Vincent Chin ruling reversed, plus Ethnic American Day honors

Vol. 103, No. 12, September 19, 1986. 8 pages. View this issue

A federal appeals court overturned the 1984 civil rights conviction of Ronald Ebens in the beating death of Vincent Chin, and the Pacific Citizen followed the reaction. Representatives Norman Mineta and Robert Matsui and JACL national director Ron Wakabayashi wrote to Attorney General Edwin Meese urging the Justice Department to keep pursuing the case, and J.K. Yamamoto compared the Chin case with that of Cambodian refugee Bun Vong. The front page also reported that Sen. Daniel Inouye would be named an “Honored American” at the first Ethnic American Day in Washington, D.C., alongside Dr. Sammy Lee and Maya Lin.

Elsewhere, J.K. Yamamoto reported on the Los Angeles City Council’s redistricting plan, and Robert Shimabukuro reported that Pacifica Radio’s Sharon Maeda was resigning. Columns by Bill Hosokawa and Barry Saiki, who wrote about the Stockton Area Reunion, share the commentary pages with a piece on the pilgrimage to Tule Lake and a letter about Manzanar.

What’s in this issue

National

• Senator, Athlete, Architect to Receive Honors in D.C., by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sen. Daniel Inouye will be recognized as an “Honored American” during the first Ethnic American Day celebration on Sept. 21 in Washington, D.C. Other Asian American honorees include Olympic diver Dr. Sammy Lee and Vietnam Memorial designer Maya Lin.
• Appeals Court Overturns Conviction in Chin Case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A federal appeals court overturned the 1984 civil rights conviction of Ronald Ebens in the beating death of Vincent Chin, citing a lack of a fair trial. The ruling has prompted protests from Asian American community leaders and congressmen urging the Justice Department to continue pursuing the case.
• Radio Executive Resigns, by Robert Shimabukuro, page 1. Pacifica Radio CEO Sharon Maeda announced her resignation effective Dec. 31 after steering the network out of nearly $1 million in debt over six years. Maeda cited health reasons and a desire to return to Seattle, and plans to work as a freelance journalist and media consultant.
• Bun Vong and Vincent Chin: Similarities and Differences, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 3. The article compares the case of Cambodian refugee Bun Vong, who died after a beating in Massachusetts, to the killing of Vincent Chin in Detroit, noting key legal differences despite community perceptions of similarity. A Massachusetts attorney general’s office legal assistant explains that the light initial sentences were for assault, not the fatal beating, and that a separate manslaughter conviction resulted in a 7-12 year sentence for one attacker.
• Deukmejian Nominates Nikkei for Appeals Court Judgeship, page 6. Gov. George Deukmejian nominated Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Morio Fukuto to be an associate justice for the 2nd District Court of Appeals. Fukuto, a UCLA and UC Berkeley law graduate, previously served as a Los Angeles County deputy district attorney and municipal court judge.
• Letters of Protest Over Chin Case Reversal, page 7. Representatives Norman Mineta and Robert Matsui, along with JACL national director Ron Wakabayashi, sent letters to Attorney General Edwin Meese urging continued pursuit of the Vincent Chin civil rights case after the appeals court overturned Ebens’ conviction. Detroit JACL and American Citizens for Justice urged supporters to send letters demanding a retrial.
• Pacifica Radio’s Maeda Reflects on Tenure, page 8. Sharon Maeda’s tenure at Pacifica Radio brought financial stability and increased diversity in staff and management, though her changes drew criticism, mostly from white males according to Maeda. Pacifica board chair Jack O’Dell praised her dedication to peace and justice, and Maeda will next work on Warren Furutani’s Los Angeles School Board campaign before returning to Seattle.

