Vol. 101, No. 1, July 5, 1985. 8 pages. View this issue
The Gordon Hirabayashi retrial in Seattle was the lead story of this eight-page issue. Stan Shikuma reported on government witnesses who cited decoded cables and claims of military necessity to defend the World War II curfew and internment orders, while the defense said the cables never confirmed espionage or sabotage. A later report on page 8 covered the end of in-court testimony on June 27, with Judge Donald Voorhees expected to rule in October. The front page also carried news that Sen. Lowell Weicker had become the 27th co-sponsor of redress bill S 1053, and J.K. Yamamoto’s report on Ambassador Nobuo Matsunaga’s speech about U.S.-Japan relations.
The opinion pages took up the “model minority” label, with Bill Marutani, Jerry Enomoto and Thomas Okazaki each writing about it. Bill Hosokawa wrote about the Library of Congress recalling Ansel Adams’ Manzanar photographs, and Richard H. Mayemura proposed an alternative to monetary redress. Kris Ikejiri described a six-day trip to Japan by six Sansei, and Bob Shimabukuro collected readers’ answers about their heroes.
What’s in this issue
Military & Veterans
- ‘Military Necessity’ Cited in Hirabayashi Trial, by Stan Shikuma, page 1. As the Gordon Hirabayashi retrial entered its second week in Seattle, government witnesses cited decoded ‘Magic’ cables and claims of military necessity to defend the WW2 curfew and internment orders. Defense attorneys countered that the cables never confirmed any Japanese American espionage or sabotage, and witnesses testified about the difficulty of locating key documents before 1980.
- Hirabayashi Trial Concludes In-Court Testimony, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The in-court portion of Gordon Hirabayashi’s retrial ended June 27 after testimony from archival researcher Jack Herzig, with closing arguments to be submitted in writing over the summer. Hirabayashi thanked his legal team, which donated over $400,000 in free legal services, and Judge Donald Voorhees is expected to rule in October.
National
- Ambassador Matsunaga Emphasizes Positive Aspects of U.S.-Japan Relations, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 1. New Japanese ambassador Nobuo Matsunaga defended Japan’s trading policies and highlighted economic interdependence between the U.S. and Japan at a Los Angeles dinner. He cited growing U.S. exports to Japan and investment in each other’s economies as evidence of a strong bilateral relationship.
Incarceration & Redress
- Senate Redress Bill Gains Co-Sponsor, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sen. Lowell Weicker (R-Conn.) became the 27th senator to co-sponsor redress bill S 1053, introduced by Sen. Spark Matsunaga. Weicker said the government owes an apology to those victimized during the internment era despite federal deficit concerns.
- Hiroshima Doctors Examine U.S. Hibakusha, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 3. A medical team from Hiroshima examined more than 100 local atomic bomb survivors at City View Hospital in Los Angeles as part of a biennial visit to U.S. cities. Unlike hibakusha in Japan, U.S. survivors lack free medical treatment and access to doctors familiar with their unique health issues.
Community
- Japanese American Communication Styles Focus of UC Santa Cruz Conference, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Center for Japanese American Studies will hold its fourth conference August 16-18 at UC Santa Cruz focused on the impact of culture on Japanese American communication styles. The event features speakers on family, aging, bicultural couples, and a reading of Philip Kan Gotanda’s play ‘The Wash.’
- Hirabayashi to Tour East Coast, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Fundraisers for Gordon Hirabayashi’s court challenge of WW2 internment have been scheduled in Washington D.C., Boston, and New York, with Hirabayashi as keynote speaker. The events are coordinated by the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund along with other civil rights organizations.
Arts & Entertainment
- Miyori Cast as Yoko Ono in TV-Movie, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Actress Kim Miyori has been cast as Yoko Ono in an NBC movie about John Lennon and Ono. The actor originally cast as Lennon, Mark Lindsay, was dropped after it was revealed his real name was Mark Chapman, the same as Lennon’s killer.
