Redress bill S.1009 in the Senate, and a testimonial for George Aratani

Vol. 105, No. 16, November 13, 1987. 12 pages. View this issue

The redress bill was the thread running through this twelve-page issue. The front page carried the JACL-LEC Office’s section-by-section report on the Senate committee’s analysis of S.1009, and later pages followed the Civil Liberties Act of 1987 further: a time capsule holding the Congressional Record from the House vote, a Washington update on lobbying, and a note on the proof of internment former internees may need. Two commentaries answered each other on whether the wartime incarceration (often called internment) could be justified. The front page also reported a testimonial dinner for George Aratani, attended by almost 1,400 people, and a tenure suit filed by UCLA professor Don T. Nakanishi.

Elsewhere in the issue are Bill Hosokawa’s sidelights on the Masaoka autobiography, Chizu Iiyama on the aging of Japan, and a panel on the future of the Asian American press. A page of arts coverage reviews A Chorus Line and previews a play about Sumi Seo’s time at Camp Jerome. The Little Tokyo advisory committee’s recommendation of the Showa Village plan also appears.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Aratani Honored for Contributions at Fund-Raiser, page 1. George Aratani, chairman of Kenwood Electronics and Mikasa Dinnerware, was honored at a testimonial dinner attended by nearly 1,400 people at the Century Plaza Hotel for his philanthropy and community involvement. He updated attendees on earthquake damage to Keiro facilities and progress on a new 124-unit facility.
• AABA Elects Its First Officers, page 2. The newly formed Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Chicago Area elected Young Kim as its first president along with other officers and nine directors. The association represents Asian American attorneys in the Chicago area and has formed several committees to pursue its goals.
• Nikkei Elected to School Board, page 8. Audrey Yamagata Noji and Robert L. Watanabe won new seats on Southern California school boards, while incumbents Buddy Takata and Willard Yamaguchi were reelected. Noji became the first Asian American on the Santa Ana Unified School District board.
• Pana-Sc Getting Ready for Fifth Convention in ’89, page 8. The fifth biennial Pan American Nikkei Association convention will be held in 1989, marking the first time it will be hosted in the U.S. after previous conventions in Latin American countries. A general meeting to discuss plans was scheduled for Nov. 13 at the New Otani Hotel.
• Reno Locale for Vets ’88 Reunion, page 8. The National AJA Veterans Reunion will be held at Bally’s in Reno, Nevada, June 8-12, 1988, featuring a dinner show, welcome banquet, and Sayonara dinner-dance. Registration details and hotel rates were provided by reunion chair Wilson Makabe.
• Newsmakers, page 8. This roundup covers several Japanese American community members’ achievements, including Rose Matsui Ochi’s election to the United Way board, Michael Mitoma’s election as JAD president, and Theresa Harumi Kawase’s crowning as homecoming queen at Cal State Fullerton. Also noted is Masao Kon’s receipt of a Masonic Meritorious Service Award.
• Prewar Florin Area Reunion Slated, page 8. Former residents of the Florin-area Japanese community, which was dispersed to four relocation camps during WW2, are organizing a three-day reunion in October 1988 at the Buena Park Hotel. The event includes a golf tournament and is tied to the recent book “We the People” about the Florin internment experience.
• Group Offers Support for the Divorced, page 12. Grace Nagamoto and Midori Kamei founded the Support Group for the Divorced in 1983 to help Nikkei individuals cope with the trauma of divorce, recognizing a cultural tendency to internalize feelings. The free weekly support group, originally sponsored by Greater L.A. Singles JACL chapter, offers confidentiality and peer support.

