The American Bar Assn. and redress, plus the 1984 Olympics

Vol. 99, No. 7, August 17, 1984. 12 pages. View this issue

The front page reported that the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates passed a resolution urging Congress to give legislative recognition to those denied equal justice under Executive Order 9066, after deleting language calling for monetary compensation. JACL officials and Donald Tamaki, the Korematsu attorney, called it a major victory anyway. Redress ran through the issue: J.K. Yamamoto wrote about Steven Okazaki’s film on the coram nobis cases of Fred Korematsu, Gordon Hirabayashi and Minoru Yasui, and the Keeping Track column collected editorials and letters on the subject. Bill Marutani’s East Wind column on Japanese American Citizens as second-class citizens sits on page 4.

The Los Angeles Olympics shaped much of the rest, with pieces on judo, gymnastics, and Japanese athletes honored in Little Tokyo and Gardena. Also inside are a look at small business in Japanese immigrant communities, Chuck Kubokawa on Peruvian Nikkei held at Crystal City, Texas, and a page of JACL chapter news. The issue also covered Hiroshima and Nagasaki commemorations in three cities.

What’s in this issue

National

• American Bar Assn. Recognizes Wrong but Rejects Reparations, page 1. At its annual convention, the American Bar Association passed a resolution urging Congress to provide legislative recognition for those denied equal justice under Executive Order 9066, but deleted language calling for monetary compensation. JACL officials and Korematsu attorney Donald Tamaki called the resolution a major victory despite the removal of the redress funding language.
• ‘A-Team’ Episode Receives Protests, page 1. Chinese for Affirmative Action protested an NBC ‘A-Team’ episode in which George Peppard disguised himself as a stereotypical Chinese laundry worker with exaggerated features and accent. The group sent a letter to producers criticizing the portrayal as harmful to Asian Americans and American society as a whole.
• Memorial Marker for Slain Asian Student Vandalized, page 1. Vandals painted racist slogans and swastikas on a planter box memorial in Davis, Calif., built for Vietnamese student Thong Hy Huynh, who was murdered in 1983. The suspected perpetrator, James Pierman, faces trial in September, while local officials suspect a group called the White Students Union is responsible for the vandalism.
• U.S. Wrestler Refers to Opponent as ‘That Jap’, page 1. Olympic wrestler Randy Lewis referred to his defeated Japanese opponent Kosei Akaishi as ‘that Jap’ during a nationally broadcast ABC interview. JACL’s PSW regional director John Saito sent a telegram demanding an apology from ABC, which had not responded as of publication.
• Asian/Pacific Republicans to Speak at Party Conference, page 2. High-ranking Republicans including Ed Rollins, Rep. Jack Kemp, and Patricia Saiki will speak on Asian American participation in the GOP at the Republican national convention. The conference session is open to the public at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel.
• Consul Seeks Improved Trade Relations, page 3. Japanese Consul General Taizo Nakamura spoke to the Japan America Society of Honolulu about correcting American misunderstandings of Japan’s trade policy and improving the environment for negotiations. He noted Japan’s cooperative economic measures and discussed a proposed high-tech Hawaii center being pursued by Gov. Ariyoshi and Sen. Matsunaga.

Incarceration & Redress

• Hiroshima/Nagasaki Commemorated in U.S., page 1. The 39th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was marked by rallies and ceremonies in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle. Events included a ‘Survival Day’ rally in LA with 5,000-7,000 marchers, a peace plaza ceremony in San Francisco, and a program in Seattle addressing the arms race and hibakusha concerns.
• New Film Tells Story of Coram Nobis Cases, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 2. Filmmaker Steven Okazaki’s ‘Unfinished Business’ documents the wartime Supreme Court cases of Fred Korematsu, Gordon Hirabayashi, and Minoru Yasui, and the subsequent coram nobis legal efforts to overturn their convictions. The film, funded partly by Corporation for Public Broadcasting, needs $30,000 more to complete distribution and will air on PBS in 1985.
• Schmoe Attends Hiroshima Ceremony, page 3. Quaker biologist Floyd Schmoe, honored as a Hiroshima citizen for his humanitarian work including building homes for bombing survivors, attended the 39th annual memorial service at Peace Park. The ceremony drew 50,000 people and added 4,312 names of deceased hibakusha to the memorial list, bringing the known victim total to 113,271.
• Peruvian American Nikkei Reunion, by Chuck Kubokawa, page 9. A reunion in San Jose brought together 64 Japanese Peruvians who were illegally transported to the U.S. during WW2 and interned at Crystal City, Texas, revealing untold stories of hardship and government bureaucratic blunders. The author discusses his advocacy for including Peruvian Nikkei and Aleuts in the redress movement as a matter of American constitutional justice.

