The Civil Rights Commission’s hesitation on redress

Vol. 98, No. 13, April 6, 1984. 16 pages. View this issue

A U.S. Commission on Civil Rights meeting dominated the front page. Members recommended a formal apology and pardons for Japanese Americans convicted under exclusionary laws, but balked at compensation. JACL redress director John Tateishi said the commission avoided the central issue. Reps. Robert Matsui and Norman Mineta answered with a letter, and the issue also covered the Democratic platform and a House Democratic Caucus booklet backing redress.

Elsewhere, Peter Irons spoke at Harvard and a tribute to the coram nobis team was set for Stanford. Commentary came from Ron Wakabayashi on NHK’s ‘Sanga Moyu,’ Minoru Yasui, Linda Makino and Bill Hosokawa. JACL news covered the Honolulu national convention timeline, a Washington Representative job opening and a first national singles convention, and Harry Honda profiled Sadakichi Hartmann.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

  • Civil Rights Panel Hesitates on Redress for Internees, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights recommended a formal apology and pardons for those convicted under exclusionary laws, but balked at endorsing monetary compensation for Japanese Americans interned during WW2. JACL redress director John Tateishi expressed disappointment, saying the commission avoided the central issue of the legislation.
  • House Democratic Caucus Issues Publication Backing Redress for Former Internees, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A booklet from the House Democratic Caucus expressed support for redressing the WWII internment of Japanese Americans, calling for a formal apology and redress. Rep. Norman Mineta drafted much of the language, which will be used throughout the 1984 campaign.
  • Nine Local Governments Adopt Resolution to Remember PL 503, by P.C. Staff, page 2. JACL redress director John Tateishi announced nine city and county resolutions recognizing the impact of Public Law 77-503, which criminalized violations of WWII military exclusion orders. He credited several JACL chapters for securing the resolutions and emphasized increasing public awareness of government actions against Japanese Americans.
  • Tribute to Coram Nobis Team Slated, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A program titled ‘American Justice Denied’ will honor the Committee to Reverse the Japanese American Wartime Cases at Stanford University Law School on April 14. Featured speaker Dr. Peter Irons led the coram nobis cases of Gordon Hirabayashi, Fred Korematsu, and Minoru Yasui, who will be special guests.
  • Rights Panel Delay Draws Congressional Reaction, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Reps. Robert Matsui and Norman Mineta wrote to the Civil Rights Commission’s staff director after it delayed a redress vote, arguing that a formal apology alone is insufficient given the material and personal losses suffered by internees. They cited the independent Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians’ conclusions supporting fuller redress.

