Redress, civil rights and the coram nobis cases, December 1983

Vol. 97, No. 25, December 16, 1983. 12 pages. View this issue

Civil rights ran through this December 1983 issue. The front page carried a Supreme Court case on whether labor laws protect undocumented workers at Sure-Tan, President Reagan’s refusal to reappoint Mary Louise Smith to the Commission on Civil Rights, and a Boston lawsuit over voting districts. San Diego JACL’s 50th anniversary was covered on pages 1 and 7, where Harry Honda reported on author Dr. Peter Irons discussing the coram nobis cases of Yasui, Hirabayashi and Korematsu. John Tateishi urged chapters to contact their representatives about redress legislation, HR 4110.

The commentary pages argued over a reprinted column on the wartime relocation, with Kiyoaki Murata’s piece answered by Pete Hironaka, while Bill Hosokawa wrote about a testimonial for Min Yasui and Bill Marutani about riding the Shinkansen. Also inside: a community testimonial for Justice John F. Aiso, Oshogatsu events at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center in Little Tokyo, and a school in San Francisco named for Yick Wo.

What’s in this issue

National

• Supreme Court to Rule if Labor Laws Protect Illegal Immigrants, page 1. The Supreme Court is considering whether undocumented workers at Sure-Tan, a leather-tanning company, are protected under federal labor law after the company reported union-organizing employees to the INS. The case could affect large numbers of farm and garment workers, as well as efforts to organize Asian restaurant workers.
• Reagan Refuses to Reappoint Smith to Rights Panel, page 1. President Reagan declined to reappoint former GOP chair Mary Louise Smith to the Commission on Civil Rights, reportedly because she would not support Clarence Pendleton Jr. as chair. The move follows controversy over the reconstituted commission’s membership and allegations that Reagan broke an agreement with Senate leaders.
• S.F. Primary School Named for Yick Wo, Plaintiff in Landmark Civil Rights Case, page 1. San Francisco named a public school after Yick Wo, the Chinese laundry operator whose Supreme Court case extended 14th Amendment protections to Chinese immigrants and aliens. The 1886 case has been cited in more than 600 subsequent legal decisions.
• Asians Join Other Minorities in Lawsuit Against Boston; Charge Gerrymandering, page 1. Asian, Black, and Hispanic groups filed suit against Boston’s voting-district plans for school committee and city council elections, alleging the plan dilutes minority voting power through packing, cracking, and chilling effects. The case could invalidate this year’s elections for 18 district seats and is expected to go to trial within months.
• Justice Dept. Opposes Affirmative Action for Detroit Blacks in Supreme Court Brief, page 1. The Reagan Administration argued before the Supreme Court that Detroit’s affirmative action plan, which promotes Black and White police officers in equal numbers, is unconstitutional. The case differs from past rulings because it involves a public employer remedying its own past discrimination rather than a private voluntary plan.
• Ku Klux Klan Burns 3 Crosses in So. California, page 1. Fifteen Ku Klux Klan members and supporters were arrested after burning three 20-foot wooden crosses in a San Fernando Valley backyard. Among those arrested was former Southern California klan head Tom Metzger, who had run for Congress in 1980.
• Soviet Threat Alters Japan’s ‘Romantic Pacifism’ to Defense, page 3. Asian affairs specialist Ardath W. Burks said Japan is becoming more conscious of Soviet military threats in the Far East and may increase its defense efforts. He cautioned against aggressive American pressure, saying it could backfire and should be approached patiently.
• American and Japanese Police Officials Probe Yakuza Role in International Crime, page 3. Japanese and American law enforcement officials met in Honolulu for a three-day conference on combating international organized crime involving the yakuza. An INS official said yakuza profits from illegal activities are financing investments and expanding illegal operations in California’s Asian American communities.
• Japan’s ‘Self-Interest’ Trade Policy Near Breaking Point, page 10. An analysis piece discusses rising U.S.-Japan trade tensions as the trade deficit approaches record levels, with import competition spreading beyond traditional industries into aircraft, computers, and telecommunications. The article questions whether Japan’s pattern of last-minute trade concessions can continue to ease tensions long-term.
• Ariyoshi Visits with Nakasone, page 10. Hawaii Governor Ariyoshi called for increased exchange between Japan and Hawaii at a Japan-Hawaii economic conference in Tokyo. He also paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone at the official residence.

