Tsujimura’s board plans and redress priorities, September 1980

Vol. 91, No. 6, September 12, 1980. 8 pages. View this issue

The front page opened on the new JACL leadership. National president Jim Tsujimura announced plans to hold national board meetings in different cities, subject to funding, and the board named J.D. Hokoyama as Acting National Director. The first meeting away from San Francisco was set for Little Tokyo in late September. On page 4, Tsujimura named redress his top priority for the biennium, and Vernon Yoshioka wrote about growing membership. Elsewhere on page 1, Jin Konomi began a series on Japanese place names and kanji, and NBC’s “Shogun” miniseries drew concern from JACL leaders over new derogatory terms.

Inside are Ronald K. Ikejiri’s index of the JACL Washington office’s 1979-80 work, Bill Hosokawa’s column on Dr. Cecil Coggins, and John Saito’s look at Little Tokyo’s changing face. The issue also carried news of Judge A. Wallace Tashima’s induction, cross-burnings at two homes in Red Deer, Alberta, and a Japanese garden dedicated in Hayward, California, along with letters from readers.

What’s in this issue

National

• Tsujimura Wants National Board to Meet at Different Cities, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Newly-elected National JACL president Jim Tsujimura announced plans to hold national board meetings in different cities around the country rather than always in San Francisco, subject to funding. A tentative schedule through 1982 was outlined, including stops in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Chicago, and Portland.
• Crosses Afire on Two Lawns, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Cross-burnings occurred at two homes in Red Deer, Alberta, alarming the local Japanese Canadian community and mystifying police and the households as to motives. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said they had no clue whether it was a vigilante act or had other origins.
• GOP Gunning for Mori’s Seat in Sacramento, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The state Republican Political Action Committee has made ousting Assemblyman Floyd Mori (D-Pleasanton) its top priority in the November election, though Mori says he feels confident due to his voting record. Mori faces Republican challenger Gib Marguth in a general election expected to cost over $500,000.
• Judge Tashima Inducted, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Federal Judge A. Wallace Tashima, 46, was sworn into office Sept. 4 at ceremonies at the U.S. Courthouse in Los Angeles before 200 friends and court officials. He becomes the second Nisei U.S. district judge, following Judge Bob Takasugi.
• JACL Washington Office Index – 1979-80, by Ronald K. Ikejiri, page 3. JACL Washington Representative Ronald K. Ikejiri provides a comprehensive alphabetical review of the office’s activities and concerns during the past biennium, covering dozens of topics from aging and civil rights to redress and immigration. The report details extensive engagement with government agencies, coalitions, and organizations on issues affecting Asian and Pacific Island Americans.

JACL

• Hokoyama Named Acting National Director, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National JACL Board at its first meeting on Aug. 2, presided over by Dr. Jim Tsujimura, named J.D. Hokoyama as Acting National Director. The meeting marked the beginning of the new biennium’s board activities.
• JACL Board to Meet at Li’l Tokyo Tower, by P.C. Staff, page 1. National JACL board members were reminded by Acting National Director J.D. Hokoyama to make flight arrangements for the Sept. 26-28 board meeting in Little Tokyo Tower, the first board meeting away from San Francisco in many years. Board members will be housed with chapter members in the Los Angeles area, and agenda items were due by Sept. 17.
• Winner of Hayashi Law Scholarship Named, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mari Mayeda of Oakland, California, was named the latest winner of the JACL Thomas T. Hayashi Memorial Law Scholarship, which now carries a $700 annual stipend for three years. Mayeda, a UC Davis graduate with a 3.96 GPA, will attend Harvard Law School, while previous winners Susan Kamei and Takeuchi continue receiving funding.
• PCYA 1981 Program Deadline for Spaces Set: Nov. 15, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Presidential Classroom for Young Americans program offers high school juniors and seniors a week-long educational opportunity in Washington D.C. including visits to the White House, State Department, and Capitol Hill. Chapters must submit Admission Request cards and a $25 registration fee by Nov. 15 to reserve spaces for students.
• NC-WNDC to Discuss Two Policy Items, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Northern California-Western Nevada District Council will vote on adopting a new district council name (NC-WN-Pacific) and consider raising per-capita assessment to $1 per member at a session Sept. 14 in San Mateo. The council’s executive board will also discuss other administrative matters affecting chapter funding.

