Sankaijuku accident, redress and ‘Year of the Dragon’ protests

Vol. 101, No. 12, September 20, 1985. 8 pages. View this issue

A fatal accident in Seattle led the front page: Yoshiyuki Takada of the Tokyo dance troupe Sankaijuku fell six stories during a hanging dance when his rope snapped, and the group canceled the rest of its U.S. tour. The Pacific Citizen also reported on Assemblyman Gil Ferguson’s remarks about funding for the Japanese American National Museum, which drew demands for apologies from JACL and Rep. Robert Matsui, and on the Episcopal Church’s resolution supporting redress. Protests over the film ‘Year of the Dragon’ ran through several pages, with columns by Bill Hosokawa and Bob Shimabukuro.

Inside are two parts of Katie Kaori Hayashi’s essay on the Fumiko Kimura case, Bill Marutani’s account of speaking to a private school faculty about the World War II incarceration (often called internment), and Loni Ding’s expanded documentary on Nisei soldiers. Readers’ letters take up redress, the Heart Mountain and Manzanar-related exhibition in Philadelphia, and the paper’s coverage of Jesse Jackson. Page 7 carries chapter news from Golden Gate, Las Vegas and Mile-Hi.

What’s in this issue

Arts & Entertainment

• Sankaijuku Member Killed in Accident, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Tokyo dance troupe Sankaijuku canceled the remainder of its U.S. tour after member Yoshiyuki Takada died during a hanging dance performance in Seattle when his rope snapped and he fell six stories. The group, known for avant garde buto style, had performed worldwide without incident before this fatal accident.
• Production Begins on ‘Karate Kid II’, by Robert Shimabukuro, page 3. Filming began on ‘Karate Kid II’ in Hawaii, featuring Asian American performers including Nobuko Miyamoto and Jose de Vega of Great Leap as choreographers, alongside stars Pat Morita, Nobu McCarthy, and newcomer Tamlyn Tomita. The story follows Miyagi’s return to his Okinawan home village, with romantic subplots for both Miyagi and Daniel.
• Anthology Available, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Fusion Too, a Japanese American literary anthology published by San Francisco State University’s Asian American Studies Department, is now available at several bookstores. The collection includes poetry, short stories, and a poem and speech by California Supreme Court Justice Rose Bird.

National

• Chinese American Loses Council Race, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Virginia Kee lost to incumbent Miriam Friedlander in a New York City council primary despite endorsements from Mayor Ed Koch and the New York Times. The race centered on competing visions for the diverse Lower Manhattan district, with Friedlander portraying Kee as the candidate of the rich and Kee accusing Friedlander of opposing development.
• California Assemblyman’s Comments Spark Protests, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Assemblyman Gil Ferguson sparked outrage after criticizing state funding for the Japanese American National Museum and invoking WW2, drawing chants of ‘Rambo’ from Republican colleagues. JACL and Rep. Robert Matsui demanded apologies and repudiation from state leaders, while Ferguson defended his remarks as fiscal conservatism rather than racism.
• Boston Policeman Found Guilty of Misconduct, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Detective Francis Kelly was found guilty of falsifying police records and using excessive force in arresting Chinese immigrant Long Guang Huang, receiving a one-year suspension without pay. Huang was acquitted of all charges, and Kelly’s attorney made additional racially charged remarks about Huang during the hearing.
• Anti-Apartheid Activist Addresses Asian Americans, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Trevor Fowler of the African National Congress spoke to over 100 people about the fight against apartheid in South Africa, alongside a screening of the film ‘Woza Albert.’ The event, endorsed by 34 Asian Pacific organizations, marked the first organized Southern California Asian American effort opposing apartheid.

Community

• L.A. Asians Sign Statement Opposing Farrakhan, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Seventy labor, civil rights, religious and political leaders including JACL officials signed a full-page ad in the L.A. Times denouncing Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan’s bigoted remarks. The ad was paid for by the Jewish Federation Council in response to Farrakhan’s comments about Jews and Judaism.
• Women’s Commission Protests ‘Year of the Dragon’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The L.A. County Commission for Women voted to send letters protesting the portrayal of an Asian American woman reporter in the film ‘Year of the Dragon,’ focusing on a scene depicting forced sex. Commissioners disagreed sharply over whether the scene was in fact depicted as rape.
• News Story Called ‘Racist,’ ‘Offensive’, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Long Beach Press-Telegram was criticized for using the term ‘Chinaman’ and publishing a photo of a racially caricatured sand sculpture called ‘Wrong Beach’ that won a sand sculpture contest. After letters of protest from Kent Wong and L.A. City Councilman Mike Woo, the paper issued an apology.
• Seminars Offered at L.T. Health Fair, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The 14th annual Little Tokyo Community Health Fair will offer free health screenings and, for the first time, seminars on cancer, hypertension, and diabetes. The fair will be held October 5 at Union Church, with free flu shots scheduled separately for October 26.

Incarceration & Redress

• Episcopalians Pass Resolution Supporting Redress, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Episcopal Church passed a resolution at its 68th annual general convention supporting redress bills HR 442 and S1053. The resolution was introduced by members of Christ Episcopal Church in San Francisco with testimony from several community leaders.

