Redress push in Washington: HR 442 and the call for passage

Vol. 100, No. 12, March 29, 1985. 12 pages. View this issue

The push for redress ran through this issue. On the front page, G. Tim Gojio reported on a Capitol Hill press conference where California’s Democratic delegation, including Reps. Matsui, Mineta and Edwards, urged passage of HR 442, with Arthur Flemming and Joan Bernstein looking on. The JACL Washington office reported the bill had reached 103 co-sponsors. Minoru Yasui wrote about his chapter visit to Omaha, and an unsigned story followed his speaking tour of New England colleges and seminaries on the World War II incarceration (often called internment) and redress. A California bill to repeal a 1942 rule that allowed firing state employees of Japanese ancestry also moved forward.

Elsewhere, Bill Hosokawa looked back at being one of three Asian American journalism students at the University of Washington, and Bill Marutani wrote about Issei and Nisei slang. There were stories on Little Tokyo-area film protests over Sixteen Candles, San Francisco’s Japantown health fair, the Chicago JACL inaugural dinner with Mayor Harold Washington, and Jon J. Kawamoto’s profile of Fresno newsman John Kubota.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• California Democrats Renew Call for Redress, by G. Tim Gojio, page 1. California’s Democratic congressional delegation held a press conference on Capitol Hill urging passage of HR 442, the redress bill for Japanese Americans interned during WW2, held a day before the 43rd anniversary of Public Law 503. Reps. Matsui, Mineta, Edwards and others spoke about correcting the wrong of internment, with support from former WRA Commission members Joan Bernstein and Arthur Flemming.
• Repeal of Dual Citizenship Section of California State Code Considered, page 1. A California Assembly committee favorably considered AB 198, a bill introduced by Assemblyman Phil Isenberg to repeal Section 19573 of the Government Code, which allowed the firing of state employees of Japanese ancestry in 1942. Former fired state employees testified, and the committee voted unanimously to co-sponsor the bill before it moves to the full Assembly.
• Omaha, Nebraska, by Minoru Yasui, page 5. Yasui reports on his visit to the Omaha JACL chapter, praising the energetic younger leadership including President Steve Hasegawa and city council member Richard Takechi. He notes the chapter’s connection to the local Japanese community, including Japanese wives of military personnel at nearby Offutt Air Base.
• Yasui Barnstorms New England, page 8. Minoru Yasui, JACL’s Legislative Education Committee Chair, toured Southern New England speaking at multiple colleges and seminaries about Japanese American internment and redress, meeting with Congressional staff for Senators Dodd and Weicker. His stops included Worcester State College, Hartford Theological Seminary, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

National

• Chinatown Shops Demand Script Review, by Todd Ackerman, page 1. Two Los Angeles Chinatown business organizations have united to require mandatory script reviews before allowing location filming in the Chinese community, citing concerns over negative stereotyping. The new rules, administered by Curtis Lee, have already been applied to several TV productions, drawing criticism from industry representatives who call the policy unconstitutional and harmful to local filmmaking.
• Asian Tenants Wrongfully Evicted, Say Lawyers, page 1. Lawyers representing Vietnamese tenants evicted from a Houston public housing project allege the Houston Housing Authority deliberately let the project decline to justify demolition and profit from the land sale. A study commissioned by the authority itself reportedly concluded that evicting Vietnamese tenants would cause less political backlash than displacing black families.
• State Anti-Discrimination Bill Shelved, page 1. A Hawaii proposal to fine businesses that practice racial discrimination was shelved after a public hearing, despite support from the NAACP and other civil rights groups. State officials opposed the measure, citing enforcement costs and existing federal protections.
• Fukushima Hired as U.S. Trade Rep Director for Japan, page 6. Glen Fukushima, a Los Angeles Sansei and Harvard-educated lawyer, has been appointed Director for Japan in the Office of the United States Trade Representative. He previously conducted research in Japan as a Fulbright fellow and worked at a Los Angeles law firm before taking the post.
• Investments Key to Japan’s Success, page 9. Honolulu Advertiser editor George Chaplin told Honolulu JACL members that America’s trade deficit with Japan stems from U.S. productivity and savings problems rather than a Japanese conspiracy, citing lower American capital investment and R&D spending. He also discussed differing corporate philosophies and Japan’s defense spending arrangement with the U.S.

