Redress gains support, and a Stockton assembly center becomes a state landmark

Vol. 98, No. 24, June 22, 1984. 12 pages. View this issue

Redress ran through this issue from the front page on. The Pacific Citizen reported that the congressional Black caucus had joined the Hispanic caucus in backing monetary redress, that HR 4110 had reached 103 co-sponsors, and that the Presbyterian Church USA assembly had voted to support the bills. Tetsuya Kato covered the June 2 dedication of a plaque at the site of the former Stockton Assembly Center, which held 4,271 Japanese Americans in 1942, with John Tateishi giving the keynote. Minoru Yasui reviewed redress work on the East Coast, and Bill Hosokawa wrote about Tateishi’s oral history book ‘And Justice for All.’ Readers also wrote in on both sides of the money question.

Elsewhere, Harry Honda continued his Little Tokyo Life series with Wilmington/Weller Street, and a groundbreaking for Little Tokyo Square was reported. Loni Ding’s film about the 442nd Regimental Combat Team won two awards. Page 4 lists the schedule for the national JACL convention in Honolulu, and page 6 gathers chapter scholarship dinners, golf tournaments and the first national singles convention.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• Detention Center Site Becomes State Landmark, by Tetsuya Kato, page 1. A ceremony was held June 2 in Stockton to dedicate a plaque marking the location of the former Stockton Assembly Center, which held 4,271 Japanese Americans from May to October 1942. John Tateishi, national JACL redress director, gave the keynote address, and the event included memorabilia displays and participation from Boy Scout Troop 293.

National

• More in House Back Redress, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Members of the congressional Black caucus have endorsed redress legislation for Japanese Americans interned during WWII, joining the Hispanic caucus in support. HR 4110 has gained four new co-sponsors, bringing the total to 103.
• Church Body Adds Support, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The 196th general assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA, representing 3.5 million members, voted to support HR 4110 and S 2116 at its national meeting. The resolution directs the assembly to communicate with Congress and member congregations.
• Canadian Gov’t to Apologize, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Canada’s Multiculturalism Minister David Collenette announced that individual compensation for Nikkei WWII internees would not be recommended to the Canadian cabinet, but the government would apologize to survivors. Some form of group compensation may be offered instead.
• Japan Fines U.S. Protestor, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Kathleen Morikawa, an American living in Japan for 11 years, was fined about $43 by a Yokohama court for refusing to be fingerprinted as required of resident aliens. She was also denied a re-entry permit, and many foreigners say the fingerprinting requirement is discriminatory.
• ABC Olympics Responds to Minority Concerns, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A coalition of 18 community groups, Americans Committed to the Olympic Spirit, found ‘great improvement’ in ABC-TV’s hiring and coverage policies for the 1984 Summer Olympics after earlier complaints. ABC has filled a third of 1,200 jobs with minorities and hired 9 minorities for on-camera positions out of 63, though vendor contract details remain undisclosed.

Arts & Entertainment

• Kashiwahara: A Reporter Can Also Make News, by P.C. Staff, page 1. ABC News correspondent Ken Kashiwahara delivered the keynote address at the Asian American Journalists Assn. scholarship dinner, discussing the progress of Asian Americans in journalism and recounting his experiences covering the fall of Saigon and the assassination of his brother-in-law Benigno Aquino in Manila. He concluded that journalists can and should get involved within the bounds of professional ethics.
• ‘Nisei Soldier’ Wins Top Film Awards, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Loni Ding’s film ‘Nisei Soldier: Standard Bearer for an Exiled People’ received a Golden Eagle award from the Council on International Nontheatrical Events and the Blue Ribbon first place award at the American Film Festival. The documentary tells the story of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the most decorated unit of its size in U.S. military history.
• Theater Arts Workshop Open, by P.C. Staff, page 3. East West Players offers its third annual intensive summer theater workshop from August 6 through September 2, open to persons 16 and older with varying levels of experience. Artistic director Mako notes the workshop provides training in a professional environment, with classes including acting, taiko, and Asian American history theater.
• New Novel Dishes Up Pulp, by Raymond Okamura, page 5. This critical book review examines Robert Skimin’s novel ‘Chikara,’ calling it exploitative pulp fiction with racist and sexist elements rather than an authentic portrayal of Japanese American history. The reviewer argues the novel misrepresents itself as a Japanese American ‘Roots’ when it is actually about a family that ultimately returns to Japan, never truly establishing itself in America.
• Bonsai Master Creates Miniature World of Beauty from Junipers, by Bob M. Hirata, page 11. Denver bonsai master Bob Kataoka has created 600 specimens considered among the best in the nation, as profiled in Modern Maturity magazine. Kataoka is especially celebrated for his work with Colorado native junipers, limber pines and ponderosa pines, emphasizing that bonsai are trained rather than tortured to evoke the spirit of nature.

