Hate, threats and a Manzanar law: the March 13, 1992 issue

Vol. 114, No. 10, March 13, 1992. 8 pages. View this issue

Anti-Japanese sentiment ran through this eight-page issue. South Carolina Sen. Ernest Hollings made a mushroom cloud joke about Japan during a plant tour, and JACL National Director Dennis Hayashi condemned it. A racist death threat defaced an Asian American Studies sign at Pomona College, and the Florin JACL went ahead with its Time of Remembrance program despite threats. The same issue reported that President Bush signed the bill making Manzanar a national historic site.

Other pages carried Bill Hosokawa’s column on Henry, a boy from an Alaskan mining village held under Executive Order 9066, and Bill Marutani on Kristi Yamaguchi and Midori Ito. Rep. Robert Matsui spoke on civil rights after redress, and a roundup profiled 1992 candidates. Page 7 gathered news from Canada and Hawaii, including the rededication of a Japanese cemetery in Chemainus, B.C., and Sen. Spark Matsunaga’s space year idea.

What’s in this issue

National

• Senator’s Joke Not Funny, Says JACL’s Hayashi, by P.C. Staff, page 1. South Carolina Sen. Ernest Hollings made a racist joke about Japan involving a mushroom cloud during a plant tour, drawing condemnation from JACL National Director Dennis Hayashi. Hollings defended his remarks as not being anti-Japanese, but JACL and South Carolina’s governor criticized the comment as irresponsible given rising anti-Japanese sentiment.
• Racism Hits California Campus, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A racist death threat defaced a sign reading ‘Asian American Studies Now!’ at Pomona College on March 6, part of a series of hate crime incidents in the Claremont area. The Pomona faculty responded by approving a resolution denouncing the incident and calling for a harassment policy, more minority faculty, and an Asian American Studies Center.
• ‘Toughest Civil Rights Bill’: JACL Works with California Assemblyman Brown, by P.C. Staff, page 1. California Assembly Speaker Willie Brown introduced AB3825, a comprehensive civil rights bill that would prohibit English-only workplace rules and outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation and disability. JACL, part of a coalition of 19 civil rights and labor groups, endorsed the bill and pledged to work for its passage.
• Nominations Sought for Matsunaga Peace Medal, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The United States Institute of Peace is seeking nominations for the first annual Spark M. Matsunaga Medal of Peace, honoring extraordinary contributions to international peacemaking and conflict resolution. The award includes a bronze medal and $25,000 cash prize, with nominations due by April 30, 1992.
• Matsui: Civil Rights Work Just Beginning, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Rep. Robert Matsui addressed a UCLA civil rights conference, warning that Japanese Americans have become complacent after redress and need to engage in broader civil rights causes. He cited recent incidents of anti-Asian harassment and criticized the community for not doing enough to fight for others facing discrimination.
• Sen. Matsunaga’s Idea Taking Flight, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Heads of national space agencies and scientists gathered to prepare for 1992 International Space Year, an initiative envisioned by the late Sen. Spark Matsunaga in 1985 to promote peace through scientific cooperation. Organizers noted that easing global tensions has made international cooperation more achievable than before.
• Senator Hollings’ Remarks Draw Wider Criticism, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Following Sen. Hollings’ offensive joke, various community leaders including Dennis Hayashi and representatives of the Japan America Society of Southern California condemned the remarks as indicative of a broader climate of Japan-bashing. Observers noted rising American frustration following Pearl Harbor anniversary commentary and economic competition with Japan as contributing factors to the tension.

Incarceration & Redress

• Manzanar Bill Signed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. President Bush signed H.R. 543 into law on March 3, designating the Manzanar Relocation Center a national historic site. The bill was cosponsored by Representatives Norman Mineta, Robert Matsui, and William Thomas, with JACL’s Dennis Hayashi praising its historic significance.
• Desecrated Japanese Cemetery Rededicated, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A seven-year restoration effort in Chemainus, B.C., restored the Japanese section of a cemetery vandalized during WWII, funded by the Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation. National Association of Japanese Canadians president Art Miki attended the August 10 rededication ceremony.

