Redress debate and the Day of Remembrance, February 1983

Vol. 96, No. 6, February 18, 1983. 8 pages. View this issue

The front page carried the redress question. Min Yasui, chairman of JACL’s National Committee for Redress, clarified that a $50,000 figure for individual reparations was only a recommendation to the National Board, which has final authority over it. Nearby were a Harper’s profile of John J. McCloy, the CWRIC chair’s reaction to a 1936 Roosevelt memo, and a report on how the military confiscated Hawaii’s Japanese American fishing boats. Feb. 19 was the Day of Remembrance, and the paper noted a California Assembly resolution and a proclamation by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors marking the 41st anniversary of Executive Order 9066. A San Jose candlelight program was also announced.

Inside are Bill Hosokawa on a Salt Lake City conference on relocation and redress and K. Patrick Okura’s review of the book JACL In Quest of Justice. There are also several pieces on U.S.-Japan trade, chapter installation dinners, and a salute to Pete Hironaka for 25 years as the paper’s cartoonist.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• JACL Clarifies Its Stand on Individual Reparations Figure, page 1. Min Yasui, chairman of JACL’s National Committee for Redress, clarified reports that JACL would seek $50,000 in individual reparations, explaining this was only a recommendation to the National Board. The Board has final authority to approve, raise, or lower the figure before it becomes part of JACL’s legislative guidelines.
• California Assembly to Observe Feb. 19, page 1. The California Assembly introduced a resolution calling for recognition of Feb. 19 as a Day of Remembrance. The resolution, introduced by Assemblyman Willie Brown and co-authored by state Sen. David Roberti, was expected to pass.
• Another Casualty of WWII: Hawaii’s JA Fishermen, by Mike Markrich, Honolulu Advertiser, page 1. Japanese American and Japanese alien-owned fishing boats in Hawaii were confiscated by the military after Pearl Harbor, with many owners never compensated. The war devastated Hawaii’s once-thriving fishing industry, which was nearly 80% Japanese before the attack and never fully recovered.
• CWRIC Chair Reacts to FDR ’36 Memo, page 1. Joan Z. Bernstein, chairman of the CWRIC, told the Associated Press it is a ‘common mythology’ that Roosevelt acted impetuously in signing the internment order. She said she was not surprised by the disclosure of a 1936 memo about potential concentration camps and that it would not cause the Commission to reopen its inquiry.
• Acts of Spying Triggered FDR Memo, page 1. Declassified memos reveal government officials monitored suspected Japanese espionage activities in Hawaii as early as the mid-1930s, including photographing harbor fortifications. A 1936 Roosevelt memo suggested identifying Japanese individuals connected to Japanese ships for placement in concentration camps in the event of trouble.

