Redress moves in Congress, and Nikkei in Canada keep seeking it

Vol. 104, No. 25, June 26, 1987. 8 pages. View this issue

Redress was the subject of the June 26, 1987 front page and much of the issue. Karyn K. Lamborn reported from Vancouver on the National Association of Japanese Canadians conference, where redress was the top priority. The paper also covered the U.S. bills: S. 1009 drew its 75th cosponsor, Sen. David Pryor, at a June 17 subcommittee hearing, and the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee scheduled a mark-up for June 30. The House Judiciary Committee passed H.R. 442 by a 28-6 vote. Reps. Robert Matsui and Norman Mineta commented on the bill’s progress, and further subcommittee testimony ran on pages 5 and 6.

Elsewhere are a planned Manzanar All-Camp Reunion over Labor Day weekend in Los Angeles, scholarships given to Southeast Asian refugee students in St. Paul, and an immigration help program from Japanese American Social Services. Columns by Bill Hosokawa and Mary Tani, two reader letters searching for lost friends, and a Little Tokyo Service Center AIDS hotline round out the eight pages.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• Redress Still a Goal of Nikkei in Canada, by Karyn K. Lamborn, page 1. A National Association of Japanese Canadians conference in Vancouver focused on redress as the top priority, with NAJC pressing for compensation and government acknowledgement of wartime injustices. The Canadian government rejected an offer of a community fund without individual compensation, and NAJC continues to seek resolution with the Mulroney government.
• S. 1009 Going to Committee, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee scheduled a mark-up session on redress bill S. 1009 for June 30, according to JACL-LEC director Grayce Uyehara. If approved, the bill would proceed to consideration by the full Senate.
• Senators Speak in Support of S. 1009 Before Subcommittee, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Redress bill S. 1009 gained the support of three-fourths of the Senate during a June 17 subcommittee hearing, with Sen. David Pryor becoming the 75th cosponsor. Sen. Spark Matsunaga and other senators testified about the injustices of internment, including deaths in the camps and the stigma of disloyalty faced by Japanese Americans.
• House Judiciary Committee Passes Redress Legislation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The House Judiciary Committee passed H.R. 442 by a 28-6 vote on June 17, marking the first time a redress bill advanced past committee level. An amendment by Rep. Daniel Lungren to eliminate individual payments was defeated, though a compromise was reached on language describing racial prejudice and war hysteria as causes of internment.
• Senate Subcommittee Hearing Continued, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Senators Inouye, Adams, Cranston, and Murkowski testified in support of redress legislation, sharing personal experiences and recounting the internment’s impact on Japanese Americans and Aleuts. JACL representatives and William Hohri of NCJAR also testified, with Hohri requesting wording changes to avoid conflict with his organization’s pending class action lawsuit.
• NAJC Conference Continued: JACL Representative Speaks, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Roger Shimizu of Seattle JACL spoke at the NAJC conference’s closing banquet about U.S. redress efforts and suggested future cooperation between NAJC and JACL, possibly at the 1988 JACL National Convention in Seattle. The conference also included panels on human rights, elderly Nisei care, intermarriage, and cultural identity, followed by a tour of British Columbia internment camp sites.
• Senate Subcommittee Hearing: Aleut Testimony and Written Statements, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Aleut representatives testified that while wartime relocation was understandable, the camps where they were held were poorly maintained, resulting in a 10 percent death rate. Written testimony supporting redress was also submitted by representatives of the ACLU, American Friends Service Committee, and American Bar Association.

Community

• Ex-Internees Lend a Hand to Refugee Students, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Members of the Nisei Student Relocation Commemorative Fund presented scholarships to 12 Southeast Asian students in St. Paul, Minnesota, continuing a tradition that began when Nisei students were helped during WW2. The fund assists Vietnamese, Laotian, and Cambodian students whose educations were disrupted by war, echoing the experience of Nisei college students released from camps decades earlier.
• Manzanar Reunion Planned, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A second Manzanar All-Camp Reunion will be held Labor Day weekend at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles, expected to draw close to 1,000 former internees and family members. The event will honor Walter and Millie Woodward of Bainbridge Island, who protested the removal of their Japanese American neighbors.
• Lecture Series to Examine Asian Issues, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Boston University will present a six-part lecture series on the emerging Asian American community beginning July 2, featuring speakers on topics such as immigration, refugee resettlement, and Asian American political participation. The free lectures will be held Thursdays at the School of Theology.
• Race Violence Topic of Forum, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Break the Silence Coalition will hold a forum on anti-Asian violence in San Francisco, featuring panelists including JACL national director Ron Wakabayashi. The forum will examine the Vincent Chin case and legislative initiatives addressing anti-Asian violence.
• JASSI Offering Help for Illegals, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Japanese American Social Services, Inc. has been designated as a Qualified Designated Entity to assist undocumented aliens applying for legalization under the Simpson-Rodino Immigration Reform and Control Act. JASSI has been fielding calls and office visits since the law took effect May 5, charging a nominal consultation fee.
• ‘New Horizons’ for Singles, by P.C. Staff, page 4. New Horizons, a Chicago JACL-sponsored singles organization, elected officers for 1987 including president Pauline Yoshioka. The 65-member group focuses on education, support, and socialization, with upcoming plans for a business handbook and a trading post fundraiser.
• Cemetery Cleanup, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Ventura County JACL members participated in a cleanup of the Japanese Cemetery in Oxnard, Calif., a historical landmark used by Japanese Americans before WW2 when they were barred from other cemeteries. National JACL president Harry Kajihara joined local members in the ongoing maintenance effort.
• SCAN Chapter Plans Fund-Raiser, by P.C. Staff, page 7. SCAN (Southern California American Nikkei) JACL will host a steak bake and Las Vegas night fundraiser at West Los Angeles Buddhist Church. Proceeds will benefit the chapter’s scholarship fund and redress efforts.
• AIDS Hotline, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Little Tokyo Service Center began offering AIDS information and counseling in English and Japanese through the Nikkei Helpline. Counselor Kei is available weekdays to assist individuals concerned about AIDS.

