Redress vote and the Bork nomination: the September 18, 1987 issue

Vol. 105, No. 8, September 18, 1987. 12 pages. View this issue

The Pacific Citizen reported on a push for redress as the House prepared to vote on H.R. 442, the Civil Liberties Act of 1987. Grayce Uyehara and George Johnston described a bipartisan lobbying blitz, while the paper noted amendments from Reps. Lungren and Shumway that threatened the individual payments and trust fund. The front page also carried three Asian American legal groups’ opposition to Judge Robert Bork’s Supreme Court nomination, and a dinner honoring Col. Young Oak Kim for the Japanese American National Museum.

Inside are profiles of the 1987 JACL National Scholarship winners, with a chart of every recipient by category. Bill Hosokawa and the editors reflected on the Constitution and the wartime incarceration, and Marshall M. Sumida compared the Iran-contra affair to Executive Order 9066. Other pages covered the Poston II reunion in Sacramento, Rep. Robert Matsui on the 1990 Census, and arts and community news.

What’s in this issue

National

• 3 Asian Groups Join Opposition to Bork Nomination, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Three Asian American legal groups—Asian Law Caucus, Asian Pacific Bar of California and Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area—urged Sen. Pete Wilson to oppose Judge Robert Bork’s Supreme Court nomination, citing his record on civil rights. The National Coalition for Redress/Reparations also opposed Bork, noting his dissenting opinion against allowing the NCJAR redress class action suit to proceed.
• Apologies for Slurs Received, by George Johnston, page 1. California Transportation Commission member Joseph Duffel apologized in a letter to the Anti-Defamation League and Gov. Deukmejian’s office for reported racial slurs against Japanese made during a commission meeting. JACL National Director Ron Wakabayashi had pressed the governor’s office to address the matter and clarify its stance on racial intolerance.
• Matsui Opposes Census Bureau Plan, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Rep. Robert Matsui asked the Census Bureau to reconsider lumping Asians, Filipinos and Pacific Islanders into a single category for the 1990 Census, warning this would prevent compilation of specific demographic data. He also questioned vacancies on the bureau’s Asian Pacific Advisory Board.
• Asian Drivers Subject of Racist Phone Recording, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A White Aryan Resistance recorded phone message in San Francisco blamed Asian and Hispanic drivers for high auto insurance rates, using racist stereotypes. The message directed listeners to a white supremacist talk show and ended with the slogan “White power!”

Community

• Dinner Celebrates Spirit of Friendship, by Laurie Mochidome, page 1. Over 60 Koreans joined Japanese American community members at a Japanese American National Museum fundraising dinner honoring Col. Young Oak Kim, raising about $100,000 toward the museum’s completion. Kim, a decorated 100th/442nd veteran, was praised by speakers including Sens. Matsunaga and Inouye for his service and decades of volunteer work bridging Japanese and Korean American communities.
• Sakai Papers Donated to UCLA, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The personal papers of journalist Yoneo Sakai were donated by his widow Ruby Sakai to UCLA’s research library, adding to the largest collection of Japanese American history papers in the nation. Sakai was a distinguished Washington correspondent who bridged U.S.-Japan relations and received Japan’s Third Order of the Sacred Treasure.
• AAJA to Hold Scholarship Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Asian American Journalists Association will hold its 1987 gala scholarship benefit dinner at the Hilton Hotel, part of its first national convention in Los Angeles, with keynote speaker Jack Nelson of the Los Angeles Times. Proceeds support AAJA’s scholarship and community programs, which have awarded over $50,000ollar in scholarships since 1982.
• Singles Issues Explored at Meeting, by Mark J. Jue, page 10. Over 300 participants attended the Third National JACL Singles Convention in San Francisco, featuring workshops on flirting, sexuality, and singles’ concerns within the Japanese American community. Panelists discussed challenges including negative stereotypes of Asian men and the need for more assertiveness in relationships, with strong participation from younger Sansei attendees.
• Lee Consultant for UCLA Program, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Dr. Lee has joined UCLA Extension as senior consultant for the newly established Asian/Pacific Outreach Program, responsible for developing strategic plans for continuing education needs of the Asian Pacific population in Los Angeles. She also serves as director of International Projects for UCLA’s Office of International Students and Scholars.
• Theatrical Group Holds Fundraiser, Honors Mitsui, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Janet Mitsui was presented a Certificate of Recognition by LA City Councilman Michael Woo’s office as she stepped down after seven years as Administrator of East West Players. She was honored at a June fundraising luau that drew 475 attendees and raised funds for the theater’s building and operations.
• Actor to Receive EL ARCA Award for Contributions, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Pat Morita, star of ABC’s “Ohara” and the “Karate Kid” films, will receive the Humanitarian Award from the East Los Angeles Retarded Citizens’ Association at the Annual Rainbow Ball on Nov. 7. Proceeds from the event benefit social, educational and recreational programs for retarded children.
• Former Internees of Poston Reunite, by P.C. Staff, page 11. More than 500 Sacramentans attended the Poston II Reunion, viewing replica barracks, camp photos, and 442nd RCT combat memorabilia documenting Japanese American wartime contributions. Nearly 300 former internees attended with an average age of 64, and another reunion is planned for 1989.

