Protests postpone ‘Sanga Moyu’; Yasui appeals his coram nobis case

Vol. 98, No. 12, March 30, 1984. 12 pages. View this issue

Protests from the Japanese American community led NHK to postpone the American showing of ‘Sanga Moyu,’ its series about the Kibei and Nisei during World War II, and the story ran across the front page. Also on page one, Minoru Yasui filed a notice of appeal to the Ninth Circuit in his coram nobis case, and Supervisor Kenneth Hahn reminded former Los Angeles County employees discharged during the war to file yearly for compensation. Columns that week included Bill Marutani on political giving, Minoru Yasui on redress in the Deep South, and John Saito on who pressured NHK.

Inside are a first-person panel of three Sansei living in Japan and a reader’s letter answering it, plus news of the first JACL singles convention and the Fremont chapter’s 50th anniversary. The issue also carried JACL scholarship notices and a report on the 10th national Japanese American bowling tournament in San Jose.

What’s in this issue

National

• Protests Put ‘Sanga Moyu’ on Shelf, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japanese community protests persuaded NHK to postpone the American showing of its series ‘Sanga Moyu’ about Kibei and Nisei during WW2. JACL director Ron Wakabayashi said the organization had no formal position but had expressed concerns that the series could foster misconceptions about the loyalty of Japanese Americans during the war.
• Teacher Claims He Killed Chinese Woman Because of ‘Fear of Asians’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. John Cardinale, a 39-year-old public school teacher facing dismissal, pushed Ly Yung Cheung, a 19-year-old Chinese immigrant, into an oncoming subway train in New York. His attorney claimed Cardinale suffers from a psychotic phobia about Orientals stemming from his time as a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand.
• L.A. Employees Should File Yearly, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Supervisor Kenneth Hahn reminded former Japanese American Los Angeles County employees discharged during WW2 that they must reapply annually for compensation. Hahn noted the $1,250 yearly payment is an important symbol even though it can’t fully compensate for the losses suffered.
• Asian Delegates for Jackson Chosen, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Several Asian Americans were elected as candidates for the California primary ballot as delegates for Jesse Jackson’s presidential campaign. Candidates were selected from Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area following advisory caucuses held in all 45 congressional districts.
• Mineta’s House Leadership Noted, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Wall Street Journal study on House of Representatives statecraft noted that Rep. Norman Mineta retains influence in Democratic leadership and may bid for the House Democratic Caucus chairmanship. The article also discussed California’s unified congressional delegation legacy from the late Phillip Burton.
• Holocaust Panel Criticizes American Jewish Leadership, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A private American commission chaired by Arthur Goldberg concluded that American Jewish organizations could have saved tens of thousands of Holocaust victims if they had taken more aggressive action. The report has drawn criticism from Jewish leaders for both its conclusions about Jewish inaction and its treatment of U.S. government responsibility.
• Americans Want to Name McKinley Valley for Uemura, by P.C. Staff, page 12. American mountaineers Jim Wickwire and Thomas Lowell started a campaign to name a valley on Mt. McKinley after Naomi Uemura, the Japanese climber presumed dead after a solo winter ascent of the peak. Uemura was famous for solo expeditions including a dogsled journey to the North Pole and rafting the Amazon River.
• Mental Hospitals May Be Giving Asians Overdosages of Drugs, by P.C. Staff, page 12. Dr. Keh-Ming Lin, a Harbor-UCLA psychiatrist, is researching whether Asians require smaller doses of psychiatric drugs than whites due to differences in diet, physiology, and drug metabolism. His research examines variables including protein-bonding of drugs, brain receptor differences, and enzyme systems between racial groups.

Incarceration & Redress

• Yasui Files Notice of Appeal, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Attorney Peggy Nagae filed a notice of appeal for Minoru Yasui to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals regarding his petition for a writ of error coram nobis. Yasui argues the government suppressed evidence showing no military necessity existed for the WW2 curfew, exclusion, and internment of Japanese Americans.
• Testimony Sought From Former Internees, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A San Jose city commission is seeking former residents willing to give oral accounts of their WW2 internment experiences to construct an accurate historical picture. Councilmember Jerry Estruth initiated the effort, believing a local focus would make the internment harder to dismiss as a distant experience.
• Coram Nobis Defense Fund, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Contributions to the Seattle JACL Coram Nobis Legal Defense Fund are acknowledged from numerous donors across the country. The fund supports the legal cases of Minoru Yasui, Fred Korematsu, and Gordon Hirabayashi as they challenge their WW2-era convictions.

