Redress notices begin, and the draft resisters speak

Vol. 109, No. 6, September 8, 1989. 12 pages. View this issue

Redress moved from law to action in this issue. Rep. Norman Y. Mineta announced that the Office of Redress Administration had begun mailing the first notices under the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 to Japanese Americans aged 90 and up, and he urged Congress to fully fund the program for Fiscal Year 1990. George Johnston reported on a panel in Southern California where Peter Irons, Frank Emi and Mits Kochiyama discussed the Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee and the Nisei draft resisters, with a follow-up on page 12 covering the debate over the wartime JACL’s stance. Bill Yoshino previewed a San Francisco dinner honoring supporters of the redress campaign.

Pages 6 through 9 profile the 1989 JACL National Scholarship winners, with the committee chair explaining how 39 recipients were chosen from nearly 350 applicants. Elsewhere are Bill Hosokawa on student exchange programs, Steven Okazaki’s film on Estelle Ishigo, a Portland historical garden plan, and a Tule Lake forum planned by the Golden Gate JACL.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• Initial Redress Notices Being Mailed to Those Aged 90 and Up, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Norman Y. Mineta announced that the Department of Justice’s Office of Redress Administration began mailing the first redress payment notices to the oldest eligible Japanese Americans aged 90 and above. Mineta urged Congress to fully fund the compensation program for Fiscal Year 1990 under the Civil Liberties Act of 1988.
• So. Calif. JACLers Throw Spotlight on Nisei WWII Draft Resistance Movement, by George Johnston, page 1. A panel discussion sponsored by the PSWDC JACL at the JACCC examined the Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee and WWII draft resisters, featuring attorney Peter Irons, FPC member Frank Emi, and draft resister Mits Kochiyama. Irons announced that the coram nobis legal team would offer to represent draft resisters seeking to overturn their wartime convictions, while panelists debated the wartime JACL’s stance toward resisters.
• Japanese American Historical Garden Planned for Portland Waterfront, by Bob Shimabukuro, page 3. Plans were announced for a Japanese American Historical Garden in Portland’s Tom McCall Waterfront Park, a project inspired by landscape architect Bob Murase a decade earlier at a Day of Remembrance ceremony. The garden, designed by Murase, will feature cherry trees, boulders, and a stone ‘story wall’ memorializing the history of Japanese Americans in Oregon, with speakers including Bill Naito, Lawson Inada, and filmmakers of Come See the Paradise.
• Draft Resistance Forum Q&A: JACL Wartime Leadership Debated, by George Johnston, page 12. This continuation of the draft resistance forum article covers audience questions about Mike Masaoka’s alleged role in directing ACLU opposition to the Fair Play Committee, and debate over Min Yasui’s differing stance toward draft resisters versus his own curfew violation case. Panelists Emi and Kochiyama continued pressing for wartime JACL leaders to acknowledge their mistakes, while moderator Hokoyama thanked organizers for the forum.

National

• Japan Military Build-up Wrong, Speakers Note, by P.C. Staff, page 1. At an East-West Center symposium, James Kelly and Koichi Kato discussed the dangers of pushing Japan toward a more assertive military role given trade tensions. Kato argued Japan should strengthen regional stability through economic cooperation and non-military means rather than military buildup.
• American Legion Reject Anti-Redress Pay Motion, by P.C. Staff, page 1. An anti-redress resolution presented by Washington State delegates at the national American Legion convention in Baltimore was rejected at a subcommittee meeting. Illinois JACLer Art Morimitsu had been assured the resolution would not reach the convention floor.
• More English Teachers in Japan to Be Invited, by P.C. Staff, page 3. About 2,000 college graduates under 35 will travel to Japan in 1990 to teach English and other languages under the government-sponsored JET program. The program, which started in 1987, currently has about 1,300 instructors from seven countries.
• Polls Show Americans Rate Japanese Economic Threat Over U.S.S.R., by P.C. Staff, page 5. Speakers at an East-West Center symposium co-sponsored by Yomiuri Shimbun discussed polls showing Americans worry more about Japan’s economic threat than Soviet security threats. Panelists proposed solutions including reducing trade barriers, forming a Pacific Rim Community, and improving U.S. manufacturing competitiveness.
• Okinawa Stone Finally Mounted in Wash’n Monument, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A memorial coral stone gifted from the people of Okinawa to the United States was installed at the Washington Monument, fulfilling a mission entrusted 135 years earlier to Commodore Matthew Perry. The stone replaced one lost during the monument’s original 19th-century construction, discovered missing by a Japanese visitor four years prior.
• The Newsmakers, by P.C. Staff, page 10. This roundup covers notable Japanese Americans including Edward Seidensticker’s appointment as a distinguished professor at the University of Hawaii, Dr. Takao Shishino’s election as chairman of the So. Calif. College of Optometry board, and Bob Shimabukuro’s new editorship at Seattle’s International Examiner. Other items note Mary Matsuyama’s election to the YWCA of Los Angeles board of directors.

