Redress hearings and the CWRIC: testimony, a JACL defense and a fable

Vol. 93, No. 22, November 27, 1981. 8 pages. View this issue

The Pacific Citizen’s November 27, 1981 issue followed the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians (CWRIC) and the push for redress. On the front page, Minoru Yasui rejected testimony from the Seattle hearings that JACL created the wartime loyalty oath. Inside, readers will find Edward J. Ennis telling the commission that the evacuation was unconstitutional and that compensation is owed, Sen. Daniel Inouye explaining why money was not the top redress issue, and the testimony of James and Mari Michener. Page 2 continued testimony from Leland Barrows, Lawrence Hewes and Calvert Dedrick.

The commentary pages ran Sheridan Tatsuno on proposed detention powers for immigrants, Bill Hosokawa on Congressman Norman Mineta’s 50th birthday, and Bill Marutani’s fable of the donkeys’ tails. Chapter news included Chicago, Honolulu, Seabrook, Berkeley, Pasadena and West Los Angeles. A new documentary on the late Nisei actor Yuki Shimoda was also in the issue, with a mention of his time at Tule Lake.

What’s in this issue

Commentary

• JACL and the Loyalty Oath, by Minoru Yasui, page 1. JACL National Redress Committee Chairman Minoru Yasui refutes testimony given at CWRIC Seattle hearings alleging JACL created the WWII loyalty oath and led Japanese Americans in sacrificing their rights. He argues the loyalty oath predates JACL by centuries and that JACL supported test cases and compensation for Japanese Americans despite financial hardship after evacuation.
• Response to Hosokawa on Asian-American Political Coalition, by Alan T. Osaki, page 4. Seattle JACL Board Member Alan Osaki disputes Bill Hosokawa’s argument that an Asian-American political coalition is unfeasible, contending that geographic concentration of Asian American populations can create formidable voting blocs. Osaki argues political realities demand a unified voice among Asian American communities.
• Detention Camps-1982, by Sheridan Tatsuno, page 4. Tatsuno warns that proposed Reagan Administration emergency immigration powers could allow detention camps for immigrants without due process, drawing parallels to Japanese American internment. He challenges Sansei to investigate and fight the proposals before they become reality, invoking the lessons of Korematsu.
• Many Happy Returns, Norm, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa marks Congressman Norman Mineta’s 50th birthday by reviewing the ages and career trajectories of all Nisei members of Congress, including Hayakawa, Inouye, Matsunaga, and Matsui. He notes the importance of their growing seniority and encourages cultivation of future Sansei political leaders.
• The Tale of a Tail, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Marutani presents an allegorical fable about donkeys whose tails are unjustly cut off during a forest panic, paralleling the Japanese American incarceration experience. The story explores generational differences between those who want to understand the causes of injustice versus those who simply want restitution.

National

• Inouye Explains Why Money Not Top Redress Issue, page 1. Sen. Daniel Inouye clarified comments suggesting monetary reparations should not be the primary concern of the Commission on Wartime Relocation, saying establishing a true historical account matters more. He also warned that a similar internment could happen again if vigilance against hysteria and stress-driven policy is not maintained.
• Wisconsin Workers Destroy Japanese Flag in Protest, page 1. Workers at Teledyne Wisconsin Motor in Milwaukee destroyed a Japanese flag flown to honor visiting Tokyo businessmen, replacing it with an American flag in protest of job layoffs. The layoffs resulted from the company transferring engine production to Japan, costing 350 jobs at the West Milwaukee plant.
• CWRIC May Get Extension of Time to Dec. 31, 1982, page 1. The Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians may receive an extension of its lifespan after a request passed a House Judiciary subcommittee. The CWRIC also held hearings in New York on Nov. 23, hearing testimony from church groups and Japanese Peruvians sent to Seabrook Farms.
• PAART Discusses Asian Issues Facing Los Angeles, page 1. The Pacific Asian American Round Table held its first conference addressing issues facing the Asian American community in Los Angeles, including media representation, trade friction with Japan, and the needs of refugee groups. Panelists included representatives from legal, academic, and community organizations discussing economic and political challenges facing various Asian ethnic groups.
• Civil Rights Commission’s Arthur Flemming Ousted, page 2. Arthur J. Flemming, chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and a CWRIC member, was fired by the Reagan Administration after advocating affirmative action and criticizing the administration’s school desegregation policies. Flemming had also released a report critical of the reversal of busing policies in Houston and Seattle.
• Nat’l Public Radio to Focus on Evacuation, page 2. National Public Radio will air a three-hour program titled ‘America on Trial’ on the relocation and internment of Japanese Americans, featuring a panel including JACL redress leaders Ben Takeshita and Min Yasui. The broadcast will include interviews with senators and CWRIC commissioners along with testimony excerpts from multiple hearing cities.
• Japan’s Yakuza Reportedly Invading U.S. Drug Trade, page 3. A Senate subcommittee report warns that the Japanese yakuza is expanding into the U.S., potentially entering the heroin trade on the West Coast, with estimates of 108,000 yakuza members operating mostly in Japan. Columnist George Yoshinaga disputed the extent of this threat, suggesting yakuza are more likely to pursue money markets than risk international law enforcement entanglements.
• Tourists Shot and Robbed in L.A., S.F., page 8. A Japanese tourist couple were shot and robbed in downtown Los Angeles while photographing the skyline, and another Japanese tourist was shot in San Francisco during a robbery at the Hilton Hotel. The LAPD is compiling statistics on crimes against tourists as part of a new Tourist Safety Program ahead of the 1984 Olympics.
• Canada Holds Man on Swindle Charge, page 8. Japanese scholar Makoto Natori was arrested in Montreal on swindling charges after a series of incidents across multiple countries, including failing to pay restaurant and rental bills in California and borrowing money under false pretenses in Switzerland and Saudi Arabia. He was previously fired from a lecturing position at San Jose State for similar unpaid debts.
• U.S. Navy Pays Kin, Survivors of Accident, page 8. The U.S. Navy paid $373,913 to the family of Taizo Noguchi, captain of the Nissho Maru, which was rammed by the nuclear submarine George Washington off Kyushu. Thirteen survivors of the accident were also compensated with payments ranging from $25,217 to $29,130.