Community

• Kagawa Project Hires Director, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Rev. Dr. Andrew E. Newcomer Jr. has been named administrator of the American Committee for the Kagawa Centennial Project, which aims to reacquaint Americans with the life and teachings of Dr. Toyohiko Kagawa. Newcomer will develop seminars, arrange translations of Kagawa’s writings, and support the Kagawa Archives and Resource Center in Tokyo.
• Nisei Farmers Re-elect Kubo, by P.C. Staff, page 2. About 1,500 members and friends attended the Nisei Farmers League’s 13th annual banquet, where Harry Kubo began his 14th year as league president. Kubo reported the league is financially sound and emphasized the importance of family farms built by Japanese Americans who endured internment.
• Sansei Says He Wasn’t Impressed With Washington’s Politicians, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Michael Ishii, an 18-year-old Sansei scholar from Seattle, was unimpressed with politicians during a VIP trip to Washington D.C. as a Hearst Foundation scholarship recipient. The experience motivated him to become active in minority affairs including reparations for Japanese Americans and arms race education.
• Wheat Ridge Center Superintendent Becomes Agency Medical Chief, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Dr. Kayo Sunada was named medical director of the Colorado Department of Institutions after 16 years as superintendent at Wheat Ridge Regional Center. He will oversee medical care for 1,136 mentally retarded residents across the state’s three regional centers.
• Little Tokyo Service Center Announces Special Community Support Campaign, by P.C. Staff, page 3. LTSC held an open house to inform the community of its services and announce a fundraising campaign seeking 400 annual contributors of $100 or more. President Mike Murase noted that programs like the Nikkei escort service and stroke group are facing funding shortfalls.
• Runners to Help Kimochi Senior Center, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Kimochi, Inc. announced registration for the 3rd Annual Kimochi-Cherry Blossom Run, a five-mile race to be held April 22 in San Francisco. All proceeds will benefit the Kimochi Senior Center.
• Senior Internship in Congress Open, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Congressional internships for older Americans are available each spring, offering participants insight into the federal legislative process. Betty Kozasa of Los Angeles, a 1981 participant who assisted at Sen. Cranston’s office, encouraged interested seniors to contact their representatives immediately.
• Utah to Sponsor Health Fair April 7, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Salt Lake Chapter JACL is sponsoring a health fair funded by a Chevron grant, offering free health screenings and multilingual health information to Asians and other participants. Chapter board member Tomiye Ishimatsu is coordinating the event alongside other minority health fairs in Utah.
• A Kotani Sequel, by Harry Honda, page 8. Harry Honda’s Little Tokyo Life column follows up on the story of Henry Kotani, the first Issei Hollywood cameraman, through feedback from his nephew Tom Masamori. The column recounts the remarkable story of how Kotani’s sister Chiyoko was separated from her birth family as a child and reunited with her sister Sawano in Honolulu 82 years later.
• Aging Can Mean Better Health for Nisei, by George Yoshida, page 11. A new holistic health program called ‘New Horizons’ is being offered in Berkeley for Nisei dealing with aging and retirement issues, combining tai chi chih, yoga, relaxation exercises, and shiatsu massage. Classes begin in April at Jefferson School and are open to non-Berkeley residents for a $5 registration fee.

Obituaries

• Issei Founder of Maui Potato Chip Company Dies at 56, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Dewey Kobayashi, known as the potato chip king of Maui for his hand-turned Kitch’n Cook’d brand, died at his home at age 56. Born in Hiroshima and interned in New Mexico and Montana during WW2, he built his family chip business into a quarter-million-dollar enterprise while refusing to mass produce or franchise his product.
• Charles Leong, Newsman and Civic Leader, Dies at 72, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Charles Leong, thought to be the first Asian American to edit an American college newspaper, died of cancer at his San Francisco home. He co-founded The Chinese Press in 1941, served with the Flying Tigers in WW2, and later worked as a copy editor and columnist.

