Reagan signs H.R. 442, and the JACL elects a new president

Vol. 107, No. 4, August 19, 1988. 12 pages. View this issue

President Reagan signed H.R. 442 on Aug. 10, apologizing for the World War II incarceration (often called internment) of Japanese Americans and authorizing $20,000 redress payments. Harry Honda reported on the signing, and the paper ran the text of Reagan’s remarks, a statement from National JACL President Harry Kajihara, and the story of a 1945 Pacific Citizen clipping that Reagan quoted in closing. The same issue reported the JACL national convention in Seattle, where Cressey Nakagawa won a close run-off for National President, as told by George Johnston.

Other convention coverage includes the Edison Uno Civil Rights Award, the Sayonara Banquet honorees and a workshop on U.S.-Japan relations. Bill Hosokawa’s column looked at the convention’s rifts. Elsewhere, readers will find the National Board’s appointment of acting directors, a report on racial incidents in Japan involving “Sambo” dolls, and youth activities in Seattle.

What’s in this issue

National

• Nakagawa New JACL National President, by George Johnston, page 1. Cressey Nakagawa won a close run-off election to become JACL National President for the 1988-90 biennium, defeating Mollie Fujioka 61.5 to 53.5 votes after an initial three-way race also involving Helen Kawagoe. Other officers elected uncontested included Priscilla Ouchida, Cherry Kinoshita, Robert Sakaguchi, and Alan Nishi, while Bill Marutani narrowly beat Hank Tanaka for VP of Planning & Development.
• American Blacks Upset by Japanese Politician, ‘Sambo’ Dolls, page 2. Black Americans and others were angered by racially insensitive remarks from Japanese Liberal Democratic Party official Michio Watanabe and by the sale of ‘Sambo’-themed dolls and mannequins in Japan. The Congressional Black Caucus and Rep. Norman Mineta condemned the incidents, calling for an end to racist practices and statements.
• Matsui Calls Report Just a ‘Rumor’, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Speculation arose that Rep. Robert Matsui could be tapped for a high-level cabinet position if Michael Dukakis were elected president. Matsui told Pacific Citizen the reports were merely rumors and speculation.

Incarceration & Redress

• Jubilation! President Reagan Signs H.R. 442, Apologizes for Wartime Incarceration, by Harry Honda, page 1. President Reagan signed H.R. 442 on Aug. 10, apologizing for the WWII removal and detention of 120,000 Japanese Americans and authorizing $20,000 redress payments. Congressional leaders including Mineta and Matsunaga praised the bill, while the Justice Department was tasked with identifying eligible recipients within 12 months.
• Reagan Signs: A Day to Remember, page 5. National JACL President Harry Kajihara issued a statement calling Aug. 10 a grand and glorious historic day for Japanese Americans, reflecting on the 1942 forced removal and the government’s official acknowledgment of injustice. Judge Raymond Uno also reflected on the irony of fighting for freedoms once denied to him and his family.
• The P.C. Clipping, page 5. President Reagan’s closing remarks at the signing referenced a December 1945 Pacific Citizen article about Gen. Stilwell presenting the Distinguished Service Cross posthumously to Sgt. Kazuo Masuda’s family, quoting a young actor—revealed to be Reagan himself—on American ideals. The story was researched by P.C. staffer George Johnston for Rose Ochi, who forwarded it to the White House.
• Last-Minute Switch: Signing Ceremony Moved Indoors, page 5. Over 100 Japanese Americans and press witnessed Reagan’s signing of H.R. 442, which was moved from the Rose Garden to the White House press briefing room due to extreme heat. National JACL president Harry Kajihara was the only non-Congressional figure standing beside Reagan at the signing.
• Text of Reagan’s Remarks, page 5. The full text of President Reagan’s remarks upon signing H.R. 442 is reproduced, in which he calls the WWII internment of Japanese Americans a mistake and honors the sacrifices of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. He closes with the story of Kazuo Masuda and Mary Masuda, revealing he was the young actor quoted in a 1945 Pacific Citizen article.
• ‘Sambo’ Toys Catching Flak, page 10. JACL National Headquarters received numerous angry phone calls over Japan’s insensitive ‘Sambo’ toys and related racist incidents, with National Director Ron Wakabayashi expressing regret over the situation. Japanese Americans from NCRR and other groups sent an open letter to Japan’s LA Consul General demanding apologies and improved relations with minority communities.