National

  • Jackson Decries Anti-Asian Violence, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Jesse Jackson issued a statement condemning racially motivated violence against Asian Pacific Americans, citing the deaths of Vincent Chin and Ly Yung Cheung. He likened the attacks to Ku Klux Klan atrocities against Black Americans.
  • Trial for Fatal Stabbing to Begin, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The trial of Robert Glass Jr., a 19-year-old Marine accused of stabbing Ahn Mai to death and wounding three other Vietnamese immigrants, is scheduled to begin April 26 in Boston. The attack occurred in July 1983 at the victims’ Dorchester, Mass. home.
  • Hawaii Senators: No School Prayer, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sens. Daniel Inouye and Spark Matsunaga voted against a constitutional amendment allowing school prayer, which fell short of the needed two-thirds majority. Inouye believes religious observance belongs at home or church, while Matsunaga worried about undue influence from teachers of other faiths.
  • Buddhist Scroll May Enter Duty Free, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Robert Matsui introduced legislation to grant duty-free status to Gohonzon, a Nichiren Shoshu religious scroll, matching treatment given to objects of other faiths. Approximately 250,000 members of the Nichiren Shoshu religion live in the U.S.
  • Democrats Consider Putting Redress in Party Platform, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Thomas Hsieh, chair of the Democratic Party’s Asian Pacific Caucus, presented a platform to the DNC platform committee urging adoption of redress and other reforms. He also highlighted the underrepresentation of Asian Pacific Americans in elected office despite population numbers.
  • Sony President Says Unitary Tax Hurts Attempts to Balance U.S.-Japan Trade, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sony chairman Akio Morita argued that the unitary tax imposed by states like California discourages Japanese investment in the U.S. and is self-defeating for narrowing the trade deficit. He also urged Americans not to overly criticize Japan’s defense spending levels.
  • Sen. Dodd Urges Study of Nihongo, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Sen. Christopher Dodd submitted a resolution opposing Reagan’s plan to cut foreign language education subsidies, arguing Americans should study Japanese to better compete economically. He cited a disparity between English-speaking Japanese businesspeople in the U.S. and few Americans able to read or write Japanese in Japan.
  • Irons Addresses Forum at Harvard University, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Prof. Peter Irons criticized East Coast media for ignoring the Korematsu coram nobis decision while West Coast papers gave it front-page coverage. The forum, sponsored by New England JACL and Harvard’s Asian American Student Association, was taped for broadcast on 135 educational radio stations.
  • Poor Health of Native Hawaiians Blamed on Collective Despair, by P.C. Staff, page 16. Dr. Richard Kekuni Blaisdell attributed high rates of cancer, heart disease and diabetes among Hawaiians to lifestyle and environmental changes since European contact. He contrasted the traditional Hawaiian diet and cultural harmony with nature against modern stress and cultural dislocation.
  • Japanese Lawyers Not Sure Americans Should Be Allowed to Practice in Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 16. The Japan Federation of Bar Associations struggled to reach consensus on U.S. demands to allow American attorneys to practice law in Japan amid trade friction concerns. Arguments for and against liberalization centered on international legal market norms versus preserving Japan’s distinct legal licensing system.
  • Matsunaga Labeled ‘Globally Responsible’, by P.C. Staff, page 16. Sen. Spark Matsunaga was named one of four ‘globally responsible’ U.S. senators by the publication New Options for his sponsorship of bills on space cooperation, peace academy initiatives, and renewable energy. The scoring assessed all 535 members of Congress on an emerging post-liberal/post-conservative policy consensus.

JACL

  • House Members Call for Redress Plank, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Reps. Norman Mineta, Robert Matsui, and Mike Lowry sent a letter to the Democratic platform committee urging support for monetary compensation for interned Japanese Americans. They expressed confidence that redress would gain a place in the 1984 Democratic platform.
  • Make Travel Plans Early: Pre-Convention Timeline, by P.C. Staff, page 7. JACL headquarters detailed a timeline for registration, nominations, resolutions, and amendments leading up to the national convention in Honolulu, with various deadlines in April through August. Deposits for convention registration, airfare, and hotel accommodations through Gelco Travel are due May 15.
  • Convention Package Details Explained by Wakabayashi, by P.C. Staff, page 7. JACL national director Ron Wakabayashi explained that convention registration, airfare, and hotel stay at Honolulu’s Pacific Beach Hotel are bundled as a package through Gelco Travel. He noted the challenge of securing affordable, available rooms during peak travel season and defended the pricing as competitive.
  • APA Caucus: Asian Pacific Delegates, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Thomas Hsieh estimated up to 80 Asian Pacific delegates could attend the Democratic convention, with California, Hawaii, and other states contributing significant numbers. The rapidly growing DNC Asian Pacific Caucus has about 200 members working to establish state-level caucuses.
  • Career Opportunity: Washington Representative, by P.C. Staff, page 8. JACL announced a job opening for a Washington Representative to manage the D.C. office, maintain congressional relationships, and support national redress and civil rights objectives. The position requires knowledge of Japanese American history and the political process, with a salary of $22K and up negotiable.
  • Reminder: Nominations for JACLer and Chapter of Biennium, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Applications for JACLer of the Biennium and the Inagaki Chapter Citizenship Award are due by April 16 to the National JACL Awards and Recognitions Committee. The article lists past recipients of both honors dating back to the 1950s and 1970s respectively.
  • Singles Convention to Offer Workshops, Dinner/Dance, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Organizers released the schedule for the first national JACL singles convention in Los Angeles, featuring a golf tournament, workshops on topics like Sansei singles and life-style options, and a dinner/dance. Registration discounts are available for those who sign up before April 25.

