Redress bill gains co-sponsors as Day of Remembrance nears

Vol. 104, No. 6, February 13, 1987. 8 pages. View this issue

Redress was the main subject of the front page. Redress bill H.R. 442 gained three more co-sponsors, JACL-LEC executive director Grayce Uyehara announced, bringing the total to 128 after Tom Foley reintroduced it. A nationwide calendar listed Day of Remembrance programs marking the 45th anniversary of the Japanese American incarceration, and a Chicago proclamation for Feb. 19 appeared inside. The Ninth Circuit set a March 2 hearing in the Hirabayashi case, and Little Tokyo’s Weller Street was renamed for astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka.

Elsewhere in the issue: Harry Honda wrote on how Nisei are seen in Japanese business circles, Kazuo K. Kimura profiled cartoonist Pete Hironaka, and Ron Wakabayashi clarified JACL’s tax review. J.K. Yamamoto reported on the Los Angeles City Council race, and the Pacific Southwest District announced a leadership conference for late March.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• Bill Picks Up 3 Co-Sponsors, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Redress bill H.R. 442 gained three new co-sponsors including congresswoman Patricia Saiki, bringing the total to 128 following reintroduction by House Majority Leader Tom Foley. Four previous co-sponsors have yet to sign on to the current bill.’
• Day of Remembrance Calendar, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A nationwide listing details Day of Remembrance programs in Boston, Chicago, Gardena, New York, San Francisco and San Jose, each featuring speakers, films and discussions marking the 45th anniversary of Japanese American incarceration. Speakers include members of Congress, redress organizers and historians.’
• Hearing Set for Appeals of Ruling in Hirabayashi Case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments March 2 from both the U.S. government and Gordon Hirabayashi’s legal team regarding Judge Donald Voorhees’ 1986 ruling on Hirabayashi’s wartime convictions. Hirabayashi’s conviction for violating evacuation orders was vacated, but his curfew violation conviction was upheld, prompting appeals from both sides.’
• Feb. 19 Proclamation Issued, page 2. Chicago Mayor Harold Washington proclaimed Feb. 19, 1987 a Day of Remembrance commemorating the wartime incarceration of Japanese Americans. The proclamation called the treatment one of the most grievous violations of constitutional due process in U.S. history.’
• WW2 Camps Topic of Study, page 3. University of Oregon professor Lauren Kessler is researching camp newspapers published at all 10 WWII internment camps for a study titled ‘Behind Barbed Wire.’ She plans to interview former Japanese American camp journalists and is seeking contacts through National JACL.’

National

• Government Plan to Put Arab Immigrants in Camps Alleged, page 1. Attorneys for detained Jordanian and Kenyan immigrants allege a secret government plan to round up Arab immigrants exists, citing leaked INS documents. One attorney drew parallels to the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans, asking if detention camps could be next.’

Community

• Street in Little Tokyo Named for Astronaut, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 1. Little Tokyo’s Weller Street was renamed Astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka Street in a Feb. 6 ceremony attended by Onizuka’s family, fellow astronauts, Mayor Tom Bradley and actor George Takei. A memorial program followed at the new Nishi Hongwanji temple, including a seminar on the space program and a Buddhist memorial service.’
• Asian Methodists Try to Resolve Differences, page 2. The National Convocation of Asian American United Methodists met Jan. 16-19 seeking unity among diverse Asian caucuses after a divisive 1985 power struggle. The group passed resolutions supporting redress for Japanese Americans, aid for Indochinese refugees, and opposition to militarization in the Philippines.’
• JCCCNC Seeks Nominations, page 3. The Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California is seeking nominations for its annual JCCCNC Awards honoring community contributors. An awards dinner will be held May 16 with nominations due by March 1.’
• Walerga Park Marker to Be Dedicated, page 6. A bronze marker commemorating the Walerga Park Project, named for the wartime assembly center that held nearly 5,000 Sacramento internees, will be dedicated Feb. 28. Former National JACL president Jerry Enomoto will deliver the keynote speech at the ceremony sponsored by Sacramento JACL and veterans groups.’
• St. Valentine’s Chapter?, page 6. Los Angeles’ Marina JACL Chapter has become known for romance, with nine members marrying in 1986 alone, many having met through chapter events. Chapter leaders credit creative programming aimed at Sansei members, including workshops on relationships and social functions.’
• Asian Candidates Lose in L.A. Council Race, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 8. Chinese American candidates Leland Wong and Paul Da Yung Moore placed third and fourth in a special Los Angeles City Council election won by Assemblywoman Gloria Molina. Wong had called for Asian voter solidarity but was outspent by both Molina and runner-up Larry Gonzalez, while Moore’s campaign was further overshadowed by the death of his young son.’
• Urban, Rural Fellowships Now Available, page 8. The National Urban/Rural Fellows Program is offering 30-40 fellowships ranging from $14,000-$16,000 for minorities and women seeking careers in public administration or rural development. The 14-month program includes academic sessions and a nine-month work placement with government or community organizations, with applications due Feb. 20.’

