Vol. 106, No. 21, May 27, 1988. 8 pages. View this issue
Voter registration led the front page. Rita Takahashi reported on a Washington conference and a Commission on Civil Rights press conference that took up low registration in the United States, where speakers backed the Universal Voter Registration Act of 1988. Robert Tokunaga covered UC Berkeley’s plan to test new admissions formulas for 1989-90 after concerns about discrimination against Asian Americans. Laurie Mochidome reported on Michael Dukakis at a fundraising dinner in Los Angeles’ Chinatown, and the paper noted the House vote of 383 to 29 for the Hate Crimes Statistics Act.
Redress was followed on the inside pages. Grayce Uyehara’s JACL-LEC update said the bill was still in conference between the House and Senate, and Sacramento leaders urged President Reagan to sign it. Frank Abe reported on a conference session about Nisei draft resisters, Bill Hosokawa wrote about the Togasaki family, and a preview of the National AJA Veterans Reunion in Reno closed out the news. Mike Masaoka’s autobiography was also announced.
What’s in this issue
National
- Report Addresses Voter Registration in the U.S., by Rita Takahashi, page 1. A conference sponsored by the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and a Commission on Civil Rights press conference in Washington addressed the problem of low voter registration in the United States. Speakers including Rep. John Conyers and Sen. Alan Cranston advocated for the Universal Voter Registration Act of 1988 to reform registration laws.
- UCB Changing Admissions Formula, by Robert Tokunaga, page 1. UC Berkeley Chancellor Ira Michael Heyman announced the university will test various admissions formulas for the 1989-90 academic year in response to concerns about discrimination against Asian Americans. Heyman admitted the university was initially too defensive when discrimination charges arose in 1984.
- AA Have Much to ‘Contribute’ to Country, Says Dukakis, by Laurie Mochidome, page 1. Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis attended a fundraising dinner in Los Angeles’ Chinatown hosted by the Asian American Friends of Dukakis Committee, drawing over 800 attendees. He promised that Asian Americans would have the opportunity to contribute to his administration if elected president.
- House Votes to Approve Hate Crimes Statistics Act, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The U.S. House approved H.R. 3193, the Hate Crimes Statistics Act, by a vote of 383 to 29, requiring the Department of Justice to collect and publish statistics on crimes motivated by prejudice. Reps. Robert Matsui and Norman Mineta both spoke in support, citing rising incidents of hate crimes against Asian Americans.
- APAC Workshop Focuses on Fighting Job Discrimination, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Asian Pacific American Coalition/USA held a forum in San Francisco on racial discrimination in the workplace, featuring personal testimonies from victims and advice from attorneys and community leaders. Panelists discussed strategies including filing complaints with the EEOC, selecting sympathetic media contacts, and engaging politicians.
- 2,000 AJA Vets Expected in Reno, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Approximately 2,000 attendees are expected for the National AJA Veterans Reunion June 8-12 at Bally Hotel/Casino in Reno. Speakers will include former Nevada Governor Mike O’Callaghan, Sen. Daniel Inouye, and Sen. Spark Matsunaga.
Incarceration & Redress
- Recovery of JA History Urged at Conference, by Frank Abe, page 2. At the fifth national conference of the Association for Asian American Studies in Pullman, Washington, panelists including Frank Emi and James Omura condemned the failure of existing histories to properly tell the story of Nisei draft resisters during WW2. Omura described being ostracized within the Japanese American community for his wartime journalism supporting resisters, while a dedication was held for the late author Michi Weglyn.
Arts & Entertainment
- Masaoka to Book-sign in Bay Area, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Mike Masaoka will hold book-signing receptions hosted by the San Francisco and San Jose JACL chapters for his newly released autobiography, “They Call Me Moses Masaoka.” The book has received endorsements from public officials including U.S. Ambassador to Japan Mike Mansfield.
- Japanese TV Special to Air on Public Television, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Harry Anderson hosts “Primetime Japan,” a one-hour special offering a look at Japanese television programming, to be broadcast June 3 on national public television. The program was produced by WTTW/Chicago.
Community
- Sac’to Leaders Support Redress, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Sacramento-area leaders including Mayor Anne Rudin and State Sen. Ralph Dills held a press conference urging President Reagan to sign the redress bill for Japanese Americans interned during WW2. Panelists spoke about the immorality of internment and the inadequacy of past compensation under the Evacuation Claims Act.
Commentary
- Helping Those Who Have Helped So Much, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Bill Hosokawa writes a tribute about the Togasaki family of San Francisco, highlighting sisters Dr. Kazue and Dr. Teru Togasaki who are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and need financial support for nursing home care. He recounts the family’s remarkable history of service to the Japanese American community, including their mother’s dockside welcoming of immigrants and the sisters’ decades of medical practice.
- Redress Bills Still in Conference Process, by Grayce Uyehara, page 4. The JACL-LEC update reports that the redress bill for Japanese Americans and Aleuts remains in the conference process between the House and Senate, with a possible vote by early June. The update urges continued lobbying through mailgrams and phone calls to the White House in support of the bill.
- Reply to Sakai, by Harry Kajihara, page 4. National JACL President Harry Kajihara responds to a letter from Henry Sakai, stating that Sakai’s conclusions are fallacious because they are not based on direct knowledge of National Board meetings and Executive Sessions. Kajihara asserts that firsthand information from these sessions would have led to different conclusions.
- Thanks for Answers to Questions, by Brian McCormack, page 4. A political science student at the University of Nebraska at Omaha thanks the JACL, JACL-LEC, and Pacific Citizen for providing information that helped his case study on interest groups. He credits their assistance for the success of his well-received class presentation.
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