Vol. 112, No. 23, June 14, 1991. 8 pages. View this issue
JACL planning for the 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor led the issue. National director Bill Yoshino outlined a strategy that puts a civil rights message at the center, focused on the World War II incarceration (often called internment) of Japanese Americans. A committee of Steve Okino, Ken Yokota, Carole Hayashino and Jay Kono was to bring a final plan to the national board on July 13. Employment was the other main subject: a Chicago Reporter article found that Illinois had not enforced its affirmative action goals for Asian Americans, and EEOC Commissioner Dr. Joy Cherian spoke about Asian Americans in management.
Redress news included a California Senate bill protecting recipients’ Medi-Cal eligibility and JACL’s 15 suggested changes to the Office of Redress Administration. Veterans of the 100th Battalion and 442nd petitioned over the naming policy for a proposed Little Tokyo memorial. Bill Hosokawa wrote about Nisei in Japan and the idea of mottai nai, and community pages covered Hawaii’s literature award and two Cherry Blossom queens.
What’s in this issue
JACL
- JACL Plans Strategy for Pearl Harbor Anniversary, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL national director Bill Yoshino outlined plans for the 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, focusing a civil rights message on the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. A committee including Steve Okino, Ken Yokota, Carole Hayashino, and Jay Kono will present a final plan to the national board on July 13.
- JACL Suggests Redress Changes to ORA Office, page 3. JACL’s Legislative Education Committee sent 15 recommendations to the Office of Redress Administration, expressing disappointment over the text and appearance of the presidential apology letter accompanying redress payments, citing lack of an official seal and date. ORA administrator Bob Bratt assured JACL-LEC that all 15 points would be addressed with a written response forthcoming.
National
- Illinois Failing to Meet Asian Affirmative Action, Says Newspaper, page 1. A Chicago Reporter article revealed the Illinois Department of Human Rights has failed to enforce a two-and-a-half-year-old rule requiring affirmative action goals for Asian Americans, with only 15 of 87 state agencies meeting their goals. State officials, including human rights director Rose Mary Bombella, expressed confusion about their authority and timeline for implementing the mandate.
- Not Enough Asian Managers, Says U.S. Commissioner, page 1. EEOC Commissioner Dr. Joy Cherian said Asian Americans are conspicuously underrepresented in management and executive positions across U.S. industry despite their high representation among professionals. He cited specific glass-ceiling cases he encountered in his enforcement role, including denials of promotion based on pretextual communication concerns.
- Executives: Asian Americans Underrepresented in Management, page 5. EEOC Commissioner Dr. Joy Cherian detailed specific discrimination cases involving Asian Americans being passed over for management positions despite superior qualifications, citing a glass-ceiling phenomenon unique to the group. He also described an EEOC ruling against an aerospace company that improperly used citizenship requirements to screen out qualified non-citizen Asian applicants.
- Goals: Illinois Human Rights Department Uncertain of Mandate, page 5. Following a Chicago Reporter investigation, the Illinois state legislature amended affirmative action rules to include Asian Americans and American Indians, but department officials remain unclear on implementation timing. Rose Mary Bombella said the agency may not set goals until 1993, citing delayed census data, while critic Corfman noted Chicago and many private employers have already set such goals.
Incarceration & Redress
- Bill to Protect Redress Passes California Senate, page 1. California Senate Bill 353, authored by Sen. Patrick Johnston, passed by a two-thirds vote to prevent the state from clawing back Medi-Cal payments from redress recipients whose eligibility changed due to redress money. The bill now moves to the Assembly for hearings, with hopes it will become law by the end of September.
Community
- California Asians to Welcome Bush, page 1. Asian Pacific communities in Orange County will gather June 16 at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley to honor President George Bush at an event billed as an Asian Pacific celebration. Bush will tour cultural exhibits from various ethnic groups before speaking, with organizers noting the area has a large Asian Pacific population.
- No. Calif. Redress Workshops Scheduled, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Office of Redress Administration scheduled seven redress workshops throughout the San Francisco Bay Area to answer questions on individual case status. Locations included Sacramento, Watsonville, San Francisco, Stockton and other cities with specific dates and times listed.
- Yoshiko Matsuda Receives 1990 Hawaii Award for Literature, page 6. Yoshiko Matsuda, 90, a master poet in the tanka tradition who started clubs in Hawaii, received the 1990 Hawaii Award for Literature from Governor John Waihee. She was married to Rev. Ryusai Matsuda, a Honpa Hongwanji Buddhist priest, and continued her poetry work while raising a family.
