The CWRIC redress recommendations, June 1983

Vol. 96, No. 24, June 24, 1983. 12 pages. View this issue

Redress filled this twelve-page issue. The Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians released its recommendations on June 16, and the paper laid them out in detail: one-time $20,000 payments to about 60,000 surviving former internees, a national apology, and five recommendations for Aleuts. Rep. Robert Matsui, Sen. Spark Matsunaga and Rep. Norman Mineta praised the work, and National JACL Headquarters said it was extremely pleased. A Q&A by the National JACL Committee for Redress answered common objections to redress and ran across pages 1, 9 and 10. Other pieces covered a study of economic losses and the Latin Americans deported to the United States.

Elsewhere, Katsumi Kunitsugu wrote about the changes in Little Tokyo, and Jim Okutsu criticized a Hearst press article on alleged espionage before Pearl Harbor. Michelle Stevens looked at Chicago’s Japanese American community. Several JACL chapters announced scholarship winners and guidelines, and the New York Chapter previewed its August convention. Bill Hosokawa’s retirement from the Denver Post was announced.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• Frequently Asked Questions about Redress, by Answers by the National JACL Committee for Redress, page 1. The National JACL Committee for Redress presents a Q&A explaining the basis for redress claims, detailing which Bill of Rights articles were violated by the WWII exclusion and detention of Japanese Americans. The piece continues on later pages addressing common objections to redress.
• CWRIC’s 11 Recommendations: $20,000 to Excludees, but Not Heirs, page 1. The Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians issued recommendations after nearly four years of study, calling for one-time $20,000 payments to roughly 60,000 surviving former internees but not to heirs of those who died. The report also recommended a national apology and other remedies, with five recommendations for Aleuts as well.
• WW2 Economic Losses Estimated to $6.2 Billion, page 1. A study conducted by ICF Inc. for the CWRIC estimated that Japanese Americans and resident aliens lost between $149 million and $370 million in 1945 dollars due to WWII exclusion and internment, which translates to as much as $6.2 billion in 1983 dollars when adjusted for inflation and interest. The analysis covered both property losses and net income losses suffered by roughly 88,000 adult detainees.
• Latin Americans: The Deportation and Internment Program, page 6. This lengthy CWRIC report excerpt details how approximately 3,000 Latin American residents, mostly of Japanese ancestry from Peru, were deported to the United States for internment during WWII under a program separate from Executive Order 9066. The piece traces the program’s origins in anti-Japanese prejudice in Peru, U.S. security concerns, and the complicated postwar process of determining internees’ fates, many of whom never returned home.
• CWRIC Transcripts Out on WW2 Nikkei Mental Health, page 8. The CWRIC released transcripts from a conference examining the long-term mental health effects of WWII relocation and internment on Japanese Americans, chaired by Dr. Frank Miyamoto. The conference aimed to identify research needs rather than reach firm conclusions, with a continuing committee established to develop further research.
• 11 Points: Commission Recommendations Detailed, page 8. This continuation details the CWRIC’s specific recommendations including presidential pardons for those convicted of violating curfew and exclusion orders, review of discriminatory military discharges, and establishment of a $1.5 billion redress fund. Commissioner Bill Marutani renounced personal compensation while the commission agreed no fund could fully compensate for the damage caused by exclusion and detention.
• Questions and Answers on Redress Continued, by Answers by the National JACL Committee for Redress, page 9. This continuation of the JACL redress Q&A addresses objections to redress, including arguments about military necessity, wartime hysteria, enemy alien status, and whether incarcerated children deserve redress. The piece cites historical precedent including German reparations and cases of civil rights violations to argue for the legitimacy of the redress campaign.
• Questions and Answers: Why So Long a Wait?, by Answers by the National JACL Committee for Redress, page 10. This continued Q&A segment explains the decades-long campaign for redress through legislative actions since 1942, including court challenges, property loss claims, and efforts to repeal discriminatory laws. The piece also addresses questions about compensating heirs, children, and draft resisters, emphasizing the severity of emotional damage requiring time to heal before confrontation with the government.
• Commission Recommendations: Aleuts and Final Points, page 12. The CWRIC recommendations include direct payments to surviving Aleuts evacuated from the Aleutians during WWII, restoration of damaged government property, and conveyance of native lands through Aleut corporations. Various community leaders including Harry Honda and Dr. John Kashiwabara offered mixed reactions to the redress recommendations.

