H.R. 442 redress hearing: five new co-sponsors and the April 28 testimony

Vol. 102, No. 19, May 16, 1986. 12 pages. View this issue

Redress filled much of this twelve-page issue. The front page reported that Rep. Bernard Dwyer had become the latest co-sponsor of H.R. 442, one of five who signed on after the April 28 House subcommittee hearing. Pages 7 through 9 followed the hearing in detail, with testimony from Karl Bendetsen, from former internees Mary Tsukamoto and Dr. Yoshiye Togasaki, and from Edward Ennis, William Robinson and Eugene Rostow. Minoru Yasui and JACL President Frank Sato offered their own assessments of how it went, and a page 3 item gave Library of Congress estimates of how many Japanese Americans from the World War II incarceration (often called internment) are still living.

Elsewhere, Carole Hayashino reported on the “Break the Silence” conference at UC Berkeley on violence against Asians, and Clifford Uyeda wrote about California’s English-only initiative after a Golden Gate JACL forum. Bob Shimabukuro’s column on 442nd Regimental Combat Team casualty figures is on page 4, and page 6 has JACL scholarship and speech competition news.

What’s in this issue

National

• N.J. Congressman Adds Name to List of H.R. 442 Co-Sponsors, page 1. Rep. Bernard Dwyer (D-N.J.) became the latest co-sponsor of redress bill H.R. 442, joining four other new co-sponsors who signed on since an April 28 House subcommittee hearing. Rep. Robert Matsui and Rep. Norman Mineta praised the growing support, calling it a window of opportunity for the bill’s success.
• Mineta Urges Chun to Release Two South Korean Dissidents, page 1. Rep. Norman Mineta and ten congressional colleagues sent a letter to South Korean President Chun Doo Hwan urging the release of brothers Soh Sung and Soh Joon Shik, who were imprisoned in 1971 for alleged campus spying. The letter cited recent signs of political tolerance in South Korea and asked for further measures to promote democratic principles.
• Conferees Examine Possible Causes of Prejudice and Violence Against Asians, by Carole Hayashino, page 1. The ‘Break the Silence’ conference at Boalt Law School, UC Berkeley, drew 200 representatives from Asian American organizations to discuss rising discrimination, murders, and violence against Asians, citing the Vincent Chin case as a catalyst for national attention. Rep. Norman Mineta gave the keynote address, urging attendees to be proactive in combating racism rather than merely reactive to violent incidents.
• Nikkei Members of Congress Circulate JACL Report on Anti-Asian Violence, page 11. Sens. Daniel Inouye and Spark Matsunaga and Reps. Norman Mineta and Robert Matsui sent copies of JACL’s report on anti-Asian violence to congressional colleagues, calling for action against racism. JACL national director Ron Wakabayashi expressed appreciation for the lawmakers’ continued leadership on the issue.

Commentary

• Debate Held on English Initiative, by Clifford Uyeda, page 1. Golden Gate JACL hosted a forum featuring Col. Stanley Diamond of U.S. English, who argued for English as California’s official language, and psychiatrist Allan Seid, who opposed the measure as divisive. Diamond claimed majority support based on past bilingual ballot votes, while Seid countered that majority opinion doesn’t justify restricting rights of linguistic minorities.
• Sumi-masen, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Columnist Bill Marutani responds to a reader’s complaint about untranslated Japanese words in his column, explaining that he writes primarily for an AJA audience and that some Japanese concepts don’t translate adequately into English. He admits an ulterior motive of encouraging young Japanese Americans to learn their heritage language.
• Very ‘Punny’, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Columnist Bill Hosokawa shares reader-submitted examples of Japanese American ethnic humor, mostly involving language mix-ups and puns between English and Japanese. He compiles stories from readers across the country about literal translations and bilingual wordplay.
• Dangerous Legislation, by Clifford Uyeda, page 5. Columnist Clifford Uyeda warns that California’s proposed English-only initiative poses a dangerous threat to multicultural tolerance, describing how Golden Gate JACL board members were appalled by U.S. English spokesman Stanley Diamond’s views at a recent forum. He argues the initiative could lead to further restrictions on foreign language use beyond ballots.
• Navajo, JA Relocations Differ, page 5. A letter writer from Flagstaff corrects misinformation about Navajo relocation compared to Japanese American internment, detailing the historical land disputes between Navajos and Hopis dating to 1882. The writer provides extensive documentation showing Navajos received compensation, housing, and bonus payments for relocation, unlike Japanese Americans during WWII.

