The 1982 JACL convention preview and the push for redress funding

Vol. 95, No. 6, August 6, 1982. 12 pages. View this issue

The 27th biennial National JACL Convention, set for Aug. 10-13 at the Airport Hyatt in Los Angeles, filled the front page. Harry Honda reported the preliminary agenda announced by National JACL Director Ron Wakabayashi, and inside, Bill Marutani offered advice to first-time delegates. Frank A. Iwama and Dr. Yosh Nakashima weighed in on how the Washington Representative post should be set up, and Ron Ikejiri wrote on what results JACL would need on redress. A House Appropriations Subcommittee approved $300,000 more for the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, with background on the commission’s work on Executive Order 9066.

Elsewhere in the issue: Japan’s textbook revisions and the protests from China and South Korea, a Little Tokyo weekend security watch, the JACL graduate scholarship winners, and Chuck Kubokawa’s report from the PANA conference in Lima, Peru. Bill Hosokawa wrote about the Military Intelligence Service story, and Sachi Seko profiled a family cafe in Ogden.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• Convention agenda schedule over 5 sessions announced, by Harry Honda, page 1. National JACL Director Ron Wakabayashi announced the preliminary agenda for the 27th biennial National JACL Convention at the Airport Hyatt in Los Angeles, Aug. 10-13. The schedule covers six sessions including nominations, workshops, resolutions and national elections, with specific prioritization to be set at the EXECOM meeting.
• Convention Confab Notes, page 5. Convention notes detail the 1000 Club Whing Ding event schedule, recognition plans for PC cartoonist Pete Hironaka and 20-year PC staffer Jane Ozawa, and the UCLA-JARP survey testimonial for Shig Wakamatsu. The piece also outlines convention resolution submission deadlines and procedures.
• HRC Challenged, by Hid Hasegawa, page 6. The Pocatello/Blackfoot Chapter passed a resolution requesting reorganization of the Idaho Human Rights Commission staff structure following a sexual harassment hearing involving Sheriff Mike Shiozaki. The column also details budget allocation disparities among JACL districts, noting IDC’s opposition to membership dues increases.
• Wakamatsu Fund Acknowledgement, page 6. Nearly 500 individual and chapter contributions have been received by the JACL Tribute to Shig Wakamatsu Committee, including donations from Chicago, Pasadena, Spokane, and Tulare County chapters. West Los Angeles JACL donated a round-trip airfare to Japan for Wakamatsu, and a lengthy list of individual donors is published.
• JACL Graduate Scholarship Winners, page 7. Several JACL scholarship recipients are profiled, including percussionist Kenny Endo studying Taiko in Tokyo, UC Davis medical student Paula Fujiwara, filmmaker Michael Uno, and other scholars in medicine, law, and the arts. The scholarships include the Henry & Chiyo Kuwahara Memorial, Sumitomo Bank California Memorial, and Mao Kato Memorial awards.
• JACL Converts Membership to Anniversary System, page 7. The National JACL Board decided in May to convert membership periods from the calendar year to an anniversary system, meaning new members joining mid-year get a full 12 months of membership. Vernon T. Yoshioka explained the change is expected to help chapters retain members who previously joined late in the year.
• Legal Definitions Clarify Set-up Proposed for Washington ‘Rep’, by Frank A. Iwama, page 8. National JACL Legal Counsel Frank Iwama explains the legal distinctions between an employee and independent contractor arrangement for the JACL Washington Representative position, recommending the independent contractor model based on past practice and cost savings. He details the ten major functions of the Washington Office and addresses conflict-of-interest concerns raised by the National Board.