Community

• Tule Lake Camp Inmates to Address JACL Forum, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Golden Gate JACL Chapter is sponsoring a public forum where former Tule Lake camp inmates will discuss their reasons for being sent there. The forum, open to the public, is scheduled for Oct. 27 in San Francisco.
• Hayashi Presented Okamoto Award, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Misao Hayashi was selected as the first recipient of the Kay Okamoto Volunteer Award, chosen from six nominees for her extensive volunteer work with Yu-Ai Kai, the Red Cross, and the YWCA. A $1,000 check was presented to Hayashi, designated for Yu-Ai Kai, at a ceremony at the Hamilton Senior Center in San Francisco.
• ‘Shared Dreams’ Exhibit Opens in Seattle, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A photo exhibit titled ‘Shared Dreams: Images of the Asian and Pacific American Experience in Washington State’ opened at the Wing Luke Asian Museum, featuring 89 photographs spanning over 100 years of Asian and Pacific American history. The exhibit will travel to schools, libraries and community centers across the state after its run in Seattle.
• Attorneys Convention Set for Nov. 10-12 in S.F., by P.C. Staff, page 5. The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association will sponsor its first national convention for Asian Pacific American attorneys in San Francisco at the University of San Francisco campus. The event will feature guest speakers, panel discussions, and networking opportunities with national corporations.
• Seabrook Installs Officers Honors Grads, by Lenore Wurtzel, page 5. Ellen Nakamura was installed as the 43rd president of the Seabrook JACL chapter at its Annual Installation and Graduates Recognition Dinner, with National JACL President Cressey Nakagawa as keynote speaker. The chapter also recognized graduating students, presented scholarship awards, and honored K. Ray Ono for six years of service as treasurer.
• JCCCNC Awards Nikkei Community ‘Heroes’, by P.C. Staff, page 11. The Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California held its Fourth Annual Awards Dinner honoring six community volunteers: Ruth Asawa, Chizu Iiyama, Jeffrey Mori, George Okamoto, Ben Takeshita, and Kazuyoshi Miyazaki. Each honoree was recognized for decades of community service, from arts education to civil rights work to serving the Japanese American business community.

Arts & Entertainment

• Kadohata’s ‘Floating World’ Garners Critical Acclaim, by J.K. Yamamoto, Hokubei Mainichi, page 2. Author Cynthia Kadohata discusses the unexpected critical acclaim for her novel The Floating World, about a Japanese American family moving frequently in the 1950s and 60s. She describes her own itinerant childhood and her writing process, noting the book avoids being overtly political despite touching on postwar hardships for Japanese Americans.
• Shibori Kimono Exhibit, Workshop Opens at Georgia Museum of Art, by P.C. Staff, page 3. An exhibition titled ‘Fields of Indigo and White: The Shibori Kimono of Japan’ opened at the Georgia Museum of Art, featuring 16 yukata and six woodblock prints. The museum also planned workshops on shibori dyeing techniques led by master-dyers Erika Lewis and Nancy Dolinch.
• New Film Tells Story of Estelle Ishigo, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Director Steven Okazaki’s new film Days of Waiting tells the story of Estelle Peck Ishigo, a Caucasian artist who was incarcerated alongside her Nisei husband during WWII and documented camp life through her art. The film, produced with funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other foundations, will air on PBS next year after festival screenings.

Commentary

• Nikkei Summit in 1990 San Diego, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This editorial discusses National JACL President Cressey Nakagawa’s proposal for a ‘Nikkei Summit’ at the 1990 convention, gathering about 50 outstanding Nikkei to speak on issues affecting Japanese Americans. The editorial praises the idea for reconnecting talented community members who have spread into mainstream America and calls for careful preparation to ensure its success.
• Eigo Ryugaku, by Jin Konomi, page 4. This Moshi Moshi column examines the surge in Japanese students going abroad to study English, highlighting interviews with students in New York who largely socialize only with other Japanese students rather than immersing in American culture. The piece questions the value of such study-abroad experiences when students lack clear goals and remain isolated within Japanese cliques.
• Student Exchange, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. In this From the Frying Pan column, Hosokawa critiques the commercialization of Japanese student exchange programs, noting that what began as volunteer-based cultural exchanges have devolved into profit-driven enterprises with inadequate oversight. He argues that regulation, while unpalatable, may be necessary to prevent further exploitation of both Japanese students and American host families.