In-Depth

• Little Tokyo Life: Wilmington/Weller, by Harry Honda, page 2. This installment of the Little Tokyo Life series examines the history of Wilmington/Weller Street, tracing its transformation from a German town area to a hub of Black, Filipino, and Japanese businesses in the early 1900s. The piece details specific businesses and buildings along the street from 1912 through the postwar era, noting coincidences in addresses over time.

Community

• Development Money Pours Into Old Industrial Part of J-town, by P.C. Staff, page 2. About 300 community members attended a groundbreaking for Little Tokyo Square, a new four-acre development featuring a shopping center, movie theaters, bowling alley, and restaurants. The project, developed by several companies including Yaohan Corp. of Japan, is expected to be completed by August 1985.
• Little Tokyo Service Center to Honor Three Community Leaders, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Little Tokyo Service Center will honor Rokuro Watanabe, Ethel Kohashi, and Tritia Toyota at a dinner and awards ceremony for their service to the Nikkei community. Watanabe built a floral business and served many Japanese American organizations, Kohashi worked extensively with women’s and cultural groups, and Toyota is a KNBC news anchor known for community service.
• Nisei and Retirement to Present Lecture/Demo on Physical Fitness, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Physical therapist Gene Oishi will speak at a Nisei and Retirement meeting about maintaining fitness in retirement age, demonstrating simple movements for preventing disorders associated with aging. The program is chaired by Kiku Funabiki, a yoga teacher who once suffered from rheumatoid arthritis.
• San Diego Chapter Scholarship Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Dr. Jack Fujimoto, president of West Los Angeles Community College, spoke at the San Diego JACL chapter’s scholarship dinner, where nineteen scholars shared $5,600 in awards. Recipients came from multiple area high schools including Patrick Henry, Madison, Southwest, and Mt. Miguel.
• San Jose Chapter Golf Tournament, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The San Jose JACL golf tournament is scheduled for Saturday, July 28 at Pleasant Hills Golf Course, open to JACL members and guests. Entry deadline is July 17, with fees of $13 for members and $15 for non-members.
• San Mateo Chapter Golf Tournament, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The chapter’s first annual golf tournament, open to men and women, will be held Sunday, July 22 at Skywest in Hayward. Sign-ups are being taken by David Hayashi.
• Cleveland Chapter Community Picnic, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The annual foundation community picnic takes place Sunday, July 22, at Clay’s Park, featuring softball, undo-kai, swimming, boating and games. Tickets are $3.50 with children under 3 admitted free.
• Greater L.A. Singles Chapter News, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A support group for the divorced meets twice monthly at locations in West Los Angeles and Monterey Park, open to all regardless of JACL membership. The chapter also holds a yard sale June 30 at Lutheran Oriental Church in Torrance.
• Sonoma County Chapter Community Picnic, by P.C. Staff, page 6. JACL and Enmanji Temple will hold a community picnic at Howarth Park in Santa Rosa on Sunday, June 24. The picnic will be held at the upper picnic area near the merry-go-round.
• Stockton Chapter Scholarship Recipients Honored, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Recipients of the 1984 Stockton chapter scholarships were honored at Kazan restaurant, including Liana Itaya, Darryl Chau, and Diane Saga among Stagg High School graduates. Additional scholarships went to students from Edison, Lincoln, and Manteca East Union high schools.
• Central Calif. District Awards Five Scholarships, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Central California District Council awarded $1,700 in scholarships to five high school students, including Michael George Kondo and Keith Uota who received Issei Memorial scholarships. Citizenship plaques were also awarded to four additional students.
• Singles Convention Addresses Roles of Men and Women, Forming Relationships, Handling Grief After Widowhood, by Meriko Mori, page 6. About 250 Nisei, Sansei and other singles gathered for the first national JACL singles convention in Gardena, hosted by the Greater Los Angeles Singles Chapter, with attendees from across the country. The convention featured workshops on relationships and lifestyle options, speeches by Harry Kitano and others, and plans for establishing a national singles concerns committee and future conventions.
• Japanese American Notes, by P.C. Staff, page 11. This roundup covers various Japanese American achievements: Stuart Tsujimoto named VP of Universal Heritage Investments; Dr. Clarence Ueda honored as outstanding teacher at University of Nebraska; tennis player Shozo Shiraishi representing a Tokyo hotel on tour; journalism students Lisa Maneki and Karen Maeshiro winning Carol Burnett Fund prizes; law student Jay Fujitani securing a Supreme Court clerkship; and Senator Daniel Inouye named Advocate of the Year by the Japan-Hawaii Lawyers Association.

