Wendy Yoshimura’s first free weekend, and JACL after the 1980 convention

Vol. 91, No. 8, September 26, 1980. 8 pages. View this issue

The front page followed Wendy Yoshimura through her first free weekend, a drive to Fresno to see her parents, Frank and Fumi Yoshimura, and to celebrate the 60th birthday of Mike Iwatsubo, who had once offered his life savings to her defense fund. Much of the issue then turned to JACL after its 1980 national convention: Lorrie K. Inagaki’s synopsis of the resolutions, Izumi Taniguchi on the dues increase, an editorial on taking board meetings to the membership, and word of redress brochures headed to chapters. The Granada Papers, the legal file of the Amache camp, were also covered.

Other pages carried reactions to NBC’s ‘Shogun’ miniseries, including Dr. Clifford Uyeda’s column, and columns by Bill Marutani and Bill Hosokawa. The back page reported on a 442nd company reunion, a Wakako Yamauchi play in San Diego, and the Aki Matsuri in San Francisco.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Wendy Yoshimura Spends First Free Weekend With Parents, Benefactor in Fresno, by Linda Ogawa Ramirez, page 1. After eight years of turmoil including imprisonment related to a false link to the Symbionese Liberation Army, Wendy Yoshimura spent her first free weekend visiting her parents and celebrating the 60th birthday of Mike Iwatsubo, who had once offered his life savings to her defense fund. Now paroled and living in Berkeley, she plans to resume teaching art and focus on her own watercolor work.
• Maui Potato Chip Story Has ‘Internment’ Curl, page 1. Dewey Kobayashi’s famous Maui potato chips have achieved cult status among tourists and mainland retailers like Bloomingdale’s, all of whom he turns away in favor of his small, quality-focused operation. Despite offers of fame and fortune, Kobayashi refuses to expand production, preferring to maintain the quality of his product.
• Tokai Bank, L.A., Marking 10th Year, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Tokai Bank in Los Angeles celebrates its tenth anniversary on Oct. 2 at the Bonaventure Hotel. Shigemitsu Miyake, chairman of the board from the bank’s Nagoya headquarters, will attend.
• El Cerrito Nisei Named Fellow of Nursing, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dorothy Sekiko Oda of El Cerrito was named a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing for her significant contributions to the field. She is an assistant professor of nursing at UC-San Francisco and recently was named director of the National School Health Program.
• ‘Little Tokyo, USA’ Revived, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A brief revival of the wartime 20th Century-Fox film ‘Little Tokyo, USA,’ depicting an alleged espionage plot in the prewar Japanese colony in Los Angeles, is being protested by JACL’s ethnic concern committee. The anti-Nisei propaganda film was shown at the George Eastman House in Rochester as part of a series on Hollywood’s WWII films.
• JACL Works for Benefit of General Nikkei Population But Less Than 5% Willing to Share in Costs, by Izumi Taniguchi, page 6. The article argues that JACL provides benefits to the broader Nikkei community while only a small percentage pay dues or volunteer, creating financial strain on the organization. It calls for better education about JACL’s value and increased volunteer participation to support fundraising and membership growth.
• Assemblyman’s Wife Attains Ph.D., by P.C. Staff, page 8. Dr. Lynn Bannai was honored at Miya Restaurant by family and friends for earning her doctoral degree in Intercultural Education from USC, having ranked at the top of her admission exam class. Her dissertation compared communication competence between Caucasian and Asian-American high school students, a groundbreaking area of research.
• Shimizu Booklet on Rice Recipes Free, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A booklet on rice cooking recipes using Blue Star mochiko and Shochikubai mochigome is available free of charge, limited to one copy per request. Interested readers can obtain the booklet by writing to the listed address.
• Aki Matsuri Hits 11th Annual in San Francisco, by P.C. Staff, page 8. San Francisco’s 11th annual Aki Matsuri festival at Japan Center will run Sept. 26-28, celebrating Japanese culture as fall arrives. A highlight this year is a Saturday evening concert by the Tokyo Union Orchestra, one of Japan’s leading jazz bands.

