Redress in the courts and Congress, and Inouye eyes Senate leadership

Vol. 101, No. 11, September 13, 1985. 12 pages. View this issue

Senator Daniel Inouye’s possible bid for the Senate’s top Democratic leadership post in 1986 led the front page. Beside it, the Pacific Citizen reported that the U.S. District Court of Appeals would hear NCJAR’s class action redress suit on September 24, and that the Lane County Democrats of Oregon endorsed the redress bills HR 442 and S 1053. G. Tim Gojio wrote on how the coram nobis cases, including Gordon Hirabayashi’s, complement legislative redress. The California Senate passed a bill repealing a 1942 law that allowed the firing of Japanese American state employees, and Rep. Norman Mineta spoke on the House floor against the film ‘Year of the Dragon’.

Other pages carried columns by Bill Marutani, Bill Hosokawa and Barry Saiki on JACL and U.S.-Japan relations, and Mary Nishimoto’s account of the JACL Washington D.C. Leadership Program. Details of the ‘Return to Minidoka’ IDC/PNW convention in Jackpot, Nevada, were announced. Arts coverage included the making of a documentary on actor Yuki Shimoda and a film about an interracial friendship, ‘Kenji’.

What’s in this issue

National

• Inouye Considers Senate Leadership Post, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii acknowledged he may seek the Senate’s top Democratic leadership post in 1986, currently held by Robert Byrd. Inouye, the ninth most senior senator, said the job would bring added influence but also significant personal and political costs.
• California Senate Passes Bill Repealing WW2 Law, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The California State Senate approved a bill repealing a 1942 law that allowed the firing of Japanese American state employees during WW2. The bill, introduced by Assemblyman Phil Isenberg, now goes to Gov. Deukmejian for signature.
• Congressman Condemns ‘Year of the Dragon’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Norman Mineta criticized the film ‘Year of the Dragon’ on the House floor for presenting a stereotypical and racist portrayal of Chinese Americans. He stated the film should not have been made.
• Kobayashi Murder Linked to Stalker?, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The unsolved murder of chef Masataka Kobayashi is being checked for possible links to ‘Night Stalker’ suspect Richard Ramirez. Investigators noted Ramirez may have been visiting San Francisco around the time of the 1984 killing.
• Fujita Charges County with Sex Bias, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Dr. Carole Fujita, a Japanese American pharmacist, has filed sex discrimination charges against L.A. County’s Dept. of Health Services over a promotional exam. Her attorney alleges women are underrepresented in supervisory pharmacy positions despite making up 40% of county pharmacists.

Incarceration & Redress

• Appeal of Class Action Suit Dismissal to Go to Court, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The U.S. District Court of Appeals will hear NCJAR’s class action redress suit on September 24, after it was dismissed in 1984 on statute of limitations grounds. NCJAR’s William Hohri expects a ruling by early 1986.
• Lane County Democrats Endorse Reparations, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Lane County Democratic Central Committee in Oregon announced support for redress bills HR 442 and S 1053. Committee secretary Virginia Conley wrote that an apology for WW2 internment was long overdue.
• Coram Nobis and Redress, by G. Tim Gojio, page 5. Gojio explains how the coram nobis cases, including Gordon Hirabayashi’s, complement legislative redress bills by addressing the judiciary’s historic failure to protect Japanese American constitutional rights during WW2. He argues all three branches of government must participate in rectifying the injustice.

Community

• Cambodian Dies After Being Beaten, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Cambodian refugee died from injuries sustained in a beating near Boston, with two men charged in the attack following a traffic dispute. The incident is part of a rising pattern of anti-Asian violence in the area attributed to economic tensions and negative media portrayals.
• Wada to Keynote Conference on Nisei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. UC Regent Yori Wada will deliver the keynote address at a conference on Nisei and the Japanese American press, held September 14-15 at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center. The event includes panel discussions with several prewar journalists and activists.
• JA Appointed to State Education Council, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Dr. Don Nakanishi was appointed to a second term on the Superintendent’s Council on Asian Pacific Islander Affairs by State Supt. Bill Honig. Nakanishi, a UCLA instructor, expressed commitment to educational equity goals.
• S.F. Asians Host Bradley Reception, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Over 100 people attended a San Francisco reception for L.A. Mayor Tom Bradley, who is considering a 1986 gubernatorial run. Organizers included Harold Yee, Henry Der, Jeff Mori and Yori Wada.
• Journalists to Discuss Media Careers, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Asian American Journalists Association will hold a student open house and workshops at S.F. State University on October 12. Prominent Asian American journalists from local TV, radio and print outlets are scheduled to participate.
• Joint Redress Forum Set for October, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A community forum on redress, jointly sponsored by JACL and NCRR, will be held October 5 at the Venice Japanese Community Center. Speakers include Peter Irons, Frank Chuman, Joyce Okinaka, and Min Yasui.
• Details Given on IDC/PNW Confab, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Hid Hasegawa announced lodging and registration package costs for the upcoming ‘Return to Minidoka’ IDC/PNW convention October 11-13 in Jackpot, Nevada. The package includes bus service to Minidoka, workshops, meals, and a banquet.
• U.S.-Japan Ties Topic of Conference, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A conference titled ‘U.S. and Japan: Economic Headlines—Business Realities’ will be held in Middletown, Ohio, featuring Japanese ambassador Nobuo Matsunaga and other speakers on economic issues between the two countries. The event coincides with Middletown’s Middfest ’85 International Celebration.
• SE Asian Mental Health Book Available, by P.C. Staff, page 9. The National Institute of Mental Health has published a free sourcebook, Southeast Asian Mental Health, addressing adjustment problems among Southeast Asian immigrants. The book is edited by Tom Choken Owan and available to mental health professionals and students.
• Baptist Church Funds Counseling Program, by P.C. Staff, page 10. The American Baptist Churches granted $28,900 to fund an Asian American counseling program in the Los Angeles area, sponsored by several Baptist churches. Dr. Thomas Okimoto said the grant will help establish a professional family counseling center for the community.
• United Methodist Grants Awarded, by P.C. Staff, page 10. The Asian American Endowment Fund of the National Federation of Asian American United Methodists awarded its 1985 grants to four applicants for continuing education, Christian education, and Chinese ministry programs. The fund was created in 1980 to strengthen Asian American United Methodist churches.

