Redress, a coram nobis hearing and community honors in April 1986

Vol. 102, No. 16, April 25, 1986. 8 pages. View this issue

The Pacific Citizen’s April 25, 1986 issue led with Gov. George Deukmejian honoring four Los Angeles Japanese American organizations at a reception, reported by J.K. Yamamoto. The front page also covered the California State Senate’s 29-1 vote on a resolution urging action on redress and supporting H.R. 442, and a May 5 hearing in Portland on whether Min Yasui’s coram nobis appeal was filed in time. Other front-page stories dealt with anti-Asian violence, including a guilty verdict in a Massachusetts case and a Bay Area conference on the subject.

Inside, Bill Hosokawa tells how professor Bob O’Brien rescued six Nisei students in 1942, and Denny Yasuhara writes about staff power within JACL. Pages 5 and 8 look ahead to the JACL National Convention in Chicago and list chapter events, including the Okei’s Grave and Wakamatsu Colony clean-up and a Mothers Day Luncheon honoring four women.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Deukmejian Honors Efforts of Nikkei Organizations, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 1. Gov. George Deukmejian honored four Los Angeles Japanese American organizations—JACCC, Japanese Retirement Home, Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Japanese American National Museum—at an April 11 reception. He praised their community service and the contributions of Japanese Americans he has appointed to state positions.
• Philadelphia Pan Asian Fest Planned, page 1. The 1986 Pan Asian Festival, themed ‘Asian Americans—Getting to Know Us,’ will be held May 5-10 in Philadelphia, including film screenings, a teach-in with Judge William Marutani, and a closing banquet. The festival began with a mayoral proclamation of Asian Pacific American Heritage Week.
• Detroit Group Urged to Continue Fight Against Discrimination, page 2. Rep. Norman Mineta urged members of American Citizens for Justice, formed after the 1982 killing of Vincent Chin, to continue fighting racial discrimination and violence at the group’s third rededication dinner. He emphasized the need for persistent, organized advocacy and public education about racial injustice.
• Yasui to Speak at ‘Freedom, Liberty’ Conference May 9, page 2. Minoru Yasui will be among panelists at a May 9 Denver colloquium on ‘The Meaning of Freedom and Liberty in Contemporary America,’ convened by Gov. Richard Lamm’s Advisory Committee for the Commemoration of the Statue of Liberty. Other panelists include a federal judge and district attorney, with Harvard sociologist Nathan Glazer moderating.
• Garden Dedicated to Issei Pioneers, page 3. A Japanese Memorial Garden was dedicated April 5 at the Coachella Valley Museum & Cultural Center honoring Japanese pioneers who settled and farmed in the area since 1908. The ceremony, led by Rev. Alfred Tsuyuki of Konko Church, included traditional rites and participation from Issei and Nisei community representatives.
• Marina Chapter to Hear Mike Woo, page 8. Mike Woo, the first Asian American on the Los Angeles City Council, will speak at Marina Del Rey chapter’s general meeting on May 1 about Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics and Asian Americans in politics.
• French Camp Chapter Plans Community Picnic, page 8. French Camp Chapter’s 37th annual community picnic will be held April 27 at Micke Grove Park featuring games, beer and soft drinks for all ages. Tom Natsuhara and George Komura are chairing the event.
• Greater LA Singles Plans ‘Three in One Nite’ Event, page 8. Greater LA Singles Chapter is hosting a blackjack reception, dinner and dance at the Marriott in Marina Del Rey. Members, friends and potential new members are invited to the limited-seating event.
• Downtown LA Chapter Plans 24th Annual Mothers Day Luncheon, page 8. Downtown Los Angeles JACL and Nanka Nikkei Fujin-Kai will co-sponsor the 24th annual Mothers Day Luncheon May 4 at the Bonaventure Hotel, honoring four Japanese American women for community contributions. Honorees include Suye Iwataki, Katsue Watanabe, Kinu Murakami and Shizue Yamashita.
• Contra Costa Chapter Plans Senior Appreciation Dinner, page 8. Contra Costa Chapter’s 1986 Senior Appreciation Dinner will be held June 22 at Maple Hall, where scholarship recipients will also be announced.