National

• Consumer Education Week Proclaimed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. President Carter proclaimed the week of Oct. 5 as National Consumer Education Week to promote consumer education programs. JACL Washington Representative Ronald Ikejiri praised the effort as important for educating consumers about their rights.
• N.Y. Police Told to Hire 2 Asians, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A federal judge ordered the New York City police department to appoint two more Asian Americans to its police recruit class after a court order to correct racial imbalance. The department’s newly organized Asian Jade Society had sought the additional recruits.

Incarceration & Redress

• ‘Granada Papers’ Offer Insight Into Amache Camp Legal History, by P.C. Staff, page 1. ‘The Granada Papers,’ the complete legal file of the Amache WRA camp, provides insight into government intentions and the difficulties faced by camp attorneys, according to Andrew Guilliford’s article in People & Policy. The quarterly is published by UC-Denver.
• Informational Brochures on Redress Set for Distribution, by P.C. Staff, page 5. JACL chapters are being asked to help distribute 50,000 informational brochures to encourage community participation in upcoming commission hearings on the WWII evacuation and internment of civilians. John Tateishi, redress committee chair, said the materials would be ready soon and additional redress materials are available at JACL headquarters.
• Guest Editorial: A World War II Injustice, by St. Louis Post-Dispatch, page 5. This reprinted editorial from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch discusses the wartime imprisonment of Japanese Americans despite the U.S. also being at war with Germany and Italy, noting the Supreme Court upheld the internment’s legality under wartime hysteria. The ACLU later called it the worst wholesale violation of American citizens’ rights in U.S. history.

Commentary

• Rambunctious ‘Shogun’, page 1. Reactions within the Japanese American community to NBC-TV’s 12-hour ‘Shogun’ miniseries were mixed, with former JACL president Dr. Clifford Uyeda calling it outrageous and accusing it of subtle racism despite dazzling costumes and photography. JACL representatives met with NBC executives to discuss concerns over racial epithets used in the film, while Little Tokyo columnists Dwight Chuman and George Yoshinaga offered differing views on the production’s merits.
• Dues and Do’s, by Izumi Taniguchi, page 3. Taniguchi explains why JACL delegates voted for a dues increase despite initial opposition, noting that holding the line on dues would have forced cuts to the Pacific Citizen, regional offices, and the Washington D.C. office crucial to the redress campaign. He argues JACL dues are a bargain given the organization’s role as a watchdog of civil rights, citing its achievements on redress, immigration law, and anti-discrimination legislation.
• JACL Board Meetings Should Travel to the Membership, page 4. This editorial argues that JACL National Board meetings should be held in various cities rather than concentrated near national headquarters in San Francisco, to maintain contact with the general membership rather than just organizational staff. The first trial meeting under this renewed practice will be held in Los Angeles September 26-28, with local members hosting board members.
• Cliff’s Corner: Outrage Over NBC’s Shogun, by Dr. Clifford Uyeda, page 4. Dr. Clifford Uyeda criticizes NBC-TV’s ‘Shogun’ miniseries for presenting subtle racism beneath dazzling costumes and photography, arguing that Japanese characters were reduced to cruel, odious stereotypes rather than individuals. He compares the one-sided portrayal of violence to how Americans would react to a foreign film depicting the U.S. solely through rape and crime.
• Letters: Companionship Service Suggested for Elderly Issei, by Chiyoko Kawamura, page 4. A reader from Highland, Ca., suggests the Pacific Citizen could help connect older Nikkei singles seeking companionship through a service using box numbers. She believes this could reduce the number of elderly people ending up in retirement homes.
• Letters: Protest Over Exclusion of Non-Citizens From JACL Membership, by Dale Minami, page 4. The Board of Governors of the Asian Law Caucus protests JACL’s recent convention decision ratifying the exclusion of non-citizens from regular membership, arguing it contradicts the organization’s civil rights mission. The letter cites historical discrimination against Asian immigrants and urges JACL to reverse the decision.
• A Mother’s Take: Autumn, a Time to Take Leave, by Sachi Seko, page 4. Sachi Seko reflects on her son’s impending departure from home and her own realization that he lacks basic domestic skills like cooking, drawing parallels to her own youthful friction with her mother over similar lessons. She recalls a childhood memory of leaving a family event and seeing her parents’ sense of abandonment, paralleling her own feelings now as her son prepares to leave.
• East Wind: On the Nature of Japanese vs. American Humor, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Bill Marutani muses on the cultural differences between Japanese, American, British, and Russian humor, noting how his mother enjoyed American comedians like Bob Hope despite his belief that Japanese humor operates on different principles. He experiments with recasting American ‘shoulda stayed in bed’ jokes into Japanese cultural contexts for comedic effect.
• From the Frying Pan: Memories of Youth That Last, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa recounts visiting Seattle and reconnecting with old friends from his youth, observing how the city has grown dramatically since the prewar years. He reflects on the enduring bonds formed by shared hardship, discrimination, and community among Nisei of his generation.

