Asian American representation in Washington, and the 1990 census

Vol. 107, No. 18, December 2, 1988. 8 pages. View this issue

The Pacific Citizen’s December 2, 1988 front page followed Asian American concerns in Washington. Senate Democrats chose George J. Mitchell as majority leader over Daniel Inouye, and Rep. Norman Mineta announced a HUD pilot program to measure housing discrimination against Asian Americans. Ten lawmakers also warned the Census Bureau to keep its commitment to a check-off format for Asian subgroups on the 1990 census, with a follow-up story on page 5. Another front-page story covered Sanrio’s plan to give toys to disadvantaged Bay Area children.

The Office of Redress Administration announced a hotline for the hearing impaired and a large-print booklet. The commentary pages carry columns by George Johnston and Bill Marutani, plus letters from Clifford Uyeda, Arthur T. Morimitsu and Irma Roth. Elsewhere in the eight pages are the new National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, 19 new board members for the Japanese American National Museum, and a Little Tokyo United Way appeal.

What’s in this issue

National

• Mitchell Chosen as Senate Majority Leader Over Inouye, page 1. Senate Democrats chose Sen. George J. Mitchell of Maine as Senate majority leader over Sens. J. Bennett Johnston and Daniel Inouye. Inouye’s chances may have been hurt by his performance chairing the Iran-Contra committee and a controversial funding request.
• Sanrio Will Distribute Free Toys to Disadvantaged Bay Area Children, page 1. Sanrio Co. will donate more than $250,000 worth of toys to disadvantaged San Francisco Bay Area children this Christmas after controversy over its ‘Little Black Sambo’ toys. Congressional Black Caucus members praised Sanrio for going beyond apology with concrete proposals, including a children’s exchange program.
• Mineta Announces Plan to Measure Bias Against Asian Americans, page 1. Rep. Norman Mineta announced that HUD will develop a pilot program to measure housing discrimination against Asian Americans, who were excluded from HUD’s planned national housing discrimination survey. The pilot program’s data will be used to formulate future national-level surveys.
• Lawmakers Urge Census Bureau to Keep Its Commitment, page 1. Ten congressmen and senators warned the Census Bureau it risks losing the trust of Asian Americans if it abandons its commitment to use a check-off format for Asian subgroups on the 1990 census. The warning follows President Reagan’s veto of a bill that would have mandated the format.
• Mineta or Matsui Suggested as U.S. Ambassador to Japan, page 1. Reps. Norman Mineta and Robert Matsui have been suggested as possible successors to retiring U.S. Ambassador to Japan Mike Mansfield. A magazine writer suggested either would showcase America’s racial diversity to Japan.
• Nat’l APA Bar Association Formed, page 3. Asian Americans representing 23 bar associations met in Chicago to establish the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, the first organized national network of Asian Pacific American lawyers. The association aims to address issues like anti-Asian violence and support attorneys in less diverse areas, targeting the nation’s estimated 2,000 Asian American lawyers.
• Applications Now Being Accepted for White House Fellowship Program, page 3. Applications for the 1989-1990 White House Fellowship Program are available through California State Sen. David Roberti’s Office of Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs. The highly competitive program selects fewer than twenty fellows annually to serve as special assistants in the federal government.
• Lawmakers Press Census Bureau on Commitment, page 5. Continuing coverage detailing the list of lawmakers who signed a letter urging the Census Bureau to honor its commitment to a check-off format for the 1990 census. The letter warns that consolidating Asian Americans into one write-in category would lead to a serious miscount.

Incarceration & Redress

• ORA Offers Hotline for Hearing Impaired, Booklet in Large Type, page 1. The Office of Redress Administration has installed a toll-free TDD hotline for hearing-impaired individuals with questions about redress eligibility under Public Law 100-383. ORA is also offering a question-and-answer booklet available in large print for the visually impaired.

