Judge rules for Vietnamese fishermen against the KKK; redress testimony prepared

Vol. 92, No. 20, May 22, 1981. 8 pages. View this issue

A federal judge in Houston granted a temporary injunction on May 14 against the Ku Klux Klan in a civil rights suit brought by Vietnamese refugee fishermen. That story led the front page, alongside a union convention’s support for JACL redress and a Japanese consul general’s reaction to California’s “Buy America” bill. Inside, the paper turned to preparations for the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians hearings. A JACL statement clarified its redress position, testimony packets went out to chapters, and the editorial, by P.C. Staff, covered the Redress Committee’s work led by Minoru Yasui and John Tateishi.

The opinion pages carried columns by Peter Imamura, Dr. Clifford Uyeda, Bill Hosokawa, Bill Marutani and Homer Yasui. Page 6 gathers chapter news on scholarships, a St. Louis convention and the Stockton chapter’s anniversary dinner. Page 7 reports on a bill to extend the Voting Rights Act.

What’s in this issue

National

• Judge Rules in Favor of Vietnamese Fishermen Over KKK, page 1. A federal judge in Houston granted a temporary injunction against the Ku Klux Klan in a civil rights lawsuit brought by Vietnamese refugee fishermen. The Klan had sided with native Texas shrimpers amid tensions over declining catches and competition for fishing jobs along the Texas coast.
• Japan Consul General Reacts to Calif.’s ‘Buy America’ Bill, page 1. The Japanese consul general responded to a proposed California bill promoting American-made goods. The article discusses the diplomatic implications of the legislation on U.S.-Japan trade relations.
• U.S.-Japan Scholars Find Errors in Textbooks, page 1. A Stanford-based scholastic review panel collaborated with Japanese scholars and found that American and Japanese children are being taught inaccurate stereotypes about each other’s countries. The panels suggested improvements to how each country’s most widely used secondary school textbooks portray the other nation’s traits and culture.
• Cemetery Vandalism May Become Felony, page 2. A California bill making desecration of a church, synagogue, or cemetery a felony punishable by up to three years in prison passed the State Assembly on a 75-1 vote. The bill, authored by Assemblyman Mel Levine, was sent to the state Senate for further consideration.
• Enomoto Reports to Nevada Job, page 4. Jerry Enomoto, technical adviser to the National Institute of Corrections, reported to Carson City, Nevada, as part of a task force studying the state’s prison system. He had just completed a 10-month assignment in New Mexico reviewing similar issues.
• Bill to Extend Voting Rights Act, page 7. A ten-year continuation of the Voting Rights Act, including Section 5’s pre-clearance provisions protecting minority voters, faces debate in Congress after two previous extensions. The JACL Washington Office has supported the Act since its initial passage, and language minority protections added in 1975 cover Asian Americans, American Indians, and other groups.
• NAACP Seeks Aid to Stop Discrimination in Hawaii, page 7. The Honolulu NAACP chapter decided to seek legal assistance from its regional headquarters to address discrimination against Black patrons at Waikiki discotheques. The chapter received around 35 written complaints alleging discriminatory entry practices at the clubs.
• S.F. Nikkei Heads Nat’l Eye Institute, page 7. Jin H. Kinoshita of San Francisco was named scientific director of the National Eye Institute, a branch of the National Institutes of Health. Kinoshita is internationally recognized for his research on ocular biochemistry and cataract formation.
• Press Row: NYT Honors Junnosuke Ofusa, page 7. The New York Times honored Junnosuke Ofusa in Tokyo for 50 years of service as office manager of its Tokyo bureau. Ofusa began his career as a copy boy in 1926 and remains one of the few in Japan newspaper circles to mark a half-century of service.
• Foreign Student ‘Con Game’ Alleged, page 8. JACL filed a formal complaint against a Connecticut-based foreign student exchange operation accused of soliciting fees from Japanese students while not compensating volunteer host families. San Diego JACL chapter leaders had flagged the company after learning hundreds of students were allegedly brought to the San Bernardino area under similar deceptive practices since 1977.

