Three district conventions, Minidoka and the redress bill in the Senate

Vol. 105, No. 18, November 27, 1987. 8 pages. View this issue

Three JACL district councils met on the same weekend in November 1987, and the front page and editorial covered them: Intermountain in Jackpot, Nev., Central California in Fresno, and Pacific Southwest in Las Vegas, where J.D. Hokoyama was elected governor. Harry K. Honda reported that the Intermountain council voted to support a Bureau of Reclamation plan to develop the Minidoka site as an Idaho Centennial project. Grayce Uyehara’s Washington update said Sen. Spark Matsunaga meant to bring S.1009 to a Senate vote, and Martie Quan wrote about House Speaker Jim Wright being honored for sponsoring the redress bill, H.R. 442.

Elsewhere in the issue are an essay on a family’s incarceration and the burial of its belongings before being sent to Poston, and a report that people in Bruyeres, France, collected over 1,400 signatures asking President Reagan to sign the bill. Letters, Bill Hosokawa’s column and George Johnston’s piece on growing up in Okinawa fill the commentary pages.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• Intermountain JACL Supports Minidoka Project, by Harry K. Honda, page 1. The Intermountain District Council voted at its convention in Jackpot, Nev., to support the Bureau of Reclamation’s effort to develop the Minidoka Relocation Center site as an Idaho Centennial project. Idaho chapters, led by Pocatello-Blackfoot JACL, began fundraising for the estimated $15,000 development including a monument and interpretive signs.
• PSW Elects Hokoyama Governor, by George Johnston, page 1. J.D. Hokoyama was elected governor of the Pacific Southwest District Council at its Las Vegas convention, with Bill Kaneko elected vice-governor and several others to the board. The convention also addressed financial requests, health insurance issues, and anti-Nikkei defamation concerns involving a KABC-TV broadcast.
• Council Names Hironaka Honoree of Year, page 8. The San Diego Japanese Coordinating Council honored Masaaki Hironaka as its honoree of the year at a testimonial dinner attended by over 300 people. Numerous organizations including the Buddhist Temple, VFW, JACL and city officials presented plaques and praise despite Hironaka’s recent knee surgery.
• Minidoka Convention Highlights Continued, page 8. The Intermountain District Council convention featured a videotaped message from Mike Masaoka recalling the founding of the 1000 Club in 1947, along with the installation of Hid Hasegawa as governor. Awards including the sapphire pin and Japanese American Creed plaque were presented to longtime JACL volunteers including Alice Kasai, Seichi Hayashida and George Sugihara.

Commentary

• LEC Update: S.1009 and the White House, by Grayce Uyehara, page 1. JACL-LEC’s Washington update reports that Sen. Spark Matsunaga intends to bring S.1009 to a Senate floor vote before the first session of Congress adjourns. The article details Senate procedural options, the need for 60 votes to invoke cloture, and ongoing efforts to secure President Reagan’s eventual signature.
• Editorial: Weekend Full of District Conventions, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Pacific Citizen covered three simultaneous district council conventions over one weekend: Intermountain in Jackpot, Central California in Fresno, and Pacific Southwest in Las Vegas. The editorial recounts highlights including the 1000 Club’s 40th anniversary festivities, CCDC’s Smithsonian exhibit-themed program, and personal impressions from Las Vegas.
• The Worst Lies, by T.J. Kawakami, page 4. A letter writer disputes claims made in an anti-redress Omaha World-Herald editorial, noting that Emperor Hirohito never declared Japanese Americans remained Japanese citizens. The writer argues such half-truths distort public understanding of redress and criticizes the characterization of incarcerated Japanese Americans’ citizenship status.
• Tenure Case Probably Stems from Politics, by Mary Nishita, page 4. A UCLA doctoral candidate writes in support of Professor Don Nakanishi, expressing distress that the Graduate School of Education faculty is unwilling to grant him tenure. She suggests ethnicity and politics may be involved and urges JACL to investigate the matter further.
• Luncheon a Good Move, by Mike Honda, Kris H. Ikejiri, Mike Mitoma, Beth Renge, page 4. Letter writers praise the JACL Board’s decision to hold a luncheon with the Japanese Ambassador in Washington, D.C., noting the contrast with past controversy over JACL’s association with Japan during redress efforts. They see the luncheon as a sign of a more mature, progressive stance by the JACL Board.
• In Search Of…, by Scott A. Sandage, page 4. A scholar researching Broadway entertainer George M. Cohan seeks help locating Cohan’s valet, Michio ‘Mike’ Hirano, a Japanese immigrant who was reportedly arrested after Pearl Harbor. The writer provides biographical details and asks readers for information on Hirano’s fate.
• Overseas Brats Unite!, by George Johnston, page 4. Columnist George Johnston reflects on the diversity within Nikkei identity and his own niche as a ‘overseas brat,’ a dependent of military personnel who attended Department of Defense schools abroad, specifically in Okinawa. He describes the camaraderie among overseas brats and recounts memories of life in Okinawa and reunions with fellow alumni.
• Years Go By, Rice Gets Heavier, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Columnist Bill Hosokawa reminisces about Nisei families buying 100-pound sacks of rice in his youth and the test of strength involved in hoisting them overhead. He humorously notes that today’s 80-pound sacks feel heavier than the 100-pound sacks of his youth, now that he is older.
• Justice Is Near!, by Frances Hachiya, page 8. A Selanoco Chapter column celebrates the House passage of the H.R. 442 redress bill as proof that grassroots advocacy works. The writer urges continued letter-writing and phone campaigns to push the Senate bill through to the president’s desk.

