Vol. 114, No. 22, June 5, 1992. 12 pages. View this issue
Two stories shared the front page of this 12-page issue. President Bush announced seven Japanese American nominees to the Civil Liberties Public Education Fund Board, and JACL and Rep. Norman Y. Mineta responded, with Mineta calling the move political while the administration tried to cut the fund. Beside it, Gwen Muranaka reported on reactions to Michael Crichton’s novel Rising Sun, including criticism from JACL president Cressey Nakagawa and a defense from actor George Takei, and on the coming film.
Inside are commentary columns by Bill Marutani, Karen Narasaki, Lance T. Izumi and Kenichi Takagi, and a Day of Remembrance report from the Topaz site in Delta, Utah, marking 50 years since Executive Order 9066. Harry K. Honda covered a Korean and African American symposium after the Los Angeles riots. A chapter roundup and news of California’s civil rights bill fill out the pages.
What’s in this issue
National
- President Bush Names Seven Nikkei to Civil Liberties Board, by P.C. Staff, page 1. President Bush announced his intention to nominate seven Japanese Americans to the Civil Liberties Public Education Fund Board of Directors. The board is intended to increase public understanding of the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans and permanent resident aliens.
- Mineta Angry at Bush; Says Move Is Political, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Norman Y. Mineta blasted President Bush for nominating members to the Civil Liberties Public Education Fund Board while simultaneously trying to eliminate the fund from the federal budget. Mineta accused Bush of playing election-year politics with redress for Japanese Americans just before the California primary.
- California Civil Rights Bill Passes Assembly, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A.B. 3825, the California Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1992, narrowly passed the State Assembly by a vote of 41 to 33, introduced by Speaker Willie Brown. JACL national director Dennis Hayashi praised the bill as addressing injustice and discrimination through legal remedies rather than violence.
JACL
- JACL Hopeful about JA Appointments to Group, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL expressed hope that the appointment of Japanese Americans to the Civil Liberties Public Education Fund Board signals a change in the administration’s position on funding the education component. National director Dennis Hayashi noted concerns about gender representation and the administration’s attempt to eliminate the education fund from the budget.
- JACL Chapters Roundup, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Chapter news roundup covers Arizona’s scholarship awards dinner, Cincinnati’s new chapter president Lida Fukumura, Contra Costa’s senior appreciation dinner and panel on Asian community issues, and Puyallup Valley’s chapter installation. The briefs detail various chapter leadership changes and community programs across the country.
Arts & Entertainment
- Reactions to Michael Crichton’s Rising Sun Stir Debate, by Gwen Muranaka, page 1. Michael Crichton’s best-selling novel Rising Sun has sparked debate in the Japanese American community over whether it perpetuates racist stereotypes of Japan and Japanese Americans. JACL president Cressey Nakagawa criticized the book as one-sided, while actor George Takei defended it as raising legitimate issues despite potential problems.
- The Movie: Rising Sun to Begin Filming, by Gwen Muranaka, page 1. The film adaptation of Rising Sun is scheduled to begin filming with Right Stuff director Phillip Kaufman, starring Sean Connery, Wesley Snipes, and Tia Carrere. Casting calls for Asian American actors have been advertised, and Fox reportedly paid Crichton $1 million for the film rights.
Community
- Koreans, Blacks Get Together at Symposium, by Harry K. Honda, page 4. Leaders from the Korean and African American communities held a two-day symposium at Cal State L.A. to explore the causes and aftermath of the Los Angeles riots following the Rodney King verdict. Panelists including Young O. Kim and George Umezawa discussed building coalitions and increasing political participation to address community tensions.
Incarceration & Redress
- Topaz WRA Day of Remembrance Ceremonies Held in Delta, Utah, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Ceremonies marking the 50th anniversary of Executive Order 9066 were held at the Topaz War Relocation Authority center site, featuring remarks by high school journalism teacher Jane Beckwith on the history of the memorial erected in 1975. Utah Governor Norman Bangerter was also honored for his support of redress, with his office manager Dorothy Moose accepting the plaque on his behalf.
Commentary
- Stalin Evacuated Koreans in WWII, by Bill Marutani, page 8. Bill Marutani’s East Wind column recounts the little-known story of Stalin’s forced evacuation of ethnic Koreans from Siberia to concentration camps during WWII, paralleling the Japanese American internment experience. The column centers on Boris Kim, a Korean descendant of these evacuees now working as a visiting professor in Wyoming, who noted the shared history of concentration camps.
- Culture: Sumo and Yakuza, by Bill Marutani, page 8. Marutani discusses his interest in sumo wrestling, particularly Hawaiian-American wrestler Konishiki’s quest for yokozuna rank, and reflects on a book about the yakuza. He describes how Japanese organized crime groups are attempting to appear legitimate by changing terminology while noting their continued deep entrenchment in Japanese society.
- A Bucket of Balls to Drive Home a Point, by Karen Narasaki, page 8. Karen Narasaki describes lobbying efforts on behalf of Wards Cove cannery workers, led by Nemesio Domingo, who fought discriminatory conditions faced by Filipino and Asian American workers in Alaska canneries for two decades. The piece details historic segregation in the canneries and the fight to include cannery workers under the Civil Rights Act of 1991.
- Redress Work Not Over, page 9. This LEC-related column discusses the ongoing legislative battle to secure additional funding for redress payments, referencing HR 4551 and S 2553 needed to authorize $320 million more. It also pays tribute to Bob Bratt, former executive director of the Office of Redress Administration, for his commitment to the redress program.
- Trade Protectionism Will Hurt Californians, by Lance T. Izumi, page 9. Lance Izumi argues that trade protectionism, despite claims of saving American jobs, would trigger foreign retaliation that would devastate California’s export-dependent economy, particularly agriculture and auto-related industries. He contends that consumer freedom and economic well-being are better served by open trade rather than tariffs and import restrictions.
- Time Is Running Out for War Victims, by Kenichi Takagi, page 9. Attorney Kenichi Takagi argues that Japan must move swiftly to provide compensation to victims of its wartime aggression across Asia, including comfort women and Korean laborers, before more victims die of old age. He contrasts Japan’s inaction with Germany’s acknowledgment of Holocaust responsibility and payment of reparations.
- Higher Education and Asian American Bashing, by John P. Schlegel, S.J., page 9. University of San Francisco president John Schlegel discusses a U.S. Commission on Civil Rights report finding that Asian Americans face significant discrimination and hate crimes despite popular perceptions otherwise. He calls on universities to combat racism and help create a truly pluralistic society, drawing parallels to the WWII internment of Japanese Americans.
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