JACL puts redress first and defers its position on Judge Bork

Vol. 105, No. 11, October 9, 1987. 8 pages. View this issue

The front page carried Harry Honda’s report on the National JACL Board’s 9-5 vote to defer taking a position on Judge Robert Bork’s Supreme Court confirmation. Grant Ujifusa, legislative strategy chair, argued that redress legislation should not be put at added risk. The Organization of Chinese Americans announced its opposition to Bork the same week. Also on page 1, about 5,000 Japanese Americans gathered at the Capitol for the opening of the Smithsonian exhibit “A More Perfect Union,” and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center honored the late Minoru Yasui.

Inside are an update on the Yasui coram nobis case, Philip Tajitsu Nash’s speech on Asian Americans and the Constitution, and a piece on Executive Order 9066 and the World War II incarceration (often called internment). Commentary covers the 1000 Club’s history, Bill Hosokawa’s column on Denver’s Kansha no Hi, and George Johnston’s account of the Los Angeles earthquake that damaged the paper’s Little Tokyo office.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• JACL Says Redress Now, Bork Later, by Harry Honda, page 1. The National JACL Board voted 9-5 at an October meeting in Washington to defer taking a position on opposing Judge Robert Bork’s Supreme Court confirmation. Board members debated whether prioritizing redress legislation over opposing Bork conflicted with JACL principles, with legislative strategy chair Grant Ujifusa arguing that redress should not be risked by taking on the partisan Bork fight.
• Bork Later: Board Vote Details, page 8. This continuation article details the roll call vote on deferring JACL’s position on Judge Bork, with Denny Yasuhara’s motion to defer passing 9-5. It lists the specific board members who voted yes and no on the motion.

Community

• APALC Honors Yasui at Dinner, by George Johnston, page 1. The Asian Pacific American Legal Center honored the late Minoru Yasui posthumously with its Legal Impact Award at its second annual awards dinner in Los Angeles, accepted by his widow True Yasui and daughter Holly. David E. Anderson and Lilly Lee also received the Corporate Award and Public Service Award respectively at the fundraising event.
• Banquet to Honor JANM Architects and Nishikawa, page 6. The Asian American Architects and Engineers will honor the architects who volunteered services for the Japanese American National Museum, along with City Public Works Commissioner Dennis Noboru Nishikawa, at their Tenth Anniversary Awards Banquet. The Architects Consortium includes eight professionals who converted the historic Nishi Hongwanji building into the museum while preserving its community significance.
• APASG Awards Dinner to Honor Five, page 6. USC’s Asian Pacific American Support Group will honor five community leaders—Edgardo de la Vega, Yen Ngoc Do, David Hyun, Mary Takagaki, and Wilbur Woo—at its third annual scholarship fundraising dinner, with actor George Takei as keynote speaker. The event will also award nine scholarships to students demonstrating academic achievement and community involvement.
• Architects Commission Honor Nishikawa’s Contracting Efforts, page 8. This continuation article describes Commissioner Dennis Nishikawa’s efforts as the first Asian American member of the LA Board of Public Works to increase city contracts awarded to Asian-owned firms. He plans to host a trade fair workshop connecting prime contractors with Asian American subcontractors by mid-1988.

National

• Nikkei Crowd Jams Smithsonian Exhibit, by Harry K. Honda, page 1. About 5,000 Japanese Americans gathered at the Capitol for the opening of the Smithsonian’s exhibit “A More Perfect Union: Japanese Americans and the U.S. Constitution,” documenting the WWII internment and the fight for redress. Former Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg and several members of Congress spoke at the ceremony, with Goldberg calling redress long overdue.
• Bill to Fund Educational Materials on Internment Signed, page 2. Gov. Deukmejian signed California Assembly Bill 1375, appropriating $100,000 to develop audio-visual educational materials on the Armenian Genocide and the WWII internment of Japanese Americans. The bill, introduced by Mike Roos, responds to a 1985 legislative mandate requiring schools to teach about human rights violations and genocide.
• OCA Joins the Opposition to Bork, page 2. The Organization of Chinese Americans announced its opposition to Judge Robert Bork’s Supreme Court nomination, citing his record on civil rights issues including opposition to the 1964 Civil Rights Act provisions and affirmative action. OCA national president James Tso urged Asian American groups to join the opposition and suggested alternative nominees including Sen. Daniel Inouye.
• Smithsonian Exhibit Opening Ceremony Highlights, page 6. This article details additional highlights from the Smithsonian exhibit opening ceremony, including a keynote address by Sen. Spark Matsunaga and speeches from several members of Congress. The event was broadcast by KPIX-TV co-anchor Wendy Tokuda and sponsored by the National Japanese American Historical Society, National Nisei Veterans Committee, and JACL.

