Redress bill H.R. 442 gains a co-sponsor before its April 28 hearing

Vol. 102, No. 15, April 18, 1986. 12 pages. View this issue

The front page carried news that West Virginia congressman Harley Staggers had agreed to co-sponsor redress bill H.R. 442, bringing five of the ten members of the House Judiciary subcommittee on board ahead of the Apr. 28 hearing. Grayce Uyehara’s LEC update on page 7 listed the witnesses and urged readers to keep lobbying, and Kiku Funabiki, who testified in 1984, offered advice to those who would testify this time. Robert Shimabukuro reported on the documentary ‘Visible Target’ about the Bainbridge Island exclusion, and the 17th annual Manzanar pilgrimage, set for Apr. 26 with a speech by Dr. Peter Irons, was announced on page 2.

Elsewhere in these 12 pages: J.K. Yamamoto’s report on Nikkei candidates in Southern California city council races, the Monterey Park results where Lily Chen lost her seat amid the English-only controversy, and a page 5 column on making English the official language. Pacific Citizen Board news, letters to the editor and a profile of actress Patti Yasutake round out the issue.

What’s in this issue

National

• Key Congressman Backs Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 1. West Virginia congressman Harley Staggers agreed to co-sponsor House redress bill H.R. 442, bringing the subcommittee co-sponsor count to five of ten members. JACL-LEC lobbying efforts from New Jersey and Los Angeles contacts helped secure his support ahead of the Apr. 28 hearing.
• Media Group Awarded by CPB, by Robert Shimabukuro, page 1. National Asian American Telecommunications Assn. received a Corporation for Public Broadcasting Award for its radio documentary ‘Indochinatown,’ which chronicles the transformation of San Francisco’s Tenderloin district by Southeast Asian refugees. The program was part of NAATA’s ‘Bamboo Radio’ series and was distributed by Pacifica Program Service.
• N.Y. Co-Sponsor of H.R. 442 Dies, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Joseph P. Addabbo of New York, a co-sponsor of redress bill H.R. 442, died on Apr. 10 of bladder cancer at age 61. He was remembered for his efforts to limit Pentagon spending and his role in helping end the Vietnam War, and his loss as a redress supporter was noted by JACL-LEC’s Grayce Uyehara.
• JA Consultants Hired by Producers of New ‘Gung Ho’ Television Series, by Robert Shimabukuro, page 1. Producers of the TV pilot spinoff of ‘Gung Ho’ hired consultants J.D. Hokoyama and Irene Hirano after Asian American actors requested input on cultural accuracy and stereotypes. The firm reviewed the script and made recommendations on portrayal of characters and terminology, pleasing both the actors and Asian American advocacy groups.
• Senator’s Comment Draws Fire, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sen. Jake Garn’s remark about not seeing people as ‘black, white or slanted eyes’ from space drew criticism from Rep. Norman Mineta and JACL national director Ron Wakabayashi. Both wrote letters to Garn condemning the derogatory term and urging him to apologize for the racial slur.
• ‘Be Prepared,’ Says ’84 Testifier, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 9. Kiku Funabiki, who testified at the 1984 congressional hearing on redress bill H.R. 4110, recalls being unprepared for hostile questioning from Rep. Thomas Kindness and advises future testifiers at the Apr. 28 hearing to be more aggressive and factually prepared. She also recounts her anger at unchallenged false testimony from former War Dept. official Karl Bendetsen regarding camp conditions.
• NAATA Award Significance Explained, by P.C. Staff, page 10. NAATA executive director James Yee explained that the CPB award for ‘Indochinatown’ is the first national Asian American award and highlights ongoing interest in the Southeast Asian refugee community. The program documents struggles of refugees resettling in the Bay Area with less friction compared to other cities.

