Vol. 111, No. 7, September 14, 1990. 12 pages. View this issue
Redress and the work around it ran through this 12-page issue. An editorial looked ahead to Oct. 1, when Redress payments were to begin, and asked how the public might react amid budget worries. A Redress series installment by the paper described how the Office of Redress Administration told apart six people named George Matsuda. In the JACL pages, Tom T. Nakao Jr. wrote about a $10 million campaign for a legacy fund, and Teresa Maebori introduced the 40 winners of the 1990 National JACL Scholarships, chosen from 279 applications.
The front page also introduced Cpl. Joe Kashikoi Yo, a new Asian American character in Mort Walker’s Beetle Bailey strip. Elsewhere, a dispute over the Little Tokyo veterans memorial reached a compromise stage, Los Angeles County hate crimes against Asians rose, and Bill Hosokawa described the Japanese American Historical Plaza in Portland. Bill Marutani and Aya Sansei also wrote columns.
What’s in this issue
National
- Asian American Enlists into Mort Walker’s GI Joe Comics, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Cartoonist Mort Walker introduced Cpl. Joe Kashikoi Yo, an Asian American character, into his Beetle Bailey comic strip after consulting with Asian American community members. The character’s name means wise and clever in Japanese, and Walker hopes he will attract new readers while stimulating fresh comedic ideas.ed reactions from Japanese American cartoonist Dennis Fujitake were mixed regarding stereotyping concerns.
- L.A. County Hate Crimes Hit Record Levels for 1990, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Racially and religiously motivated crimes in Los Angeles County reached record levels in the first half of 1990, with acts against Asians rising more than three-fold according to a county Human Relations Commission report. The Asian Pacific American Legal Center announced programs to teach community leaders how to address ethnic misconceptions.
JACL
- JACL Scholarships Totalling $72,200 Awarded to 40 Graduates, Freshmen, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National JACL Scholarship and Awards Program awarded 40 scholarships totaling $72,200 to freshmen, undergraduates, and graduate students after reviewing 279 applications. The scholarship committee, chaired by Teresa Maebori, evaluated candidates based on academic achievement, leadership and community involvement.
- Tokeshi Named PSW Regional Director, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Jimmy Tokeshi was named Regional Director for the JACL Pacific Southwest Office in Los Angeles, bringing a strong background with the organization including roles as national youth chair. He began his duties Aug. 30, with Carol Saito continuing as office secretary.
- The Best and the Brightest of the Class of 1990, by Teresa Maebori, page 6. JACL Scholarship Committee Chair Teresa Maebori describes the impressive caliber of the 40 winners of the 1990 National JACL Scholarships, selected from 279 applications. The committee evaluated candidates on scholastic achievement, community activism, personal essays, and recommendations across freshman, undergraduate, graduate, law, and performing arts categories.
Community
- Little Tokyo Veterans Memorial Dispute at Compromise Stage, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The 100th/442nd/MIS World War II Memorial Foundation board reaffirmed its concurrence with a compromise program offered by Michael Barker to resolve a dispute with the Nisei Veterans Coordinating Council over the Little Tokyo veterans monument. The dispute centered on whether to include names of all 13,649 veterans versus only those killed in action, following a Los Angeles Times editorial urging compromise.
- Selma Country Club Admits Japanese Member, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The all-white Selma Country Club in Alabama reversed its rejection and extended membership to Japanese businessman Hiroshi Isogai, manager of a Honda plant in Selma. Isogai said he simply wanted to play golf at the club.
- Asian Task Force Founder to Run for Berkeley School Board, by P.C. Staff, page 2. David Kakishiba, founder of the Berkeley Asian Task Force and longtime executive director of the Berkeley Asian Youth Center, announced his candidacy for the Berkeley school board. He aims to address funding cutbacks and declining public confidence in Berkeley schools.
- Principals Named for San Francisco JACL Fundraiser-Art Show, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The San Francisco JACL announced its ‘Art for Remembrance’ benefit art show and sale featuring artist Hisashi Otsuka, scheduled for Sept. 22 at the Marriott to inaugurate its Community Education Fund. Jan Yanehiro will emcee, with proceeds supporting a Day of Remembrance educational program in San Francisco schools.
Incarceration & Redress
- Minoru Yasui Bronze Bust Dedicated in Sakura Square, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Family members and dignitaries gathered in Denver to honor the memory of the late Minoru Yasui at the unveiling of a bronze likeness at Sakura Square. Nearly 450 attended the dedication, including WWII veterans and Go For Broke National Veterans Association members.
- Six ‘George Matsudas’ Apply for Redress; How the ORA Is Able to Distinguish Them Apart, page 2. The third in a series on the Office of Redress Administration describes the complex process of identifying and locating eligible redress recipients when multiple individuals share identical names. ORA uses various databases including Social Security records and IRS information to link current addresses with historical camp records.
- An Obon Tribute Honors the Tokita Family Matriarch, page 10. Twenty-two Tokita family members and close friends performed in matching yukatas at the Seattle Buddhist Church obon festival in memory of Ann H. Tokita (1907-1990). Mrs. Tokita, a Seattle Issei pioneer, operated the New Lucky Hotel in prewar Nihonmachi and raised eight children who all attended college.
Commentary
- The Sergeant and the ‘Hiki-Agés’, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Marutani recounts his experience with military intelligence screening teams at Japanese entry ports after WWII, tasked with identifying Communist agents among repatriates from Manchuria. He describes how Sergeant Fujio ‘Wymo’ Takaki used kindness rather than interrogation to extract crucial intelligence from a military hiki-agé, providing the American team a lasting advantage.
- Historical Plaza by the Willamette, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Hosokawa describes the dedication of the Japanese American Historical Plaza in Portland, Oregon, a memorial honoring Japanese American citizens and acknowledging the wartime internment tragedy. He credits community leaders including Bill Naito, George Azumano, and poet Lawson Inada for making the ambitious project a reality on the Willamette River waterfront.
- A Scenario for October, page 4. This editorial warns that the beginning of Redress payments on Oct. 1 coincides with a period of budget crises, Persian Gulf tensions, and calls for tax increases, potentially reviving public resentment toward the $500 million in payments to Japanese American internment survivors. The piece argues that while Redress remains a long-overdue entitlement, its rollout amid economic anxiety requires careful consideration of public perception.
- A Change in Kabuki?, by Aya Sansei, page 5. The columnist reflects on attending a Grand Kabuki performance where actor Nakamura Kotaro V played multiple female roles, raising questions about whether traditional all-male kabuki casting should evolve. She questions why women shouldn’t be permitted to play female roles on the kabuki stage while still respecting the art form’s traditions.
- JACL’s Critical Campaign After Redress, by Tom T. Nakao Jr., page 5. National JACL Secretary/Treasurer Tom Nakao Jr. discusses the organization’s campaign to raise $10 million over three years to create a legacy fund for future generations. He argues the endowment would allow JACL to sustain its mission of civil rights work and community advocacy without constantly raising membership dues.
- On the Meaning of ‘Ethnicity’ and ‘Race’, by William Wetherall, page 5. Writing from Tokyo, Wetherall critiques JACL president Cressey Nakagawa’s use of the term ‘ethnicity’ in describing the connection between Japanese Americans and Japanese nationals, arguing it oversimplifies complex identity issues. He draws on his experience at a Korean human rights symposium in Osaka to illustrate the problems with assuming singular ethnic or racial identities across national and generational lines.
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