A Sacramento proposal to relocate Vietnamese refugees draws JACL protest

Vol. 94, No. 25, June 25, 1982. 12 pages. View this issue

A Rancho Cordova homeowners group suggested relocating Indochinese refugees to military-style camps, and the Pacific Citizen put the story on its front page. JACL’s Ron Wakabayashi and Frank Iwama likened the plan to the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans, and John Tateishi took up the same subject in his column. The front page also reported the dedication of a monument at Rohwer to 32 Nisei war dead who served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and the three candidates for JACL vice president for public affairs: Henry Tanaka, Chuck Kubokawa and Gene Takamine.

Inside, Jeanie Hibino and Gen Fujioka reported on the seventh Tule Lake pilgrimage, which drew over 350 people. Each candidate for vice president wrote a platform column, and Bill Hosokawa described the Shimasaki family cookbook. Other pages covered the Little Tokyo Service Center awards dinner, crime in San Francisco’s Japantown, Herbert Sasaki’s memories of Camp Shelby, and Ron Wakabayashi’s Musubi column on the veterans’ slogan, Go For Broke.

What’s in this issue

National

• Vietnamese Internment in Sacramento Suggested, page 1. A Rancho Cordova homeowners group has proposed relocating and quarantining Indochinese refugees in military-style camps for up to a year to teach them American values, a plan JACL and community groups have denounced as racist. JACL National Director Ron Wakabayashi and legal counsel Frank Iwama likened the proposal to the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans.
• Judge Rules Against Klan in Suit Filed by Viet Fishermen, page 2. A federal judge permanently barred the Ku Klux Klan from maintaining a paramilitary camp in Texas following a lawsuit filed by Vietnamese fishermen. Texas Attorney General Mark White had intervened on behalf of the Vietnamese against Klan leader Louis Beam’s paramilitary unit.
• Inouye Offers Nuclear Plan to Avoid a Holocaust, page 2. Sen. Dan Inouye proposed a six-point program to prevent accidental nuclear war, including a crisis-avoidance communication network between the US and Soviet Union and a freeze on weapons testing. He called the concept of ‘limited nuclear war’ utter nonsense and extraordinarily dangerous.
• Senate Passes Voting Rights Bill, page 2. The Senate reaffirmed key parts of the 1965 Voting Rights Act by an 85-8 vote, extending bilingual election assistance through 1992 and enforcement provisions through 2007. Sen. Hayakawa’s amendment to delete bilingual provisions was defeated.
• Foreign Organized Crime on the Rise in Calif., Says Deukmejian, page 8. California Attorney General George Deukmejian reported that organized crime increased in 1981 due in part to Israeli, Vietnamese, and Japanese gangs, including Yakuza activity extorting Japanese businessmen and tourists. Vietnamese gang violence included a 1981 shooting in Garden Grove that killed one and wounded eight.
• Foreign Firms in U.S. Subject to Rights Laws, Says Supreme Court, page 9. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that foreign-owned businesses incorporated in the United States are generally subject to American civil rights laws. The case involved a Japanese trading company subsidiary sued by 12 secretaries who alleged discrimination in promotion decisions.
• U.S.-Japan Charter Flights Expanded, page 12. A new three-year aviation agreement between the United States and Japan will expand charter flights by U.S. carriers and allow United Airlines to land in Tokyo. The pact came after 18 months of negotiations between the two countries.

JACL

• Three Seen in Close Race for V.P./Public Affairs, page 1. Three candidates—Henry Tanaka, Chuck Kubokawa, and Gene Takamine—are competing for the JACL National Board office of vice president for public affairs. The article details each candidate’s background, JACL service history, and professional achievements.
• Resolutions for Confab Action Due, page 1. Tony Ishii, resolutions committee chair, outlined the three-phase process for submitting resolutions for consideration at the National JACL Convention in Los Angeles. Resolutions requiring constitutional amendments must be submitted by June 28, with other deadlines for chapter endorsement and convention floor consideration.
• Carson JACL Awards Scholars, page 2. Carson JACL awarded $200 scholarships to three students from Carson High and Banning High, funded by the chapter’s annual fireworks sales. The scholarships go to deserving students who reside in the area.
• Letters for Wakamatsu, by Carol N. Yoshino, page 5. The Chicago Committee is inviting JACL members to send personal letters honoring Shig Wakamatsu for a tribute at the 27th Biennial Convention in Los Angeles. Letters should be limited to one page and sent by July 26, 1982.
• Job Ahead: Aging/Retirement Committee Outlines Agenda, by Dr. Michael Ego, page 6. The JACL Aging and Retirement Committee met in San Francisco to develop an agenda addressing the role of JACL in serving Nikkei aging and retirement needs. The committee identified gaps in leadership awareness and outlined plans for future action.
• Yasui Addresses Honolulu JACL, page 6. Min Yasui, national JACL redress committee chair, spoke at the Honolulu JACL dinner meeting and addressed the Ethnic Studies Program at the University of Hawaii. The chapter also sponsored an essay contest on redress for eighth graders with ACLU co-sponsorship.

