Government moves to clear Fred Korematsu’s conviction; redress bill introduced

Vol. 97, No. 16, October 14, 1983. 8 pages. View this issue

The Justice Department’s motion to vacate Fred Korematsu’s wartime conviction led the front page of this issue. Korematsu had been arrested in 1942 for remaining in San Leandro, a “military area,” and the motion answered his petition for a writ of error coram nobis. A companion story on page 4 explored what the decision could mean for redress and the NCJAR class-action suit. The front page also reported that Majority Leader Jim Wright introduced the Civil Liberties Act of 1983 in the House with 72 co-sponsors, and that oral arguments were heard in the NCJAR lawsuit. Page 8 carried reactions from Minoru Yasui and Rep. Robert Matsui.

Elsewhere, Jane B. Kaihatsu and Dawn Narita reported on the EDC/MDC Convention in New York, and Alameda County passed an ordinance to compensate seven Japanese Americans who lost county jobs in 1942. Columns by Dr. Clifford Uyeda, Bill Hosokawa and John Saito appear on pages 4 and 5, and page 8 has a reminiscence of Nisei students at UC Berkeley.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• Government capitulates, clears Korematsu, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The U.S. Department of Justice filed a motion to vacate Fred Korematsu’s 1942 wartime conviction after evidence showed officials had suppressed and destroyed key evidence during his original case. Korematsu’s attorneys will not oppose the motion but will ask the court to issue findings of fact validating the CWRIC report’s conclusions.
• Wright Introduces House Redress Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Majority Leader Jim Wright introduced the Civil Liberties Act of 1983 in the House with 72 co-sponsors, establishing a $1.5 billion trust fund to pay $20,000 to each eligible Japanese American individual affected by internment. The bill also includes a congressional apology, a request for presidential pardons, and reparations for affected Aleuts.
• Class Action Lawsuit Argued in Washington, D.C. District Court, by P.C. Staff, page 1. NCJAR and the Department of Justice presented oral arguments over the government’s motion to dismiss NCJAR’s class-action lawsuit seeking damages for wartime exclusion and imprisonment. Judge Oberdorfer will review arguments before deciding whether the suit can proceed to trial.
• Korematsu Decision Effects Explored, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Government attorneys argued that past presidential and congressional actions rescinding EO 9066 and Public Law 503 make it inappropriate to defend Korematsu’s decades-old conviction. The decision could undercut the legal justification for internment and strengthen redress and NCJAR’s class-action lawsuit, though it does not directly affect the Supreme Court’s 1944 ruling or the Hirabayashi and Yasui cases.
• HR 4110 Bill Hailed by JACL, Americans for Personal Justice, by P.C. Staff, page 8. JACL redress committee chair Minoru Yasui and Americans for Personal Justice chair Dr. Arthur Flemming praised the introduction of the Civil Liberties Act of 1983 as a significant step toward redressing wartime injustices. Rep. Robert Matsui called it the beginning of renewed efforts after 40 years of struggle.

JACL

• Japan Chapter Gears Up for National JACL Delegation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL’s Japan Chapter is preparing for a delegation visit including meetings with Japanese government officials, a press conference, and television coverage. The visit will include stops in Kyoto, Nara, and Meiji-mura, and the chapter will host welcome and farewell events.
• EDC/MDC Convention Notes: An MDC View, by Jane B. Kaihatsu, page 4. The EDC/MDC Convention in New York focused on redress strategy, U.S./Japan relations, and Asian stereotypes, with JACL leaders stressing the crucial role of the districts’ congressional representatives. New Midwest District officers were elected and several members received national recognition for service, including a citation for work on the Vincent Chin case.
• EDC-MDC Convention (3): Youth Activities, by Dawn Narita, page 5. Youth attendees at the EDC/MDC Convention in New York toured the city and participated in workshops on internment history education and JACL’s past, present and future. Discussions focused on strategies to educate others about redress and combat inaccurate textbook coverage of internment.