National

• John McCloy: ‘Most Influential Private Citizen in America’, page 1. A Harper’s magazine profile by Harvard historian Alan Brinkley examines John J. McCloy, the former assistant secretary of war who supervised the WWII internment of Japanese Americans. McCloy, who advised nine presidents and held numerous powerful positions, defends his role in the evacuation and calls current redress efforts a form of ‘extortion.’
• Washington State Worker Bill Gets Ways and Means Approval, page 1. Washington’s Senate Ways and Means Committee approved a bill to pay $5,000 reparations to Japanese Americans who lost state jobs during WWII internment. Sen. George Fleming called the payment a ‘token gesture,’ and testimony included former employees and Seattle JACL president Mako Nakagawa.
• Noguchi Reinstatement Advised, page 2. A Los Angeles County Civil Service Hearing officer recommended that demoted coroner Dr. Thomas Noguchi be reinstated, ruling his demotion was unjustified since he wasn’t given reasonable chance to correct department deficiencies. The county’s attorney disputed the finding, calling it contrary to the evidence.
• Sansei Policeman Has Close Call, page 2. Gardena Police Det. David Nakamura nearly lost his life when bank robbery suspect Gary Fenton slipped his handcuffs and tried to seize the detective’s handgun. A passing sheriff’s deputy shot and killed Fenton after he ignored warnings to stop struggling.
• Auto Wreck Claims Two Nikkei, page 2. Four members of a Carson family were injured, two fatally, when their car was struck while making a left turn at an intersection near Torrance. The mother, Carol Ichikawa, and her son Wesley were pronounced dead, while the father and daughter were treated for injuries.
• L.A. Supervisors Call for ‘Remembrance’ Day, page 4. The LA County Board of Supervisors unanimously proclaimed Feb. 19 as a Day of Remembrance marking the 41st anniversary of EO 9066. Supervisor Michael Antonovich’s motion called for reaffirming belief in constitutional freedoms while remembering those who suffered the wartime detention.
• U.S., Japanese Experts See ‘Reason Prevailing’ in Trade, page 5. Speakers at a Honolulu seminar discussed U.S.-Japan trade tensions, with Japanese representative Tadashi Yamamoto warning that American calls for import restrictions are seen in Japan as racist scapegoating. American speakers warned that pending ‘local content’ legislation could spark a trade war despite not serving U.S. interests.
• Protectionism Will Hurt U.S., Says Former American Diplomat Ingersoll, page 5. Former U.S. Ambassador to Japan Robert Ingersoll warned that Pacific Northwest farmers and manufacturers would suffer most if Congress forces domestic content requirements on Japanese imports. He cautioned that Japan would likely retaliate against U.S. exports including Boeing aircraft and agricultural products.
• GM Divisions May Import Cars from Toyota, Isuzu in 1985, page 5. General Motors’ Pontiac and Chevrolet divisions are reportedly planning to import front-wheel drive subcompact cars from Japan within two years. GM has been negotiating with Toyota to build cars in the U.S. and plans to import vehicles from its Japanese affiliate Isuzu to replace domestic models being phased out by 1986.

Community

• Nisei Seeks L.A. Senior Assembly Seat, page 2. Mabel Ota, a longtime LA Unified School District teacher and the first Asian American woman principal in California, announced her candidacy for Senior Assemblywoman in the California Senior Legislature. She is running for a seat covering Los Angeles’ 4th and 10th Districts with the election set for March 8.
• Nikkei Named to Ca. Accountancy Board, page 2. Thomas Iino was elected president of the California Board of Accountancy, becoming the first Japanese American ever to serve on the state board. Iino, son of retired accountant Sho Iino, runs the LA-based Sho Iino Accountants firm with offices in several cities.
• San Jose ‘Remembrance’ on Feb. 20, page 3. The Nihonmachi Outreach Committee is organizing San Jose’s Day of Remembrance Candlelight Procession and Program under the theme ‘A Community United—In Movement Toward Justice.’ The program features Judge William Marutani, Tom Nakaji, and Duane Kubo with cultural entertainment in both English and Japanese.
• Contra Costa Sakura Kai Set Apr. 30, page 3. The Contra Costa Sakura-Kai will hold its Senior Appreciation-Tenth Anniversary Luncheon on April 30 at the El Cerrito Community Center. The event is extending invitations to several other Bay Area senior groups.
• Tea Garden in Golden Gate Pk. to Receive New Gates, Repairs, page 3. San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein proposed spending $20 million in surplus funds on repairs and new gates for the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park, with the city of Osaka contributing $250,000. The Hagiwara family had served as custodians of the garden until they were forced to leave during the 1942 evacuation.
• Seattle Queen Comm. to Hold Fashion Show, page 3. The Greater Seattle Japanese Queen Committee will hold a fashion show and dance themed ‘The Look of Love’ on Feb. 26 at the Seattle Hilton. The event features spring fashions, jewelry, and entertainment from the Seattle Taiko Group, with proceeds benefiting the Queen Committee.
• Hunt HS Classes of ’43, ’44 Set Reunion, page 3. A reunion of Hunt High School classes of 1943 and 1944 will be held July 23-24 at the Longacre Paddock Club in Seattle. The reunion package includes a dinner/dance, family picnic, and souvenir program and directory.
• High School Writing Contest Set in S.F., page 3. The Japantown Art and Media Writers Workshop is sponsoring its third annual literary contest for high school students to encourage expression of Asian American Pacific Islander culture. Prizes are offered in poetry and short story categories with a deadline of April 30, 1983.
• JACCC Theater Raises $660,000 in Drive, page 3. The 1983 Capital Fund Drive of the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center reached $662,550 through seat dedications in the newly-constructed JACCC Theater. Campaign chairman Carl M. Tamaki expressed gratification with results so far, noting outreach to Japanese companies had not yet begun.
• Seabrook to Hold Chow Mein Dinner, page 6. The Seabrook JACL will hold a fund-raising chow mein dinner on March 12 at the Woodruff School. Dinner ticket information may be obtained by contacting the Seabrook JACL.
• Teacher Sentenced in Sex Case, page 6. David Nakashima, a former Monterey High School biology teacher, was sentenced to 10 days in jail and probation after pleading guilty to unlawful intercourse with a 15-year-old student. Nakashima, a member of Monterey Peninsula JACL, received support from the chapter, which created a fund for him through Sumitomo Bank.
• Contra Costa CARP to Discuss Coping, page 6. The Contra Costa Aging & Retirement seminar (CARP) will hold a session on ‘Coping’ featuring discussion on how individuals and families handle difficult family situations. The session will include case histories based on personal experience and small group participation.
• Contra Costa JAYS Seeks New Members, page 6. The Contra Costa JAYS youth group is seeking new high school student members and is currently planning a volleyball tournament. The group’s 1983 officers include James Shinagawa as president along with several other student officers.

