AAJA’s national convention, redress funding and Nikkei community news

Vol. 108, No. 14, April 14, 1989. 8 pages. View this issue

The front page covered the second national convention of the Asian American Journalists Association in San Francisco, where more than 500 journalists and students met. George Johnston reported on the convention and on the AAJA’s Lifetime Achievement Award to James Omura, who wrote editorials supporting draft resisters at Heart Mountain. Also on page 1, a key House subcommittee recommended adding $250 million to a 1989 spending bill to speed redress payments to Japanese Americans held in WWII-era incarceration.

Inside are commentary columns by Bill Hosokawa, Paul Tsuneishi on the Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee, and Cherry Kinoshita on securing JACL’s future once redress is done. Other pages report on a Jerome camp reunion planned in Honolulu, the new Go For Broke National Veterans Association, and a Civil Rights Commission series of forums on Asian civil rights issues. An announcement on page 8 covers a talk by Yuji Ichioka, author of Issei.

What’s in this issue

National

• AAJA Convention Convenes in San Francisco, by George Johnston, page 1. Over 500 professional journalists and journalism students gathered in San Francisco for the second national convention of the Asian American Journalists Association, featuring a job fair, workshops, and awards. Major speakers included San Francisco Mayor Art Agnos, LA Times editor C. Shelby Coffey III, and ABC News bureau chief Ken Kashiwahara, with a silent auction and necktie auction raising scholarship funds.
• UC Berkeley Apologizes for Anti-Asian Policy, by P.C. Staff, page 1. UC Berkeley Chancellor Michael Heyman apologized for admission policies that led to a decline in Asian undergraduate enrollment, ending a five-year dispute. Asian community leaders, including Judge Lillian Sing who led a task force studying the issue, expressed optimism about the university’s response.
• Asian Small Business Success in Calif. Tallied, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A Pacific Bell directory survey found Asian businesses in Southern California succeed due to sound business practices rather than ethnicity alone. Asian entrepreneurs were more likely to have a business plan, own a personal computer, and use outside attorneys and accountants than non-Asian counterparts.
• Canadian Japanese Gets $21,000 Redress Check, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Steve Enomoto, 80, of Vancouver received a $21,000 redress check from Ottawa for his WWII internment, expressing relief and peace of mind. He and his wife had been relocated to Bridge River Valley in 1942 and later returned to Vancouver in 1960.
• Asian American Civil Rights on Tap for Regional Forum, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights announced three roundtable conferences in 1989 on Asian Civil Rights Issues in the 1990s, to be held in Houston, New York, and San Francisco. The conferences will be convened by commissioners Sherwin Chan and Blandina Cardenas Ramirez and will inform a full commission report.
• Japanese Investments in Hawaii Falling, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Japanese real estate investment in Hawaii totaled $1.83 billion in 1988, down from $3.3 billion in 1987, according to a Leventhal & Co. report. The report noted Japan is now looking to other markets after purchasing significant Hawaiian property.

