Vol. 114, No. 4, January 31, 1992. 8 pages. View this issue
Redress funding led this eight-page issue. Pacific Citizen learned at press time that the Justice Department was expected to announce full funding of $500 million, $250 million more than first allocated, as proposed by President Bush. LEC/JACL chair Brant Ujifusa called it wonderful news for the community. Gwen Muranaka reported on the backlash that followed Japanese business deals, from the canceled Sumitomo contract in Los Angeles to the Nintendo bid for the Seattle Mariners, and JACL National Director Dennis Hayashi warned of growing anti-Japanese sentiment.
Bill Hosokawa wrote about the fairer press coverage of the Pearl Harbor anniversary, and also about a produce stand and a gift of Shakespeare. Harry K. Honda covered veterans’ response to the names listed for the 100th-442nd-MIS Memorial monument and Tritia Toyota’s talk at the Selanoco JACL installation. A lawsuit over accent bias and a Civil Rights Caucus statement also appear.
What’s in this issue
National
- Justice Department Expected to Announce Full $500 Million Redress Funding, page 1. Pacific Citizen learned at press time that the Department of Justice is expected to announce full redress funding of $500 million, $250 million more than originally allocated, for reparations to interned Japanese Americans as proposed by President Bush. LEC/JACL chair Brant Ujifusa called the news wonderful for the community, crediting Bush’s remorse expressed during Pearl Harbor 50th anniversary speeches and the efforts of former Congresswoman Pat Saiki.
- Lawsuit Win Gains Ground on Accent Bias, by Gwen Muranaka, page 1. An Asian American who sued his employer for foreign accent discrimination was awarded five years of future earnings after the Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling in his favor against Peoples National Bank of Washington. EEOC Commissioner Dr. Joy Cherian also announced a similar civil suit against Eiki International alleging an employee was fired due to his Indian accent, and predicted more such national origin discrimination cases as foreign investment increases.
- L.A. Transportation Commission Cancels Sumitomo Contract Amid Anti-Japanese Furor, by Gwen Muranaka, page 1. The Los Angeles County Transportation Commission unanimously canceled its $121.8 million contract with Sumitomo Corp. after public outcry over sending American jobs to Japan, raising concerns that ‘buy American’ sentiment could turn into racism. Mas Fukai, aide to Supervisor Kenneth Hahn, criticized city council members for politicizing the issue and described receiving racist phone calls himself.
- Many in Seattle Want to Play Ball with Japanese Despite Nintendo Bid Controversy, by Gwen Muranaka, page 1. Despite national attention on the proposed $125 million Nintendo buyout of the Seattle Mariners, JACL’s Pacific Northwest office reports little negative backlash against Japanese Americans in Seattle. Uwajimaya president Tomio Moriguchi and JACL’s Roger Shimizu both noted the positive economic aspects while acknowledging the racial overtones of the controversy compared to other foreign investment deals.
- JACL Director Hayashi Warns of Rising Anti-Japanese Backlash, page 1. JACL National Director Dennis Hayashi warned that politicians and industrialists are fanning anti-Japanese sentiment in America to a dangerous degree, citing the Sumitomo and Nintendo controversies as well as incidents in San Francisco and Detroit. Hayashi also criticized Sen. Donald Riegle’s inflammatory Pearl Harbor comments and Japanese officials’ anti-American remarks as equally troublesome for fueling racial tensions.
Military & Veterans
- Vets Pleased with Listing of Names on 100th-442nd-MIS Memorial Monument, by Harry K. Honda, page 3. At installation dinners for two Nisei veterans groups, Col. Young O. Kim and Harry Akune reported an overwhelming response to the Pacific Citizen Holiday Issue’s listing of WWII veterans’ names for the proposed 100th-442nd-MIS Memorial monument, with corrections and additions pouring in. A 13-minute video, ‘We Must Never Forget,’ narrated by George Takei with support from Sen. Daniel Inouye, was also shown at both events to document Japanese American WWII military service.
Community
- Nikkei Newscaster Tritia Toyota Speaks at Selanoco JACL Installation, by Harry K. Honda, page 3. KCBS-TV anchor Tritia Toyota spoke at the 26th annual Selanoco JACL installation dinner, addressing a bomb threat made against the PSWDC/JACL office and urging community vigilance and unity against racism. Edwin Shiba was installed as chapter president, succeeding Ken Inouye, with Judge Richard Henki and Ruth Mizobe honored as distinguished members of the year.
- Personally Speaking: Community News Briefs, page 5. This roundup covers several community items: a Nisei’s inauguration as fifth president of Los Angeles Mission College, nursing scholarships awarded by the Japanese Community Health Fund, and a UCLA Asian Pacific Alumni leadership award given to student Neera Tanden. It also profiles Fumiko Shioya, a 72-year-old cerebral palsy survivor and Poston internee who published an autobiography despite her physical limitations, communicating via a stylus and head-mounted pointer.
Commentary
- Pearl Harbor Anniversary Coverage Gave Japanese Americans a Fair Shake, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Bill Hosokawa reflects that unlike 1941, the 50th anniversary coverage of Pearl Harbor in 1991 largely avoided demonizing Japanese Americans, instead noting failures of U.S. leadership and publishing sympathetic pieces like Time’s report on internment and Newsweek’s essay by Gene Oishi. He credits JACL’s public relations efforts and the community’s exemplary record of citizenship for this fairer treatment.
- The Tip and a Lucullian Delight, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Hosokawa recounts working at a Santa Monica produce stand in his youth, where an elderly customer named Mrs. Larkin tried to tip him and he refused, leading to an unexpected dinner invitation at the Larkins’ home. The visit culminated in a gift of Shakespeare’s collected works inscribed with a warm note, a memory he cherishes 60 years later.
- Rhapsody Review Criticized, page 4. A letter writer criticizes a Pacific Citizen review of a Kurosawa-connected film in which a Japanese American character apologizes to Japanese relatives for the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The writer argues this framing is inappropriate and could fuel dangerous myths about dual loyalty, urging JACL to prioritize highlighting the lives saved by the bombs’ role in ending the war.
- Civil Rights Caucus Condemns Sakurauchi’s Remarks on U.S. Workers, page 5. The Civil Rights Caucus of the Pacific Southwest District JACL condemned comments by Japanese House Speaker Yoshio Sakurauchi calling American workers illiterate and the U.S. a subcontractor to Japan. The group called on Sakurauchi to rectify the insult, warning that such remarks fuel dangerous tensions for Japanese American and Pacific Islander communities.
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