JACL news, a hate crime case and Peru relief efforts, 1990

Vol. 111, No. 18, November 30, 1990. 8 pages. View this issue

JACL business and community news filled the Nov. 30, 1990 issue. The JACL-Blue Shield plan reported no rate increase and a new vision care program, while Neal Taniguchi was elected governor of the NCWNP District Council and George Kondo was roasted at a Sacramento installation. Rep. Robert Matsui announced a run for the U.S. Senate in 1992. Two front-page stories covered racial prejudice in La Crosse, Wisconsin, where felony hate crime charges followed the beating of Japanese exchange student Taro Imamura.

On page 2, Frank Kawase reported on a redress workshop in Garden Grove with Bob Bratt. Pages 3 covered Peru, including Fujimori’s economic reforms and Harry K. Honda’s report on PANA-USA’s home building and relief shipments. Commentary on page 4 included Bill Hosokawa’s Thanksgiving column, Bill Marutani on Japanese ownership of minor league baseball teams, and an editorial on Japanese American candidates in the November elections. This eight-page issue also had a page 7 exchange on how the paper uses the terms Nihonjin, Japanese and American.

What’s in this issue

National

• No Rate Increase Due for JACL-Blue Shield Subscribers, by P.C. Staff, page 1. John Yasumoto, chairman of the JACL-Blue Shield Group Health Trust, reports the plan has completed 25 years of service and will add a vision care program in 1991 without raising rates. The plan now covers over 5,000 subscribers from six JACL district councils, totaling more than 12,000 individuals.
• Bob Matsui Launches Bid for Full Term U.S. Senate in 1992, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Robert Matsui announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Alan Cranston, citing a need for new leadership as economic competition replaces the Cold War. Matsui, a six-term Congressman from Sacramento, called for renewed idealism and public service among Americans.
• Wisconsin Hate Crime Law to Apply in La Crosse Case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Steven J. Johnson, 20, faced felony hate crime charges in La Crosse County circuit court for beating Taro Imamura, a Japanese exchange student he mistook for Hmong. Johnson allegedly called the students racial slurs before the attack, which left Imamura with a detached retina.
• Police Reopen Sansei Girl Disappearance Case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Honolulu police reopened the 1985 disappearance case of Diane Suzuki, a 19-year-old University of Hawaii student, after finding new evidence. Police believe the case, now reclassified from missing-person to murder, points to a suspect connected to the dance studio where she was last seen.
• Japan Award Honors Matsunaga Posthumously, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Japanese government posthumously conferred the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun on the late U.S. Sen. Spark Matsunaga for his contributions to Japan-U.S. relations and work improving the status of Japanese Americans. The decoration was presented to his widow, Helene Matsunaga, at the Japanese Consulate.
• Union Bank Elects Shimizu as New CEO, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Taisuke Shimizu, 54, was elected president and CEO of Union Bank, succeeding Seishichi Itoh, who returns to the Bank of Tokyo as senior managing director. Itoh had grown Union Bank into the fifth largest commercial bank in California with 177 offices statewide.
• Fujimori Stresses Economic Reforms in His 100 Day Administration Speech, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Peru’s President Alberto Fujimori announced sweeping economic reforms in a national address marking his first 100 days in office, including elimination of import surcharges and privatization of state-owned companies. He also reiterated his commitment to crop substitution programs for the coca leaf industry while rejecting U.S. military aid to fight drug trafficking.
• Crops Other Than Coca Leaves Hindered by Laws and Bureaucrats, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A close adviser to Peru’s President Fujimori told a U.N. committee that regulations make growing crops other than coca unprofitable for peasants due to lack of land titles and cumbersome export bureaucracy. Economist Hernando de Soto outlined plans to grant legal land titles and reduce restrictions on free enterprise.
• The Newsmakers, by P.C. Staff, page 8. This roundup column profiles several Japanese Americans in the news, including 49ers trainer Mark Takata, physician Edison Miyawaki, counselor Renee Teruya, Peace Corps volunteer Candus Fujiwara, education official Helen T. Chang, teachers Gary Iida and Gerald Kobata, actress Beulah Quo, marathon runner Cyril Nishimoto, physician Jerry Shimoyama, lottery winner S.V. Bui, legislator Gary Locke, and artist Chul-Kyo Park. Each entry highlights a brief achievement or honor received by the individual.