JACL

• JACL President Frank Sato on H.R. 442 Hearings, by Frank Sato, page 1. JACL President Frank Sato commended House Judiciary leaders for the effective handling of the H.R. 442 hearing, noting that strong statements from supporters offset opposition testimony from critics like S.I. Hayakawa and Lillian Baker. He stated that Justice Dept. opposition does not reflect the views of the President, and called for continued effort toward passage.
• JA Museum Receives $1 Million from CRA, page 3. The Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency approved a $1 million grant to the Japanese American National Museum, meeting matching funds requirements for a state grant. The funds, combined with state money, will be used to renovate the old Nishi Hongwanji Temple as the museum’s proposed site.
• 3 Districts Select Forensic Winners, page 6. Three JACL districts held speech and forensic competitions to select students for the National JACL Speech & Forensic Competition at the Chicago convention in July. Winners were chosen in Pacific Southwest, Central California, and No. Calif-W. Nev.-Pacific districts, with topics ranging from redress to nuclear policy.
• CJAA to Participate in JACL Program, page 6. The California Japanese Alumni Association announced it will participate in the 1986 National JACL Scholarship Program, having already given out $23,000 over the past two years. Awards of $2,500 each will be given to undergraduate and graduate students at University of California campuses.
• LEC Fund Drive Update, page 7. Eleven months into the three-year JACL-LEC Fund Drive, nearly $175,000 has been raised with 26 chapters becoming multiple prime solicitors. The second year of the drive begins June 7, with a fundraiser dinner planned in San Francisco on June 13.

Community

• Louisiana Nikkei Remembered with Cherry Tree Grove, page 2. A grove of cherry trees in New Orleans’ City Park stands as a memorial to community leader Frank Tamai, who first proposed the idea in 1984 before his death in 1985. Fifty-eight trees were dedicated to his memory in a February ceremony attended by his family, friends, and park officials.
• Odoi Will Try Again to Unseat Dymally, page 3. Mas Odoi is making his third attempt to win the Republican nomination for California’s 31st Congressional District, previously losing in the 1984 primary. He criticizes incumbent Democrat Mervyn Dymally for opposing President Reagan’s policies.
• Fukawa Reelected; Nishinaka Retires, page 3. Following April 8 elections, Delano City Councilwoman June Fukawa won reelection while Reedley City Councilman Ron Nishinaka retired after keeping his promise to his wife to serve no more than eight years. Friends from the Japanese American community honored Nishinaka with a banner at a recent council meeting.
• Heritage Week Winners Chosen, page 3. Winners of the annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Week poster and essay contest were honored at a Los Angeles City Hall ceremony, with students from throughout the L.A. School District submitting entries on contributions of Asian Pacific Americans. Winners were chosen in four grade divisions by a panel of judges including educators and administrators.
• Florin Chapter Announces Scholarship Winners, page 6. Florin Chapter JACL announced its 1986 scholarship winners, marking the 20th year of the chapter’s scholarship program. Jonathan Okamoto won first place and will attend UC Santa Barbara to study business.
• Sacramento JACL Community Awards Banquet Set, page 6. The Sacramento JACL will hold its community awards banquet on May 30 to honor numerous 1986 scholarship recipients from local high schools. Multiple memorial scholarships will be awarded, sponsored by various community organizations and individuals.
• Concerns About Asian Representation Raised at Hearing on L.A. Redistricting, page 12. The Asian Pacific American Legal Center plans to file a federal court brief regarding Los Angeles city council redistricting, arguing that Asian Pacific American communities of interest are being fragmented across multiple districts. APALC director Stewart Kwoh noted that dividing Asian populations into six districts dilutes their voting strength despite comprising about 10% of the county’s population.

