Redress hearings in Seattle and the JACL’s wartime role

Vol. 93, No. 12, September 18, 1981. 8 pages. View this issue

The front page carried news from the Seattle hearings of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, where testimony put JACL’s wartime role under close scrutiny. Chinese American playwright Frank Chin made allegations about JACL and the War Relocation Authority, while Seattle Mayor Charles Royer and Gov. John Spellman called for reparations. Bill Marutani wrote about Aleuts from Attu Island who were taken to Japan during the war. Inside, Paul T. Bannai’s resignation as the commission’s executive director and Judge Robert M. Takasugi’s criticism of Nisei politicians’ support for the commission bill were covered on the redress pages. Harry Honda remembered Roy Wilkins, the NAACP’s longtime leader, who died Sept. 9 at age 80, and recalled his 1964 speech at the JACL convention on civil rights.

The commentary pages included Bill Hosokawa on woodworker George Nakashima’s book, Ron Ikejiri on Solidarity Day, and Marshall Sumida on holding officials accountable. Chapter news followed: New Mexico’s first O-Matsuri, a Philadelphia forum on the evacuation, and a Salt Lake plan to host a joint district meeting.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• Anti-Redress Witnesses Pepper CWRIC-Seattle, page 1. At Seattle Central Community College, the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians heard testimony scrutinizing JACL’s wartime role, with Chinese American playwright Frank Chin alleging JACL and WRA partnered to remake Japanese Americans into ‘new Americans.’ Public officials including Seattle Mayor Charles Royer and Gov. John Spellman called for reparations, while some witnesses like lawyer Henry Kane argued against redress.
• Aleuts Uprooted by Japan Forces, Too, by Bill Marutani, page 1. During CWRIC hearings, a fascinating sidelight involved Native Alaskans from Attu Island who were uprooted by Japanese Imperial forces and taken to Japan until the war’s end. Only 25 of the original 43 captives returned, with many dying from tuberculosis, malnutrition, and maltreatment, while Aleuts evacuated to Southeastern Alaska by the U.S. government fared little better upon return.
• Did the U.S. Government Believe the Nikkei Were ‘Guilty’?, page 2. Dr. Junji Kumamoto testified before the CWRIC in Los Angeles, raising the possibility of a ‘government conspiracy’ behind the wartime removal and detention of Japanese Americans. He argued that government officials responsible for the incarceration decisions must not remain anonymous and called for punitive monetary redress as a deterrent.
• WRV-PV Co-Host Meeting with CWRIC Members, page 2. The White River Valley and Puyallup Valley JACL chapters co-hosted a town meeting and potluck supper for CWRIC commissioners, including Bill Marutani who attended school in the area prewar. The Puyallup Valley community donated $1,713.82 to its internment hearings fund and $1,066 to the National JACL redress campaign.
• Bannai Tenders His Resignation, page 2. Paul T. Bannai confirmed he had resigned as executive director of the CWRIC, citing a desire for more harmonious working relationships with the Commission. He stated the final report is well underway and that speculation about JACL’s John Tateishi succeeding him was ‘too preposterous’ to dignify with comment.
• Nisei Politicians’ Support of Redress Commission Bill Hit, page 8. U.S. District Judge Robert M. Takasugi criticized Nisei politicians for supporting the CWRIC commission bill rather than the Lowry bill, which would have directly stated the government erred, at a sportsmanship award banquet in Monterey Park. He suggested the politicians were motivated by election concerns or fear of economic realities under the Reagan administration.
• Aleuts (Continued), by Bill Marutani, page 8. This continuation piece notes that when Aleuts were repatriated from Japan after the war, the Japanese government had issued final paychecks for their labor, which some still held uncertain how to negotiate. The author notes he does not know whether these paychecks were ever honored and invites readers to provide answers.

