Vol. 103, No. 10, September 5, 1986. 12 pages. View this issue
Redress ran through the front page of this 12-page issue. Rep. Terry Bruce (D-Ill.) agreed to co-sponsor H.R. 442 after being lobbied by Yukiko Okinaga Llewellyn, who as a three-year-old was photographed holding an apple before being sent to Manzanar. NCJAR also asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review its dismissed class-action suit, and a second story on page 11 explains the legal hurdles it has cleared. Bill Marutani’s East Wind column looks at the redress campaign of Japanese Canadians, and another piece recalls a Casper, Wyo. documentary about the Heart Mountain camp.
Elsewhere, the paper followed the case of scholar Choichiro Yatani, released after six weeks of INS detention, and the debate over immigration law that followed. Two Little Tokyo churches were named Historic-Cultural Monuments in Los Angeles. Fae Minabe wrote about her first National JACL Convention in Chicago, and Yosh Nakashima questioned how the convention’s presidential vote treated women. Company K veterans of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team announced a reunion in San Francisco.
What’s in this issue
National
- Congressman’s Vote on Redress Bill Swayed by Iconic Internment Photo Subject, page 1. Rep. Terry Bruce (D-Ill.) agreed to co-sponsor redress bill H.R. 442 after being lobbied by Yukiko Okinaga Llewellyn, who as a three-year-old was photographed holding an apple before being sent to Manzanar. Bruce, now the bill’s 141st co-sponsor, represents the Illinois district where Llewellyn works as an assistant dean.
- INS Frees Japanese Scholar; Questions Raised About Laws, page 1. Scholar Choichiro Yatani was released from six weeks of INS detention after his visa was revoked over alleged communist ties he denied, with federal officials waiving visa requirements following a lawsuit. Experts say the case highlights the need for reform of immigration laws determining entry into the U.S.
- Reagan Approves Mineta’s Measure, page 2. President Reagan signed a bill introduced by Rep. Norman Mineta to increase access to Japanese technical and scientific literature. The measure encourages translation of such material for government agencies, researchers, and private industry.
- Appointment, page 3. Grant G. Moy, Jr., formerly associate general counsel for financial law at the U.S. Small Business Administration, has been appointed general counsel for the U.S. Government Printing Office.
- Marutani to be Recognized for Rights Record, page 3. William Marutani, former judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia, will receive the Pennsylvania ACLU’s 1987 Civil Liberties Award for his civil rights achievements. These include work on the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians and decades of service to JACL.
- Preventive Measures Urged to Curb Violence, by Sophia Kim, Korea Times, page 11. A Los Angeles seminar brought together community leaders to discuss growing anti-Asian violence, with speakers including Stewart Kwoh of Asian Pacific American Legal Center identifying contributing factors like economic uncertainty and media stereotyping. Panelists including J.K. Yamamoto of Pacific Citizen, John Saito of PSW JACL, and LAPD’s Ben Lee discussed media coverage, state commission recommendations, and police outreach efforts.
- Yatani Case: Questions Raised, by from reports by Associated Press and New York Times, page 12. Following Choichiro Yatani’s release, officials and advocates debated whether U.S. immigration law needs reform, with Rep. Barney Frank calling current law a violation of Helsinki Accords on freedom of travel. SUNY Stony Brook president John Marburger suggested visa processes should be simplified to give visitors access to information about charges against them.
Incarceration & Redress
- Court to Review Suit, page 1. NCJAR filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking review of a dismissed class-action lawsuit seeking over $24 billion in damages for 125,000 interned Japanese Americans. Chair William Hohri says the case challenges the Korematsu decision by arguing the government committed fraud and concealed evidence during WW2.
- Wyoming Remembers, page 4. A Casper, Wyo. television station’s documentary ‘Winter in My Soul,’ produced by Bob Nellis, sensitively chronicles the Heart Mountain wartime relocation camp through personal stories of former internees. The columnist praises the film’s balanced view and credits K2 television, along with Chester and Mary Blackburn’s memorial efforts, for keeping the history alive.
- NCJAR Suit, page 11. NCJAR’s Supreme Court petition seeks to overcome the final legal hurdle of sovereign immunity after already clearing two procedural barriers regarding the 1948 Evacuation Claims Act and the statute of limitations. A Supreme Court response is not expected for several months.
Community
- Demos to Discuss Political Power, Prop. 63, page 1. The third biennial Asian Pacific Democratic Leadership Conference will be held Sept. 13-14 at San Francisco’s Miyako Hotel, featuring a debate on Proposition 63 and keynote speakers Norman Mineta and Mike Woo. The conference includes workshops on political empowerment and an awards banquet honoring several community leaders.
- Noted Activists to Address Conferees, by Mei Nakano, page 2. Noriko Nikki Sawada Bridges, a longtime peace and labor activist who survived Poston internment, will receive the Humanitarian Award at the Japanese American Women in Transition conference in Oakland. Peggy Saika, executive director of Asian Law Caucus, will serve as luncheon speaker, and the conference will include 12 workshops on topics affecting Japanese American women.