- Sharon Kadoyama Reigns as Honolulu Cherry Blossom Queen, page 6. Sharon Kadoyama, 24, a zoology graduate from the University of Hawaii, was crowned Honolulu’s 39th Cherry Blossom Festival queen in late March. Dina M. Harada, 23, a psychology graduate from UC Berkeley, was named the 1991 San Francisco Cherry Blossom queen in a separate ceremony at the Miyako Hotel.
- Elaine Ikoma Ko Named Seattle Women’s Rights Director, page 6. Elaine Ikoma Ko, 38, was appointed director of Seattle’s Office for Women’s Rights, becoming the only Asian woman department head in the city government, as announced at the April 4 International Women’s Day celebration. A communications graduate of the University of Washington, she previously worked with the International District Improvement Association and various social service agencies before this appointment focused on child-care services and women’s issues.
- Koji Norikane Compiles Photo History in Auburn, Wash., page 6. Koji Norikane, a retired truck farmer in his 70s, assembled a 220-photo pictorial history of Japanese immigrants now displayed at the White River Valley Historical Society Museum. The collection includes images of families, class reunions, Buddhist church activities, and the ordeal of WWII evacuation and internment camps.
Military & Veterans
- Korean War Vets Petition for Change in Monument’s Naming Policy, page 1. Veterans of the 100th Battalion/442nd/MIS are petitioning for public support to change the naming policy of a proposed Little Tokyo memorial, seeking recognition for all Japanese American veterans of all wars and conflicts, not just World War II unit veterans. The Nisei Veterans Coordinating Council opposes the foundation’s plan to selectively honor only certain designated individuals.
- Petition: Nisei Veterans Coordinating Council Opposes Memorial Naming Plan, page 6. A formal petition circulated by the Kazuo Masuda Memorial VFW Post objects to the 100th/442nd/MIS World War II Memorial Foundation’s plan to selectively honor only certain designated veterans on a proposed Little Tokyo monument. The petition, with a deadline of July 5, 1991, calls for recognition of all Japanese American veterans killed in action across all wars and conflicts, not just World War II unit members.
Arts & Entertainment
- Museum to Host Book Event for California Author, page 3. A book event was scheduled at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center featuring a California author’s novel set in Japan. The event allows the author to discuss a story involving a character catching up with a cousin who has been traveling.
- ‘Dreamweaver’ Opens in Seattle, page 6. Gary Iwamoto’s low-budget fantasy epic ‘Dreamweaver,’ about Chinese American immigrants, opened April 14 at Seattle’s Theater Jackson to mixed reviews from critic Joe Adcock. Based on an old Chinese folk tale, the story follows two young sisters searching for missing tapestry pieces amid scenes ranging from Mongol invasions to modern burglary in Seattle’s Chinese American community.
Sports
- Roundup: Sports Briefs, page 3. Japanese runners dominated the Vancouver International Marathon in May, with Tomoro winning the men’s division and Misao Miyata winning the women’s race. Jim Ushijima and Phyllis Yasumoto topped their respective flights at the Marin JACL Golf Tournament, with proceeds benefiting the Marin JACL scholarship fund.
Commentary
- About ‘Book-Worthy’ Nisei in Japan, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Hosokawa discusses a conversation with John Tateishi and Dick Yamashita about Nisei who have made notable careers in Japan, prompted by news that Robert Matsui decided not to run for the U.S. Senate. He lists candidates worthy of a book about accomplished Nisei in Japan, including journalists, baseball players, musicians, and politicians.
- ‘Mottai Nai’ Is Alive and Well, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Hosokawa explores the Japanese concept of ‘mottai nai,’ meaning that waste is sinful, and how it persists despite Japan’s image as wealthy and given to conspicuous consumption. He cites a survey by Dai-Tokyo Fire and Maritime Insurance Co. showing many Japanese still feel this sentiment about various forms of waste and extravagance, while also discussing the slang term ‘obatarian.’
Obituaries
- Dorothy Shigeko Hashimoto, page 6. Dorothy Shigeko Hashimoto, a Stockton-born Nisei resident of Monterey Park, California, passed away on May 30 after a prolonged illness. She is survived by her husband Ted S., son Kenneth, daughter Teresa M., and other family members including siblings in Sacramento and Los Angeles.
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.