Vincent Chin case, redress plans and the Peru Nikkei conference

Vol. 96, No. 23, June 17, 1983. 8 pages. View this issue

The Vincent Chin case ran through this issue. Rep. Norman Mineta and other California congressmen asked the Attorney General to look at it, Detroit Judge Charles Kaufman said he could not alter the probation sentences, and a national day of remembrance for Chin was planned in Los Angeles. The front page also reported that JACL would send representatives to the Pan American Nikkei Conference in Lima despite a state of emergency in Peru. Little Tokyo leaders learned that two nearby sites had been briefly considered for a federal prison before the funding request was rejected.

Bill Hosokawa visited Powell, Wyoming, for a lecture on the history of Heart Mountain, and the redress committee set a July 8 session to evaluate CWRIC recommendations. Columns by Gail Tagashira, Bill Marutani and Dr. Clifford Uyeda appear, along with JACL chapter news and scholarship awards from Solano, San Jose and San Diego.

What’s in this issue

National

• PANA Convention in Lima Unaffected by ‘Emergency’, page 1. JACL confirmed it will send official representatives to the Pan American Nikkei Conference in Lima despite a declared state of emergency in Peru. Discussions with PANA and Peruvian Nikkei Assn. leaders indicated the emergency, caused by a bombed tower in a remote area, would not affect the convention or participant safety.
• Nakasone Surprised to Hear ‘Gunkan March’ at US Welcome, page 1. At the Williamsburg economic summit, Japanese Prime Minister Nakasone was surprised to hear the pre-WW2 Japanese naval tune ‘Gunkan March’ played during his welcome, with US and Japanese officials disputing who requested it. The summit also saw US State Department material critical of Japan’s economic policies removed after protests from Japan’s ambassador.
• West Coast Congressmen Urge Attorney General to Check Chin Case, page 1. Rep. Norman Mineta and other California congressmen asked US Attorney General William French Smith to give personal attention to the Vincent Chin case, in which two men received only probation for Chin’s manslaughter death. The FBI has begun investigating possible civil rights violations in the case.
• Judge Kaufman: ‘Can’t Alter Sentences’, page 1. Detroit Judge Charles Kaufman ruled he lacks authority to overturn his probation sentencing of two men who killed Vincent Chin, citing legal precedent that a judge cannot vacate a valid sentence. The American Citizens for Justice group vowed to appeal, arguing Kaufman’s sentencing was based on misinformation.
• Hollywood Producer Mistakes Hiroshima Peace Monument, page 2. A National Enquirer story revealed that ‘Ripley’s Believe It or Not’ producer Mel Stuart was detained by Japanese officials after urinating on the Hiroshima War Memorial, mistaking it for a wall, while filming in Hiroshima. He was ordered to leave the country before extensive apologies allowed filming to continue.
• New U.S.-Japan Commission Formed, page 2. President Reagan established a seven-member Presidential Commission on the Conduct of U.S.-Japan Relations headed by David Packard to develop long-term policy recommendations between the two nations. A parallel Japanese commission led by Nobuhiko Ushiba will work alongside it, succeeding the earlier ‘Wisemen’s Group.’
• Record Loss Told, page 2. Japan Air Lines reported a $112.8 million operational loss in fiscal year 1982, its biggest yet in its 32-year history.
• U.S. Atomic Bomb Death Toll: 151,689, page 2. A three-year Hiroshima city government survey released the confirmed death toll from the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima at 151,689. English-language Tokyo newspapers apparently did not report the story.
• Vincent Chin ‘Day of Remembrance’, page 3. A national day of remembrance for Vincent Chin was planned in Los Angeles featuring a mass rally at City Hall with speakers including California Secretary of State March Fong Eu and Monterey Park Mayor pro-tem Lilly Chen. A public march preceded the rally, part of nationwide efforts following the controversial sentencing of Chin’s killers.
• Californians Invite Japan Plane Designer, page 3. Aircraft parts collectors Frank Taylor and Clifford Cummings invited Professor Takeo Doi, who designed the WW2-era Ki.61 Swallow fighter aircraft, to help decipher rare Japanese blueprints in Chino, California. Doi directed the plane’s design in December 1940 and the aircraft was later tested by U.S. air intelligence.
• L.A. Group Slated in Two Peru Workshops, page 5. Two PANA workshops in Lima will include Los Angeles participants, with KNBC news anchor Tritia Toyota assisting with a communications seminar and Dr. Kiyoshi Sonoda helping with a dental workshop. Approximately 25 people had registered with the PSWDC-sponsored group as of June 9, while over 60 registered through National JACL in San Francisco.
• Hayakawa Papers, page 6. Former Senator S.I. Hayakawa announced he will place his collection of papers covering his six-year senatorial career (1977-1983) at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.

