the motive, though a nearby officer’s quick response may have thwarted a larger theft.
• Four Charged With Rape of Woman, page 3. Four teenagers were charged with kidnapping and raping a young Japanese woman who was abducted while walking on Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood. Two suspects were arrested and held on $20,000 bail each.
• EBJA Offers Giant Hand-Made Quilt, page 3. The East Bay Japanese for Action Nutrition Program Quilting Class is raffling off a hand-made quilt valued at $750. The quilt, made of all-cotton material and signed by its creators, took five months to complete.
• Manzanar Riot Figure to Be Feted by NCJAR, page 3. Harry Ueno, a central figure in the 1942 Manzanar Riot, will be honored by the National Council for Japanese American Redress at an event in Montebello. NCJAR chair William Hohri will serve as guest speaker.
• Marina JACL Sets Christmas Party, page 6. The Marina JACL will hold a combined Christmas Party and Installation Dinner at Kelbo’s in West Los Angeles. Reservations can be made through several chapter contacts.

Arts & Entertainment

• Nikkei Pianist Wins Praise From President After Concert, page 2. Twenty-year-old pianist Ken Noda made his White House debut performing with violinist Itzhak Perlman as part of the ‘In Performance at the White House’ series. President Reagan praised Noda’s talent after the concert hosted by Nancy Reagan.
• Buddhist Art Exhibit Heads for L.A., page 3. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art received a $150,000 grant to organize ‘Light of Asia: Buddha Sakyamuni in Asian Art,’ a major traveling exhibition opening in March 1984. The show will feature roughly 170 works from across Asia on loan from museums and private collections worldwide.

Commentary

• Cautious Optimism?, by Peter Imamura, page 4. The editorial examines the news that the CWRIC may recommend individual monetary compensation for Japanese American internment survivors, urging cautious optimism until an official report is released. It notes growing momentum for redress at the local level alongside lingering opposition within parts of the Nikkei community.
• Sufferance, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Judge Bill Marutani writes about the perception that minorities, including Nikkei, are treated as Americans only at the sufferance of the majority, rejecting this notion as fundamentally un-American. He calls on Japanese Americans to resist self-imposed limitations and assert their full identity as Americans.

In-Depth

• One Who Gave Comfort, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Columnist Bill Hosokawa reviews Herbert V. Nicholson’s memoir ‘Comfort All Who Mourn,’ detailing Nicholson’s decades of missionary work and support for Japanese Americans, including his efforts during the WWII internment. The piece recounts Nicholson’s advocacy with Assistant Secretary of War John McCloy to reopen the West Coast to returning Japanese Americans.

JACL

• National JACL’s Response to L.A. Times’ Story: A Statement, page 6. National JACL issued a statement responding to the Los Angeles Times report on possible CWRIC compensation recommendations, affirming the organization’s position that individuals deserve substantial compensation. JACL also said it would draft its own redress legislation once the CWRIC’s formal report is released, with Min Yasui expressing encouragement.
• Sansei Named Contra Costa President, page 6. Attorney Fred Takemiya became the first Sansei elected president of the Contra Costa JACL Chapter. The chapter also announced its new board and an upcoming Appreciation Dinner featuring author Chester Tanaka as guest speaker.
• S.F. JACL Names Officers for ’83, page 6. Greg Marutani was named 1983 president of the San Francisco JACL Chapter, succeeding Hisashi Takiguchi. The chapter also elected a full slate of new officers and board members during its dinner meeting.
• West Valley JACL Sets Installation, page 6. The West Valley JACL will hold its installation dinner in January at the Sunnyvale Hilton Hotel, featuring National Director Ron Wakabayashi as keynote speaker. Tickets are available through chapter officers and the dinner chairman.
• Mineta Keynotes Chicago Dinner, page 6. Rep. Norman Y. Mineta will be the keynote speaker at the Chicago JACL Chapter’s 1982 inaugural dinner, which will also honor longtime community contributor Lincoln Shimidzu. Shimidzu has served in numerous leadership roles including JACL Federal Credit Union chairman.
• PSWDC Honored by Community Relations Conference, page 6. JACL Pacific Southwest Regional Director John Saito and PSWDC Governor Cary Nishimoto accepted a membership trophy and commendation from Mayor Tom Bradley for the district’s human and civil rights services. The honor was presented at the Community Relations Conference of Southern California’s 37th Anniversary Dinner.
• West L.A. Installs Charles Inatomi, page 8. Over 50 new officers were sworn in at the West Los Angeles JACL installation dinner, led by incoming president Charles Inatomi. Anthropologist Akemi Kikumura spoke on Nikkei generational values, and the chapter honored outgoing president Bill Sakurai and other members for their service.

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