Incarceration & Redress

• ‘Crunch Time’ Blitz for Redress, by Grayce Uyehara and George Johnston, page 1. With the House scheduled to vote on H.R. 442, a coordinated bipartisan lobbying blitz urged passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1987, including letters from congressional leaders, the AFL-CIO, and numerous civil rights and religious organizations. Opposition amendments from Reps. Lungren and Shumway threatened to alter individual payments and the trust fund provisions.
• Redress Blitz Continued: Senate Vote Planned, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Rep. Lungren planned an amendment striking individual payments while Rep. Shumway sought to limit payments to those 18 or older at time of internment and redirect trust funds toward scholarships and a memorial. Sen. Spark Matsunaga planned to bring S. 1009 to the Senate floor the week of Sept. 20.

Commentary

• Politics Anathema to Justice, by Marshall M. Sumida, page 1. Drawing parallels between the Iran-contra affair and the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans, the author argues both represent executive abuse of power subverting constitutional checks and balances. The piece examines how government officials and courts failed to uphold the Constitution during Executive Order 9066’s implementation.
• The Constitution and Redress, page 4. This editorial reflects on the bicentennial of the Constitution and the irony of Japanese Americans celebrating it despite the wartime failure of government officials to uphold it, quoting publisher Walter Woodward. It argues that passage of redress legislation depends on convincing the American public, drawing on historical analysis of the Constitutional Convention’s compromises.
• Japanese Americans in 2000, page 4. The editorial discusses sociologists’ predictions of “ethnic suicide” for the Japanese American community by 2000, citing declining language use, high outmarriage rates, and eroding traditions. It invites readers to submit essays envisioning the Nikkei community and JACL’s future for the upcoming Holiday Issue.
• Vigilance Needed to Uphold Integrity of Constitution, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Hosokawa reviews the history of the Constitution’s drafting and ratification, noting its imperfections including the delayed Bill of Rights. He warns that the wartime incarceration of Japanese Americans, sanctioned by the Supreme Court, remains a dangerous precedent requiring continued vigilance to prevent recurrence.
• Why Honor NCJAR?, by James Oda, page 4. A letter writer questions the Manzanar reunion committee’s decision to honor NCJAR representatives while excluding JACL, NCRR, and Nisei veterans organizations from the same platform. He calls for open debate on NCJAR’s court-based strategy seeking $200,000 per person regardless of pending congressional redress bills.
• Those Darn Editors!, by Martha Kaihatsu, page 4. A letter writer criticizes the Pacific Citizen’s new editors for returning a batch of news clippings to a Texas stringer, thereby losing a story about Sylvia Komatsu. An editor’s note clarifies the incident occurred before the current editors arrived at the paper.

Arts & Entertainment

• Theatrical Group to Raise $1 Million in Twelve Months, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A new group called The East/West Theatre Center aims to raise $1 million in twelve months to remodel the unoccupied Union Church into a new home for the East/West Players theatrical company. Actors including Mako, Sab Shimono and Beulah Quo joined community leaders to launch fundraising efforts, with the city promising matching funds for the first $500,000 raised.
• Nikkei’s Music, by Edna Ikeda, page 10. Pianist/composer Glen Horiuchi received a San Diego grant for a series of free outdoor jazz concerts integrating taiko drums and Japanese folk tunes into jazz compositions reflecting Japanese American community experiences. Horiuchi discusses influences including John Coltrane and the band Hiroshima, and his composition “Next Step” inspired by the 1981 commission hearings on internment.
• Reading Slated for Arts Celebration, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Pacific Asian American Women Writers-West will present “Asian Women: Through the Minefields,” a dramatic literary reading directed by Momoko Iko, at the Los Angeles Hilton during the AAJA national convention. The free performance features works by writers including Janice Mirikitani, Wakako Yamauchi, and Velina Hasu Houston.

In-Depth

• Japanese in U.S. Were Blamed for Pearl Harbor, page 5. This historical feature details how Navy Secretary Frank Knox falsely blamed Japanese Americans for fifth column activity at Pearl Harbor despite FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover’s refutation of such claims. The piece traces how Knox’s unsubstantiated allegations helped justify the eventual incarceration of 110,000 Japanese Americans, none of whom were ever charged with espionage or sabotage.

JACL

• Pursuit of Excellence, Responsibility, by Fae Minabe, page 6. National JACL Scholarship Chair Fae Minabe introduces the 1987 JACL National Scholarship recipients, highlighting their extraordinary academic achievements including an average 4.0+ GPA among high school winners and multiple National Merit Finalists. She praises the students’ commitment to community service and their understanding of Japanese American identity.
• 1987 JACL National Scholarship Recipients Profiled, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Extended profiles detail the backgrounds, achievements, and aspirations of numerous 1987 JACL National Scholarship winners across freshman, undergraduate, graduate, and special award categories, including Elizabeth Arai, Yasuko Fukuda, Yoshio Hall, Matthew Hanasono, and many others. Each recipient’s community involvement, academic honors, and future educational plans are highlighted alongside personal essay excerpts.
• 1987 Scholarship Awards at a Glance, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A comprehensive chart lists all 1987 JACL scholarship recipients by category—freshman, undergraduate, graduate, and special awards—along with award names, amounts, and hometowns. The list includes winners from across the country representing various JACL chapters and districts.
• JACL Legislative Education Committee Fund Drive Report, by Mae Takahashi, page 9. LEC National Fund-Raising Chair Mae Takahashi reports on the progress of fundraising for the redress legislative campaign, highlighting the Pacific Southwest District Council’s success raising $25,000 through a mail campaign. The report includes detailed listings of district contributions and individual donors supporting the JACL-LEC Fund.

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