Community

• ‘Invisible’ Filipinos in Hawaii, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Filipinos in Hawaii, who make up about 14% of the population, have complained about being excluded from the Hawaii Visitor’s Bureau’s 1978 pamphlet listing ethnic festivals. The community has long felt overlooked despite their significant presence and history in the islands.
• Wendy Yoshimura Free on Parole, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Wendy Yoshimura was paroled Aug. 25 and is now living in Berkeley, working at a local fruit juice bar after teaching watercolor painting at a halfway house in Oakland for seven months. She had been imprisoned for six months at Frontera women’s prison following a 1979 conviction for possession of a machine gun and bomb-making materials.
• Coloradans to Hear Mineta and Matsui, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Nikkei congressmen Norman Mineta and Robert Matsui will speak at a dinner Friday, Sept. 19 in Denver about the start-up of the Commission to study wartime relocation and internment of civilians. Colorado Rep. Tim Wirth will also attend the event at Akebono Restaurant.
• Merit Savings Assets Top $100 Million in 12 Years, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Merit Savings & Loan Assn. became the nation’s largest minority-owned savings and loan by surpassing $100 million in assets, according to chairman Bruce T. Kaji. The achievement was celebrated with a gala VIP reception and open house events at Merit’s four offices in Little Tokyo, Gardena, Monterey Park and Irvine.
• House of Japan Program, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Japan Day will be held Sunday, Sept. 14 by the House of Japan in Balboa Park, San Diego. The event celebrates Japanese culture and community in the San Diego area.
• Media Producers Hold First Confab, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The first national conference of Asian Pacific Producers in Public Broadcasting was held July 25-27 at UC Berkeley, attracting over 75 producers and directors along with representatives from public broadcast stations and government agencies. Steve Tatsukawa of Visual Communications noted a growing sense of national priorities among Asian Pacific media people regarding relating the Asian Pacific American experience to wider audiences.
• Kamon Art Contribution, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Kei Yoshida, instructor of historic dolls and Kamon art, made a $1,000 contribution to the JACCC, representing proceeds from Nisei Week activities on family crests by Prof. Motoji Niwa of Japan. The donation supports the cultural center’s programming.
• Mt. Hood Alert, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Fears that Mt. Hood might erupt like Mt. St. Helens due to small tremors proved to be an exaggeration, but it prompted Jan Kurahara, director of the County Emergency Services, to hold emergency sessions preparing a contingency plan. The Mid-Columbia JACLer has led the agency for the past 18 years.
• Midwest Chapters to Meet Oct. 3-5, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Midwest District Council JACL will hold its fall conference the first weekend of October in Dayton, Ohio, featuring workshops on self-defense, leadership development, and a golf outing chaired by Mas Yamasaki. George Sakaguchi and Ross Harano will present the redress report, with various group leaders facilitating leadership workshop discussions.
• Jeffrey Inokuchi Earns Doctor of Pharmacy, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Jeffrey Inokuchi, son of Lt. Col. (Army-Retired) and Mrs. Dick H. Inokuchi of Pacific Grove, received his doctor of pharmacy degree from UC-San Francisco and is now in his residency there. A graduate of Monterey High and UC-Davis, he is a member of a national pharmaceutical honor society, and his sister Sharon is a third-year student at Harvard Medical School.
• 1940 Reunion Want List, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Washington Union High School Class of 1940 will hold its 40th anniversary reunion Sept. 20 in Fremont, California, with organizers trying to locate lost classmates. A list of names was provided to help track down missing Nisei class members.
• Japanese Parents Want Back Child Adopted by Kauai Couple, by P.C. Staff, page 8. An Osaka district court rejected a suit filed by Japanese parents seeking return of their daughter, who was adopted by a Hawaiian Nisei couple with help from a pediatrician. This marks the first case involving international adoption between Japan and a foreign country to come before a Japanese court, highlighting jurisdictional complexities.
• Hayward Dedicates Japanese Gardens, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Hayward, California dedicated a Japanese Botanical Gardens on Sept. 7 at the Hayward Area Senior Center, cited as the first major project of its kind in Northern California in 25 years. Landscape architect Kimio Kimura designed the garden, with Eden Township JACL members actively assisting in the project alongside cultural displays and demonstrations.

