Mineta leads the override of the Civil Rights Restoration Act veto

Vol. 106, No. 14, April 8, 1988. 8 pages. View this issue

Rep. Norman Mineta led the March 22 House fight to override President Reagan’s veto of the Civil Rights Restoration Act, which reverses the Supreme Court’s Grove City College vs. Bell ruling. The front page reported that the House voted 292-133 and the Senate 78-13 to override. Inside, the paper turned to JACL matters: Helen Kawagoe entered the race for national JACL president alongside Mollie Fujioka, and President Harry Kajihara wrote about the budget and a proposed dues increase.

The commentary pages carried a debate over redress and the wartime incarceration (often called internment). Mike Masaoka and William Hohri each answered columnist James J. Kilpatrick, and Eji Suyama wrote a letter critical of JACL’s wartime conduct. Other pieces include a review of the book Unlikely Liberators about the 100th Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and Stanley N. Kanzaki and Bill Marutani on how Japan treats foreign residents.

What’s in this issue

National

• Mineta Leads Fight to Override Reagan’s Veto, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Norman Mineta led the successful House effort to override President Reagan’s veto of the Civil Rights Restoration Act, which reverses the Supreme Court’s Grove City College vs. Bell ruling. Mineta rebutted opponents’ claims about the bill’s scope, and it was enacted into law after the House voted 292-133 and the Senate voted 78-13 to override.
• News in Brief, by P.C. Staff, page 1. This roundup covers Rep. Daniel Lungren’s lawsuit over his treasurer appointment, Rep. Mineta placing a tribute to Nisei soldiers in the Congressional Record, a Detroit supermarket chain halting use of a ‘Coolee’ bag seen as offensive to Asian Americans, the band Hiroshima winning a Soul Train Music Award, and a report on high spending by Japanese tourists in Hawaii.’
• ‘Injustice’ Cries Out for Redress, Says Inouye, page 3. Sen. Daniel Inouye has been a strong supporter of Native American rights issues, including a land dispute bill between Tacoma and the Puyallup Indians, and has criticized a federal judge’s refusal to reduce sentences in the ‘Salmonscam’ case. Inouye, who chairs the Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs, discussed the historical mistreatment of Native Americans through broken treaties and ongoing socioeconomic struggles.
• Newsmakers, page 6. Florence Date Smith of Eugene, Ore., was elected to the National Council of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, representing several Western states based on her peace activism rooted in her WWII internment experience. Dr. Tara L. Gee was also appointed by Gov. Deukmejian to the Animal Health Technician Examining Committee.

Arts & Entertainment

• Winner Awarded in July: Contest Focuses on Japanese and JA Experiences in U.S., page 1. The 10th annual American Japanese National Literary Award is accepting manuscripts until June 30, with the winner receiving $1,000 at the Nikkei Foundation Gala Benefit in Los Angeles. The award, established by novelist James Clavell, encourages Japanese Americans to write short stories about Japanese and JA experiences in the U.S., with detailed eligibility and submission rules provided.

JACL

• Kawagoe Running For JACL Prez, Joins Fujioka in Race, page 1. Helen Kawagoe of Carson, Calif., is entering the race for National JACL president, joining Mollie Fujioka after Yosh Nakashima withdrew his candidacy. Kawagoe presented her background to the Pacific Southwest District board, and both women downplayed the significance of two women competing for the office.
• PSWD Sets Conference for May 14, page 3. The Pacific Southwest District JACL is holding a conference titled ‘Japanese American Community: Critical Issues and Critical Choices’ on May 14 at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel, expecting about 500 attendees. Keynote speaker Warren Furutani will address issues at eleven workshops covering topics like aging, leadership, political involvement, and generational transition.

Community

• 4 Asian Pacific Leaders Endorse Jackson for President, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Four prominent Asian Pacific American leaders—Mas Fukai, Warren Furutani, Arthur Song and Dennis Nishikawa—have endorsed Jesse Jackson for the Democratic presidential nomination ahead of California’s June 7 primary. Each leader explained their reasons, citing Jackson’s understanding of urban issues and minority communities, and campaign official Mike Murase welcomed the endorsements.
• Public Speaking Seminar Slated, page 2. The Asian Business Association, in cooperation with Pacific Bell, is sponsoring a half-day public speaking seminar called ‘Power Public Speaking for Asians’ on April 30 at the Pasadena Hilton Hotel. The event features workshops from speech pathologist Elaine Low and communication trainers, plus a keynote luncheon address by author Janet G. Elsea.

