The CWRIC report summarized, and the Vincent Chin sentencing debate

Vol. 96, No. 22, June 10, 1983. 12 pages. View this issue

The wartime incarceration (often called internment) and the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians report took center stage. A 10,000-word summary of the commission’s findings ran across the inside pages. It said the exclusion and detention were driven by racism, war hysteria and failed political leadership, not military necessity. Redress news also covered Canada’s first steps toward compensation, and Rep. Norman Y. Mineta’s objection to Harvard naming a scholarship after John J. McCloy. The Vincent Chin case drew an ACLU analysis of the sentencing and a response from Judge Charles Kaufman.

Also inside: the 1980 census count of Americans claiming Japanese ancestry, and Orange County’s seventh straight Nisei Relays win. Chuck Kubokawa wrote about his trip to Lima, Bill Hosokawa on Denver’s Memorial Day service, and a columnist on the loyalty questions put to Tule Lake internees. Helen Mineta Himeno described how the JACL scholarship winners were chosen, and eight people were named to the first Washington Leadership Program.

What’s in this issue

National

• 1980 Census Says: 791,275 U.S. Residents Claim Japanese as Ethnic Background, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A breakdown of U.S. ancestry data from the 1980 census shows 791,275 residents claimed Japanese ancestry, distinct from the 700,747 reported by race in 1982 census figures. The article presents comparative statistics for various Asian and Pacific ethnic populations.
• L.A. County Spent $344,039 for Dr. Noguchi Hearings, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A final expense report revealed Los Angeles County spent $344,039 on Civil Service Commission hearings to demote coroner Dr. Thomas T. Noguchi, most of which went to the county-hired attorney. Noguchi, unsuccessful in regaining his post, plans to pursue the matter in court and is writing a book about his findings on celebrity deaths.
• ACLU Blames Prosecution in Chin Case for Light Sentencing, by Special to the Pacific Citizen, page 1. A Detroit ACLU legal analysis found the real failure in the Vincent Chin case was the prosecutor’s failure to fully inform Judge Charles Kaufman before his controversial decision to sentence Chin’s killers to fines and probation. The analysis suggested the prosecutor should have given the judge complete facts after accepting the reduced manslaughter plea.
• Mineta Urges Harvard to Avoid Citing McCloy, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Norman Y. Mineta called on Harvard University to reverse its decision to name a scholarship after John J. McCloy, the WW2 assistant secretary of war who oversaw Japanese American internment. Mineta argued that honoring McCloy, who has never apologized for his role, insults internment survivors and all Americans who believe in equal justice.
• ACLU/Chin: Continued Analysis of Sentencing, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The continuation details ACLU attorney Edward Wise’s findings that the prosecutor’s statements contradicted witness testimony, and that the sentences created an impression that the law confers a license to murder Chinese Americans. Detroit JACL contributed $1,000 to American Citizens for Justice and urged chapters nationwide to support the cause.

Sports

• Orange County Wins Relays for Seventh Consecutive Time, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Orange County JACL won the 1983 Nisei Relays at Santa Ana College for the seventh straight year, with Gardena Valley taking three division titles. The 32nd annual event was co-chaired by Carrie Okamura and Russell Hiroto, though participation was down from previous years.
• NCWN Swim Meet at Davis July 17, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Sacramento JACL will host the NCWN swim meet on July 17 at Davis Community Park pool with 58 events scheduled. The meet is open to U.S./Pacific Swimming members and non-members affiliated with or sponsored by JACL.