Commentary

• On Campus of a Private School, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Marutani recounts speaking to faculty at a wealthy, conservative private school near Philadelphia about Japanese American incarceration and redress. He notes the stark lack of racial diversity among the faculty audience, though some younger faculty expressed genuine interest in educating students about this history.
• One Thing Leads to Another, by Bob Shimabukuro, page 4. This column covers several community items including dancer Louise Kawabata’s California Arts Council grant to adapt Buddhist folk tales, rainy weather in L.A., and a coalition organized by Portland JACL members to protest ‘Year of the Dragon.’ The coalition included a notably wide range of civil rights and ethnic organizations.
• A Moving Experience, by Sue Kunitomi Embrey, page 4. A letter praising the Philadelphia JACL chapter and Balch Institute for their exhibition ‘The Japanese American Experience,’ highlighting Ansel Adams’ Manzanar photographs and veteran histories. The writer thanks the organizations for a valuable lesson in American history.
• The Real Culprit, by Eji Suyama, page 4. A letter responding to a Washington columnist’s piece on military involvement in drug enforcement, arguing that the real failure during the WW2 Evacuation was by civilian government officials, not the military. The writer contends the military was merely following its duty while civilian leaders failed in their constitutional responsibilities.
• Keep It Simple, by Mack Yamaguchi, page 4. A letter responding to William Hohri’s redress proposal, arguing against seeking larger compensation amounts due to inflation. The writer advocates for keeping redress simple at $20,000 per victim and urges unity among redress leaders.
• PC’s Jackson Policy, by Ken Masugi, page 4. A letter criticizing Pacific Citizen’s coverage of Jesse Jackson, questioning why the paper has not editorially denounced Jackson’s controversial remarks about Jews and the Hiroshima bombing. The writer demands the PC editors clarify their editorial stance on Jackson and his rainbow coalition politics.
• Publicity We Can Do Without, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa discusses his reluctance to see the controversial film ‘Year of the Dragon’ due to its stereotypical portrayal of Chinese Americans involved in crime. He warns that the film’s success could lead to similar crime films stereotyping other Asian American communities, including Japanese Americans.
• Money Can’t Buy It, by Richard H. Mayemura, page 5. A letter arguing against the premise that monetary redress can truly ‘right the wrong’ of Japanese American internment, questioning the logic that money can compensate for constitutional violations. The writer suggests society typically focuses on preventing repeat crimes rather than monetary compensation alone.
• Read Your Rights, by Mei Nakano, page 5. A letter providing information about a free booklet on women’s job rights, including protections against sexual harassment, available from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau. This follows up on an earlier article by Sandi Kawasaki about sexual harassment.
• The Ethnic Aspects of the Kimura Case, by Katie Kaori Hayashi, page 5. Hayashi argues that Fumiko Kimura’s attempted parent-child suicide after her husband’s infidelity reflects a distinctly Japanese cultural pattern rather than a universal human response, citing statistics on the frequency of such suicides in Japan versus their rarity in the U.S. She examines differing reactions to the case among Japanese versus American communities and traces the cultural and historical roots of coerced parent-child suicide in Japan.
• Kimura: Ethnic Aspects Continued, by Katie Kaori Hayashi, page 8. This continuation of Hayashi’s essay examines linguistic nuances of the word ‘shinju,’ women’s status in Japan, and the historical origins of coerced parent-child suicide tied to poverty and infanticide laws. She argues these suicides persist as a cultural pattern despite Japan’s changed economic circumstances, though rates are declining as women gain more independence.

Military & Veterans

• Ding: Soldiers Story Continues, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 6. Filmmaker Loni Ding is expanding her Emmy-winning documentary ‘Nisei Soldier’ into a longer film that will include the stories of Issei parents, Military Intelligence Service veterans, and Heart Mountain draft resisters. The project, funded by several humanities councils and a Guggenheim fellowship, has required extensive travel and relies heavily on community cooperation, with completion expected by spring.

JACL

• Golden Gate Chapter Pulse, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Ron Wakabayashi and John Tateishi will give a redress update at JACL National Headquarters in San Francisco on September 23. The event is open to the public.
• Las Vegas Chapter Pulse, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Las Vegas JACL chapter’s annual luau fundraiser for scholarship and building funds will be held October 6 at Paradise Park, featuring a Hawaiian-themed menu. Volunteers are needed and admission prices vary by age.
• Mile-Hi Chapter Pulse, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Mile-Hi JACL chapter held a Kansha-no-Hi (Appreciation Day) ceremony at Tri-State Buddhist Temple honoring seven individuals for decades of service to Colorado’s Japanese American communities. More than 250 people attended the event co-chaired by chapter president Tom Masamori and Henry Suzuki.
• 1955-65 Naturalized Citizens Sought, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Downtown L.A. JACL chapter is seeking individuals who became naturalized citizens in Los Angeles between 1955 and 1965 to honor at a November luncheon program called the Third Decade of Citizenship. The chapter extended the eligibility period to recognize the significance of 1965 amendments to the Walter-McCarran Act.

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