National

• NAACP’s Wilkins Challenged JACL Forward on Civil Rights, by Harry Honda, page 1. Roy Wilkins, longtime NAACP executive director, died Sept. 9 at age 80 after a career spanning almost 50 years of civil rights leadership. The article recalls his 1942 defense of Japanese Americans against wartime mistreatment and his 1964 JACL convention speech praising the Civil Rights Act’s reaffirmation of citizenship rights.
• Frank Sato Confirmed New I.G. for the VA, page 1. Frank S. Sato, CPA and former Inspector General for the U.S. Dept. of Transportation, was confirmed by the Senate as the new Inspector General for the Veterans Administration. A native of Puyallup, Wash., Sato brings 27 years of government auditing experience to oversee the VA’s 234,000 employees and $24 billion budget.
• High Blood Pressure Control Confab Set, page 3. A statewide conference addressing high blood pressure control among Asian-Pacific Islanders in California will be held Sept. 19 at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, with Assemblyman Art Torres as keynote speaker. A 1979 state survey found a high prevalence of hypertension among Asian-Pacific Islanders with the lowest degree of control compared to other groups.
• Diet Library to Buy Data on Asian Americans from Nisei, page 3. Japan’s National Diet Library is purchasing a collection of about 1,700 items concerning Americans of Asian descent, compiled by New York Nisei Yoshio Kishi, for $45,000. One-third of the collection concerns Japanese Americans, including photos and records of those placed in concentration camps during World War II.
• Japan’s Nationality Laws Under Wholesale Review, page 8. Japan’s Justice Ministry is reviewing nationality laws, particularly provisions forbidding Japanese women married to foreign citizens from passing nationality to their children. The ministry is also considering differing residential requirements for foreign spouses seeking Japanese citizenship, with legislative revisions expected for the 1983 Diet session.

Commentary

• Media Perpetuates Model Minority Myth, page 3. A reprinted Los Angeles Herald Examiner editorial critiques news media portrayals of Asian Americans as a ‘model minority,’ arguing such coverage masks poverty and pits minorities against each other. The piece notes Asian Americans receive disproportionately little government and foundation funding for social programs due to this perception.
• Military Life, by E.J. Isuyama, page 4. A letter to the editor disputes an earlier comparison between harassment in the U.S. military and Japan’s wartime military, arguing the comparison is absurd given the differences between the societies. The writer details the discrimination faced by Japanese American soldiers, including the creation of the segregated 442nd RCT and high casualty rates in combat.
• Redress Breakthrough, by James Oda, page 4. A letter to the editor proposes that Japan share in the cost of reparations to Japanese Americans, since Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor led to the wartime internment. The writer also suggests building a Nisei veterans’ memorial in Washington D.C. to commemorate soldiers who died for the U.S. while their families were interned.
• CWRIC Hearings, by Kei E. Kaneda, page 4. A letter from Boston thanks the Pacific Citizen for reports by Peter Imamura on CWRIC and JACL redress activities, noting that local newspaper coverage has been limited. The writer notes only UPI, Christian Science Monitor, and Knight Ryder have covered Judge Bill Marutani’s role.
• ‘Gilded Ghetto’, by Clancy Bassett, page 4. A letter responds to a previous letter about the term ‘elite’ used by the Herald-Examiner, clarifying it was used in a sociological sense referring to groups who control segments of society. The writer notes that even accomplished Japanese Americans like coroner Dr. Thomas Noguchi have faced discrimination from elite groups.
• Sansei in Mexico Very Aware of Heritage, by “Esteban” Nakashima, page 4. A Walnut Creek Sansei recounts his experience attending the Copanime ’81 Panamerican Nikkei convention in Mexico, meeting Sansei from Canada, Peru, Colombia and other countries. He observed that Mexican Sansei retain a stronger Japanese cultural identity and mannerisms compared to Sansei in the U.S. and Canada, who are more ‘Westernized.’
• George Nakashima’s ‘The Soul of a Tree’, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. This column profiles George K. Nakashima, a Nisei woodworker and designer honored by JACL, and his new book ‘The Soul of a Tree: A Woodworker’s Reflections’ published by Kodansha International. The piece explores Nakashima’s reverence for wood and craftsmanship along with his samurai lineage and journey through the Evacuation experience to Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
• Solidarity Day, by Ron Ikejiri, page 5. This Washington Wrap-Up column discusses the AFL-CIO’s ‘Solidarity Day’ rally opposing the Reagan Administration’s cuts to social programs, with JACL participating alongside the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. It also covers the EEOC’s ‘Work and Wages’ report on pay equity for women and minorities.
• On Accountability, by Marshall Sumida, page 5. This op-ed proposes that the CWRIC recommend laws holding government officials accountable for misfeasance or malfeasance related to constitutional violations like the wartime detention. The author suggests specific constitutional amendments for censure, impeachment, and treason charges against officials who violate civil rights.
• Lancing of the Carbuncle, by Bill Marutani, page 5. This East Wind column compares the CWRIC’s investigation into the wartime incarceration to the lancing of a long-existing carbuncle—painful and embarrassing but necessary. The author shares a hostile message he received urging him to ‘go home’ and explains his personal reluctance yet firm conviction to pursue the painful truth.

