Redress payments, a police promotion dispute and chapter news

Vol. 112, No. 19, May 17, 1991. 8 pages. View this issue

Redress was the main subject of this eight-page issue. JACL-LEC board members, including Cressey Nakagawa and Jerry Enomoto, toured the Office of Redress Administration in Washington on April 25, and the paper reported on payment progress, the verification process and the hope for funding in fiscal year 1992. A Portland police lieutenant also said he intended to sue over what he called bias in a promotion decision.

Elsewhere, Los Angeles planned a Heritage Month Dinner for Asian Pacific American veterans, and a bill on hate crimes was killed in Arizona. Columns by Bill Hosokawa and Bill Marutani took a lighter turn, writing about breakfast and soda water. Mountain Plains District Governor Randolph Shibata praised chapter leaders, including the care of the Amache Memorial site. Chapter news covered scholarships, a drug abuse forum and the Midwest District Council meeting in Chicago.

What’s in this issue

National

• Nikkei Claims Bias in Police Promotion, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Portland police lieutenant intends to sue over an alleged racial bias in a promotion decision, claiming he was overlooked in favor of a black lieutenant who ranked lower on the promotion list. The case raises questions about fairness in the department’s promotion process.
• Japan Attacked British First, Says Author, by P.C. Staff, page 1. San Francisco author Frederick Goerner claims his research shows that Japanese forces attacked British aircraft and ground forces hours before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He says a Japanese Zero shot down a British aircraft and Japanese soldiers attacked British troops well before the attack on Pearl Harbor began.
• Japanese Bomb Found in Pearl Harbor, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Japanese aerial torpedo containing 600 pounds of high explosives was discovered in Pearl Harbor, prompting U.S. naval authorities to close the area to tourist boats. The torpedo was found near Ford Island, close to the USS Arizona memorial, and will be detonated at sea.
• Arizona Hate Crimes Bill Killed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A bill that would have created tougher penalties for hate crimes based on race, religion or sexual orientation was killed by the Arizona House Rules Committee on a 9-4 vote. The measure would have made such crimes a Class 5 felony punishable by up to two years in prison and a $150,000 fine.

Community

• L.A. Honors Asian Veterans, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The 13th annual Heritage Month Dinner in Los Angeles will honor Asian Pacific American veterans who served and continue to serve in the United States military. Vice President Dan Quayle and other dignitaries are scheduled to speak at the event.
• Short Takes, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A roundup of brief international news items including the election of the first woman mayor of a major city in a Japanese prefecture and statistics on Japanese American infant mortality rates. The infant mortality rate for Japanese Americans was found to be the lowest among ethnic groups studied by the federal government from 1983-85.
• New York Chapter Participates in Asian Pacific American Heritage Festival, by P.C. Staff, page 3. New York JACL chapter members took part in the annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Festival at Damrosch Park near Lincoln Center, featuring booths and performances from many Asian organizations. An ‘Author’s Table’ featured signings by Mine Okubo, Sheila Hamanaka and Tooru Kanazawa.
• Placer County Chapter Announces Scholarship Dinner Winners, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Placer County JACL chapter’s annual scholarship dinner was held May 18 at the Placer Buddhist Church, with scholarship chairman Al Nitta announcing the winners. Recipients included Kimberly Bollin, Tamiko [name unclear], and Karen Miura among others receiving memorial and JACL scholarships.
• AAJA Detroit Chapter Announces Scholarship Winners, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Asian American Journalists Association Detroit chapter announced its first annual scholarship winners: Lorelei Villarosa-Bolton won first place with a $1,000 scholarship, and Richard Lee took second place with a $500 scholarship. Both recipients have pursued journalism experience at various publications and universities.
• Mutsuko Sata Crowned Japanese Community Center Queen, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Mutsuko Sata, 22, a senior at the University of Southern California, was recently crowned Japanese Community Center queen in Los Angeles. She will represent the organization in the Nisei Week Queen competition on Aug. 10.

