Hawaii elections, redress strategy and a new Little Tokyo mall

Vol. 91, No. 16, November 21, 1980. 8 pages. View this issue

The Pacific Citizen’s front page reported on Hawaii’s Nov. 4 elections, where Sen. Daniel Inouye and Reps. Cecil Heftel and Daniel Akaka won re-election and a new 13-member State Board of Education was chosen. The paper also followed redress: the National JACL Committee on Redress met to plan for upcoming hearings of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Citizens, and Sachi Seko wrote about Ralph Lazo, who entered Manzanar by choice and asked to be named to the commission. Charles R. Kato’s letter on JACL’s unattributed use of Michi Weglyn’s book in Senate testimony appears on the editorial page.

Elsewhere in the issue: the opening of Weller Court in Little Tokyo, plans by Minoru Yamasaki for a National Museum of Japanese American History there, and a new JACL chapter near Seattle, Lake Washington. Bill Hosokawa wrote on promoting the book East to America in Chicago, and Harry Honda on the Central California District Council convention. The issue ran eight pages.

What’s in this issue

National

• Democrats Prevail in Hawaii Elections; New State Board of Education Takes Shape, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Democratic incumbents Senator Daniel Inouye, Rep. Cecil Heftel, and Rep. Daniel Akaka won re-election by wide margins in Hawaii’s Nov. 4 elections, while President Carter narrowly carried the state over Reagan. A new, more diverse 13-member State Board of Education was also elected, with several incumbents ousted and newcomers including a 23-year-old law student joining the board.
• Kitayama Nursery Strike Ends, page 2. After three months, workers at Kitayama Brothers Nursery in Union City ended their strike in early November, accepting a contract giving them a $1.20 hourly raise over three years without improved health or pension benefits. Union representative Pete Moreno expressed disappointment, blaming a lack of communication, especially among Filipino workers, for eroding strike solidarity.
• Asian American Immigration Issues to Be Explored at USC Conference, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A two-day conference on Asian-Pacific immigration, historical and contemporary issues, will be held Dec. 12-13 at USC’s Davidson Conference Center, organized by Asian American Studies programs at UCLA, USC, CSU-Long Beach and the Calif. Council for the Humanities. Keynote speakers include UC Berkeley professor Ron Takaki, attorney Ellen Ma Lee, journalist Kyung Won Lee and publisher Alex Esclamado, with around 80 panelists representing a wide range of Asian American scholars and activists.
• NOW Accounts to Start in 1981, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Sumitomo Bank and California First Bank announced they will offer interest-bearing NOW accounts beginning Dec. 31, 1980 and Jan. 2, 1981 respectively, free of monthly service charges for customers maintaining minimum balances. Accounts falling below the balance thresholds will be charged $3 a month plus 15 cents per check.
• Conference Set for Occupational Health Issues Affecting Minority Workers, by P.C. Staff, page 6. JACL has been selected to serve on an advisory committee planning a National Conference on Occupational Health and Safety Issues Affecting Minority Workers, sponsored by NIOSH in Washington, D.C. in March 1981. The conference will address topics including job hazards, occupational disease patterns among minority workers, and training of minority safety specialists.
• Vietnamese Mistaken for Japanese, Assaulted by Punks in Canada, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Three Vietnamese men in Windsor, Ontario were assaulted by seven individuals who accused them of being Japanese come to take jobs. Police detained several attackers after the victims were punched, hit with a pool cue, and had their car smashed with a jack.

