First redress payments and the first anti-Asian bias finding in admissions

Vol. 111, No. 11, October 12, 1990. 8 pages. View this issue

Two firsts shared the front page of the October 12, 1990 issue. The U.S. Department of Education announced a finding of anti-Asian discrimination at UCLA’s graduate mathematics school, while UCLA Chancellor Charles Young called the finding incorrect and said the university would appeal. Attorney General Dick Thornburgh presented the first nine redress payments under the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 at a Department of Justice ceremony. Inside, the JACL statement on the payments and Cherry Kinoshita’s column on the $20,000 checks followed. Editorial pages explained the new JACL Legacy Fund, with a letter from Senator Daniel K. Inouye.

Other pages covered Harvard being cleared of bias charges, Patsy Mink’s swearing-in to the House, and a Maryland report on rising hate crimes. Bill Hosokawa profiled Shunji Nishimura in Brazil, and Bill Marutani wrote about electronic dictionaries. A profile marked Henry Tanaka’s retirement after 30 years at Hill House in Cleveland.

What’s in this issue

National

• First U.S. Charge of Anti-Asian Bias in Higher Education Admissions Made, page 1. The U.S. Department of Education announced Oct. 1 a finding of anti-Asian discrimination at UCLA’s graduate mathematics school for giving illegal admission preference to Whites over five Asian Americans. UCLA Chancellor Charles Young disputed the finding as politically motivated and said the university would appeal, while Rep. Dana Rohrabacher praised the Education Department for meeting its timetable on such complaints.
• Ethnic Studies to Become High School Graduation ‘Must’, page 1. The Los Angeles Unified School District board approved a motion by Warren Furutani to form a committee implementing ethnic studies as a high school graduation requirement. The course will be piloted in spring 1991 and become a 20-week elective for 9th and 10th graders in 1991-92, following California’s multicultural history-social science curriculum approach.
• Harvard Cleared of Charges of Bias, page 1. The U.S. Department of Education concluded that Harvard University’s undergraduate admissions policies do not discriminate against Asian American applicants. Investigators found no evidence of a quota, attributing lower Asian American admission rates to preferences for children of alumni and recruited athletes.
• Patsy Mink Wins Special Election, Sworn into Office, page 1. Patsy Mink (D-Hawaii) was sworn into the House on Sept. 27 to complete the term of former Rep. Daniel Akaka, who was appointed to the Senate. She won the special election and Democratic primary for the 2nd Congressional District, marking her second stint in the House after previously serving from 1965.
• American Dislike of Japan ‘More Mainstream’, page 1. A Times Mirror/Gallup Poll found a negative trend in American opinion of Japan, with unfavorable views rising sharply since 1987. The shift was most pronounced among higher-income Americans and Westerners, with the average American now viewing Japan more unfavorably than favorably.
• Sen. D’Amato’s Remarks on Japan’s Action in Persian Gulf Crisis Rapped, by From the Rafu Shimpo, page 2. Japanese American and Asian American leaders criticized Senator Alfonse D’Amato for remarks calling Japan’s failure to contribute financially to Gulf War operations due to ‘profit, greed and avarice,’ calling the comments racist stereotyping. A Japanese Embassy spokesperson noted Japan was contributing over $4 billion, constrained by its postwar constitution’s military limitations.
• Real Median Income Unchanged for A/PI Households in U.S., page 2. The Census Bureau reported the real median income of Asian or Pacific Islander households in 1989 was $36,100, not statistically different from 1988, while overall U.S. household income rose 1.3 percent to $28,910. Asian or Pacific Islander homeowner median income was $50,010 in 1989.
• Hate Crimes Rising Sharply in Maryland, page 6. The Maryland Commission on Human Relations reported that incidents of racial, religious and ethnic violence and prejudice have increased sharply since 1986. The 1989 report classified 82% of 686 incidents as racial, up from 505 incidents when the commission began collecting data in 1982.

