The 1984 JACL presidency race and the push for redress

Vol. 99, No. 1, July 6, 1984. 12 pages. View this issue

Two candidates for JACL president, Frank Sato and Minoru Yasui, were the lead story of this 12-page issue, and both named redress as the top priority for the organization. Redress ran through the rest of the front page too. Elliott Roosevelt called the World War II incarceration (often called internment) his father’s worst mistake, and JACL’s testimony on H.R. 4110, the Civil Liberties Act of 1983, argued that the wartime exclusion broke the compact between government and citizen. The testimony continued on page 6.

Elsewhere, a federal jury returned a split verdict in the Vincent Chin case, and a Los Angeles County commission urged that February 19 be proclaimed a Day of Remembrance. Harry Honda’s Little Tokyo column told the story of Yamato Hall. Other pages cover a mission to Sao Paulo, a study of refugees in resettlement camps, a letter about Ansel Adams and Manzanar, and news from JACL chapters.

What’s in this issue

National

• Sato, Yasui Vie for JACL Presidency, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Frank Sato and Minoru Yasui, both longtime JACL members holding prominent organizational positions, are the two candidates for JACL president this election cycle. The article presents each candidate’s platform, with redress for Japanese Americans named as the top priority issue by both.
• JACL Testimony Focuses on Compact Between Government and Individual, page 1. JACL submitted testimony to the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Administrative Law and Governmental Relations regarding H.R. 4110, the Civil Liberties Act of 1983, which would offer an apology and $20,000 compensation to surviving internees. The testimony argues that the wartime exclusion and detention broke the fundamental compact between the federal government and citizens guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.
• Verdict in Chin Trial: One Guilty, One Innocent, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A federal jury found Ronald Ebens guilty on one count of violating the civil rights of Vincent Chin, while his stepson Michael Nitz was acquitted. Chin’s mother expressed dissatisfaction with the verdict, while civil rights group American Citizens for Justice said they were largely satisfied that the racial nature of the killing was brought to light.
• L.A. County Commission Releases Findings on Anti-Asian Bigotry, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations concluded, based on a public hearing, that anti-Asian bigotry is on the rise due to economic competition with Japan, increased immigration, and stereotyping. The commission recommended several steps including developing an Asian resource pool, forming an interreligious council, and proclaiming February 19 a Day of Remembrance.
• Mission to Sao Paulo, page 7. The author traveled to Sao Paulo, Brazil to gather information for the 1985 PANA convention, meeting with numerous Nikkei organizations and community leaders including Petrobras president Dr. Shigeaki Ueki. The visit included touring a Nikkei cultural museum documenting Brazilian Japanese immigration history and attending an international Nikkei singing contest.
• Anh Mai Trial Postponed, page 9. The trial of Robert Glass Jr. for the stabbing death of Vietnamese refugee Anh Mai has been postponed to August 20. Glass, a 19-year-old Marine, is charged with first degree murder for the killing in Dorchester, Massachusetts.
• Okrand to Step Down from ACLU Post, page 10. Fred Okrand, legal director of the ACLU’s Los Angeles affiliate for 42 years, is retiring on July 15. Okrand, who worked with A.L. Wirin to find a test case plaintiff against Executive Order 9066, has been involved in more than 500 legal cases covering school desegregation, police spying, and civil liberties.
• Nisei Fund Aids Southeast Asian Refugee Scholars, page 12. Eight Southeast Asian refugee students graduating from New England high schools received scholarships from the Nisei Student Relocation Commemorative Fund, which was established to commemorate assistance given to Nisei college students during WW2 internment. Fund chair Dr. Lafayette Noda noted the finalists’ remarkable academic achievements despite having been in the U.S. only a few years.
• ‘Jap’ on Traffic Citation Protested, page 12. Tadashi Agari was dismayed to find the word ‘Jap’ written on his traffic citation in a box labeled ‘descent,’ prompting JACL to contact the LAPD about the discriminatory practice. LAPD Assistant Chief Marvin Iannone responded that the officer had been counseled and that such abbreviations are not sanctioned by the department.

Incarceration & Redress

• Son Calls Internment FDR’s ‘Worst Mistake’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Elliott Roosevelt, son of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, told a national television audience that monetary compensation to former internees must be made, saying his father was given wrong advice by military commanders. He called the incarceration decision the biggest mistake of his father’s presidency, made during a Metromedia program where JACL’s Frank Sato also discussed redress.
• Hearing Testimony Continued: Compact Between Government and Individual, page 6. This continuation of JACL’s congressional testimony details the historical discrimination against Japanese immigrants and their American-born children, arguing that the wartime exclusion broke the fundamental compact of the Bill of Rights. It cites legal precedents for redress, including Indian tribal claims and the Alien and Sedition Act pardons, concluding with a quote from Henry Stimson acknowledging the personal injustice of the evacuation.

