Redress funds run short, and a Sonoma County civil rights commission

Vol. 115, No. 2, July 17, 1992. 12 pages. View this issue

Redress payments were at risk in this 12-page issue. Karen K. Narasaki reported that the Office of Management and Budget was blocking the funding needed to finish them, leaving roughly 11,000 to 14,500 eligible people unpaid unless Congress acted. On the front page, the Sonoma County JACL Chapter described how its work on anti-Asian hate crimes led the county Board of Supervisors to approve a human rights commission. Olympic skater Kristi Yamaguchi and Tomio Moriguchi were named JACL’s Japanese American of the Biennium.

Elsewhere, Randy Harano wrote about a planned museum in the Treasure Valley of eastern Oregon and southwestern Idaho, and Mas Hashimoto told how Watsonville High School honored Nisei students removed in 1942 before graduation. Bill Marutani reviewed a book on John J. McCloy, and JACL President Cressey Nakagawa answered criticism of his remarks in Tokyo.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Sonoma Chapter Works to Establish Civil Rights Agency, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Sonoma County JACL Chapter led a coalition of diverse community groups to successfully push for a human rights commission in the county, following a series of anti-Asian hate crimes workshops and educational efforts. The county Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the commission, which will formally launch in the fall after budget details are finalized.
• Photos Wanted for Treasure Valley Exhibit, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Western Treasure Valley Cultural Center is seeking historical photographs depicting the Japanese American experience in the region. Original photos will be copied and returned to owners while copies are kept in the museum archives.
• Florin’s Forgotten Pioneers, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Sixteen Issei pioneers and their children buried in the early 1900s at Elder Creek Cemetery in Florin were honored with a new community-funded memorial dedicated on Memorial Day. The neglected Japanese section of the cemetery had been forgotten for decades before the Florin Chapter JACL sponsored the restoration project.
• Sonoma Chapter Curriculum Guide and Commission Details, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Sonoma County JACL chapter president Carol Kawase discussed the lasting legacy of establishing the Human Relations Commission and developing a curriculum guide titled ‘The Japanese American Wartime Experience—1941-1945’ for use in county schools. Board members Dr. Bob Fuchigami and Mei Nakano led a teacher workshop on using the guide, which will be repeated due to its success.

JACL

• Yamaguchi, Moriguchi Win JACL Biennium Awards, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Olympic figure skating champion Kristi Yamaguchi and Seattle businessman Tomio Moriguchi have been chosen to receive JACL’s Japanese American of the Biennium award, to be presented at the national convention in Denver. The award recognizes Japanese Americans whose achievements have received national or international recognition.
• 1000 Club to Co-Host Reception, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The 1000 Club will host a joint convention reception and dance with the Nikkei Singles of Denver at the Sheraton Tech Hotel on Aug. 4. Tickets may be purchased at the registration table before the event.
• New National JACL Bulletin, by P.C. Staff, page 1. National JACL has launched a new bulletin to detail current activities and projects, aimed at improving communication between headquarters and chapter presidents. Public information director Joy Morimoto said the bulletin will address organizational issues and important developments.
• Joseph Horiye Wins Masaoka Award, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Joseph M. Horiye, a former president of the Associated Students at San Diego State University, was named the first Mike M. Masaoka award recipient. Etsu Mineta Masaoka, widow of Mike Masaoka, will present the award at the JACL National Convention awards dinner in Denver.
• Awards (Moriguchi Biography Continued), by P.C. Staff, page 3. Tomio Moriguchi, born and raised in the Puget Sound area, graduated from the University of Washington with a mechanical engineering degree and has been deeply involved in Seattle civic organizations including the Seattle Foundation and Chamber of Commerce. He serves on the Washington State Advisory Council on International Trade and Development.
• Masaoka Award Winner’s Background, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Joseph Horiye, a fourth-year student majoring in business administration and finance, is interested in international commerce and political affairs. He serves as a board member of the San Diego Chapter JACL and is a delegate to the National Annual Student Lobbying Conference in Washington D.C.

Incarceration & Redress

• Redress Is Still Stalled, by Karen K. Narasaki, page 1. The Office of Management and Budget is blocking funding needed to complete redress payments, insisting that equivalent cuts in other domestic programs or tax increases must offset any new appropriations. Roughly 11,000 to 14,500 eligible individuals risk not receiving their redress payments unless Congress passes legislation before the funding runs out.
• Watsonville: Nikkei Get Diplomas, by Mas Hashimoto, page 5. Fifty years after 47 Japanese American students were removed to the Salinas Assembly Center before their 1942 Watsonville High School graduation, the school’s centennial class of 1992 invited surviving Nisei graduates to participate in ceremonies. Seven Nisei never received public recognition for their diplomas, and this year’s event finally honored those who remained.
• Watsonville Nikkei Graduation Ceremony Details, by Mas Hashimoto, page 9. The article continues the story of the 1942 Watsonville High School Nisei graduates, listing names of the students who were honored and noting that diplomas were awarded by Board of Education member Willie Yahiro, the first Nikkei elected to office there. Oshima thanked the Class of 1992 on behalf of the 1942 graduates for the gracious gesture of inclusion.
• Redress Funding Details Continued, by Karen K. Narasaki, page 9. The article details that approximately $250 million remains in the redress fund, enough to pay only 12,500 individuals born before the end of 1934, with about 11,000 to 14,500 eligible individuals at risk of not being paid without new legislation. Senators Stevens and Smith have signed on as co-sponsors of the Senate redress bill, and JACL urges supporters to contact Congress and the President.

