Vol. 115, No. 18, November 27, 1992. 8 pages. View this issue
Bruce Yamashita’s appeal before a Naval Discharge Review Board was the main story of this 8-page issue. Gwen Muranaka reported on the witnesses who testified about racial discrimination in the Marine Corps, on JACL national president Lillian Kimura and other members who came to support him, and on his request for a retroactive commission and honorable discharge. Kimura’s own column described attending the hearing in Washington, D.C. Other front-page news covered the confessions ruled admissible in the Phoenix temple murders case, and Sherry Shimamoto Pratt’s report from the Midwest chapters’ council meeting in Cleveland, where delegates reviewed the Rohwer monument project.
Harry Honda wrote about the updated honor roll for the 100/442nd/MIS memorial planned for Little Tokyo. Also inside are Bill Hosokawa on karaoke, a column on frugality by Marutani, a Clinton transition spokesman’s pledge to stay in touch, Akio Morita’s visit to the Japanese American National Museum, and a Monterey fashion fund-raiser.
What’s in this issue
National
- Confessions Ruled Admissible in Temple Murders, by P.C. Staff, page 1. An Arizona judge ruled that confessions from two teenagers charged in the killing of nine people at a Buddhist temple near Phoenix were legally obtained and admissible as evidence. Jonathan Doody, 18, and Alessandro Garcia, 17, each face nine counts of first-degree murder and armed robbery, with a tentative trial date set for March 1993.
- Accusers Must Go Public, Says Inouye, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sen. Daniel Inouye commented on accusations requiring accusers to be publicly identified, demanding transparency in such matters. The brief item highlights his statement on the issue.
Obituaries
- Longtime D.C. Leader Key Kobayashi Dies, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Key Kiyokazu Kobayashi, 70, a three-term Washington D.C. JACL chapter president and JACL Silver Pin awardee, died Nov. 15 and was honored with military services at Arlington National Cemetery. He was active with the Go For Broke Nisei Veterans Association and had worked to organize a war memorial and MIS reunion before his death.
- Mrs. Dillon S. Myers, 93, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Ruth Myers, widow of Dillon Myer, director of the Wartime Relocation Authority that administered the ten WWII incarceration camps, died of a stroke in Maryland on Sept. 23. She was born in Frankfort, Ind. in 1899 and is survived by three daughters and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
JACL
- Midwest Chapters Gather in Cleveland for Council Meeting, by Sherry Shimamoto Pratt, page 1. Delegates from six Midwest chapters met in Cleveland to approve a 1993 budget, review the Rohwer monument project, and discuss discrimination against Asian Americans. Workshops addressed anti-Asian behavior related to Japan’s economy and discrimination against minority students on college campuses.
- JACL Shows Up to Support Yamashita, by Gwen Muranaka, page 3. JACL national president Lillian Kimura and several other JACL members and officials attended Bruce Yamashita’s hearing before the Naval Discharge Review Board. Observers including Pat Okura and Karen Narasaki expressed dismay at the board’s seemingly unsophisticated attitude toward issues of racism.
Military & Veterans
- His Day in Court: Bruce Yamashita and Other Witnesses Testify Before Naval Board, by Gwen Muranaka, page 1. Bruce Yamashita appealed his disenrollment from the Marine Corps before a Naval Discharge Review Board, presenting witnesses who testified about a pattern of racial discrimination in the Corps. Yamashita said the hearing went well despite being difficult, and he remains hopeful the Marine Corps will acknowledge and address the problem.
- Yamashita Seeks Retroactive Commission and Honorable Discharge, by Gwen Muranaka, page 3. Yamashita is seeking retroactive commission and honorable discharge after being disenrolled from Officer Candidate School just two days before completion in 1989. He refused an offer to retake the OCS, insisting the Marine Corps must correct its own mistake, and plans to next pursue Correction of Naval Records and federal court action.
Community
- Monterey Sponsors Fashion Fund-Raiser, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Monterey Chapter of JACL will sponsor a Kanojo fashion fund-raiser on Dec. 6 featuring designs by Nina Matsuno, including careerwear, sportswear, and the Heritage Collection. Proceeds will support various chapter projects.
- Sony Leader Views Museum Exhibit, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Sony Corporation chairman Akio Morita visited the Japanese American National Museum’s ‘Issei Pioneers’ exhibit and spoke about the hardships faced by Japanese Americans and the importance of U.S.-Japan relations. Morita, an honorary co-chair of the museum’s fundraising campaign, was joined by dignitaries including Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley.
Commentary
- ‘We’ll Stay in Touch,’ Says Clinton Spokesman, by Gwen Muranaka, page 4. Christopher Hyland, Clinton transition team deputy political director for ethnic constituencies, told the Pacific Citizen that the incoming administration would remain engaged with Japanese American and Asian American communities. Hyland emphasized Clinton’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, and rejected the idea that trade tensions with Japan would translate into hostility toward Japanese Americans.
- Crazy Over Karaoke, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Columnist Bill Hosokawa reflects on the surprising popularity of karaoke in Denver, describing the growth of karaoke venues and rental companies in the area. He recounts learning the origin and meaning of the word ‘karaoke’ and muses on missing an early business opportunity in the trend.
- ‘Shimatsu’ and ‘Mottai-nai’, by Marutani, page 6. Retired judge Marutani writes about America’s growing trash problem and disposable culture, connecting it to the Japanese concepts of ‘mottai-nai’ (wasteful/sacrilegious) and ‘shimatsu’ (frugal management from beginning to end). He describes his own habits of refilling pens and pencils in the spirit of these values, urging readers to adopt similar frugality.
- Retired? Not!, by Lillian C. Kimura, page 6. JACL national president Lillian Kimura describes her busy schedule after retiring from the YWCA, including attending an Anti-Asian Violence Conference in Philadelphia, meetings in Los Angeles, and Bruce Yamashita’s hearing in Washington, D.C. She also recounts the Eastern District Council meeting hosted by the New York Chapter, honoring the Asian American Journalists Association and Paul Suddes.
Incarceration & Redress
- Holiday Issue to Run WWII Honor Roll Update, by Harry Honda, page 5. The 100/442nd/MIS World War II Memorial Foundation is preparing an updated list of names for its monument planned for Little Tokyo’s First Street Plaza, with significant progress made identifying previously unknown veterans. The fund-raising campaign has raised more than $500,000 toward its $2.5 million goal, with construction expected to begin in early 1993 pending final legal review.
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