Community

• San Diego JACL Celebrates 50th Anniversary, page 1. San Diego JACL marked its 50th anniversary at the Kona Kai Club near the Yokohama-San Diego Sister City bell on Shelter Island. The event featured chapter president Mas Hironaka, National Director Ron Wakabayashi, author Dr. Peter Irons, and PSWDC governor Harry Kajihara.
• Community-Wide Testimonial in L.A. Honors Justice John F. Aiso, by Henry Mori, page 2. A testimonial banquet drew 650 attendees to honor Justice John F. Aiso, the first mainland Japanese American to become a municipal and later superior court judge. Speakers including Mayor Tom Bradley and Warren Christopher praised Aiso’s legal career and military service, and a scholarship fund in his name was announced.
• George Imai to Sit on Canadian Panel, page 2. George Kiyoshi Imai of Toronto was appointed to the Canadian Human Rights Commission by Justice Minister Mark MacGuigan. Imai has been a longtime leader in Japanese Canadian community organizations and played a key role in redress negotiations with the Canadian government.
• Nikkei Landscapers Win Calif. Awards, page 2. Haruo Yamashiro received the Robert Kaplanek Humanitarian Award for landscape work at the Gardena Buddhist Church garden. Other Nikkei designers including Tom Matsuoka and David Kato also won awards in various categories sponsored by Oki Nursery.
• Bitterman Named EWC Institute Chief, page 2. Mary Bitterman was appointed director of two combined institutes at the East-West Center in Honolulu, effective January 1. She previously directed Hawaii’s Dept. of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and had served on the EWC board of governors.
• Hasegawa Decorated with Japanese Order, page 2. George K. Hasegawa, a longtime JACL member in St. Louis, was awarded the Fifth Class Order of the Sacred Treasure by the Japanese government for promoting U.S.-Japan friendship. The decoration was presented by Japan’s consul general in Kansas City.
• Mayor Finds Job Is ‘Head-Slapping’, page 3. Kauai Mayor Tony Kunimura described his new role as difficult and stressful, citing financial pressures from county debt refinancing and unpaid state obligations for sewer system work. He remained uncertain about whether he would seek another term.
• Hiroshima Cites Honolulu Mayor, page 3. The Hiroshima Municipal Office honored three foreigners, including a Honolulu-area figure, with honorary citizenship for their contributions to rebuilding the atomic-bombed city. Honorees included Floyd Schmoe for fundraising efforts and others who helped establish sister-city relationships.
• JACCC to Present Oshogatsu Shows, page 3. The Japanese American Cultural and Community Center’s second Oshogatsu Festival begins Dec. 18 with exhibitions, photos from a new Little Tokyo centennial book, and community reminiscences. The festival continues through January with children’s programs, traditional arts demonstrations, and a percussion concert.
• Fremont Chapter 1983 Hi Boxscore; Chapter to Hold 50th Reunion, page 7. Fremont JACL, one of the oldest civil rights organizations in the Bay Area, is planning events to mark its 50th anniversary including a reunion at the Holiday Inn. The reunion committee is working to assemble a roster of former chapter residents and presidents.
• Right Time to Make Calls on U.S. Reps, page 7. National Redress Director John Tateishi urged JACL chapters to contact their congressional representatives during the holiday recess to build support for redress legislation. He encouraged chapter presidents to reach out to representatives in their districts regarding HR 4110.

Sports

• Skating Pair Wins World Championship, page 3. John Arishita and partner Tammy Jerue won first place at the World Artistic Roller Skating Championships held in Fort Worth, Texas. Arishita, a junior at Foothill High School, said the competition featured the best skaters in the world.

