Seattle’s redress vote and a bigoted sign in Monterey Park

Vol. 98, No. 18, May 11, 1984. 12 pages. View this issue

The front page carried two stories about how Japanese Americans were treated, then and now. In Seattle, the school board voted 4 to 2 to award $5,000 in redress to 27 Japanese American school clerks forced to resign in 1942, though payment depended on approval by the state attorney general or new legislation. In Monterey Park, Calif., a sign at a closed gas station drew condemnation from Mayor Lily Lee Chen. Inside, Minoru Yasui outlined the coming Senate and House hearings on redress bills S 2116 and HR 4110, and asked readers with camp experiences to testify.

Other pages include a tribute to Ansel Adams and his photographs of Manzanar, from Michael Yonemitsu and Violet de Cristoforo, plus Jesse Jackson’s planned stop in Little Tokyo. Bill Hosokawa reported the results of the reader survey, and Peter Irons was announced as a speaker on the coram nobis cases. Coverage of the JACL national convention in Hawaii and the Min Yasui coram nobis fund drive rounds out the issue.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• Seattle School Board Hedges on Compensation for Fired Nikkei Clerks, page 1. The Seattle school board voted 4-2 to pass a resolution recognizing the district was wrong to accept the forced resignations of 27 Japanese American school clerks in 1942, awarding them $5,000 each in redress. However, the payment is conditioned on approval by the state attorney general or specific legislation, which could take months, though former clerks said the resolution’s acknowledgment of wrongdoing was itself meaningful.
• Irons to Speak at Bay Area Program, page 3. Peter Irons, author of “Justice at War” and counsel in the coram nobis cases of Korematsu, Yasui, and Hirabayashi, will speak at an El Cerrito church event on May 18. Dale Minami will also speak, and a government film strip on the Japanese American evacuation will be shown.
• Vindicated: Former Seattle School Employees Celebrate Redress Resolution, page 7. Four former Seattle school district employees are shown smiling after passage of the redress resolution, which allows eligible former clerks to file claims for $5,000 paid in installments pending legal verification. The article lists the names of the 27 original clerks who signed the forced resignation letter in 1942, several of whom still reside in the Seattle area.

National

• Congress May Declare Gohonzon a Religious Object, page 1. A House subcommittee is reviewing legislation introduced by Rep. Robert Matsui to extend duty-free treatment to Gohonzon scrolls used by Nichiren Shoshu practitioners. Matsui argues current customs rules discriminate against Eastern religions that emphasize home worship, and Sen. Spark Matsunaga introduced a companion Senate bill.
• Majority Tolerant: Bigots Make Presence Known in S. California Community, by Jon Takasugi, PC Staff Writer, page 1. In Monterey Park, Calif., a sign reading “Will the last American leaving Monterey Park please bring the flag” appeared at a closed gas station amid demographic shifts and anti-Asian sentiment. Mayor Lily Lee Chen condemned the sign as un-American while asserting that bigots represent only a small minority of the community’s otherwise tolerant population.
• Jesse Jackson to Make Campaign Stop in Little Tokyo, page 2. Presidential candidate Jesse Jackson is scheduled to speak in Little Tokyo’s Noguchi Plaza on May 17 ahead of the California primary. He is expected to address anti-Asian violence, the Simpson-Mazzoli immigration bill, and redress for Japanese Americans interned during WWII.
• Japanese Scholars Revisit U.S., page 12. More than a hundred prominent Japanese Fulbright alumni visited Washington, D.C. and American college towns to meet with officials including Vice President Bush and Sen. Spark Matsunaga. The visit reflects gratitude among Japanese Fulbright recipients, who have raised over $1.25 million to support American Fulbright scholars studying in Japan.

Community

• N. California Honors Nikkei Representative, by Phil Matsumura, page 2. Some 500 people gathered in San Jose for a banquet honoring Rep. Norman Mineta’s decade of service in Congress. Speakers included George Takei, Rep. Don Edwards, and local civic leaders who praised Mineta’s leadership and commitment to his constituents.
• Law Caucus to Fete Three Activists, page 3. The Asian Law Caucus will honor Yuri Kochiyama, Lily Chin, and Siu Ying Fong at a June 1 event in San Francisco for their contributions to civil rights and community justice. California Chief Justice Rose E. Bird will be a special guest at the program.
• Scholarships for Women Available, page 3. The Pacific Asian American Women Bay Area Coalition announced applications are open for its 1984 scholarship awards to Asian and Pacific women pursuing higher education or vocational training. Two $500 scholarships will be presented at an October luncheon, with applications due June 4.
• Looking Forward to Meeting Old Friends, by Frank F. Sakamoto, page 8. Sakamoto shares updates and inquiries from former Gila River internees seeking old friends ahead of a camp reunion planned around the JACL convention in Hawaii. He lists numerous names of former camp residents and their current whereabouts and occupations.
• Letters: Ansel Adams Tribute Continued, by Violet de Cristoforo, page 9. This continuation describes de Cristoforo’s visit with Ansel Adams, who gifted a dedicated copy of his Manzanar photography book to JACL. The inscription expressed hope that the injustices of WWII internment would inspire Americans to combat prejudice and intolerance.

In-Depth

• Grave of Noted Asian American Author May Get New Headstone, by Ron Chew, International Examiner, page 3. A Seattle committee is raising funds to purchase a headstone for Carlos Bulosan, the influential Filipino author and union activist who died in 1956 and lies in an unmarked grave. Bulosan’s writings and union work inspired later labor reformers, and organizers hope to add his desired epitaph to the new marker.
• Hiroshima Kenjin, by Harry Honda, page 10. Honda examines a rare 1929 Japanese-language history book of the Hiroshima Kenjin Kai in America, featuring photos of prewar Little Tokyo businesses and a who’s who directory of prominent Issei from Hiroshima prefecture. The book, preserved by George Fujita, offers valuable visual and genealogical history despite lacking scholarly rigor.

