Redress and the Korematsu case: Goldberg and Rauh before the commission

Vol. 94, No. 23, June 11, 1982. 12 pages. View this issue

Redress led the front page of this 12-page issue. Arthur Goldberg, former Supreme Court justice and a member of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, told a Honolulu JACL luncheon that the United States must compensate Japanese Americans imprisoned in camps during World War II. Attorney Joseph L. Rauh, Jr. urged the commission to ask Congress to reopen Korematsu v. U.S., and his account continues on page 10. Minoru Yasui reported that Wisconsin endorsed compensation for those removed in 1942, and Roy M. Nishikawa questioned whether a $25,000 payment figure was realistic.

Elsewhere in the issue, Frank Sato was named the lone nominee for national JACL secretary/treasurer, and Mike Masaoka wrote about a convention testimonial for Shig Wakamatsu. Calvin M. Honda wrote about Yoshiko Uchida’s book Desert Exile, and details of the Nisei Veterans Reunion in Los Angeles appeared on page 3. Chapter scholarship winners from Sacramento, Arizona and Eden Township were also named.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• Interned JAs ‘Must Be Compensated’: Goldberg, page 1. Former Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg, addressing a Honolulu JACL luncheon, said the U.S. must compensate Japanese Americans imprisoned in concentration camps during World War II. Goldberg, a member of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, acknowledged the difficulty of making whole the 60,000 remaining survivors of the 120,000 interned.
• Former Government Attorney Urges Reopening of Korematsu, page 1. Attorney Joseph L. Rauh, Jr., who worked for the U.S. Office of Emergency Management during WWII, urged the CWRIC to ask Congress to reopen the Korematsu v. U.S. Supreme Court case. Rauh believes Congress and the courts together could best address redress for Japanese American internment.
• Wisconsin: ‘Land of Fightin’ Bob LaFollette’, by Minoru Yasui, page 2. Wisconsin became the first state to endorse compensation for Japanese Americans who endured the 1942 evacuation, with the legislature approving Resolution 69 after efforts led by Milwaukee JACL’s Julius Fujihira. An educational teach-in at the University of Wisconsin also marked the occasion, organized by young activists including the author’s daughter Holly Yasui.
• Redress (continued from Front Page), page 10. This continuation details attorney Joseph Rauh’s historical account of wartime discussions with government officials about alternatives to evacuation, including a proposed nighttime curfew that was rejected. Rauh also discusses his later legal work recovering Japanese Americans’ seized yen deposits and his 1972 JACL convention address calling for reversal of Korematsu.

JACL

• Frank Sato Lone Nominee for Secretary/Treasurer, page 1. Frank Saburo Sato, inspector general at the Veterans Administration, is the lone nominee for national JACL secretary-treasurer and has a long career in government accounting and auditing. His platform emphasizes strong financial management, encouraging Sansei/Yonsei leadership, and setting JACL priorities.
• Budget in Brief, by Henry Sakai, page 5. The National JACL Board reviewed a proposed budget containing dues increases for 1983 and 1984, with District Governors expressing concerns about reduced district allocations. The piece also discusses considering a retainer-based Washington Representative position to reduce costs.
• Lily Okura Presents Memorial Day Wreath, page 6. JACL’s Memorial Sunday program at Arlington National Cemetery featured a wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknowns by JACL national vice president Lily Okura. U.S. Navy Capt. Gordon Nakagawa was the guest speaker at the ceremony held at the gravesite of Col. Jun and Ann Buto.
• Shig Wakamatsu Convention Testimonial Long Overdue, by Mike Masaoka, page 7. Mike Masaoka writes about the upcoming testimonial honoring Shig Wakamatsu at the National JACL Convention, highlighting Wakamatsu’s decades of leadership on the JACL Japanese American Research Project and other contributions. He encourages readers to contribute financially to the tribute fund.