Commentary

• Mondale’s ‘Hong Kong’ Reference Criticized, page 2. Norman Ishimoto wrote to Walter Mondale criticizing his convention speech phrase about ‘King Kong tactics’ and ‘Hong Kong wages’ as racially insensitive, linking it to the Vincent Chin killing and rising anti-Asian sentiment. Ishimoto, a former JACL employment discrimination committee chair, warned that such rhetoric from national leaders can incite racist actions.
• Reality from Right, by Bill Marutani, page 4. In his East Wind column, Bill Marutani discusses the troubling perception among Nikkei of second-class citizenship status and urges distinguishing between what-is-reality and what-is-right. He argues that Japanese Americans must advocate for full rights as Americans rather than accepting diminished expectations.
• Keeping Track, page 4. This recurring column compiles newspaper editorials and letters about the redress movement, including an anti-redress editorial from a Charleston newspaper and a letter dismissing the CWRIC report as an insult to Roosevelt. A rebuttal letter from John Kumpel countered that the internment’s unconstitutional treatment of American citizens stands independent of any grievances against Japan.
• A Coat of Arms, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa recounts his humorous experience applying for a family coat-of-arms from a mail-order company, which could not find one for the Hosokawa name. He reflects on his family’s actual ‘mon’ (crest) found on his grandfather’s gravestone in Japan, concluding that a fabricated Western coat-of-arms would not suit his family’s peasant farming heritage.
• Keeping Track, page 5. This continuation of the Keeping Track column features additional letters on redress, including one from a Native American woman arguing the government should address Indian grievances first, and a letter criticizing Rep. Dan Lungren’s comparison of redress costs to other government priorities. The column argues that governments must take responsibility for correcting past mistakes.
• From Tight Eyes to Round Eyes, by J.K. Yamamoto, Assistant Editor, page 5. J.K. Yamamoto critiques a plastic surgeon’s promotional materials advertising ‘Asian Westernization’ procedures that alter Asian eyes and noses to appear more Western. The column questions what societal pressures would lead someone to seek such surgery and calls it a sad commentary on Asian American identity.
• Letters: Search for William Makino, by Jane R. Farrell, page 5. An 82-year-old woman seeks to locate William Makino, whose family was interned at Hunt, Idaho during WW2, in order to return a treasured family teaset given to her as a gift before the internment. She hopes to find someone with sentimental attachment to the heirloom before she passes.
• Letters: Traffic Tickets, by Tony Rogers, page 5. A reader from Honolulu questions why LAPD traffic citations include a box labeled ‘descent,’ arguing it bears no relationship to driving ability. He suggests JACL’s ethnic concerns committee ask the department to eliminate this practice.
• Letters: Chapter Aid, by James T. Taguchi, page 5. The Dayton JACL chapter president praises the Pacific Citizen and announces the chapter board’s unanimous vote to contribute $150 to support the newspaper. He encourages other chapters to make similar up-front donations.
• Giving Support to Those Who Speak Out, by Judy Murase, Oregon Buddhist Church newsletter, page 9. Judy Murase discusses the case of Jill Takashima, a Buddhist student who joined a lawsuit against prayer at a high school graduation ceremony but withdrew due to intense community hostility and lack of support. The author calls on Buddhists and Americans broadly to be more supportive of individuals who speak out for constitutional rights like separation of church and state.

Military & Veterans

• California State VFW Passes Redress-Related Motion, page 2. California’s VFW Dept. passed a ‘Protection of Civil Rights’ resolution acknowledging that the WW2 internment of Japanese Americans resulted from racism and war hysteria rather than military necessity. The resolution, drafted by 14 Nisei VFW posts, will be presented at the national VFW convention in Chicago in August.
• Permanent Memorial Sought for 100th, page 3. Members of the 100th Infantry Battalion are seeking ways to establish a permanent memorial honoring their WWII contributions, with club president Ben Tamashiro suggesting a monument, scholarship, or medical assistance program. The club’s membership has grown over recent years, indicating continued vitality among veterans.
• Morimitsu Honored by Japan, Nisei Post, page 11. Arthur Morimitsu was honored with a surprise party by the Chicago Nisei Post 1183 after being conferred the Fifth Class Order of the Sacred Treasure by the Japanese government for his community service. Morimitsu serves his fourth term as president of the Japanese American Service Committee and chairs the Midwest regional board of Go For Broke, Inc.