Community

• So. Calif. Hosts New Nikkei Veterans Formation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Go For Broke National Veterans Association has invited all Japanese American veterans, WACs, and nurses to its formative first annual general meeting in Buena Park April 15-16. ORA administrator Robert Bratt will speak on redress eligibility, and Mike Masaoka and Torrance mayor pro-tem George Nakano will also attend.
• Sansei May Seek Seattle School Board Seat, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Alan Sugiyama, executive director of the Center for Career Alternatives, is considering a run for the Seattle school board, which would make him the first Asian elected to the board. He is a Beacon Hill resident and graduate of Garfield High and the University of Washington.
• L.A. PANA Convention Planners Busy, ‘Something to be Long Remembered’, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The fifth PANA Los Angeles Convention, hosted by PANA-USA, is set for July 20-22 with organizers working to create a memorable event. The convention includes seminars, a reception at the Japanese Consul General’s residence, and a closing banquet at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel.
• Nikkei Widowed Group to Celebrate 10th Year, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Nikkei Widowed Group, an umbrella organization with about 200 members, will celebrate its 10th anniversary on May 7 at the New Otani Hotel. The luncheon program will feature singer-dancer Nobuko Miyamoto and director Michael Uno with his cast from The Wash.
• Mombusho Scholarships for Students, In-Service Teacher Training Now Available, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Applications for 1989 Japanese government Mombusho scholarships for American teachers and students specializing in Japanese studies are being accepted by the Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles, with a May 5 deadline. Applicants must undergo screening, language exams, and oral interviews.
• Asian Foundation Names New Director, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Asian Foundation for Community Development announced the appointment of Esme Marconi as its new executive director. Marconi, previously with the Easter Seal Society, is a native of Waipahu, Hawaii of mixed Japanese, Chinese, Hawaiian, Filipino and Portuguese descent.
• Chicago All-Clubs Gang Set for Reno Reunion, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A reunion for those who lived in the Chicago area after internment camp through 1960 has been planned at Bally’s Reno for the July 14-15 weekend. The event includes social activities, tennis, golf and a banquet, with club affiliation not required.
• Honolulu Buddhists Observe Centennial Year, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The 100th birthday of the Honolulu Honpa Hongwanji Temple was observed with Monshu Koshin Ohtani of Japan presiding over ceremonies. Ohtani, a direct descendant of the founder of the Jodo Shinshu sect, planted a princess palm at the temple-sponsored school.
• Sansei Paraplegic Climbs 50-Story IBM Tower, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Eric Kondo, a 23-year-old Seattle paraplegic, climbed the stairs of the 50-story IBM Tower in Atlanta in his wheelchair, taking 3.5 hours. He said he wants to be an inspiration to other disabled people who may not realize they can climb stairs.
• Hawaii Club Raises Funds on Fuzzy Fancies, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A secret Okinawan club on Oahu called the Million Dollar Mustache Club formed to help raise the final million dollars needed for the $4.5 million Hawaii Okinawan Center. Members grow mustaches and contribute money, with a Shaving Off Party planned for April 21.
• The Newsmakers, by P.C. Staff, page 6. This roundup column features notable Japanese Americans including Dr. Florence Uyeda Miyahara honored as a Colorado Woman of Color, Judge Kathryn Doi Todd’s new judicial assignment, young speller Lisa Ishimaru heading to nationals, and Frank Kuwahara’s reappointment to the L.A. Community Redevelopment Agency board. It also covers bowler Darryl Izumo’s rare 804 series and volunteer award winners in Hawaii.
• ‘Issei’ Author Ichioka to Address Stockton JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Author Yuji Ichioka will hold an informal evening with Stockton JACL on April 27, ahead of addressing the California History Institute at the University of the Pacific. Ichioka, a UCLA historian, wrote Issei: The World of the First Japanese American Immigrants, 1885-1924, which was nominated for a Los Angeles Times Book Review history award.

Incarceration & Redress

• House Subcommittee: $250 Million for Redress, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A key House subcommittee recommended adding $250 million to a supplemental 1989 spending bill to expedite redress payments to Japanese Americans affected by WWII-era incarceration. Hearings featured testimony from numerous pro- and anti-redress individuals and groups, with JACL leaders calling the action a significant step toward justice.
• AAJA Presents James Omura with ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’, by George Johnston, page 1. The AAJA honored James Omura, former English editor of the Rocky Shimpo during WWII, with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his controversial editorials supporting draft resisters at Heart Mountain. Omura, who was tried but acquitted while others were imprisoned, expressed surprise and gratitude at being recognized by an Asian American organization.
• Hawaiians to Host Jerome Camp Reunion, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A reunion for those interned at the Jerome, Arkansas camp will be held in Honolulu over the August 12-13 weekend, including a picnic and aloha banquet. Special invitations are being extended to mainland internees, especially Issei, with travel packages available.