JACL

• Convention Schedule, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A detailed schedule has been established for the 28th national JACL convention in Honolulu, August 12-17, including business sessions, workshops, a sunset luau, and the Sayonara Ball. Early Bird convention registration deadline has been extended to June 30.
• Takamine Unopposed for National Post of JACL Secretary/Treasurer, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Attorney Gene Takamine is the sole candidate for national JACL secretary/treasurer this biennium, having served in various Selanoco Chapter and Pacific Southwest District Council leadership roles. Takamine emphasizes the need for JACL to improve money management and look toward the future beyond redress.
• PC: Growing and Changing, by Henry Sakai, page 7. The Pacific Citizen has expanded to 12 pages with plans to grow to 16 and eventually 24 pages, requiring additional staff investment. The PC board has proposed a bylaws amendment clarifying that the Pacific Citizen’s editorial and business operations are under the authority of the PC board rather than the national director, to preserve editorial independence.
• Ready to Greet You, by Frank Sakamoto, page 8. Frank Sakamoto, chair of the Gila River II Reunion, lists numerous individuals who have agreed to serve as hosts and hostesses for the reunion, including author Michi Weglyn. The reunion is being held in conjunction with the JACL Thousand Club Whing-Ding, and attendees are encouraged to sign up for both events.

Commentary

• Yes, Warts ‘n All, page 4. This editorial argues that true commitment to America means acknowledging both the nation’s faults and strengths, rather than demanding blind patriotic perfection. It states that Nikkei have demonstrated unwavering loyalty to America despite being mistreated during WWII, and that true citizens should work to make their country better rather than pretend it is faultless.
• Redress Phase Five, by Minoru Yasui, page 5. This column reviews redress campaign progress on the East Coast, highlighting the work of Eastern District Council JACL leaders including Grayce Uyehara, Tom Kometani, Sumi Kobayashi, Jack Ozawa, and Charles Nagao in contacting members of Congress. It also acknowledges efforts by K. Patrick Okura in the Washington D.C. area and credits New England JACLers for their redress work.
• Cries from the Heart, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. This column reviews the oral history book ‘And Justice for All’ by John Tateishi, which compiles personal stories of 30 Japanese Americans recounting their WWII experiences. Hosokawa highlights several poignant accounts, including those of Mary Tsukamoto, draft resister Jack Tono, and disabled veteran Wilson Makabe, calling the book essential reading especially for Sansei and Yonsei generations.
• Money Least Important Form of Compensation, page 9. A letter writer responds angrily to a previous letter advocating monetary redress, arguing that apology and exoneration are far more important than money, which the writer considers unethical as the primary basis for settling such matters. The writer describes losing a business in San Francisco before being conscripted into the Army in 1942, but insists compensation should come only after apology and exoneration are settled.
• Look at Vassar Course, by Nobuyuki Nakajima, page 9. The letter writer supports Noriko Okamoto’s criticism of racism and sexism in a Vassar course and proposes that Asian American organizations form a committee including sociologists to investigate the course content. The goal would be to pinpoint specifically which parts of the professor’s lecture are objectionable and why.
• Primer on Japan, by Ken Nakano, page 9. The writer, chair of the Seattle Chapter’s International Relations Committee, recommends a booklet titled ‘What I Want to Know About Japan’ written for junior high students by Betty Bullard. The booklet addresses common questions about Japan and is available free from the Japan Information Center in New York.
• Wooden Nickel Okay, by Noby Yoshimura, page 9. The writer argues that redress issues cannot be resolved as long as the monetary reparation stumbling block exists, and expresses willingness to accept token compensation like Bill Marutani’s wooden nickel suggestion rather than continuing to wait. The writer warns that a prolonged war of attrition on redress will mean internees die before any settlement is reached.

Military & Veterans

• Convention Arranges Punchbowl Memorial Service for 100th/442nd, by P.C. Staff, page 4. JACL has arranged a memorial service at Punchbowl National Cemetery in Honolulu on August 16 in conjunction with the national convention, honoring the contributions of Hawaii’s Japanese American WWII veterans. The service will highlight the 100th Infantry Battalion’s nine months of service in Europe before the 442nd joined them, with JACL officials including Frank Sato and Paul Bannai assisting in planning.

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