Community

• Nikkei City Council Candidates Say They Were Smeared by Opponents, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 1. Three Southern California municipal elections involving Nikkei candidates were marred by mudslinging: Gardena’s Mas Fukai won reelection despite a smear letter, Long Beach’s Eunice Sato faces a runoff after accusations from her opponent, and Monterey Park’s Lily Chen lost her seat amid an English-only controversy. All three candidates described the campaigns as unusually negative.
• JA Appointed to Head FBI Branch, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The FBI appointed Don Tokunaga, 47, as special agent in charge of its Seattle office, replacing Allen Whitaker. Tokunaga, a former Navy fighter pilot, previously headed the agency’s equal opportunity employment office and served in several FBI offices before this appointment.
• Talk on Sonoma JA History Set, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Sebastopol JACL chapter members will present a program on the history of Japanese Americans in Sonoma County, covering pre-WW2 history, internment experiences, Crystal City internment camp, redress, and Sansei perspectives. The panel discussion is scheduled for Apr. 27 at Community Church.
• Chapter News Briefs, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Several JACL chapters announced upcoming events including San Jose’s bridge tournament, Ventura County’s cooking class, Wasatch Front North’s basketball tournament, the new Southern California American Nikkei Chapter’s first dinner meeting, South Bay’s honoring of Mikko Arimoto Haggott, and San Francisco’s forum on making English the official language. Each event includes details on dates, locations, and contacts.
• Show Will Go on Despite Burglary, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Ohana Cultural Center/Restaurant in Oakland was burglarized in March, losing its cash register, sound equipment, and a TV. Despite the $1,000 loss, the center’s first anniversary celebration proceeded as planned on Apr. 18 with musical entertainment.
• Class of 1946 Reunion Planned, by P.C. Staff, page 9. West High School’s class of 1946 in Salt Lake City is planning a 40th anniversary reunion on June 14, with organizers seeking to locate several missing Japanese American graduates. Contact information was provided for reservations and for reporting the whereabouts of lost classmates.
• Coro Leadership Course Offered, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Coro Foundation is accepting applications for its Public Affairs Training Course for Leaders in the Asian and Pacific Islander Community, designed to give 12 participants insight into public affairs decision-making in Southern California. The application deadline is Apr. 25.
• ‘Father John’ Gets Lightly Roasted, by Harry Honda, page 9. Over 600 friends honored Father John and Fumi Yamazaki at a retirement dinner at the Hyatt Regency in Los Angeles, featuring tributes and a light roast emceed by Judge Morio Fukuto. Father John’s 44 years ministering at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church were celebrated by parishioners and colleagues.
• Chen Defeated in Reelection Bid, by P.C. Staff, page 12. Monterey Park councilwoman Lily Chen lost her reelection bid along with fellow incumbents David Almada and Rudy Peralta, with English-only advocate Frank Arcuri also losing badly. Chen expressed disappointment but vowed to continue working for the community, believing she was targeted due to her race amid the English-only controversy.
• Election Results in Carson and Fairfield, by P.C. Staff, page 12. In Carson, challenger Michael Mitoma lost his council bid amid a contentious campaign involving accusations of being a ‘carpetbagger,’ while incumbent city clerk Helen Kawagoe won unopposed. In Fairfield, attorney Garry Ichikawa won a council seat, crediting his family’s long history in the area for his success.

Incarceration & Redress

• Irons to Speak at Manzanar Site, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The 17th annual pilgrimage to Manzanar takes place Apr. 26, featuring the installation of a National Park Service plaque and a speech by Dr. Peter Irons, author of Justice at War. The program will celebrate recent court victories in coram nobis cases and the NCJAR lawsuit, alongside a potluck, camp tours, and religious ceremonies.
• WW2 Exclusion Topic of ‘Target’, by Robert Shimabukuro, page 7. The documentary ‘Visible Target’ examines the WW2 evacuation of Japanese Americans from Bainbridge Island, the first JA community to be evacuated, and the resistance from Caucasian newspaper publishers Walt and Milly Woodward. The film, funded partly by the Bainbridge Island Japanese American community, will air nationally on PBS on June 15 after winning several film festival awards.