JACL

• JACL Board Meeting Agenda Set for Little Tokyo Towers Session, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The National JACL Board’s first meeting since the convention, presided over by Dr. Jim Tsujimura, will be held at Little Tokyo Towers with a detailed agenda covering legal reports, staff reports, bylaws, and new business. The meeting marks the board’s new practice of holding meetings in various cities rather than only at national headquarters.
• National JACL 1980 Resolutions Delineate Policy and Priorities, by Lorrie K. Inagaki, page 3. A synopsis of resolutions passed at the 1980 JACL National Convention in Millbrae covers topics including support for Masaru Yamasaki, the Equal Rights Amendment, redress for WWII incarceration, support for those who refused military induction, atomic bomb survivors, and creation of new committees on ways and means, veterans affairs, and national planning. The convention also commended Karl Nobuyuki and Dr. George Nishimoto and voted to discontinue printing Heritage Week posters while continuing international relations programs.
• Tsujimura Attends NCWN-Pacific Meet, by P.C. Staff, page 6. National president Dr. Jim Tsujimura outlined his plans for the coming biennium at the Northern California-Western Nevada-Pacific district council quarterly session, including establishing a search committee for a new national executive director chaired by James Murakami. The council also formally added ‘Pacific’ to its name to accommodate new Honolulu and Japan chapters and voted to increase per capita assessment to 75 cents.

Military & Veterans

• ‘Tokyo Rose’ Author Addresses GI Reunion, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Masayo Duus, author of ‘Tokyo Rose: Orphan of the Pacific,’ addressed the Co. K-442nd reunion in San Francisco, discussing her visit to Italy and meetings with survivors of the ‘Lost Battalion’ rescued by the 442nd. Veterans and guests from Hawaii and across the mainland attended the event alongside other speakers including Maj. Walter Lesinski and Eric Saul of the Presidio Army Museum.

In-Depth

• Romaji: Then and Today, page 8. This historical feature traces the Portuguese missionaries’ 16th-century efforts to romanize Japanese writing, culminating in the comprehensive Nippo Jisho dictionary published in 1603, which was one of the most advanced interlingual dictionaries of its time. Despite the expulsion of the Portuguese and later Meiji-era romanization movements, the article concludes that 120 years of advocacy for Romaji adoption has yielded only limited practical results in Japan.

Arts & Entertainment

• Prewar Story of ‘Happa’ Filmed, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Shochiku studio in Tokyo is filming a movie based on a chapter from ‘Let’s Hand Down Our Experiences of War,’ depicting the difficult wartime life of a mixed-race girl with an American father and Japanese mother. The film stars Meiko Kaji as the girl’s mother and is set for release next March.
• Wakako Yamauchi Play to Be Staged in San Diego, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Wakako Yamauchi’s award-winning play ‘And the Soul Shall Dance’ will be staged by Pacific Asian Actors Ensemble at the Marquis Gallery Theater as a benefit for the Union of Pan Asian Communities building fund. The performance is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 5.
• ‘Hito Hata’ Tickets Available for L.A. Music Center Premiere, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The film ‘Hito Hata,’ starring Mako along with Pat Morita and Yuki Shimoda, will premiere at the Los Angeles Music Center. Tickets for the benefit screening are being offered to the community.

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