Community

• Beginners Can Learn Video Techniques, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Visual Communications is offering a ‘Home Video for Beginners’ workshop on July 21 at the Japanese Cultural Institute in Gardena, taught by John Esaki and Takashi Fujii. The workshop teaches basics of video production with hands-on experience using camera and recording equipment for a $25 donation.
• Conference to Explore ‘Nisei Issues’, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A conference called ‘Nisei Issues’ will be held July 14 at Union Church in Los Angeles, covering topics like Alzheimer’s, sexual health, wills, retirement planning and dental care. The event is sponsored by City View Hospital in cooperation with USC School of Medicine and other local organizations.
• Nikkei Senior Citizens Learn to Cut Back on Meat, by Joe Oyama, page 5. Nutritionist Diane Yasuda discussed ‘Nutrition and Good Health’ at the Berkeley JACL Nikkei Drop-In Center, presenting data on American and Japanese dietary habits and their health implications. She recommended eating varied, fibrous foods, reducing fat, sugar and salt, and getting adequate calcium, especially for women.
• Japan’s Chief Justice Tells Why Country Has No Juries, by David M. Hoekendorf, Attorney at Law, page 9. Former Japanese Supreme Court Chief Justice Takaaki Hattori spoke in Seattle about the structure of Japan’s legal system, explaining that Japan abandoned its jury system in 1943. He cited distrust of layperson judgment and appeal limitations as reasons, and detailed his impressive career culminating in his role as chief justice from 1979 to 1982.
• Chapter Pulse, page 9. This roundup covers news from several JACL chapters: San Jose’s senior birthday party, New York’s scholarship awards, Riverside’s eight scholarship recipients, Greater Los Angeles Singles’ support group relocation, and Seattle’s scholarship ceremony honoring four graduating seniors. The Seattle scholarships, funded since 1979, honor Minoru Tamesa and Rev. Emery Andrews.
• Supervisor’s Hopes Riding on ‘Toru’, page 11. Santa Barbara county supervisor Toru Miyoshi was honored when rancher Peggy Gardner named a thoroughbred racehorse colt after him. Miyoshi, the first ethnic minority elected to a Santa Barbara county supervisor seat in 1982, expressed that the honor was unusual and wished the horse well in upcoming races.

Commentary

• Yamato Hall, by Harry Honda, page 2. Harry Honda’s Little Tokyo column recounts the history of Yamato Hall and the Tokyo Club, a gambling operation that operated on its top floor from 1916 through the late 1930s. The column details various accounts of the club’s leaders, including Hideichi Yamatoda’s mysterious fate, and the eventual police raid that ended the club’s operations.
• The Duo: East and West, page 4. This editorial column reflects on the legacies of JACL leaders Mike Masaoka and Masao Satow, describing their personal sacrifices and dedication despite minimal pay. The piece highlights anecdotes illustrating their humility and commitment to the Japanese American community.
• Military Necessity: Myth Dies Hard, page 5. This column responds to a Washington Times column by Smith Hempstone that justified the internment of Japanese Americans by comparing them to Japanese civilians who aided Japan’s invasion of China. The author argues this comparison is false and racist, asserting there is no question that Japanese Americans were wronged regardless of debates over compensation.

JACL

• By the Board: More Effective Assertiveness, by Miki Himeno, page 4. JACL’s national women’s concerns committee held a workshop on ‘Effective Assertiveness’ on June 16 at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center in Los Angeles. The workshop, led by Irene Hirano, Dr. Sarah Miyahara, and Sau-wah Chuan, covered behavioral definitions and included role-playing exercises for practical application.

In-Depth

• Study Finds Refugees in Camp Suffer Psychological Damage, page 7. A USC study by Robert W. Roberts found that prolonged stays in refugee resettlement camps, such as those in Hong Kong housing Vietnamese refugees, cause significant psychological distress. The study found that factors like family separation, unemployment, and extended detainment worsened mental health outcomes, and recommended speedier resettlement strategies.
• Kubokawa: Continued Mission to Sao Paulo, page 8. This continuation describes further details of the Brazil trip, including visits to a furniture factory employing child laborers, meetings with high-ranking Nikkei officials, and the Nikkei Cultural Center museum depicting the hardships of early Issei settlers in the Brazilian jungle. The piece concludes with reflections on building Nikkei networks and friendship across South America.

Arts & Entertainment

• Adams’ Camp Work Noted, page 9. A JACL member wrote to Time Magazine correcting its claim that photographer Ansel Adams’ work ‘recorded no events, captured no history,’ pointing to his 1943 photographs of the Manzanar internment camp. Time’s editorial office acknowledged the oversight and noted the Library of Congress’s recognition of Adams’ documentation of Japanese American wartime injustice.

Sports

• Bronson Hamada Named All-American Fencer, page 11. Bronson Hamada, a senior at Cal State Fullerton, was named one of six All-American collegiate fencers by the NCAA. He was this year’s Western Regional Intercollegiate Fencing Conference epee champion and plans to compete for the 1988 Olympic team.

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