JACL

• HR 442 Gains Four Co-Sponsors; Passes 100, page 1. House redress bill HR 442 gained four new co-sponsors in the past two months, bringing the total to 103, according to the JACL Washington office. The bill had been introduced with 100 congressional sponsors in January but lost one with the death of Rep. Gillis Long.
• More Redress Endorsements, page 2. The Pacific Northwest District Office has taken over coordinating efforts to secure organizational endorsements for redress, listing new endorsements from cities, counties, states, and various civic, religious, and veterans’ organizations. Updates on the redress endorsement program will be provided quarterly through the Pacific Citizen.
• Recruitment and Leadership Development Committee: Increasing the Number of Younger Members, by B.J. Watanabe, page 5. Watanabe discusses a new JACL committee created to recruit younger Nikkei members and develop their leadership skills, noting that only about 10% of JACL members are Sansei. The committee plans focus groups, pilot programs, workshops at upcoming conventions, and a resource book to address chapter recruitment challenges.
• ‘Number Two Should Try Harder’, by Karl K. Nobuyuki, page 6. Nobuyuki traces the history of JACL’s U.S.-Japan Relations program since 1977 and questions why, despite being called JACL’s second-highest priority, there is little clear information on its current direction or effectiveness. He suggests the national office develop regional study groups and use resources like videotapes and the Pacific Citizen to better inform chapters.
• Chicago JACL Inaugural Dinner Features Mayor Washington, page 8. Chicago Mayor Harold Washington spoke at the 40th inaugural dinner of the Chicago JACL, reflecting on his support for redress legislation and the Commission on Wartime Relocation. JACL national president Frank Sato also gave the keynote address, discussing the budget challenges facing redress legislation, and presided over the installation of new chapter officers.

Community

• Protests Over Sixteen Candles Produce Agreement With Universal Pictures, page 2. Universal Pictures reached an agreement with Asian American community organizations that had protested the portrayal of an Asian character in “Sixteen Candles,” agreeing to let Asian Pacific American writers submit scripts for studio productions. The settlement also removed two offensive scenes from the home video version of the film, though a derogatory term remained.
• Woo, Ferraro, Jackson Honored at Asian Americans for Equality Fundraiser, page 2. Delaware Lt. Gov. S.B. Woo and former congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro were honored at Asian Americans for Equality’s annual Chinese New Year fundraiser in New York, with Rev. Jesse Jackson also honored in absentia. Speakers emphasized the growing political empowerment of Asian Americans and other minority groups.
• Buddhist Institute Joins Theological Union, page 3. The Institute of Buddhist Studies, a graduate school run by the Buddhist Churches of America, became the first non-Judeo Christian institution to affiliate with the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. The IBS, founded in 1966, is the only institution of higher learning established by the Japanese American community and maintains ties with Ryukoku University in Kyoto.
• Japantown to Host Third Annual Health Fair, page 3. San Francisco’s Japantown will hold its third Health Fair on April 13 at Christ United Church, offering free health screenings for blood pressure, vision, hearing and more. Organizers expect over 250 participants, up from 150 last year, with donations being sought to help cover costs.
• Campus to Slate Festival, page 3. UC Irvine will hold its annual Asian Week April 8-12 under the theme “Building on the Asian Tradition,” featuring lectures, dance performances, martial arts demonstrations and a fashion show. A highlight is a lecture by anthropologist Steven Mosher on peasant life in Communist China.
• Coalition to Celebrate Rededication of Purpose, page 3. American Citizens for Justice, formed after the 1982 killing of Vincent Chin, will hold its second annual rededication dinner in Troy, Michigan, highlighting continued work against anti-Asian violence. Guest speakers include Lt. Gov. Martha Griffiths and Michigan Civil Rights Director Robert Quincy.
• Omaha Chapter to Host Mt. Plains Meeting, page 7. The Omaha JACL chapter will host the Mountain Plains District Council meeting April 12-13, including a hospitality room, business meeting, and dinner featuring invited speaker Senator James Exon. The event will be held at the Best Western Regency West and House of Hunan Restaurant.