Arts & Entertainment

• East West to Mount Native American Play, page 3. East West Players will stage “Paint Your Face on a Drowning in the River” by Craig Kee Strete, directed by Mako, opening May 16 in Los Angeles. The play explores a young American Indian’s separation from his family and culture, featuring a cast mixing American Indian and Asian American actors.

Commentary

• New York on a Rainy Afternoon, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Marutani recounts attending an Asian American Business Association panel discussion in New York on Asians and politics, featuring speakers with Republican, Conservative, and Democratic affiliations. He reflects on differing political philosophies among Asian American leaders and notes efforts to build a nationwide Asian political caucus.
• Singles’ Choices: Church, TV, Dating…, by Bebe Toshiko Reschke, L.C.S.W., page 4. Ahead of a national JACL singles convention in Gardena, the article explores how Nisei and Sansei singles face a bewildering array of modern dating and lifestyle options unlike their Issei predecessors. Workshops will address relationship issues, widowhood, divorce, and changing social dynamics among Japanese American singles.
• Redress Phase Five, by Minoru Yasui, page 4. Yasui outlines upcoming Senate and House subcommittee hearings on redress bills S 2116 and HR 4110, noting the significant financial impact of $1.5 billion in recommended redress payments. He urges readers with camp experiences to come forward as witnesses to testify at hearings in Los Angeles or Washington, D.C.
• About Our Readers, page 4. A brief note previews the upcoming publication of results from the 1983 JACL-PC Marketing Survey of 2,000 randomly selected subscribers. The survey drew 728 responses and will be covered in Bill Hosokawa’s column.
• Typical PC Readers, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa reports on the results of a reader survey sent to 2,000 Pacific Citizen subscribers, detailing demographics including generation, age, education, income, and lifestyle preferences. The survey found readers skew older, well-educated, and professionally employed, with strong preferences for Japanese food, American cars, and contemporary furnishings.
• Syn-holism, by Joseph D. Sasaki, page 5. A letter writer responds to a prior article on holistic health and aging, arguing that oxygen and thiamine insufficiency, rather than aging itself, cause chronic disease. He contrasts Issei outdoor living traditions with Nisei indoor lifestyles and proposes a “syn-holistic” approach to health rooted in Zen philosophy.
• A Long Road, by Lois Morioka, page 6. The author describes the heartwarming reader response to her novel “The Long Road from White River” about camp experiences, including letters and reorders from readers. She shares anecdotes about connections made through selling the book and thanks Pacific Citizen readers for their support.
• Hito Okada, by Bill Himel, page 6. The writer recalls fleeing the West Coast in 1942 under Executive Order 9066 and receiving hospitality from Hito and Hana Okada’s family in Salt Lake City. He reconnects decades later with their daughter Caroline after reading of Hito Okada’s passing in the Pacific Citizen.
• Stuck His Neck Out, by Michael Yonemitsu, page 6. A letter honors the late photographer Ansel Adams for his sympathetic documentation of Japanese American internment at Manzanar in his book “Born Free and Equal.” The writer calls for official JACL acknowledgment of Adams’ contributions and recalls being included in the book himself.
• A Remarkable Man, by Violet de Cristoforo, page 6. The Salinas Valley JACL redress chair recounts a personal visit with Ansel Adams, describing his dedication of an autographed copy of “Born Free and Equal” to JACL national headquarters. Adams wrote an inscription hoping the injustices of internment would inspire Americans to fight prejudice.
• You Get My Vote, by Sandi Kawasaki, page 8. Kawasaki encourages JACL chapter members to consider attending the national convention in Hawaii as delegates, describing the value of convention caucuses and sessions. She highlights impressive past delegates and urges readers to renew their commitment to JACL through convention participation.

JACL

• Coram Nobis Fund Drive Nets $21,000, page 6. The Min Yasui coram nobis fund testimonial dinner in Denver raised over $21,000 after expenses, according to treasurer Dale Arnold. Proceeds are being forwarded to the Oregon Coalition for Redress, with donor lists published for corporate, patron, and sponsor-level contributions.
• PC Board Looks at Administration and Budget, by Fred Hirasuna, page 9. District council representatives met at the Pacific Citizen office to discuss the newspaper’s future, including plans to expand to 16 or 24 pages and clarify governance between the PC board, staff, and national director. The board resolved that PC and its staff are responsible to the National President, Board, and Council through the PC board.
• Ex-Assemblyman Mori, Turned Land Developer, Misses Calif., page 11. Former California Assemblyman Floyd Mori, now a Utah land developer, reflects on his hard-fought and costly 1980 primary race against Charles Santana for the 15th Assembly District, a contest tied to broader power struggles between Assembly leaders McCarthy and Berman. Mori lost the general election to Republican Gib Marguth after a campaign that exceeded $500,000 in spending.

Sports

• Noji Soars 7-1 for High Jump Mark, page 7. Franklin High School’s Rick Noji became the first athlete in Metro League history to clear 7 feet in the high jump during a dual meet against Ingraham. The 5’8″ Sansei also holds state-leading marks in the triple jump and previously won the National Junior Olympic Meet in Durham, N.C.

Obituaries

• Judicial Champion of Nikkei Rights Dies, page 11. Phil Sheridan Gibson, former chief justice of the California Supreme Court and the only high state official to publicly oppose Japanese American internment, died April 28 at age 95. Gibson authored the 1952 opinion striking down California’s Alien Land Law, which the U.S. Supreme Court upheld despite having twice before supported the law.

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