Community

• Alameda County Passes Nisei Employee Reparation, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Alameda County passed an ordinance to compensate seven Japanese Americans who lost county jobs due to internment in 1942. The ordinance grants up to $5,000 per terminated employee and includes a memorial ceremony planned for Day of Remembrance in February 1984.
• Education Group Seeks Presentors, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A national association is seeking presenters for a conference on global/international education to be held in New Orleans in May 1984. Topics include inclusion of Asian Pacific American history and culture in school curricula.
• Amerasians Go on Houston Air, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Pacifica radio station KPFT in Houston premiered an English-language community program called Houston’s Amerasian Network. JACL president Dan Watanabe praised the show as giving Nikkei community a new voice.
• Fort Lupton JACLer Picked Extension Homemaker of Year, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Misaye Uno of Fort Lupton JACL was named Colorado Extension Homemaker of the Year for her community leadership work. Uno, a former Sonoma County resident interned at Amache, helped secure funding for a new family community leadership project.
• Ethnic History Sought by Center, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sacramento History Center received a $30,000 grant to survey major ethnic groups in the local area under historian Dr. Joseph Pitti. Japanese Americans wishing to contribute to the project can contact the center.
• Impact of Internment on Health to Be Discussed, by P.C. Staff, page 4. San Diego JACL and UCSD will host a forum on the health and mental health impact of Japanese American internment on November 5. Speakers include physicians and psychiatrists who experienced or studied the relocation camps.
• San Jose Redress Forum Outlines Grassroots Action, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A San Jose forum titled ‘Working for Redress/Reparations: The Next Step’ updated attendees on legislative redress actions, featuring speakers from JACL and the Nihonmachi Outreach Committee. A slide show on the internment experience was also presented at the Buddhist Church event.
• Singles Chapter Plans Nat’l Confab, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Greater L.A. Singles Chapter met to organize plans for the national JACL singles convention to be held Memorial Day Weekend 1984. The chapter also reminded members of an ongoing divorce support group meeting Tuesdays in El Segundo.

Commentary

• Cliff’s Corner: Big Mountain People, by Dr. Clifford Uyeda, page 4. Uyeda discusses the Navajo-Hopi land dispute and Navajo Chairman Peterson Zah’s efforts to negotiate a land exchange compromise rather than seek total repeal of Public Law 93-531. The column also covers construction of the Turquoise Trail highway as a joint Navajo-Hopi project and criticizes the appointment of a non-Indian as associate solicitor for Indian affairs.
• From the Frying Pan: A Matter of Self-Identity, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa discusses a letter from sociology professor Motoko Yasuda Lee arguing that Japanese Americans should resist defining themselves with ethnic modifiers to avoid perpetuating minority status. He shares her view that minorities must shake off a minority mentality and insist on equal treatment.
• From Pacific Southwest: A Fitting Tribute, by John Saito, page 5. Over 500 people attended a testimonial dinner honoring Dr. Mitsuo Inouye for his combined professional and community service in Venice. Speakers recounted his life story and character through anecdotes and an analogy comparing him to a ‘backbone’ of the community.

National

• Inquiring Photographer, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A survey of New Yorkers asked whether the government should pay compensation to surviving Japanese Americans detained in camps during WWII, with most respondents saying yes. Some respondents and a Michigan woman expressed differing views on whether monetary compensation decades later was appropriate.
• Hiroshima Peace Group Plans Ad Campaign to Invite Reagan, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A Hiroshima peace group is planning a full-page newspaper ad in the Washington Post urging President Reagan to visit the city during his November trip to Japan. The campaign, inspired by American residents in Japan, needs about $32,000 and includes a quote from Pope John Paul II about remembering Hiroshima.

In-Depth

• When Psychiatry Was Free, page 8. A reminiscence recounts prewar bull sessions among Nisei students at UC Berkeley, including Charlie Kikuchi, James Sakoda, Warren Tsuneishi, Kenny Murase and Tom Shibutani, who discussed their uncertain futures before and after Pearl Harbor. The piece traces how evacuation scattered the group, with most going on to distinguished academic careers across the country.

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