Trade tensions with Japan, a Manzanar pilgrimage and redress

Vol. 100, No. 14, April 12, 1985. 12 pages. View this issue

Trade friction between the U.S. and Japan led this issue. The front page reported that Congress threatened sanctions after Japan announced a 24.3% increase in auto exports, and the Senate passed a resolution 92 to 0 asking for import restrictions. Dick H. Yamashita’s column traced the history of U.S.-Japan economic relations, and a Pacific Southwest conference workshop asked how Japanese Americans might serve as a bridge between the two countries.

Incarceration and redress ran through the issue. A pilgrimage to Manzanar, themed ‘Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied,’ honored Fred Korematsu, Gordon Hirabayashi and Min Yasui. J.K. Yamamoto wrote about John J. McCloy and Karl Bendetsen, and Harry Kajihara urged members to give to the redress fund drive. Also inside: a controversy over a film based on the Wah Mee Club massacre in Seattle, and a push to end JACL sponsorship of beauty contests.

What’s in this issue

National

• Congress Threatens Japan With Sanctions, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Congress reacted angrily after Japan announced it would increase auto exports to the U.S. by 24.3%, with senators like Bob Packwood and Bob Dole threatening retaliation and import restrictions. The Senate passed a resolution demanding Japan open its markets, while Reagan sent envoys to Tokyo and Japan sent its own deputy foreign minister to Washington in an effort to defuse tensions.
• U.S. Tells Cities to Abolish Quotas, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The U.S. Justice Department told 56 city, county and state agencies to eliminate race and sex quotas from affirmative action plans, citing the Supreme Court’s Stotts ruling. Not all local governments agree with the department’s broad interpretation, and Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley said none of the city’s affirmative action decrees would be amended.

Community

• Seattle Chinatown Tragedy Basis for New Movie, by Ron Chew, International Examiner, page 1. An independent California film company began shooting a movie called ‘Border of the Tong,’ based loosely on the 1983 Wah Mee Club massacre in Seattle’s International District. Community members, police, and relatives of victims expressed outrage over the project, fearing it stereotypes the Chinese community and reopens wounds as the trial of surviving suspect Tony Ng was underway.
• Oxnard Expecting Jam at Festival, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Oxnard, California is preparing for its second annual California Strawberry Festival on April 20-21, following last year’s turnout of about 100,000 visitors. The festival will feature gourmet strawberry foods, arts and crafts, entertainment, a wine festival, and various contests and races.
• Matsuri Is Next Week, by P.C. Staff, page 3. San Francisco’s 18th annual Cherry Blossom Festival will be held over two consecutive weekends, April 19-21 and 26-28, featuring taiko performances, dancing, martial arts, and food. The celebration culminates with a three-hour parade on April 28.
• Hanamatsuri Set for Little Tokyo, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A procession featuring a live elephant will lead the Hanamatsuri celebration of Buddha’s birthday in Little Tokyo on April 14, organized by the Los Angeles Buddhist Church Federation. The event includes a Sweet Tea Ceremony and traditional costumes, music, and displays depicting the life of Buddha.
• Lively Exchange Marks Workshop on Interracial Marriage, by Robert Shimabukuro, page 6. A workshop at the PSW Conference on Involvement examined reasons behind high outmarriage rates among Japanese Americans, featuring panelists Harry Kitano, Doug Urata, and Sharon and Ken Uyeda Fong. Discussion touched on communication styles, social mobility, media stereotypes, and personal anecdotes about dating and marriage across ethnic lines.
• AJAs Urged to Become ‘Bridge’ in U.S.-Japan Relations, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 6. At a PSWD JACL conference workshop, Japanese Consul General Taizo Watanabe, attorney Jun Mori, and JACL’s Rose Ochi discussed how Japanese Americans could serve as a bridge in U.S.-Japan relations amid trade tensions. Panelists acknowledged the complicated position of JAs, who face both benefits and backlash depending on the state of U.S.-Japan relations.
• Tri-District Conference Will Focus on JACL Support of Beauty Contests, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The women’s concerns committee of the NCWNP District Council unanimously agreed to present a resolution at the Tri-District Conference urging JACL chapters to stop sponsoring beauty contest candidates. Chairperson Mei Nakano argued that such contests objectify women, impose Anglo-European beauty standards, and in some cases require discriminatory ‘ancestral purity’ tests.
• Singles to Hold Social at Tri-District, by P.C. Staff, page 9. A singles social is planned for April 20 as part of the Tri-District Convention weekend in Fresno, featuring dancing and refreshments organized by Fresno Chapter JACL members. A related singles workshop on self-esteem is also scheduled, featuring panelists from various JACL chapters.
• Chapter News Briefs, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Multiple JACL chapters across the country announced upcoming events including a New York seminar on professional skills for Asian Americans, a health fair in Marina/Venice-Culver, a volunteer recognition event in San Mateo, a new member reception in Alexandria, Va., a Fund-A-Rama in Salt Lake City, a spring dance in Stockton, and a theater fundraiser in Selanoco. Each event supports chapter programs, scholarships, or community centers.

JACL

• JACL Sends Sansei Delegation to Tokyo at Japan’s Invitation, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A delegation of Sansei selected by National JACL traveled to Tokyo at the invitation of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party, continuing a program started the previous summer. The delegation includes future community leaders from varied occupations and regions, chosen for sensitivity to U.S.-Japan relations and diversity.
• Life Membership Campaign Under Way, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Mas Hironaka, San Diego JACL president, was appointed chair of the JACL 1000 Club life membership campaign by national vice-president Rose Ochi. Hironaka reported that over 80 new members have already contributed the one-time $500 fee supporting national headquarters operations.