Community

• ACLU-W to Honor Cherry Kinoshita, page 1. The ACLU Board of Directors selected Cherry Kinoshita, Bob Boruchowitz, and Bob Beckerman to receive its annual awards at a Bill of Rights dinner on Nov. 3. Kinoshita will receive the William O. Douglas Award for her leadership in the Japanese American redress campaign following her family’s internment at Minidoka.
• Shin-Issei Businessman Harassed for 3 Years Draws National Attention, page 1. Takuro Fujiwara, a Japanese national restaurant owner in Albuquerque, was shot in February 1990 by Robert Mhoon after three years of racial harassment including slurs like ‘Chinaman Go Home.’ New Mexico JACL investigated the case, contacting attorneys, the Asian Law Caucus, and the prosecuting attorney to press for the case’s significance to the Asian American community ahead of a November trial.
• Democrats to Honor Its Asian Pacific Pioneers, page 1. The Democratic National Committee will honor nine statewide Asian Pacific veteran Democrats on Oct. 13 at events in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Honorees, selected for over 25 years of party service, include Mary Miyashita, Alice Bulos, George Wong, and others recognized for insuring Asian Pacific community political voice.
• Dennis Nishikawa to Chair Architect-Engineer Fete, page 2. The Asian American Architects/Engineers Association will host its 13th annual awards banquet Nov. 8 at Empress Pavilion in Chinatown with the theme ‘Forward to the 21st Century.’ Dennis Nishikawa, L.A. city commissioner of public works, was announced as dinner chair.
• Calif. Office of Tourism Seeks 1991 Calendar Events, page 2. California’s Office of Tourism will publish its first-ever calendar highlighting ethnic events from Hispanic, African-American, Asian, and other communities statewide. Organizers can submit events for the ‘California Ethnic Events’ booklet by Oct. 15, with selection based on cultural value and accessibility.
• New Mexico Case Update: Meeting Held with Prosecuting Attorney, page 6. New Mexico JACL chapter president Randolph Shibata met with prosecuting attorney Paul Spears along with legal counsel Susan Tomita and Dr. Sei Tokuda to discuss the Fujiwara harassment case’s national importance to the Asian American community. Spears indicated NMJACL’s presence at the November trial could help demonstrate community support for Fujiwara.
• Asian American Journalists Elects New Officers, page 8. Rod Louie, a business reporter for KGO-TV and past president of AAJA’s San Francisco chapter, was elected president of the Asian American Journalists Association for the coming term. The organization held its convention with other officer elections also taking place.
• The Newsmakers, page 8. This roundup profiles several Japanese Americans in the news, including Florence Daté Smith, elected to the National Council of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, and Claire Sakai Hazzard, an associate conductor. It also notes Roger Obata of Toronto being honored for 30 years of service to the Japanese Canadian community.

Incarceration & Redress

• First Redress Checks, Apology Presented to Nine at WDC Event, page 1. U.S. Attorney General Dick Thornburgh presented the first nine redress payments under the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 at a Department of Justice ceremony on Oct. 9, attended by congressional leaders including Senators Inouye and Akaka and Reps. Matsui and Mineta. Recipients included elderly internees such as Rev. Mamoru Eto, 107, with JACL officials also expressing concern about budget sequestration threatening full funding of the redress program.
• JACL Statement on First Redress Payments, page 8. JACL’s official statement marks the beginning of redress payments as an historic acknowledgment of the injustice of WWII internment, thanking Congress and President Bush for the Civil Liberties Act. The statement emphasizes that while $20,000 cannot fully compensate for losses, the law represents symbolic justice and commits JACL to continued civil rights advocacy.

In-Depth

• Executive Director Retiring After 30 Years at Helm of Cleveland’s Mental Health Rehabilitation Center, page 3. Henry ‘Hank’ Tanaka, longtime JACL leader and former national president, is retiring after 30 years as executive director of Hill House, Cleveland’s social and vocational rehabilitation center for former psychiatric patients. Tanaka pioneered community-based rehabilitation approaches, treating patients with dignity and building the center from a small staff into a program now serving 500 consumers annually on a $1.8 million budget.

