Redress, Tule Lake and Amache, and an Osaka family’s fight against racism

Vol. 109, No. 5, September 1, 1989. 8 pages. View this issue

The Pacific Citizen’s front page led with the Arita family of Osaka, whose notes, videotapes and journals from a 17-day U.S. tour against anti-Black racism in Japan disappeared at the Los Angeles airport. Mayor Tom Bradley promised police help. The issue also followed the Japanese American incarceration (often called internment) and redress: a JACL ceremony planned for Sept. 10 at the Tule Lake Linkville Cemetery, Denver volunteers seeking historic site status for Amache, and the California Assembly’s textbook resolution tied to the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. Page 2 reported the Office of Redress Administration’s estimate of about 16,000 eligible survivors aged 70 and over.

On the commentary pages, Bill Hosokawa, Bill Marutani and Velina Hasu Houston wrote on Nikkei films, the Japanese words for redress, and Amerasian identity, and Harry K. Honda reported on National President Cressey Nakagawa’s remarks in Salt Lake City. Page 2 also carried news of a gold locket found at Manzanar and East West Players’ 24th season.

What’s in this issue

National

• Osaka Family’s Fight on Anti-Black Racism Stalled, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Arita family of Osaka, in Los Angeles to fight anti-Black racism in Japan, had their notes, videotapes and journals documenting their 17-day U.S. tour disappear at the airport. Mayor Tom Bradley pledged police help to recover the missing materials, which chronicled meetings with prominent Black Americans.
• Japan Weeklies Dubbed ‘Peeping Tom Press’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japanese scandal magazines, dubbed the ‘peeping Tom press,’ published sensational stories contributing to the downfall of Prime Minister Sousuke Uno. A mass communications professor noted these magazines are increasingly focusing on political scandal rather than just celebrity gossip.
• 28% Minority Tally in Federal Work Force, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A survey by the Office of Personnel Management found nearly 28% of the federal work force to be minorities, broken down by Black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific, and American Indian percentages. The total number of employees was not reported.
• Death Penalty Sought in Ai Toyoshima Case, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Gregory Calvin Smith, 27, was charged with 37 felony counts including rape and murder of 16-year-old exchange student Ai Toyoshima in San Jose. Prosecutors announced they will seek the death penalty against the accused.
• Poll Finds Tokyoites Fear Influx of Foreign Workers, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A Tokyo Metropolitan Government survey found about 48% of Tokyo residents fear an influx of foreign workers will create cultural conflict. About 91% predicted that the number of foreign workers would increase in the future.
• South American Nisei in Japan Hub of Job Controversy, by From the Japan Times, page 7. Three employment agency executives in Japan were accused of illegally placing South American Nisei workers from Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay into factory labor jobs, which is prohibited for foreign personnel under Japanese law. Police believe the executives earned about ¥250 million over the past year recruiting 720 Nisei workers for eight companies.

JACL

• JACL to Dedicate Tule Lake Linkville Cemetery Sept. 10, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL will hold a dedication ceremony on Sept. 10 in Klamath Falls, Oregon for a new bronze marker honoring 11 deceased whose remains remain at Tule Lake’s Linkville Cemetery. The program includes taiko performances, remarks from officials, and clergy, organized largely through the efforts of Sansei taiko maker Mark Miyoshi.
• Over 300 Expected at JACL National Singles Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Fourth National JACL Singles Convention is expected to draw over 300 attendees to the Torrance Marriott Hotel Sept. 1-3, with participants coming from across the country. The convention features 16 workshops and an appearance by National JACL President Cressey Nakagawa.
• Three Openings Available on JACL-LEC Board, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL-LEC Board announced three at-large openings for 1990-92 terms. Interested persons should contact Meriko Mori for nomination forms by the Sept. 22 deadline.
• JACL HQ’s ‘American Promise’ Sept. 23, by P.C. Staff, page 1. National JACL will host a special dinner, ‘An American Promise,’ on Sept. 23 at the Hyatt on Union Square to honor organizations that supported the redress campaign, including the American Jewish Committee, Anti-Defamation League, and San Francisco Chronicle. Corporate sponsors include Sanwa, Sumitomo Bank, and Mitsui Co., with proceeds benefiting National JACL programs.
• Nakagawa Sees JACL as ‘First Line of Defense’ in Wake of ‘Foreigners Taking Over’ Agitation, by Harry K. Honda, page 3. At the Intermountain District Council’s 50th anniversary dinner in Salt Lake City, National President Cressey Nakagawa urged JACL to press forward on redress appropriations and warned of rising anti-Japanese sentiment amid U.S.-Japan trade tensions. Bob Mizukami was honored with the JACL ruby pin for 25-plus years of community leadership, and IDC historian Alice Kasai presented a detailed history of the district’s founding and milestones since 1939.
• AAJA to Hold National Convention in Big Apple, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Asian American Journalists Association announced its third national convention will be held Aug. 22-25, 1990 at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. Executive Director Diane Yen-Mei Wong said they hope to attract about 500 Asian American journalism students and professionals, marking the first time AAJA’s convention has moved to the East Coast.