Arts & Entertainment

• Actor Plays Dad in Drama Shown at Exhibit, page 3. Actor Sab Shimono plays the only adult role in “The Barracks,” a dramatic film segment shown at the Smithsonian’s Japanese American exhibit, portraying a father explaining internment camp life to his daughter. The piece is one of four filmed segments in the “A More Perfect Union” installation marking the Constitution’s bicentennial.

Incarceration & Redress

• Yasui Coram Nobis Update, by George Johnston, page 3. Minoru Yasui’s family continues pursuing his coram nobis case after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed his appeal following his death, with the family filing a petition for writ of certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court. Attorney Peggy Nagae Lum and daughter Holly Yasui argue the case raises profound constitutional questions about prosecutorial misconduct, bolstered by a favorable ruling in Gordon Hirabayashi’s related coram nobis case.
• The U.S. Constitution: Nothing But a Piece of Paper, page 5. This in-depth piece examines how wartime hysteria and political pressure from West Coast lobbyists led to Executive Order 9066 and the internment of 110,000 Japanese Americans despite the absence of military necessity or martial law conditions. It cites the 1980 Commission on Wartime Relocation report’s conclusion that race prejudice, war hysteria, and failed political leadership—not military necessity—drove the decision to incarcerate Japanese Americans.
• Coram Nobis: Yasui Case Continuation, page 8. This continuation piece quotes Holly Yasui explaining that her father’s test case and coram nobis petition were never just about his personal criminal record, but about guaranteeing constitutional rights for the Japanese American community and all Americans. The article underscores the family’s determination to continue pursuing the case through the Supreme Court.

Commentary

• 1000 Club: JACL’s Funny Bone, page 4. This editorial recounts the history of JACL’s 1000 Club, founded in 1947 to raise funds for National Headquarters through members pledging $25 above regular dues, and recalls the hilarious fining traditions at 1000 Club “whing dings” led by George Inagaki. The piece notes the club’s 40th anniversary dinner will be held in Jackpot, Nevada in November 1987.
• Little Tokyo Rattles & Rolls, page 4. This editorial note describes how the October earthquakes damaged the building housing the Pacific Citizen office in Little Tokyo, which is now under a Notice to Vacate for earthquake code compliance. The paper notes it remains in the building at its own risk despite no formal posted notice.
• Kansha No Hi: Recognizing the Unsung Heroes, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Bill Hosokawa’s column describes Denver’s third annual Kansha no Hi (Day of Appreciation), an event started by Tom Masamori to honor unsung community volunteers with a plaque and dinner. The column highlights brief profiles of the eleven honorees, including Buddhist leaders, church workers, and community organizers who gave decades of quiet service.
• Los Angeles Quake is Awesome!, by George Johnston, page 4. George Johnston recounts his personal experience of the October 1 earthquake that struck Los Angeles, describing being locked out of his apartment in his pajamas during the shaking. He also describes damage at the Pacific Citizen office, including fallen bricks and broken windows, and notes the building was later declared structurally unsafe.
• Asian Americans and the Death of the Constitution, by Philip Tajitsu Nash, page 5. In this speech text, Philip Tajitsu Nash argues that the Reagan Administration is undermining constitutional protections even as the nation celebrates the Constitution’s bicentennial, while detailing the historical role Asian Americans played in shaping constitutional law through cases like Yick Wo v. Hopkins and the WWII internment redress movement. Nash warns that fundamental rights are being weakened through executive overreach and calls on Asian Americans to continue the struggle to defend constitutional principles.
• Death [continued]: Constitutional Crisis Analysis, by Philip Tajitsu Nash, page 6. This continuation of Nash’s speech discusses global shifts in power and how the Reagan administration’s officials, including Ed Meese, have proposed limiting Bill of Rights protections and judicial activism. Nash concludes by urging Asian Americans to continue defending constitutional rights as they have throughout history.

Obituaries

• Dr. Edward Ichiro Hashimoto, page 8. Dr. Edward Ichiro Hashimoto, 76, an anatomy professor at the University of Utah, died August 23. Born in Salt Lake City, he graduated from Harvard Medical School and received numerous teaching honors, and is survived by his wife, son, and two daughters.
• Rev. Howard N. Toriumi, page 8. Rev. Howard N. Toriumi, 71, Pastor Emeritus of the Union Church of Los Angeles and longtime community activist, died July 5 of complications from cancer and Parkinson’s disease. He was active in JACL since 1940 and helped found the Little Tokyo Community Development Advisory Committee and supported construction of senior housing and the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center.

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