JACL
- East Coast LEC Strategy Promoted, by P.C. Staff, page 3. At a district LEC meeting in Seabrook, N.J., leaders including Mike Suzuki and Min Yasui outlined strategy for passing redress bills in the 100th Congress, emphasizing coalition-building given the small Nikkei population on the East Coast. Philadelphia chapter donors presented $3,700 in checks to support the effort.
- LEC, Racial Slurs Covered by PNW Council, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Pacific Northwest District Council focused its quarterly meeting on redress fundraising and passed a resolution urging JACL’s National Board to support LEC’s efforts. The council also discussed ‘Operation Meiyo,’ a project to replace the derogatory term ‘Jap’ with ‘Jpn’ in dictionaries, and presented national awards to Ken Nakano and Sam Asai.
Commentary
- A Look at ‘Model Minority’, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Marutani criticizes the ‘model minority’ label applied to Japanese Americans as patronizing and divisive, arguing it implies a superior-inferior relationship and pits minorities against each other. He also questions related concepts like ‘gaining acceptance’ and ‘equality’ as goals that inherently demean minority groups.
- Unwanted Praise, by Jerry Enomoto, page 4. Former JACL national president Jerry Enomoto expresses anger at Clarence Pendleton’s praise of Asian Americans as a ‘model minority’ while criticizing other minorities, calling Pendleton’s civil rights commission leadership a mockery of civil rights principles. He also praises Judge Robert Takasugi’s decision to decline reappointment to a civil rights advisory committee out of principle.
- A Negative Label, by Thomas Okazaki, page 4. A letter writer who works within minority communities argues that the ‘model minority’ label is racist and divisive, implying other groups are failures. He contends the real problem lies within the U.S. Civil Rights Commission itself under Pendleton’s leadership.
- Wrong Word, by Christine Froechtenigt, page 4. A letter writer corrects a misquote from her earlier letter about Hyster’s advertising campaign that appeared in a previous issue. She clarifies the original sentence’s intended meaning regarding blame for anti-Asian sentiment.
- Talk Does Some Good, by Thelma Burnside, page 4. Responding to a previous letter calling redress ‘just talk,’ the writer describes her advocacy efforts that helped establish Walerga Park, a California Historical Landmark commemorating a WW2 assembly center. She argues that talk and community involvement can lead to meaningful action and awareness.
- No Big Deal, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa downplays the controversy over the Library of Congress recalling Ansel Adams’ Manzanar photographs from a touring exhibit, noting the Library plans to make duplicate prints available. He argues many of Adams’ Manzanar photos are unexceptional compared to other wartime photographers’ work documenting the internment.
- Blood Isn’t Enough, by Yeiichi Kuwayama, page 5. A letter writer argues it is dangerous for people whose only credentials are Japanese ancestry to pontificate on U.S.-Japan trade relations. He insists that only genuine experts, regardless of ethnicity, should speak authoritatively on such matters.
- An Alternative Redress Plan, by Richard H. Mayemura, page 5. The author questions why JACL’s redress efforts focus on monetary compensation rather than other forms of reparation, proposing instead a presidential apology and a community trust fund to develop Japanese American leadership. He argues such a fund could also help other minority groups and build stronger inter-minority relationships.
- A Carful of Heroes, by Bob Shimabukuro, page 8. Shimabukuro shares reader responses to his question about personal heroes, with Min Yasui named most frequently alongside figures like Michi Weglyn and Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga. He also humorously describes adjusting to driving culture and smog in Los Angeles after moving from Portland.
In-Depth
- Journey to Japan, by Kris Ikejiri, page 5. A delegation of six Sansei, sponsored by Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party, spent six days meeting with high-level Japanese officials to discuss U.S.-Japan relations and trade tensions. The author reflects on how the trip illuminated Japan’s current political and economic realities beyond outdated stereotypes.
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