Incarceration & Redress

• Denverites Name Amache ‘Historic Site’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Denver Central Optimist Club, caretakers of the Amache Cemetery and Memorial Site in Colorado, is seeking National Register of Historic Sites status despite opposition from the town of Granada. The group annually travels to Amache to clean the site and hold a memorial service, and seeks help identifying two unknown graves.
• Textbook Revision Resolution Vents Bad Feelings in California, by P.C. Staff, page 1. California’s Assembly passed Resolution 37 requiring textbooks to reflect the Civil Liberties Act of 1988’s finding that Japanese internment was not a military necessity but a violation of human rights. The vote sparked heated exchanges between Assemblywoman Jackie Speier and Assemblyman Gil Ferguson, with Assemblyman Phillip Isenberg sharply condemning Ferguson’s remarks defending the internment decision.
• ORA Estimates 16,000 Eligible Potentials for Redress 70 Years and Up as of 1988, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Department of Justice’s Office of Redress Administration released estimates that approximately 16,000 Japanese Americans and permanent resident aliens who were interned during WWII are age 70 and over as of 1988. ORA Administrator Bob Bratt cautioned the figures are estimates with a possible 5 percent error margin, with eldest eligible survivors designated to receive redress payments first.
• Revision Debate Continues: Assemblyman Peace’s Family Story, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Continuing coverage of the California textbook resolution debate notes that Assemblyman J. Stephen Peace’s entire family had been interned during the war, which he cited in his appeal supporting the resolution. Ferguson maintained he did not want children taught that their grandparents were racists, to which Speier responded that was not what the resolution stated.

Community

• Old Zen Center in Maui Burned Down Now Rising, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Rinzai Zen Mission in Paia, Maui, destroyed by an arson fire 18 months ago, is being rebuilt as Rev. Ryozo Yamaguchi conducted Obon services there. The mission, founded by Okinawan immigrants, is the only Rinzai Zen temple outside of Japan.
• Chili Winners, by George Johnston (photo), page 1. Visual Communications’ annual Chili-Visions chili cook-off was held Aug. 19 in Little Tokyo, with the Korean American Coalition winning the cook-off and Bob Uno winning the people’s choice award. Over 350 chili and movie fans attended the event.
• First Nikkei Conference on Aging in Canada Slated, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The first national Canadian Nikkei conference on aging will be held Oct. 5-6 at the Westin Hotel in Calgary under the National Association of Japanese Canadians. Film producer and actor Robert Ito will be among the workshop discussion leaders.
• The Newsmakers, by P.C. Staff, page 6. This roundup profiles numerous Japanese American community members and their achievements, including Tom Nakagawa’s county auditor campaign, Judge Fumiko Wasserman’s appointment to LA County Superior Court, and various professionals, scientists, and students recognized for their accomplishments. Also featured are updates on business leaders, medical professionals, and athletes within the Nikkei community.

Arts & Entertainment

• Manzanar Locket Found, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A gold locket discovered by treasure hunter Don Imhoof was displayed during the Nisei Week Camp exhibit and is now on display at the Eastern California Museum. Exhibitors hope to locate the locket’s original owner and have provided contact information for anyone with information.
• East West Players to Open 24th Season, by P.C. Staff, page 2. East West Players, under new artistic director Nobu McCarthy, announced its 24th season featuring a Sondheim musical, two world premieres by Asian American playwrights, and a classic American drama. The lineup includes Company, Wakako Yamauchi’s The Chairman’s Wife, Vernon Takeshita’s Performance Anxiety, and Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie.

Obituaries

• Deaths, by P.C. Staff, page 3. This roundup lists the deaths of several community members including Shoichi Hada, Shitoyo Kotake, Hama Kowaki, Grace Mutsuko Matsui, Kaoru Shimano, and Myer C. Symonds, a labor attorney who defended Jack Hall in the Smith Act trial. Each entry includes survivors and brief biographical notes.

Commentary

• Why’ Missing in Sambo Ban, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This editorial examines how Japan removed Little Black Sambo and other racist caricatures of Blacks from publication without any real effort to explain American sensitivities about racial stereotypes to the Japanese public. The piece argues that Japanese Americans and JACL missed an opportunity to foster deeper cross-cultural understanding about discrimination, including Japan’s own issues with Koreans, Ainu and burakumin.
• Letters to the Editor, by Various, page 4. Several letters are published including one praising Councilman Michael Woo and recommending books on Japanese American history, another praising the ADL and SCLC’s effectiveness as civil rights organizations with lessons for Asian American groups, and a letter commending the P.C. staff for excellent recent articles.
• Small Turnout for Nikkei Films, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Bill Hosokawa recounts attending a Denver screening of Sansei-produced films Beacon Hill Boys and Cruisin’ J-Town, expecting a young crowd but finding the audience mostly Nisei. He reflects on the films’ themes and questions whether younger generations’ lack of interest undermines hopes for unified Asian American political action.
• Redress and ‘Ho-Sho’, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Bill Marutani explores the nuances of Japanese dictionary terms jiten, ji-sho, and ji-biki, and investigates the Japanese terms ho-sho and bai-sho for ‘redress’ and ‘indemnity.’ He concludes that bai-sho is more commonly used for everyday civil matters while ho-sho may be more fitting for the weighty matter of redress under constitutional rights.
• A Brown Japanese Amerasian Speaks: The Defense and Nurture of Amerasian Culture in America, by Velina Hasu Houston, page 5. Playwright Velina Hasu Houston writes about the unique racism faced by Brown Amerasians—those of mixed Asian and African or other minority heritage—recounting personal incidents of discrimination from both Japanese and American communities. She argues for recognition of Amerasians as a distinct racial and cultural identity deserving acceptance and respect from all communities.

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