Community

• L.A. County Agency Head May Be Anti-Nikkei Biased, page 1. A coalition of community groups including APLDF and JACL is supporting Dr. Ford Kuramoto, a Sansei L.A. County mental health administrator who received punitive action over a billing delay while a Caucasian colleague in a similar situation was not punished. A delegation plans to meet with county supervisors to resolve the grievance.
• OJA Confab in ’85, page 1. The 1985 meeting of the Overseas Japanese Assn. will be held in Honolulu to coincide with the centennial of Japanese contract immigration to Hawaii. Conferences are normally held in Tokyo.
• Federal Prison Near Little Tokyo Rejected, page 1. Community leaders in Little Tokyo were alarmed to learn two sites near the neighborhood were briefly considered for a federal prison before a House Appropriations subcommittee rejected the $40-million funding request. Rep. Edward Roybal and Judge Laughlin Waters had both opposed a downtown jail and identified alternate sites away from Little Tokyo.
• Chol Soo Lee Defense Fund Reception, page 1. A fundraising reception for the Chol Soo Lee Defense Committee will be held July 2 at the VIP Palace Restaurant in Los Angeles to support his trial in Stockton. Lee will be the guest of honor.
• Hibakusha Research, page 2. A Hiroshima medical team examining atomic bomb survivors (Hibakusha) in the U.S. visited Los Angeles before continuing to Seattle, Honolulu, and back to Japan. An estimated 1,000 victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings live in the United States.
• Sansei Wins Idaho Seed Board Seat, page 2. Pat Takasugi, a 33-year-old Sansei farmer from Wilder, Idaho, was elected by over 550 seed growers to represent them on the Idaho Crop Improvement Association Board. He operates over 350 irrigated acres and is active in the Idaho Farm Bureau and Snake River JACL.
• Tacoma Sansei Cited as Newsmakers, page 2. Janice Yoshiwara and Gregory Mizukami, two Sansei from the Puyallup Valley JACL area, were named among the 50 ‘Newsmakers of Tomorrow’ in Pierce County by a Time Magazine-affiliated program. Yoshiwara works in education at Fort Steilacoom Community College while Mizukami operates a family greenhouse business.
• Vision ’80s Fund Raisers Hailed, page 3. Lily Abiko and Katherine Sakai were recognized for raising the most funds in the community gifts section of the Vision ’80s Development Campaign for the Japanese Cultural and Community Center in San Francisco. The capital funds campaign had reached $561,249 toward its $3 million goal as of May 31.
• Nikkei Day at Candlestick July 30, page 3. Japanese American Day with the San Francisco Giants is scheduled for July 30, featuring performances and an award presentation to Giants pitcher Atlee Hammaker. Nisei Week Blossom Queen Lisa Inouye will attend and the Nisei VFW color guard will open the festivities.
• L.A. Rotary Elects Tanaka, page 3. Togo W. Tanaka was elected president of the Los Angeles Rotary, the fifth largest among Rotary International’s 20,000 clubs, with installation scheduled for June 24. Tanaka is a longtime West L.A. JACL 1000 Clubber and chairman of Gramercy Enterprises.
• New Units Organized for JACCC Fund, page 3. A special Little Tokyo Task Force was organized by Carl M. Tamaki to boost the 1983 Capital Fund Drive for the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, which has raised $1,150,000 to date. Multiple teams led by community leaders including Takeo Taiyoshi, Frances Hashimoto, and Ruth Fukui are working to complete the fundraising.
• Three L.A. Nikkei to Be Cited for Service, page 3. Paul Chikara Takeda, Rev. Howard Toriumi, and Dr. Mitsuo Inouye will be honored for community service at the fourth annual Little Tokyo Service Center awards dinner July 8 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Each honoree has a long history of community leadership including work with the Japanese Community Pioneer Center and health initiatives for A-bomb survivors.
• Contra Costa Launches JACL Building Project Fund Drive, page 5. Contra Costa JACL is launching a building project fund drive to create the first JACL chapter building in the East Bay region, serving as a meeting place, office, archive, and community focal point. Phase One asks all chapter members to pledge toward the building fund, led by Ben Takeshita and Natsuko Irei.
• 3rd Annual Omatsuri on June 26, page 6. The New Mexico JACL’s third annual Omatsuri festival will be held June 26 at Civic Plaza in Albuquerque, honoring veterans including Korean War Medal of Honor winner Hershey Miyamura. The event features martial and cultural arts performances, a 442nd photo exhibit, and food from various community organizations.
• Carson Fireworks Booth Opens June 30, page 6. Carson JACL’s biggest annual fundraiser, a fireworks booth, will operate for five days starting June 30 through July 4 at 438 W. Carson St.
• Over 200 Join Greater L.A. Singles, page 8. Greater L.A. Singles JACL, formed earlier in the year, has grown to over 200 members and will hold a dinner meeting June 17 at Sambi’s Restaurant. The group also announced a divorce support group meeting on Tuesdays.
• San Diego Bowling Tournament Slated, page 8. In recognition of San Diego JACL’s Golden Anniversary, the chapter is sponsoring a Pacific Southwest District Men and Women Singles’ Bowling Tournament on July 23 at Frontier Lanes. The tournament will be sanctioned by the ABC and WIBC with proceeds benefiting the PSW District scholarship fund.
• Vacationland, page 8. The Alameda Buddhist Temple will hold its vacationland carnival-bazaar June 25-26, organized by James Komatsu.