Incarceration & Redress

• Pilgrimage to Honor Resisters, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Manzanar will be formally dedicated as a national historical landmark on April 27 during the annual Manzanar pilgrimage, themed ‘Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied’ to honor Fred Korematsu, Gordon Hirabayashi and Min Yasui’s efforts to overturn their wartime convictions. The pilgrimage also commemorates photographer Ansel Adams on the anniversary of his death and calls for representation from all camps.
• Redress Panel Stresses Political Sophistication and Coalition-Building, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 6. At a PSWD JACL workshop on advocacy, speakers from JACL, NCRR and NCJAR emphasized the need for Japanese Americans to build political sophistication and link with other groups to achieve redress. Panelists discussed lobbying strategies, the importance of letters to legislators, and NCJAR’s ongoing class-action lawsuit against the government.

Commentary

• Then and Now, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Columnist Bill Hosokawa humorously describes how his household responsibilities shift when his wife travels to Japan, with his children temporarily taking on chores. He contrasts this with his own strict Issei upbringing, where parental rules were absolute and food had to be eaten without complaint.
• Lakers Win, L.A. Loses, by Bob Shimabukuro, page 4. A newcomer to Los Angeles reflects on the stark contrast between the city’s obsession with physical appearance, luxury cars, and wealth alongside its large homeless population. The column also touches on a JACL resolution against sponsoring beauty contests and ends with the author being mugged at gunpoint near his apartment.
• Samurai, Cowboys and Trade, by Dick H. Yamashita, page 4. The author uses the imagery of American cowboys and Japanese samurai to explore historical methods of conflict resolution and applies this framework to current U.S.-Japan trade tensions. He traces the history of U.S.-Japan economic relations from postwar reconstruction through the ‘Nixon Shocks’ to today’s disputes, arguing for continued dialogue and mutual understanding rather than protectionism.
• A Fundamental Experience, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa recounts his recent hospitalization for a personal medical issue and how word spread through his church’s newsletter network despite his attempts at privacy. He reflects on the universality of such ailments and how shared suffering helps people open up to one another, much like old camp friends reminiscing.
• LEC Needs Funds, by Harry Kajihara, page 5. Harry Kajihara, JACL Pacific Southwest District governor and LEC finance chair, urges JACL members to donate to the Legislative Education Committee’s redress fund drive, recalling how Issei raised over $1 million decades earlier to fight for naturalization rights. He calls for JACLers to each recruit a non-member donor to raise $2.7 million by June 1985.
• Emigration Library, by Masaharu Ano, page 5. A reader from Yamaguchi-Ken, Japan describes the opening of Japan’s first emigration library at Wakayama Shimin Toshokan, which houses roughly 4,000 items related to Japanese emigration history. He praises librarian Keiko Noguchi’s efforts in building the collection and recommends it to scholars studying Issei history.
• Follow-up Needed, by Karl K. Nobuyuki, page 5. A letter writer praises the recent PSWDC conference on Japanese American Involvement and commends conference chair J.D. Hokoyama for its success. He urges attendees and chapters to sustain the enthusiasm generated through follow-up efforts and membership drives.
• Beyond Ethnicity, by Christine Froechtenigt, page 5. Responding to a prior PC article about Tom Hsieh’s comments on Asian American political affiliation, the writer argues minorities should look beyond ethnicity toward personal values rather than aligning with parties based on identity politics. She contends that individualism, not reliance on political opportunists, best serves minority advancement in America.
• Typesetter Fund, by The Seattle JAYs, page 5. The Seattle JAYs donated $100 to the Pacific Citizen’s typesetter fund and challenged other JACL youth groups to match or exceed their contribution. They praised the PC for connecting youth groups with the broader Nikkei community nationwide.
• Abductions Result of Stereotypes, by Sandi Kawasaki, page 7. Responding to a news report about a man who kidnapped and sexually assaulted Asian children in the San Gabriel area, the author questions whether the assailant targeted Asian victims due to stereotypes of docility. She urges Asian women and children to take precautions, learn self-defense, and report assaults to combat vulnerability to violent crime.
• Samurai, Cowboys and Trade (continued), by Dick H. Yamashita, page 8. This continuation examines Japan’s historical economic phases from the 1930s through the 1970s, including its postwar recovery, the oil shock, and the Nixon-era trade surcharges. The author concludes that resolving current U.S.-Japan trade friction requires mutual effort and a shared understanding of a interconnected, interdependent global order.
• Foes in High Places, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 10. The column examines how John J. McCloy and Karl Bendetsen, two wartime officials who helped orchestrate the internment of Japanese Americans, remain influential advisors and friends of President Reagan while continuing to defend their wartime actions and oppose redress. Both men have downplayed or denied the hardships of internment in later testimony, raising concerns about their influence on redress legislation.

Arts & Entertainment

• Film Continued: Wah Mee Movie Stirs Controversy in Seattle, by Ron Chew, International Examiner, page 8. The continuation of the front-page story details director Michael Chu’s defense of his film ‘Border of the Tong,’ which he says is meant to show that crime doesn’t pay. Seattle police declined to cooperate with filming due to the ongoing Tony Ng trial, and community leaders expressed continued concern about the film’s impact on victims and public perception of Seattle’s Chinese community.

Military & Veterans

• Bendetsen, Architect of Internment Program, Now ‘Star Wars’ Advisor, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Karl Bendetsen, who played a central role in the WW2 internment of Japanese Americans as a War Department official, has become a key advisor to the Reagan Administration’s Strategic Defense Initiative (‘Star Wars’) program. His wartime role is notably absent from the credentials listed in a New York Times profile of his current advisory position.

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