Incarceration & Redress

• JACL Board Members Tour Office of Redress Administration, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL-LEC board members including Cressey Nakagawa, Jerry Enomoto, Mollie Fujioka, Cherry Kinoshita, Mae Takahashi and Shig Wakamatsu toured the Office of Redress Administration on April 25 to observe verification and payment procedures. ORA administrator Bob Bratt and Justice Department officials briefed the group on the status of redress payments and eligibility letters.
• Redress Funding Expected for Second Round of Payments, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Office of Redress Administration reports that as of the ORA briefing, 24,500 individuals had been paid redress, with additional eligibility letters being processed. ORA administrator Bob Bratt expressed reasonable confidence that funding for the next round of redress payments would be available in fiscal year 1992.
• Redress Administration Details Verification Process and Special Cases, by P.C. Staff, page 1. ORA officials detailed the process of verifying eligibility for redress payments, including cases of denied applications broken down by category such as non-Japanese ancestry, voluntary evacuees, and those who moved to Japan. The article highlights the complexity of documentation required, including one case where 11 heirs were found for a single deceased individual.

JACL

• Venice-Culver Chapter to Host Public Forum on Drug Abuse and Crime, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Venice-Culver JACL Chapter, led by President Sam Shimoguchi, will sponsor a community forum on drug and substance abuse, crime prevention, AIDS, and related issues on May 24. The event will include panel discussion and audience participation, focusing on detection, prevention, and support resources.
• Midwest District Council Addresses Civil Rights and Media Racism, by P.C. Staff, page 3. At its April 27 spring meeting in Chicago, the Midwest District Council held workshops on revising textbooks to reflect the internment as a civil rights violation and on combating racism in media coverage of Asian Americans. Speakers including Bill Marutani, David Ibata, Peter Oehlkers and Christina Adachi discussed strategies for challenging stereotypes and promoting accurate media representation.
• Houston Chapter Awards Ray Okumura Memorial Scholarship, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Allison Onishi, daughter of Houston Chapter members H and Leiola Onishi, was presented the $500 Ray Okumura Memorial Scholarship at the Mountain Plains District Council meeting. She will attend New York University in the fall as a communications major.
• Mountain Plains District Governor Praises Unsung Chapter Leaders, by Randolph Shibata, page 5. Mountain Plains District Governor Randolph Shibata highlights the often-unrecognized work of chapter members across his district, including George Ushiyama’s care of the Amache Memorial site, Emilie Ito and Tom Masamori’s leadership in Denver, and Bob and Em Nakadoi’s mentorship in Omaha. He also praises Glenda Joe of Houston for her courageous civil rights advocacy work across multiple communities.
• Twin Cities Chapter Announces 1991 Board Members, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Twin Cities JACL chapter announced its newly elected 1991 board members and committee chairs, including Kumagai as first vice president and various others in leadership roles. The announcement lists officers responsible for civil rights, membership, scholarship funds and other committees.
• JACL Board Reflects on Future Priorities Beyond Redress, page 6. A JACL board member discusses the organization’s future direction now that the central redress battle has largely concluded, emphasizing the need to address ongoing local civil rights issues like hate crimes and job discrimination. The piece calls for strengthened local chapters and continued funding through the Legacy Fund to support future civil rights battles.

Commentary

• What Do You Have for Breakfast?, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Bill Hosokawa reflects on the evolution of his household’s breakfast habits, from hearty pancake stacks to lighter crepe-style pancakes as he’s aged. He muses on portion control and comparisons to how animals regulate their own food intake.
• Soh-Da Mizu, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Bill Marutani writes about the nostalgia and cultural significance of Japanese soda water (soh-da mizu) from his childhood at Hiroshima-kenjin-kai picnics. He also discusses Japanese Coca-Cola packaging, competing cola brands like ‘Acecola’ and ‘Jolt Cola’, and reminisces about differences between Japan and the U.S. in soft drink culture.
• Taking Issue with NCRR Editorial on Gates, by Gerald Horiuchi, page 4. A letter writer objects to an NCRR editorial calling for the removal of LAPD Chief Gates, arguing that due process must be respected regardless of allegations. He contends that denying due process to any individual threatens the rights of all, drawing parallels to the denial of due process experienced by Japanese Americans during WWII incarceration.
• Seeks Help to Find Long, Lost Friend, by Conrad Lara, page 4. A letter writer seeks help locating Tomako Shintaku, a former classmate of Dolores Frausto and Manas from Lincoln, California, in 1935. The friends, now in their 70s, would like to reconnect with her.
• He Questions Redress Apology Letter, page 5. A letter writer discusses the impersonal tone of official redress payment letters from the Office of Redress Administration, noting the absence of proper salutations conveys a sense of bureaucratic coldness. The writer emphasizes that recipients value the apology as much as the monetary payment after years of struggle for redress legislation.

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