Military & Veterans

  • 34th Infantry Division Endorses Redress, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The 34th Red Bull Infantry Division Association, to which the 100th Battalion and 442nd RCT were attached, passed a resolution endorsing the redress bill at its annual meeting. Chicago JACL members including Dr. Vic Izui and Dick Nomura spearheaded the effort, with support from national 1000 Club chair Frank Sakamoto.

Community

  • Asian Pacific Coalition Sets 1984 Agenda, by Richard Katsuda, page 3. Asian Pacific American Advocates of California held its third annual conference focused on bigotry and violence against Asian Pacific Americans, leading its board to adopt a 13-point action plan for 1984. Priorities include voter registration, monitoring legislation on bilingual education and refugee services, and supporting redress for Japanese Americans and Aleuts.
  • Names of Buddhist War Dead Sought, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Buddhist Churches of America is seeking Veterans Administration approval to allow floral remembrances on graves of Buddhist soldiers in national cemeteries, building on an exemption secured by Sen. Spark Matsunaga for Hawaii’s Punchbowl Cemetery. Families with loved ones in national cemeteries are urged to contact BCA for assistance.
  • Traditional Japanese Store-Front Signs on Exhibit as Works of Art, by P.C. Staff, page 4. An exhibit of over 100 kanban, ornate Japanese shop signs from the 17th to 20th centuries, is on display at the Honolulu Academy of Arts through April 8. The exhibit, which has previously toured New York, Massachusetts and Mississippi, features folk legends and mythological imagery.
  • Poston Class of ’44 to Celebrate Reunion, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Former students from Poston High School’s class of 1944, who helped build the camp’s adobe brick buildings, will hold a 40-year reunion at the New Otani Hotel on May 26. The event will feature a live band playing 1940s music and a revue by classmates.
  • Buddhist Churches Give to Service Groups, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Buddhist Churches of America approved disbursements from its Thanksgiving Offering Fund to various social welfare organizations including the Little Tokyo Nikkei Escort/Interpreter Program and Japanese American Service Committee of Chicago. Over $50,000 has been raised to date for distribution worldwide.
  • Friends of Cultural Center Library to Hold Bargain Book Fair, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Franklin D. Murphy Library at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center will hold a book fair to clear out unneeded materials and raise funds for new acquisitions. Organizer Kats Kunitsugu is seeking donations of Japanese-language pocket books and magazines for the sale.
  • Japanese Firms Contribute to U/Hawaii, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Five Kansai-area companies donated $21,000 to the University of Hawaii for cultural studies, partly in recognition of author Toyoko Yamasaki’s novel. Funds will support a kabuki production in April.
  • Seniors Help Center, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Members of the Hamilton Senior Center art class donated $500 to the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California, raised through sales of hand-crafted note cards. Issei contributors to the sale included Fusako Kimura and Yukino Tashiro.