JACL

• NCWNPDC Elects Taniguchi Governor, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Northern California-Western Nevada Pacific JACL District Council elected Neal Taniguchi of Berkeley as governor at its Nov. 4 meeting hosted by the Fremont JACL. The board also includes several other newly elected officers, and a Tri-District Conference is planned for March 1991 in Visalia.
• Larry Grant to Head Salt Lake JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Salt Lake JACL held annual elections on Nov. 16, electing Larry Grant as president along with other new officers for 1991. An installation dinner will be held Jan. 4 at the Multi-Ethnic Hi-Rise with no admission charge.

Community

• TV Election Campaign Ads Go Multilingual, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Honolulu political candidates like City Councilman Gary Gill and Rep. Patsy Mink began advertising in Japanese on local TV stations to reach voters who watch Japanese-language programming. The cost of such ads on independent stations was significantly lower than on network affiliates.
• Kondo Roasted at Sacramento Installation, by Toko Fujii, page 1. About 150 people gathered at the Red Lion Hotel in Sacramento to honor and roast George Kondo, retiring director of JACL’s NCWNP District Council after 16 years of service. Kondo installed the 1991 Sacramento JACL officers led by new president Mike Sawamura.
• Sophomore Puzzled By Fellow Student’s Racial Attitude, Prejudice in La Crosse, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A La Crosse, Wisconsin high school sophomore named Pa Moua wrote a guest opinion describing the prejudice she and other Hmong students face from classmates who repeat stereotypes about welfare and laziness. The local newspaper’s editorial supported her, noting the courage it took to speak out amid ongoing attacks on Southeast Asian students.
• Vandals Toss Brick at JACL Center Window, by P.C. Staff, page 1. San Mateo JACL reported to police that vandals threw a brick through a window at its Community Center in October, breaking two panes. Police said the incident was likely not related to recent ‘Japan bashing’ publicity, as other San Mateo businesses had similar broken windows.
• JASSI Names Coordinator, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Japanese American Social Services, Inc. announced that Mariko Sara Tsutsumi has been named coordinator of its senior citizens support project in New York.
• Kokusai Cinema Theater in Seattle to Reopen, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The old Kokusai Theater in Seattle’s International District, closed for eight years, is being renovated by Francis Koo to show Chinese films. No opening date has been announced.
• ‘The Mikado’ Operetta Spurs Asian Americans to Protest at Claremont, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Students and faculty protested outside Bridges Auditorium at Claremont Colleges over a staging of Gilbert & Sullivan’s ‘The Mikado,’ which critics said promoted Asian stereotypes. The demonstration was part of an ongoing series of protests calling for more Asian American courses, counselors, and faculty at the colleges.
• Foundation Honors Four Community Advocates, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Asian Foundation for Community Development honored four advocates of philanthropy in the Asian community at the Nikko Hotel in San Francisco, including Ann Sabiniano, Dr. William Gee, Kham Tran, and the family of the late Richard Tomoda. Each honoree received a $1,000 grant to donate to a charity of their choice.
• 40 Tons of Relief Goods Shipped by PANA to Peru, Need to Meet Expenses, by P.C. Staff, page 3. PANA-USA shipped 40 tons of relief goods collected for Peru from a Los Angeles warehouse, with a third container scheduled to follow, all destined to reach Callao Harbor by mid-December. The organization is seeking additional funds to cover shipping costs and has received large donations from its own leadership to support the cause.
• San Diego JACL Schedules Japanese Films, by P.C. Staff, page 6. San Diego JACL, Kiku Gardens Retirement Project, and the Union of Pan Asian Communities announced a monthly series of classic Japanese films beginning January 1991, starting with Mizoguchi’s ’47 Ronin.’ The series will run through November 1991 at Kiku Gardens in Chula Vista with free admission for seniors.
• Sansei Berkeley JACLers Plan Celebration of Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Sansei members of the Berkeley/Oakland JACL are organizing a tribute event honoring their Nisei parents’ generation, to be held January 26, 1991 at the North Berkeley Senior Center. The program will include art exhibits, food, a guest speaker, and a photo slide presentation of Nisei memories.
• SCAN/NLA JACL Installation Fete Set, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Southern California American Nikkei and the Nikkei Leadership Association JACL will host their fifth annual installation dinner Dec. 2 at Burton Chace Park in Marina del Rey. Attendees are asked to bring Christmas gift donations for underprivileged children in downtown Los Angeles.
• Lon Hatamiya to Address Reapportionment Forum, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Lon Hatamiya of Marysville will be the keynote speaker at a Dec. 5 forum on reapportionment and redistricting and its impact on Asian and Pacific Islander communities in San Francisco. The forum is supported by NCWNPDC JACL and other Asian groups.
• ARC Names L.A. Family ‘Volunteer’ of Year, by P.C. Staff, page 8. An entire 10-member Los Angeles Nisei family, the Fukamakis, received the ‘Volunteer of the Year’ award from the Association of Retarded Citizens-U.S. for a combined 6,000 hours of service and $100,000 raised over 23 years supporting the Exceptional Children’s Foundation. No family member has a developmental disability, yet they gradually recruited one another into volunteering.

