Vol. 114, No. 18, May 8, 1992. 8 pages. View this issue
The Los Angeles riots and the Rodney King verdict ran through this eight-page issue. Asian American civil rights leaders asked to meet with President Bush after being left out of a White House meeting. JACL National Director Dennis Hayashi met with Justice Department officials about the King verdict and the Jim Loo case. Ron Wakabayashi spoke about building ties between Japanese American and Korean American communities, Isao Andy Enomoto wrote about his Koreatown neighborhood, and Harry K. Honda toured Southwest Los Angeles to see how Japanese American businesses fared.
Also inside: a report on the arraignment of two men accused of beating three Japanese Americans at Topanga State Beach, and an announcement of a Nikkei recovery fund. Priscilla Ouchida described plans for the 1992 JACL national convention in Denver. Bill Hosokawa reviewed recent books on Japanese American history, and Harry Honda covered the inauguration of Dr. Bob H. Suzuki at Cal Poly Pomona.
What’s in this issue
National
- Where Do We Go From Here? Asian Americans Take Steps After L.A. Riots, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Asian American civil rights and community leaders called for a meeting with President Bush after being excluded from a White House meeting with minority civil rights leaders following the Rodney King verdict. Nine national organization representatives wrote a letter noting the devastating impact on Asian American communities, including over 1,540 destroyed Korean American businesses.’
- 2 Men Arraigned for Assault of 3 Nikkei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Two men, Kaskey Kealoha Kaawaloa and Kurt Burns, are scheduled to stand trial for allegedly beating three Japanese Americans at Topanga State Beach on Feb. 29 while yelling racial epithets. The victims were identified as Yuji Kawana, Alan Miyagishima, and Michael Tagami.’
- Nikkei Woman Killed for No Apparent Motive, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mae Goto, 52, was found dead with her throat slashed in her Bedford, Texas home by her husband Takashi Goto. Three teenage suspects with criminal records were arrested and charged, with police saying the killing appeared to be done purely for the thrill of it.’
- Court: Teen to Stand Trial in Thai Murders, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Arizona Supreme Court refused to hear an action to drop murder charges against Jonathan Doody in the Aug. 10, 1991 Thai temple slayings. Doody’s attorney argued he was denied due process when the presiding judge refused to hold a preliminary hearing before ordering him to stand trial as an adult.’
- Reactions to Rodney King Verdict, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Multiple Asian American organizations, including JACL, expressed outrage over the acquittal of officers in the Rodney King beating trial. JACL’s Dennis Hayashi and PSW governor Carol Kawamoto called for a federal investigation into civil rights violations.’
- Nikkei Leaders: What Needs to Be Done Now, by P.C. Staff, page 1. As Los Angeles began rebuilding after four days of riots following the Rodney King verdict, Asian American civil rights leaders like Ron Wakabayashi grappled with the aftermath and effects on the city’s multiethnic population. Wakabayashi emphasized the need for JACL to build pathways connecting Japanese American and Korean American communities.’
- Hayashi Discusses Loo, King Cases with Government, by P.C. Staff, page 4. JACL National Director Dennis Hayashi met with Justice Department officials to discuss the Jim Loo case appeal and the Rodney King verdict, urging an immediate investigation into civil rights charges against the four acquitted LAPD officers. Hayashi also addressed the sentencing of Lloyd Piche, convicted in the 1989 murder of Chinese American Jim Loo, which the Justice Department is appealing as too lenient.’
JACL
- Denver Convention: A Good Deal, a Good Deal to See, by Priscilla Ouchida, page 1. The 1992 JACL National Convention will be held in Denver, Colo., Aug. 3-8, with hotel rooms at the Sheraton Tech Center priced at $71 a night and registration packages starting at $130. The Denver Convention Committee has planned activities including a Coors Brewery tour, Olympic Training Center visit, gambling trips to Central City, and sightseeing at Air Force Academy, Red Rocks, Vail, and Rocky Mountain National Park.’
Community
- Nikkei Resigns L.A. Job Amid Controversy, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Jun Mori resigned his position as Los Angeles Harbor Commissioner after 15 years amid controversy and accusations of impropriety reported by the Los Angeles Times. Colleague Fred Heim defended Mori in a letter to the Times, and Mayor Tom Bradley praised Mori’s tenure while announcing Toshikazu Terasawa as his successor.’
Arts & Entertainment
- Cosby Steals Show at Suzuki’s Inauguration, by Harry Honda, page 3. Dr. Bob H. Suzuki was formally inaugurated as the fourth president of Cal Poly Pomona, becoming the first Asian American to hold such a position in CSU history, while comedian Bill Cosby received an honorary doctorate at the ceremony. Cosby, a tennis buddy of Suzuki’s from UMass-Amherst, entertained the audience with remarks on looking beyond minority group labels.’
In-Depth
- Scenes from Southwest L.A., by Harry K. Honda, page 5. Editor emeritus Harry Honda tours the Seinan-Crenshaw area of Los Angeles following the riots, documenting how Japanese American businesses and institutions fared amid the destruction. While some businesses like Grace’s Pastries and the Seinan Buddhist Church were spared, others including Crenshaw Square shops and an ARCO station were destroyed.’
Incarceration & Redress
- Nikkei Establish L.A. Recovery Fund, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A brief note indicates the establishment of a recovery fund for Nikkei affected by the L.A. riots aftermath. Details of the fund’s purpose and administration were provided in the community response following the unrest.
Commentary
- Recent Books About Japanese Americans, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Hosokawa reviews several recent books about Japanese Americans, including ‘Japanese Americans: From Relocation to Redress,’ ‘Our House Divided’ by Tomi Kaizawa Knaefler, ‘Pearl Harbor and the Japanese Americans’ by Sen Nishiyama, and ‘Nisei Christian Journey.’ He describes the content and significance of each work, noting their contributions to preserving Japanese American history and oral histories.’
- In the L.A. Aftermath: Some Things Will Never Be the Same, by Isao Andy Enomoto, page 6. Enomoto recounts his personal experience during the L.A. riots in his Koreatown neighborhood, watching fires burn nearby and losing power to his home. He reflects on how his once-diverse, close-knit neighborhood has changed, with fear and mistrust now permeating a community that used to get along across ethnic lines.’
- Good Man Forced Out of Harbor Commission, by Harold S. Barada, page 6. In a letter to the editor, Harold S. Barada defends Jun Mori’s resignation from the L.A. Harbor Commission, praising his 15-year tenure and accomplishments as unjustly overshadowed by unfounded allegations. Barada argues Mori was a victim of unjust scrutiny possibly tied to his Japanese ancestry amid a climate of Japan-bashing.’
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