Arts & Entertainment

• Pan-American Asian Anthology Released, page 2. A special issue of the literary magazine Contact II features poetry, art and reviews from Asian American writers across Canada, the U.S. and Latin America. The anthology includes a Latin American section with Asian poetry from Peru, Ecuador and Brazil, co-edited and translated by several contributors.
• Yearlong Exhibit on JAs Launched at L.A. Children’s Museum, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 10. The ‘Ethnic L.A.: Japan’ exhibit opened at the L.A. Children’s Museum, featuring displays on Japanese American achievements and cultural aspects developed with help from a JA advisory committee. Actor Pat Morita performed a traditional sake barrel breaking ceremony at the opening, joined by Calif. Secretary of State March Fong Eu.

Incarceration & Redress

• 64,000 Ex-Internees Still Living, page 3. Library of Congress estimates released by Rep. Norman Mineta show approximately 64,000 of the 120,000 Japanese Americans interned during WWII are still alive, with the number projected to decrease to 54,000 by 1993. Mineta noted that about 4,000 internees have died since redress legislation was first introduced in 1983.
• Window of Opportunity, page 7. The Civil Liberties Act of 1985 (H.R. 442) has grown from 99 to 130 co-sponsors since its introduction, with a marathon April 28 hearing featuring 33 witnesses on both sides of the redress issue. JACL’s Legislative Education Committee urges supporters to write to key congressional leaders and the President to maintain momentum.
• A Good Hearing, by Minoru Yasui, page 7. Minoru Yasui of the Legislative Education Committee reports that the April 28 hearing on H.R. 442 went well, with effective testimony from redress supporters establishing favorable momentum. He urges continued efforts to recruit co-sponsors while Chairman Dan Glickman keeps the hearing record open for three weeks.
• More Highlights of H.R. 442 Hearing, page 8. Testimony continued at the April 28 hearing with constitutional law experts Edward Ennis, William Robinson, and Eugene Rostow supporting redress, while Lillian Baker and David Lowman testified against H.R. 442, citing alleged disloyalty among Japanese Americans. House Majority Leader Jim Wright refuted opponents’ claims and affirmed his support for the bill as fundamental to American constitutional principles.
• Karl Bendetsen Testifies Against H.R. 442, Citing ‘Political Opportunism’, page 8. Karl Bendetsen, former Chief of the Wartime Civil Control Administration, testified against H.R. 442, quoting criticism of the CWRIC report as full of historical inaccuracies. He could not substantiate claims that many Japanese Americans voluntarily came to camps, and acknowledged under questioning that there was no loyalty review process despite his earlier assertions.
• Redress Hearing: Panel of Evacuees and Redress Organizations Testify, page 9. Former internees Mary Tsukamoto, Dr. Yoshiye Togasaki, and Robert Moteki shared personal accounts of internment’s impact on their families and communities during the April 28 hearing. Representatives from redress organizations including Philip Tajitsu Nash and William Hohri also testified, with Nash noting that over 90% of the Japanese American community favors redress.

Military & Veterans

• Facts and Figures: 442nd Casualty Numbers Often Confused, by Bob Shimabukuro, page 4. Columnist Bob Shimabukuro clarifies confusion between 442nd RCT ‘casualty’ and ‘fatality’ figures in a documentary review, noting the unit suffered 814 casualties including 140 dead during the rescue of the Texas Lost Battalion. He also mentions an arbitration ruling awarding the Pacific Citizen $3,210.41 for lack of air conditioning the previous summer.

Obituaries

• In Memoriam: Steere Noda, by Arnold Hiura, page 4. Steere Gikaku Noda, a pioneering Hawaii community leader and sports promoter, died March 29 at age 94, having been the first Nisei employed by the federal government and judicial system in Hawaii. Noda founded the legendary Asahis baseball team at age 13, served in the Territorial House and State Senate, and promoted international sports exchanges throughout his life.

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