Community

• Hawaii Mayor Hit by Bias Allegation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A bias allegation was raised involving a Hawaii mayor’s administration. Three other financial assistance matters were also noted in connection with the controversy.
• HUD Rejects EBIH Loan Request, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A request to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to construct housing for the elderly at the Hayward site was rejected despite being rated ‘generally favorable.’ EBIH’s board called for continued support as it proceeds with architectural design work for resubmission in 1981.
• Hibakusha Group in Hawaii Seeks Atomic Bomb Survivors, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A committee for atomic bomb survivors in Hawaii has formed with about 50 members, though as many as 250 more are believed to reside there, according to president Kanji Kuramoto. Survivors in Hawaii are urged to write to the Alameda-based committee.
• Cancer Center Home for Families Gets Nursery Firms’ Support, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Nursery firms have contributed time and materials to enhance the new Ronald McDonald House for families of children receiving cancer treatment at a children’s hospital. The house is located a block from the hospital.
• Slim Win at Polls Seen as ‘Favorable Report Card’ for Stockton Supervisor, by P.C. Staff, page 1. San Joaquin County Supervisor Richard Yoshikawa narrowly defeated Jack Clayton by just 220 votes, a margin he views as a favorable report card from voters. Yoshikawa, first appointed to the board in 1974, said he can now focus on county water needs and waste disposal site selection.
• Japanese American Bar Association Opens Referral Service in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Japanese American Bar Association of Los Angeles celebrated the opening of its referral service at the JACCC with a reception co-hosted by California First Bank and Sumitomo Bank of California. JABA president Ken Machida and referral service co-chair Gil Nishimura were among those pictured.
• Yamasaki to Design Merit Savings Museum, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Architect Minoru Yamasaki of Detroit will master-plan a four-acre Little Tokyo development for Merit Savings, featuring a high-rise office building, condominium, hotel, and the Merit Court Plaza, which will include the National Museum of Japanese American History. Merit president Bruce Kaji made the announcement at a Nov. 5 reception at the Century Plaza Hotel.
• Uchiyama Firm Against Merger, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Fresno County dropped plans to consolidate the Fowler-Caruthers Judicial District with the Fresno Municipal Court after the county’s Justice Court Judge Association withdrew its merger proposal. District judge Mikio Uchiyama had opposed becoming a municipal court judge under the plan.
• New York’s Holiday Fair Set for Dec. 6, by P.C. Staff, page 6. New York JACL will hold its Holiday Fair on Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Japanese American United Church, featuring ethnic food fare including udon, sushi and teriyaki instead of a traditional sit-down dinner. Ruby Schaar and Ron Inouye are co-chairing the event with a large committee handling hosting, food, auction and sales duties.
• Chapter Pulse: Arizona, Boise Valley, Fowler and Selanoco JACL News, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Brief chapter updates report Arizona JACL’s upcoming Christmas party and JAYS welcome dinner, Boise Valley JACL donating copies of ‘Bamboo People’ to local libraries, Fowler JACL’s fall activities and scholarship winner, and Selanoco JACL’s successful Orange International Food Fair fundraiser netting about $4,000.
• Dental Costs for Seniors Trimmed, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Older Californians 65 and over with no Medi-Cal or dental insurance and household income under $12,000 may now receive 15% or more off dental care costs through a program sponsored by the California Dental Association. There are no financial statements or disclosure of assets required for eligibility.
• James Urata Installed President of San Bernardino Kiwanis Club, by P.C. Staff, page 7. James H. Urata was installed as president of the 150-member Kiwanis Club of San Bernardino, becoming the first non-white president in the club’s 58-year history. A longtime JACLer and former Riverside JACL president, Urata serves on numerous community boards and frequently speaks on the Evacuation and Asian topics.
• Press Row: Chicago Shimpo and Civil Rights Quarterly Notes, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Kisaku Sasamoto of Tokyo has joined the editorial staff of Chicago Shimpo to handle English and Japanese sections, bringing degrees from Baylor and Harvard. Author James G. Trager, married to photographer Chie Nishio, wrote a lead article on the Japanese American Evacuation and the new wartime relocation commission for a U.S. Commission on Civil Rights quarterly.
• Weller Court Mall Dedicated in Little Tokyo, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Little Tokyo’s $8.5-million Weller Court shopping mall held its grand opening Nov. 15 with Mayor Tom Bradley and Councilman Gilbert Lindsay participating in a kusudama ceremony releasing 5,000 balloons. The three-tiered, 88,000-square-foot mall designed by Kajima Associates houses 12 restaurants and a dozen shops, including Matsuzakaya, Yokohama Okadaya, and the Little Tokyo CRA project office, which is relocating there.
• Terminal Island Film Project Deadline Looms, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The PSWDC, Terminal Island Group and Prof. Trevor Greenwood have until Dec. 31 to raise $12,000 of a $30,000 goal to secure 85% matching funds from the California Council on Humanities for a documentary film project. JACL has raised $7,632.72 so far, with regional director John Saito warning the project will be reduced to $18,000 if the goal is not met.

JACL

• PNW’s Ninth Chapter Formed East of Seattle: Lake Washington JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Lake Washington JACL was chartered Oct. 22 as the sixth JACL chapter in Washington State, with veteran Seattle JACLer John Matsumoto as its first president. The new chapter anticipates drawing membership from Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Mercer Island and other outlying areas.
• Ben Taguchi Heads San Gabriel Valley JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Ben Taguchi was installed as 1981 president of the San Gabriel Valley JACL on Nov. 8 at a potluck supper at the East San Gabriel Valley Japanese American Community Center, with KCET vice president Ed Moreno as guest speaker. Barbara Yanase organized the dinner, which also served as a fundraiser for the chapter’s scholarship fund.