National

• Fundraiser for Hsieh Set in D.C., page 1. A fundraiser for San Francisco Board of Supervisors candidate Tom Hsieh is planned for May 14 at Wah Luck House in Chinatown, organized by a Washington, D.C.-area committee. Honorary chairs include prominent Asian American political figures, and organizers say the event reflects concern for greater Asian American political involvement.
• Bay Area Conference to Examine Ways to Deal With Rise in Anti-Asian Violence, page 1. The Bay Area Coalition on Anti-Asian Violence will hold a conference May 10 at UC Berkeley examining the growth of anti-Asian violence and potential solutions. Speakers include JACL’s Ron Wakabayashi and other community leaders discussing causes such as trade disputes and media stereotypes, plus practical responses for communities.
• Guilty Verdict Reached in Anti-Asian Attack Case, page 1. Robert Lee Stevens was found guilty on April 15 of repeatedly harassing Cambodian refugees in their Revere, Massachusetts home. He faces seven to ten years in prison for felony civil rights violations and assault charges stemming from June 1985 attacks.

Incarceration & Redress

• Arguments on Yasui Appeal to Be Heard May 5, page 1. A hearing on whether Min Yasui’s coram nobis appeal was filed within required time limits is scheduled for May 5 in Portland federal court. The case centers on whether coram nobis appeals should follow the 60-day deadline for civil cases rather than the 10-day deadline for criminal appeals.
• Calif. State Senate Passes Redress Resolution, page 1. The California State Senate approved SJR 45 by a 29-1 vote on April 17, urging congressional action on redress and supporting House bill H.R. 442. Sen. Milton Marks called the bill’s passage 40 years overdue, while Sen. Robert Beverly voted for it despite questioning the need for repeated resolutions.
• Sacramento-Area Chapters Plan Okei’s Grave and Wakamatsu Colony Clean-up, page 8. The annual clean-up of Okei’s Grave and Wakamatsu Colony Memorial at Gold Hill near Coloma is scheduled for April 27, a tradition involving Placer County, Sacramento and Florin JACL chapters since 1970. Participants are asked to bring garden tools, trash bags and a picnic lunch.

Commentary

• Returning to the Community, page 4. The columnist reflects on a lunch conversation with a Sansei civil rights activist about the openness of testimony at Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment hearings. They discuss how such candor helped Japanese Americans reconnect with their community and complemented legal and legislative redress efforts.
• Staff, Power and Influence, by Denny Yasuhara, page 4. JACL board member Denny Yasuhara argues that National JACL executive staff wield disproportionate power through control of information and subtle influence over elections. He cites examples including the handling of LDP Japan trips, budget deficit reporting, and uneven publicity given to Smithsonian exhibit coverage versus PSW’s LEC fundraiser.

In-Depth

• Six Who Were Rescued, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa recounts how University of Washington professor Bob O’Brien rescued six Nisei students during the 1942 Evacuation, helping them escape to Idaho and eventually leading him to direct a national student relocation program. Decades later, several of the rescued students reunited with O’Brien, now elderly and unable to speak after strokes, hoping to see him honored at a JACL convention.

JACL

• Biennium Convention Carries Added Significance, page 5. The upcoming JACL National Convention biennium coincides with the 100th Congress likely voting on redress legislation, the Constitution’s Bicentennial, and a major Smithsonian exhibition. The piece also discusses rising anti-Asian sentiment, growing Asian American political influence, and identity issues from high rates of intermarriage.
• A Look at ’86 Convention Site, page 5. The Hyatt Regency Chicago will host the National JACL Convention July 20-25, offering special discounted room rates for attendees. The hotel is located near Chicago’s Michigan Avenue shopping district and is accessible via airport bus and rapid transit.
• NCWNP District Council to Meet in Palo Alto, page 8. The second quarterly No. Calif-W. Nev.-Pacific JACL District Council meeting, hosted by Sequoia Chapter, will be held May 4 at Dinah’s Shack in Palo Alto. Reports will be given by various district officers covering finances, programs, forensics and women’s concerns.

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