Vol. 108, No. 13, April 7, 1989. 8 pages. View this issue
Redress under the Civil Liberties Act led the front page. Acting Executive Director Rita Takahashi testified for JACL-LEC, and NCRR representatives including Bert Nakano and Alan Nishio joined her in urging full and timely funding, warning that many eligible survivors could die before payments came. Cherry Kinoshita compared that slow process with Canada’s redress payments to Japanese Canadians. The page also announced the 20th annual pilgrimage to Manzanar, set for April 29.
Inside are Bill Hosokawa’s recollections of evangelist Toyohiko Kagawa, Bill Marutani’s column on Japanese names for California and Canada, and Jin Konomi’s commentary on Japan after Emperor Hirohito’s funeral. Yoichi Kuroda wrote about Japanese campaigns to save tropical rain forests. Community items include a new Elk Grove school named for Mary Tsukamoto, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team veterans in a bank commercial, and the Kimochi Run/Walk on April 16.
What’s in this issue
Incarceration & Redress
- Redress Payments Seen as $84 Million, by Cherry Kinoshita, page 1. Cherry Kinoshita reports that Canada’s redress payments to Japanese Canadians have moved rapidly, with an estimated $84 million windfall injected into the Toronto and Vancouver communities. She compares the Canadian redress settlement process, including lump sum payments and community funds, to the slower and underfunded U.S. redress process under the Civil Liberties Act.
- JACL-LEC and NCRR Testify for Full Redress Funding, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Acting Executive Director Rita Takahashi testified on behalf of JACL-LEC while NCRR representatives including Bert Nakano and Alan Nishio argued for full and timely funding of redress payments under the Civil Liberties Act. They warned that delays could mean many eligible survivors would die before receiving compensation, and rebutted anti-redress arguments from some veterans’ groups.
- 20th Annual Pilgrimage to Manzanar Set for April 29, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Manzanar Committee will hold its 20th annual pilgrimage to the former WWII incarceration campsite on April 29, continuing a tradition started in 1969 to raise awareness of Japanese American history. The committee supports a 500-acre historic park plan and is seeking volunteers to help plan the event.
Community
- Rose Ochi Garners Wide Support, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rose Ochi, a candidate for the L.A. Community College District Board, received a wide range of endorsements including from the Los Angeles Times. The East L.A. JACLer, a former National JACL vice president, was praised for her community commitment and effectiveness.
- Born to Run/Walk: Kimochi Cherry Blossom Event, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Kimochi staff and residents prepare for the 8th Annual Kimochi Cherry Blossom Run/Walk scheduled for April 16. The event benefits senior services provided by Kimochi, Inc.
- New President: Randi Tahara Installed at COPOA, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Randi Tahara of the LAPD was installed as president of the California Oriental Peace Officers Association, becoming the first woman to hold the position. The ceremony took place March 4 at the Miriwa Restaurant in Los Angeles.
- Nikkei Profiles Sprinkle Selections Within Politics, Sports and Community, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Honolulu Advertiser’s ‘Movers and Shakers’ series profiled numerous Japanese Americans in Hawaii across business, politics, sports, and community service. Figures highlighted included attorney Larry Naito, political aide Harold Masumoto, baseball coach Les Murakami, volleyball coach Dave Shoji, and community volunteers like Mitsuo Aoki and Suyeki Okumura.
- Elk Grove Names Elementary School for Mary Tsukamoto, Retired Teacher, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Elk Grove Unified School District voted to name a new elementary school after Mary Tsukamoto, a longtime educator and JACLer honored for her redress work. Tsukamoto, who co-authored a book on internment, expressed surprise at the honor.
- Outstanding Volunteer: Smoky Hirao Sakurada Honored by CARA, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Smoky Hirao Sakurada, 71, received the outstanding volunteer award from the Chicago Area Runners Association for his work in 1987-88. Sakurada, a non-runner now retired in Wisconsin, continues to promote the P.C. Holiday Issue for the Chicago JACL chapter.
- Run/Walk to Benefit Kimochi Set for April 16, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The 8th Annual Kimochi Cherry Blossom Run/Walk will take place April 16 in San Francisco, with proceeds benefiting Kimochi, Inc., a nonprofit serving senior citizens. The event includes a five-mile race and two-mile walk through Golden Gate Park to Japantown, with entrants receiving T-shirts and chances to win prizes.
- NJAHS Women’s Exhibit Interviewing Nikkei Women, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The National Japanese American Historical Society is conducting oral history interviews with Japanese American women for an exhibit opening at the Oakland Museum in 1990. The project seeks to document stories from three generations—Issei, Nisei, and Sansei—rather than focusing only on high-profile women.
- UC Irvine Celebrating Asian Heritage Week, by P.C. Staff, page 5. UC Irvine’s Asian-Pacific Student and Staff Association will host ‘East Within West: Coming Together,’ a week-long celebration featuring traditional music, dance, and martial arts performances. The free event runs April 10-14 at Gateway Commons Plaza.