Commentary

• For Just Three Pennies, by Bill Marutani, page 4. In his East Wind column, Bill Marutani argues that Japanese Americans could amass over $8 million for political influence if each of the 750,000 Nikkei contributed just three cents a day for a year. He contends financial resources are the most practical of the three ingredients of political power available to the community.
• Redress Phase Five: The Deep South, by Minoru Yasui, page 4. Minoru Yasui surveys the congressional delegations of Deep South states including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia, assessing their potential support for redress legislation. He appeals for readers to provide contacts with Nikkei residents in these states to help build political support.
• The Shigas of Seattle, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. In his From the Frying Pan column, Bill Hosokawa recalls the Shiga family who lived in his Seattle neighborhood as a child, tracing the lives of the five siblings over the decades. He reflects on learning of the recent death of Sakiko, one of the Shiga daughters, and the passage of time since their youth together.
• Amino Acid, by Bill Hosokawa, page 7. A culinary essay explores umami, the taste factor underlying traditional Japanese cooking, explaining its origins in amino acids from dashi, shoyu, and miso. The piece explores food researcher Tomomi Kono’s view that reliance on umami has narrowed Japanese taste perception and influenced cultural conservatism, though changing eating habits among youth suggest this may be shifting.
• Success in Northeast, by Kei Kaneda, page 7. New England JACL president Kei Kaneda writes to correct errors in a previous Minoru Yasui column that understated the chapter’s active role in redress efforts and misstated facts about Massachusetts’ congressional support and Senator Tsongas’s re-election status. The letter details the chapter’s accomplishments including a successful lobbying campaign for the CWRIC and hosting a commission hearing in Boston.
• Where’s the Beef?, by Denise Hoshizaki, page 7. A reader humorously inquires about the whereabouts of former PC columnist ‘Tomi the Gomi,’ wondering why she stopped writing. The letter expresses nostalgia for the columnist and hopes she will return to the paper.
• Blame or Credit?, by John Saito, page 7. In his Pacific Southwest column, John Saito questions the circumstances surrounding NHK’s decision to postpone ‘Sanga Moyu,’ noting the timing doesn’t align with JACL’s earlier October meeting with NHK officials. He speculates that another more influential organization may have pressured NHK, with JACL serving as a convenient scapegoat.
• When in Rome…, by Marion J. Okada, page 10. A letter published in the Japan Times Weekly responds critically to the earlier Sansei panel discussion, arguing that expecting ordinary Japanese to recognize Japanese Americans as foreigners is unrealistic. The writer, a fluent Japanese speaker, contends that some generalizations made by the panelists about Japanese selfishness and isolationism were inaccurate and potentially dangerous.

Sports

• Veteran JACL Bowlers Recognized at National Tournament in San Jose, by Phil Matsumura, page 5. The 10th annual Japanese American National Bowling Association tournament concluded in San Jose with over 1,000 bowlers and 204 teams participating, featuring new records set by T&J Appliance teams. The tournament honored veteran bowlers who competed in the first National JACL tournament in 1947 and paid tribute to the late Jitsuo Kaizumi, a pioneer of Nikkei bowling.

JACL

• Applying for Scholarships?, by David Nakayama, page 5. JACL’s Youth Director David Nakayama offers practical advice to students applying for the 1984 national scholarship program, emphasizing the importance of personally requesting applications and following instructions carefully. He notes that incomplete applications and late reference letters are common reasons candidates are disqualified from consideration.
• Contra Costa Eyes Inagaki Award, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Contra Costa JACL chapter president Fred Takemiya recommended the chapter pursue the Inagaki Chapter of the Biennium award, citing the chapter’s scholarship program, building fund, CARP seminars, and newsletter. The chapter has also supported the National JACL redress program and increased its membership despite rising fees.
• Singles Convention: ‘Getting to Know You’, by Midori Watanabe, page 6. The first national JACL singles convention will be held May 25-27 in Los Angeles, featuring sightseeing, a dinner dance with George Takei as emcee, and an address by UCLA professor Harry Kitano on Nikkei singles. Organizers are also planning a national council of JACL singles to help form new singles chapters across the country.
• Fremont JACL Celebrates 50th Year, by June Hashimoto, page 9. Fremont Chapter JACL celebrated its 50th anniversary with about 150 attendees, featuring a historical overview by past president Kaz Shikano and remarks from national JACL president Floyd Shimomura. The event honored 25 of the chapter’s 35 past presidents and presented Rep. Don Edwards with an appreciation certificate for supporting the Civil Liberties Act of 1983.
• Applications Available for JACL Hayashi Law Scholarships, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Applications are being accepted for the annual JACL Thomas T. Hayashi Memorial Law Scholarship, administered by the Eastern District Council in honor of the late New York Nisei attorney. The scholarship awards $700 annually for three years to encourage Nikkei to enter the legal profession, with an application deadline of July 15.
• 1000 Clubbers to Tour Japan After National Convention in Honolulu, by P.C. Staff, page 11. A 1000 Club tour and whing ding in Japan is being organized following this summer’s JACL convention in Hawaii, arranged by Columbia Basin JACL president Ed Yamamoto. The 10-day Japan tour package costs $730 including round-trip airfare from Hawaii, with all participants required to be JACL members.

In-Depth

• Mirror, Mirror: The Sansei in Japan, by Norihiko Shirouzu, page 8. Three Japanese Americans living in Japan—Mayumi Nishi, Michael Uehara, and Sachi Natori—discuss their experiences navigating identity and perception as Americans of Japanese ancestry in Japan. They share stories of being mistaken for not speaking Japanese, struggling against stereotypes, and finding unique positive relationships as individuals who bridge both cultures.

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