Community

• Newswoman to Address Chicago JACL, page 1. Linda Yu, co-anchor of WMAQ-TV NewsCenter 5 who traveled to China and reported on network TV, will speak at the Chicago JACL annual inaugural dinner Dec. 5. The event will also install new Midwest District officers.
• South Bay Keiro Hits $1 Million, page 3. The South Bay Nursing Home fund drive in Gardena surpassed $1,000,000 following two large donations from Russell Miller and the Royal Golf Club. The milestone was announced by campaign organizers on Nov. 17.
• ‘Salute to JACL’ Fund-Raiser in Hawaii Set, page 6. Honolulu JACL will host a fundraising entertainment evening Dec. 3 featuring Waikiki entertainers Teddy and Nanci Tanaka performing a blend of contemporary East/West music. The event includes drinks, snacks, and door prizes for a $10 donation.
• Seabrook to Host Senior Citizen Fete, page 6. Seabrook JACL will hold its year-ending Senior Citizen Appreciation Night on Dec. 5 at the Buddhist Church social hall, featuring entertainment and a buffet dinner.
• Dec. 12 Christmas Fete for Issei-Nisei Appreciation, page 6. Berkeley JACL and Nikkei Group will jointly host a Christmas luncheon Dec. 12 at North Berkeley Senior Center as an appreciation party for Issei and senior Nisei. The event is organized by chapter president David Inouye and cochairs Amy Maniwa and Terry Yamashita.
• Pasadena JACL to Hold Christmas Pot Luck, page 6. Pasadena JACL will hold a Christmas pot-luck dinner Dec. 5 at the Harris Ozawa home, with white elephant auction items welcomed.
• West L.A. Marks 40th Yr., page 6. West Los Angeles JACL celebrated its 40th anniversary while leading all chapters with 1,307 active members, honored at an installation dinner at the Miramar Sheraton. National Director Ron Wakabayashi spoke about passing JACL’s mission to the Yonsei generation, and officers including Bill Sakurai and Yuki Sato were installed.
• Gardena Church Hit by 2nd Fire, page 8. Gardena Buddhist Church suffered a second fire of mysterious origin while being rebuilt after an initial fire in July 1980 destroyed the temple. The altar pieces were unaffected since they were being stored elsewhere during reconstruction.

Incarceration & Redress

• Wartime Justice Dept. Official Labels Evacuation Illegal, by Peter Imamura, page 1. Edward J. Ennis, former director of Alien Enemy Control at the Justice Department, told the CWRIC that the WWII evacuation of Japanese Americans was unconstitutional and that compensation is owed. He described Justice Department officials’ opposition to the evacuation and the ACLU’s characterization of it as the greatest civil liberties violation since slavery.
• Barrows’ Testimony on WRA Continued, page 2. Continuing transcript testimony from Leland Barrows, a top WRA administrative official, before the CWRIC covering wages, food production losses, camp uprisings, and comparisons between WRA and Army pay scales for internees. Commissioners Brooke, Goldberg, and Mitchell questioned Barrows about camp conditions, escape attempts, and compensation levels.
• Ennis Continued: FSA Director Hewes and Census Official Testify, page 2. Lawrence Hewes of the Farm Security Administration testified he opposed the evacuation and was labeled a ‘Jap lover’ for aiding Japanese American farmers, while Census Bureau statistician Calvert Dedrick was questioned about the use of Census data in planning the evacuation. Commissioner Marutani challenged Dedrick on whether confidentiality laws were violated when census data aided the incarceration of 112,000 people.
• Michener’s Testify Before CWRIC, page 6. James and Mari Michener gave testimony to the CWRIC, with Mari recounting her forced removal to Santa Anita Assembly Center despite assurances of safety as an American citizen. James Michener characterized the evacuation as both a racist and economic move, citing Hawaii’s resistance to interning its Japanese American workforce.

Arts & Entertainment

• Shimoda Film Project Now Seeking Funds, page 3. Visual Communications is producing a documentary on the late Nisei actor Yuki Shimoda, covering his upbringing in Sacramento, incarceration at Tule Lake, and his 30-year acting career plagued by typecasting. Shimoda’s agent Guy Lee described him as warm but insecure, noting he didn’t realize his impact as an actor until near the end of his life.

JACL

• The Autumn Air, by Dr. Jim Tsujimura, page 4. National JACL President Jim Tsujimura reflects on the seasonal transition as five district governors complete their terms and pass on leadership within JACL. He thanks outgoing leaders including Cherry Tsutsumida, Kaz Mayeda, Em Nakadoi, Richard Doi, and Dennis Kunisaki for their service.
• Line People, by Ron Wakabayashi, page 5. National JACL Director Ron Wakabayashi thanks the behind-the-scenes staff members at JACL Headquarters and regional offices for their dedication, highlighting individuals like Emily Ishida, Jane Hara, and others. He praises their humility, teamwork, and years of service to the organization.

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