Vol. 105, No. 6, September 4, 1987. 8 pages. View this issue
Chizu Iiyama’s front-page report from Hiroshima opened the issue. She went as an American delegate to the Gensuikin Peace Conference, met a hibakusha who had lost family in the atomic bombing, and described the 42nd anniversary ceremony at Peace Park, attended by 55,000 people. Also on the front page, Harry K. Honda reported on Bill Hosokawa’s keynote at the JACL Tri-District Convention in Denver, where he spoke about the future of JACL and of the Pacific Citizen.
Inside, the JACL named the Japanese American Library in San Francisco its national repository for redress materials, and the Smithsonian’s exhibit on Japanese Americans and the U.S. Constitution was announced for Oct. 1. Columns by Bill Hosokawa, Bill Marutani and George Johnston fill the commentary pages, and page 6 covers the Amerasia Journal’s coming issue on the Nisei and a Faire for Women in Oakland.
What’s in this issue
Incarceration & Redress
- Peace Conference Commemorates Bombing of City, by Chizu Iiyama, page 1. Chizu Iiyama, national co-chair of the JACL Women’s Concerns Committee, attended the Gensuikin Peace Conference in Hiroshima and met with a hibakusha who lost family in the atomic bombing. The conference brought together delegates from Japan and abroad to discuss nuclear disarmament, military bases, and ended with the 42nd anniversary commemoration ceremony at Peace Park attended by 55,000 people.
Arts & Entertainment
- Asian American Experience Captured in ‘Talk Story’, by George Johnston and Laurie Mochidome, page 1. Great Leap, Inc.’s musical production Talk Story presented vignettes of the Asian American experience, including a Filipino farm worker’s monologue, a Chinese family business story, and the internment of Japanese Americans in ‘Gaman.’ The review notes strong performances by Michael Chan and Nobuko Miyamoto but criticizes sound and microphone issues during the show.
JACL
- ‘JACL to Come’ Explored by Writer, by Harry K. Honda, page 1. At the MPDC-EDC-MDC JACL Tri-District Convention in Denver, keynoter Bill Hosokawa discussed the future of JACL, predicting it would become leaner and shift from advocacy to vigilant surveillance after redress. He also outlined difficult choices facing the Pacific Citizen’s financial future and praised the capability of future Sansei leadership.
- JACL Designates Redress Repository, page 2. The JACL National Board and JACL-LEC Board have designated the Japanese American Library in San Francisco as the national repository for redress materials. The library, which already holds WRA documents and personal materials from detainees, is developing a cataloging system and outreach program to educate the public about the incarceration and redress efforts.
National
- Exhibit to Show History of U.S. Nikkei, page 2. The National Japanese American Historical Society announced that the Smithsonian Institution will open ‘A More Perfect Union: Japanese Americans and the U.S. Constitution’ on Oct. 1, highlighting 100 years of Japanese American history. The exhibit will feature a recreated barrack, guard tower, military artifacts, and an interactive video system, and will run for at least five years at the National Museum of American History.
- Miyamoto and Tom to Head NDCAPA, page 3. Barbara Miyamoto and Maeley Tom have been appointed co-chairs of the National Democratic Council of Asian and Pacific Americans, filling the term of founding chair Ginger Lew. Both are prominent California Democrats who aim to increase the political visibility and influence of Asian Pacific Americans ahead of the group’s October convention.
- Program Slated for Bicentennial, page 3. Rep. Norman Y. Mineta called on U.S. citizens to join ‘A Celebration of Citizenship,’ a nationally televised program on Sept. 16 honoring the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution. More than 110,000 schools will participate, reaching an estimated 67 million students and educators.
Community
- Free Lecture Series Held by Museum, page 3. The Japanese American National Museum launched its ‘Sunday at the Museum’ lecture series with Professor Shirley Castelnuovo discussing Japanese American resisters in the military during WWII, based on interviews and archival research. Future lectures will include talks by author David Mas Masumoto, Ben Kobashigawa, and Yuji Ichioka.
- Fair Celebrates Women Artists, page 6. The Women’s Concerns Committee of the NCWNP District Council JACL is hosting ‘A Faire for Women: Celebration of Ourselves’ in Oakland on Sept. 19, honoring artist Ruth Asawa and featuring performances, demonstrations, and workshops celebrating Japanese American women’s accomplishments. The event includes sashiko, flower arranging, and doll-making demonstrations alongside performances by dancers and musicians.
Commentary
- Letter Reveals Hardships of Post War Japan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Bill Hosokawa recalls a letter from an old Nisei friend in postwar Japan describing hunger and hardship, and his response of sending CARE packages. He contrasts her suffering with Japan’s current economic prosperity, noting the country’s billionaires and major banks, while reflecting on how much life has changed since the war.
- Culture and Personalities, page 4. A column discusses U.S.-Japan trade relations through the perspective of Nisei businessman Shimo, who argues that trade imbalance stems mainly from the federal budget deficit rather than trade barriers. The piece also touches on the Pope’s planned visit to the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center during his U.S. tour.
- U.S. Nikkei Experience Preceded by Others, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Bill Marutani recounts the long legal battle of the Sioux Nation over the Black Hills, from the 1851 and 1868 treaties through the 1980 Supreme Court ruling awarding $108 million. He draws a parallel between the government’s treatment of Native American treaty rights and the broader theme of justice delayed for minority groups in America.
- Retailers Are Not Dummies, by George Johnston, page 5. George Johnston humorously discusses the appearance of Asian-featured mannequins in department stores as a sign that retailers are recognizing the Asian American consumer market. He notes that although Asian Americans are a small demographic, they are perceived as affluent and educated, making them an attractive market for businesses.
- Article Misleading, by Albert A. Barber, page 5. UCLA Vice Chancellor Albert A. Barber writes to correct what he calls a misleading Pacific Citizen article about Dr. Paul Terasaki, clarifying that a $500,000 payment was for transfer of tissue typing tray technology rights, not reimbursement for misused public funds. He notes a separate, smaller $13,178 repayment was made for inappropriate benefit payments, which Terasaki’s company promptly repaid.
Obituaries
- Tribute to Mote Nakasako, by Arthur T. Morimitsu, page 5. Arthur T. Morimitsu, chairman of the National JACL Veterans Affairs Committee, pays tribute to Mote Nakasako, who led the VFW 14 Post Coalition’s successful campaign for a redress resolution and fought to retract an anti-Nikkei resolution by VFW leadership. Nakasako also served on multiple community and veterans boards, including the Min Yasui Coram Nobis Memorial Fund Committee.
In-Depth
- Journal Explores Nisei of the 1930s, page 6. UCLA’s Amerasia Journal will publish a special double-sized issue focused on the ‘coming of age’ of the Nisei generation during the 1930s and 1940s, a historically neglected period according to historian Yuji Ichioka. The issue stems from a 1985 conference on the Japanese American ethnic press and will be available to subscribers at a discounted price before Sept. 15.
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.