Incarceration & Redress

• ILWU Confab Supports JACL Redress Push, page 1. The International Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Union made an impassioned appeal for monetary redress for Japanese American internment victims at its international convention. Noriko Bridges, wife of former union president Harry Bridges, spoke of her own imprisonment at Poston as a teenager, and delegates approved a resolution plus a $1,000 grant to the National JACL redress program.
• Clarification of May 12 JACL Statement on Redress, page 2. The JACL issued a statement clarifying its position on redress for Japanese Americans interned during WW2, calling for a combination of a trust fund and direct payments established by Congress. The statement emphasizes the educational and historical significance of such action by the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians.
• Redress Testimony Guide Distributed to Chapters, page 2. JACL distributed ‘Testimony Preparation Materials’ packets to chapter presidents and redress representatives containing fact sheets, guidelines, and sample testimony for the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians hearings. The packet included examples from Minoru Yasui and Prof. Roger Daniels as models for effective testimony.
• Peninsula Committee Forum Set June 13, page 2. The Peninsula Redress Committee will hold a public forum on June 13 at Cubberly Theater to educate the public about the WW2 internment of Japanese Americans. The forum, organized by Jim Shizuru and Judy Niizawa, will also allow individuals to sign up to testify before upcoming redress commission hearings.

JACL

• Bannai’s 1st Week in WDC ‘Hectic’, page 1. A brief item notes the busy first week of a JACL staffer in the Washington D.C. office. Details of the hectic schedule are referenced but not elaborated extensively in this clip.
• Pan American Nikkei Conference Set for Mexico City, page 4. A clarification is given regarding an international Pan American Nikkei conference scheduled for July 23-26 in Mexico City, addressing confusion about eligibility for JACL members nationwide. The schedule includes sessions on Nikkei history, problems, contributions, and a proposal for a Federation of Nikkei Associations of the Americas.

Community

• Salt Lake J-Community Bucks Plan to Shut Street, page 1. Raymond S. Uno, the only Nisei jurist in Utah, testified against a plan to close 200 West street in Salt Lake City, arguing it would complete the ‘genocide’ of the local Japanese community by isolating its two historic churches. City officials and business groups were divided on the issue, with a decision still pending before the city council.
• Sansei Lands Houston Postmaster Job, page 1. Wallace T. Kido, son of the late Saburo Kido, became postmaster of Houston after a career beginning in 1964 with the postal service in San Francisco. Kido discussed his family’s wartime internment at Poston, Arizona, and his advocacy for the planned 9-digit ZIP code system.
• L.A. Chapter Chair’s Son Slain, page 3. Robert Hirohata, son of JACL Downtown Chapter Vice Chair Misao Hirohata, was shot by an unknown assailant at his mother’s home in Temple City and died the next day at a hospital. Sheriff’s deputies are investigating the motive, noting his wallet was missing; Hirohata managed an auto park in Little Tokyo.
• Japan Sumoists Due in L.A. for City’s Bicentennial Celebration, page 3. Japan’s Grand Sumo wrestlers, including Yokozuna champions, are coming to Los Angeles for exhibition tournaments as part of the city’s Bicentennial celebration. The article highlights veteran wrestler Takamiyama, the Maui-born athlete who became the first American to reach sumo’s senior division.
• Organizations to Honor Amy Ishii, page 3. Posthumous honors will be paid to the late Amy Ishii at upcoming community events including a Garden Party and a luncheon featuring Associate Justice Cruz Reynoso. Details on attending the events were provided along with contact information.
• Miyoshi’s Slayers Sentenced to CYA, page 3. Two teenagers were sentenced to the California Youth Authority for the ambush killing of a 66-year-old auto parts store owner. One of the defendants, age 14, was sentenced May 1 for his role in the crime.
• Queen Contest Cancelled, page 3. A local queen contest was cancelled due to a lack of applicants. Mack Yamaguchi, chairperson for the contest, made the announcement with regret.
• So. Bay Keiro Drive Nears $227,000, page 3. The South Bay Keiro Nursing Home Fund Drive in Gardena is nearing its fundraising goal of $227,000. Community members including Min Sumida contributed to the effort.
• EDC-MDC Convention Set for July 30-Aug. 2 at St. Louis, page 6. The EDC-MDC convention hosted by St. Louis JACL will be held at Washington University over the July 30-Aug. 2 weekend, with affordable lodging and meal options available. St. Louis JACL delegate George Sakaguchi revealed program details at a recent MDC spring meeting in Milwaukee.
• Eden Township Chapter Holds Scholarship Presentation, page 6. Eden Township JACL held its scholarship presentation and potluck at the Eden Japanese Community Center, featuring guest speaker Professor Jere Takahashi from UC Berkeley. The event recognized local scholarship recipients.
• Las Vegas Gears Up for Int’l Festival, page 6. Las Vegas JACL members are working to participate in an upcoming International Festival. Details on preparations and community involvement were highlighted.
• New York JACL Offers Scholarships, page 6. The New York JACL announced scholarship opportunities with a submission deadline of May 31. Applications were to be sent to a contact address in New York City.
• Riverside Adds Eugene Oda Memorial Award, page 6. The Riverside JACL scholarship committee announced a new scholarship named for Eugene Oda, to be awarded to the most outstanding scholar in the Riverside-San Bernardino area. This marks an addition to the chapter’s existing scholarship offerings.
• Stockton’s 50th Fete Honors Past Presidents, page 6. All past presidents of the Stockton JACL and its now-defunct women’s auxiliary were honored at the chapter’s 51st anniversary installation dinner. Ruby Dobana was reelected to lead the chapter, and several longtime volunteers received Silver Pin awards for decades of service.
• Masuda Memorial Fund to Grant Awards in Community, page 8. The Dr. Minoru Masuda Memorial Fund, established in honor of the late University of Washington professor, has reached $15,000 and will award individuals and organizations supporting Nikkei and Asian American communities. The committee, chaired by Donald Kazama with honorary chair Hana Masuda, plans educational programs and a campaign to collect Issei oral histories for university archives.
• Nikkei Police Officer Awarded Medal, page 8. San Francisco Police Officer Todd Kawaguchi received a silver medal and $100 award from the Police Commission for his actions during a 1980 incident involving a person firing shots into parked cars. He was one of 33 officers honored at the ceremony.