National

• U.S. Denies Visas to Japan No-Nukers, page 1. The State Department denied visas to about 300 Japanese citizens planning to attend the U.N. Special Session on Disarmament and a related rally. The visas were denied under the 1952 Walter-McCarran Act, affecting members of Japan’s major anti-nuclear organizations.
• Autoworker Sells ‘Buy American’ Shirts to Protest Japan Cars, page 1. A General Motors autoworker in Arlington, Texas is selling T-shirts depicting Japanese kamikaze pilots bombing the U.S. with imports, to protest Japanese auto imports and unemployment among autoworkers. He plans to use profits to buy and smash a Japanese car with a sledgehammer.
• Dallas Arts District Selects Sasaki Firm Master Planner, page 2. Sasaki Associates Inc., headed by Nisei Hideo Sasaki, was selected as master planner for a 20-block arts district in Dallas including the new Dallas Museum of Art. The firm’s design features a heavily landscaped Flora Street with fountains, sculpture, and outdoor furniture.
• Isaac Says Japan Trade Related to Noguchi’s Recent Demotion, page 3. Attorney Godfrey Isaac suggested that L.A. County coroner Dr. Thomas Noguchi’s demotion may have been influenced by racial prejudice tied to U.S.-Japan trade tensions. Supporters have been fundraising for Noguchi’s legal expenses ahead of Civil Service Commission hearings.
• Japan Bank to Help Build New Coal Exporting Facility in L.A., page 9. The Port of Los Angeles signed an agreement with the Long-Term Credit Bank of Japan to build a $200 million coal export facility to Asian countries. Mayor Tom Bradley presided over the ceremony, calling it a significant step in exporting American coal to Asia.
• Northern Ireland Study Shows Japanese IQ Advantage, page 9. A study published in Nature Magazine found Japanese score higher on standardized intelligence tests than Americans, with the gap increasing since WWII, attributed to improved nutrition and environmental factors. The New York Times editorial cautioned against over-interpreting cross-cultural IQ comparisons, suggesting economic growth led to improved nutrition rather than the reverse.

Community

• Chol Soo Lee’s Bail Set at $1 Million, page 1. Bail was set at $1 million for Chol Soo Lee, a Korean immigrant facing retrial for a 1973 Chinatown murder, due to flight risk concerns. The retrial was continued from May 24 to Aug. 2, with Lee agreeing to a limited waiver of speedy trial rights.
• Asian Families in Torrance Say Teenagers Are Harassing Them, page 1. Three Asian immigrant families in Torrance, California have experienced harassment from neighborhood teenagers including broken windows, vandalism, and late-night disturbances. The harassment has caused fear among the families, with one sending her daughter back to Taiwan and another planning to move.
• Peruvian Nikkei Held in Murder Case, page 3. Laos ‘Ronnie’ Chuman, a Peruvian-born naturalized U.S. citizen, was arrested for the stabbing death of Panavision president Robert Gottschalk. Chuman worked at Panavision and had lived in the Gottschalk home for about two years before the alleged murder following an argument.
• Two Events Planned by WDC Chapter, page 6. Washington D.C. JACL is planning a food booth at the Japan America Society bazaar on June 19 and a scholarship dinner on July 3 at Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church. Chapter scholarship winners and Issei and senior Nisei will be honored guests at the dinner.
• Monterey JACL to Fete 50th Year, page 7. Monterey Peninsula JACL will celebrate its Golden Anniversary on Sept. 18 at the Monterey Holiday Inn, with chairpersons Louie Manaka and Nancy Nakajima coordinating festivities. Organizers are seeking names and addresses of former members and memorabilia for the celebration.
• Sac’to Scholarship Winners Named, page 7. Nineteen high school seniors and two City College students were named winners of scholarships administered by the Sacramento JACL scholarship committee chaired by Midori Hiyama. Awards were based on grades and extracurricular activities, judged by a panel of community members.
• Arizona JACL Awards Scholarships, page 7. JACL scholarships of $875 were awarded to four students including Patricia Mary Mastalsz, Tomoko Aoki, Kathryn Saeko Nakagawa, and Kevin Boothman. The recipients are pursuing various fields of study at Arizona State University and Notre Dame University.
• Riverside JACL Youth Named U.S. HR Page, page 7. Abraham Meltzer, son of Riverside JACLers Robert and Betty Kikumi Meltzer, was appointed as one of 71 U.S. House of Representative pages nationally, sponsored by Rep. Jerry Lewis. The Beaumont High School sophomore will begin duties in Washington D.C. this summer.
• JACCC Granted $30,000 for Library, page 9. The Japanese American Cultural and Community Center received a $30,000 grant from the Times Mirror Foundation for shelves and furnishings for its Franklin D. Murphy Library. The library will contain both Japanese and English materials focused on Japanese American history, scheduled to open late summer.
• Eden Township JACL Awards Scholarships, page 10. Eden Township JACL held its annual scholarship awards dinner honoring high school graduates from the area, with scholarships awarded to seven students. The Eden JAY’s also awarded $50 scholarships to two additional students.

