Vol. 106, No. 25, June 24, 1988. 8 pages. View this issue
Eligibility criteria for H.R. 442 remained the main open question on the front page. A Senate Conference Committee staff meeting was scheduled to take it up, while the White House received letters from veterans opposing the $20,000 payments. JACL-LEC’s Grayce Uyehara and Rita Takahashi reported more than 1,800 mailgrams sent through Western Union to keep up the lobbying. Four conservative Republican House members also signed a “Dear Colleague” letter backing the bill. On page 4, a reader wrote that proposed amendments would shut out people who renounced their citizenship during the war. The paper also reported on the Go for Broke Veterans Assn., which began planning a 1993 celebration of the 442nd RCT and 100th Infantry Battalion.
Inside are profiles of the three candidates for National JACL president: Mollie Fujioka, Helen Kawagoe and Cressey Nakagawa. David Henry Hwang’s Tony Award for M. Butterfly made the front page. Commentary from Bill Hosokawa and Bill Marutani appears on page 4, and Yuji Ichioka’s new book, The Issei, is covered on page 3.
What’s in this issue
Incarceration & Redress
- Eligibility Issue on Redress Bill Still Unresolved, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Senate Conference Committee staff meeting was scheduled to resolve eligibility criteria issues in H.R. 442, as the White House received many letters from veterans opposing the $20,000 payments. JACL-LEC officials reported over 1,800 mailgrams sent through Western Union urging continued lobbying until redress legislation passes.
- Conservative Congressmen Urge Colleague Support for Redress, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Four conservative Republican House members signed a ‘Dear Colleague’ letter urging support for H.R. 442, citing constitutional violations in the wartime incarceration of Japanese Americans. Rep. Robert Matsui praised the bipartisan support, noting that justice transcends political lines.
- Nisei Veterans Focus on 1993 Celebration (continued), page 3. The continuation details the proposed structure of the Go for Broke Veterans Assn., including national and regional officers and a detailed outline of events planned for the 1993 commemorative program. The program would include a presidential proclamation, a commemorative postage stamp, and ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery.
JACL
- Don Nakanishi Case Still Smoking, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Asian legislative staff caucus threatened to ask the California state legislature to review UCLA’s handling of Don Nakanishi’s tenure case unless the university addresses community concerns. Nakanishi, denied tenure in 1987, has appealed, alleging the review process was infected with political and racial bias.
- JACL Candidates for National President Speak Out, page 5. Three candidates for National JACL president—Mollie Fujioka, Helen Kawagoe, and Cressey Nakagawa—answer questions about JACL’s priorities, redress efforts, and relationships with other civil rights organizations. Each candidate outlines personal contributions to the redress campaign and visions for strengthening JACL’s membership and coalition-building in the future.
Military & Veterans
- Nisei Veterans Focus on 1993 Celebration, page 1. The newly formed Go for Broke Veterans Assn. received $3,000 in unsolicited donations to launch plans for a 1993 celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the 442nd RCT and 100th Infantry Battalion. The group proposes a heroic memorial at Arlington National Cemetery and a series of commemorative events honoring Nisei WW2 veterans.
National
- NEA Distributing Book Against ‘English Only’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National Education Association is distributing a handbook opposing the ‘English Only’ movement, warning of the dangers of language restrictionism. NEA President Molly Hatwood Futrell said fears about English’s status are unfounded and discourage valuable language education.
- Retail Store to Pay City for Racial Bias, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Duty Free Shoppers agreed to pay San Francisco $250,000 and change practices after being accused of racial discrimination and false advertising, including discouraging Black customers and misleading Japanese tourists. The settlement includes additional payments to civil rights groups and an injunction against discriminatory access policies.
Arts & Entertainment
- Hwang Gets Tony Award for ‘M. Butterfly’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Playwright David Henry Hwang’s play M. Butterfly won the Tony Award for best play, with additional Tonys for B.D. Wong and director John Dexter. The play is based on a true story about a French diplomat’s love affair with a transvestite Beijing opera singer.