JACL

• PC to Receive Award from L.A. County, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Pacific Citizen will receive the Media Award from the L.A. County Commission on Human Relations at the John Anson Ford Awards luncheon on October 2. The award recognizes the paper’s balanced coverage of human relations issues.
• Learning to Lead, by Mary Nishimoto, page 5. Mary Nishimoto reflects on her experience in the JACL Washington D.C. Leadership Program, which covered redress strategy, U.S.-Japan relations, and leadership development through meetings with senators, congressmen and JACL officials. She concludes the program strengthened her understanding of JACL as a national organization and her commitment to it.

Military & Veterans

• MIS Photo Exhibit Dedicated in Texas, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Yankee Samurai exhibit of Go For Broke, Inc. was dedicated at the Adm. Nimitz State Historical Park in Texas with over 300 attendees. The exhibit connects the story of Japanese American WW2 soldiers to Admiral Chester Nimitz’s admiration for Japanese Admiral Togo.
• Bannai Retiring from VA Position, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Paul Bannai, chief memorial affairs director of the Veterans Administration, announced his retirement after overseeing the National Cemetery System since 1981. Bannai, who was interned during WW2 and later served in the Army, was praised by JACL president Frank Sato as a trailblazer for Japanese Americans in federal government.

In-Depth

• ‘Magic’ Study Featured in New Amerasia, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A new Amerasia Journal study by John Herzig rebuts claims that the WW2 ‘Magic’ intelligence project provided evidence of Japanese American disloyalty justifying internment. Herzig, a retired lieutenant colonel, testified at the Gordon Hirabayashi coram nobis trial.

Commentary

• Keeping Your Eyes on the Ball, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Columnist Bill Marutani argues that JACL should not become involved with Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party, even informally, regarding sponsored trips to Japan for Japanese Americans. He urges JACL leadership to reject any such proposal and focus on domestic issues.
• We Can Win with Min, by Henry Tanda, page 4. A letter writer expresses concern over a proposed merger of JACL’s Redress Committee and LEC, arguing that Min Yasui should remain as LEC chair. The writer calls Yasui vigorous and capable, urging readers to support him and oppose the merger.
• A World of Interesting People, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Columnist Bill Hosokawa recounts meeting Shunji Nishimura, a Japanese immigrant to Brazil who built a successful agricultural equipment company and founded a technological school, during a recent trip. He also describes meeting Maj. Gen. Armando Yoshida of the Bolivian Air Force at a Pan American Nikkei conference.
• JACL and U.S.-Japan Relations, by Barry Saiki, page 7. Saiki discusses the need for greater Japanese American participation in U.S.-Japan relations across political, economic, and cultural spheres, noting the relative scarcity of Nikkei in top policy-making roles. He attributes the low visibility partly to Nisei cultural reticence but expresses optimism that Sansei and Yonsei generations will engage more actively.
• Shinju a Human Act, Not a Cultural One, by William Weatherall, page 8. Weatherall critiques Katie Kaori Hayashi’s reporting on the Fumiko Kimura murder-suicide case, arguing that shinju is mistranslated and that parent-child murder-suicide is a universal human behavior rather than a unique Japanese cultural custom. He contends that framing Kimura’s defense in ethnic terms undermines understanding of murder-suicide and urges compassion based on her humanity rather than her ethnicity.
• They Came, Saw, and Were Conquered, by Stephen Hasegawa, page 9. Hasegawa recounts the Tri-District JACL Convention in Milwaukee, describing the camaraderie among Mountain Plains District delegates and the warm hospitality of the Midwest and Eastern districts. He anticipates similar fellowship at the next MPDC-MD-ED convention in 1987.

Arts & Entertainment

• The Making of ‘Yuki Shimoda’, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 4. The documentary ‘Yuki Shimoda: Asian American Actor’ took four years to complete due to funding challenges and difficulties obtaining film clip rights, ultimately being funded largely through community donations including JACL contributions. The film, made by Visual Communications, chronicles Shimoda’s career and premiered at VC’s 15th anniversary celebration.
• ‘Perceptions’ a Political Potboiler, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 7. Producer Sandra Gin Yep describes the ongoing struggle to keep the Emmy-winning Asian American affairs show ‘Perceptions’ on the air at Sacramento’s KCRA-TV despite its acclaim. She cites inadequate station support, competition for resources among minority programs, and threats from FCC deregulation as continuing challenges.
• ‘Kenji’: An Interracial Friendship, by Beverly Creamer, page 7. A low-budget film titled ‘Kenji,’ depicting a turn-of-the-century friendship between a Japanese boy and a Caucasian Hawaiian boy, is being produced by veteran Hawaii filmmaker George Tahara as a centennial project of Japanese immigration to Hawaii. The project relies heavily on volunteer labor, donated resources, and community goodwill to complete filming.

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.