Day of Remembrance, the redress report and U.S.-Japan trade

Vol. 96, No. 7, February 25, 1983. 8 pages. View this issue

The front page of this issue carried the Day of Remembrance marking the 41st anniversary of Executive Order 9066, proclaimed by Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors chairman Michael Antonovich and observed at a ceremony in Little Tokyo. Alongside it came word that the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians planned to release its final findings report, without recommendations for remedies. Redress also ran through the JACL pages, with the National Board preparing to discuss guidelines and Harry Kajihara reporting on Pacific Southwest District fundraising. U.S.-Japan trade drew its own coverage, including Ambassador Mike Mansfield’s warning about 1983 and a column by Ron Wakabayashi on JACL’s role.

Other items include the appointment of a Nisei to lead California’s Department of Consumer Affairs, Bill Hosokawa’s column on his eighth grandchild, and the new paperback edition of Mine Okubo’s Citizen 13660, her memoir of life in the Topaz camp. Chapter news, letters and community notices fill the remaining pages.

What’s in this issue

National

• Nisei to Direct California Dept. of Consumer Affairs, page 1. A former internee, Shibuya-Snell, a Republican from Glendora, was appointed to head California’s Department of Consumer Affairs at a salary of $49,900 a year. Gov. Deukmejian’s all-white, mostly male Cabinet has pledged to include more women and minorities in leadership positions.
• Mansfield Says 1983 Will Be Crucial Year for U.S., Japan, page 1. U.S. Ambassador to Japan Mike Mansfield warned that 1983 is critical for U.S.-Japan relations, with progress needed on opening Japanese markets and reducing the trade deficit or protectionist policies will increase. Mansfield praised Prime Minister Nakasone as a new type of Japanese leader trying to balance domestic political pressures with international trade and defense demands.
• Kato Faces Shoplifting Charges, page 1. Former Oxnard Mayor Tsujio Kato was charged with misdemeanor petty theft after allegedly walking out of a Sears store with two knives without paying on Christmas Eve. A supporter speculated the charges might be politically motivated, noting a recall drive against Kato had begun in the Oxnard community.
• Noguchi: The Verdict Is Due Soon, page 1. Dr. Thomas Noguchi, the former LA County chief medical examiner-coroner demoted last year, awaited a Civil Service Commission ruling on his appeal after a hearing officer recommended his demotion not be sustained. The report found Noguchi had management deficiencies but also suggested county officials may have been motivated by embarrassment over negative press coverage of his department.
• Recent Developments in U.S.-Japan Trade, page 1. A timeline recaps major U.S.-Japan trade events in February 1983, including Secretary of State Shultz’s trade comments, a domestic content bill in Congress, Hitachi officials pleading guilty in an IBM espionage case, and GM and Toyota’s agreement to jointly build cars in Fremont, California. The report also covers Japan’s auto export restraint extension and trade talks between officials Brock and Yamanaka.
• Nisei Gambler, Shot in Head, Lives, page 2. Ken ‘Tokyo Joe’ Eto, a 63-year-old convicted gambler, survived three gunshots to the head and identified his alleged assailants, leading to arrests in what police called a major break in Chicago organized crime. Two men, including a sheriff’s deputy, were charged with attempted murder in the shooting.
• Noguchi (Continued), page 2. The continuation details Supervisor Antonovich’s disagreement with hearing officer Adler’s recommendation to reinstate Noguchi, and background on the 1981 LA Times articles exposing mismanagement in the coroner’s office. It also covers Noguchi’s history of being fired and reinstated in 1969, and editorial reactions from the LA Times and Herald Examiner calling for his demotion to stand.

Incarceration & Redress

• Day of Remembrance Marks 41st Anniversary of EO 9066, page 1. Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors chairman Michael Antonovich proclaimed Feb. 19 a ‘Day of Remembrance’ marking the anniversary of President Roosevelt’s signing of Executive Order 9066. The ceremony in Little Tokyo was co-sponsored by JACL PSWDC and the National Coalition for Redress/Reparations.
• CWRIC Report Due for Release Feb. 24, page 1. The Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians was scheduled to release its final findings report at a news conference in Washington. The report will not include recommendations for remedies, which will come at a later date.
• PSWDC Redress Report, by Harry Kajihara, page 6. The Pacific Southwest District Redress Committee reported on chapter fundraising progress toward their pledge goals, with a fund-raising potluck dinner planned to support the effort. The PSWDC planned to submit a second $10,000 installment to National JACL by March 30.