Commentary

• For the Record, page 3. This piece recaps findings by Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga that the mass exclusion report on Japanese Americans was rewritten to use ‘military necessity’ instead of citing cultural traits as the rationale. It notes that Justice Department documents found by Dr. Peter Irons also contributed significantly to redress efforts.
• The Next Budget, by Harry Kajihara, page 4. JACL President Harry Kajihara discusses the organization’s budget challenges, noting that without a dues increase, JACL faces shortfalls of $65,000 in 1989 and $111,000 in 1990. He argues that a modest dues increase of $4 and later $2.50 is reasonable given rising costs, including increased postal rates and reinstating the JACL Washington office.
• Two Coincidental Cases, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This editorial notes the coincidence of two Japanese American jurists, Judge Raymond Uno and Judge Robert Takasugi, presiding over major unrelated criminal cases reported in the same week. It highlights that news headlines did not mention the judges’ ethnicity, which the writer views as appropriate, while detailing both judges’ rulings.
• Kilpatrick Article Doesn’t Address the Facts, by Mike Masaoka, page 4. Mike Masaoka rebuts columnist James J. Kilpatrick’s opposition to redress payments for Japanese American internees, citing the Commission on Wartime Relocation’s unanimous finding that there was no military necessity for internment. He details historical evidence from FBI, Naval Intelligence, and military officials who opposed the mass exclusion program, arguing the Supreme Court’s Korematsu decision should be reversed.
• Letters to the Editor: More Info on Japan’s Women’s Movement, by Chizu Iiyama, page 4. Chizu Iiyama thanks the Pacific Citizen for publishing articles on Japanese American women for International Women’s Day and provides additional statistics from the Fusae Ichikawa Memorial Association. She details the number of women in Japan’s local assemblies broken down by political party.
• Letters to the Editor: Rotten Fish, by Eji Suyama, page 4. Eji Suyama criticizes JACL’s and Mike Masaoka’s historical conduct during WWII internment, arguing that submission to imprisonment was not an act of patriotism but a perversion of the Constitution. He suggests this stemmed from a misreading of Japanese cultural codes and asserts his judgment that something is deeply wrong with that history.
• A True Story, by George Johnston, page 4. George Johnston reviews the book ‘Unlikely Liberators’ by Masayo Duus, which tells the true story of the 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team soldiers. He highlights the book’s focus on individual soldiers, including Mitsuyoshi Fukuda, who recently died in Hawaii, making the history feel personal and poignant.
• Most JA’s Cannot Interpret Japan to Americans, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa reflects on his extensive reading about Japan and argues that most Japanese Americans, despite their ethnicity, are not qualified to serve as cultural interpreters between Japan and the U.S. He compares this expectation to a form of racism, similar to assuming all Black people are great athletes.
• Kilpatrick Article Shows a Hardness of Heart, by William Hohri, page 5. William Hohri rebuts James Kilpatrick’s defense of internment, detailing the timeline showing the FBI had already identified security risks before Executive Order 9066 was issued, and that military necessity had ceased by 1943 yet exclusion continued until 1945 for political reasons. He argues that a government which imprisons people without due process cannot demand loyalty from its victims.
• East Wind: Fingerprint Law, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Bill Marutani discusses Japan’s Alien Registration Law requiring fingerprinting of non-Japanese residents, focusing on Kim Kang Ja, a Korean resident who refuses to comply believing the law is discriminatory. He also recounts the story of Shuji Kanamori’s family, illustrating the complicated choices facing Korean residents in Japan regarding nationality and marriage.
• Letters to the Editor: Rotten Fish (continued), by Eji Suyama, page 6. This is the continuation of Suyama’s letter criticizing JACL’s historical response to internment, discussing Japanese cultural concepts like Bushido and Hagakure philosophy as explanations for Nisei conduct during the war. He concludes that regardless of complex arguments, he perceives the situation as fundamentally wrong.

In-Depth

• The Treatment of Aliens and Foreigners in Japan, by Stanley N. Kanzaki, page 5. Stanley Kanzaki examines the differential treatment of foreigners in Japan, contrasting the deferential treatment of English-speaking Westerners with the discrimination faced by Japan-born Koreans, who are denied citizenship despite generations of residency. He details the case of Rev. Choi Chang Hwa’s legal battle over the Japanese mispronunciation of his Korean name, which the Japanese Supreme Court ruled was acceptable social custom.

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