Community

• Florin Event Goes On Despite Threat, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Florin JACL’s 10th Annual Time of Remembrance program proceeded on March 7 despite anti-Japanese hate mail and threats against board members, including a pellet-gun attack on a local manju shop. Heavy security including sheriff’s deputies and private guards protected the event, which featured a speech by Rep. Patsy Mink and drew strong community support.
• L.A. Businessman Heads Nisei Week Festival, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Steve Okayama, a Little Tokyo businessman, was named general chairman of the 52nd Nisei Week Japanese Festival, a position he previously held in 1983. The festival has been scheduled earlier this year, from August 1-9, and Okayama appointed James Okazaki as first vice chairman.
• Personally Speaking, by P.C. Staff, page 6. This roundup column profiles several Japanese Americans in education and other fields, including Ray K. Tsuchiyama’s new role directing MIT’s Japan office, principals Naomi Matsuzaki and Nancy Ichinaga who improved struggling schools, and special ed teacher Nobuko Kishi, a finalist for the Bravo Award in arts education. It also mentions Dr. Yoshiye Togasaki’s upcoming birthday tribute and Kazue Shibata’s appointment to a county health council.
• Earth Spirit Festival Attracts 100,000, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The first-ever pan-Canadian event organized by native peoples, Inuit, and Japanese Canadians drew about 100,000 people to Toronto’s Earth Spirit Festival in July. The event, inspired by the 1988 Japanese Canadian redress movement, featured speakers addressing environmental concerns including Ainu spokesman Shigeru Kayano and author Joy Kogawa.
• B.C. School Named for Issei Pioneer, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A school in Richmond, B.C. was named for Tomekichi Homma, an Issei pioneer who settled in a fishing community and founded the Japanese Fishermen’s Association and Canada’s first Japanese language school and newspaper. Homma passed away in 1945 in the Slocan internment camp.
• Native Hawaiians Delve into Sovereignty Issue, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Hui Naauao, a coalition of over 30 groups, launched a three-year plan to discuss native Hawaiian sovereignty as the centennial of the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy approaches. Ka Lahui has enrolled about 7,000 native Hawaiian families through a federal grant to pursue sovereignty education.
• Florin JACL Faces Threats but Event Succeeds, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Despite death threats and hate mail, the Florin JACL’s Day of Remembrance event drew strong turnout and support, protected by four sheriff’s deputies and five private security guards. Organizer Andy Noguchi said broad community support is needed to counter rising anti-Japanese sentiment linked to political rhetoric from candidates like Pat Buchanan.

Commentary

• Election ’92: Who’s Running for What, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The article rounds up several Japanese American and Asian American candidates running in the 1992 elections, including David Strand, Norman Mineta, Glenn Sugiyama, Jonathan Kaji, Lon Hatamiya, and Mark Takano. Each candidate’s platform and background are briefly described, along with endorsements from figures like Rep. Patsy Mink and Rep. Robert Matsui.
• Henry from Koyukuk River Valley, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Bill Hosokawa recounts the story of Henry, a mixed Indian-Japanese boy from a remote Alaskan mining village who was seized and interned under Executive Order 9066 despite never having seen another Japanese American or left the Arctic. The column reflects on this lesser-known aspect of the wartime incarceration and asks if anyone knows what became of Henry.
• After Albertville, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Bill Marutani reflects on the 1992 Winter Olympics figure skating competition, praising Kristi Yamaguchi’s gold medal win and Midori Ito’s gutsy comeback for silver. He questions whether the current climate of Japan-bashing might limit Yamaguchi’s commercial endorsement opportunities compared to past American gold medalists.
• Compromise for Vets Monument, by Yoshio Nakamura, page 4. A veteran of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team’s I Company writes to object to a proposed war memorial listing names of living veterans alongside those killed in action, arguing this diminishes the sacrifice of the fallen. He proposes an alternative: a searchable veterans registry housed within the National Japanese American Museum instead of names on the monument itself.

Arts & Entertainment

• A Grain of Rice Brings Theater, Dance, Story and Music to Stage, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Great Leap, Inc., a Los Angeles-based Asian American contemporary arts group, presents ‘A Grain of Rice,’ a multidisciplinary production featuring performers including Dan Kwong, Jude Narita, and Amy Hill. The show is scheduled for performances at Cal State Long Beach, Cal State Northridge, and Cal Poly Pomona in March and April.

Military & Veterans

• Canadian War Museum Honors Issei Vets, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The War Museum of the West in Calgary opened a display honoring Japanese Canadian (Issei) soldiers who fought with the Canadian Expeditionary Force in World War I, including medal recipients Matakichi Yoshikawa, Masumi Mitsui, and Tokutaro Iwamoto. A related cenotaph dedication in Vancouver’s Stanley Park honored Nisei servicemen who died in WWII and the Korean War.
• Kenji Sumida Retires, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Brig. Gen. Kenji Sumida retired August 4 as commander of the Hawaii Air National Guard after 38 years of service, transferring command to Col. Allen M. Mizumoto. Sumida received his commission in 1953 through Air Force ROTC at the University of Hawaii and logged more than 3,800 flying hours during his career.

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