National

• Matsui Lauds CWRIC for Outstanding Job, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Robert Matsui commended the CWRIC for documenting the WWII internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans, as the Commission’s recommendations were released June 16 for Congressional consideration. Sen. Spark Matsunaga and Rep. Norman Mineta also praised the Commission’s work and its proposed $20,000 per capita payment as symbolic apology.

In-Depth

• Chicago’s Japanese: Ethnic Identity Boils Away in Melting Pot, by Michelle Stevens, page 1. A feature reprinted from the Chicago Sun-Times examines the shrinking and assimilating Japanese American community in Chicago, noting declining language fluency, religious practice, and population numbers across generations. The piece includes interviews with community leaders about efforts to preserve Japanese culture through language schools, temples, and cultural centers amid rising intermarriage rates.
• In Little Tokyo, by Katsumi Kunitsugu, page 5. A reflective piece describes the dramatic transformation of Little Tokyo centered on the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center complex, including the James Irvine Japanese garden and the new Japan America Theatre. The article credits George J. Doizaki’s vision and the broader Japanese American community’s contributions for building a cultural home base that future generations can draw upon.

Community

• Top Omy Sign Given Little Tokyo Renewal, by Kashu Mainichi, page 2. Little Tokyo has been transformed through a successful collaboration between local residents, businessmen and the Community Redevelopment Agency, prompting new commercial, residential and tourist development. The article details numerous ongoing and planned projects including office buildings, condominiums, hotels, and preservation efforts for historic areas, while noting growing community concerns about controlling the scale of future growth.
• Kadomoto Named Honorary Consul General, page 2. Arizona community leader and JACLer Tom Kadomoto was elevated from honorary consul to honorary consul general of Japan at Phoenix, effective May 20, by decision of the Foreign Ministry. Japanese consul general Yoshifumi Matsuda praised Kadomoto’s distinguished service since 1977 in legal, economic, cultural and liaison affairs.
• Monterey JACLers Re-certified in CPR, page 5. Monterey Peninsula JACL members completed cardio-pulmonary resuscitation training through the Mid-Valley Fire Department, with 24 members re-certified for 1983-84. Nancy Nakajima has chaired the CPR training effort since the program began in 1979.
• Miss South Bay, page 5. Tracy Lynn Isawa, 22, a CSU-Long Beach business senior, was named 1983 Miss South Bay JACL. She is the daughter of Jack and Colette Isawa of North Torrance.
• Fowler JACLers Keep Busy in Spring, page 8. The Fowler, California JACL chapter held a community picnic attracting 150 people, hosted Judge Tony Ishii as a dinner speaker, and recognized longtime member Floyd Yosh Honda at the Fresno ALL-JACL 60th anniversary dinner. The chapter also awarded scholarships at Fowler High School’s commencement and participated in Nisei Memorial Day services.

Commentary

• Buying on Credit, page 4. A reflective column recalls the Nisei generation’s upbringing under strict Issei parental guidance against buying on credit for anything beyond necessities, contrasting this with farmers’ customary credit purchases of seeds and fertilizer. The author reflects on the balance between frugality instilled by immigrant parents and missed opportunities such as music or art lessons.
• Letters: Mitsue Takahashi Controversy, by Frances Kirihara, Mack Yamaguchi, page 4. Two letters to the editor discuss the controversy surrounding Mitsue Takahashi’s dismissal by the Livingston School District, with one writer supporting the School Board’s decision and the other expressing sorrow over the community division caused by the case. Both letters reflect on fairness and healing within the Livingston-Merced community.
• Grave Injustice of Another Kind, by Jim Okutsu, page 4. Jim Okutsu critiques a Hearst press article by Laurence McQuillan alleging Japanese American espionage activity before Pearl Harbor, arguing the piece is incomplete, sensationalized, and singles out Japanese Americans and blacks unfairly. He contends the article ignores broader context, including other ethnic groups’ involvement and the lack of any actual charges against Japanese Americans for espionage.

