Redress bill H.R. 442 and wartime incarceration, June 1986

Vol. 102, No. 23, June 13, 1986. 12 pages. View this issue

Redress for Japanese Americans ran through much of this twelve-page issue. The front page carried the American Jewish Committee’s call for financial compensation for the 60,000 surviving Japanese Americans held in camps, and a report that Rep. Robert Matsui’s appeal won two more co-sponsors for H.R. 442. Attorneys for Fred Korematsu and Gordon Hirabayashi answered a Justice Department letter defending the wartime incarceration (often called internment), and Grayce Uyehara wrote about grassroots lobbying for the bill. A Canadian redress proposal, with $25,000 in individual compensation, also drew coverage.

Elsewhere, the paper reported on the 1986 JACL national convention planned for Chicago, July 20-25, and on scholarship winners from the Marysville, San Jose, South Bay and Seattle chapters. Other pages covered the June 3 California primary results, a lease of the Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist Temple to the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo’s Los Angeles setting, and Edna Ikeda’s two-part article on the Navajo-Hopi relocation.

What’s in this issue

National

• Jewish Group Urges Financial Compensation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The American Jewish Committee sent a statement to a House Judiciary subcommittee urging the government to compensate the 60,000 surviving Japanese Americans interned during WW2. Legal director Samuel Rabinove called the internment a national disgrace and said recompense was necessary to prevent similar outrages.
• Vietnamese Immigrant Wins Contest, Loses Prize, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Hue Cao, an 11-year-old Vietnamese immigrant, won an essay contest about the Statue of Liberty but had to turn down an $8,500 car because of federal welfare asset limits. Organizers decided to auction the car for a scholarship fund, and she received other gifts from Hawaii officials.
• Court Bars School Board’s Teacher Layoff Plan, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that a Michigan school board’s plan to protect minority teachers from layoffs ahead of white teachers with less seniority was unconstitutional. The ruling in Wygant v. Jackson Board of Education produced five separate opinions on the scope of affirmative action.
• Mineta, Matsui Unopposed in Primary; Incumbent Sato of Long Beach Loses, by P.C. Staff, page 1. In California’s June 3 primary, Secretary of State March Fong Eu, Rep. Robert Matsui and Rep. Norman Mineta won their primaries easily, while Mas Odoi lost his bid for a third time. Long Beach councilwoman Eunice Sato lost her council seat to challenger Ray Grabinski in a runoff.
• Astronaut’s Widow Says Shuttle Flights Should Be Continued, by Rocky Mountain News, page 2. Lorna Onizuka, widow of Challenger astronaut Ellison Onizuka, said she hopes NASA continues manned space flights, speaking before accepting a posthumous University of Colorado award for her husband. She reflected on their years in Boulder and the outpouring of support she’s received since his death.
• Elections Continued: Odoi, Miyoshi, Sato Results, by P.C. Staff, page 12. This continuation covers additional June 3 California primary results, including Toru Miyoshi’s re-election as Santa Barbara County supervisor and Eunice Sato’s loss to Ray Grabinski in the Long Beach council runoff. Sato called the campaign against her the dirtiest in her experience but said she believes she has other opportunities ahead.

Incarceration & Redress

• Request for Redress Support Gets Results, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Robert Matsui’s appeal led two more congressmen to become co-sponsors of redress bill H.R. 442. Matsui also distributed a pro-redress newspaper column by Edwin Yoder to all House members.
• Justice Dept.’s Statement Assailed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Attorneys for Fred Korematsu and Gordon Hirabayashi angrily responded to a Justice Department letter defending wartime internment officials, submitted as testimony on H.R. 442. The attorneys cited court findings that the government had deliberately misled courts including the Supreme Court about the internment’s necessity.
• Canadian Redress Plan Submitted, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National Association of Japanese Canadians submitted a redress proposal to Prime Minister Brian Mulroney calling for official acknowledgement, $25,000 individual compensation, and a $50 million community fund. The proposal was based on two years of community forums and meetings across Canada.
• Intertribal ‘Land Dispute’ a Myth, by Edna Ikeda, page 8. The article argues that the Navajo-Hopi ‘land dispute’ over Big Mountain was manufactured by mining companies seeking access to mineral-rich reservation land, detailing the history of tribal councils imposed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. It describes forced relocation under Public Law 93-531 and its devastating impact on traditional Navajo and Hopi families.
• Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute Continued, by Edna Ikeda, page 9. This continuation details the 1964 and 1966 mineral leases granted to Peabody Coal Company and the subsequent Public Law 93-531 that forced relocation of Navajo and Hopi families. Former relocation commissioners resigned, calling the process a disaster comparable to WW2 concentration camps.
• Co-sponsors Statement Continued from Front Page, by P.C. Staff, page 10. This continuation details columnist Edwin Yoder’s U.S. News & World Report piece calling H.R. 442 a notable project of rectification for the wartime internment. Rep. Robert Matsui described the backgrounds of new co-sponsors Florio, Wortley, and Fuster.
• Canadian Redress Plan Details Continued, by P.C. Staff, page 12. This continuation provides full text of the NAJC redress proposal calling for $25,000 individual compensation and a $50 million community fund, plus measures to prevent future rights violations. The proposal was bolstered by a Price Waterhouse report on economic losses and polling showing majority support for redress among Japanese Canadians.
• Justice Dept. Letter Rebutted by Attorneys, by P.C. Staff, page 12. This continuation details attorneys’ rebuttals to the Justice Department’s letter defending internment, including arguments from Korematsu’s legal team about suppressed intelligence reports and from Hirabayashi’s attorneys about the ‘Magic cables’ myth of espionage. Both legal teams sent their statements to Judiciary Committee chair Peter Rodino.