  • Nutrition Program to Honor 12 Sansei, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Koreisha Chushoku Kai nutrition program for the elderly will hold its 8th anniversary benefit dinner dance amid financial difficulty following city funding changes. Twelve Sansei volunteers who helped create the program’s forerunner will be recognized at the event.
  • Prewar Fresnans Planning Reunion, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Committee members are preparing for a Fresno pre-war reunion in September expected to draw about 400 former Fresno Nihon-machi residents. Registration fee of $30 includes a picnic, banquet, entertainment, and souvenir booklet.
  • Gila River Reunion Fever, by Frank F. Sakamoto, page 8. Frank Sakamoto shares a flood of inquiries from former Gila River Camp 2 residents seeking old friends ahead of a planned summer reunion in Honolulu. The reunion will coincide with the JACL 1000 Club Whing-Ding on August 12 at the Pacific Beach Hotel.
  • Chapter Pulse: New Mexico, San Jose, New York, Marin, Stockton, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Brief chapter news includes an Albuquerque exhibit on Japanese American families with a reception for the Hershey Miyamura family, a San Jose JACL bridge tournament, a Tenafly, N.J. school program on internment and redress, a Marin JACL bingo night, and a Stockton chapter talk by Mariko Terasaki Miller about her father’s WWII diplomatic role.
  • 3 Gardena Scouts Awarded Eagle Rank, by P.C. Staff, page 12. Dean Akiyama, Dennis Takata, and Robian Tango of Troop 719 were inducted as Eagle Scouts in a ceremony at the Ken Nakaoka Memorial Center. Each completed significant community service projects, including church cleanup, youth camp maintenance, and forest conservation work.
  • Architect Komatsu Recognized by Colleagues, by P.C. Staff, page 13. S. Richard Komatsu was advanced to the AIA College of Fellows for his design accomplishments and community service, including 16 years on El Cerrito’s planning commission and design review board. A WWII Military Intelligence School veteran, he is a past president of the Contra Costa Chapter JACL.
  • Takahashis Endow New Stanford Chair in Japanese Studies; Aoki First Holder, by P.C. Staff, page 13. Stanford University established its first endowed professorship in Japanese studies through gifts from Henri H. and Tomoye Nozawa Takahashi, with economist Masahiko Aoki named as its first holder. Aoki, a Tokyo-born scholar who taught at Harvard and Kyoto, joined Stanford’s faculty in January to play a major role in its East Asian Studies Program.
  • People: Business, Literature, Education, Organization Notes, by P.C. Staff, page 13. Brief items cover Tomio Moriguchi’s election as Seafirst Corp director, Alden Kamikawa’s appointment at the Home Builders Institute, Tama Tokuda’s senior writing contest win, two Hawaii students’ Japan-U.S. Senate Scholarships, Patsy Mink’s appointment to a national democracy institute board, and George Tsutakawa’s teaching honor at the University of Washington.
  • Canadian Nikkei’s Portrait Will Appear on Japanese Currency, by P.C. Staff, page 15. Inazo Nitobe, who died in Victoria in 1933, will be honored with a portrait on Japan’s new ¥5,000 note, prompting renewed scholarly interest in his legacy. A research symposium featuring over 100 Japanology scholars will be held in Vancouver in May to examine his role in modern Japanese history.
  • Ceremony Held for Statehood Stamp, by P.C. Staff, page 16. Postmaster Michio Harada presided over a ceremony commemorating Hawaii’s 25th anniversary statehood postage stamp, attended by Gov. George Ariyoshi and Mayor Eileen Anderson. The stamp features a golden plover, a Polynesian voyaging canoe, and a volcanic eruption on Mauna Loa’s flank.