JACL

• JACL ‘Extremely Pleased’ with CWRIC Recommendations, page 4. National JACL Headquarters issued a statement expressing strong approval of the CWRIC’s recommendations for redress, including individual monetary compensation and a fund for educational and humanitarian purposes. The statement, announced by national director Ron Wakabayashi, calls on Congress to turn the recommendations into legislative action.
• Chapter Reviews Scholarship Guidelines, page 5. The Mid-Columbia JACL chapter in Hood River, Oregon, canceled its annual graduation banquet but adopted new scholarship guidelines requiring funds be used at accredited schools and disbursed in installments rather than lump sums. The chapter also debated eligibility rules tying scholarship recipients to JACL membership status of their parents.
• Carson JACL’s Scholarship Guidelines, page 5. Carson JACL chapter announced scholarship eligibility rules for graduating students, requiring proof of school acceptance and attendance at the scholarship picnic set for Sept. 11 at Dolphin Park. The entry deadline for applications is Aug. 15.
• NCWNP Awards Based on Achievement, page 5. The NC-WNP district council’s scholastic awards program, which carries no monetary prize but enhances academic records, requires a minimum 3.6 GPA from JACL members’ children. Entry deadline for the non-monetary recognition program was in June.
• ‘Making Our Move’ Theme of EDC-MDC Convention, page 5. The New York Chapter JACL will host the EDC-MDC Convention at the New York Sheraton Aug. 11-14, featuring national JACL president Floyd Shimomura and redress chair Min Yasui among the attendees. The convention will include workshops on redress communication and Asian Americans in the workplace, plus a Broadway theater party and dinner-dance.
• Seattle Awards Four Scholarships, page 5. Seattle JACL awarded $500 scholarships to Mary Ishii, Karen Kaminishi and Jeffery Paul Sakuma from the Minoru Tamesa and Rev. Emery Andrews Scholarship Funds. Each recipient is pursuing different academic paths including computer science, business and social work.
• West L.A. Scholarships Awarded, page 5. The West Los Angeles JACL held its 20th annual scholarship dinner at Yamato Restaurant, awarding $500 scholarships to five students including Kazuhiko Sano, Ann Takata, Kurt Eto, Edith Kaneshiro and Grace Make. Former recipients Dean Takeda and Gail Yamanaka shared their career progress since receiving earlier scholarships.

Military & Veterans

• Bill Hosokawa Retiring July 1, page 5. Denver Post publisher Lee J. Guittar announced that Bill Hosokawa, 68, will retire as editor of the editorial page effective July 1 after a 37-year career with the paper. Hosokawa began his career at The Post as a copy editor.

Obituaries

• Ken Asamoto, 55, page 8. Ken Asamoto, a Nikkei leader in the Cleveland community who headed structural engineering firm Asamoto-Shenberger & Associates, died June 12 at age 55. He is survived by his wife Hazel and four children.
• Tom Kitayama Jr., 34, page 8. Tom Kitayama Jr., son of Union City Mayor Tom Kitayama, was killed June 9 in a hang-glider accident near Dunlap when his glider collapsed in mid-air collision, causing him to fall 300 feet after failing to fully open his parachute. A graduate of Logan High School and UC Davis with a degree in horticulture, he is survived by his parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters.
• Harry Korematsu, 66, page 8. Harry Korematsu, president of Stonehurst & Wholesale Produce Inc. in San Mateo and a pioneer flower grower-shipper, died June 10 at age 66. He is survived by his wife Mari, son Gary, daughter Sharon Yee, and brothers Hiroshi, Fred and Joe.
• Herbert V. Nicholson, 91, page 8. Herbert V. Nicholson, a Quaker missionary who taught in Japan from 1915-1940 and later befriended and served the Japanese American community during and after WWII, died June 16 at age 91. JACL cited his dedication to Japanese American welfare in 1963, and he authored two autobiographical books about his experiences.

Sports

• Sansei Gymnast, page 12. Cheryl Kaneshiro of Silver Spring, Maryland, is one of three top gymnasts from the Rockville Gym Club shaping up for the 1984 Olympics, recognized as world-class on the uneven parallel bars. She qualified for elite competition after recovering from a fractured ankle sustained at the 1982 Junior National trials.

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.