Sports

• San Jose Wins Jr. Olympics Title by 2 Points Over Tri-City, by Steve Okamoto, page 1. San Jose JACL won the 31st annual Jr. Olympics track meet at Chabot College by two points over runner-up Tri-City, with over 350 participants competing in 90-degree heat. Kate Van Eeghan and David Fukuda each won four events and set records in their respective divisions.

Obituaries

• Graphic Artist Mas Nakagawa, 64, page 2. Commercial artist and graphic designer Mas Nakagawa died May 24 after a massive heart attack, just after celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary with wife Tsune. A 442nd veteran with a Silver Star, he was active in Chicago JACL and designed logos for many community groups.
• Komika Kunitomi, 94, page 2. Komika Kunitomi, a naturalized citizen and Little Tokyo pioneer resident, died July 10 at Keiro Nursing Home. She is survived by several sons, a daughter, and multiple grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Military & Veterans

• VA Observes APA Heritage Week, page 2. Veterans Administration facilities nationwide participated in activities celebrating Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week in May, with VA Administrator Harry N. Walters calling on employees to recognize the contributions of Asian and Pacific Americans. A Washington display highlighted the exploits of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and Military Intelligence Service.

Commentary

• A Different Light: Focus on Women – Survival, by Gail Tagashira, page 4. The author recounts a conversation with her brother, an urban planner, about California cities’ contingency evacuation plans in case of a major earthquake, revealing a disturbing priority system favoring government officials, doctors, and young healthy women over artists, the elderly, and children. She reflects wryly on where she and her artistic friends might rank in such a survival scenario.
• East Wind: Then and Now, by Bill Marutani, page 4. The columnist reflects on the reserved nature of affection between Nisei parents and their children, recalling his own childhood experience hugging his mother and later raising his own daughters with quiet but deep care. He notes Nisei parents often showed concern through actions rather than words, including careful vetting of daughters’ boyfriends.
• Sansei Discriminated in Land of Her Ancestors, page 4. A letter from Sansei Marion Iwasaki published in the Japan Times described being told that an English teaching position in Japan was only hiring ‘white Americans,’ despite her qualifications and experience. She describes repeated instances of apparent racial discrimination in job interviews based on her Japanese surname and appearance.
• Letters: Women (4th Round), by M. Yamanaka Iseke, page 4. The writer responds sharply to a previous letter from Ozzie Imai, criticizing his characterization of women’s experiences and declining to continue the exchange. She asserts that as a woman she should be the judge of who qualifies as a liberated male.
• Why the JACL, by Tom Arima, page 4. The letter writer praises JACL as a unique, multi-purpose organization serving the Nikkei community’s welfare, civil rights, and other needs, respected by governments in the US, Japan, and beyond. He emphasizes the pride of being part of such an important organization.
• White Teachers Only, by Marion L. Iwasaki, page 4. In this Japan Times letter, Sansei English teacher Marion Iwasaki details repeated discrimination in Japan when seeking teaching positions, with schools favoring white applicants despite her qualifications and experience. She describes the irony and pain of being discriminated against in the land of her ancestors.
