Vol. 105, No. 2, July 10, 1987. 8 pages. View this issue
Redress filled the front page and much of the rest of this issue. H.R. 442, the Civil Liberties Act of 1987, gained seven more co-sponsors, bringing the total to 150. Grayce Uyehara reported in LEC Update that the bill passed the House Judiciary Committee 28-6. The Yasui family asked the Supreme Court to review Minoru Yasui’s coram nobis case, and the Minoru Yasui Memorial Fund drive was formally launched. California’s Assembly approved SJR 21, urging Congress to pass the Civil Liberties Act, and the National Council for Japanese American Redress reacted to Robert Bork’s Supreme Court nomination.
Other pages carry Harry Kajihara’s President’s Corner on the National Board meeting, and J.K. Yamamoto’s farewell column as he left the Pacific Citizen for the Hokubei Mainichi. A Houston judge’s ruling on a discrimination claim by Dr. Dinh D. Vu opened the front page. Inside are items on astronaut Ellison Onizuka’s NEA award, a St. Louis Japanese festival and a Sacramento staging of F.O.B.
What’s in this issue
National
- Houston Judge Rejects Claim of Discrimination, page 1. Judge Ross Sterling dismissed Dr. Dinh D. Vu’s discrimination lawsuit against the City of Houston Department of Health and Human Services, ruling there was insufficient evidence for a jury. Vu, a Vietnamese American public health official, alleged he was repeatedly denied promotions and retaliated against despite his qualifications, while less-qualified candidates were selected instead.
- Bork’s Nomination Seen as Threat to Class Action Suit, page 1. The National Council for Japanese American Redress views Robert Bork’s Supreme Court nomination as bad news, since Bork previously wrote a dissenting opinion opposing their redress lawsuit on statute of limitations grounds. NCJAR spokesperson William Hohri criticized Bork’s reasoning and questioned whether he would recuse himself if the case returns to the Supreme Court.
- Union Supports Redress Bills, page 2. The Federated Auxiliaries of the International Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Union passed a resolution supporting redress bills H.R. 442, H.R. 1631, and S. 1009 during their four-day convention. Delegates from 14 auxiliaries spanning San Diego to British Columbia attended the convention, which ended June 18.
- Assembly Passes AB 1375, page 3. California bill AB 1375, authored by Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Mike Roos, passed the Assembly to appropriate $115,000 for educational films on the Japanese American internment and the Armenian genocide. The bill was amended to apply only to public schools to allow passage by simple majority vote, and now heads to the Senate Education Committee.
- Onizuka Honored with NEA Award, page 3. Astronaut Ellison Onizuka, who died in the Challenger disaster, was posthumously named first recipient of an award renamed in his honor at the National Education Association’s Human and Civil Rights Awards. The Ellison S. Onizuka Memorial Award will be given annually for advancing equal opportunity for Asians and Pacific Islanders.
Incarceration & Redress
- Yasui Family Requests Court to Review Coram Nobis Case, page 1. A writ of certiorari was filed June 21 asking the Supreme Court to review Minoru Yasui’s coram nobis case, which had been dismissed as moot after his death. Attorney Peggy Nagae said the Supreme Court’s eventual ruling would differ from its avoidance of the constitutional issue in the NCJAR class action case.
- SJR 21 Passes Assembly, page 1. California State Sen. Ralph C. Dills announced final Assembly approval of SJR 21, urging Congress to pass the Civil Liberties Act of 1987 (H.R. 442 and S. 1009). The resolution cites the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians’ findings that Japanese Americans were deprived of civil liberties due to racial prejudice and war hysteria.
- H.R. 442 Receives Seven More Co-Sponsors; Total Reaches 150, page 1. Seven more members of the House of Representatives signed on as co-sponsors of H.R. 442, the Civil Liberties Act of 1987, bringing the total to 150. New co-sponsors include Reps. Floyd Flake, Nancy Pelosi, Ben Nighthorse Campbell, James Oberstar, Tim Valentine, Doug Bereuter and Ron de Lugo.
- Yasui Fund Drive Formally Launched, page 2. The Minoru Yasui Memorial Fund drive was formally launched with over 28,000 letters mailed to individuals nationwide to defray legal costs for Yasui’s coram nobis case. Fund drive chair Shig Wakamatsu noted that any remaining funds would go toward JACL’s legislative redress campaign per Yasui’s wishes.