Incarceration & Redress

• Strategy for Coming Year’s Redress Hearings Being Aired, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The full National JACL Committee on Redress met Nov. 21-23 at JACL Headquarters to plan strategy for upcoming public hearings of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Citizens, chaired by John Tateishi. The committee also addressed fallout from JACL’s unattributed use of material from Michi Weglyn’s book in Senate testimony, which critics called plagiarism, and discussed the $240,000 budget needed from chapters to support the campaign.
• Lazo: An Appropriate Nominee, by Sachi Seko, page 4. Sachi Seko’s column profiles Ralph Lazo, a Mexican American who voluntarily entered Manzanar in 1942 at age 17 out of moral solidarity with his Japanese American friends, later serving in the Army and earning a Bronze Star. Lazo has requested appointment to the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, believing his unique experience could encourage former internees to testify.
• More Names Listed for Redress Commission, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The National Coalition for Redress/Reparations submitted the names of Amy Uno Ishii, Lillian Nakano and Bert Nakano, all of Los Angeles, to the White House as nominees for the Presidential Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians. All three nominees were interned in camps during World War II.

Obituaries

• Masuo Death Notice, page 2. Masuo, 86, of Los Angeles, died Nov. 9 following a prolonged illness. A naturalized citizen and onetime president of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce, he is survived by his wife Taeko, son Dr. Akio, and daughter Sadako Fenocchio of Italy.
• Masako Minami, Eden Township JACLer, Dies, page 2. Masako Minami, 67, an Eden Township JACLer and senior citizens program coordinator, died of a heart attack Oct. 30 at her Hayward home. She is survived by her husband George of Minami Nursery, children George and Judi and Janet, and siblings in San Mateo, San Juan Bautista and Foster City.

Arts & Entertainment

• ‘Hiroshima’ Band Set for Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya Performances, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Los Angeles-based ‘Hiroshima’ band, out with its second album, has performances scheduled in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya.
• Bookshelf: ‘Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art’ a Big Hit, by H.H., page 5. Kodansha International’s new release ‘Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art’ by Shizuo Tsuji is praised as an excellent introduction to traditional Japanese cuisine for Western readers, featuring 200 recipes and over 500 line drawings. The review highlights the book’s details on ingredients, regional variations, and culinary terminology.

Commentary

• King at CCDC, by Harry Honda, page 4. Harry Honda’s editorial column discusses Hawaii Lt. Gov. Jean Sadako King’s appearance as main speaker at the Central California District Council’s 31st annual convention in Fresno, where she spoke about cultural differences between mainland and Hawaii Nikkei. The column also notes a stalled effort by Mike Iwatsubo to raise $2.5 million for an Issei Memorial Center in Fresno’s Japantown, and congratulates new CCDC governor Tony Ishii and Stanley Nagata.
• Letterbox: JACL Plagiarism of Weglyn’s Work Called Morally Repugnant, by Charles R. Kato, page 4. Charles R. Kato, president of the JACL Seattle Chapter, writes that JACL’s unattributed use of Michi Weglyn’s ‘Years of Infamy’ in Senate testimony compromised the dignity and credibility of the redress campaign. He demands that national JACL leadership demonstrate basic understanding of plagiarism and take action to make amends to Weglyn.
• Talking Up ‘East to America’ in Chicago, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa recounts a publicity tour in Chicago promoting the JARP book ‘East to America,’ including five radio interviews, one with Studs Terkel, and a visit to the Chicago JACL chapter’s annual meeting. He also describes autographing roughly 900 copies of the book for donors to the Issei History Project.
• East Wind of the East: Korean American Friendship Society Dinner, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Bill Marutani describes attending the inaugural dinner of the Korean American Friendship Society in Philadelphia, reflecting on the city’s roughly 25,000 Korean residents and their various occupations and community institutions. He notes the striking resemblance and shared experiences between Korean Americans he met and his Nisei friends.

Military & Veterans

• This Week in P.C. History: Nov. 24, 1945, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A historical recap notes that the Navy removed its ban against Nisei enlistment, a House committee recommended restoring $5 million cut from the WRA budget for resettlement, and a wounded 442nd veteran, George Nishioka of San Jose, was found robbed and slain at a Stockton street corner.

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