- Hsieh Named to S.F. Board of Supervisors, page 2. Mayor Dianne Feinstein appointed architect Thomas Hsieh to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, filling the vacancy left by Louise Renne. Hsieh, a longtime San Francisco resident born in Beijing, has served on city commissions and specializes in low-rent and senior housing design.
- Racist Caricature Reappears in Newspaper — 1 Year Later, page 3. A racist sand-sculpture photo depicting an Asian caricature, previously criticized in 1985, reappeared in a Long Beach Press-Telegram advertising supplement, prompting renewed complaints from business owners and Councilman Mike Woo. The newspaper printed an apology and later used a version of the photo without the racial slur to promote this year’s contest.
- Golf Winners, page 10. Dick Yamasaki and Kiyo Sakahara won the 15th annual Seattle Chapter JACL 1000 Club Golf Tournament held at Jefferson Park. They will co-chair next year’s event, which concluded with an awards dinner at Perry Ko’s South China Restaurant.
- Nikkei Newsmakers, page 10. Joseph Y. Yamada was honored by the California Council of Landscape Architects for his career achievements, Dale Minami received the Coro Foundation’s 1986 Investment in Leadership Award for his civil rights work, and Carol Kawanami won the American Lung Assn.’s Pottenger Award for her service fighting lung disease.
In-Depth
- Museum, Book to Pay Tribute to Astronaut, page 3. A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Lt. Col. Ellison S. Onizuka Pavilion and Museum at Keahole Airport in Kona, Hawaii, with a biography of the astronaut set for October release. United Airlines is funding the pavilion and the book, co-authored by Dennis Ogawa and Glen Grant, with proceeds benefiting the Onizuka Memorial Committee.
- Two Little Tokyo Churches Named as Monuments, page 12. Los Angeles’s Cultural Heritage Commission declared the old Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple and Japanese Union Church as Historic-Cultural Monuments for their architectural and historical significance to the Japanese American community. Both buildings served important roles during and after WW2 internment, and plans are underway to repurpose them for the Japanese American National Museum and East West Players theater company.
Commentary
- Meanwhile, Up in Canada, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Marutani’s East Wind column describes the redress efforts of Japanese Canadians, noting their treatment under the War Measures Act was in some ways worse than that of Japanese Americans since Canada lacked a constitution to constrain the government. He outlines the Nikkei Canadian redress proposal, including individual compensation and a community fund, and wishes them success in their ongoing campaign.
- A Double Standard?, by Yosh Nakashima, page 4. The author criticizes an apparent double standard at the JACL Chicago convention, where women voters reportedly favored the male presidential candidate despite calls for greater female leadership opportunities within JACL. He argues capable women in JACL do not need special facilitation and calls for reflection on equality and sensitivity within the organization.
- Breaking Taboos Is Hard to Do, by Edna Ikeda, page 4. The author recounts applying for an apprentice civil service position in skilled trades, reflecting on how gender taboos in her youth kept women from shop classes and men from home economics. Despite phobias about heights and confined spaces, she was inspired by other women breaking into the trades and decided to pursue an apprenticeship.
- The Darling of the Mets, page 9. The columnist discusses New York Mets pitcher Ron Darling, of Chinese-Hawaiian-French-English ancestry, who appeared on the cover of Gentleman’s Quarterly, exploring tensions between Darling and manager Davey Johnson. The piece questions whether Darling faces a ‘No. 2 son’ treatment compared to teammate Dwight Gooden.
- Small Price to Pay, by Name Withheld, page 9. A letter to the editor responds to a previous column about an ‘Asian Groom Catalog,’ arguing that $350 would be a worthwhile fee to find the right man. The writer humorously notes that shy or reserved Asian men would need extra encouragement to participate in such programs.
- In Chicago, a Common Past and Present, by Fae Minabe, page 9. Attending her first National JACL Convention, the author reflects on the warmth and shared history found among Nikkei attendees and the intense, sleep-deprived energy of convention politicking. She describes emotional convention dinners honoring Walt and Mildred Woodward, Ellison Onizuka, and Rep. Jim Wright, and expresses optimism about JACL’s future and commitment to redress.
JACL
- LEC Fund Drive Chair: An Active Second Year, page 9. The second year of the Legislative Education Committee’s three-year fund drive launched successfully with an Americans for Fairness dinner, raising donations totaling over $76,000 in two months. The column details prime solicitor fundraising totals, an appreciation pin project for donors, and the distribution of LEC’s first-year annual report at the National Convention.
Obituaries
- Nakamura, Leader in JACL, Seabrook Communities, Dies, page 10. Kiyomi Nakamura, 70, a longtime JACL 1000 Club member and community leader in Seabrook, N.J., died July 30 after an extended illness. He was a founding member of the National JACL Thomas T. Hayashi Memorial Law Scholarship Committee and helped establish Seabrook Young Buddhist Assn., having relocated from Jerome internment camp to Seabrook Farms in 1944 with his wife Ellen.
Military & Veterans
- Company K Veterans to Hold Reunion in S.F., page 10. Members of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team’s Company K Club will gather at the Kyoto Inn in San Francisco Sept. 25-30 for their 10th anniversary reunion. The six-day event will include representatives from the French towns of Bruyeres, Sospel and L’Escarene, where the 442nd and 100th Battalion suffered heavy casualties.
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