Incarceration & Redress

• Canada Looks at WW2 Removal and Redress, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Canadian government is quietly taking initial steps toward possible compensation for Japanese-Canadians detained and stripped of property during WWII. Justice Minister MacGuigan confirmed exchanges of letters with Japanese-Canadian leaders, with formal negotiations expected around a September conference planned by the National Association of Japanese Canadians.
• Youth Crab Feed Nets $378 for Redress Fund, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Proceeds of $378 from a Sonoma Youth crab feed are being donated to the redress fund as part of Sonoma County JACL’s pledge. The brief notes the fundraising contribution toward the broader redress campaign.
• CWRIC Report: A 10,000-Word Summary, by P.C. Staff, page 6. This extensive summary of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians’ report details the Commission’s findings that the WWII exclusion and detention of Japanese Americans was not justified by military necessity but driven by racism, war hysteria, and failed political leadership. The report also examines parallel treatment of Aleuts and German Americans for comparison, concluding both suffered injustice without adequate justification.
• Canadians: B.C. Committee Recommends Funding and Apology, by P.C. Staff, page 10. A British Columbia advisory committee recommended the provincial government fund cultural and retirement centers for Japanese Canadians and apologize without waiting to be asked for wartime treatment. The National Association of Japanese Canadians called the report a pleasant surprise, marking the first time a non-Japanese-Canadian group took such a strong stance on redress.
• Redress Panelists Discuss Issue on KNXT Talk Show, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Four panelists appeared on a KNXT TV talk show hosted by Anna Bernal to discuss Japanese American redress, including Thomas Shigekuni, Joyce Okinaka, Angus Macbeth, and Miya Iwataki. The panel represented various redress organizations including the CWRIC and National Coalition for Redress and Reparations.

Community

• Wong Loses in Phila. Elections, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Nick Wong finished 17th among 57 candidates in his first bid for an at-large Philadelphia city council seat. He said he learned enough from the campaign to run again and hopes to help build Asian American political strength in the city.
• People in the News, by P.C. Staff, page 2. This roundup covers notable Japanese Americans including Sadae Iwataki receiving the 1983 E. Manfred Evans Award for adult education, Dr. Koichi Masubuchi’s NASA space welding proposal acceptance, and several academic and business appointments. Also mentioned are Ann Kawase’s hospital appointment and Chia-Wei Woo being named president of San Francisco State University.
• Pix Workshop by Nagatani Slated, by P.C. Staff, page 2. JACCC artist-in-residence Patrick Nagatani is offering a second photography workshop focused on portraiture at JACCC and JCI locations. Enrollment is limited to 10 and requires prior photography experience with participants bringing samples and a 35mm camera.
• We Are One Meets, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Financial adviser Ruth McHale will speak at the next We Are One club meeting in Gardena on June 11 at Union Federal S&L. The brief notice announces the time and location of the event.
• 7-Up’s Festival to Run June 18-26, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The 1983 Japanese Festival sponsored by The Seven-Up Co. will run for nine days at Shaw’s Garden in the Missouri Botanical Gardens, having begun in the mid-70s as a local JACL event. St. Louis JACLer George Sakaguchi noted the Japanese Garden site was originally seeded with JACL funding and designed by UCLA professor Koichi Kawana.
• San Francisco Preps for Demo Convention in ’84 / Kashiwagi Play Set as JADC Benefit, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Hiroshi Kashiwagi’s play ‘Love Oak Store’ will be staged as a benefit followed by a wine and cheese party. The play depicts the Wakayama family running a store in California’s Central Valley during the 1930s, confronting anti-Japanese town leaders fearful of foreigners.
• Bowers Museum Japanese Council Sponsors Photo Day, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Japanese American Council at Bowers Museum in Santa Ana is hosting a Photo Day on June 12 seeking pre-World War II photographs of Japanese Americans in Orange County for a pictorial history project. A professional photographer will duplicate photos on-site with help from Cal State Fullerton’s oral history department.
• Stockton Presents Nine Scholarships, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Stockton JACL will award nine scholarships to graduating high school students and two San Joaquin Delta College Foreign Student scholarships at a June 12 luncheon. Recipients include students from Lincoln, Tokay, Franklin, Edison, St. Mary’s, and Linden high schools.
• N.Y. Scholarship Dinner June 18, by P.C. Staff, page 10. The Japanese American Association of New York and local JACL will hold their annual scholarship dinner on June 18 at the Sheraton Hotel. Reservations were requested by June 15 through named contacts.
• Sonoma County’s Picnic on June 26, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Sonoma County’s community picnic will be held on Sunday, June 26 at Howarth Park. The brief notice provides the date and location of the annual event.