National

• Japan Revision of WW2 History Angers Neighbor Asian Nations, page 1. Japan’s Education Ministry instructed textbook publishers to soften wartime wrongdoing language, replacing terms like ‘invade’ with ‘advance,’ sparking protests from China and South Korea. Japanese officials defended the changes as promoting objectivity while critics within Japan and abroad accused the government of distorting history.
• Congressional Subcommittee Approves $300,000 for CWRIC, page 1. A House Appropriations Subcommittee approved an additional $300,000 for the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians to pursue studies on economic losses and psychological impairment suffered by Japanese Americans during WWII internment. Reps. Robert Matsui and Norman Mineta promoted the measure, which still needs full committee approval.
• G.E. Suing Sony, Asahi-Dow Over Patent Infringement, page 1. General Electric filed suit against Sony Corporation and Asahi Dow Ltd., alleging patent infringement related to a plastic material called Noryl used in Sony’s Betamax video cassette recorder housing. G.E. sought damages and an injunction, and was also considering legal action in Japan where it holds the Noryl patent.
• Justice Dept. Says Japan Firms ‘Conspired’ to Raise Prices, page 1. The U.S. Justice Department is investigating whether U.S. subsidiaries of six major Japanese semiconductor manufacturers conspired to raise prices on memory chips. Separately, Hitachi employees charged with industrial espionage against IBM refused to appear in U.S. court, citing lack of binding power of U.S. warrants in Japan.
• U.S. Sailor Stabbed by Japan Youths, page 1. An American sailor from the USS Midway was stabbed by angry Japanese youths in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district after he taunted them about the IBM espionage case. The incident marked the first reported outbreak of Japanese resentment toward Americans following U.S. charges against Japanese firms for industrial espionage.
• Nikkei Pianist Found Slain in Apartment, page 2. Hawaiian-born concert pianist Raymond Shigeoka was found slain in his Manhattan apartment after failing to appear for a music school appointment. Detectives speculated the murderer may have been someone known to Shigeoka, who studied at the University of Hawaii and Juilliard.
• Unnamed Japan Bank Inclined to Aid U.S. ‘Kay Sugahara Style’, page 2. A major Japanese bank is reportedly considering extending low-interest loans to job-creating programs in the United States, an idea proposed by Japanese American millionaire Kay Sugahara. Diet member Motoo Shiina said negotiations remain highly sensitive due to currency and exchange rate complications.
• Watchdog Group on Rights Formed, page 2. Arthur S. Flemming, former chairman of the Commission on Civil Rights, heads a new 16-member privately financed panel to monitor civil rights records of Congress and the administration. The group, which includes Judge William Marutani of Philadelphia, held its first meeting July 19.
• History: Japan’s Textbook Controversy Continues, page 6. Prime Minister Zenko Suzuki called for government officials to explain the ‘true motive’ behind textbook revisions ahead of his September visit to China, amid concerns the changes could derail delicate negotiations with South Korea over an aid package. Chief Cabinet Secretary Kiichi Miyazawa reaffirmed Japan’s stance of regret for wartime aggression against China.
• New Japan Rage ‘Karaoke’ at Home, page 10. Karaoke, featuring eight-track tapes of orchestral accompaniment for amateur singers, has become a popular home entertainment trend in Japan. The electronics industry estimates a significant percentage of Japanese households now use karaoke equipment for home parties.
• G.E. Suit for Noryl Patent Continues, page 12. Sony Corp. of America said it will consider how to respond to G.E.’s patent infringement suit over the Noryl plastic used in its products, as Japan investigates the charge. Industry representatives expressed hope the dispute would not escalate into a broader trade problem amid other U.S.-Japan corporate tensions.

Community

• Little Tokyo Security Watch Begins Aug. 7, page 1. Volunteers wearing sky-blue windbreakers will patrol Little Tokyo on weekends starting Aug. 7 as part of a month-long pilot security program. The program was jointly announced by Centenary United Methodist Church and the Little Tokyo Business Association.
• Belli’s Advice on Jurors Called ‘Racist’, page 1. Attorney Melvin Belli drew condemnation from Asian American bar associations and community leaders after urging colleagues to exclude Chinese Americans from juries in personal injury cases. Chinese American leaders including Henry Der and UC Prof. Ling-chi Wang called for Belli’s retirement and denounced his racial slurs.
• Over 20 Asian Pacific Women Groups Plan National Network, page 3. Representatives from 20 Asian Pacific women’s organizations met in La Jolla for the First Biennial Convention of the National Network of Asian Pacific Women, electing Irene Hirano and Pat Luce as co-chairpersons. The convention focused on the impact of Reagan Administration cutbacks, refugee issues, and civil rights, recommending formation of political action committees.
• Hawaii’s Ariyoshi Seeks Re-election, page 3. Gov. George Ariyoshi filed nomination papers to seek re-election in Hawaii’s upcoming primary. The Nisei Democrat has served as governor since 1973 and faces challengers including Lt. Gov. Jean King and former Honolulu mayor Frank Fasi.
• EWP Slates 1st Major Fundraiser, page 3. East West Players will hold its first major fundraising event, a gala dinner at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, to purchase its theater complex on Santa Monica Blvd. Honorary co-chairs include Gordon Davidson, Joseph Papp, Peg Yorkin, Robert Wise and Beulah Quo.
• Bay Area Seniors to Hold Picnic, page 3. The annual Bay Area Japanese American Senior Centers picnic will be held at Shibata’s Mt. Eden Nursery’s Japanese gardens in Hayward. Details can be obtained by calling Yu-Ai Kai.
• Sansei Bands Highlight Summer Event, page 3. Stonebridge Productions will present ‘Summer’s End Extravaganza’ featuring the Sansei All-Star Band performing 1950s-70s music at the L.A. Bonaventure Hotel’s California Ballroom. Tickets are available through Gerald Ishibashi or Dan Matsuda.
• Nikkei Singles to Be Discussed in Convention Workshops, by Bebe Toshiko Reschke, page 9. Two convention workshops will address singleness among Nikkei for the first time, featuring keynote speaker Harry Kitano on marriage and divorce trends, and a panel discussion on the Nikkei singles community. The sessions aim to explore networking, social groups, and changing demographics behind the rising number of Nikkei singles.
• D.C. Minority Contract Bill Advances, page 10. The D.C. City Council gave preliminary approval to a bill including Asian Americans and Hispanic Americans in the city’s minority contracting program, reversing a 1980 decision that had excluded these groups. Some black community leaders opposed the measure, arguing it could hurt black-owned businesses.
• Seattle Mother, Daughter Found Slain, page 12. Two members of a Seattle restaurateur family, the wife and mother-in-law of restaurant owner Yo Young (Howard) Lau, were found murdered in their Beacon Hill home. Police said the home had been ransacked and both women had apparently been strangled.
• SF State Univ. Offers Bilingual Teacher Program, page 12. San Francisco State University’s Bilingual/Cross Cultural Teacher Training Program has received stipend and tuition grants and is seeking applicants for elementary teaching and bilingual specialist credentials. Interested applicants can contact the School of Education for more information.