Community

• Woo Benefits From Latest Redistricting, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 1. The Los Angeles City Council overrode Mayor Tom Bradley’s veto to adopt a redistricting plan protecting Councilmen Mike Woo and John Ferraro at the expense of other council members. The plan arose after a Justice Department lawsuit demanded increased Hispanic representation, sparking protests and a possible ballot initiative to nullify it.
• Holiday Issue Submissions, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Pacific Citizen is accepting articles, editorials, photographs, and essay contest entries for its Dec. 19 Holiday Issue themed “Japanese Americans: A Model Minority?” Students can enter an essay contest titled “What Being Japanese American Means to Me” for cash prizes.
• New Supervisor Gets Mixed Reviews, page 2. Mayor Dianne Feinstein appointed architect Thomas Hsieh to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, fulfilling her promise to appoint an Asian American, but the choice drew criticism from some Chinese American community leaders who felt he lacked strong support on civil rights issues. Others, including Justice Harry Low, praised the appointment as significant for the Asian American community.
• Panel to Look at Interracial Relationships, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Pacific & Asian American Women Bay Area Coalition will host a panel discussion titled “Asian American Women in Interracial Relationships: Myths and Realities” on Sept. 20 in San Francisco. Speakers include writer Nikki Bridges and community organizers Sally Eng and Maravie Mabanag.
• Keiro Staffers to be Honored, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Seattle Keiro nursing home will honor its volunteer staff on Sept. 21 during its 10th anniversary and Volunteer Appreciation Day celebration. Nikkei Concerns, the home’s operator, will also celebrate the groundbreaking of a new, larger nursing facility.
• Glide Memorial Church Hails 2 for 20 Years of Activism, page 7. Janice Mirikitani and Rev. Lloyd Wake were honored for 20 years of service each at San Francisco’s Glide Memorial United Methodist Church. Both have played major leadership roles in community programs, redress efforts, and multicultural outreach at the church.
• Black, JA Artifacts Sought, page 7. The California Afro-American Museum, in cooperation with the Japanese American National Museum, is seeking artifacts and photographs documenting interactions between Black and Japanese American communities in California. The items will be displayed in an exhibit on California history from 1850-1950.

Commentary

• Holiday Issue Ads, by Harry Honda, page 2. The Pacific Citizen announces increased column height and advertising rates for the Holiday Issue to help maintain production schedules and benefit JACL chapters. The rate increase is meant to cover rising postage and press costs without raising subscription rates.
• For the Record, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Pacific Citizen issues corrections to its Sept. 5 scholarship issue, clarifying the amount of a Sumitomo Bank scholarship and the meaning of the CJAA abbreviation. The paper apologizes for the errors.
• Made in the U.S.A., by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Columnist Bill Hosokawa recounts his family’s decision to purchase an American-made car alongside their reliable Japanese Nissan, citing public relations considerations amid trade deficits. He describes the lengthy delays in ordering and receiving the American car compared to the efficiency of Japanese manufacturing.
• Turning Back the Pages, by Barry Saiki, page 4. Barry Saiki recounts his visit to California for the Stockton Area Reunion, where approximately 500 former internees of the Stockton Assembly Center gathered after decades apart. The three-day reunion featured luncheons, a river cruise, and honored guests including educator Elizabeth Humbargar and various academics.
• Pathetic and Predictable, by Peter Suzuki, page 4. In a letter responding to James Oda, Peter Suzuki argues that documented evidence shows Oda, Karl Yoneda, and Koji Ariyoshi acted as informers against Manzanar inmates during WWII internment. He criticizes Yoneda’s response as predictable and points to a newly published book by Harry Ueno, one of those informed upon, as worth reading.
• No Conflict of Interest, by Dianne Yamashiro-Omi, page 4. Dianne Yamashiro-Omi responds to a lawsuit filed against Alameda County by the Center for Southeast Asian Refugee Resettlement, which she says baselessly implicated her in a conflict of interest. She expresses concern about lawsuits between nonprofit organizations amid budget cuts and thanks the legal team that defended her integrity.
• Untidy Reunion, by Wilfred H. De Cristoforo, page 4. A letter writer criticizes organizers of the Poston II Reunion for failing to maintain the memorial garden at a monument honoring internees of the former Salinas Assembly Center. He describes the site as littered, overgrown, and neglected despite its significance.
• Eloquent Editorial, by Tom Nolan, page 4. San Mateo County Supervisor Tom Nolan thanks the Pacific Citizen for its editorial support against an AIDS initiative backed by Lyndon LaRouche. He emphasizes the importance of community support in preventing future internment-like policies.

Incarceration & Redress

• The Cross at Tule Lake, page 5. The columnist reflects on never having returned to Tule Lake since being incarcerated there during WWII, and recounts a pilgrimage in which a group placed a 350-pound steel cross atop Castle Peak to replace a fallen wooden one. The piece describes the physically demanding trek and a bus driver’s emotional reaction to witnessing the pilgrimage.

JACL

• 1000 Club — What a Deal!, by Tom Arima, page 5. The National JACL Convention extended the discounted $500 lump-sum lifetime membership rate for the 1000 Club into the coming biennium. The fund provides National JACL with ongoing income while giving members lifetime benefits including the Pacific Citizen.

Sports

• Tennis Tourney, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Tri-Valley JACL is seeking participants for its Mixed Doubles Tennis Tournament on Sept. 27 at Cal State Hayward. The round robin tournament costs $15 per team, with trophies awarded to finalists.

Obituaries

• Fuji Yoshida, page 6. Fuji Yoshida, former managing editor, director and vice president of The Hawaii Hochi, died Aug. 10 at age 85 in Honolulu. He is survived by his wife Hisayo, son Karl, and brothers Fusaichi and Saburo.

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