Vol. 102, No. 2, January 17, 1986. 8 pages. View this issue
Clarence Matsumura of the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion spoke at the Simon Wiesenthal Center about the unit’s role in liberating concentration camps and POW camps in Germany. Robert Shimabukuro reported the event on the front page. The same page carried news that California Gov. George Deukmejian proclaimed Feb. 19, 1986 a Day of Remembrance, marking Executive Order 9066 and the incarceration of Japanese Americans (often called internment). It also reported that John Tateishi resigned as JACL Redress Director after seven and a half years, and that Rep. Robert Matsui criticized a proposal on bilingual education.
Inside are a review of Akira Kurosawa’s film ‘Ran’ by Katie Kaori Hayashi, a letter from Mari K. Hasegawa on a tour to South Africa, and Harry Kajihara’s report on the JACL-LEC fund drive. Editor Bob Shimabukuro replied to criticism from the PC Board poll. Page 6 collects chapter installation dinners and a Smithsonian call for Nikkei artifacts, as well as a monument that will include the names of 31 Nisei from Amache.
What’s in this issue
Military & Veterans
- 522nd Vet Relates Wartime Exploits, by Robert Shimabukuro, page 1. Clarence Matsumura, a veteran of the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion, spoke at the Simon Wiesenthal Center about the unit’s role in liberating concentration camps and POW camps in Germany during WW2. Eric Saul, curator of the Military History Museum at the Presidio, also presented a historical overview of Nisei WW2 contributions, and the event closed with a screening of Loni Ding’s film ‘Nisei Soldier.’
National
- Matsui Defends Bilingual Education, page 1. Rep. Robert Matsui criticized a Reagan Administration proposal by Education Secretary William Bennett that would allow school districts to limit non-English instruction, warning it could harm the integration of non-English-speaking children. Matsui expressed concern that the proposal could undercut California’s own bilingual education law, which must be renewed in 1987.
- Hawaiian Reparations Bill Proposed, page 1. Hawaii’s congressional delegation is proposing legislation that would provide Native Hawaiians $100 million a year for 10 years in reparations for the U.S. role in overthrowing the Hawaiian monarchy. The package also includes the Native Hawaiian Claims Act and resolutions seeking federal recognition of Native Hawaiians as Native Americans.
- Funds for Refugee Aid Released to States, page 3. Over $11.5 million in impounded refugee aid funds, including $4.7 million for California, has been released to the states by the Reagan Administration after a lawsuit by Rep. Robert Matsui and others. Matsui criticized the administration for wasting taxpayer money on legal action to withhold funds Congress had intended to release.
- Smithsonian Seeking Nikkei Artifacts, page 6. Smithsonian Institution curators plan to visit San Francisco and Los Angeles to identify and obtain artifacts for a 1987 exhibition on Japanese Americans, the institution’s first ethnic American presentation. Go For Broke, Inc. and JACL are assisting in gathering items from the prewar, wartime internment, and postwar periods, including photographs, camp-made crafts, and documents.
- Seattle HUD Official Receives Award, page 6. William Nishimura received a Distinguished Executive Award from President Reagan for his accomplishments as regional administrator of HUD in Seattle, covering Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and Idaho. Nishimura streamlined operations, increased productivity, and launched initiatives addressing homelessness and minority business development.
Incarceration & Redress
- ‘Day of Remembrance’ Proclaimed, page 1. California Gov. George Deukmejian issued a proclamation designating Feb. 19, 1986 as a Day of Remembrance, commemorating the signing of Executive Order 9066 and the internment of Japanese Americans during WW2. The proclamation calls on Californians to reflect on this tragic action against American citizens.
- Monument to Include Amache Nisei, page 6. A monument honoring Prowers County residents killed in action from WW1 through Vietnam will include the names of 31 Nisei from the Amache internment camp who died in military service. The $30,000 black granite monument is scheduled for completion in May to coincide with the Lamar Centennial.
JACL
- JACL Redress Director Resigns, by Robert Shimabukuro, page 1. JACL Redress Director John Tateishi announced his resignation effective Jan. 15, citing a desire to move on after seven and a half years in the position amid reported disenchantment over infighting between JACL Redress and JACL-LEC. His departure leaves the redress program with reduced staff, following the earlier termination of a Washington representative position and a staffer’s maternity leave.
- LEC Fund Drive Report, by Harry Kajihara, page 5. The JACL-LEC Fund Drive Chair reports on progress seven months into the three-year campaign to finance redress efforts, with a breakdown of funds raised by district showing some districts far ahead of target. Fourteen JACL chapters have become prime solicitors, and the plan encourages recruiting volunteers to raise funds both within and outside JACL membership.
Arts & Entertainment
- ‘Little China’: More Asian Stereotypes?, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 2. Asian American groups who protested ‘Year of the Dragon’ are expressing concerns that John Carpenter’s upcoming film ‘Big Trouble in Little China’ will perpetuate similar racist stereotypes about Chinatown. A 20th Century Fox spokesman, Daniel Kwan, defends the film, arguing its fantastical elements make it clearly not a realistic portrayal and that Asian American cast and crew have had meaningful input.
- ‘Ran’: The Folly of War, by Katie Kaori Hayashi, page 5. A review of Akira Kurosawa’s film ‘Ran,’ inspired by Shakespeare’s ‘King Lear’ but set in 16th century Japan, praising its depiction of an aging warrior betrayed by his sons and the chaos of war. The review highlights strong performances, especially by Hisashi Ikawa, and Toru Takemitsu’s skillful use of music, while criticizing some overacting and uneven performances.