Incarceration & Redress

• CWRIC Needs Additional Funds and Time to Complete Report, page 2. CWRIC chair Joan Z. Bernstein wrote to congressional leaders explaining that the commission’s current budget is insufficient to complete studies on economic losses and psychological impairment from the WWII internment. The commission was created in 1980 to investigate Executive Order 9066’s impact and recommend remedies, with hearings held in 10 cities attracting over 750 witnesses.

Commentary

• NCJAR’s Initiative, by Merry Omori, William Hohri, page 2. Letter writers defend the National Council for Japanese Americans’ legal initiative against criticism from John Tateishi and Minoru Yasui, arguing it is the injured party’s right to seek redress through the courts. They note support from Justice Goldberg, Father Robert Drinan, and Judge William Marutani, and argue the lawsuit is a high-risk but necessary effort distinct from JACL’s legislative approach.
• PC Today, by Harry Honda, page 4. Editor Harry Honda discusses the PC Board’s upcoming meeting, the first since 1979, covering publishing policy, editorial guidelines, and financial independence from JACL membership. He notes declining circulation but improved advertising revenue, and credits a 1979 fundraiser party for helping computerize PC’s subscription files.
• 35 Years Ago, page 4. A historical roundup of Pacific Citizen news items from August 1947, covering topics including a 442nd veteran’s murder charge in Honolulu, reactivation of the 100th Infantry Battalion, Iva Toguri d’Aquino’s wartime broadcast defense, and JACL-ADC efforts against Issei alien deportations. Additional items cover legal disputes, discrimination cases, and early postwar Nisei achievements.
• A Place of Class in Ogden, by Sachi Seko, page 4. The column profiles Yuk and Mary Nakaishi, owners of Uke’s Cafe in Ogden’s skid row, who have spent 40 years feeding and caring for the area’s most forgotten and down-on-their-luck residents. The author reflects on the couple’s enduring marriage, compassion, and quiet dignity despite the harsh environment they work in.
• ‘Meanspiritedness’, by Tsutomu Ikuma (unsigned signature illegible), page 4. A letter writer objects to continued criticism of Mike Masaoka, arguing that JACL’s historical errors have already been well documented and that renewed scrutiny smacks of inquisition. The writer suggests that critics’ voices have taken on overtones of vindictiveness and paranoia rather than constructive skepticism.
• Quakers, Mormons, etc., by Rey Saiki, page 4. A letter writer clarifies that a prior remark about Quakers, Puritans and Mormons was misconstrued by Dr. Yasuo Ishida, explaining the comment was about verbal exchange styles, not alcohol use. The writer also recalls fondly the kindness of Quaker groups who brought Christmas gifts to children in WWII relocation centers.
• Results, by Ron Ikejiri, page 5. Washington Representative Ron Ikejiri reflects on Congressman Richard Bolling’s observations about power in Washington, arguing that JACL’s effectiveness will be measured by concrete results on the Redress issue. He frames the challenge ahead as convincing the broader American public and Congress to support Redress through sustained public opinion efforts.
• Wash. ‘Rep’ Matter, by Dr. Yosh Nakashima, page 8. Dr. Yosh Nakashima argues in favor of making the Washington Representative an independent contractor, citing Ron Ikejiri’s effectiveness and the flexibility this status would provide given JACL’s financial constraints. He emphasizes that an advisory committee would continue to guide the representative and that conflicts of interest would be prevented.
• A Reader’s Postscript, by Mack Yamaguchi, page 9. Mack Yamaguchi reflects on wartime memories including farewells to soldiers, visits to families of the fallen, and life behind barbed wire, framed around author James Oda’s book ‘Heroic Struggles’. He closes with a tribute invoking scripture to honor those who endured hardship during the war.

