Onizuka’s delayed flight and the Korematsu hearing date

Vol. 97, No. 18, October 28, 1983. 8 pages. View this issue

The front page carried news of Ellison Onizuka, the Hawaii-born astronaut whose November shuttle mission was scrubbed after eight months of training, with a possible new flight next July. Beside it were Reagan’s planned Nov. 9-10 visit to Japan and a reset hearing date: on Nov. 10, Judge Marilyn Hall Patel will hear the Justice Department’s motion to vacate Fred Korematsu’s wartime conviction. Inside, the Pacific Citizen ran Sumi Kobayashi’s report on a JACL workshop that trained volunteers to speak about redress, an extract of redress bill HR 4110, and an editorial on the Korematsu, Yasui and Hirabayashi convictions. It also reported that the immigration bill collapsed in the House.

Bill Hosokawa’s column profiles Ken Iwamasa, a Nisei artist born at Manzanar who became an expert fly-fisherman. Richard Imon wrote about his family’s 80 years in America. Chapter notices on pages 6 and 8 include redress fundraisers, among them a dance, a spaghetti and crab feed and a gift sale.

What’s in this issue

National

• Nikkei Astronaut: Major Onizuka’s Flight Into Space Delayed to July ’84, page 1. Ellison Onizuka, the first Japanese American astronaut candidate in NASA’s program, had his November shuttle mission scrubbed after eight months of training, with a possible rescheduling to next July. Onizuka discussed his Hawaii upbringing, his lack of exposure to discrimination until attending college in Colorado, and his belief that NASA did not select him merely as a publicity tool.
• Reagan’s Japan Visit Scheduled, page 1. Japanese government officials announced that President Reagan will hold two rounds of talks with Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone during his Nov. 9-10 visit to Japan. The visit will focus on security, defense, and economic ties, with Reagan also addressing the Diet before departing for South Korea.
• Record High 39% in Japan Selects U.S. for ‘Closest Ties’, page 1. A Tokyo survey found a record 39% of Japanese respondents favor the closest ties with the United States, while most feel distant from the Soviet Union and view bilateral relations as not good. The poll also touched on South Korea’s relative remoteness and Japanese attitudes toward economic aid to developing nations.
• Hearing Date for Korematsu Reset, page 1. Judge Marilyn Hall Patel of the federal district court will hear the Justice Department’s motion to vacate Fred Korematsu’s wartime conviction on Nov. 10. Korematsu’s attorneys will respond to the government’s motion at the public hearing in San Francisco.
• Cranston Drafts Planks for Platform on Asian Americans, page 1. Sen. Alan Cranston became the first presidential candidate to formally recognize Asian Pacific American needs in his campaign platform, after reviewing a position paper from Asian Americans for Cranston. His platform includes commitments on education, employment, housing, immigration, refugee resettlement, and accurate census data for Asian Americans.
• Immigration Bill Collapses in House, page 4. The immigration bill that had passed the Senate in May collapsed in the House after Speaker Thomas P. O’Neill announced it would not reach the floor this session. JACL had opposed certain provisions of the bill.

In-Depth

• Nine-Volume Encyclopedia on Japan Published in English, page 1. Kodansha published a nine-volume English-language encyclopedia of Japan after a 12-year project involving 1,300 scholars from 27 countries, chaired by former U.S. ambassador Edwin O. Reischauer. The work is praised for its candor and objectivity, covering sensitive topics including Japan’s prewar militarism and the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans.
• 80 Years in America: A Pictorial Essay of the Imon Family, by Richard Imon, page 4. Richard Imon wrote a book emphasizing family ties and roots, tracing a family crest dating from the mid-14th century with help from kamon authority Kei Yoshida. The book offers Nisei reminiscence of their furusato and gives Sansei a reflective conversation starter with grandparents.