Community

• JANM Announces Addition of 19 New Board Members, page 2. The Japanese American National Museum announced 19 new members added to its board of trustees and board of governors. New trustees include Dr. Harold S. Harnda, Suzanne Kawahara, Dr. Harry H.L. Kitano and others, while new governors include Gary Hayakawa, Noriyuki ‘Pat’ Morita and others.
• JASEB Offering 1989 Zodiac Plate, page 2. The Japanese American Services of the East Bay announced a limited-edition zodiac plate for 1989, the year of the snake, available to the first 100 donors of $30 or more starting Dec. 15. The plates are handthrown by ceramicist Mieko Kanno with indigo brushwork of the Chinese character for the snake.
• CJAA Honors Alumni at Biennial ‘Big Game Nite’, page 3. The California Japanese Alumni Association held its biennial ‘Big Game Nite’ on Nov. 19 at the Cathedral Hill Hotel, introducing alumni from as far back as 1924 and out-of-state attendees. Scholarship recipients were recognized and distinguished alumni Rep. Norman Mineta and UC Regent Yori Wada were introduced.
• Three Community Groups Seek Designated Giving from United Way, page 5. The Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, Keiro Services, and Little Tokyo Service Center have combined efforts to encourage United Way donors to designate their contributions to these organizations. Bill Watanabe explained that community organizations find it increasingly difficult to reach younger, more dispersed generations of Japanese Americans.
• The Newsmakers, page 5. A roundup of notable achievements by Japanese Americans including Tom Yokoyama’s installation as regional vice president of the California Association of Realtors, John Y. Naka’s bonsai pavilion dedication, and honors for Cindy Akiyama, Jane Uyeno, Gail N. Minami, Dr. William Y. Takahashi, Kathleen Goto, Carey Inouye, Robert Matsui, Norman Mineta and Katherine Emiko Schymick. Each individual is recognized for professional or academic accomplishments in their respective fields.
• Velina Hasu Houston to Speak at SCAN/NLA Installation Event, page 8. Award-winning Japanese American dramatist and poet Velina Hasu Houston will speak at the 3rd annual installation of the Southern California American Nikkei and Nikkei Leadership Association JACL chapters on Dec. 4. The event will also include the annual Ronald McDonald House Christmas benefit, with guests asked to bring gifts for children at the cancer patient housing facility.

Arts & Entertainment

• 4th Annual ‘Jimmie’ Awards to Honor Kirk Douglas, page 2. The Association of Asian Pacific American Artists announced Kirk Douglas as honorary chairman for its 5th annual ‘Jimmie’ awards, to be held March 27, 1989, with the theme ‘Coming of Age.’ The awards honor producers and production companies portraying the Asian Pacific experience realistically and creating equal employment opportunities.

Commentary

• A Liberal Is Non-Partisan, page 4. This editorial argues that liberalism, recently used as a political slur against Michael Dukakis, should not be seen as the exclusive property of either party since both Democrats and Republicans have advanced and undermined civil rights at different times. It calls for the new administration to embrace liberalism as a matter of human dignity rather than partisanship.
• What Time Is It?, by George Johnston, page 4. The columnist reflects on how time seems to pass more quickly as an adult with increasing demands on free time. He muses on wristwatches, aging, and the challenge of managing time despite modern conveniences.
• O-Sake, by Bill Marutani, page 4. The columnist explores the growing popularity of wine in Japan and the Japanese kanji characters related to sake and wine, noting cultural differences in wine consumption between Japan, the U.S. and France. He humorously speculates about who first dared to ferment grapes, referencing Noah’s biblical winemaking.
• A Tribute to Sam Minami, by Mrs. George Knox Roth (Irma Roth), page 4. A letter paying tribute to the late Sam Minami of Gardena, who the writer says was one of the few Nisei who understood her husband’s wartime actions opposing evacuation. The writer expresses gratitude for Minami’s son’s role in addressing injustices faced by the Japanese American community.
• Another Perspective, by Arthur T. Morimitsu, page 4. A letter responding to a previous writer’s call to heal internal schisms in the Japanese American community, recounting harassment of ‘loyal’ internees and MIS volunteers by dissidents at Tule Lake. The writer warns that anti-redress groups continue to campaign against appropriations and urges focus on groups like Lillian Baker’s rather than internal JACL conflicts.
• Let Bygones Be Bygones?, by Clifford Uyeda, page 5. A letter responding to a Pacific Citizen editorial that admonished the community for ‘brooding on the past,’ arguing that remembering injustice is necessary to motivate change. The writer questions what kind of country could be built if the response to injustice is simply to forget it.
• Please Boycott Our Products, by Yoshimi Ishikawa, page 6. A Nikkei Voice column discusses racial slurs made by Japanese politicians Michio Watanabe and Yasuhiro Nakasone about American Blacks, arguing that Japanese people must speak out against such racism. The author welcomes the idea of boycotts as a way to make Japanese voters aware of the low intellectual level of their politicians’ rhetoric.

JACL

• Fort Lupton JACL Elects 1989 Officers, page 8. The Fort Lupton Chapter of the JACL elected its 1989 officers, including Sam Funakoshi as president, Joe Sasaki as vice president, and other officers for secretary and treasurer positions. An installation dinner date will be set soon.

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