Military & Veterans

• Mother Bids Final Farewell to Soldier, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Haruye Nagano paid her last respects to her son Pvt. Hiroshi Nagano, killed in WW2 action in Italy, at a graveside ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on the 41st anniversary of his death. About 30 people, including 442nd and MIS veterans, attended the Buddhist ceremony performed by Rev. Shozo Honda.
• Oral History Project Completed, by P.C. Staff, page 3. National Japanese American Historical Society/Go For Broke, Inc. completed interviews with more than 150 Nikkei veterans of the 100th/442nd RCT and MIS, as well as Korean and Vietnam war veterans, for an oral history project led by Eric Saul. The tapes and transcripts have been archived for future researchers and historians, with excerpts to be published later.
• An Inspiration to All, page 5. A letter from Norbert Hill Jr. of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society revealed that astronaut Lt. Col. Ellison Onizuka carried a sacred Eagle feather, gift of Chemawa Indian School students, on his first space shuttle mission. Onizuka’s letter expressing gratitude to Indian nations was shared posthumously, highlighting his connection to Native American communities before his death in the Challenger explosion.
• ‘L’ Co. Vets Form No. Calif. Group, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Veterans of Company ‘L’ of the 442nd RCT formed a Northern California group with elected officers to prepare for the 1988 convention. The group set dues and established committees in Sacramento, San Jose, East Bay, and San Francisco areas.

Commentary

• Some Reflections from Japan, page 4. A columnist reflects on being a semi-literate tourist in Japan, describing the challenges of navigating train systems and reading kanji, along with observations on Japanese customs and etiquette. The piece also recounts the real history behind the 1931 Massie case in Hawaii, which inspired the CBS TV-movie ‘Blood and Orchids.’
• Letters to the Editor, by Naomi Kashiwabara, Mei Nakano, Jimmie Kanaya, Tom Kometani, Joseph R. Allman, page 4. Several readers wrote in on topics including the Massie case parallel to ‘Blood and Orchids,’ thanks to departing JACL program director Lia Shigemura, doubts about the Onizuka Hi no Maru story, a call for naming names in JACL leadership criticism, and the Hopi tribe’s perspective on the Hopi-Navajo land dispute. Each letter presents a distinct viewpoint on community and political issues.
• Making It Official, page 5. The column examines the push to make English the official language of the U.S. and California, arguing the effort reflects anti-Asian and anti-Hispanic sentiment rather than practical necessity. It explores feelings of not belonging experienced by Japanese Americans told they speak English well, and warns against efforts to deny immigrants a sense of national identity.
• Accept Us for Ourselves, by Jennifer Y. Yazawa, page 5. The author recounts being criticized by a non-Japanese person for having a non-Japanese first name, which he claimed denied her Japanese heritage. She argues that names are personal and that such judgments reflect a refusal to accept Asian Americans as they are rather than as stereotypes.
• LEC Update: Keep on Lobbying, by Grayce Uyehara, page 7. Grayce Uyehara details the upcoming Apr. 28 H.R. 442 hearing before the Judiciary Subcommittee, listing key witnesses including Frank Sato, Minoru Yasui, and members of Congress. She urges continued grassroots lobbying efforts and provides instructions for reporting congressional contacts to the Washington office.

JACL

• Board Discusses Status of PC, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Pacific Citizen Board met to discuss a proposed 1987-88 budget exceeding $500,000 due to rising postal costs, and voted to readvertise the editor position at a higher salary. The board also addressed the PC Typesetter Fund shortfall and set subscription costs at $12 a year starting in 1987.

Arts & Entertainment

• Actress Getting Movie, TV and Stage Exposure, by Rick Momii & Norman Cohen, page 8. Nikkei actress Patti Yasutake discusses her breakthrough year appearing in the film ‘Gung Ho’ and co-starring in Luis Valdez’s play ‘I Don’t Have To Show You No Stinking Badges.’ She reflects on balancing authentic portrayal of Japanese characters with her responsibilities as a minority actress, and on her collaborative relationship with husband and fellow actor Jerry Tondo.

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