Commentary

• Some Thoughts on Redress, by Roy M. Nishikawa, page 2. The author discusses the various groups involved in redress efforts (NCRR, NCJAR, and JACL) and questions whether the $25,000 minimum payment figure is realistic given the total cost would be around $3 billion. He suggests alternative approaches focusing on community benefit funds rather than individual payments.
• Involvement Plus, by Harry Honda, page 4. The editor’s column discusses a tribute to Mitsu Sonoda of West Los Angeles JACL at a Hyatt Wilshire Hotel event, where multiple organizations praised her decades of community service. The column includes a letter from a reader about an 8mm film transfer documenting Nisei history from 1941-1947.
• ‘May and December’ Wedding, by Sachi Seko, page 4. The author reflects on her friend Lisa’s marriage to an older man named Fiorello, exploring themes of cultural disparity and age gaps in relationships. Despite initial reservations about such marriages, the author comes to appreciate the genuine warmth and companionship between the couple.
• ‘Hollywood’s War Against Japan’, by Bill Tara, page 5. A Denver International Film Festival segment examined wartime propaganda films that portrayed negative stereotypes of Japanese and Japanese Americans, including ‘Across the Pacific’ and ‘The Purple Heart’. The article discusses JACL’s historical efforts to prevent broadcast of these hate films on television.
• Once More, by Bill Marutani, page 5. The columnist clarifies his previous stance on Nikkei cultural presentations, expressing support for authentic cultural programs like bon-odori and tea ceremony when presented on Nikkei’s own terms. He distinguishes this from being asked to perform stereotypical representations dictated by others who lack cultural understanding.

Military & Veterans

• Enthusiasm Up for Nisei Veterans Reunion in L.A., page 3. The 10th triennial Nisei Veterans Reunion will be held Aug. 5-8 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Los Angeles, hosted by the Nisei Veterans Coordinating Council. This will likely be the last such reunion held on the mainland.
• July 11 Kickoff Luncheon to Aid Exhibit, page 3. A kickoff luncheon on July 11 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel will raise funds for the 100/442/MIS Museum Foundation to transfer the Nisei GI exhibit to the L.A. County Museum of Natural History. Senator Daniel Inouye will be the keynote speaker.

Obituaries

• Dr. Eugenia Y. Fujita Yanagisawa, page 6. Dr. Eugenia Y. Fujita Yanagisawa, the first Nisei woman physician to graduate from UC Berkeley Medical School, died May 25 in Bergenfield, NJ at age 68. She served as the first physician at Topaz Relocation Center and later worked at several New York hospitals before retiring in 1981.
• Dr. M. Paul Suzuki, page 6. Dr. M. Paul Suzuki, a physician who practiced in Seattle’s International District for 44 years, died June 1 at age 78. He and his family were interned at Puyallup and Minidoka during WWII before returning to Seattle in 1946.

Sports

• Orange County Continues to Win PSWDC-Mikasa Nisei Relays, page 8. Orange County JACL won the 1982 Nisei Relays for its sixth straight title at Santa Ana College, with Gardena Valley winning four division titles. Individual high point trophies were awarded across multiple age and gender divisions with several new records set.

Arts & Entertainment

• Helping Young People to Relate to Evacuation on Personal Level, by Calvin M. Honda, page 9. Yoshiko Uchida’s new book ‘Desert Exile: The Uprooting of a Japanese American Family’ was published by the University of Washington Press, offering a personalized account of her family’s WWII internment experience. Uchida, author of 22 books, hopes the book will help young Japanese Americans understand and relate to the Evacuation on a personal level.
• Uchida Garners Commonwealth Club Award, page 9. Yoshiko Uchida won her second writing award from the Commonwealth Club for ‘A Jar of Dreams’, receiving the Silver Medal for juvenile literature. Judges considered over 200 books, with only eight honored at a special luncheon.

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