Redress bills still in conference committee, June 1988

Vol. 106, No. 24, June 17, 1988. 12 pages. View this issue

Redress was the story of this 12-page issue. Despite reports of an agreement, JACL-LEC’s Grant Ujifusa and a Judiciary Committee staff member confirmed that House and Senate versions of the redress bill were still unresolved as of June 14, with the dispute centered on bequeathal language for the $20,000 payments. K. Patrick Okura reflected on the passage of H.R. 442 and S. 1009, and Arthur T. Morimitsu answered a published claim that called the legislation racist. A letter writer, Michael R. Kodama, asked the paper to credit all redress groups. The editorials took up redress money and the JACL.

The 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the 100th Infantry Battalion appear throughout. Harry K. Honda reported on Sen. Daniel Inouye’s address at the Reno veterans reunion, and a Go For Broke veterans group proposed a memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. Elsewhere: a Palau delegation visiting JACL, the Winter War ballet in Santa Fe, and Bill Hosokawa and Bill Marutani’s columns.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• Redress Bills Not Out of Conference Committee Yet, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Despite published reports that an agreement had been reached between House and Senate versions of the redress bill, JACL-LEC and Judiciary Committee sources confirmed the bill was still unresolved as of June 14. The remaining dispute concerns vesting/bequeathal language for the $20,000 individual payments if a recipient dies after the bill becomes law.

Military & Veterans

• ‘Japanese American Story’ as Theme for Memorial Proposed, page 1. The newly formed Go For Broke Veterans Assn., led by Mike Masaoka, unveiled plans to commemorate the 50th anniversary in 1993 of the 442nd Infantry’s formation with a heroic memorial along the Avenue of Heroes at Arlington National Cemetery. The memorial would honor Nisei WW2 veterans, evacuees, and the Issei generation who endured prewar discrimination.
• Sen. Inouye Addresses Reno Reunion: ‘War Against Prejudice’ Still Faces Nisei Veterans, by By Harry K. Honda, page 1. Sen. Daniel Inouye told 2,200 veterans at the National AJA Veterans Reunion in Reno that the fight against racial prejudice must continue despite WW2 Nisei soldiers’ sacrifices. He also expressed hope that the redress bill would soon reach the president’s desk for signature.
• Nisei War Dead Remembered, page 2. Sen. Spark Matsunaga spoke at the closing ceremony of the 1988 National AJA Veterans Reunion in Reno, calling the event vindication of the redress bill and a tribute to the legacy of departed Nisei comrades. Candles were lit in memory of war dead from WW2, Korea, and Vietnam, and the reunion drew veterans from Canada, Hawaii, and France.
• 442nd in Top Ten, page 2. Sen. Daniel Inouye noted during his Reno reunion address that the painting depicting the 442nd’s rescue of the Lost Battalion hangs among the top ten battles in U.S. Army history at the Pentagon. This recognition places the WW2 unit’s heroics alongside major historic American military engagements.
• Kona-Kailua in Hawaii the Site of 1990 Vet Reunion, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Participants at the 1988 National AJA Veterans Reunion decided the next reunion will be held in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, in June 1990. Fred Fujimoto of the 232nd Engineers extended the invitation, which was met with applause.

JACL

• P.C. to Begin Double Dating Issues Next Week, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Pacific Citizen announced its summer publishing schedule, with issues to be double-dated and published every other week starting June 24. The weekly schedule resumes in September until December, with year-end changes to be announced later.

National

• Civil Rights Chairman Dies from Heart Attack, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Clarence Pendleton, chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, died of a heart attack while exercising on June 5 at age 57. He often clashed with other Black leaders due to his opposition to affirmative action and busing.
• Inouye’s Census Proposal Approved, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Senate Subcommittee on Commerce Appropriations approved Sen. Daniel Inouye’s legislation requiring the Census Bureau to tabulate Asian American and Pacific Islander ethnic groups separately. The measure would restore the 1980 Census format listing nine distinct ethnic groups rather than a single combined category.
• Mineta, Matsui Win Primaries Unopposed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Reps. Norman Mineta and Robert Matsui won their Democratic primaries unopposed and will face token Republican opposition in November. Other Asian American candidates, including Sang Korman and Lily Chen, lost their congressional bids, and incumbent Judge John Oda lost his Berkeley-Albany Municipal Court seat.
• Redress Bills Conference Committee Update, page 10. JACL-LEC’s Grant Ujifusa warned that premature speculation about the redress bill’s final form could endanger ongoing Conference Committee negotiations. A Judiciary Committee source indicated agreement might be reached by June 15 after House conferees review proposals, with both chambers needing to agree before the bill proceeds to the president.

Community

• Matsunaga Running for 3rd Term, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sen. Spark Matsunaga formally filed for reelection to a third U.S. Senate term, citing unfinished work in space, peace, and alternative energy initiatives. The Kauai-born 100th Infantry Battalion veteran faces Democrat Bob Zimmerman and Republican Maria Hustace in the upcoming election.
• Third Annual NJAHS Picnic Set for Sept. 4, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The National Japanese American Historical Society will hold its third annual undokai picnic on Sept. 4 at the Japanese Garden of the Mt. Eden Nursery near the San Mateo bridge. Tickets are $20 and available through the NJAHS San Francisco office.
• Newsmakers, by P.C. Staff, page 10. This roundup covers various achievements including Sen. Daniel Inouye being honored as Boy Scouts’ Distinguished Citizen of the Year, several Hawaii students winning National Merit Scholarships, Lodi JACL scholarship recipients, Hawaii teachers honored for language instruction excellence, Dr. Robert Yasui receiving an honorary doctorate, and Eunice Sato’s reappointment to the California Council on Criminal Justice.
• ‘Mothers of Palau’ Meet with PSW Reps, by By George Johnston, page 12. Two representatives of Delal Belau (Mothers of Palau) met with JACL Pacific Southwest District officials to discuss their opposition to the Compact of Free Association between the U.S. and Palau, which they argue violates the Palauan Constitution’s land protection and nuclear-free provisions. The meeting, conducted in Japanese due to the Japanese colonial-era education of the representatives, also touched on Palauan government corruption and Westernization concerns.