Commentary

• Judge Kaufman Responds to Criticism on Vincent Chin Sentencing, by Charles Kaufman, page 4. Presiding Judge Charles Kaufman defends his sentencing decision in the Vincent Chin case, explaining Michigan’s sentencing philosophy of tailoring punishment to the offender rather than solely the crime. He denies that racism motivated his decision while expressing sorrow for the anguish caused to Chin’s family.
• Questions 27 and 28, page 4. A Philadelphia-based columnist reflects on the infamous loyalty questions 27 and 28 posed to Tule Lake internees, acknowledging he once harbored disdain for those who answered ‘no-no’ but now has profound respect for their courage. He admits uncertainty about how he himself would have responded had he been imprisoned there.
• Letters: ‘Crime’ of 1942, by Torben Retboll, page 4. A reader from Denmark challenges newspaper editorials that characterized the WWII internment as merely a ‘mistake,’ citing historical evidence of deliberate racist motives behind the forced removal. He argues the Munson Report proves officials knew there was no actual Japanese security threat before ordering the internment.
• Letters: Takahashi Case, by Chizu Iiyama, page 4. A Women’s Concern Committee member criticizes the JACL Tri-District Conference for tabling a motion to support Mitsuye Takahashi’s fair trial fund without allowing discussion. She questions whether gender bias or political factors influenced the decision and urges National JACL to reaffirm commitment to a fair hearing for Takahashi.
• Letters: Justice at Last?, by Marshall Sumida, page 4. A San Francisco reader argues that the Japanese American wartime cases set a dangerous constitutional precedent, comparing it to Watergate as an extension of unchecked government overreach. He calls for full accountability and warns against letting monetary redress debates distract from the core issue of justice.

Military & Veterans

• From the Frying Pan: Let Us Never Forget, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa reflects on Denver’s 37th annual Memorial Day service and the 20th anniversary of the Nisei War Memorial honoring 81 Japanese Americans who died in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. He emphasizes that their sacrifice helped secure the future and acceptance of Japanese Americans in the U.S. mainstream.

In-Depth

• Mission to Lima, by Chuck Kubokawa, page 5. National JACL Vice President Chuck Kubokawa recounts his four-day trip to Peru to gather details on the upcoming Pan American Nikkei Convention (PANA) in Lima, detailing the convention program, logistics, and cultural customs. He describes meetings with PANA leaders, a lively Carnival celebration, and visits to Inca ruins and local Nikkei community members.

JACL

• JACL Washington D.C. Leadership Program Appointees Announced, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Eight Japanese Americans have been selected for the inaugural National JACL Washington, D.C. Leadership Program running June 19-25, aimed at developing future JACL leaders. Participants include B.J. Watanabe, Stanley Shikuma, Lon Hatamiya, Gene Sekiya, John Nakahata, Laurie Noda, Judy Niizawa, and Randy Fujimoto, each representing different district councils.
• Scholarships: National JACL Committees Select Winners, by Helen Mineta Himeno, page 10. National JACL scholarship committees under J.D. Hokoyama’s leadership faced difficult decisions selecting just 14 recipients from 50 highly qualified finalists for undergraduate awards. A separate graduate committee chaired by Dr. Bob Suzuki reviewed extensive creative and academic submissions, with the author also previewing the upcoming Washington Leadership program and praising a milestone Women’s Issues workshop at the Reno Tri-District meeting.

Arts & Entertainment

• James Imahara: Son of Immigrants, by Harry Honda, page 10. A review of a new book recounting the personal story of Florin JACL charter member James Imahara, whose family of 10 was evacuated to Arkansas in 1942 before settling in Louisiana after the war. The book is noted as one of the few first-person Nisei histories published, encouraged by Imahara’s daughter.

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