Community

• Seki Named New Consul General of L.A., page 2. Hiromoto Seki has been named the new consul general of the Los Angeles Japanese consulate, replacing Taizo Watanabe who is transferring to Washington, D.C. Seki is a Tokyo University Law School graduate with a long career in Japan’s foreign service, including postings in Washington, New York and Thailand.
• Inouye to Receive AAPAA Award, page 3. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye will receive the Association of Asian and Pacific American Artists’ Lifetime Achievement Award at the group’s March 1988 Media Awards Dinner. AAPAA president Ernest Harada praised Inouye as a positive role model and visible Asian/Pacific American figure in media.
• Post-Exhibit Party Attended by 150, page 6. The National Japanese American Historical Society held a potluck in San Francisco screening videos of the Smithsonian exhibit opening events in Washington, D.C. Awards were given for categories like Youngest/Oldest Traveler and Most Miles Driven, with Bill and Esther Oda winning for driving 11,100 miles to attend.
• Ando Taking Part in FLES Program, page 7. Denver teacher Michi Ando is participating in a federal pilot program teaching Japanese language to first graders at Crofton Elementary School. The program emphasizes listening exposure over structured assignments and is implemented in conjunction with the University of Denver.
• City Accepts Immigrant’s Gift, page 8. El Monte, California dedicated a 22-foot replica of the Statue of Liberty at its Civic Center as part of the city’s 75th anniversary celebration. The statue was donated by Dr. Jing T. Wang, a Taiwan immigrant, as a gesture of gratitude to his adopted homeland.

National

• Matsui Opposes Census Plan, page 2. Rep. Robert Matsui announced he may introduce legislation forcing the Census Bureau to provide ethnic breakdowns of Asian Americans in the 1990 Census rather than relying solely on a write-in system sent to only one in six households. Matsui warned incomplete data could harm Asian American communities and said he would pursue the issue in Congress if the bureau doesn’t act by Dec. 15.
• Peace Institute Off to a Strong Start, page 2. Sen. Spark Matsunaga chaired a joint oversight hearing on the U.S. Institute of Peace, which witnesses said is off to a strong start after 20 months of operation. The institute’s chairman John Norton Moore praised Matsunaga’s decades-long efforts to establish the institute and outlined its grants program and funding priorities.

Incarceration & Redress

• Wright Awarded for Redress Efforts, by Martie Quan, page 3. House Speaker Jim Wright was honored at a Beverly Hills luncheon for sponsoring H.R. 442, the Japanese American redress bill, with Rep. Mervyn Dymally praising his commitment to the cause. Wright recalled recognizing the injustice of Japanese American incarceration while serving in WWII, and additional congressional awards were presented to community leaders including Bert Nakano and Michael Mitoma.
• Redress Also Finds Support of French, page 5. French citizens from Bruyeres, France, which was liberated by the 100th/442nd in 1944, have gathered over 1,400 signatures urging President Reagan to sign the redress bill. The effort was organized by Serge Carlesso and Pierre Moulin, with veteran Rudy Tokiwa serving as a contact for the campaign.

In-Depth

• An Accumulated Sadness of 45 Years Lies Buried, page 6. A personal essay recounts a family’s experience of incarceration during WWII, beginning with the author’s grandmother burying and burning family possessions before being sent to Poston. The piece reflects on three generations’ experience of the camps and the lasting impact on the family, including the grandfather’s uncompensated $3,000 savings loss.

Arts & Entertainment

• Living on Tokyo Time Comes to Video, page 7. Steve Okazaki’s romantic comedy ‘Living on Tokyo Time’ will be released on videocassette January 27, 1988, from Charter Entertainment. The film follows a marriage of convenience between a Japanese immigrant and an aspiring rock musician that turns into genuine love and cultural discovery.
• Masumoto to Discuss Country Voices, page 7. Author David Mas Masumoto will speak about his oral history book ‘Country Voices,’ which documents a Japanese American farming community, at a San Francisco event hosted by the Center for Japanese American Studies. Masumoto, who won the James Clavell National Japanese American Literary Award in 1986, will have his books available for purchase.

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