Commentary

• Reflections on Redress Campaign, page 4. This editorial traces the history of JACL’s decades-long campaign for redress, from early postwar discussions of reparations through Edison Uno’s advocacy and the eventual 1988 Civil Liberties Act. It argues that those who benefited from JACL’s redress efforts should now support the new JACL Legacy Fund to continue the organization’s human rights work.
• Indebted to Those Who Served, by Jimmie Kanaya, Col, USA, Ret., page 4. A letter writer reflects on how differently Japanese American relations with broader American society might have unfolded had the 30,000-plus Nisei soldiers refused to serve during WWII. The writer, a former POW, expresses that despite differences among Nisei during the war, gratitude is owed to those who served.
• JACL National Youth Chair Replies, page 4. The JACL National Youth Council chair responds to a letter from Dr. Eiji Suyama, disputing assumptions about Nisei not sharing camp experiences and arguing that JACL membership is not the only route to learning Japanese American history. The writer defends the accuracy of the Youth Council’s Program for Action against Suyama’s criticisms.
• Shunji Nishimura Optimistic on Brazil’s Future in Agriculture, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Bill Hosokawa profiles Shunji Nishimura, a Japanese immigrant to Brazil who built a major agricultural equipment manufacturing company and founded an agricultural school training students in modern farming techniques. Nishimura sees great potential for Brazil’s agricultural future and hopes Japanese Americans might bring their skills to help develop the country.
• Challenge of Electronic Dictionaries, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Bill Marutani discusses his fascination with electronic dictionaries and spellers, particularly a Sharp PA-7000 device with Japanese kanji dictionary functions he has yet to fully master. He muses on romanization inconsistencies in Japanese, such as whether ‘seaweed’ should be rendered ‘kombu’ or ‘konbu.’
• The $20,000 Challenge, by Cherry Kinoshita (National JACL Redress Chair), page 5. Cherry Kinoshita discusses the range of emotions redress recipients will feel receiving their $20,000 checks and apology letters, and urges recipients to consider donating to the JACL Legacy Fund as their first priority given JACL’s central role in achieving redress. She quotes Senator Inouye crediting JACL’s leadership and challenges JACLers to build a strong financial foundation for future civil rights work.
• East Wind: In Operating the Kanji System, by Bill Marutani, page 6. Continuing his column on electronic dictionaries, Bill Marutani discusses quirks of romanizing Japanese, referencing his language school training and inconsistencies like ‘kon’ becoming ‘kombu’ when combined with certain syllables. He reflects on the challenges and amusement of navigating electronic dictionary instructions written in Japanese.
• Letters: Response on Lim Report and JACL National Board, by Kenneth Kawaichi, page 6. A letter writer responds to Dr. Suyama’s concerns about not receiving a copy of the ‘Lim Report,’ suggesting he contact JACL National staff directly rather than raising the issue publicly. The writer defends the JACL National Board’s handling of the matter.

JACL

• JACL Legacy Fund: Questions & Answers, page 5. This Q&A explains the JACL Legacy Fund, a perpetual endowment aimed at raising $10 million over a four-year period to support JACL’s mission of civil rights advocacy and cultural preservation. It clarifies the fund is tax-deductible, distinct from the Japanese American National Museum’s efforts, and will be overseen by a committee appointed by the JACL National Board.
• Letter from Senator Daniel K. Inouye on JACL Legacy Fund, by Daniel K. Inouye, page 5. Senator Daniel Inouye writes to JACL members and friends encouraging support for the new Legacy Fund campaign, citing JACL’s crucial role in the decade-long crusade for redress legislation. He argues the fund will provide resources for JACL to continue strong advocacy leadership for the Asian American community.

Arts & Entertainment

• 25th Season of East West Players to Begin Oct. 17, page 6. East West Players, the country’s oldest Asian Pacific American theatre, celebrates its 25th anniversary season with four new plays including Karen Huie’s ‘Songs of Harmony’ opening Oct. 17 and Ibsen’s ‘Hedda Gabler’ running Dec. 12 to Jan. 20. The season also includes an unannounced third play and the musical ‘Canton Jazz Club’ about 1940s Asian nightclub life.

Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.