JACL

• National Asian-Pac Democrats to Caucus Nov. 4-5 at L.A., page 1. The first national conference of the Democratic National Committee’s Asian Pacific caucus will be held Nov. 4-5 at Lawry’s California Center in Los Angeles, drawing over 100 delegates nationwide. Mayor Tom Bradley will open the conference, with several California Asian American leaders participating.
• The 1000 Club, page 4. A listing of 1000 Club members and new enrollees from various JACL chapters for the reporting period of Oct. 10-14, 1983. The report includes membership totals and individual names credited to their respective chapters.
• More Deadlines for PCYA Applications, page 6. Two additional chapter scholarship deadlines for the 1984 Presidential Classroom program were announced, from Fresno American Loyal League/JACL and Milwaukee JACL. Contact information for each chapter’s scholarship coordinator was provided.
• Mountain Plains DC to Meet in Houston, page 6. The Mountain Plains District Council will meet over the Veterans Day holiday at the Four Seasons Hotel in Houston, with district officers holding a cabinet meeting the evening before. Vice Governor Paul Shinkawa provided contact information for more details.

Community

• Justice John Aiso Testimonial Fete Set Dec. 6 at Sheraton Grande, page 2. Justice John F. Aiso, the first Japanese American jurist in the continental U.S., will be honored at a testimonial banquet in Los Angeles on Dec. 6. The event, co-sponsored by the Japanese American Bar Association and California Asian Judges Association, will pay tribute to his career including retirement from the bench and later work as special counsel.
• Environmentalist Honored Posthumously, page 2. San Mateo County health department created a scholarship in memory of Teruo ‘Terry’ Sonoda, a Japanese American who died of a heart attack and worked 23 years in the county’s Office of Environmental Health. The scholarship, established by friends, family and co-workers, will be awarded to a deserving student pursuing health studies.
• PC People, page 2. Dr. Mitsuo Hatasaka of Sequoia Chapter 1000 Club was inducted as a Fellow of the International College of Dentists for his outstanding service to the profession. He has served as a Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists program chairman and taught voluntarily at the University of the Pacific since 1970.
• S.F. Honors Hagiwara Family, page 3. San Francisco honored the Hagiwara family, who built and operated the tea garden concession for decades before being evicted just before the WWII exclusion order. Supervisor Louise Renne authored legislation including the Hagiwaras in reparation payments to the city’s Japanese American civil service workers, presenting checks at the ceremony.
• Bill Hosokawa to Keynote Mas Kawaguchi Testimonial, page 3. Bill Hosokawa, retired editor of the Denver Post editorial pages, will keynote a $100-a-plate dinner testimonial benefiting Boy Scouts districts in Los Angeles. The honoree, Seattle-born Mas Kawaguchi, has been active with numerous community organizations including the Hiroshima Kenjinkai and the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center.
• Sr. Citizen Coalition to Meet Nov. 1, page 3. The Bay Area Japanese American Senior Centers coalition will gather Nov. 1 at Eden Center in San Leandro to discuss senior programs and training workshops. A statewide conference for seniors is planned for fall 1984, with workshops already conducted at the 1982 JACL national convention and regional conferences.
• Names Sought of Vietnam War Dead, page 3. Organizers of the first Japanese American Vietnam Veterans Reunion and Memorial Service are seeking names of Nikkei veterans who died in that war for inclusion in the program. The reunion and memorial service takes place Nov. 19 at General Lee’s Restaurant in Los Angeles.
• Ribbon-Cutting Set for Retirement Home, page 3. Opening ceremonies for the new 100-unit Nikkei Village Retirement Home in Pacoima will be held Nov. 5. Following the ribbon-cutting, community supporters and guests will be given a tour of the two-acre facility.
• Ethnic Diversity Day Filled With Activities, page 3. The San Fernando Valley Fair Housing Council sponsored a walk for equity and ethnic food event on Oct. 30 as part of the fourth annual Ethnic Diversity Day. Citywide groups provided entertainment alongside the two-mile walk and ethnic foods served from various community segments.
• JACCC Series to Focus on Role of Religion, page 3. Rev. Masao Kodani of Senshin Buddhist Church and Rev. George Nishikawa of Centenary United Methodist Church will discuss the role of church or temple in the Japanese American community, concluding the ‘Nisei Today’ lecture series. Kodani emphasized Buddhism’s role in preserving Japanese culture while Nishikawa discussed the Christian church’s evolving ethnic identity.
• Japanese-Style Knives on Display at Show, page 3. The California Custom Knife Show in Anaheim will feature 60 American knifemakers including Phil Hartsfield, who specializes in Japanese-style katana and samurai swords made with modern tool steel. The show, the only major knife event on the West Coast, has grown from a sportsman’s tool into a major collector’s investment.
• Anti-Asian Activity Under County Probe, page 3. A county investigation into anti-Asian discrimination activity included remarks from a district judge about the roots of violence often stemming from ignorance. The brief notes details about a case involving discrimination issues.
• NC-WN-P Meets Nov. 6, page 6. The Northern California-Western Nevada-Pacific district council of JACL will hold a quarterly meeting Nov. 6 at Dominic’s Harbor Restaurant in San Rafael, with board members and officers to be elected. The agenda includes national long-range planning, U.S.-Japan relations, and a district survey of JACL members.
• Put on Your Dancing Shoes…, page 6. Florin Chapter JACL will hold a benefit dance featuring ‘Henry and Peter’s Music Makers’ as a fundraiser for the national redress campaign. James Abe is coordinating the event with donations set at $6 per person.
• Eat Spaghetti and Crab for Redress, page 6. San Francisco JACL will hold its second annual spaghetti and crab feed on Nov. 19 at First United Presbyterian Church. Proceeds will help reduce the $5,800 still owed on the chapter’s 1983 redress pledge.
• Carson Gift Sale to Benefit Redress, page 6. Carson JACL held a sale of chinaware and giftware at A & T International Trading Center to benefit the National JACL redress campaign. Chapter president Herb Kamimoto urged the community to do early holiday shopping to support the cause.
• Fuji Fest Honors the Late Nakagawa, page 8. More than 350 guests attended the Fuji Festival fundraising dinner in Chicago, which honored the late Mas Nakagawa, a graphic designer, for his 35 years of service to the community. JASC board president Arthur Morimitsu praised staff for their work, and the organization announced a new fund drive for elderly Nikkei housing.
• Skiers to Gather in Vail, page 8. Asian Ski Week will be staged at Vail, Colorado, Feb. 4-11, 1984, under the auspices of the Asian Skiers International Association. Contact information for local ski clubs across the country was provided for interested participants.

