Vol. 113, No. 17, November 22, 1991. 12 pages. View this issue
Racial vandalism at the Southeast Japanese Community Center in Norwalk, Calif., led the front page. Gwen Muranaka reported that the center’s board voted to offer a $5,000 reward, with damages estimated at $25,000. Alongside it came news of the approaching 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor: Grayce Uyehara described a hastily called White House meeting with President Bush, Rep. Norman Mineta wrote to news organizations urging coverage of Japanese American internment, and the Manzanar Committee pressed for S. 621 and planned the 23rd annual pilgrimage to Manzanar.
Inside are Harry K. Honda’s account of MIS veteran Richard Sakakida, Bill Hosokawa’s collection of Nisei MIS anecdotes, and Gladys Ishida Stone’s column on Korean comfort women. Two Nisei women launched the second year of the JACL Legacy Fund, and a story covered the Wards Cove provision in the Civil Rights Act of 1991. Letters, business briefs and chapter news round out the issue.
What’s in this issue
Community
- Vandalized Center Offers $5,000 Reward, by Gwen Muranaka, page 1. After racial vandalism at the Southeast Japanese Community Center in Norwalk, Calif., the community board voted unanimously to offer a $5,000 reward for information leading to arrests. Damages were estimated at $25,000, including racial slurs painted on walls and destroyed furniture and windows.
- District Council Told of Artists’ Difficult Struggles, by Mas Masumoto, page 1. Actor George Takei spoke at a CCDC banquet in Fresno about the struggles Japanese American artists face and the community’s need to support them. He recounted his own experiences facing racial typecasting early in his acting career and encouraged support for local Central California artists.
- Asian American Group Fund-Raiser, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Asian Americans United (AAU) in Philadelphia will hold its annual banquet and karaoke fund-raiser to support its work monitoring government agencies and organizing the community around economic and political rights issues.
- Business Briefs, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A roundup of business news items includes Pleasant Company’s new Asian baby doll product, Mazda’s expanded use of U.S.-built auto components, Asahi Breweries’ new neon sign in Los Angeles, and Rep. Robert Matsui’s Enterprise Capital Formation Act of 1991. Also noted are UCI’s Japan Foundation grant and Cal State Dominguez Hills’ grant to increase minority teachers.
- Agenda: Chapter News Roundup, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A roundup of JACL chapter news includes Arizona chapter’s donation to ASIA, Florin’s Oral History Project, Monterey Peninsula’s oral history grant, and various chapter installation dinners and events. Sonoma County chapter alerted members to potential racial exploitation tied to the Pearl Harbor 50th anniversary commemoration.
- Community Notables, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Bruce Kaji was named Asian Business Owner of the Year by the Asian Business Association for overcoming personal obstacles including wartime internment. Other notable mentions include a $1,000 donation to the JACL Legacy Fund in memory of Saburo Kido and recognition for community activists Bill and Yuri Kochiyama.
- JACL Scholarship Winner and Other News, by P.C. Staff, page 9. News briefs include the sentencing of former Seattle accountant William J. Yoshida for theft, Seattle city treasurer Lloyd Hara’s election to a national treasurers’ association presidency, and Kentucky Governor Wallace Wilkinson’s cancer treatment by Dr. Yosh Maruyama. Also mentioned are UBC football player Brad Yamaoka’s standout performance and Judge Lance Ito’s role in a high-profile finance case.
Incarceration & Redress
- Manzanar Committee Pushes for Bill Passage, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Manzanar Committee continues efforts to pass S. 621, a bill to create a national historic site at the Manzanar internment camp, and is asking supporters to contact Sen. John Seymour. The committee also scheduled a Nov. 23 meeting to discuss the 23rd annual pilgrimage to Manzanar as part of the 1992 50th anniversary commemoration.
JACL
- JACL Gets White House Call to Discuss Pearl Harbor Event, by Grayce Uyehara, page 1. JACL officials were invited to a hastily called meeting at the White House with President Bush to discuss the 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor. The article highlights JACL’s growing influence as a national civil rights organization and progress of the Legacy Fund campaign.
- Chicago Chapter to Honor Yoshino, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Bill Yoshino, who stepped down as JACL national director, will be honored by the Chicago Chapter JACL at its annual installation dinner. Alice Esaki will also be honored for her decade of service to the Midwest regional office and Chicago Chapter.