- LEC Update: Redress Bills Face Long Road Ahead, by Grayce Uyehara, page 5. LEC’s Grayce Uyehara reports that H.R. 442 passed the House Judiciary Committee 28-6, defeating an amendment by Rep. Dan Lungren to strike individual payments. She outlines the remaining legislative steps for both H.R. 442 and S. 1009, urging continued letter-writing campaigns to build support before floor votes.
Community
- Nishikawa Vows Contract Increase, page 3. Los Angeles Board of Public Works Commissioner Dennis Nishikawa announced a series of workshops to increase Asian American participation in city contracting, citing historic underrepresentation. As the board’s first Asian American member, he pledged to focus on minority and women business enterprise opportunities in the city’s $150-200 million annual contracting budget.
- Survey Underway: How Charitable Are Asian Americans?, page 3. Researcher Rosalyn Tonai is conducting an independent study on Asian American charitable giving, sponsored by the University of San Francisco’s Nonprofit Management Institute and partially funded by the Ford Foundation. The survey, sent to 2,000 Asian Americans, aims to provide quantitative data on giving patterns to Asian versus mainstream organizations, with results expected in fall.
- Kimochi Fundraiser Planned, page 6. Kimochi, Inc. announced plans for its fourth annual Sansei Live! fundraising event at the Gift Center Pavilion in San Francisco, featuring music, food and dancing. Dr. Michael Toriumi serves as this year’s chairperson, with numerous committee members assisting in planning the evening event.
Commentary
- From East to West, page 4. A columnist humorously recounts the exhausting experience of traveling cross-country to attend a JACL National Board meeting in San Francisco, detailing jet lag, time zone confusion, and cramped flights. The piece illustrates the physical toll of attending bicoastal JACL meetings from the East Coast.
- Nikkei View: Japan’s Economic Package Gets Little U.S. Media Attention, page 5. The column discusses Japan’s $43 billion Emergency Economic Package aimed at easing trade imbalances, noting that despite its significance it received minimal U.S. media coverage. The author attributes this to a cultural gap, with Japan expecting applause while American media showed skepticism about unfulfilled promises.
- Moving On, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 5. Acting editor J.K. Yamamoto announces his departure from Pacific Citizen to become English editor at the Hokubei Mainichi in San Francisco, reflecting on his three years at PC. He recaps recent staff changes, including the hiring of two new assistant editors, Laurie Mochidome and George Toshio Johnston.
- Moving On (continued), by J.K. Yamamoto, page 7. Continuing his farewell column, Yamamoto reflects on his tenure working with previous editors Lynn Sakamoto, Bob Shimabukuro, and Karen Seriguchi, acknowledging both strong and weak points in his editorial work. He expresses confidence that PC is being left in good hands and looks forward to his new role at the Hokubei Mainichi.
JACL
- President’s Corner, by Harry Kajihara, page 4. JACL National President Harry Kajihara clarifies misconceptions from prior PC coverage of the National Board meeting, explaining the Personnel Advisory Committee’s formation and tasks, the status of the JACL Fixed Annuity Retirement Plan, and details of the SRS Group Consultants contract signed in 1985. He also discusses the LEC loan, cooperative pluralism presentation, and upcoming Tri-District Convention in Denver.
Arts & Entertainment
- Sac’to Group to Perform ‘F.O.B.’, page 7. Take a Bow Productions, possibly Sacramento’s first Asian American theater group, will present David Henry Hwang’s Obie award-winning play “F.O.B.” at Sacramento City College in late July and early August. The play explores conflicts between an American-born Chinese, a recent Hong Kong immigrant, and an assimilated immigrant woman, featuring two rotating casts.
- St. Louis Festival to Open Aug. 29, page 8. Unichi Hiratsuka, recipient of Japan’s Order of the Sacred Treasure, will demonstrate woodblock printmaking at the Missouri Botanical Garden’s 12th annual Japanese Festival running Aug. 29 to Sept. 7. The festival features daily themed programs including taiko drumming, koto music, Okinawan kobudo demonstrations, and traditional arts showcases.
Obituaries
- Edward T. Himeno, M.D., page 7. Dr. Edward T. Himeno, a Honolulu-born Nisei and Monterey Park resident, died July 9, 1987 at age 61. He was a World War II veteran and a child specialist, with services held at Union Church of Los Angeles under Fukui Mortuary direction.
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