Arts & Entertainment

  • TV Rights Signed on ‘Tokyo Rose’ Story, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Iva Toguri, convicted and later pardoned for being ‘Tokyo Rose,’ sold the rights to her life story to Texas producer Frederick Close after years of refusing film offers. Close had been cultivating ties with Toguri since 1979 through his firm Texas National Productions.
  • Sansei to Conduct Chamber Orchestra, by P.C. Staff, page 12. Conductor Kay Otani will lead the New Arts Chamber Orchestra in a program of baroque and rococo music at the Japan America Theatre on April 12. Otani, who founded the orchestra in 1981, also holds a 6th degree black belt in Shotokan Karate.

Commentary

  • NHK’s Receptiveness, by Ron Wakabayashi, page 6. JACL director Ron Wakabayashi discusses meetings with NHK officials regarding the controversial television production ‘Sanga Moyu,’ based on Toyoko Yamasaki’s novel, clarifying that JACL sought dialogue rather than censorship. He notes NHK’s apparent good-faith efforts to modify the story, including changes to the ending and expanded development of Nisei characters.
  • Trust Yourself, by Linda Makino, page 6. A JACL Women’s Concerns committee member recounts her experience overcoming hesitancy to challenge long-time chapter members and take on leadership roles. She encourages other women to speak up and volunteer, arguing that confidence and courage are key to effecting change within JACL chapters.
  • Redress Phase Five: ACLU of Colorado, by Minoru Yasui, page 6. Minoru Yasui recounts how the ACLU of Colorado recognized the injustices of WWII Japanese American internment, 42 years after the national ACLU remained silent during the actual events. He reflects on local civil rights history, including attorneys who defended Japanese Americans’ rights in Denver during the war.
  • The Precious Right to Vote, by Miki Himeno, page 6. A JACL board member urges Japanese Americans to register and vote, countering common excuses like jury duty avoidance or voter cynicism. She explains registration and party affiliation procedures and emphasizes the historical struggle for voting rights.
  • Matters Before Matsui & Mineta, by Bill Hosokawa, page 7. Bill Hosokawa recounts a breakfast conversation with Rep. Robert Matsui about politics and legislative priorities, highlighting Matsui’s strong electoral support and committee work. He also discusses Rep. Norman Mineta’s newsletter addressing foreign policy and other legislative concerns.
  • Women: Share It With Other Members and Volunteer, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A continuation of Linda Makino’s column urges women in JACL to voice their opinions and take initiative in proposing new chapter activities. She frames volunteerism as central to JACL’s mission and personal growth.
  • Letters: Bendetson’s Friend, by John Herzig, page 8. A letter responds to Minoru Yasui’s earlier column about contacting Rep. Thomas Kindness, noting Kindness’s prior relationship with Col. Karl Bendetson, whose advice Kindness reportedly sought regarding HR 4110 co-sponsorship.
  • Letters: 1000 Club Membership Fee Deductibility, by Dr. Frank F. Sakamoto, page 8. A letter clarifies that JACL 1000 Club membership fees are tax-deductible since JACL operates as a non-profit organization under IRS code. The writer advises members to keep records of related expenses like phone calls and mileage for IRS auditing purposes.
  • Moshi-Moshi: Another Picture of Peasant Life Under the Tokugawas, by Jin Konomi, page 14. Jin Konomi revisits an earlier column on Japanese nutrition and history, offering a more nuanced view of Tokugawa-era peasants as resourceful, literate, and innovative despite harsh conditions. He details peasant-led agricultural advances, irrigation projects, and the vibrant folk culture they maintained despite supporting a parasitic samurai class.
  • More Issei English Recalled, by P.C. Staff, page 15. A reader-submitted list continues a feature on Issei-era pidgin English and Japanese expressions used by immigrants, including words for everyday objects and sounds. The piece catalogs dozens of terms as a linguistic record of early Japanese American vernacular.

In-Depth

  • Little Tokyo Life: An Issei-Era ‘Hippie’ – Sadakichi Hartmann, by Harry Honda, page 11. Harry Honda profiles the eccentric life of Sadakichi Hartmann, a German-Japanese art critic, poet and bohemian figure who briefly acted in Douglas Fairbanks’s ‘The Thief of Bagdad,’ nearly derailing the production with his temperament. Hartmann avoided WWII incarceration by claiming Indian identity and lived out his final years before dying in Florida in 1944.

Sports

  • Two Nikkei Win in Colo. AP Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 12. Duane Noriyuki of the Canon City Daily Record won third place for a feature story, and Judy Sotomura of the Boulder Daily Camera took second in color photography in the Colorado Associated Press Editors and Reporters competition. The contest judged entries published between November 1982 and October 1983.

Obituaries

  • John K. Emmerson, Veteran U.S. Diplomat and Japan Expert, Dies, by P.C. Staff, page 13. John K. Emmerson, 76, who served as political adviser to Gen. MacArthur after Japan’s surrender and later as deputy chief of missions in Tokyo, died at Stanford University Hospital. His 33-year State Department career included a controversial role in the deportation of Peruvian Japanese during WWII.
  • Cmdr Homer Shiro Nakayama Dies at 45, by P.C. Staff, page 13. Navy Cmdr. Homer Shiro Nakayama, a project head at the Navy’s strategic systems project office, died of cancer at age 45. A native of Oklahoma City, he served in Vietnam waters and worked at Lawrence Livermore Radiation Laboratory before his final naval post.
  • Very Rev. Paul Roberts, Former Dean of St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral, Dies at 96, by P.C. Staff, page 13. Paul Roberts, former dean of St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral in Denver, died in Phoenix at age 96. During WWII he assisted in resettling Japanese Americans into Denver alongside his seminary friend Dr. John Yamazaki.
  • George Yokoyama, Pioneer Nisei Leader, Dies at 81, by P.C. Staff, page 13. George Yokoyama, a pioneer Nisei leader in the Sonoma County community and 27-year JACL 1000 Club member, died in Santa Rosa at age 81. Final rites were held at Enmanji Temple, with survivors including his wife Shigeno and several children and grandchildren.

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.

More from Issue archive