- Two Nisei Women Kick Off Second Year of Legacy Fund, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Fumi Kitahara Kiyan and Eunice Noda Sato each made $20,000 benefactor-level contributions to launch the second year of the JACL Legacy Fund Campaign, aiming to raise $6 million in three years. Both women shared personal histories of internment and expressed hope that the fund would help address ongoing discrimination and support future generations.
- JACL’s Track Record, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The article outlines the JACL’s historical accomplishments, including repeal of the Japanese Exclusion Act and Alien Land Laws, passage of the Walter-McCarran Act, and passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. It emphasizes that the Legacy Fund will allow JACL to continue funding programs addressing civil rights and community needs.
National
- Opposition Mounts to Civil Rights Provision; Wards Cove Plaintiff Speaks Out, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Members of Congress and Asian American civil rights organizations rallied in support of Rep. Jim McDermott’s H.R. 3748 to repeal a Wards Cove exemption from the Civil Rights Act of 1991. Frank Antonio, lead plaintiff in the original Wards Cove case, described the discriminatory conditions faced by Asian Pacific workers at the company decades earlier.
- Mineta on Pearl Harbor Media Coverage, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Rep. Norman Mineta sent follow-up letters to news organizations urging them to include coverage of Japanese American internment alongside their reporting on the 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor. ABC and CBS had responded to his original letter, but several other networks had not yet replied.
- New Asian Pacific Census Office Established, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Asian/Pacific Islander Data Consortium was designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as the official Asian and Pacific Islander census information center. The new center, ACCIS, will analyze and disseminate census data relevant to Asian Pacific Islander communities nationwide.
Military & Veterans
- Surviving and Spying Behind Enemy Lines, by Harry K. Honda, page 4. MIS veteran Richard Sakakida recounted his harrowing experience as an undercover intelligence agent and POW in the Philippines during WWII at the MIS 50th anniversary reunion dinner. Captured and tortured, he survived years behind enemy lines before eventually escaping and reuniting with American forces in 1945.
- Anecdotes by Nisei MIS Veterans, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. A collection of anecdotes from Nisei MIS veterans recount their wartime experiences, including cave negotiations in the Aleutians, secret missions in Burma, and encounters with former classmates as POWs. The stories illustrate the complex and often poignant roles Nisei linguists played during World War II.
- Taking Command, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Rear Adm. Melvin H. Chiogioji relieved Rear Adm. Paul C. Rosser as commander of the Reserve Naval Construction Force. Chiogioji previously served as assistant chief of staff for engineering for the U.S. Naval Forces in Europe.
Commentary
- Ian-fu: The Story of Japan’s Comfort Women, by Gladys Ishida Stone, page 6. The column discusses the emerging accounts of Korean ‘comfort women’ forced into sexual servitude for Japanese Imperial troops during WWII. It describes a Korean women’s group producing a play about their experiences and efforts to petition the Japanese government for acknowledgment and redress.
- Still More Controversy on Hironaka Cartoon, by Sandy Haut, page 6. A reader letter criticizes the Pacific Citizen for publishing a controversial cartoon depicting racist attitudes toward Yonsei children, arguing it does not responsibly address racism. The writer urges the paper to promote better understanding between races, especially amid rising tensions around the Pearl Harbor 50th anniversary.
- Looking for Help in Search for an Old Friend, by Grace Setsuko (name unclear), page 6. A reader writes seeking help locating a former classmate, Grace Furuta, whose family was separated after Japanese American internment began. The writer hopes to reconnect and exchange correspondence after losing touch decades ago.
- Needs Advice on Appeal for Redress, by Edward (surname unclear), page 6. A reader seeks advice on processing a deceased son’s redress claim under the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 after losing track of his identification number. The letter asks the Pacific Citizen for guidance on how the family might proceed with the Office of Redress Administration.
In-Depth
- Surviving and Spying Behind Enemy Lines (continued), by Harry K. Honda, page 8. The continuation of Richard Sakakida’s story details his escape from Japanese captors deep in the Philippine mountains and his eventual rescue by American forces. It also describes his post-war work locating and identifying witnesses for war crimes trials.
Obituaries
- Grace S. Yoshimura, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Funeral services were held for Grace S. Yoshimura, 61, a San Leandro-born Nisei and Pasadena resident. Details of her life and survivors were included in the tribute.
- Paul S. Yoshida, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Paul S. Yoshida, 57, died leaving behind children, grandchildren, and several brothers. The obituary lists his survivors and family details.
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