National

• UCLA Professor Files Racial Discrimination Suit, page 1. Don T. Nakanishi, an Asian American Studies professor at UCLA, filed a grievance suit alleging racial bias and procedural irregularities after being denied tenure at the School of Education. Community leaders, including Stewart Kwoh of the Asian Pacific Legal Center, say the denial reflects growing anti-Asian sentiment and has sparked formation of a statewide coalition in his support.
• Committee Okays 4 of Matsunaga’s Amendments, page 2. The Senate Finance Committee approved four amendments introduced by Sen. Spark Matsunaga, including one exempting federal retirees from an early withdrawal tax penalty and another addressing Hawaii pension benefit taxation. Additional amendments increased Medicare outpatient mental health benefits and expanded eligibility for Hula Mae mortgages.
• Is There a Future for AA Press?, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 3. A panel at the Asian American Journalists Association convention discussed the role and future of the ethnic press, featuring speakers from Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Filipino American publications. Panelists debated whether ethnic media would remain relevant as communities become more assimilated and mainstream media opportunities expand.
• Janss Corp Gets Bid: Showa Village Plan Approved, page 9. The Little Tokyo Community Development Advisory Committee recommended the Janss Corporation’s Showa Village project for the First Street North development in Little Tokyo. The proposal was favored for being most compatible with Little Tokyo’s character while including significant housing commitments.

Incarceration & Redress

• Section-by-Section Report: Committee’s Analysis of S.1009, by JACL-LEC Office, page 1. The Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs favorably reported out redress bill S.1009, and this article provides a detailed section-by-section analysis of the legislation’s findings, purposes, and provisions for an apology and restitution. It covers provisions for Japanese Americans and Aleuts affected during World War II, including the Civil Liberties Public Education Fund and criminal conviction reviews.
• Attorney Aided WW2 Internees, page 3. J.B. Peckham, a Caucasian lawyer in San Jose, protected the properties of Japanese Americans before and during World War II by holding land and businesses in his name since immigrants could not legally own property. His vigilance helped many Japantown businesses survive the war years, and San Jose became known as one of the least hostile resettlement areas.
• Time Capsules Contain Record of Sept. 17 Vote, page 3. Rep. Norman Mineta included copies of the Congressional Record from the day the House passed the Civil Liberties Act of 1987 in two time capsules to be planted in California. The capsules, to be unearthed in 2001, will be part of groves established for the Constitution’s bicentennial.
• Missing Deadlines, page 5. This JACL-LEC Washington update reports on congressional adjournment timing, ongoing grassroots lobbying efforts for redress legislation S.1009, and coordinated responses to letters sent to President Reagan and senators. It also covers media coverage of the Smithsonian’s Japanese American exhibit, including appearances by Mary Tsukamoto, Rep. Norman Mineta, and Grayce Uyehara.
• Proof of Internment May Be Needed, page 11. If redress legislation is signed into law, Japanese Americans will need to establish proof of internment through the National Archives to receive compensation. Former internees are advised to write to the National Archives with their personal information before the bill becomes law to avoid processing delays.

Commentary

• A Few Sidelights of Masaoka Autobiography, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Bill Hosokawa, who helped write Mike Masaoka’s autobiography, shares personal anecdotes from the book that didn’t make it into the earlier review, including stories about Masaoka’s father’s death, his brother’s death in battle, and his role in major legislative battles. The column reflects on the years-long effort to complete the biography despite Masaoka’s illness.
• Search Is Successful!, by Shirley L. Miller, page 4. A reader writes to thank the Pacific Citizen for publishing her ad seeking the Nishikawa family, which successfully reconnected her with former neighbors and classmates. She expresses gratitude for the paper’s role in helping locate the family after many years.
• The End Is Long Overdue for Debates, page 5. This piece, excerpted from an Omaha World-Herald editorial, argues that the WW2 internment decision was understandable given wartime fears and that redress payments should not continue to be debated. It contends the government’s wartime actions, while difficult to justify by today’s standards, shouldn’t be revisited by a generation without firsthand experience of the war.
• War Internments Can’t Be Justified, by Raymond Takashi Swenson, page 5. Attorney Raymond Takashi Swenson rebuts an Omaha World-Herald editorial, arguing that no Japanese American was ever proven to be a spy and that the internment was based on racial prejudice rather than military necessity. He points out inconsistencies, such as the lack of internment for German and Italian Americans and for Japanese Americans in Hawaii, to argue the internment cannot be justified by any circumstance.
• Song Sings Jesse’s Tune, page 9. Art Song, a former Los Angeles City Council candidate, announced his endorsement of Jesse Jackson’s presidential campaign, calling him the most attractive candidate for Asian Americans. Song cited Jackson’s past support for Japanese American redress and his stance against anti-Asian sentiment as reasons for his support.
• The Greying of Japan, by Chizu Iiyama, page 9. Chizu Iiyama writes about Japan’s aging population and cultural attitudes toward elderly care, describing a visit by government officials honoring her 99-year-old mother-in-law on Respect for the Aged Day. The article explores Japan’s growing elderly population, healthcare system, and emerging support services compared to American programs.