Commentary
- A Trans-Pacific Common Market, by Masanori Morioka, page 2. A Japanese economist argues that Japan will become the world’s leading economic power by 2001, and recommends forming a Japan-U.S. free-trade zone, increasing imports of manufactured goods, and boosting foreign aid to avoid economic conflict with the U.S. He suggests these policies could help create a Pacific economic community integrating Japan with North America.
- Hamburgers and Marmalade, by P.C. Staff, page 4. An editorial discusses the resolution of a long trade dispute between the U.S. and Japan over beef and orange import quotas, noting that Japanese Americans often become innocent bystanders in such disputes. It questions why such agreements require prolonged conflict rather than early cooperation.
- Shut Out of Redress?, page 4. A reader describes her family’s suffering after her mother renounced U.S. citizenship during WW2 to reunite with children stranded in Hiroshima, and criticizes proposed amendments that would exclude such renunciants from redress payments. She calls on JACL leadership to actively fight for the rights of all those aggrieved by Executive Order 9066.
- Sweepstakes a Good Deal for All, page 4. A JACL member urges chapters to participate in the National JACL Sweepstakes to raise funds for the organization’s treasury ahead of the national convention. The writer notes that selling just 10 tickets per chapter could net $45,000 for JACL-LEC’s lobbying efforts.
- Japanese TV Fans Turn On to Oregon, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Bill Hosokawa recounts how the Japanese TV series ‘From Oregon With Love,’ inspired by Kiyoshi Nakamura, became a hit in Japan and boosted Oregon’s tourism industry among Japanese visitors. The columnist notes Nakamura’s efforts to bring similar promotional opportunities to Colorado.
- Fingerprints and Immigration, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Bill Marutani examines Japan’s Alien Registration Law requiring fingerprinting of long-term non-citizen residents, particularly Koreans, and compares it to U.S. immigration and identification requirements under the Immigration Reform and Control Act. He reflects on the irony of American bureaucracy demanding similar documentation from its own citizens.
Community
- ‘Giant Insects’ Invade Museum, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Fifty colossal wooden insect sculptures by Japanese artist Yoshinori Shimazu will be displayed at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History starting July 23. The exhibit includes a 20-foot caterpillar and a butterfly with a 12-foot wingspan.
- Newsmakers, by P.C. Staff, page 6. This roundup highlights achievements of several Japanese Americans, including Christa McAuliffe Fellow Lorraine Mito, filmmaker Loni Ding’s Asian American Media Award, and newly appointed judge Irene Takahashi. Also mentioned are artist Henry Fukuhara’s exhibition in Hiroshima and student Ramoncito Dimaculangan’s Flag Day honor.
- St. Francis Xavier in San Francisco Celebrating 75th, by P.C. Staff, page 6. St. Francis Xavier, a Japanese Catholic mission in San Francisco, will celebrate its 75th anniversary with a Mass and dinner in August. Registration for the dinner is being accepted by Mrs. Cecilia Haratani until July 18.
- Four County Reunion Deadline Set for June 30, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Organizers announced the registration deadline for the second Yuba, Sutter, Butte and Colusa counties reunion scheduled for September 1988, featuring golf, a banquet, and dance. The reunion committee hopes to attract more young family members to the event.
In-Depth
- More ‘Japanese Studies’ for Collegians Seen, by P.C. Staff, page 3. An intensive summer seminar at San Diego State University is introducing Japanese studies into undergraduate curricula, sponsored by the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission. Twenty professors and deans were selected from 300 applicants for the program, which will run for three more summers.
- Issei World Theme of New Book, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Yuji Ichioka’s new book, The Issei: The World of the First Generation Japanese Immigrants 1885-1924, explores the powerlessness and struggles of Japanese immigrants excluded from U.S. naturalization laws. Ichioka, a UCLA Asian American Studies researcher, worked with editor Grant Ujifusa on the book, due for release July 11.
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