Arts & Entertainment

• Artists Witt, Kondo-Weigl Exhibits Draw Warm Comments from Critic, page 3. Sculptor Jack Witt and artist Jean Kondo-Weigl exhibited narrative art works at the Portsmouth Community Arts Center in Virginia. Kondo-Weigl’s work has been shown in numerous galleries and is held in private collections and institutional commissions.

Commentary

• JACL’s Ignorance, by Ted Shigeno, page 4. A letter writer from Tokyo criticizes Bill Hosokawa, Floyd Shimomura, and Ron Wakabayashi for commenting on the novel
• Membership Idea, by Fumio Yoshida, page 4. A letter writer from Gardena suggests JACL should print materials in Japanese to attract new Japanese immigrants who need assistance, similar to help given to earlier generations of immigrants. He also questions why JACL dues are not uniform for all members.
• History Falsified to Win Relocation Pay, by Kiyoaki Murata, page 4. A reprinted Asahi Shimbun column argues that the Commission on Wartime Relocation’s findings were one-sided and that the relocation program was militarily justified given wartime fears of Japanese invasion. The author, who personally experienced relocation, disputes characterizations of camps as unjust and argues against the $1 billion redress recommendation.
• East Wind: Shinkansen: ‘New Trunk Line’, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Columnist Bill Marutani describes his experience riding Japan’s Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo to Hiroshima, detailing the comfortable
• From the Frying Pan: Nisei Testimonials, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa discusses an upcoming testimonial honoring Min Yasui for his service as director of the Denver Commission on Community Relations, with proceeds going toward the coram nobis litigation involving Yasui, Hirabayashi, and Korematsu. He reflects on the broader trend of Japanese American communities honoring Nisei leaders through fundraising testimonials that benefit community causes.
• Dave Itami, Dedicated Patriot, by James S. Oda, page 5. Oda defends Dave Akira Itami, the real-life model for a character in Toyoko Yamasaki’s novel, describing his dedicated wartime service as an MIS instructor and war crimes tribunal monitor. He refutes a fabricated story claiming Itami sympathized with Japanese militarists and says Yamasaki’s novel, despite its title, presents a largely favorable view of Japanese Americans.
• Article on Relocation One-Sided, Wrong, by Pete Hironaka, page 5. Hironaka rebuts Kiyoaki Murata’s op-ed defending the wartime relocation, arguing that as a foreign national who studied in the U.S. under Tojo’s permission, Murata could not understand the experience of American citizens interned in concentration camps. He emphasizes Nisei soldiers’ wartime sacrifices and criticizes the newspaper for giving the

Military & Veterans

• Mayor Proclaims ‘San Diego JACL Day’, by Harry Honda, page 7. San Diego’s mayor proclaimed a special day honoring the chapter’s 50th anniversary, with nearly 300 attending a dinner where author Dr. Peter Irons discussed the wartime cases of Yasui, Hirabayashi, and Korematsu. Irons described his research and the recent court proceedings that vacated Korematsu’s conviction.

JACL

• Panel Blasts Reagan Administration for Civil Rights Enforcement Laxness, page 8. The outgoing six-member Civil Rights Commission criticized the Reagan Administration’s budget allocations to civil rights enforcement agencies as inadequate, singling out the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Commission chair Clarence Pendleton countered that the report lacked empirical data.

In-Depth

• Oe Critiques Japanese Society: Democrat, Not New Leftist, by Yuri Kageyama, Hokubei Mainichi, page 9. Nobel laureate-to-be Kenzaburo Oe discussed Japan’s wartime history and postwar society in a lecture, criticizing the

Incarceration & Redress

• Nisei-Sansei in Philippines Need Help, Says Japan Dentist, by Haruo Nishimura, Mainichi Daily News, page 10. A dentist from Miyazaki is campaigning to help second and third generation Japanese descendants in Davao, Philippines, who suffered hardship during and after WWII when their Japanese parents were killed or deported. He has formed an association to support their education and recently led a pilgrimage group to honor relatives who died in the Philippines.

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