JACL

• An American Promise, by Bill Yoshino, page 4. National JACL Director Bill Yoshino previews a Sept. 23 corporate fundraising dinner in San Francisco honoring organizations that supported the ten-year redress campaign, including the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and the Anti-Defamation League. He emphasizes the need for JACL to pursue corporate funding sources alongside its traditional membership-based revenue model.
• Campus-Community Leadership Revealed as Important Keys, by Hiroshi Uyehara, page 9. The chair of the National Scholarship Committee describes the rigorous selection process for choosing 39 scholarship recipients from nearly 350 applicants, emphasizing leadership and community involvement as key selection criteria. The committee noted strong academic achievement among the 29 women and 10 men selected, reflecting a national trend in scholarship demographics.
• Over $70,000 Distributed This Year in 39 Awards, by P.C. Staff, page 9. JACL’s national scholarship program distributed a total of $70,600 across 39 awards in 1989, up from $54,000 for 37 awards the previous year. The article lists all award categories and recipients across Freshman, Undergraduate, Graduate, and Special Scholarships.
• Dr. Kiyoshi Sonoda Memorial Scholarship Added; Application Timeline for 1990 Process, by P.C. Staff, page 9. JACL announced a new scholarship honoring the late Dr. Kiyoshi Sonoda, a dentist and longtime JACL member who was incarcerated at Gila River during WWII, to be awarded to a graduate dentistry student. The article also outlines the application timeline for the 1990 JACL scholarship process, with deadlines running from March through September 1990.
• 1000 Clubbers Gear for 1990 Convention Whing Ding in S.D., by P.C. Staff, page 12. Members of the 1971 Whing Ding trip to Japan plan a reunion during the 1990 National JACL convention in San Diego, featuring a photo contest for best 1971 photos. Organizers from Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia announced plans to lead delegations and arrange skits for the event.

In-Depth

• Outstanding Students Across Nation Apply, by Cheryl Kagawa, page 6. This feature profiles numerous 1989 JACL National Scholarship recipients including Wendy Nakashima, Marianne Seto, Stella Kinue Manabe, Deanne Kitamura, Maria Michiyo Gargiulo, Valerie Suzawa, Ellen Somekawa, Lynn Otsu, and Dorothy Birsic, detailing their academic achievements and career aspirations. The profiles highlight a diverse range of fields including public health, law, dance, science, and international diplomacy.
• Profiles: National JACL Scholarship Awardees (Graduate and Undergraduate), page 7. This continuing feature profiles additional 1989 JACL scholarship winners including Brian Miura, Maya Kato, Julie Kubota, Yasuko Fukuda, Jil Uchishiba, Yoko Irie, Jojiro Takano, Miriam Murase, James Kumpel, Thomas O’Toole, Denise Yamamoto, and Vivian Umino. Each profile describes the student’s academic accomplishments, community involvement, and future career goals.
• Profiles: National JACL Scholarship Awardees (Freshman), page 8. This feature continues profiling 1989 JACL Freshman Scholarship winners including Courtney Goto, Rebecca Nakamura, Miles Okino, Robert Irie, Angela Okajima, Meath Misumi Bowen, Adria Lynn Imada, Akemi Ooka, Junko Kaji, Naomi Lam, and Aoy Virginia Tomita. The profiles detail each student’s academic excellence and extracurricular leadership.

Obituaries

• Deaths, by P.C. Staff, page 11. This obituary roundup includes Midori Fukuzawa, a 92-year-old Issei pioneer of Santa Barbara; Minoru Genda, the 84-year-old former Japanese naval officer who master-minded the Pearl Harbor attack and later served in the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force; and several other community members including Kimi Hayakawa, Bessie Toda Igarashi, Yoneji Ito, Frank Koichi Iwami, Frank Minoru Kishimoto, Kiyomatsu Kobayashi, and Tsuma Sanada. Genda’s obituary notes his postwar career in politics and his controversial 1969 U.S. lecture tour.

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