Vol. 100, No. 20, May 24, 1985. 8 pages. View this issue
The front page carried a story from the final reunion of the 1800th Army Engineer General Service Battalion, where retired Major Hyman Bravin was honored for helping members change their discharge status from “blue” to honorable. It also reported that Chen Chi-li recanted his testimony in the killing of journalist Henry Liu, and that the government planned to relocate 10,000 Navajos from ancestral land. The JACL national board met May 18-19 and moved redress lobbying to the Legislative Education Committee.
Inside are columns by Bill Marutani, Bob Shimabukuro, Bill Hosokawa and J.K. Yamamoto, who wrote about the “model minority” label. Other pages cover Go For Broke, Inc.’s plans for a 1987 Smithsonian exhibit, a Portland television program on redress with Min Yasui, the opening of the Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum, and a roundup of chapter news.
What’s in this issue
Military & Veterans
- Lawyer Honored at Nisei Servicemen’s Reunion, by Robert Shimabukuro, page 1. The WW2 1800th Army Engineer General Service Battalion honored retired Major Hyman Bravin at their final reunion for helping members change their discharge status from ‘blue’ to honorable. Bravin spoke about the discrimination faced by the battalion and the need for constitutional protections against future internment of minorities.
- Support for Exhibit of JA Story Planned, page 2. Go For Broke, Inc. is organizing a support group meeting for a planned 1987 Smithsonian exhibit on the Japanese American experience, including WW2 service in the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd RCT, and MIS. Other proposed projects include a commemorative stamp and a memorial monument near Arlington National Cemetery.
National
- Liu Killer Now Says Murder Was Not Ordered, page 1. Bamboo Gang leader Chen Chi-li recanted earlier testimony, saying he was not ordered to kill journalist Henry Liu by Taiwan military intelligence official Wang Hsi-ling. An attorney for Liu’s widow still believes high government officials were involved in a cover-up.
- Navajos Resist Government Relocation Orders, page 1. The government plans to relocate 10,000 Navajos from ancestral land in what is called the largest mandatory relocation of civilians since the WW2 internment of Japanese Americans. Despite a July deadline, 7,000 Navajos remain, vowing to stay on their land.
- Legislative Aide Picked as Staff Director, page 2. Rep. Mervyn Dymally appointed his aide James Fukumoto as staff director of the Subcommittee on Postal Personnel and Modernization. Fukumoto previously worked on the Simpson-Mazzoli Immigration bill, the Japanese American Redress bill, and the Civil Rights Act of 1984.
Arts & Entertainment
- Noguchi Garden Museum Opens in New York, page 1. The Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum opened in Long Island City with 24,000 square feet of exhibition space and an outdoor sculpture garden. It features over 500 sculptures, models and photos spanning the artist’s 60-year career.
JACL
- Board Tackles Redress, Other Issues, page 1. The National JACL board meeting held May 18-19 decided to transfer redress lobbying duties to the Legislative Education Committee and sanctioned delegations to Japan as formal JACL delegations. Chapters will also receive a 20% rebate on life membership dues, with Rep. Norman Mineta as a guest speaker.
- Group Decision-making: ‘Subarctic Survival Situation’, page 5. A Tri-District JACL workshop led by Byron Kunisawa had participants engage in a survival-ranking exercise to explore group decision-making and leadership dynamics. The author observed that JACL groups were notably more calm, patient and consensus-driven compared to other ethnic groups who had done the same exercise.
Community
- Nikkei Educators Honored by A/P Group, page 2. Dr. Nobuya Tsuchida of University of Minnesota and UCLA professor Don Nakanishi were awarded top honors by the National Association for Asian and Pacific American Education. Tsuchida was honored for his work assisting Asian students, while Nakanishi won for his article on the enduring impact of internment.
- Media Conference at UCLA Set for July, page 2. The National Asian American Telecommunications Association will hold its National Asian American Media Arts Conference on July 26-28 at UCLA. The conference will feature panels, workshops, and screenings focused on the growth and future of Asian American media.
- Freeze Campaign Elects AA as Co-Chair, page 3. Asian American peace activist Lyle Butch Wing was elected co-chair of the National Bilateral Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign, the largest peace organization in the US focused on ending the nuclear arms race. Wing has been active in peace issues since 1971 and currently coordinates the 40th anniversary Hiroshima/Nagasaki Commemoration Committee.
- Pan Asian Group to Honor Professor, Kiku Gardens Board Chair, page 3. The Union of Pan-Asian Communities awards banquet will honor 12 individuals including UCSD professor Dr. Peter Irons and Kiku Gardens board chairman Moto Asakawa. The event takes place May 30 at Hotel Del Coronado with proceeds going to UPAC’s social service programs.
- Chapter Pulses, page 4. Brief chapter news roundup covering Riverside JACL scholarship recipients, West Valley’s graduate picnic, Salinas Valley Memorial Day services, Seabrook’s graduation banquet with Frank Sato, and Lake Washington’s film screening and blood drive events.
- Awards, page 6. May Doi and Frances Kaji received Women’s Achievement Awards from Soroptimists International of Gardena for their government and community service work respectively. Also honored were Charleen Doi, named outstanding blind person of the year in Honolulu, and veterinarian Bryan Mayeda, recognized at a poultry disease conference.
Commentary
- Honorable Dr. S.B. Woo, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Marutani recounts attending a Pan Asian Association dinner where Delaware Lt. Governor S.B. Woo spoke, encouraging Asian Americans to enter politics and the mainstream of society. The column reflects on how foreign-born individuals sometimes overcome barriers that American-born minorities feel held back by.
- Heroes and the Trade Deficit, by Bob Shimabukuro, page 4. Shimabukuro shares reader responses to his request for Asian American heroes, then presents a satirical dialogue explaining the US-Japan trade deficit through a mock conversation about postwar industrial development. The piece humorously argues Japan cannot buy American arms exports due to its constitutional restrictions.
- Intelligence, Round Eyes and Perfect Teeth, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa reflects on changing drinking habits among his aging Japanese business contacts, then discusses a magazine article about Japan’s nightclub industry and hostess bars. The article reveals that top hostesses earn far more than their customers and that intelligence, not just looks, is the key to their success.
- ‘Model Minority’ Idea Unhealthy, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 5. Yamamoto critiques the ‘model minority’ label applied to Japanese Americans, arguing it dangerously implies superiority over other minority groups and ignores ongoing discrimination. He warns that embracing this mentality could lead JAs to oppose programs benefiting other minorities and forget the lessons of their own internment history.
Incarceration & Redress
- Portland TV Show Focuses on Redress, page 5. A Portland television program, ‘Northwest Faces,’ will feature a poetry reading of Janice Mirikitani’s ‘Breaking Silence’ alongside Min Yasui discussing the legislative and judicial history of redress. The program airs May 26 on KGW-TV Channel 8.
Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.