Challenger and Onizuka, a slur at USTR, and a redress lawsuit revived

Vol. 102, No. 4, January 31, 1986. 8 pages. View this issue

The space shuttle Challenger disaster, which killed astronaut Lt. Col. Ellison Onizuka and six other crew members, led the front page. Rep. Norman Mineta mourned him as a friend and JACL President Frank Sato issued a statement. The same page reported on the redress lawsuit brought by William Hohri’s National Council for Japanese American Redress, which an appeals panel reinstated, and on calls for Michael Smith’s resignation after the Deputy U.S. Trade Representative used a racial slur for the Japanese. Rep. Robert Matsui made that call.

Inside are columns by Bill Marutani and Bill Hosokawa, a letters page on South Africa tour ads, and Sharon Maeda’s account of a peace congress in Warsaw. Robert Shimabukuro covered the JACL National Board meeting, and J.K. Yamamoto wrote about Little Tokyo tenants protesting evictions. Page 6 gathers chapter news and officer installations from Arizona, Marin County, Marina and Fowler.

What’s in this issue

National

• Congressmen Object to USTR Official’s Use of Slur, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Norman Mineta sought a meeting with Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Michael Smith after Smith used the word ‘Nippers’ to refer to the Japanese, while Rep. Robert Matsui called for Smith’s resignation. Smith claimed the term was not meant to be derogatory and was commonly used in his office.
• Bun Vong Trial Delayed; Defendant’s Complaint Denied, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The manslaughter trial of John Febbi and Scott Arsenault for the beating death of Cambodian refugee Bun Vong was postponed to March 4, while Febbi’s complaint against survivor Som Bunyoeun was denied. In a separate case, Robert Lee Stevens was arraigned for harassment of Cambodian refugees in Revere, Massachusetts.
• Mink Declines Chairmanship of Honolulu City Council, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Patsy Mink chose not to retake the Honolulu City Council chair position after leading a successful recall drive against Democrats who had switched parties, instead becoming majority leader and Housing Committee chair. Marilyn Bornhorst was selected as the new council chair.
• Onizuka Killed in Space Shuttle Disaster, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Astronaut Lt. Col. Ellison Onizuka, the first Asian American in space, died along with six other crew members when the space shuttle Challenger exploded 75 seconds after liftoff. Rep. Norman Mineta mourned Onizuka as a friend and pioneer, and JACL President Frank Sato issued a statement honoring his achievements.
• NLC Endorses Commission Findings, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The National League of Cities passed a resolution endorsing the pro-redress recommendations made by the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians. The resolution calls on Congress and the Administration to act on the recommendations as a way to acknowledge wartime injustices against Japanese Americans.

Incarceration & Redress

• Judges Overturn Dismissal of NCJAR Suit, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A U.S. Court of Appeals panel reversed the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by the National Council for Japanese American Redress on behalf of internees, ruling that government concealment of evidence could extend the statute of limitations. NCJAR spokesman William Hohri called the ruling a major victory, though the government may still appeal to the Supreme Court.