JACL

• NC-WNPDC Seeks More Funds for Redress, page 3. District leaders met in San Francisco to discuss generating more revenue for JACL’s redress program, having raised $34,052.50 of a $98,940 goal. A supplemental fundraising effort will be launched at the October district executive board meeting in Concord.
• Salt Lake to Host First Joint IDC, Mountain-Plains District Meet, page 6. The 21st biennial Intermountain District Council convention over Thanksgiving weekend at the Ramada Inn in Salt Lake City will be the first joint conference with the Mountain-Plains district. The event features a docu-drama videotape, workshops on Nisei retirement years, and the traditional 1000 Club Whing Ding.

Community

• Five-Year Program with Utah Aged Nikkei Coming to an End, by Alice Kasai, page 3. The Salt Lake Japanese Community Program, incorporated five years ago to serve elderly Issei through various funding sources, is ending Sept. 30 as federal and local funding has dried up. The Issei Center Committee has incorporated separately to try to keep the monthly luncheon and cultural program alive through community fundraising.
• Journalism as Career for Sansei Scheduled, page 3. A ‘Careers in Journalism’ event for Southland college students will be held at USC on Oct. 3, co-sponsored with the newly-formed Asian American Journalists Association. Speakers will include working journalists from KNBC News, the Los Angeles Times, and the L.A. Herald Examiner.
• JACL Raps British Auto Agency Ad Copy Promoting Japan Cars, page 3. National JACL director Ron Wakabayashi criticized an Air Force Times ad promoting Japanese import cars with the headline ‘The Japs are coming! The Japs are coming!’ as offensive racial slurs. He wrote to both the publisher and the English advertising agency urging the derogatory language be removed.
• New Mexico Stages Its First O-Matsuri, page 6. Albuquerque’s New Mexico JACL held its first Obon Odori festival Aug. 16, drawing about 500 people for Japanese dances, koto music, taiko drums, and martial arts demonstrations. Chapter members are already planning a bigger second annual festival for next year.
• Placer JACL Goodwill Dinner Set Nov. 7, page 6. The 41st annual Placer County JACL goodwill dinner will be held Nov. 7 at the Placer Buddhist Church Hall in Penryn, with Tad Yamashiro as chair, as announced by Kay Miyamura.
• JACL Booth Planned for Salinas Street Fair, page 6. Salinas JACL will sponsor a kushiyaki booth at the Town Salinas Street Fair Oct. 3, requiring volunteers to set up and serve food. The chapter is also holding its own event Sept. 20 at Toro Park featuring a five-hour docu-drama videotape on the Japanese American experience.
• Houston’s 3rd Annual Beach Party Set Oct. 4, page 6. The third annual Houston JACL beach party will be held Oct. 4 at the Green Beach House on Galveston Island, as announced by Nadine Solie. The event also marks the chapter’s deadline for contributions to the JACL national redress campaign.
• Las Vegas Luau Date Changed to Oct. 17, page 6. The annual Las Vegas JACL luau fundraiser has been rescheduled to Saturday, Oct. 17, at Paradise Park, as announced by Lillian Morizono. Entertainment, games, and food will be offered throughout the day.
• Salt Lake Awards Two Scholarships, page 6. Greg Sueoka of Olympus High and Jeff Kida of West High were selected by the Salt Lake JACL scholarship committee to receive scholarships. Both students were active in school activities including student council, football, baseball and wrestling.
• Salt Lake Chicken Chowmein Fundraiser and Middle East Dance Program, page 6. A Middle East cultural dance and music presentation by soprano Joyce Stamp will entertain at the Salt Lake JACL chicken chowmein fundraiser Sept. 19 at the Japanese Church of Christ. Takeout orders are available for $2.50 per plate.
• San Marina’s Fall Calendar Aims to Invite Nisei-Sansei Dialogue, page 6. A forum on inter-generational differences between Nisei and Sansei will be held at a chapter meeting in the Marina del Rey area, covering conflicts in traditional values and interracial marriages. Panelists include counselors John Hatakeyama, Kenneth Mitsuhata, and Laura Shiozaki.
• Philadelphia Forum to Examine Evacuation from Multiple Perspectives, page 6. A forum examining the evacuation from historical, psychological, legal and social perspectives will be held Oct. 3 at the Arch Street Friends Meeting House in Philadelphia. Speakers include Rep. Robert W. Edgar and Prof. Roger Daniels, with an exhibit of artifacts from relocation centers titled ‘Framed in Barbed Wire.’
• PC People, page 7. This roundup column covers various community members including Harvey Watanabe withdrawing from a Seattle school board race, Ron Aramaki’s youth leadership work in Salt Lake City, and ministry reassignments within the Buddhist Churches of America. It also notes Rev. Nobuko Miyake’s appointment as associate pastor at North Gardena United Methodist Church.
• USO Cites Nikkei Outstanding Sr. Volunteer, page 7. Jeanne Hamano was named USO’s Outstanding Senior Volunteer in 1981, the organization’s 40th anniversary year. She has been a bookkeeper assisting USO since 1973 and editor of its USO Hi-Lites newsletter since 1976.
• Sansei Lass Runner-Up for Seattle Seafair Crown, page 7. Diane Katsumoto, Japanese community queen for Greater Seattle, was first runner-up in the Aug. 4 ceremonies to select Miss Seattle Seafair. Judges included Tomio Moriguchi, president of Uwajimaya.

