U.S.-Japan trade tensions and the 1990 JACL national convention

Vol. 110, No. 12, March 30, 1990. 8 pages. View this issue

U.S.-Japan relations ran through this eight-page issue. Yosh Tamura previewed a panel discussion on the subject planned for the JACL national convention in San Diego, reviewing the 1988 trade law and the Structural Impediments Initiative. A Times/CBS poll showed friendly American feelings toward Japan falling to 67%, and JACL National Director Bill Yoshino protested a telephone company ad that drew on anti-Japanese imagery. Commentary came from Takeshi Watanabe and Shintaro Ishihara, while Bill Hosokawa wrote about reconciliation between American and Japanese veterans.

Also inside: convention deadlines and a Chevron grant for the JACL oratorical competition. The Japanese American National Museum described its new photo and film archive, and a bill to restrict land sales to aliens was defeated in Hawaii after a Honolulu JACL campaign. Velina Hasu Houston and Bill Marutani wrote columns, and a Heart Mountain obituary remembered Estelle Ishigo.

What’s in this issue

National

• Panel Will Discuss U.S.-Japan Trade, by Yosh Tamura, page 1. With three months remaining before a scheduled panel discussion on U.S.-Japan relations at the JACL National Convention, the article reviews the background of the 1988 Omnibus Trade & Competitiveness Act and Super 301 negotiations over supercomputers, satellites and wood products. It also discusses the Structural Impediments Initiative and Japan’s own Maekawa Plan addressing economic structural reforms.
• Telephone Companies Drop Controversial Japan-Bashing Ad, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Washington Post advertisement featuring a menacing samurai warrior tied to Baby Bell telephone companies’ anti-trust lobbying campaign drew national criticism for exploiting anti-Japanese sentiment. JACL National Director Bill Yoshino protested the ad, comparing it to the racial hatred that led to WWII incarceration, and the Bell Atlantic companies subsequently cancelled plans to run it again.
• Attempt to Pass Alien Land Law Blocked in Hawaii, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A bill that would have banned sale of residential, preservation or agricultural land to aliens in Hawaii was defeated in the state senate after a campaign by the Honolulu JACL Chapter. Chapter President William Kaneko noted that JACL involvement helped shift the debate to include racial and legal issues as a deciding factor.
• Positive Feelings Toward Japan Among Americans Waning, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A New York Times/CBS News poll found that friendly feelings toward Japan among Americans dropped to 67% from 87% in 1985, with unfriendly feelings rising to 25%. Experts attribute the shift to Japanese purchases of American landmarks and the end of the Cold War, with various Americans interviewed expressing mixed views on trade and economic competition.

JACL

• Only 12 Weeks to Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL chapter members are reminded of key deadlines leading up to the national convention, including nomination forms, delegate forms, resolutions, constitution amendments, and hotel reservations. All deadlines fall between March 20 and May 10.
• Chevron Donates Grant for JACL Oratoricals, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Chevron U.S.A. announced it will support the National JACL’s third biennial oratorical competition with a $3,500 grant, including scholarship awards for high school and college winners. The competition will be held June 22 in conjunction with the JACL national convention in San Diego.

Community

• Panel Slated on Status of University Asians, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Two Asian Pacific American leaders from UC Berkeley will travel to UCLA to address a campus town meeting about the status of Asians and Pacific Islanders within the University of California. The event is open to the public and will be held at the Morgan Press Center.
• Volunteer Award Nominations Open, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The San Francisco JACL announced applications are open for the second annual Kay Okamoto Volunteer Award, honoring community service in the Bay Area. The winner receives $1,000 to donate to a nonprofit of their choice, with the announcement made in July at Hamilton Senior Center’s anniversary celebration.
• Museum Establishes Visual History of Japanese in America, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Japanese American National Museum has established a comprehensive photo and film archive headed by filmmakers Karen Ishizuka and Robert Nakamura, holding over 5,000 images spanning from the late 1800s to the present. The archive aims to preserve family photographs and historical images for research and educational purposes, copying originals and returning them to owners.
• Reparations for Slaves’ Descendants Supported, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Inglewood City Council agreed to support the concept of federal reparations for descendants of slaves after broadening a resolution to include other ethnic groups that suffered discrimination. The resolution, introduced by Councilman Garland Hardeman, urges Congress to support Rep. John Conyers’ bill to study reparations.
• PSWDC Speech Contest Scheduled May 20, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Pacific Southwest District JACL is sponsoring a speech and forensic competition for JACL members ages 16-21, to be held May 20 at Little Tokyo Towers. Winners will represent the district at the National JACL Speech and Forensic Competition in San Diego.
• Thirty-five Years of Nikkei Scholarships Marking Mile-Hi Event, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Japanese American Community Graduation Program in Denver began in 1956 with a single $50 award from the Mile-Hi JACL chapter and has grown to include up to 28 organizations. Graduating students are invited to an annual dinner-dance, with application deadline April 6.
• Salinas Valley JACL Installs New Board, by Fred A. Oshima, page 3. Shiro Higashi was sworn in as president of Salinas Valley JACL at a joint installation dinner with the Monterey Peninsula Chapter, installed by Jerry Enomoto who recapped LEC’s redress campaign. Special chapter awards were presented to Harry Sakasegawa for his work on the Kinenhi Japanese Memorial Garden and Sam Obara for leading the Pioneer Issei Memorial Japanese Garden project.
• Makiki Christian Church: Being Groomed for 85th Anniversary, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Makiki Christian Church in Honolulu, a Japanese castle-like structure founded in 1905 by Takie Okamura, is being renovated for its 85th anniversary, including repair of a termite-riddled dolphin roof ornament by craftsman Hisaburo Nose. Church elders recall the 1930s debate over building a structure resembling Kochi Castle despite concerns about war symbolism.
• Sister City Plans Proceed Despite Local Objections, by Hokubei Mainichi, page 3. San Bruno city council voted 4-1 to establish a sister city relationship with Narita, Japan, despite protests from a WWII POW veteran and other residents citing trade concerns. Assemblywoman Jackie Speier and most speakers, including students and Rotary Club members, supported the plan, condemning racial slurs made during the debate.
• Nikkei Leadership Assn. Scholarships Available, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The JACL Nikkei Leadership Association is accepting scholarship applications from high school students of Asian Pacific ancestry who demonstrate leadership ability. Applications are due May 11, with a scholarship dinner planned for May 14.