Community

• New England Nisei Assist Other Asians, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 1. Sociologist Gladys Ishida Stone highlights the Nisei Student Relocation Commemorative Fund, established by New England Nisei in 1979 to assist Southeast Asian refugee students, as a unique scholarship paying tribute to wartime student relocation benefactors. The piece explores why East Coast Nisei were more willing to extend aid beyond their own ethnic community than West Coast Nisei.
• Coca-Cola Donates to A/P Group, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of Los Angeles made a significant monetary contribution to Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics (LEAP) at a luncheon at Miriwa Restaurant. LEAP officials said the funds would support expansion of the organization’s programs to serve the broader Asian community.
• Furutani Announces Candidacy, by Robert Shimabukuro, page 3. Community activist Warren Furutani announced his candidacy for the Los Angeles School Board before an enthusiastic crowd of 300 at the Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute. He noted the 7th district has never had an Asian American board member despite high minority population.
• Talk on Seabrook Farms Slated, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Dr. Mitziko Sawada will present a lecture on Japanese Americans who worked at Seabrook Farms in New Jersey after being recruited from WW2 concentration camps. The talk, sponsored by several Japanese American organizations, will be held at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center in Los Angeles.
• Marysville Chapter Scholarship Recipients, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Marysville JACL announced its 1986 scholarship recipients, including Michael Nakashima, Leslie Hatamiya, and Michele Matsumura. The scholarship committee included Mark Iwanaga, Mae Kakiuchi, Yuki Kyono, Sakaye Takabayashi, and Clark Tokunaga.
• San Jose Chapter Scholarship Recipients, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The San Jose JACL Scholarship Committee named its 1986 recipients, including Kathleen Yokoyama, Scott Nishimoto, Jacquelyn Marumoto, and several others, with scholarships presented at a continental breakfast at the Issei Memorial Building. Committee members included Mitsu Kumagai, John Higaki, Judy Niizawa, and Sharon Uyeda.
• South Bay Chapter Scholarship Winners and Nisei Week Queen Selection, by P.C. Staff, page 7. South Bay JACL selected five scholarship winners from 24 applicants, and chose Debora Mitsue Nakamura as its candidate for Nisei Week Queen. A reception for Nakamura and the current queen will be held at Sumitomo Bank.
• Seattle Chapter Scholarship Awards, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Seattle JACL held a potluck dinner where the Rev. Emery Andrews Scholarship was awarded to Terry Tsue and four Minoru Tamesa Scholarships were given to other students. Uhachi Tamesa, 102, presented the scholarships named for his late son.
• So. Calif. Nikkei Assn. Plans Meeting and Fundraiser, by P.C. Staff, page 7. So. Calif. Assn. of Nikkei (SCAN) will hold a meeting featuring KCBS-TV reporter Ann Curry discussing urban affairs, plus a presentation on family crest research. The chapter’s first fundraiser, a steak bake/casino night, will benefit a scholarship fund.
• Greater LA Singles Scholarship Recipients, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Greater LA Singles announced its first annual scholarship recipients, Lori Yanai and Haunani Sueko Reynolds, who will each receive $250 toward college. Yanai plans to study sociology and psychology while Reynolds plans to become a pediatrician.
• East Coast Nisei Assist Southeast Asian Students, by P.C. Staff, page 8. This continuation piece details the history of the National Japanese American Student Relocation Council and the later Nisei Student Relocation Commemorative Fund founded by New England Nisei. It profiles notable program beneficiaries and describes the 1986 Los Angeles scholarship reception for Southeast Asian refugee students.
• N.Y. Editor Steps Down, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Teru Kanazawa, English editor of the New York Nichibei, announced she is stepping down for personal reasons after more than three years as editor. She is turning over the editorship to Penny Fujiko Willgerodt.
• Literary Contest Winners Named, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Japantown Art & Media Workshop announced winners of its sixth annual high school literary contest for poetry and prose on Asian American and Pacific Islander themes. An awards ceremony will be held at the Japanese Cultural & Community Center of No. Calif.
• Museum Gets Lease on Temple, by P.C. Staff, page 9. The Los Angeles City Council passed a resolution to lease the historic Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist Temple to the Japanese American National Museum for 50 years. The museum plans to house a permanent collection documenting Issei immigrant history and Japanese American history to the present.
• Bay Area Leaders Honored at Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Five community leaders were honored at the Japanese Cultural & Community Center of No. Calif.’s first annual awards dinner, including Archbishop Nitten Ishida, Yukio Sekino, Kay Okamoto, Yasuo Abiko, and Steve Nakajo. San Francisco city officials and Japan’s Consul General attended the event at the Cathedral Hill Hotel.
• Initiative Opposed, by P.C. Staff, page 12. The California Association of Human Rights Organizations unanimously passed a resolution opposing the ‘Official English’ ballot initiative at the request of LA City Councilman Mike Woo and other Asian Pacific leaders. Woo warned the measure could divide the state along racial lines if placed on the November ballot.