Community
- Nikkei Newspaper Publisher Honored, page 2. Kuniko Terasawa, 90-year-old editor and publisher of Utah Nippo, was honored by Salt Lake JACL for 73 years of public service to the Japanese American community. She took over the bilingual newspaper after her husband’s death in the 1930s and continues to publish it weekly with her daughter’s help.
- Asians Join in Small Business Conference, page 2. About 1,650 entrepreneurs participated in White House Conferences on Small Business in Anaheim and San Francisco, discussing issues like product liability insurance and tax treatment of employee benefits. Asian American delegates were elected to represent California at the National Conference on Small Business in Washington, D.C.
- Denver Volunteers Win Yasui Award, page 3. Eight recipients of the Minoru Yasui Community Volunteer Awards were honored at a Denver luncheon, including a crisis hotline counselor and a retiree who delivers Meals on Wheels while checking on seniors’ home repairs. The award, named after former Denver Commission on Community Relations director Minoru Yasui, has given $119,500 to local organizations over its nine-year history.
- San Jose Chapter Sponsors Student, page 6. San Jose JACL is sponsoring Rae Inafuku, a senior at Homestead High School, as a participant in Presidential Classroom for Young Americans in Washington, D.C. The program brings together over 3,000 students from all 50 states each year.
- San Fernando Valley JACL Installation Dinner, page 6. San Fernando Valley JACL will hold its installation dinner at the Airtel Plaza in Van Nuys, with Dr. Bob Suzuki as the main speaker. Newly elected chapter president Mabel Takimoto and the new board of governors will be installed by PSW governor Ken Inouye.
- Eden Township Plans 50th Anniversary Reunion, page 6. Eden Township JACL and the AAYs will hold a 50th anniversary celebration and community-wide reunion in September, featuring a banquet, golf and bowling events, and a barbecue. Former chapter members and community residents are encouraged to contact the reunion committee.
- Olympia Tribute to Japan Set for Jan. 25, page 6. The 4th annual Tribute to Japan, co-sponsored by Olympia JACL, the Seattle Consul General of Japan, and Evergreen State College, will feature films, kimono fashion shows, tea ceremony, and cultural exhibits. The free event drew 2,500 visitors the previous year.
- Carson JACL Installation Dinner, page 6. Carson JACL’s 11th annual installation dinner will be held at Del Conte’s Restaurant, with officers to be installed by PSW redress chair George Ogawa. Joe Sakamoto will serve as president along with other newly elected board members.
- Washington D.C. JACL Marks 40th Anniversary, page 6. Washington D.C. JACL will hold its 40th anniversary installation dinner-dance at Ft. Myer Officers’ Club, featuring guest speakers Ambassador Nobuo Matsunaga of Japan and Smithsonian official Roger Kennedy. The event includes cocktails, dinner, and dancing with tickets available for members, non-members, and students.
- Fremont JACL Installation Dinner, page 6. Fremont JACL will hold its annual installation dinner at Rumors Restaurant, with NCWNP director George Kondo installing officers and newly elected mayor Gus Morrison as guest speaker. Masataro Kitani, who will turn 100 this year, will be honored at the event.
Commentary
- Japan Travel Vignettes, page 4. A travel column reflects on various aspects of Japanese culture observed during a trip, including remotely-controlled taxi doors, unlocked bicycles left in public, immaculately maintained vehicles, and the formal politeness of Shinkansen conductors. The writer also notes the trust shown by hotels leaving valuable items unlocked and recounts an evening hearing an unintelligible Kagoshima dialect folk song.
- The Editor Replies, by Bob Shimabukuro, page 4. Editor Bob Shimabukuro responds to criticism from the PC Board poll regarding the newspaper’s content and direction, defending the paper’s coverage of JACL news and addressing complaints about reliance on reprinted articles given limited staff. He also addresses complaints about lack of officers’ reports, noting that board members have not taken advantage of available space to write about their activities.
- Boosting Apartheid?, by Mari K. Hasegawa, page 5. A letter to the editor criticizes a Japanese American Travel Club tour advertisement featuring destinations in South Africa, arguing that Nikkei should understand the struggle against racism given their own history of internment. The writer urges readers to change their travel plans and boycott tours that could support apartheid, including a response letter from the travel club defending its decision not to cancel the tour.
In-Depth
- Fujii’s Wartime Adventures, page 5. T. John Fujii, a Nisei born in Japan who worked as a journalist, recounts his dramatic wartime experiences including internment by the British in India, interrogation by the Japanese Kempeitai, service as a Japanese Navy interpreter in Burma, and involvement in an early operation against the Vietminh in Saigon. The column argues that the stories of Nisei who spent the war in Japan deserve to be documented as part of the complete Japanese American story.
Obituaries
- Cecile Elizabeth Lancaster, page 8. Cecile Elizabeth Lancaster, 90, of Houston died Jan. 2; she taught English and served as vice president at Seinan Jo Gakuin Baptist Girls’ School in Japan and later taught at the Gila River internment camp during WW2. She received the Sacred Treasure award from Japan in 1962 and was honored by Houston JACL in 1976.
- Jack Kiyoyuki Momoi, page 8. Jack Kiyoyuki Momoi died Dec. 18 in Chicago at age 69; he graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Washington in 1939. He was survived by his wife and family and was a longtime member of the Chicago Chapter of JACL.
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