Commentary

• Hearts and Minds, by Peter Imamura, page 3. The columnist reflects on global violence and tension in places like the Middle East and Northern Ireland, questioning whether apathy has desensitized people to tragedy. He urges readers to focus on positive aspects of life rather than succumbing to cynicism amid global and personal hardships.
• Editorial: Redress Reports, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The editorial discusses the JACL Redress Committee’s crucial work preparing testimony for the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians. It notes the challenge of covering extensive material from committee chair Minoru Yasui and coordinator John Tateishi within limited newspaper space.
• Cliff’s Corner: Nat’l HQ Staff, by Dr. Clifford Uyeda, page 4. Clifford Uyeda clarifies that the National JACL headquarters staff consists of eight people, not eleven as previously reported, and describes each staff member’s role including the National Director, Legal and Program Director, and others. He notes some staff will soon depart and praises the team’s collaborative spirit.
• Moshi-Moshi: Shibumi, by Jin Konomi, page 4. The columnist explores the Japanese aesthetic concept of ‘shibumi,’ comparing it to European notions of understated elegance and tracing its historical development from the Heian and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. He argues shibumi is not uniquely Japanese but developed through particular historical circumstances among the chonin merchant class of Edo.
• From the Frying Pan: Ft. McClellan’s Company of Nisei GIs, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa follows up on reader responses to his earlier column about Japanese Americans assigned to train GIs by playing the role of Japanese soldiers during WW2. Several readers provided accounts of ‘enemy detail’ units at Camp Ritchie and Fort McClellan, though the specific claim of a full company of 150-200 men remains unconfirmed.
• East Wind: The Long-Distance Run, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Marutani expresses concern over Sansei who undervalue higher education, contrasting their attitude with the sacrifices Nisei made to pursue college despite wartime internment and discrimination. He argues that forgoing educational opportunities reduces one’s odds for success, much like an untrained runner competing against trained athletes.
• Guest’s Corner: The ‘Grassroots’ Baloney, by Homer Yasui, page 5. Yasui criticizes the JACL membership for claiming to want ‘grassroots’ input while remaining too busy or disinterested to actually contribute, creating the very hierarchy they complain about. He challenges Grassrooters to stop blaming leadership and start taking responsibility for organizational work and leadership roles.

Obituaries

• Go Champ Knifed in East L.A., page 3. A Nisei Go champion and IRS employee, a native of Los Angeles, was fatally stabbed by a mentally deranged man in Los Angeles. The victim had learned Go from his father and became a top-ranking Nisei player on the Pacific Coast, winning competitions and achieving a high rank in international matches.

Military & Veterans

• 442 Vets Dance, page 3. The 442nd Veterans Association of Southern California announced its 4th Annual Benefit Spring Dance to be held June 13 at Nishi Hongwanji. Wally Nakashima was listed as the contact for reservations.

Sports

• San Francisco JACL Wins Cage Title, page 6. San Francisco JACL won the fourth annual Sacramento JACL invitational high school basketball tournament, defeating Stockton, Sacramento, and San Jose Zebras along the way. San Francisco’s Gary Sit was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

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