- Seven Asian American Communities in Council to Advise Cleveland’s Mayor, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Cleveland Mayor George Voinovich appointed 21 members from seven Asian American communities to a newly established Asian Advisory Council to improve city services. The council will address issues including EEO, small business support, and relations between ethnic communities and city government.
National
- Retaining Family Name Focus of Symposium, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A March 4 symposium in Tokyo focused on reforming Japan’s law requiring one family name for married couples. Diet members and women’s rights advocates discussed allowing two surnames within marriage.
- Japan Diet Gets Bill on New Women’s Rights Law, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Takeshita cabinet submitted a bill to Japan’s Diet that would extend full legal recognition to Japanese women married to foreign citizens. The bill aims to address inequities under the outdated 1898 law governing international marriages.
- Ancient Chinese Relics Excavated in Kyushu, by P.C. Staff, page 2. An excavation site near Kanzaki in Saga prefecture may provide evidence about the lost kingdom of Yamatai described in ancient Chinese chronicles. The discovery follows earlier finds of swords and mirrors by local residents in 1954.
Military & Veterans
- 442nd Veterans Shine on TV Spot for Bank, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A dozen veterans of the celebrated 442nd RCT are featured in television commercials for First Hawaiian Bank. The ad campaign, which began 18 months earlier, includes cast members from the ‘Go For Broke’ film.
Arts & Entertainment
- UCLA Extension Writers’ Program Features Asian American Authors, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A UCLA Extension series will feature prominent Asian American writers including Jean Shinoda Bolen, Philip Kan Gotanda, Momoko Iko, Maxine Hong Kingston, Geraldine Kudaka, Sesshu Foster, and David Henry Hwang. The program, coordinated by Russell Leong, runs from April through May at various campus sites.
- 1989 Clavell Competition Now Open, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Eleventh Annual James Clavell American Japanese National Literary Award competition is accepting manuscript entries until June 30, 1989. The winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize presented at the Nikkei Foundation Gala Benefit in Los Angeles.
JACL
- Detroit JACL Chapter Installs 1989 Board, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Detroit Chapter JACL held its 43rd Annual Installation Dinner, featuring keynote speaker Henry Tanaka and a surprise appearance by Fred Korematsu. The event addressed JACL’s future after redress and honored several members including JACLer of the Year David Maxon.
- Mountain Plains to Continue Joint District Conference with EDC-MDC, by Tom Masamori, page 6. The Mountain Plains JACL District Council will convene jointly with the Eastern and Midwest districts in Chicago in August 1989, continuing a tradition of tri-district conferences. The spring meeting in Albuquerque also covered membership development, redress updates, and plans for the 1990 national convention in San Diego.
Commentary
- A Sign of Tolerance, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This editorial discusses growing religious tolerance toward Buddhism in America, noting the historical suspicion Buddhist priests faced during WWII versus recent acceptance in Christian theological institutions. It highlights the appointment of a Buddhist scholar, Dr. Jose Cabezon, to the Iliff School of Theology in Denver.
- JACL: Time to Apologize, by Letter to the Editor, page 4. A reader’s letter argues that JACL should acknowledge mistakes made in its early history, particularly its stance of extreme patriotism during a period of intense anti-Japanese sentiment. The letter explores the historical context of anti-Japanese legislation and JACL’s founding response to defend Nisei citizenship rights.
- More Memories of Kagawa, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Bill Hosokawa shares reader George Furutani’s personal recollections of evangelist Dr. Toyohiko Kagawa, including family visits and a memorable meal before Kagawa’s final voyage to Japan in 1941. The column includes a reproduced handwritten thank-you note from Kagawa to Furutani.
- Karifuoruniya Shu, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Bill Marutani explores the etymology and kanji composition of Japanese place names including California (Karifuoruniya-shu) and Canada (Kanada), drawing on a WWII-era military dictionary. The column playfully examines how phonetic kanji compounds are constructed for foreign words.
- Japan’s Retrogression Into the Past, by Jin Konomi, page 5. Jin Konomi argues that the extravagant state funeral for Emperor Hirohito and subsequent government directives represent a troubling return to authoritarian reverence for the tenno institution. The column traces post-war attempts by Japanese leaders to restore imperial symbols like the Rising Sun flag and Kimigayo anthem in schools, warning of democracy eroding in favor of fiat governance.
In-Depth
- Conservationists in Japan Campaigning to Save Tropical Rain Forests, by Yoichi Kuroda, page 5. Yoichi Kuroda details Japan’s role as a major consumer of tropical timber contributing to deforestation in Southeast Asia and Latin America, and outlines the ecological consequences. The article describes international and Japanese conservation efforts, including NGO pressure on the International Tropical Timber Organization and WWF debt-for-nature programs.
- Conservationists in Japan Campaigning to Save Tropical Rain Forests (continued), by Yoichi Kuroda, page 6. This continuation details specific conservation policy recommendations, including the need for industrialized nations to discourage wasteful resource consumption and promote reforestation. It notes growing grassroots movements in Britain and Japan against unsustainable tropical timber use.
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