Vol. 101, No. 22, November 29, 1985. 8 pages. View this issue
A proposal to make English the official language of Monterey Park, Calif., led the front page, where J.K. Yamamoto reported on the drive to put it on the April ballot and on the opposing group formed in response. Katie Kaori Hayashi reported on former Senator S.I. Hayakawa circulating petitions at Cal State Northridge for a similar statewide measure. Also on page 1 were a Democratic National Committee outreach plan for Asian Pacific Americans and a Caltech survey of Asian American political views.
Inside are columns by Bill Marutani, on a trip to Japan, and Bill Hosokawa, on trade tensions. Other pages cover protests against a Chinatown film, Loni Ding’s award for Nisei Soldier, a new book on Santa Clara Valley farmers, a PBS series called Silk Screen, and a call for former Heart Mountain internees for a documentary. The Pacific Citizen also announced Rick Momii as its new advertising manager.
What’s in this issue
National
- Battle Lines Drawn on Language Issue, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 1. A proposal to make English the official language of Monterey Park, Calif., led by photographer Frank Arcuri, has sparked formation of the opposing Coalition for Harmony in Monterey Park (CHaMP). The measure has focused national attention on the multi-ethnic city, where Asians make up 40% of the population and signs in Chinese are common in business districts.
- Hayakawa Calls for Official Language, by Katie Kaori Hayashi, page 1. Former Senator S.I. Hayakawa circulated petitions at Cal State Northridge to put a measure on the state ballot making English California’s official language. Hayakawa argued a common language unites American society and criticized bilingual ballots as contradicting immigration laws requiring English proficiency for citizenship.
- DNC Plans Outreach to Asian/Pacifics, page 1. Democratic National Committee chairman Paul Kirk announced a major outreach program to Asian Pacific Americans at a San Francisco reception, proposing creation of a national federation for Asian Pacific Democrats. Kirk has appointed several Asian Pacific Americans to DNC committees to recruit more community members to the party.
- Asians Prefer GOP, Survey Suggests, page 1. A Caltech survey found Asian Americans more likely than Latinos to oppose special government programs for immigrants and to support President Reagan and the Republican Party. The poll suggested Asians do not believe they share the same problems as Blacks and Latinos or need similar assistance programs.
- Pearl Harbor Invoked in Ad Campaign, page 3. Houston public relations consultant Henry ‘Hank’ Grover ran full-page ads claiming ‘Japan is stealing American jobs’ and promoting bumper stickers referencing Pearl Harbor to protest the U.S.-Japan trade deficit. Japan America Society director Jean Choate called the charges biased and inaccurate, noting the U.S. has its own trade barriers.
Community
- Asians Wary of New Chinatown Film, page 2. About 25 protesters in San Francisco’s Chinatown rallied against the 20th Century Fox film ‘Big Trouble in Little China,’ organized by the Bay Area Coalition Against ‘Year of the Dragon.’ Protesters argued the film promotes dangerous stereotypes including prostitution rings and ethnic warfare imagery.
- JAM 1986 Calendars Now Available, page 2. Japantown Art and Media Workshop (JAM) released its 1986 calendar featuring 13 limited-edition hand silk-screened prints by various artists. The calendar will be available at Nihonmachi Little Friends’ Christmas art fair and other venues in San Francisco.
- Book on Santa Clara JA Farmers Released, page 2. A new book, ‘Japanese Legacy: Farming and Community Life in California’s Santa Clara Valley,’ traces the history of Santa Clara’s Japanese American farming community from 1895 to 1945. Authors Timothy Lukes and Gary Okihiro, both Santa Clara University professors, held an autograph party in Santa Clara.
- Needs of Ethnic Communities Explored, page 3. Over 250 community leaders and volunteers gathered at Cal State Long Beach to discuss meeting health and human services needs of the city’s growing ethnic population, which has grown from 30% to more than 50% in five years. Speakers addressed cultural variations in family dynamics, intercultural staffing, and bridging communication barriers for Asian American and other minority communities.
- Video on Asian Stereotypes Planned, page 3. Asian American Resource Workshop in Boston received a $10,000 grant to produce a 30-minute videotape documenting the history of Asian stereotypes in media and their role in shaping social attitudes. The project aims to counter images like those in ‘Rambo’ and ‘Year of the Dragon’ amid rising anti-Asian violence.
- Broadcast Dates Set for ‘Silk Screen’, page 5. A new PBS series called ‘Silk Screen’ showcasing documentaries and dramatic films by and about Asian Americans will air in multiple cities starting in December 1985. The series begins with Renee Cho’s ‘Jazz Is My Native Language,’ a profile of musician Toshiko Akiyoshi.
- JAPSS Hearing Dec. 5, page 5. A public hearing on the use of the name ‘J.A.P.S.S.’ by a local hair salon will be held by the West Hollywood city council on Dec. 5. The hearing was initiated by the National Coalition for Redress/Reparations, which has been picketing the salon and circulating petitions demanding a name change.
- Nikkei Hospital to Be Subject of Study, page 6. UC Davis medical student Troy Kaji was awarded a fellowship to study the evolving role of City View Hospital in Los Angeles, one of the few remaining Japanese American hospitals established in the 1920s and 1930s. The project will examine how the JA community’s health care needs have changed and whether there remains a need for ethnically oriented hospitals.
- Seattle Chapter President Named to Esquire List, page 6. Seattle JACL chapter president Dave Okimoto, director of the city’s Department of Human Resources, was selected for Esquire magazine’s list of 115 members of ‘America’s New Leadership Class’ under 40. Okimoto was honored for his social work aiding Asian refugees during nine years directing the Asian Counseling and Referral Service.
Military & Veterans
- ‘Nisei Soldier’ Wins Film and TV Award, page 2. Loni Ding’s documentary ‘Nisei Soldier’ won a gold medal in the history and biography category at the 28th annual International Film and Television Festival of New York. The film documents Japanese Americans who fought for the U.S. in Europe during WWII and has been broadcast on PBS.
Commentary
- Reminders of Japan, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Columnist Bill Marutani reflects on cultural observations from a recent trip to Japan, including the lack of paper towels in washrooms, unisex restroom cleaning customs, and unusual breakfast egg preparations. He also comments on Japanese vehicles, karaoke technology, and television programming teaching the Korean language.
- A ‘Mild’ Error, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Columnist Bill Hosokawa criticizes a Japan Times Weekly headline describing U.S. protectionist sentiment as ‘mild,’ arguing this is misleading given ongoing congressional trade tensions with Japan. He cites Congressman Norman Mineta’s warning that American patience over trade issues has grown short, with lawmakers using ‘trade war’ rhetoric.
Incarceration & Redress
- Former Heart Mountain Internees Needed, page 5. KTWO-TV is producing a documentary on the Heart Mountain relocation center and seeks former internees who can converse in English and are at least 67 years old. Interested individuals can contact Bacon Sakatani in West Covina, Calif., with taping beginning in early December.
JACL
- Momii Joins Staff, page 5. Rick Momii has joined the Pacific Citizen staff as the new advertising manager. Momii previously served as managing editor of the Los Angeles-based Tozai Times.
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