Matsui’s Senate plans and redress news in the January 1990 issue

Vol. 110, No. 2, January 19, 1990. 8 pages. View this issue

Rep. Robert T. Matsui’s plan to run for the U.S. Senate in 1992 led the front page. The Sacramento Democrat, first elected in 1978, was described as a legislative leader in the redress campaign. Redress was also covered in a report on the Office of Redress Administration’s search for eligible survivors, and a JACL-LEC press conference at the California State Capitol on President Bush’s signing of the bill that made payments an entitlement. Other items included Lillian Kawasaki’s appointment to head a new Los Angeles environmental department, and Les Hata’s move into the JACL district governor post.

Columns by Bill Hosokawa and Bill Marutani appeared on page 4, and Art Sato wrote a letter to sportscaster Bob Costas about racial slurs. Eiko Sakamoto profiled Hike Yego, a Nisei who spent years at Tule Lake. Harry K. Honda described a 1943 Santa Fe camp directory and reviewed Ronald Takaki’s book. The eight pages also carried a Day of Remembrance announcement from Sacramento.

What’s in this issue

National

• Matsui to Run for U.S. Senate in ’92, by P.C. Staff, page 1. California newspapers reported that Rep. Robert T. Matsui plans to run for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Sen. Alan Cranston in 1992. Matsui, a Sacramento Democrat first elected in 1978, sits on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee and was a legislative leader in the redress campaign.
• Nikkei Beginning to Note Media’s ‘Japan-Bashing’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. New York JACL president Lillian Kimura told a New York Daily News columnist that Japanese Americans are increasingly speaking out against negative media coverage of Japan’s economic influence. The article cites various perspectives, including a Manhattan business owner’s resentment toward Japanese shoppers and questions about whether such open prejudice would be tolerated if directed at other groups.
• Hawaii Justice Leaves High Court with Praises, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Hawaii Associate Justice Edward Nakamura, 67, retired just before Christmas after nearly 10 years on the high court. A 442nd RCT veteran and legal scholar, he drew high praise from judges, prosecutors and lawyers for his fairness.

Community

• New L.A. City Department Seeks to Restore Environmental Quality of Life, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley appointed Lillian Kawasaki as the first general manager of the newly-created Department of Environmental Affairs, making her the first Asian American department head in city history. Kawasaki, previously the Harbor Department’s environmental scientist, will help set city policy on air pollution, Santa Monica Bay and resource conservation while serving as a public educator on environmental issues.
• Peruvian Nisei Open Own Bureau in Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Pan American Nikkei Association-Peru Branch established an office in Kawasaki, Japan, to assist Peruvian Nikkei working there, supported by three Peruvian credit unions. Attorney Isaac Higa organized the office to help Latin American Nikkei bypass exploitative agents charging excessive fees for remittances.
• Sacramento’s Day of Remembrance Planned, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Robert T. Matsui will co-sponsor the 1990 Day of Remembrance program on Feb. 17 in Sacramento, featuring a giant pot-luck dinner with several valley JACL chapters as co-sponsors. Contact information was provided for those wishing to contribute food.
• WLA JACL Sponsoring Yuji Ichioka Lecture, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Historian Yuji Ichioka, author of The Issei, will speak about his research on second-generation Japanese Americans at a free lecture sponsored by West Los Angeles JACL. The talk will explore the concept of Japanese Americans as a ‘bridge of understanding’ between the U.S. and Japan.
• Replica of Kanrin Maru to Sail Into S.F. for ‘Tulipmania’ Festivities, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A replica of the Kanrin-Maru, the first Japanese ship to cross the Pacific in 1860, will be featured during San Francisco’s Tulipmania festival with tours planned for March 8 and 9. The event will include a gala parade of ships, more than 15,000 tulips on display, and a contest offering a trip to Japan’s Nagasaki Holland Village.
• Pac Bell Donates $5,000 to JCCCNC; $15,000 Total, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Pacific Bell donated $5,000 toward the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California’s Phase II Community Hall/Gymnasium public address system, bringing its total contribution to $15,000. JCCCNC officials praised Pacific Bell’s community liaison Carol Sugimura for her involvement with the community.
• $10,000 Grant Awarded to ’90 NJAHS Campaign, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The National Japanese American Historical Society received a $10,000 grant from the San Francisco Foundation to continue preserving Japanese American history nationwide. The funds will support membership growth and a new computerized records system.
• Nobu McCarthy to Speak at J.A. Historical Society of So. Calif. Installation Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Actress and East West Players artistic director Nobu McCarthy will be keynote speaker at the JAHSSC installation dinner on Feb. 24 in Playa del Rey. The 1990 board slate was announced, and members of the Japanese American Vietnam Veterans Association will also be honored for their Manzanar diorama and Nisei Week camp exhibit.
• Asian Business Seminar on Management Slated, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Anheuser-Busch Companies contributed $500 to the Asian Management Business Association of Seattle to support a leadership education seminar. The seminar aims to provide Asian professionals and business leaders with tools to become influential and effective leaders in their communities.
• Florin JACL Offering Scholarships to Local Prep, College Graduates, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Florin JACL scholarship committee is seeking applicants for scholarships of up to $2,000 based on academic achievement, leadership, and community involvement. Applications are open to students with Japanese ancestry or JACL member parents in the Sacramento and Elk Grove area, with interviews required April 14.
• San Jose Yu-Ai Kai Seniors Hold ‘Bonen-Kai’, by P.C. Staff, page 3. San Jose Yu-Ai Kai celebrated the end of the year with its annual Bonen-Kai on Dec. 2, drawing approximately 170 seniors and volunteers, the biggest crowd in years. Entertainment was provided by the Santa Clara Valley Japanese Christian Church Harmonica Group and performer Keiichi Okamoto.