Incarceration & Redress

• Hakujin: Canada Internment Subject of Movie, by Elizabeth Aird, page 2. Producer Walter Daroshin is developing Hakujin, a $6.5 million movie about the effects of Japanese Canadian internment in Slocan, British Columbia, starring Helen Shaver. The script, written by Sharon Gibbon based on her grandmother’s story, explores the cultural clash between European immigrants and Japanese Canadians during WWII.

Arts & Entertainment

• Award-winning Violinist Uyeyama to Perform, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Jason Uyeyama, winner of the 1990 Camellia Symphony Young Artist Competition, will perform with the Camellia Symphony in Sacramento. He previously toured with the New England Youth Ensemble and performed at Carnegie Hall.
• The Newsmakers, by P.C. Staff, page 6. This roundup column highlights various Japanese American achievers including skier Roni Sasaki, California Senate fellowship winners, CSU-LA’s Dr. Ruth Wu, bowler Chris Warren, artist Gina Kawamura, photographer Mari Umekubo, engineer Dr. Harriet Kagiwada, young unicyclist Akira Matsushima, and labor activist Rachel Saiki. Each entry summarizes their recent accomplishments and backgrounds.

Commentary

• Kanrin Maru, by P.C. Staff, page 4. An editorial reflects on the replica Kanrin Maru’s arrival in San Francisco Bay, commemorating the original 1860 voyage that marked the beginning of U.S.-Japan relations. The piece notes that despite current trade tensions, the long relationship between the two nations can overcome challenges as it has in the past.
• Keeping Time, by Bill Marutani, page 4. In this East Wind column, Bill Marutani reminisces about growing up without a wristwatch on a farm in Kent, Washington, and recalls a simple Army watch he owned during WWII. He humorously describes his recent attempt to buy an inexpensive watch without extra features, only to end up with one loaded with them anyway.
• Healing the Wounds of War, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. From the Frying Pan columnist Bill Hosokawa recounts stories of reconciliation between American and Japanese WWII veterans, including a POW camp reunion between former captive Yoshio Takayama and his captors decades later. The column highlights a moving apology and acceptance between Takayama and Bataan death march survivor Sam Grashio, illustrating how time and prosperity have enabled healing.
• Shin-Cha and Pellegrino Water With a Lime Twist, by Velina Hasu Houston, page 4. In this column, Velina Hasu Houston explores what it means to be an Asian American woman today, noting the diverse and often contradictory definitions people apply. She praises playwright Jude Narita’s work for shattering stereotypes and reflects on her own multiracial Japanese American identity as evidence there is no single formula for Asian American womanhood.
• Let’s Argue But Cooperate, by Takeshi Watanabe, page 5. Former Asian Development Bank president Takeshi Watanabe argues that Japan’s educational system fails to train students in debate and decision-making, putting Japan at a disadvantage in international negotiations. He calls for both the U.S. and Japan to develop a global perspective and cooperate on issues like Third World development and environmental protection despite their trade disputes.
• An Open Letter to Americans, by Shintaro Ishihara, page 5. Japanese Diet member Shintaro Ishihara defends his controversial book ‘The Japan That Can Say No,’ arguing that American critics misrepresented his views by quoting him out of context from an unauthorized translation. He acknowledges Japanese trade practices need reform but contends that racial prejudice against Asians underlies much of the U.S.-Japan tension, calling for future cooperation combining American research strength with Japanese commercialization skills.

Obituaries

• Estelle Ishigo, 90, Artist-Author, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Artist-author Estelle Ishigo, known for her book Lone Heart Mountain documenting her experiences at the Heart Mountain incarceration camp, died at a Hollywood convalescent home. She married Nisei actor Arthur Ishigo in 1928 and accompanied him to camp during WWII, where she sketched and painted the internment experience.
• Seishin A. Kondo, 78, MIS Veteran, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Seishin A. Kondo, a Los Angeles-born Nisei Kibei, was among the few MIS graduates to serve at the Pentagon and Camp Ritchie, Maryland during WWII. He died Feb. 14 as a Maryland resident.
• Paulo N. Takahashi, 69, Photographer, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A longtime Fresno JACL member and one of America’s leading professional photographers known for his glamour portraits, Paulo N. Takahashi passed away suddenly on Feb. 11.

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