JACL

• Hirabayashi Named JANM Curator, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Dr. James A. Hirabayashi, former dean of undergraduate students at San Francisco State University, was selected as curator for the Japanese American National Museum. He will oversee curatorial staff toward the museum’s planned November 1990 grand opening.
• Rep. Matsui to Lead ‘Roast & Toast’ Gala of Ron Wakabayashi, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Congressman Robert Matsui will lead a dinner honoring former National JACL director Ron Wakabayashi on April 28 in San Francisco. Wakabayashi served as national director for seven years and now works with United Way of Los Angeles.

Military & Veterans

• Inouye, Dymally Seek Naturalization of WWII Filipino Veterans, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Sen. Daniel Inouye and Rep. Mervyn Dymally reintroduced legislation to permit naturalization of Filipino veterans who fought alongside American troops in WWII. Approximately 60,000 Filipino veterans are reported eligible under the bill.

In-Depth

• Gardena Valley JACLer’s Novel ‘Seki-nin’ Published, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Cal State Fullerton published a novel by George Nakagawa, a longtime Seattle JACL member now with Gardena Valley JACL, titled Seki-nin (Duty Bound). The novel is based on the experiences of a Seattle family that returned to Japan before WWII, where their son is drafted with tragic consequences.

Commentary

• America’s Resurgence, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This editorial discusses Joel Kotkin’s book arguing that the West Coast must make the nation aware of Pacific Rim opportunities, challenging the European-oriented mindset of East Coast power brokers. Kotkin predicts an American resurgence linked to rising Asian vitality rather than decline, a view the editorial finds heartening for Asian Americans.
• Ni-soku San-mon, by Shiro Tanaka, page 4. A letter responding to Bill Marutani’s earlier column corrects the interpretation of the Japanese phrase ‘ni-soku san-mon,’ explaining that ‘mon’ refers to old Japanese currency rather than weight. The author also addresses why the derogatory terms ‘eta’ and ‘buraku-min’ don’t appear in popular dictionaries, noting Japan’s subtle caste system.
• Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee Remembered, by Paul Tsuneishi, page 4. The author shares his father’s 1981 testimony about the Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee, which argued Nisei should not be drafted until their civil rights were restored. He argues JACL should acknowledge that Fair Play Committee members took the higher moral ground and criticizes continued JACL criticism of No-No Boys.
• Old, New Ways as Survival Skills, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. This column traces how early Asian immigrants, lacking language skills, found work in laundries, restaurants and other service businesses requiring long hours rather than capital. It notes a JETRO survey finding thousands of Japanese restaurants and companies across the U.S., while American-born generations have moved into white-collar professions.
• Keeping JACL Alive, by Cherry Kinoshita, page 4. The author discusses the need to secure JACL’s financial future now that redress is nearing completion, drawing parallels to similar discussions within the National Association of Japanese Canadians. A January brainstorming meeting of JACLers agreed that JACL remains needed as a national organization, and ideas included establishing a new endowment-type fund separate from the existing Endowment Fund.

Arts & Entertainment

• ‘My Life a Loaded Gun’, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Velina Hasu Houston’s new play, My Life A Loaded Gun, had its first reading at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego on May 1. The serio-comic play is about poets Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath, directed by Julianne Boyd.
• Memorial Tribute Planned for Isamu Noguchi, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A final tribute to the late sculptor Isamu Noguchi, who died December 30, will be held at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center on April 23. His sister Ailes Spinden will attend, honoring his only public installation in his birthplace, the JACCC plaza.

Obituaries

• Donald Kiyoshi Ikeda, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Donald Kiyoshi Ikeda, 64, Diablo Valley JACL’s 1988 president and treasurer, died of pulmonary fibrosis at UC-San Francisco Medical Center. A native of Havre, Montana, he was interned and later pursued a career in accounting in Chicago before moving to Danville, California.
• Torao George Ichikawa, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Torao George Ichikawa, 74, of Concord, California, died of cancer at his home. A retired CIA research analyst, he served in the Pacific theater with Military Intelligence during WWII and joined the CIA in 1947.

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