JACL

• Mineta Named to Democratic Study Group, page 2. Rep. Norman Mineta (D-Calif.) was elected to the Democratic Study Group Executive Committee, a legislative research and coordination group for House Democrats chaired by Mike Lowry. More than 200 House members belong to the DSG.’
• JACL Receives ARCO Grant for Anti-Asian Violence Work, page 3. ARCO gave National JACL a $1,000 grant for its continuing anti-Asian violence work, following a letter from national director Ron Wakabayashi describing JACL’s civil rights efforts. The grant supports JACL’s past report on anti-Asian violence and its role in a UC Berkeley conference on the subject.’
• Introducing PSW’s New Youth Rep: Lisa Nakata, page 4. UCLA senior Lisa Kimiko Nakata has been appointed district youth representative for JACL’s Pacific Southwest District. She is working to build a network of college students and a newsletter connecting youth across campuses and chapters.’
• JACL/LEC Treasurer’s Report, by Shig Wakamatsu, page 5. The JACL Legislative Education Committee’s financial report for Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 1986 details fund drive donations, bank balances, and itemized expenditures across categories including lobbying, salaries, travel and special events. The report urges members to continue contributing to support redress efforts in 1987.’
• PSW Leadership Confab Set, page 6. A three-day leadership conference themed ‘Making a Difference’ will be held March 27-29 at the Airport Hyatt Hotel, sponsored by JACL Pacific Southwest District and produced by Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics (LEAP). The conference, tailored to Sansei leadership development, will include workshops and group activities with registration limited to 75 participants.’

Commentary

• Some Feelings the Rain Just Cannot Wash Out, by Bob, page 4. A columnist reflects on returning to Portland after years in Los Angeles, rediscovering the rain-soaked local culture and reacquainting himself with woodworking after a desk job. He finds renewed joy in manual labor and time with his daughter.’
• A Perception of AJA’s, by Harry Honda, page 4. The columnist recounts a lunch conversation with a well-traveled businessman who claimed Japanese corporate circles view Nisei with condescension and that fluent Japanese-speaking foreigners are regarded with suspicion. He reflects on the need for mutual understanding between Japan and Japanese Americans beyond commercial interests.’
• The Man Behind the Cartoons, by Kazuo K. Kimura, page 4. At the combined Cincinnati-Dayton JACL installation dinner, cartoonist Pete Hironaka was honored for decades of work published in the Pacific Citizen. Hironaka spoke about how his wartime internment experience shaped his thoughtful, socially pointed cartoons.’
• Tax Clarification, by Ron Wakabayashi, page 4. JACL National Director Ron Wakabayashi clarifies that a broader tax compliance review by Arthur Young & Co. is separate from costs related to the Sequoia JACL IRS audit. He states it is mistaken to attribute JACL’s budget distress directly to the Sequoia case.’
• Multicultural Education, page 5. An educator argues that effective multicultural education must go beyond superficial ‘travel brochure’ approaches like food-tasting and dance exhibitions, which can reinforce stereotypes rather than build understanding. The piece calls for programs linked to higher thinking skills that foster a shared sense of common humanity rather than exoticizing minority cultures.’

Obituaries

• Yas Koike, 72, Alameda JACL Past President, page 8. Yas Koike of Alameda, California, died of pneumonia Dec. 30 at age 72. Born in Sacramento, he served as president of Alameda JACL from 1978-79 and is survived by his wife, four sons and two grandchildren.’

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