Community

• Nikkei Named to Women’s Hall of Fame, page 2. Joy Hashimoto, a YWCA board member, was inducted into the Salt Lake City Council of Women’s Hall of Fame for her community work including planning a multi-ethnic senior center and a shelter for abused women. She has also served on numerous civic boards and committees in Utah.
• Awards: Gladys Ikeda Honored as Woman of Achievement, page 2. Gladys Ikeda was one of ten Stockton-area women honored at the Eighth Annual Susan B. Anthony banquet for her community leadership. She is a former head teacher and led a League of Women Voters committee to increase women’s participation on boards and commissions.
• CSU Fresno Slates Amerasia Week ’83, page 3. California State University, Fresno will host Amerasia Week ’83, featuring Kyogen theater, a Filipino Culture Day, a screening of ‘Chan is Missing’ with co-star Marc Hayashi present, and an Asian Fashion Show. The weeklong celebration runs Feb. 28 through March 5.
• A/P Alcoholism Program Gets Contract, page 3. The Pacific Asian Alcoholism Program of Los Angeles was re-awarded a county contract to serve the Pacific Asian American community, according to Program Director Royal Morales. Morales cited growing evidence of alcohol-related problems among Asian Pacific Americans as justification for the continued funding.
• Senior Care Center to Probe Senility, page 3. A support group for families caring for someone with memory loss will meet Feb. 26 at Union Church in Los Angeles, featuring Dr. Koichi Ishikawa discussing memory loss from a neurological viewpoint. The group aims to provide mutual support and education for caregivers in the community.
• Obscene Caller Targets Asian Women, page 3. At least six Asian American women in Seattle, most of them community activists, received early morning obscene phone calls from an individual who knew personal details about them. The caller is believed to be a young Japanese American male involved in Tacoma Asian American community and politics.
• Okinawan Dance Demo Slated for S.F., page 3. Cheryl Yoshii Nakasone and Harry Seisho Nakasone will present a lecture-demonstration of Classical Okinawan Dance and Music on Feb. 26 at Christ United Presbyterian Church in San Francisco. The event, featuring the Okinawan sanshin instrument, has a $3.50 donation.
• Family Albums Exhibit at JACCC, page 3. A 1925 photo of Nikkei George Nakano and his sons is featured in ‘Japanese American Family Albums: A Los Angeles Family,’ an exhibit at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center illustrating traditional cultural values passed through family photo albums. The exhibit runs until May 20.
• ESGV Center Sets Las Vegas Night, page 4. The East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center will hold its 10th Annual Las Vegas Night on March 19 to raise funds for a remodeling project. Chairman Stanley Sunabe invites the community to enjoy Las Vegas-style games with a $7.50 donation entitling patrons to chips and prizes.
• N.Y. Holds Successful Bazaar, page 5. The New York JACL held a successful fundraiser and bazaar at the Japanese American United Church, raising $3,454 through a white elephant sale and food sales. The funds will replenish the chapter’s treasury.
• San Benito County JACL Installs 1983 Officers, page 6. John Uemura was installed as 1983 president of the San Benito County JACL chapter at their annual dinner, along with a full slate of officers. New members were also welcomed into the organization.
• San Diego to Show Film Gaijin, page 6. The San Diego JACL Chapter will screen the Brazilian film ‘Gaijin,’ about Japanese immigration to Brazil, on March 19 and 20 at two locations. Proceeds will benefit National JACL’s redress campaign.

Arts & Entertainment

• ‘Citizen 13660’ Printed in Paperback, page 3. Mine Okubo’s illustrated memoir of life in the Topaz internment camp, ‘Citizen 13660,’ first published in 1946, is now available in paperback from the University of Washington Press. The book chronicles Okubo’s experiences from evacuation through release from camp.
• ‘Fast Lane’ at LMU, page 3. Lane Kiyomi Nishikawa will perform ‘Life in the Fast Lane—Requiem for a Sansei Poet’ at Loyola Marymount University on March 10. The performance captures expressions of Japanese American life through poetry depicting the struggles and triumphs of Asian America.
• Poetry Sought for Asian American Magazine, page 4. Contact II, a bimonthly poetry magazine from New York, will publish a special issue on Asian American poetry in spring 1983 and is seeking submissions of unpublished poems and book reviews. The deadline for submissions is March 1.