National

• JA Elected to Human Rights Group’s Board, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Mitsuye Yamada, an English professor, was elected to the national board of directors of Amnesty International USA. Yamada, a longtime AIUSA volunteer, hopes to bring the perspective of people of color to the organization’s work for prisoners of conscience.
• Underrepresentation of Asians in City’s Workforce Alleged, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Chicago’s Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Asian American Affairs criticized the city’s progress in hiring Asian Americans, noting they remain sharply underrepresented despite Mayor Washington’s affirmative action plan. Committee chair Bernarda Wong called for stronger commitment to finding and hiring qualified Asian Americans at all levels of city government.
• Congressmen Comment on Bill’s Progress, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Reps. Robert Matsui and Norman Mineta expressed optimism about redress legislation after the House Judiciary Committee approved H.R. 442. Both called it a historic milestone and noted that committee members did not dispute that a tragic violation of rights had occurred.

Commentary

• Adult ‘Goma Dori’ (Sesame Street), page 4. The columnist muses on the lack of video-based language instruction for adults learning Japanese, comparing it favorably to exercise videos. He describes his own efforts to learn through cassette tapes, karaoke sing-alongs, and the challenges of reading katakana, hiragana, and kanji.
• Miraculous Recovery, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Columnist Bill Hosokawa reflects on his many visits to Japan since the war’s end, contrasting the devastated postwar nation with today’s modern, orderly Tokyo. He notes Japan’s emergence as a global economic power while acknowledging ongoing trade imbalances and social challenges facing the country.
• More on Karma, by Mary Tani, page 4. A letter to the editor disputes a previous writer’s claim that WW2 internment was due to karma, arguing it was instead due to racism given the lack of military necessity. The writer also criticizes Bill Hosokawa for opposing individual redress payments while potentially receiving compensation himself.
• In Search Of…, by Lee Skjestad, page 4. A reader seeks information about the whereabouts of Yoshio Shishido, a former Burbank, Calif. resident and student who was evacuated in 1942. The letter includes details about his family members to aid in the search.
• In Search Of… (Rynhard letter), by Armand and Madeleine Rynhard, page 4. A couple recounts befriending a young Japanese opera student in Hollywood before she was sent to a relocation camp in 1942, leaving behind a pair of traditional bride and groom figurines. Now in their 80s, they hope to locate her or her descendants to return the cherished keepsakes.
• For the Record, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A correction clarifies that the $500 Yasuhira Scholarships given by Fresno JACL actually consist of three different named awards. The scholarships went to John Kato, Felicia Ota, and Stephanie Yoshimoto respectively.

Arts & Entertainment

• Asian Magazines: Is There a Market?, page 5. Editors of AsiAm, Rice, East Wind, and the now-defunct Jade magazines debated whether an Asian American readership can sustain ethnic magazines, discussing distribution challenges and advertiser reluctance to target Asian consumers separately. AsiAm’s controversial sexualized photo features were defended by editor Tom Kagy as reclaiming Asian beauty standards rather than being sexist.
• Summer Theater Workshop Set, by P.C. Staff, page 7. East West Players is holding an intensive summer theater workshop from July 20 to Aug. 30 to cultivate Asian American theatrical talent. The program includes acting, movement, and voice courses along with master classes and guest lectures.

JACL

• 1987 Chapter Scholarships: East Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 7. East Los Angeles JACL awarded scholarships to five high school graduates, presented by Mabel Yoshizaki. Recipients included students from Schurr, Montebello, Theodore Roosevelt, Alhambra, and Mark Keppel high schools.
• 1987 Chapter Scholarships: Okinawan Awards, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Okinawa Club will present scholarships to high school graduates of Okinawan ancestry at a July 19 ceremony in Elysian Park. Awards are based on academic accomplishment, extracurricular activities, and financial need.

Obituaries

• Hiroo Fukuyama, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Hiroo Fukuyama, a Bronze Star recipient for his WW2 service as an intelligence officer in China, died May 8 in Dallas following an illness. He was president of U.S. Aeriel, a documentary production company for Japanese television, and is survived by his wife, twin brother, and two sisters.

Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.