Community

• Hiroshima/Nagasaki Exhibit to Open, page 3. An exhibit of drawings by atomic bomb survivors and 20 photographic panels will be displayed at San Francisco’s First Unitarian Church. Veterans and survivors will speak about their experiences, followed by a showing of the film ‘Survivors’ by Steven Okazaki.
• Prewar Alameda Nikkei Hold Successful Reunion, by Roland Kadonaga, page 3. The Alameda Nikkei Grand Reunion drew an overflow crowd of 275 for a bento dinner, with activities including a wine country tour and dinner dance at the Hyatt. Mayor Anne Diament welcomed attendees who recalled prewar community life before the internment.
• Japan Athletes Honored in J-town, page 4. Japanese Olympic athletes, coaches, and sponsors were honored at an outdoor reception at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center’s Noguchi Plaza in Little Tokyo. The event was sponsored by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California.
• Japanese Olympians Visit Gardena, page 6. Members of the Japanese gymnastics and swimming teams, including Koji Gushiken and Hiroko Nagasaki, demonstrated their skills before 800 local residents at Gardena’s Rush Memorial Gymnasium. City officials greeted the athletes at a reception co-sponsored by the city and local businesses.
• Chapter Pulse, page 6. This roundup covers news from multiple JACL chapters including Washington D.C. scholarship deadlines, West Valley’s Daruma Folk Festival, Contra Costa’s recognition as Chapter of the Year, Detroit’s garage sale fundraiser, San Jose’s outing to Great America, Selanoco’s scholarship applications, and Watsonville’s upcoming 50th anniversary celebration.
• Fukamakis Awarded for Special Olympics Work with Retarded, page 10. The Dale Fukamaki family received a 1984 Award for Distinguished Service to the Mentally Retarded through Sports at a Special Olympics awards luncheon hosted by Sargent and Eunice Kennedy Shriver. The family has served as coaches, counselors, and fundraisers for California Special Olympics for a decade.
• Preliminary Plans Laid for Next Singles Convention, by Meriko Mori, page 10. The second national JACL singles convention steering committee met in San Jose to plan the next event after 93% of participants rated the first convention as meeting their needs. Northern California Singles will host the second convention during Labor Day weekend 1985, focusing on workshops for singles’ specific concerns.
• Stroke Support Group Formed for Nikkei, page 11. Little Tokyo Service Center and the Western Regional Asian American Project announced a new stroke support program for West Los Angeles, with an initial meeting scheduled at the Venice Japanese American Community Center. The free program will include light exercise, speakers, and discussions for stroke victims and separate sessions for family members.
• Kasai Awarded by Sister Cities International, page 11. Alice Kasai, a member of the Salt Lake City Sister Cities Committee affiliated with Matsumoto, Japan, received the Smile Award from Sister Cities International for exceptional service. This marks the second consecutive year a Nisei woman has received the honor, following Ruth Hashimoto of Albuquerque the previous year.

In-Depth

• The Push and Pull of Small Business, by Steve Fugita, Cleveland JACL Bulletin, page 6. This historical analysis examines how Japanese immigrants were pushed into small business and farming due to union and workplace discrimination, developing a cohesive, vertically and horizontally integrated ethnic economy. The article argues this small-business tradition fostered strong community cohesion and contributed to the economic mobility of later generations while retaining ethnic identity.
• Nellie G. Oliver, by Henry Mori, page 7. This Little Tokyo Life column profiles Nellie Grace Oliver, who founded a youth sports and social organization called The Olivers in 1917 that served over 300 Nikkei youth through the prewar era. Despite dying in poverty in 1947, her legacy continues through the organization’s annual ‘Athlete of the Year’ awards honoring outstanding Sansei athletes.

JACL

• JACL ‘Program for Action’, page 6. National Council delegates at the Honolulu convention will discuss the biennial ‘Program for Action’ document that sets JACL policy on civil rights, networking, membership, management, and planning. The 1984-86 provisions emphasize continued pursuit of redress, expanding membership, and improving organizational communication.

Sports

• Endo Officiates Olympic Gymnastics at Age 61, by Jim Hayes, Gardena Valley News, page 8. Frank Endo, 61, a mail-order gymnastics supply business owner, officiated men’s gymnastics events at the 1984 Olympics in UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion. A former Illinois state gymnastics champion, Endo had previously served as an honorary advisor to Japan’s gymnastics team after helping start it following WW2.
• Gymnastics Coach Pays Off ‘Debt’ to U.S., page 8. Makoto Sakamoto, coach of the U.S. men’s gymnastics team that won its first gold medal in 80 years, expressed joy at repaying his debt to the country that raised him since age 8. Sakamoto, a former U.S. Olympic gymnast himself, coached Olympic stars including Peter Vidmar and Mitch Gaylord before planning to move to Australia.
• Japan Olympians Take 5 Medals in 8-Day Judo Competition, by Jon Takasugi, Olympic judo volunteer, page 12. Japan’s judo team won four gold medals and a bronze at the 1984 Olympics, with standout performances from Yasuhiro Yamashita despite a calf injury, and dominant wins by Hitoshi Saito and Shinji Hosokawa. Brazilian judoka of Japanese descent Luis Onmura also won bronze, highlighting the sport’s reach beyond Japan itself.

Arts & Entertainment

• Cable-TV Showing ‘Japan Today’, page 8. U.S. Cable/Network’s half-hour ‘Japan Today’ series has become a popular weekly feature since premiering in Los Angeles in April. The news-magazine show is produced by Tele-Japan USA, Inc.

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