Community

• Merger of East Bay Groups Proposed, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A task force has proposed merging East Bay Japanese for Action and East Bay Issei Housing to eliminate duplication of services and fundraising competition for the aging Japanese American population. A public meeting to discuss the merger details will be held Feb. 8 at North Berkeley Senior Center.
• Former Union Head Bridges to Be Feted, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Labor leader Harry Bridges, founder of the International Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Union, will be honored at a dinner in Los Angeles for his union’s early acceptance of Japanese Americans and its opposition to WW2 internment. The ILWU was instrumental in organizing plantation workers in Hawaii and fought government attempts to deport Bridges to Australia.
• Little Tokyo Tenants Protest Evictions, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 3. Residents of the Alan Hotel in Little Tokyo staged a protest demanding relocation benefits after the building was sold to a Hong Kong company for demolition and redevelopment. The Community Redevelopment Agency claims no responsibility since the sale was a private transaction, leaving tenants without the benefits typically provided in city-initiated redevelopment.
• Items for JA Exhibit to Be Sought in L.A., by P.C. Staff, page 3. Smithsonian Institution curators will visit the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center to view photos and artifacts for a possible 1987 exhibit on Japanese Americans. Community members are invited to bring artifacts, documents and news clippings to the Murphy Library for consideration.
• Internships for Law Students Offered, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund is sponsoring a 10-week summer internship program for law students to gain practical legal experience serving the Asian American community. Interns will work on litigation, community education, and legal research with AALDEF staff.
• PNWDC U.S.-Japan Relations Workshop Planned, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Pacific Northwest District Council’s Seattle Chapter and Lake Washington Chapter will sponsor the first PNWDC JACL U.S.-Japan Relations Workshop on Feb. 15 in Bellevue, Washington. The free workshop will cover topics including historical ties, scholarships, and language programs.
• Arizona Chapter Installs 1986 Officers, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Arizona JACL Chapter installed its 1986 officers including Tony Shimizu as president at a dinner attended by over 70 members. Entertainment was provided by the Karaoke Group and Hank Morimoto.
• Marin County Chapter News, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Marin County JACL chapter announced its annual spaghetti dinner and bingo night for Feb. 8, and reported on the installation of its 1986 cabinet led by Dennis Sato as president. Entertainment at the installation was provided by playwright/actor Hiroshi Kashiwagi.
• Marina Chapter Officers Named, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Marina JACL chapter in Los Angeles announced its 1986 officers, led by Shirley Chami as president. The cabinet includes multiple vice presidents and committee chairs for membership, redress, and insurance.
• Fowler Chapter Plans Year of Events, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Gerald Nakayama was installed as Fowler JACL president for 1986, leading a full cabinet of officers and board of governors. The chapter announced a full calendar of events including a benefit film showing, community picnic, and scholarship presentations.
• Collection of Nikkei Author’s Works Established at UC Berkeley Library, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley has established a Yoshiko Uchida Collection containing manuscripts, galleys, and correspondence from the author’s career writing Japanese American literature for young people. The collection includes materials related to her book Desert Exile and a scrapbook compiled by her father while interned in Montana during WW2.
• People: Community Notables, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Thomas Iino was elected president of the National Assn. of State Boards of Accountancy, while Toshiye ‘Joyce’ Itatani was honored for 15 years on the Santa Clara school board. Glen Sakai joined the board of the Regional Institute of Southern California as a new member.
• Tsuyuko Kawachika Honored for Teaching Service, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Tsuyuko Kawachika, who recently retired from Manoa Japanese Language School, was honored for 47 years of service as a language school teacher. She received a citation and check from Frank Oda, head of the Japanese Educational Fund of Hawaii.

Commentary

• A Want Ad, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Columnist Bill Marutani reflects on the role of his ‘East Wind’ column in addressing sensitive issues within the Japanese American community, noting that his writings have sometimes ruffled feathers. He suggests it may be time for a replacement columnist from outside the Pacific Coast area who can offer a different perspective with hope rather than bitterness.
• South Africa Tours, by Jerry Enomoto, page 4. A letter writer expresses support for a prior letter criticizing JACL-affiliated travel ads promoting tours to South Africa, arguing that Japanese Americans should be sympathetic to the anti-apartheid struggle given their own history of internment. He suggests the tours be withdrawn or the advertisement declined.
• South Africa Tours Response, by Henry S. Sakai, page 4. The JATC chairman responds to concerns about South Africa tour advertisements, confirming that the ad has been changed to remove South Africa tours and that JATC will encourage travel to other countries instead. He thanks Marii Hasegawa for raising the issue and apologizes for any offense caused.
• Great Holiday Issue, by D. Misa Joo, page 4. A reader from Eugene, Oregon praises the Pacific Citizen’s Holiday Issue, especially the coverage of poet Lawson Inada and the Fumiko Kimura case, which was not covered elsewhere. She thanks the paper for providing community perspective not found in mainstream media.
• Good Job, Bob, by Dick Obayashi, page 4. A reader from Inglewood, California compliments columnist Bob Shimabukuro’s writing style as relevant, fresh, and thought-provoking. He asks if other readers share his appreciation for Shimabukuro’s work.
• And the Winner Is…, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Columnist Bill Hosokawa shares the results of his informal contest for the best comeback to comments about Japanese Americans speaking English well, with over 30 entries from across the country. He awards the prize to George Wakiji’s witty response about studying English at ‘U-C-R-A.’

JACL

• JACL Board Cleans House, by Robert Shimabukuro, page 4. The JACL National Board met in Los Angeles and voted to terminate the Redress Education Program as a formal program, rescind a staff pay freeze, and approve a funds transfer to JACL-LEC. The board also extended a moratorium on LDP-sponsored trips to Japan until the national convention, amid ongoing restructuring of JACL’s redress and lobbying efforts.

In-Depth

• For a Peaceful Future, by Sharon Maeda, page 5. Pacifica radio network executive director Sharon Maeda recounts her experience at the Congress of Intellectuals for a Peaceful Future of the World in Warsaw, Poland, where delegates from 45 countries discussed global peace. She describes a moving personal encounter with Polish leader General Wojciech Jaruzelski, who was emotional upon learning her family was from Hiroshima.

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