Arts & Entertainment

• Racist-Like Terms in ‘Shogun’ Worrying Nikkei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. NBC-TV’s 12-hour miniseries based on James Clavell’s ‘Shogun’, starring Richard Chamberlain, Yoko Shimada, and Toshiro Mifune, premieres Sept. 15, raising concerns among JACL leaders about new derogatory terms introduced as substitutes for ‘Jap’. JACL ethnic concerns chairperson Ron Wakabayashi and others previewed the first episode and expressed worries to NBC about potential teasing of Asian American children and the show’s timing amid strained U.S.-Japan economic relations.
• ‘Images’ on TV, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Frank Kwan and Patti Hirahara will host a new monthly 30-minute TV feature called ‘Images’ focusing on Asian Americans, debuting Saturday, Sept. 20 on KCSI during the Asahi Homecast segment. The first episode will offer an inside look at the 1980 Nisei Week celebration.
• Jon Shirota’s Play ‘The Commission’ Premieres, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Jon Shirota’s play ‘The Commission’ was featured by the Los Angeles City College at its Festival of World Premieres in early August, telling an absorbing tale of a Nisei IRS agent investigating a Japanese businessman. Critic Lawrence Christon rated the production favorably.
• East West Players Names New Staff, by P.C. Staff, page 7. East West Players in Los Angeles named Fay Chiang of New York to its staff as consultant and Patti Yasutake as production assistant under Artistic Director Mako and Executive Producer Rae Creevey. Chiang, director of the Basement Workshop Inc., will commute between New York and L.A. to advise the EWP board toward expansion of goals.

Commentary

• For the Lack of Software: Japan, Inc., by Jin Konomi, page 1. In the first of a series, columnist Jin Konomi discusses the difficulties of reading Japanese place names and kanji characters, even for those well-versed in the language. He argues that the complexity of kanji discourages Sansei and Yonsei from pursuing Japanese language studies and proposes exploring a more scientific romanized approach to Japanese phonetics in future columns.
• Priorities, by Dr. Jim Tsujimura, page 4. JACL National President Jim Tsujimura discusses the many priorities for the upcoming biennium, with Redress identified as the top issue following President Carter’s signing of the redress bill into law. He addresses confusion over the 1980 Recommended Guidelines on Redress and emphasizes that JACL’s bottom line recommendation is monetary compensation with individual payment options.
• By the Board, by Vernon Yoshioka, page 4. Newly elected Vice President for Membership and Services Vernon Yoshioka discusses strategies for increasing JACL membership, emphasizing that growth has historically come through personal outreach and sharing what JACL means to members. He highlights JACL’s role as a sounding board and spokesman for the Japanese American community, particularly regarding redress efforts.
• Letters: Redress Compensation, by Gunnar Olsborg, page 4. A reader writes about historical injustices against Japanese Americans, recalling how politicians who supported civil rights were often voted out of office, while the contributions of the 442nd eventually changed public opinion. The writer supports the proposed $15,000 redress payment, noting some past reimbursements were far less, and suggests successful recipients could donate funds to universities specializing in Asian studies.
• Letters: Onward Jerry, by M. Yamanaka Iseke, page 4. A reader responds to criticism of Jerry Enomoto in a previous column, defending his character and spirit. The writer notes that New Mexico’s gain is California’s loss, suggesting Enomoto’s relocation.
• Letters: Scholarship Awards, by Vaughn M. Greene, page 4. A reader questions the fairness of how JACL scholarships are distributed, suggesting that privileged individuals may be given preference. The writer compares this to their own employer’s scholarship program while acknowledging that scholarship winners are all talented individuals.
• Letters: Short Note, page 4. A longtime reader since 1943 expresses pleasure at finally receiving the Aug. 18-25 issue after multiple address changes. The brief letter reflects on decades of readership.
• Letters: Hibakusha Heroine, by Paul Tsuneishi, page 4. Paul Tsuneishi urges JACL to prioritize legislation for Hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) in the U.S., referencing Congressman Danielson’s HR 1925 bill which has been submitted annually without passage. He movingly recounts the story of Judy Enseki, a terminally ill advocate for hibakusha who died of cancer shortly after he promised her the bill would pass.
• He Taught Me How to Be Free, by Sachi Seko, page 4. In this personal essay, the author recounts a visit from an old family friend named Pat who announces she has left her husband Tom after years of a tumultuous marriage. Despite leaving him, Pat credits Tom with giving her the courage to strike out on her own and start a new life in California.
• Dr. Coggins: WW2 Mystery Unfolded, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Columnist Bill Hosokawa follows up on a previous column about Dr. Cecil Coggins, a Naval intelligence officer who championed Nisei loyalty before and during WWII, recruiting Nisei to monitor radio transmissions and later to provide intelligence in Hawaii. Hosokawa reveals he located and visited the 78-year-old Dr. Coggins in Monterey, discovering surprising connections including family ties to people in the Nisei community.
• Of Sea Cucumbers, and Things, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Columnist Bill Marutani reflects on the challenges East Coast Nisei face in finding authentic Japanese ingredients and restaurants, contrasting this with the abundance available on the West Coast. He recounts enjoying namako (sea cucumber) during a recent Los Angeles visit and reminisces about childhood foods that seemed humble then but are expensive delicacies now.
• Konomi Continued: Language Discussion, by Jin Konomi, page 7. Continuing his series on Japanese language, columnist Jin Konomi argues for a complete break with traditional kanji-focused instruction, advocating for grammar-light approaches given Japanese’s relatively simple verb tense system. He proposes dictionaries written entirely in Roman script as a solution to the Catch-22 difficulty of looking up unfamiliar kanji terms.