Obituaries

• JACL Chapter Honors Schaar, page 8. A memorial service was held in New York City honoring Ruby Yoshino Schaar, attended by friends and former students who participated in a musical tribute program. Speakers including Ronald Inouye and Lillian Kimura reflected on her career as a concert singer and vocal instructor and her community service to JACL.

JACL

• JAD Announces Its ’88 Cabinet, page 9. The Japanese American Democratic Club of Los Angeles announced its 1988 cabinet led by new president Michael I. Mitoma, a Carson city councilman and bank executive. The club, dedicated to expanding Japanese American political participation, held its installation dinner on Nov. 12.
• MDC Meeting Held in Cleveland, by William Yoshino, page 12. The Midwest District Council JACL fall meeting in Cleveland covered election practice recommendations and a 10-step action plan for redress lobbying once Senate debate is scheduled. Youth representative Amy Hara reported on Youth Council activities including past letter-writing campaigns for redress legislation.
• L.A. School Board’s Furutani Addresses W.L.A. Installation, page 12. School board member Warren Furutani spoke at the West Los Angeles JACL installation about confusion over a proposed year-round school calendar and the need for public hearings. New chapter president Jean Ushijima outlined goals including membership increase and stronger community service programs.
• Lobbying Efforts Must Continue, Says Redress Chair, page 12. George Matsuoka, redress chair for the Northern California-Western Nevada-Pacific District, reported that a direct mail fundraising appeal had reached one-quarter of its $100,000 goal. He emphasized that lobbying efforts must continue despite the House redress bill’s passage, urging continued contributions to LEC.

Arts & Entertainment

• E/W Players Present ‘Chorus Line’, by George Johnston, page 10. The East/West Players’ production of ‘A Chorus Line’ is reviewed, praised for strong singing, dancing and acting despite the shallow nature of many characters. Standout performances include Bradd Wong, Emily Kuroda, and Mike Hagiwara, though the romance between Zach and Cassie is criticized as unconvincing.
• Former Internee Is Subject of Play, page 10. Playwright Robert Schenkkan’s new play ‘Tachinoki’ dramatizes Sumi Seo’s wartime internment experience at Santa Anita and Camp Jerome, Arkansas. The play, directed by Heidi Helen Davis, opened Nov. 12 at Ensemble Studio Theatre in Hollywood.
• Kubota Play On a Four-Week Run at the Zephyr, page 10. The Asian American Theater Company premieres Warren Sumio Kubota’s ‘Webster Street Blues’ at the Zephyr Theatre in San Francisco, running for four weeks. The play, directed by Susan Marsden, explores relationships among four young Japanese Americans growing up in San Francisco’s Japantown in 1972.
• Museum to Screen First Animated Film from China, page 10. The Asian Art Museum in San Francisco will screen ‘Monkey Makes Havoc in Heaven,’ the first animated film released to the West from the People’s Republic of China. The free screening takes place Dec. 5 at the museum’s Trustee’s Auditorium.
• Sac’to Group Holding Concert, page 10. Sacramento Asian Community Resources is sponsoring its third annual ‘Just Asian American Music’ concert featuring pianist Jon Jang and the 4 in One Quartet along with saxophonist Fred Houn. The concert takes place Nov. 21 at the Sacramento Buddhist Church social hall.

Military & Veterans

• Good Scout, page 11. Dr. Robert Nagamoto, a radiation oncology specialist at Torrance Memorial Hospital Medical Center, was presented a Los Angeles County resolution recognizing his selection as Good Scout of the Year by the Boy Scouts of America. The presentation was made alongside his wife Agnes and Mas Fukai, chief deputy to Supervisor Kenneth Hahn.

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