Vol. 113, No. 14, November 1, 1991. 8 pages. View this issue
A national symposium of Asian American leaders in Los Angeles and a compromise civil rights bill shared the front page of this eight-page issue. Gwen Muranaka reported on the symposium, where Michael Woo spoke about the diversity of Asian Americans and Elaine Chao and Rep. Robert Matsui discussed coalition-building. About 800 people attended, according to organizer John Tateishi. President Bush announced support for the civil rights bill after talks with Senate leaders.
Other front-page items covered Sen. Daniel Inouye’s hopes for the 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor and a JACL board vote on a United Nations resolution. Inside, Harry K. Honda described the Pocatello-Blackfoot chapter winning an award for its Minidoka memorial project. Bill Hosokawa compared poverty then and now, and readers wrote in about a cartoon and redress. Four people joined the JACL Legacy Fund Investment Committee.
What’s in this issue
National
- Bush Supports Compromise Civil Rights Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 1. President Bush announced support for a compromise civil rights bill after negotiations with Senate Republicans and Democratic leaders, saying it would be a source of pride for all Americans. Democrats disputed White House claims that earlier wording would have led to hiring quotas, and Senator Kennedy said he would push to eliminate remaining limits on damages for victims of discrimination.
- L.A. Councilman Stresses Diversity of Asian Americans, by Gwen Muranaka, page 1. Los Angeles City Councilman Michael Woo opened a national Asian American symposium by stressing the importance of understanding the diversity within the Asian American community, warning against treating Asian Americans as a monolithic group. He also addressed tensions between Korean and Black communities and affirmative action’s effect on Asian Americans, urging coalition-building and recognition of shared economic interests.
- It’s Time to Build Coalitions, Says Elaine Chao, by Gwen Muranaka, page 1. At the symposium, Bush appointee and Peace Corps head Elaine Chao and other panelists including Rep. Robert Matsui discussed the challenges Asian Americans face in building political power and coalitions. Panelists debated obstacles such as lack of networks, humiliation felt by some families, and the growing influence of the Pacific Rim on Asian American political opportunities.
- 3 Teens Held in Phoenix Temple Killings, by P.C. Staff, page 1. According to an Arizona Republic story, guns apparently linked to a mass shooting of nine people at a Buddhist temple in Phoenix have been tied to three teenagers. The youths are now awaiting further legal proceedings in the case.
- Approximately 800 Attend Conference, by P.C. Staff, page 1. About 800 people attended the ‘Asian Americans: Looking Ahead’ symposium in Los Angeles, according to organizer John Tateishi. The event brought together national leaders of different Asian American groups and helped solidify a network for future collaboration, though it wasn’t intended to provide definitive answers.
- Asian Americans Have Numbers but Not Clout in Education, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Panelist Furutani discussed the disconnect between the growing numbers of Asian Americans and their lack of political and institutional influence, particularly in education. He challenged the notion of the ‘model minority’ and called for greater political engagement to translate demographic growth into real power.
- Three Asian Americans Named to California Government Posts, by P.C. Staff, page 3. California Senate leaders appointed three Asian Americans to state government positions: a registered dietitian to a health care policy commission, an associate professor to a telecommunications advisory board, and a consultant to the board of behavioral science examiners. The appointees will help oversee health policy, telecommunications planning, and licensing of social workers respectively.
- More Than 600,000 Japanese Living Overseas, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Japan’s Foreign Ministry reported that the number of Japanese nationals living abroad topped 600,000 for the first time as of mid-September, up 5.7% from 1989. New York City had the largest Japanese population among cities, followed by Los Angeles and São Paulo.
- Japan Apology Called For, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A brief item notes that Japan’s Socialist Democratic party called for some form of apology, though the full context is cut off in the OCR text. The item appears in a roundup of short Japan-related news items.
Incarceration & Redress
- Inouye Hopes Pearl Harbor Event Will Bring Better Understanding, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) commented on the upcoming 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, expressing hope that commemorations could usher in a new era of understanding in Japan-U.S. relations. He commended Japan’s decision to address the anniversary and stressed the importance of acknowledging historical racism and hatred on both sides.
JACL
- JACL Board Urges Repeal of United Nations Resolution, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL national board voted on Oct. 19 to urge repeal of United Nations General Resolution 3379, a 1975 resolution equating Zionism with racism. JACL leaders said the resolution wrongly categorizes a form of self-determination as racial discrimination, contrary to the organization’s mission to eradicate racism and discrimination.
- Four Named to JACL Legacy Fund Investment Committee, by P.C. Staff, page 8. JACL President Cressey Nakagawa announced four new members of the Legacy Fund Investment Committee: Beth Renge, George representing the NCWNP District, Francis Sogi of the Eastern District, and national secretary/treasurer Tom Nakao Jr. Each brings professional financial and legal expertise, including backgrounds in securities, corporate services, and law practice in New York and Japan.
Community
- Remembering Mike… Pocatello-Blackfoot Chapter Wins Masaoka Award, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. The Pocatello-Blackfoot JACL chapter won the 1990-91 Mike Masaoka Intermountain Chapter of the Biennium award for its work on the Minidoka camp memorial project. Keynote speaker Grant Ujifusa praised Mike Masaoka’s political courage, and the ceremony also honored six Nisei soldiers from the chapter’s area killed in WWII.
- In the Nick of Time: Orange County Human Relations Commission Preserved, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Facing a $67.7 million budget deficit, the Orange County board of supervisors had proposed eliminating its 20-year-old human relations commission. Selanoco JACL leaders Kenneth K. Inouye and Ruth Mizobe joined grassroots efforts that successfully preserved the commission.
- News Briefs: Fire Warning, Cartoon Complaint, Classroom Conflict, End of an Era, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Several short news items cover a firestorm warning for Los Angeles County, complaints over racial stereotyping in a comic strip, interracial tensions in Puget Sound area schools prompting a new safety committee, and the closure of the historic Walnut Grove Japanese United Methodist Church founded by Issei in 1915. The church’s members were welcomed into the Sacramento Japanese UMC after decline in the farming community following WWII.
Commentary
- Comparing Conditions of Poverty: 1942 vs. 1990, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Columnist Bill Hosokawa compares modern definitions of poverty—citing statistics on car and appliance ownership among poor households—with the harsh camp conditions faced by Japanese Americans during WWII internment. He reflects on how internees were pressured to volunteer for farm labor to help the wartime economy despite their own hardship.
- Pearl Harbor: Mending the Partnership, by Shuichi Kato, page 4. In this guest editorial reprinted from the Asahi Evening News, the author argues that as the 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor approaches, U.S.-Japan relations are at a post-war low and both nations need a new dialogue. He examines the asymmetry in how each country remembers the war and how trade tensions further complicate the relationship.
- More Criticism Aimed at PC Cartoon, by Sandy Uyeda, page 4. A reader from Los Angeles criticizes a Pacific Citizen cartoon from Sept. 13 depicting white men cursing at Nisei children as offensive and lacking value or humor. She calls for the paper to reconsider its editorial decisions regarding such cartoons.
- More Feelings About Redress Issue, page 4. A letter writer discusses ongoing tension around the redress issue, arguing that some critics unfairly conflate Japanese Americans with the nation of Japan. The writer contends that American citizens who suffered wartime deprivation deserve recognition distinct from international politics.
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