Commentary

• JACL Story: Review III, by K. Patrick Okura, page 4. K. Patrick Okura, past National JACL president, reviews Bill Hosokawa’s book ‘JACL In Quest of Justice,’ commissioned as a tribute to Mas and Chiz Satow. Okura defends the book’s portrayal of JACL’s history, trials, and difficult wartime decisions, calling it essential reading for understanding Nisei history.
• Salt Lake City Conference on Redress, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Bill Hosokawa previews the International Conference on Relocation and Redress at the University of Utah, organized by Dean L. May with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The conference will feature prominent speakers including Gordon Hirabayashi, Minoru Yasui, Judge William Marutani, and Senator Spark Matsunaga.
• News on Trade: Chicago Columnist Blames U.S., Not Japan, for Economic Woes, page 5. Chicago Sun Times columnist Georgie Anne Geyer argues Americans should examine their own shortcomings rather than blame Japan for U.S. economic problems. She cites statistics on Japanese trade restrictions, tariffs, and work ethic compared to American labor absenteeism and poor planning.
• Weekend of Installations, by John Saito, page 5. John Saito of JACL Pacific Southwest describes attending multiple chapter installation banquets in one weekend, advocating for joint installations over individual chapter events. He notes that combined installations for Pasadena, Wilshire, and Hollywood chapters proved far more successful than individual events would have been.

JACL

• D.C. Chapter Names ’83 Board, page 6. The Washington D.C. JACL Chapter held its 37th Annual Installation Dinner attended by close to 200 people, featuring keynote speaker Dr. Arthur S. Flemming of the CWRIC. New chapter officers were installed by Teresa Maebori, and special awards were presented to longtime JACL volunteers.
• Yasui to Speak in N.Y. March 6, page 6. Min Yasui, chairman of JACL’s National Redress Committee, will present the National JACL’s position on congressional redress legislation at a public meeting in New York on March 6. The event will be held at Columbia School of Journalism with a question and answer session to follow.
• Placer JACL Sends Student to D.C., page 6. Helene Nakamura of Lincoln High School will participate in the Presidential Classroom for Young Americans program in Washington D.C. under Placer County JACL sponsorship. Kimi Matsushino of Roseville High School was chosen as the alternate delegate for the week-long civic education program.
• PC’s Hironaka Honored by Dayton and Cincinnati in Joint Dinner, page 8. The Cincinnati and Dayton JACL Chapters held a joint installation dinner attended by over 60 people, honoring Pete Hironaka for his 25 years as cartoonist for the Pacific Citizen. Additional awards were presented to Mas Yamasaki, the Fujin Kai, and other longtime chapter volunteers.
• Masaoka Fellows, by Dr. Frank Sakamoto, page 8. Dr. Frank Sakamoto proposes honoring Mike Masaoka’s contributions to Japanese American civil rights by creating a new Thousand Club donor category called Mike Masaoka Fellows, requiring a $1,000 donation payable over five years. Additional higher donor tiers including Platinum, Ruby, and Sapphire are also proposed, with proceeds supporting JACL’s national operations.

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