Vol. 106, No. 22, June 3, 1988. 8 pages. View this issue
A HUD plan to leave Asian Americans out of a major housing discrimination study led the front page. Congressman Robert T. Matsui asked the agency to reconsider, arguing that few complaints do not mean Asian Americans are untouched by discrimination. Beside it, the paper covered the National JACL Board meeting: a biennium budget near $1.05 million with a dues increase, a draft Program for Action for 1989-90, and George Johnston’s report on JACL-LEC planning for “post-redress” work if President Reagan signs H.R. 442. A mailgram hotline urged supporters to ask him to sign.
Inside, Harry Honda reported on the budget debate, and a June 30 celebration dinner at the Hotel Nikko in San Francisco was set to honor the attorneys who reopened the Korematsu, Hirabayashi and Yasui cases. Also here are a Hewlett Foundation grant for a National Japanese American Historical Society exhibit on the World War II incarceration (often called internment), a library named for John Aiso, and columns by Bill Hosokawa and Bill Marutani.
What’s in this issue
National
- Federal Housing Study on Bias to Omit Asians, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Congressman Robert T. Matsui asked HUD to reconsider excluding Asian Americans from a major upcoming study on housing discrimination. He argued that low complaint numbers do not mean Asian Americans are unaffected by discrimination, citing rising anti-Asian hate crimes as evidence of the need for inclusion.
- Omnibus Trade Bill ‘Moderate in Nature, but Significant in Achievement,’ Says Matsunaga, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Sen. Spark Matsunaga supported two Senate measures, including a bill providing disability benefits to veterans exposed to ionizing radiation and the historic Omnibus Trade Bill. He praised the trade bill’s negotiating provisions while expressing reservations about Section 301’s unfair trade practice provisions.
JACL
- Staff-Promoted Fund Raisers Hold Down Dues in Budget, by Harry Honda, page 1. The National JACL Board approved a biennium budget near $1.05 million that includes a $1 dues increase to cover rising Pacific Citizen postage costs. District governors added another dollar for programs, sparking debate over fiscal flexibility and the use of staff-driven fund raising to avoid a larger dues hike.
- Nat’l JACL 1989-90 ‘Program for Action’ Unveiled, by Laurie Mochidome, page 1. The JACL National Board approved a draft ‘Program for Action’ blueprint for the 1989-90 biennium, outlining the organization’s civil and human rights priorities for consideration at the national convention. The board also voted to increase membership dues by $2 and took stances on several civil rights measures including the Racial Justice Act.
- JACL-LEC Mailgram Hotline to the White House Urges President Reagan to Sign Redress Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL-LEC set up a toll-free Western Union mailgram hotline urging supporters to send messages to President Reagan asking him to sign the redress bill. The effort is partly funded by a $10,000 contribution from the Minoru Yasui Memorial Fund.
- Budget Details: 1989-90 Biennium Figures, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Follow-up coverage detailed the specific budget figures approved by the National JACL Board, including dues increases, revenue projections, and expenditure allocations across national headquarters, the Washington office, and district offices. The budget reflects a bare-bones approach with new contingency funds added for program flexibility.
- NJAHS Receives $25,000 Grant to Fund Exhibit, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The National Japanese American Historical Society received a $25,000 grant from the Hewlett Foundation to create a special exhibit on the WWII internment and its constitutional implications. The exhibit, expected to take about a year to complete, will debut in San Francisco before traveling nationally.
- JACL Celebration to Honor 10-year Redress Effort, by P.C. Staff, page 2. National JACL is hosting a fundraising dinner, ‘A Celebration of Japanese American Contributions to the American Promise,’ on June 30 at the Hotel Nikko in San Francisco. The event will honor attorneys who reopened the Korematsu, Hirabayashi, and Yasui cases and celebrate the decade-long redress campaign.
- 1989-90 Program for Action, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This editorial presents the full text of the JACL’s draft Program for Action for the 1989-90 biennium, covering its mission statement and numerous policy goals from redress monitoring to civil rights coalitions. It explains the program will be subject to amendment at the National Convention in Seattle.
- JACL-LEC Board Members Present at May 29 Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This brief notes the JACL-LEC board members present at the May 29 meeting, including Jerry Enomoto, Grayce Uyehara, and others, with Harry Kajihara absent. It also notes that extended coverage of motions passed would appear in the following week’s issue.
Incarceration & Redress
- JACL-LEC Prepares for ‘Post-Redress’ Activities, by George Johnston, page 1. The JACL Legislative Education Committee voted to continue operating beyond fiscal 1989 to monitor the appropriations process and help implement redress if President Reagan signs H.R. 442. Executive Director Grayce Uyehara emphasized the urgency given the advanced age of eligible recipients.
Military & Veterans
- Library Named in Memory of Aiso, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Army buildings at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey will be named in honor of John Aiso and Col. Kai Rasmussen, both key leaders of the Military Intelligence Service Language School. A double dedication ceremony is planned for the DLI’s 47th anniversary in October 1988.
Community
- JACL Celebration Dinner to Feature Willie Brown, Art Agnos, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The June 30 American Promise Dinner at the Hotel Nikko will feature California Assembly Speaker Willie Brown and San Francisco Mayor Art Agnos, with dancing to George Yoshida’s Sentimental Journey band. Proceeds from the $100-per-person event will benefit National JACL programs, with support from major corporate sponsors.
Commentary
- Asian American Power and Politics, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This editorial reflects on how Japanese Americans’ past lack of political influence contributed to WWII incarceration, contrasting it with today’s five Japanese American members of Congress. It notes growing recognition of Asian American voting power by presidential candidates like Michael Dukakis.
- Nisei Servicemen’s Record Remembered, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. In this ‘From the Frying Pan’ column, Bill Hosokawa reflects on Denver’s 25th annual Memorial Day rite honoring Japanese American servicemen who died for their country. He connects the Nisei soldiers’ wartime sacrifice and loyalty to the eventual passage of redress legislation awaiting presidential signature.
- Konjak: Part Two, by Bill Marutani, page 4. In this ‘East Wind’ column, Bill Marutani continues his humorous investigation into the mysterious ingredient konnyaku found in oden, consulting readers and dictionaries for its origins. He eventually learns, with help from a reader, that it is made from the root of an arum plant rather than any animal or sea creature.
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