Commentary

• A Beautiful and Captivating Personality: Mrs. Douglas MacArthur, by Akira Ku, page 4. The columnist recounts meeting Jean MacArthur, widow of General Douglas MacArthur, at the dedication of a military exhibit in Norfolk, Virginia, describing her grace and warmth. He details her life story, including staying by the General’s side through the war in the Philippines and the occupation of Japan.
• A Satisfying Supplement, by Joy Yamauchi, page 4. A letter writer praises the Pacific Citizen’s Aging and Retirement Supplement from the May 23 issue, singling out articles by Emi Yamaki, Ford Kuramoto, and Sharon Hashimoto. She commends editor Bob Shimabukuro and J.K. Yamamoto for managing the paper’s diverse content.
• More Reaction to ‘Slant’, by Karl Yoneda, page 4. A letter writer strongly disputes Raymond Okamura’s claim that Nisei who volunteered for military service from the camps betrayed the Constitution, arguing their service helped defeat fascism. He cites Yasui, Korematsu, Hirabayashi and draft resisters as also having a relationship to constitutional issues.
• Letter on Nikkei Veterans and Redress, by Arthur Morimitsu, page 4. A letter writer defends Nikkei veterans against claims they are unqualified to speak on constitutional or Smithsonian exhibit issues, noting Go For Broke Inc. was asked to help organize the 1987 Smithsonian exhibit. He describes how veterans’ patriotism helped secure citizenship for Issei parents and influenced support for redress legislation.
• How to Break a Stereotype, page 5. The columnist discusses a Wall Street Journal story about Japanese diplomat Seiichiro Otsuka, who formed a mariachi band called Trio Los Diplomaticos to combat the stereotype of overly serious Japanese officials. The group has performed at numerous events including a Japan America Society banquet.
• Action Alert: Grassroots Lobbying Update, by Grayce Uyehara, page 5. JACL-LEC’s Grayce Uyehara details ongoing grassroots lobbying efforts for redress bill H.R. 442, listing numerous JACL members writing to members of Congress across the country. She reports on progress including Rep. Pat Swindall’s commitment to support the bill and plans for upcoming coalition meetings with support organizations.

Military & Veterans

• Remembering the Veterans at Arlington, by P.C. Staff, page 5. JACL-sponsored Memorial Day services were held at Arlington National Cemetery on May 25, with participants including Mike Masaoka, Ben Obata, Key Kobayashi, and K. Patrick Okura. A West Los Angeles Chapter JACL tour group also attended the event.

JACL

• Plans Set for Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The 1986 National JACL Convention, themed ‘Interaction… We Can Do More Together,’ will be held in Chicago July 20-25 at the Hyatt Regency, featuring business sessions, workshops, award dinners, and a youth program. Details include registration fees, hotel rates, and special airline discounts through Yamada Travel Service.
• Chicago Chapter Takes Position on Central America, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Chicago Chapter of JACL passed a resolution opposing U.S. military intervention in Central America, citing human rights abuses and treatment of refugees. The resolution will be forwarded to other Midwest chapters and potentially introduced at the National Convention in July.
• Niizawa to Run for JACL Office, by P.C. Staff, page 7. NCWNPDC vice governor Judy Niizawa is expected to declare her intention to seek the National JACL office of vice president of membership services and 1000 Club at a pre-convention workshop. Niizawa has served as district redress chair and San Jose JACL board member and president.

Sports

• Marin County Golf Tournament Results, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Gerry Kushida won the Flight A championship at the Marin JACL Memorial Day Golf Tournament with a net score of 64, while Tak Shirazawa won Flight B and Helen Ushijima won the Women’s Division. Nearly all 48 participants received prizes donated by golfers and a local golf shop.
• PSW Nisei Relays Scheduled, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The 35th annual PSW JACL Nisei Relays Track & Field Meet will be held at Cal State Long Beach, with winners eligible for the Nikkei Olympics in Mexico City. Participation is open to those whose parents have been JACL members for at least three years.

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