Arts & Entertainment

• Kristi Yamaguchi—Everyone’s All-American, page 3. Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi discusses winning the JACL Japanese American of the Biennium award, her post-Olympics life including meeting Boris Yeltsin and playing basketball with Magic Johnson, and her grandfather’s service in the U.S. Army during WWII while her grandmother was interned. She reflects on being a role model, her future plans, and the new ISU ruling allowing professional skaters to compete in the Olympics.
• Kristi Yamaguchi on Her Future Plans, page 9. Kristi Yamaguchi discusses her uncertain future plans following her Olympic win, noting that a new ISU ruling allowing professional skaters into the Olympics gives her more flexibility in deciding whether to turn professional. She also shares advice for young people about pursuing their dreams and mentions upcoming endorsement work with Hoechst Celanese Corp.

In-Depth

• Treasured Memories, by Randy Harano, page 4. The Western Treasure Valley Cultural Center will document Japanese American life in eastern Oregon and southwestern Idaho, including the Issei pioneers who developed the region’s agriculture and the internment-era migration of evacuees to work in the area’s fields. The planned interpretive museum and multi-use facility will preserve this history and serve the community’s cultural, social, and educational needs.

Military & Veterans

• Washington, D.C.: Continuing the Arlington Tradition, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The annual Washington D.C. JACL Memorial Day observance took place at the gravesite of Col. Saige Okazaki at Arlington National Cemetery, with Maj. Gen. James Mukoyama as guest speaker. Attendees also visited gravesites of 37 Nisei and Sansei soldiers interred at Arlington, including Col. Virgil Miller of the 442nd and OSS member Kay K. Sugahara.

Commentary

• Found: A 49-Star Flag for ‘The Fourth’, page 6. The author reflects on discovering an old American flag with only 49 stars, purchased decades ago before Hawaii achieved statehood, and muses on the declining number of homes displaying flags on the Fourth of July. He wonders whether this reflects growing cynicism or disillusionment about the nation and its symbols.
• ‘Gravitas’, by Bill Marutani, page 6. The author reviews a book about John J. McCloy, the Wall Street lawyer and government official who played a key role in the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans, criticizing McCloy’s dismissive attitude toward redress efforts and his objection to the term ‘incarcerated’ before the CWRIC. Marutani recounts a personal conversation with McCloy about Nisei soldiers who volunteered for the U.S. Army despite their families being interned.
• RIP: Kanemitsu, by Mides Yasumals, page 6. A reader remembers artist Matsumi Kanemitsu, recalling working together on a track gang for Kennecott Copper in Nevada before Kanemitsu enlisted in the army. The letter writer notes Kanemitsu’s talent was evident even then as he sketched fellow workers.
• Time for Sincere Apology by JACL, He Says, by Dick Obayashe, page 6. A letter writer criticizes JACL President Cressey Nakagawa as hypocritical for urging Japan to apologize for wartime wrongs while JACL has never apologized for its treatment of Heart Mountain draft resisters and No-No Boys. The writer argues a sincere JACL apology would help unite more Japanese Americans behind the organization.
• WWII Nisei Veterans Monument Appeal, by James Oda, page 6. A WWII veteran appeals to the Los Angeles mayor and city council to support erection of the 100th/442nd/MIS monument, describing the valor of Nisei soldiers who volunteered despite being classified as enemy aliens. He criticizes opposition to the monument from various groups within the Japanese American community.
• Response to Alleged Controversy, by Cressey Nakagawa, page 7. JACL National President Cressey Nakagawa responds to criticism from Japan Chapter members over his Japan Times interview on Asian reparations and comfort women, explaining that his remarks were personal views made during a Diet speech, not official JACL positions. He details the history of the comfort women issue, cites JACL’s existing policy resolutions on international human rights, and addresses concerns about how the controversy might affect the ongoing redress program.

National

• Japanese-American Backs Asia Reparations, by Joy M. Tadaki, page 7. JACL National President Cressey Nakagawa, visiting Tokyo to address the U.S.-Japan Parliamentarians League, said Japan should not bury its head like an ostrich but instead address issues like the Nanjing Massacre and ‘comfort women.’ Nakagawa also discussed rising anti-Asian hate crimes and the impact of Japan-bashing following the Los Angeles riots.

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