Arts & Entertainment

• ‘Missing’ Stereotypes, by Peter Imamura, page 3. Filmmaker Wayne Wang’s low-budget film ‘Chan Is Missing’ offers a non-stereotypical, critically acclaimed view of Chinese Americans through a mystery story about two cabbies searching for a missing businessman. The film, praised by major critics and featured at festivals, portrays Asians as ordinary people and opens Aug. 11 at Westland Twin Theatre in Los Angeles.
• Nikkei Woman Is Unsung Hero for New York Jazz Coalition, page 10. Cobi Narita, founder of the Universal Jazz Coalition, has spent six years supporting struggling New York jazz musicians with career advice and low-cost services, including organizing the New York Women’s Jazz Festival. Despite a grueling schedule and modest income, Narita is celebrated by musicians like Sheila Jordan as a dedicated, unsung hero of the jazz world.
• Issei Painter Kenzo Okada Dies, page 10. Kenzo Okada, 79, a Japanese American modernist painter known for delicate abstractions blending Japanese origins and Western influence, died of heart failure in Tokyo during a major retrospective of his work. He represented both Japan and the United States in international exhibitions including the Sao Paulo Biennial and Venice Biennale, and is survived by his wife.
• Isamu Noguchi Wins MacDowell Medal, page 10. Sculptor Isamu Noguchi, 77, was awarded the Edward MacDowell Medal for his lifelong contribution to the arts, joining past winners like Georgia O’Keeffe and Aaron Copland. The presentation was made by Metropolitan Museum curator William S. Lieberman before a crowd of about 5,600 at the MacDowell Colony.

Military & Veterans

• Advice to JACL Delegates, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Judge Bill Marutani recounts his first experience as a JACL convention parliamentarian and his later encounter with a parliamentary maneuver attempting to silence dissenting voices. He urges new convention delegates to speak up and not be afraid to challenge rulings, even if it means invoking Robert’s Rules of Order.
• Time to Bury the ‘Secrecy Myth’ of MIS, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa challenges the notion that the Nisei Military Intelligence Service story was a ‘deep, dark secret’ until recently, noting that wartime censorship allowed some stories through and that MacArthur’s headquarters officially announced the Nisei MIS role six weeks after the war’s end. He cites the 1946 MISLS Album and a 1964 American Legion Magazine article as evidence the story has long been accessible, though underrepresented in textbooks.

Obituaries

• Fresno JACLer Ruth Wakida Dies, page 6. Ruth Wakida, 73, a Fresno JACL member who worked as a hot lunch server at the Nikkei Service Center, died after being attacked and knocked down by a youth on July 9. She was a member of United Methodist Women and is survived by her daughter, son, siblings, and grandchildren.
• The Rev. Dr. Allan Hunter Dies, page 10. The Rev. Dr. Allan Hunter, 89, a staunch advocate of social justice who opposed the WWII Evacuation, died in a Pomona hospital. He served as pastor of Mt. Hollywood Congregational Church from 1926-1963 and looked after properties of Japanese Hollywood Independent Church members during internment.
• Kunisada Kiyasu, M.D., Dies at 94, page 10. Dr. Kunisada Kiyasu, who served three generations in pediatrics, died of cerebral hemorrhage at his San Francisco home. He came to the U.S. in 1904, graduated from UC School of Medicine in 1921, interned at Gila River WRA Center, and is survived by four children all in medicine.

In-Depth

• Accustomed to Lima, Peru, by Chuck Kubokawa, page 9. In the conclusion of a multi-part series, Chuck Kubokawa recounts the final days of the PANA conference in Lima, Peru, including an emotional closing gathering and a serendipitous meeting with a Peruvian relative, Luisa Kubokawa de Matsushige, sharing his family name. He describes a traditional Peruvian Nikkei wedding and reflects on the significance of establishing the PANA Constitution for future international Nikkei cooperation.

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