Arts & Entertainment

• Asian/Pacific Actors Create New Awards for the ‘Industry’, page 3. The Association of Asian Pacific American Artists held its first annual “Jimmie” awards banquet in Hollywood, honoring individuals and organizations for creating positive and realistic screen images of Asian Pacific Americans. Honorees included KNBC-TV, Columbia Pictures’ “The Karate Kid,” Warner Brothers’ “The Killing Fields,” and actors such as Pat Morita, George Takei and Edward Asner.

Commentary

• Koto-ba, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Marutani explores the etymology of slang phrases used by Issei and Nisei, including the term “canned” (fired) and its Japanese pidgin equivalent “go-homu o-kuu.” He muses on the need to document these colorful linguistic forms for future generations before they are lost.
• Loyal, Clean and Square, by The Scouts of Troop 26, page 4. Boy Scouts from Troop 26 in Berkeley wrote to express appreciation for former scoutmaster David Nakayama, who was profiled in a previous Pacific Citizen issue. The scouts praised his dedication despite disliking camping and called him the best scoutmaster they’ve had.
• Keep It Up, by Ed Nakawatase, page 4. Nakawatase praises the Pacific Citizen’s coverage of the Asian/Pacific Consultation of the American Friends Service Committee and commends the paper for broadening its coverage to include other Asian/Pacific community issues. He believes this expanded reporting fits well with JACL’s redress campaign and human rights work.
• Nihonjin Football, by Bill Nikaido, page 4. Nikaido recalls playing American-style football at Meiji University in 1934 alongside other Nisei students from the U.S. and Hawaii. He recounts an exhibition game against a visiting USC team and notes he still has a Japanese magazine article about the event.
• Good Friend, Tritia, by Kathy Miyake Robinson, page 4. Robinson encourages readers to write letters of appreciation to newscaster Tritia Toyota, a longtime friend of JACL, as she leaves KNBC-TV for a career change. She emphasizes the importance of community support for Japanese Americans in media and performing arts.
• Faith and ‘Fulfillment’, by Harry H. Murakami, page 4. Murakami reflects on a lecture about Nisei retirement and proposes adding a phase of “Fulfillment” beyond termination, drawing on his ministerial experience with Issei and Nisei congregants. He plans to propose a research project on the relevance of religious faith to Nisei retirement at the next National Japanese American Caucus of the United Methodist Church.
• Asian American Journalists, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa recalls his experience as one of three Asian American students in his University of Washington journalism class before WWII, including being excluded from an internship program due to concerns about local publishers’ reactions. He contrasts this with modern efforts like the Asian American Journalists Association to increase diversity in newsrooms.
• Investments Key to Japan’s Success, by Floyd Shimomura, page 6. Shimomura argues that Japanese Americans possess valuable bicultural insight that can help improve U.S.-Japan relations, given fundamental differences between American individualism and Japanese group harmony. He contends this cultural understanding is increasingly valuable given the influx of Japanese goods and investment into the U.S.
• Nisei Week Beauty Pageant Far From Objectionable, by Kirk Ishizuka, page 9. Ishizuka defends the Nisei Week Beauty Pageant against a resolution opposing JACL chapter sponsorship of beauty contests, arguing the event provides valuable opportunities for Japanese American women and benefits the community. He calls for dialogue with pageant participants before the resolution is considered for passage by the National JACL Board.

In-Depth

• ‘Robber Barons’ and Tangled Family Trees, by Jin Konomi, page 7. Konomi recounts a historical anecdote about Marquis Hachisuka, descended from a bandit chief, and the 17th-century practice of daimyo fabricating genealogies to satisfy the Shogun’s directive. He also corrects an error from a previous column regarding the title of a rakugo story.
• Fresno Newsman Keeps Folks in Touch Seven Days a Week, by Jon J. Kawamoto, page 10. John Kubota, 73, has served as Central California’s primary Nikkei journalist for 37 years through radio broadcasts, newspaper columns, and TV production, earning Japan’s 5th Order of the Sacred Treasure in 1983. Despite his busy schedule covering community news, Kubota has no plans to retire, saying he’ll keep reporting “right up to the funeral.”

Military & Veterans

• Fremont JACL, Buddhists Honor Vets, page 8. Fremont JACL and the Southern Alameda County Buddhist Church sponsored an educational program honoring Japanese American WWII veterans, featuring speakers Tom Kawaguchi, Chet Tanaka of Go For Broke Inc., and museum curator Eric Saul. Over 130 people attended, and the chapter presented Go For Broke with a $100 donation.

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