Vol. 101, No. 7, August 16, 1985. 8 pages. View this issue
The front page of this issue was given to the 40th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. J.K. Yamamoto reported from San Francisco’s Japantown Peace Plaza, where 1,500 people gathered and hibakusha Jack Dairiki described what he saw as a student in Hiroshima. A second story covered a similar commemoration at Noguchi Plaza in Los Angeles, where a flame brought from Hiroshima’s Peace Park was lit. On page 4, Yamamoto also wrote about the animated film Hadashi no Gen (Barefoot Gen).
Other pages carried Harry Honda’s report on the Pan American Nikkei convention in Sao Paulo, G. Tim Gojio’s story on the eviction of Asian refugee families in Maryland, and Frank Sakamoto’s account of a Nisei veterans’ reunion in Hawaii honoring the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Columns by Bill Marutani and Bill Hosokawa appeared on pages 4 and 5.
What’s in this issue
Incarceration & Redress
- Jackson, Hibakusha Speak at Bay Area Anti-Nuke Rally, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 1. A candle-lighting ceremony with a flame from Hiroshima’s Peace Park highlighted a Hiroshima-Nagasaki commemoration in San Francisco’s Japantown Peace Plaza, where 1,500 people gathered for the 40th anniversary of the atomic bombings. Hibakusha Jack Dairiki shared his memories of surviving the bombing, and Rev. Jesse Jackson delivered an impassioned speech condemning the bombings as racist and calling for an end to nuclear proliferation.
- Hiroshima Flame Used in L.A. Rites, page 1. A candle-lighting ceremony using a flame brought from Hiroshima’s Peace Park highlighted a Hiroshima-Nagasaki commemoration at Noguchi Plaza in Los Angeles. City councilman Mike Woo announced the L.A. City Council’s support for finding a permanent home for the flame through the efforts of Asian Pacific Americans for Nuclear Awareness (APANA).
National
- East Coast Asian Families Evicted, by G. Tim Gojio, page 1. Over 90 Asian refugee families were ordered to leave the Chillum Heights Apartments in Prince Georges County, Maryland, with 78 percent of eviction notices sent to Asian families. The complex has a history of housing code violations, and advocacy groups including JACL and OCA are monitoring the situation while attorneys investigate the legal implications of the evictions.
Community
- Pan American Nikkei Meet in Brazil, by Harry Honda, page 1. The third PANA (Pan American Nikkei Assn.) convention was held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, drawing close to 500 attendees including a record 160 from the U.S., with keynote speaker Senator Fernando Henrique Cardoso praising Nikkei contributions to Brazilian culture and economy. Reports on Nikkei history were given from Argentina, Bolivia, Canada and the U.S., and redress efforts in Canada and the U.S. were discussed.
- Women’s Journal Seeks Graphics, page 2. Asian Women United is soliciting photographs and graphics by or about Asian American women for a forthcoming anthology funded by the Dept. of Education’s Women’s Educational Equity Act Program. The anthology will cover topics such as traditional culture, immigration, war impact, and community involvement, with photographers and artists asked to submit relevant work by August 30.
- Yanehiro to Speak at Conference, page 2. Jan Yanehiro, co-host of KPIX-TV’s ‘Evening Magazine,’ will be the luncheon speaker for a Bay Area women’s conference titled ‘Japanese American Women in Transition: A Time for Change and Growth’ on September 21 at Laney College. Yanehiro, a pioneering Japanese American broadcaster, has received awards for her work and remains active in community and charitable organizations.
JACL
- Board Nominees for LEC Sought, page 2. The Legislative Education Committee (LEC), JACL’s lobbying arm, is seeking nominations for three at-large board positions by August 31. Candidates must provide information on their redress background, fundraising experience, community service and personal background.
In-Depth
- Prewar Issei, Nisei Newspapers Topic of L.A. Conference, page 3. A symposium titled ‘Coming of Age in the Thirties: The Nisei and the Japanese Immigrant Press’ will bring together Issei, Nisei, Kibei and Japanese scholars and journalists at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center in September. The event will explore controversies of the 1930s including Japanese militarism, the Depression, and the ‘Nisei mondai,’ featuring panels on Nisei writers and discussions by prominent historians and journalists.
Commentary
- The Greatest Haji, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Marutani reflects on the Japanese American cultural aversion to losing and the fear of shame (haji) that can prevent risk-taking and commitment. He argues that the greatest shame is not losing after giving one’s best effort, but failing to even try, and discusses navigating disagreement within group decisions on important goals.
- Hadashi no Gen, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 4. Yamamoto critiques mainstream media coverage of the 40th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings for glossing over the human suffering and avoiding deeper questions about the necessity of the bombings. He praises the Japanese animated film ‘Hadashi no Gen’ (Barefoot Gen), based on Keiji Nakazawa’s autobiographical manga, for portraying the bombing’s horror and its victims as full human beings, and calls for wider distribution of the film.
- This Memory Cuts Deep, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa recounts taking his grandson Steve to a swimming meet, where Steve proudly showed off his first pocket knife, a gift from his father. The column reflects on childhood milestones, watching his grandnephews Matt and Jon compete in swimming races, and the bittersweet nostalgia of seeing grandchildren grow up.
Arts & Entertainment
- ‘Beacon Hill Boys’: A Seattle Sansei Story, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 5. Filmmakers Ken Mochizuki, Dean Hayasaka and William Satake Blauvelt created ‘Beacon Hill Boys,’ a film set in 1973 Seattle about restless Sansei youth who emulate Black culture, based on Mochizuki’s own experiences. The low-budget film, made with volunteer cast and crew and a JACL scholarship grant, has won awards and continues to tour film festivals nationally.
Military & Veterans
- Vets Hold Hawaii Reunion, by Frank Sakamoto, page 6. The Maui Marriott hosted nearly 1,500 Nisei veterans from Hawaii, the Mainland and Canada for a reunion featuring speeches by Sen. Daniel Inouye and Hawaii Governor George Ariyoshi honoring the sacrifices of Japanese American soldiers. Inouye highlighted the 442nd Regimental Combat Team’s rescue of the ‘Lost Battalion,’ which will be recognized by the Department of Defense as one of the ten outstanding battles in U.S. military history.
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