Commentary

• The ‘Untrustworthy’ Japanese, by By Shigeo Hayashi, page 3. A Japanese correspondent reflects on watching films depicting Japanese WW2 atrocities in China and grapples with feelings of guilt despite having no personal responsibility. He notes that Americans often view Japanese people as fundamentally untrustworthy, connecting this perception to historical wartime internment and modern economic competition.
• Editorial: Redress Money and the JACL, page 4. The editorial discusses JACL’s tight financial situation and cautions against the organization seeking a share of individual redress payments, as was suggested with the 1948 Evacuation Claims Act. It argues that pursuing a percentage of the solatium payments would be inappropriate since the campaign was funded by individual contributions, though voluntary donations would be welcome.
• Editorial: Was Racism Involved?, page 4. The editorial examines the campaign to posthumously award the Medal of Honor to Black WW2 heroes Sgt. Henry Johnson and Seaman Dorrie Miller, questioning whether racism prevented earlier recognition. It draws a parallel to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team’s disproportionately low number of Medals of Honor despite extraordinary valor, citing Mike Masaoka’s suspicions of discriminatory downgrading of citations.
• Reflections on Passage of S. 1009, by By K. Patrick Okura, page 4. Former National JACL President K. Patrick Okura reflects on the significance of H.R. 442 and S. 1009’s passage, recounting his personal experience being falsely accused of sabotage by Drew Pearson and losing his Los Angeles city job before WW2 incarceration. He describes his decades-long fight for exoneration and his lifelong dedication to JACL and the redress movement.
• Yamato Damashii and the Nisei Soldier, by By Marshall Sumida and Joe Oyama, page 4. The authors explore the concept of Yamato Damashii, a spirit of honor and self-sacrifice instilled in both Issei-raised Nisei and their counterparts in Japan. They argue that the 100th/442nd’s wartime sacrifices were driven by this spirit, and lament that modern society has lost touch with this depth of feeling.
• Letter: Giving Credit, by Mas Odoi, page 4. A reader urges that credit be given to those who worked for redress passage and specifically to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team’s sacrifices, cautioning against overlooking their heroism while recognizing No-No Boys. He argues no ethnic group so mistreated has proven loyalty as distinctly as Japanese Americans did in WW2.
• Letter: Canadian Redress, by Frank H. Saito, D.M.D., page 4. A reader expresses concern for Canadian Japanese Americans’ redress efforts, referencing writer Roger Obata’s account of obstruction by Canadian officials. He offers to correspond with Obata and pledges American support for Canada’s redress campaign.
• Letter: ‘Chronology’ Presents Limited View of History, by Michael R. Kodama, page 4. A reader criticizes the Pacific Citizen’s May 6 redress chronology for omitting key contributors like Peter Irons, Richard Drinnon, William Hohri, Sue Embrey, and the National Coalition for Redress/Reparations (NCRR). He argues the newspaper should acknowledge the combined efforts of all redress organizations, not just JACL’s narrow perspective.
• JACL: Four Areas of Discussion, by By Frank Iritani, page 4. The author outlines four priority areas for JACL’s future discussion at the National Convention: redress follow-up, human relations action, meaningful retirement programs, and funding challenges. He suggests a broader membership base and possible name change to attract non-Japanese Asian Americans amid declining demographics.
• ‘False Statistics’ Cited in Mooring Article, by By Arthur T. Morimitsu, page 4. A WW2 military intelligence veteran rebuts claims made by John Mooring in an op-ed calling redress legislation ‘racist,’ refuting statistics about camp food quality, wages, and strategic land concentration. He details the patriotism and sacrifices of over 30,000 Japanese Americans who served despite being declared untrustworthy by their own government.
• For the Record, page 4. A correction notes that lines in the May 6, 1988 redress chronology were printed out of order. The two lines at the beginning of page 3’s text should have appeared at the bottom of page 3 under the 1981 listing.
• Butt of ‘Jokes’, by Bill Marutani, page 9. Columnist Bill Marutani reacts to a Newsweek article featuring cruel jokes using the acronym ‘JAP’ for ‘Jewish American Princess,’ expressing discomfort despite the term not directly targeting Japanese Americans. He condemns the jokes as sexist and anti-Semitic regardless of who perpetuates them.
• The Years Slip By, by Bill Hosokawa, page 9. Columnist Bill Hosokawa reflects on his grandchildren growing up, focusing on grandson Matt’s recent 16th birthday and acquisition of his driver’s license after completing training. He reminisces about the ease of obtaining his own first license decades earlier compared to today’s rigorous process.

Arts & Entertainment

• ‘Winter War’ Ready for Santa Fe Premiere, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Pajarito Ballet Theatre will premiere Winter War, a trilogy ballet depicting the Japanese American experience including the Issei immigration struggles, WW2 internment, and the 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team. The production explores how younger Japanese Americans today navigate their identity, and will tour to Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York after its Santa Fe debut.
• Dark Night Film Currently Playing, page 10. Fred Tan’s controversial film Dark Night, which takes a woman’s viewpoint in struggles against social pressures, is currently playing in the U.S. The film stars Sue Ming-Ling and Emily Chang.

Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.