Arts & Entertainment

• ‘Yankee Samurai’ in Nihongo Printed, page 3. A Japanese translation of Joseph Harrington’s ‘Yankee Samurai,’ about Nisei in military intelligence service, has been published by Hayakawa Publishing. Translator Sadao Seno, a graduate of the Japanese Naval Academy, was praised by an MIS veteran as an excellent choice for the project.
• ‘Hito Hata’ Screening Sept. 26 for SGV Benefit, page 6. The film ‘Hito Hata: Raise the Banner’ will be shown at the Japanese Community Center in West Covina Sept. 26 to raise funds for the San Gabriel Valley JACL and East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center. Co-director Bob Nakamura and film star Nobu McCarthy will be present.

Sports

• Two JACLers Win Trophies at Panamerican Nikkei Sports Tournament, page 7. Eugene Tashima won in tennis and Art Morimitsu won in golf at a Panamerican Nikkei sports tournament held at high altitude. JACLers Henry Yamaga of Selanoco and Nori Tashima of Livingston-Merced were pictured in the background.
• Wrestler Wins Oliver Trophy, page 7. Gary Mizumoto, 1981 state CIF wrestling champion in the 135-lb class at Millikan High School, Long Beach, was honored with the Nellie G. Oliver Sportsmanship Trophy at the club’s annual dinner. Members voted to include women in the judging starting next year.

In-Depth

• Nikkei Genealogies, by Jin Konomi, page 8. This Moshi-Moshi column explores the nature of genealogy and ancestry, referencing Sinclair Lewis’s novel ‘Kingsblood Royal’ and the revived interest in genealogy following Alex Haley’s ‘Roots.’ The author discusses Japanese concepts of lineage, noting that genealogically there is no such thing as ‘blue blood’ in Japan since most historical rulers were sons of concubines.

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