JACL

• National Board Motions, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A detailed list of motions passed at the Aug. 6 and 10 JACL National Board meetings in Seattle, covering personnel matters, COLA adjustments, award presentations, and resolutions on various organizational issues. Topics included the Ruby Pin Award to Mas Hironaka and the agreement on acting National Director positions.
• Yoshino, Hayashino Take Helm of National JACL Operations, by Laurie Mochidome, page 3. Bill Yoshino and Carole Hayashino were appointed acting director and acting deputy director of National JACL, succeeding Ron Wakabayashi who stepped down. The arrangement, approved by the National Board, has Yoshino working from Chicago and Hayashino from San Francisco through January 1989 or until a new director is selected.
• Council Postpones Vote on Resolution to ‘Heal’ Rifts, by Laurie Mochidome, page 3. The JACL National Council postponed voting on a resolution apologizing to ‘No No Boys’ for their wartime treatment by JACL, after delegates requested more information. A presidential committee was tasked with reporting back before the 1990 convention, while other resolutions on beauty contests and civil rights committees were also debated or tabled.
• Ujifusa Gives ‘Behind the Scenes’ Look Behind Redress Success, by George Johnston, page 3. JACL-LEC Strategies Chair Grant Ujifusa described to the National Council the key people, framing strategies, and lucky breaks that led to passage of H.R. 442, crediting figures like Cherry Kinoshita, Mike Masaoka, and even President Reagan himself. He also detailed the appropriations process still needed to fund redress payments.
• House Passage of HR 442 Hailed, by Harry Honda, page 8. At the JACL convention’s opening banquet, speakers including Rep. Robert Matsui and others celebrated the House passage of the H.R. 442 conference report just before Reagan’s signature. Matsui praised numerous congressional allies and reminded the audience that JACL’s work continues on issues like homelessness and poverty.
• Leadership Conference a Success, by Ken Mochizuki, page 8. The first Pacific Northwest District JACL leadership conference drew over 120 mostly Sansei participants for two days of talks on corporate careers and Asian American identity. Speaker Byron Kunisawa offered a provocative critique of the ‘glass ceiling’ and warned of cultural assimilation costs, while other speakers discussed networking and self-esteem.
• Sayonara Banquet Recognizes JAs of Biennium, Masaoka Awardee, page 9. At the convention’s closing Sayonara Banquet, Sue Embrey, Yoshiko Uchida, and Grayce Uyehara were honored as Japanese Americans of the Biennium, and Ambassador William Sherman received the Mike Masaoka Distinguished Public Service Award. Scholarship winners were also announced, including grand prize recipient Yo Furutani.
• Seattle Chapter Gets First Prize of Inagaki Award, page 9. Seattle JACL won the $800 first prize George Inagaki Memorial Award for the Biennium, with New York JACL taking second prize of $400. The award honors the legacy of George Inagaki, a past National JACL president and influential leader of the Venice-Culver chapter.
• Luncheon Honors Der, Purcell with Edison Uno Civil Rights Award, by Harry Honda, page 9. San Francisco attorney James Purcell and Chinese for Affirmative Action director Henry Der received the Edison Uno Civil Rights Award at the convention luncheon. Mike Masaoka recounted how Purcell helped develop the Mitsuye Endo civil case, which the Supreme Court ultimately ruled unanimously in favor of, undermining the legal basis for internment.
• Tanaka Honored as JACLer of Biennium, page 9. Henry Tanaka of Cleveland, a past National JACL president active in Ohio and Midwest District redress efforts, was named JACLer of the 1986-88 Biennium at the Awards Luncheon. Tanaka used the occasion to honor his mentor, 105-year-old Frank Yasui, for his encouragement during their postwar work together in Cleveland.
• Ruby Pin Awards Recognize Service, Sacrifice to JACL, page 9. Fred Hirasuna of Fresno and Masaaki Hironaka of San Diego were honored with the JACL Ruby Pin for their long-time personal sacrifice and service to the organization. Hirasuna, who attended the first JACL convention in 1930, paid tribute to the late Dr. Tom Yatabe, founder of the Fresno American Loyalty League.

Commentary

• More Goals Ahead, page 4. This editorial celebrates the achievement of redress objectives—public education, government apology, and monetary compensation—while noting the fight is not over. It calls for JACL to pursue Supreme Court review of the wartime Yasui, Hirabayashi, and Korematsu decisions as unfinished business.
• Convention Faux Pas, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Columnist Bill Hosokawa criticizes newly elected JACL president Cressey Nakagawa for failing to acknowledge his rivals Fujioka and Kawagoe in his victory speech, warning this could deepen organizational rifts. He also notes that key redress pioneers like Edison Uno, Ed Yamamoto, Cliff Uyeda, and John Tateishi went largely unrecognized at the convention despite deserving credit.
• What Does ‘Yogore’ Mean?, by Roy S. Yamahiro, page 4. A reader from Memphis writes seeking clarification on the Japanese term ‘yogore,’ which he recalls being used at Minidoka to describe delinquent kids. He asks Pacific Citizen readers to verify or elaborate on this definition.

In-Depth

• U.S.-Japan Relations Discussed at Convention Workshop, by George Johnston, page 8. A panel at the JACL convention featuring Gail Nomura, Mike Mochizuki, Glen Fukushima, and Mike Masaoka discussed the complexities of U.S.-Japan relations, touching on perception gaps, economic tensions, and the role Japanese Americans should play. Masaoka urged JACL to push for Japanese language education and to speak out on both U.S.-Japan relations and the recent racist incidents in Japan.

Arts & Entertainment

• Gotanda Wins Playwright Award, page 9. Sansei playwright Philip Kan Gotanda won the second New York JACL Ruby Yoshino Schaar scholarship worth $2,000, announced at the JACL Awards Luncheon. His works include Fish Head Soup, Dream of Kitamura, and Yankee Dawg You Die, and he previously received the National JACL Chiyo & Henry Kuwabara Creative Award for The Wash.

Community

• JAYs Assemble at Seattle Convention, by Crystal Tanabe, page 12. Japanese American Youth (JAYs) gathered in Seattle for a week of convention activities including a Seafair Torchlight Parade outing, workshops at the University of Washington, and a moonlight cruise along Lake Union and Lake Washington. Over 80 JAYs and friends enjoyed the cruise with dancing, snacks, and door prizes.
• Nakamura, Cabinet Installed During Seabrook Dinner, page 12. Ellen Nakamura became the 42nd Seabrook Chapter president at the annual Installation and Graduates Recognition Dinner held at Centerton Country Club. Several scholarship recipients and award winners were also recognized at the event.

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