Incarceration & Redress

• Redress Workshop Held at Garden Grove, by Frank Kawase, page 2. Over 150 people attended a presentation by Office of Redress Administration Executive Director Bob Bratt at Wintersburg Presbyterian Church in Garden Grove, sponsored by SELANOCO and Orange County JACL chapters. The event gave Orange County residents a chance to seek direct advice on redress from Bratt.

Arts & Entertainment

• Documentary on Japan-born Koreans Slated Dec. 6, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The documentary film ‘Shimon,’ about the discrimination faced by Koreans born in Japan, was scheduled to be shown at the Transamerica/Occidental Life Auditorium in Los Angeles. The film was made by filmmaker Kaz Takeuchi and focuses on fingerprinting requirements affecting minorities in Japan.

In-Depth

• PANA-USA Helps in Construction of Homes in Lima, by Harry K. Honda, page 3. Donations from PANA-USA friends in Los Angeles are funding six houses being built at the Juan Pablo II village outside Lima, Peru, through an interest-free loan program run by a Nikkei university student group called El Movimiento de Acción Social. Fr. Luis Martinez, the project’s adviser, described the urgent need for support amid Peru’s economic crisis and highlighted MAS’s broader work building homes and medical facilities in the region.

Commentary

• Japanese Americans on the Ballots, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This editorial congratulates Japanese American candidates who won November elections, including Congressmen Norman Mineta and Robert Matsui, and Hawaii’s Patsy Mink, while also noting the losses of Eunice Sato and Lon Hatamiya. It emphasizes the importance of Japanese Americans participating in the political process following the redress victory.
• With the Family at Thanksgiving, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. In this ‘From the Frying Pan’ column, Bill Hosokawa reflects on his father’s Issei immigrant experience and the importance of family, prompted by a rare Thanksgiving gathering of all four of his children’s families. He describes the joy of having 15 family members together despite the natural dispersal of grandchildren pursuing their own lives.
• Ya-kyuu to Salinas, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Bill Marutani’s ‘East Wind’ column discusses Japanese ownership of minor league baseball teams like the Salinas Spurs, Visalia Oaks, and Birmingham Barons, noting Japanese players, coaches, and stadium sponsorships. He reflects on baseball’s cultural exchange between Japan and the U.S., recalling memories of Japanese baseball fandom and the sport’s origins imported from America.
• Letters: Ft. Missoula, Kamikaze and Chiran, Derogatory Word, by Naomi Kashiwabara, Professor Louis Fiset, Maggie Ishino, page 4. Three letters appear: one recounting a barber’s WWII kamikaze attack survival story tied to a previous Pacific Citizen article, another seeking information on the Ft. Missoula internment camp for a research monograph, and a third objecting to the use of the term ‘Whites’ as derogatory language in the paper.
• Sacramento Delta Still ‘Rip-Roaring’?, by P.C. Staff, page 5. An Asian American Studies Center staffer recounts a Labor Day weekend incident at a Sacramento River Delta beach near Isleton where his family and other Asian American families were harassed with racial slurs and threats by a group of white beachgoers. He reflects on the historical presence of Chinese settlers in the Delta region and the ongoing need for multicultural education to address racism.
• What Is a ‘Nihonjin’? and an ‘American’?, by William Wetherall, page 7. A letter writer questions the Pacific Citizen’s inconsistent use of racial, ethnic, and nationality terms like ‘Nihonjin,’ ‘Japanese,’ and ‘American’ in a prior article about AIDS cases among Asian/Pacific Islanders in Los Angeles. The editor responds explaining that labels follow how people choose to identify themselves and that terminology changes over time.
• P.C. Style Sheet: What Is a ‘Nihonjin’? and an ‘American’?, by William Wetherall, page 7. This is a duplicate reference to Wetherall’s letter about inconsistent racial and ethnic terminology used by the Pacific Citizen, questioning the paper’s use of ‘Nihonjin’ versus ‘American’ in coverage of AIDS statistics. The editor’s note responds that usage follows evolving self-identification practices rather than a double standard.

Obituaries

• William N. Kuwada, 68, by P.C. Staff, page 8. William N. Kuwada of Gilroy, California, died Nov. 23 at age 68. Born near Gilroy, he was a veteran of the 442nd Infantry Regiment and is survived by his wife and children.

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