• The Frying Pan: Big Horn Basin, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa visits Powell, Wyoming, where Northwest Community College hosted a lecture on the history of Heart Mountain, the WWII incarceration camp that once stood nearby and whose evacuees’ labor made the local farmland productive. Few traces of the camp remain, but a memorial park and new highway sign now mark the site, and the lecture emphasized that such injustice must never happen again in America.
• Cliff’s Corner: PSR, by Dr. Clifford Uyeda, page 8. Uyeda reports on the annual meeting of Physicians for Social Responsibility, where physicians strengthened their commitment to preventing nuclear war and combating complacency about the threat. The group emphasized both educational and political action, aiming to expose civil defense as illusory and promote earnest diplomacy over arms buildup.

Incarceration & Redress

• Redress Committee Slates July 8 Evaluation Session, page 5. The National JACL Committee for Redress will convene in San Francisco on July 8 to evaluate CWRIC recommendations and propose a position for the National JACL Board. The committee is seeking contacts nationwide, especially east of the Pacific Coast, to help advance redress legislation in Congress.
• So. Californians Support Redress, page 6. Jerrie Tsuruta remitted $1,100 in contributions supporting the National JACL Redress effort, soliciting donations from various Southern California businesses and individuals. Min Yasui, chairman of the National JACL Redress Committee, expressed appreciation to her and the contributors.

JACL

• Nikkei in Midwest, by Jane B. Kaihatsu, page 6. The Midwest District Council spring meeting hosted by Cleveland Chapter focused on the theme ‘The Nikkei Community—Is It a Myth?’ with reports on redress efforts, youth activities, and a $100 donation to Vincent Chin legal efforts. Tom Okawara and Colin Hara of Chicago received the Human Rights Committee’s Person of the Year Award for their work on a discrimination case.
• Solano Awards $300 Scholarships, by Emi Ichikawa, page 6. Michelle Tanaka and Dean Sadanaga each received $300 Solano JACL Scholarships at the June chapter meeting. Tanaka plans to study engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo while Sadanaga will attend the U.S. Naval Academy.
• Olympia Charter Night Set, page 6. Olympia JACL will achieve official chapter status July 1, becoming the 10th member of the Pacific Northwest District Council, with Ted Masumoto Jr. as charter president. A charter night banquet on July 9 will feature the presentation of the chapter banner from parent organization Puyallup Valley JACL.
• 10 San Jose Scholars Win Awards, by Phil Matsumura, page 6. San Jose JACL awarded ten scholarships at a potluck dinner at Wesley United Methodist Church, with recipients including Paul Endo and Alex Fukui receiving named memorial awards. Monica Urata and Paul Endo also shared their experiences from the Presidential Classroom for Young Americans program in Washington D.C.
• Braille to Reproduce ‘JACL Story’, page 8. Bill Hosokawa’s book ‘JACL in Quest of Justice,’ chronicling the 50-year history of the Japanese American Citizens League, has been approved for publication by the Braille Institute of America. Hosokawa’s earlier book ‘Nisei, the Quiet American’ was also previously recorded for the sightless.
• Kubokawa Addresses S.D. Scholars, page 8. Charles Kubokawa, a NASA human factor and systems engineer, addressed the 26th annual San Diego JACL scholarship awards banquet, where 17 scholarships totaling $5,300 were awarded to local students. James Yamate chaired the scholarship committee.

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