Incarceration & Redress

• Redress—Spreading the Word, by Sumi Kobayashi, page 4. A workshop led by a communications professor from American University trained JACL volunteers on public speaking techniques for redress advocacy, with video-taped critiques of speakers from various chapters. Separately, John Tateishi and Min Yasui led a media workshop teaching members how to handle interviews and respond to common questions about redress and internment.
• Extract of Redress Bill HR 4110: Findings & Purposes, page 5. This continuing extract details provisions of redress legislation HR 4110, including establishment of the Civil Liberties Public Education Fund, its Board of Directors, and restitution payment procedures for eligible individuals. The text outlines fund management, disbursement purposes including research and education, and provisions for Aleut redress under Title III.

Commentary

• Owning Up to an Outrage, page 4. This editorial from the San Jose Mercury News argues the government’s admission of wrongdoing in the Korematsu case, nearly 40 years late, is nonetheless welcome given the CWRIC’s findings that the WWII internment was unjust and unnecessary. The piece supports both the $20,000 reparations recommendation and overturning the Korematsu, Yasui, and Hirabayashi convictions to destroy the legal basis for future internments.
• The Frying Pan: Iwamasa, a Fly-Fishing Art Professor, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa profiles Ken Iwamasa, a Nisei artist born at Manzanar who teaches at the University of Colorado-Boulder and has become an expert fly-fisherman and entomologist, tying lures that mimic some 1,500 insect species. Hosokawa reflects on the diversity of accomplishments among Japanese Americans highlighted in a single issue of the Pacific Citizen, from astronauts to athletes to military officers.

Military & Veterans

• Elderly Issei Gets Special Sentence, page 8. County Judge Larry Lopez-Alexander sentenced an elderly Japanese man to 10 days tending the grounds of the former Amache Relocation Center instead of jail time for a drunk driving conviction. A psychotherapist had warned the judge the man might commit suicide over the disgrace, noting he had already quit drinking and promised not to drive again.

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.