JACL

• Dr. Les Hata Assumes NCWNP Governor Post as Gov. Yosh Nakashima Resigns, by George Johnston, page 1. Former NCWNP District Council Vice Gov. Les Hata became governor of the JACL district on Nov. 9, 1989, following the resignation of Dr. Yoshi Nakashima. Nakashima cited personal and unspecified reasons for stepping down and said he would stay away from JACL activities for at least two years, while Hata was installed without an election.
• The Nisei Constable, Marshal and Ombudsman Stayed Low-Key, But His Brand of Service Wasn’t, by Eiko Sakamoto, page 3. Hike Yego, nearing 80, has spent his life serving the Loomis community as constable, marshal, and ombudsman, including years of internment at Tule Lake during WWII. Now Placer County JACL chapter president, Yego continues helping residents with legal matters and advocates for prompt redress payments to elderly survivors.
• JACL-LEC Press Conference Staged at State Capitol, by P.C. Staff, page 7. National JACL-LEC Chairman Jerry Enomoto presided over a press conference at the California State Capitol announcing President Bush’s signing of the bill making redress payments an entitlement. Panelists included Sacramento JACL president Lon Hatamiya, Florin JACL president Curtis Namba, and other community leaders.

Incarceration & Redress

• ORA Estimates Over 60,000 Eligible Survivors as of 1988, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Office of Redress Administration continues issuing Verification Letters, now reaching the 85-86 age group, and reports discovering more eligible survivors than originally estimated. ORA administrator Robert Bratt discussed documentation requirements and a new form being developed for reporting deceased eligibles.

Obituaries

• Milton Ozaki, Mystery Writer, Publisher Dies, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Milton K. Ozaki, 76, a mystery and detective novelist and publisher of the Philatelic Investor, died at his home in Reno on Nov. 7. He had previously been fined for marketing a fraudulent auto gas-saving device and was featured in a Mike Royko column for allegedly selling honorary degrees by mail.

Military & Veterans

• Hospital Worker Shaken from Nap by Quake Jumps to Action, by Francie Scott, page 3. Bruce Mori, RRT and clinical coordinator of respiratory care at Watsonville Community Hospital, sprang into action following the 1989 earthquake, helping evacuate patients and manage a failing oxygen supply. Mori, a member of Watsonville JACL, navigated hazardous conditions en route to the hospital where a triage center was set up outdoors.