Commentary

• Letters: Praise for Flex Format and Need for International News, by Michi Kobi, page 4. A reader from New York praises the PC’s new ‘Flex Format’ while urging continued coverage of Japan-U.S. relations and international events, arguing that Japanese Americans remain tied to Japan’s fate in public opinion. The writer emphasizes the PC’s diverse readership across religious and political lines.
• Letters: Reversing Roles, by Mas Odoi, page 4. A reader from Torrance criticizes a controversial mural by Barbara Carrasco for depicting only negative racial incidents against minorities while ignoring positive contributions of immigrants, arguing this amounts to anti-WASP bias. The writer urges JACL to oppose discrimination against majority groups as well as minorities.
• From the Frying Pan: No. 8 Arrives Amidst a Denver Blizzard, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Hosokawa recounts the birth of his eighth grandchild, Stephanie, born in Denver during a severe blizzard just after Christmas. He reflects on his four children and eight grandchildren, expressing gratitude that his family remains healthy and secure despite difficult economic times.
• Musubi: U.S.-Japan—What’s JACL’s Role?, by Ron Wakabayashi, page 5. National Director Ron Wakabayashi discusses the complexities of JACL’s potential role in U.S.-Japan trade relations, noting Japanese Americans are often mistakenly viewed as tied to Japan’s national fate. He cites examples of Japanese corporate public relations problems and calls for JACL to clarify its position on the issue.
• Vantage Point: A Nisei Crime Figure, page 8. The columnist discusses Ken Eto, a Nisei organized crime figure known as ‘Tokyo Joe’ who survived an apparent mob hit after being convicted on federal gambling charges. The piece reflects on Eto’s unprecedented notoriety as a Nisei crime figure and speculates about his prior wartime incarceration history.

JACL

• National Board to Discuss Redress, U.S.-Japan Issue, page 5. The JACL National Board will meet March 18-20 in San Francisco to discuss redress guidelines, including a $50,000 individual reparations recommendation, and U.S.-Japan relations. National President Floyd Shimomura had met with Japanese officials in Washington to discuss JACL’s potential role in trade relations.
• Man Angry Over JA Redress Creates a Stir at JACL’s HQ, page 5. An intoxicated man upset over San Francisco’s reparations ordinance for Nikkei former city employees entered JACL’s National Headquarters and became aggressive before eventually leaving without incident. National Director Ron Wakabayashi noted the incident was not a major concern despite some hate calls received over the redress measure.
• PSWDC Members Meet with Chinese American Leaders, page 5. JACL Pacific Southwest District members attended a fellowship dinner with the Chinese American Citizens Alliance in Los Angeles, discussing shared history, redress, and common concerns about public hostility stemming from trade issues. Judge Ernest Hiroshige and George Kodama addressed the gathering about cooperation between the two organizations.
• Fresno’s A.L.L./JACL Readies for 60th Anniversary Celebration, page 5. The Fresno America Loyalty League JACL chapter is planning a 60th anniversary dinner on May 22 at the Hilton Hotel, celebrating its founding by Dr. Thomas Yatabe in 1923. Minoru Yasui will be the keynote speaker, and charter members will be honored.
• JACL Gets $1,700 in Furiya’s Memory, page 5. National JACL Headquarters received an anonymous $1,700 contribution in memory of Muts Furiya, an active Sequoia JACL member killed in a Tokyo hotel fire last year. Furiya was remembered for his heroic actions attempting to save others during the fire.
• JACL PSW Co-Sponsor of ADL Film, page 5. JACL PSWDC is among the sponsors of the Anti-Defamation League’s upcoming filmstrip series ‘American Story,’ which focuses on families of various ethnic groups including Japanese Americans. A special preview will be held at USC’s Davidson Center on March 9.

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