Obituaries

• Rev. George Nishimoto, 64, Headed Cleveland JACL for Third Term, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Rev. George N. Nishimoto, 64, executive director of the West Side Ecumenical Ministry and serving his third term as Cleveland JACL president, died Aug. 24 after several years of illness. He had a long career in ministry and social services, including founding a community center church in Chicago and later directing a social service agency in Cleveland, and was recently recognized by the National JACL Convention for his lifelong work among Japanese Americans.

Incarceration & Redress

• Redress Hearings, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The JACL Committee for Redress is forming a nationwide committee of psychiatrists and sociologists to assist in an impact study of concentration camps upon Japanese Americans, in preparation for commission hearings on WWII internment and relocation. The announcement was made by Carole Hayashino, assistant coordinator, and John Tateishi.

In-Depth

• Little Tokyo’s Changing Face, by John Saito, page 6. Columnist John Saito describes the ongoing transformation of Little Tokyo, including the replacement of the Chinese restaurant San Kwo Low with the Great Wall restaurant, and major new construction projects including the Weller Court arcade building featuring Matsuzakaya department store and the Honda Plaza complex. He notes that National JACL Board members visiting in late September will see Little Tokyo in transition but with enough established base to maintain their interest.
• Random Musings: Yoza Buson, by Robert H. Kono, page 8. Columnist Robert H. Kono profiles 18th century Japanese poet and painter Yoza Buson, comparing his approach to misery and transcendent aesthetics with contemporary Basho. The essay explores how Buson sought to create art-for-art’s-sake out of the ordinary and vulgar, contrasting his philosophy with those of Chomei and Kenko.

Sports

• AADAP 10-km Run, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Asian American Abuse Program hosts its second annual 10-km race on Saturday, Sept. 20, starting at 8 a.m. at Crystal Springs area in Griffith Park, Los Angeles. Late registrations will be available on race day or by contacting AADAP.
• Jr. Golf Title Retained, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Takumi Taoyama of San Jose retained his Jr. BANGA golf title on Aug. 23 at a course in Watsonville, California. A fellow San Josean carded a net 68 in the competition.

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