Commentary

• Ennis, by P.C. Staff, page 4. An editorial honors Edward Ennis, a Department of Justice attorney who argued against the mass evacuation of Japanese Americans in 1942 and later served as ACLU president from 1967 to 1977. Ennis worked closely with JACL’s Mike Masaoka and is remembered as one of the all-time heroes of American civil liberties.
• Our Flag Re-Dressed, by P.C. Staff, page 4. An editorial describes the redesign of the Pacific Citizen’s masthead flag, with the two overlapping orbs depicting Pacific Rim hemispheres moved to the center, replacing the JACL logo’s former position. The piece notes the design echoes the original 1930s single-orb Pacific Ocean map.
• Japanese Take Lead in Toilet Tech, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Bill Hosokawa’s column describes Japan’s new high-tech computerized toilet that checks blood pressure and takes urine samples, contrasting this innovation with the still-common squatter-style toilets found in many Japanese homes and public places. He notes the irony of a country moving from primitive facilities to advanced medical technology in bathroom fixtures.
• ‘Shigaretto’, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Bill Marutani’s column reminisces about Lucky Strike cigarettes and their popularity in postwar Japan, speculating whether the red circle on the package appealed to Japanese patriotism. He also notes current Japanese cigarette sales rankings and traces the word ‘tabako’ to likely Dutch origins.
• Dear Mr. Costas, by Art Sato, page 5. A letter to sportscaster Bob Costas criticizes him for allowing guest Art Donovan to use racial slurs like ‘Japs’ and ‘gooks’ on air without comment. The writer, born in a WWII concentration camp, connects such language to rising anti-Asian violence including the murder of Vincent Chin.
• ‘Nationality’ or Race?, by Roy Iwaki, page 5. A letter responds to Allan Beekman’s Holiday edition article, arguing that questioning Nikkei ties to Japan reflects racial prejudice rather than legitimate concern about nationality. The writer contends that other ethnic groups maintain similar ties to ancestral homelands without facing the same scrutiny.
• Newsmakers, by P.C. Staff, page 8. This roundup profiles several notable Japanese Americans including new Hawaii consul general Masaji Takahashi, Aloha Stadium manager Ken Kiyabu, former Hawaii governor George Ariyoshi, Whittier College football coach Don Uyeshima, Fuji TV reporter Christopher Field, Nobel laureate Susumu Tonegawa, and JACCC staff appointments by Gerald Yoshitomi.

In-Depth

• Japan’s ‘Silver Citizens’, by Jin Konomi, page 5. The column details the Japan Silver Volunteers (JSV), an organization founded in 1977 that sends retired Japanese seniors abroad to volunteer their skills in developing countries. Over 12 years, JSV has sent 616 volunteers to countries including China, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia, with founder Keiichi Okada emphasizing humility and gratitude as central to the volunteers’ mission.
• Derailing a High-Speed White Elephant, by Toshio Kawabata, page 5. A translated Japanese press article criticizes Japan’s development of a maglev train, arguing it will consume excessive energy and require costly nuclear power plants. The author warns that with dwindling oil supplies and slowing demand, the $71.4 billion project may end up with no passengers by the time it’s completed in the 2010s.
• 1943 Directory Reveals a Slice of Life Inside Santa Fe Japanese Internment Camp, by Harry K. Honda, page 6. Norio Mitsuoka contributed a copy of the 1943 Santa Fe Japanese Internment Camp Directory, originally compiled by internees and translated by John Sekiguchi and Susan Nagata. The directory lists internee details including dormitory numbers, origins, occupations, and family locations, along with lists of those paroled, repatriated, or who died at the camp.

Arts & Entertainment

• Strangers from a Different Shore Reviewed, by Harry K. Honda, page 6. Harry Honda reviews Ronald Takaki’s acclaimed book Strangers from a Different Shore, a comprehensive history of Asian Americans that has received widespread praise since its 1989 publication. Takaki was guest speaker at the San Fernando Valley JACL installation dinner.

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