Military & Veterans

• Rohwer Monument Dedicated in a Moving Memorial Day Service, page 1. Nearly 300 people gathered at the former Rohwer relocation center on Memorial Day for the dedication of a new 17-foot marble monument honoring 32 Nisei war dead from Rohwer and Jerome who served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Sam Yada led the fundraising drive, and dignitaries including Sen. David Pryor and Mike Masaoka spoke at the ceremony.
• One Vet of Famed 442nd RCT Lives Near Shelby, page 9. Herbert Sasaki, the lone 442nd veteran who returned to live in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, recounts his experiences training at Camp Shelby and the community’s reception of Nisei soldiers during WWII. The article also details Earl Finch’s philanthropy toward the 442nd soldiers, who was known as the ‘one-man USO.’
• Camp Shelby Federalized in ’40, page 9. Camp Shelby became the second largest city in Mississippi during WWII with over 50,000 men stationed there after being federalized in 1940. The 37th and 38th Infantry divisions were the first troops to train there before the 442nd arrived.

Incarceration & Redress

• EDC Set Redress Workshop 6/26, page 1. The Eastern District Council will hold a workshop on appropriate remedial action at Haverford College on June 26, featuring updates on CWRIC activities and strategies for redress action. JACL chapters, community leaders, and students are expected to participate.
• Bitter Memories Recalled at Tule Lake Pilgrimage, by Jeanie Hibino and Gen Fujioka, page 2. Over 350 people participated in the seventh pilgrimage to Tule Lake, the former WWII concentration camp, marking its 40th anniversary with tours, cultural events, and political discussions. The event featured strong grassroots Nisei and Sansei participation and discussions on redress legislation introduced by Rep. Mervyn Dymally.
• AFSC Honored by Nisei Student Relocation Commemorative Fund, page 9. The American Friends Service Committee received the first annual grant from the Nisei Student Relocation Commemorative Fund for its WWII-era assistance helping 3,500 evacuee students attend college. John W. Nason and Dr. Robert W. O’Brien spoke at the ceremony about the significance of this historical effort.

Community

• Dr. Noguchi Dinner Set for June 30, page 1. Citizens for Tom Noguchi are hosting a fundraising dinner for the demoted county coroner ahead of his civil service commission hearing in July. Tickets are $85 per person at the Proud Bird Restaurant.
• L.A. Supervisor’s Wife ‘Clears Up’ Her Remarks, page 3. Doris Dana, wife of County Supervisor Deane Dana, attempted to clarify remarks about ‘Iranians and Japanese’ moving into Palos Verdes homes that drew criticism from JACL’s Gary Yano. She insisted her statements were not meant to be derogatory toward any group of American citizens.
• L.A. Premiere of ‘Survivors’ Raises Funds for Hibakusha, page 3. A sold-out audience of about 300 attended the Los Angeles premiere of ‘Survivors,’ a documentary by Sansei filmmaker Steve Okazaki about atomic bomb survivors. The event raised over $790 in donations for the Committee of Atomic Bomb Survivors in the USA.
• LTSC Sets JA Service Awards Dinner, page 3. The Little Tokyo Service Center will hold its third annual Japanese American Community Service Awards Dinner on July 9, honoring Takeo Taiyoshi, Betty Kozasa, and Irene Hirano. Reservations are available for $35 per person.
• Yukata and Happi Workshop at Amerasia, page 3. Amerasia Bookstore and Gallery will present Yukata and Happi workshops conducted by costume designer Rodney Kageyama on June 26-27. A $15 registration fee is required and participants should bring their own fabric and sewing machine.
• JA Groups Join in Disarmament Rally, page 3. Members of the Japanese Welfare Rights Organization and Asian Pacific Americans for Nuclear Awareness joined 500 demonstrators at a nuclear disarmament rally at Exposition Park in Los Angeles. The rally coincided with a massive 700,000-person demonstration in New York’s Central Park.
• Noguchi Sells Shirts, Stickers at Rose Bowl, page 3. Former LA County Coroner Dr. Thomas Noguchi autographed T-shirts and bumper stickers at the Rose Bowl Flea Market to raise funds for his legal defense. Dr. Mitsuo Inouye announced CARP is contributing $5,000 toward Noguchi’s legal costs.
• West Valley JACL Scholars Selected, page 6. West Valley JACL awarded $500 scholarships to two high school seniors, John Murai and Richard Kawaguchi. Murai plans to attend UC Berkeley for business administration while Kawaguchi will study engineering at UC Davis.
• Florin JACL Slates Benefit Dance Sept. 11, page 6. A scholarship benefit dance for Florin Chapter JACL will be held at the Florin Buddhist Hall on Saturday, with proceeds going toward the chapter’s scholarship fund. Chairman William Kashiwagi provided contact information for more details.
• Crime Reduction in SF’s J’town Still Debatable, by Kikue Chiriboga, page 8. San Francisco’s Japantown has seen a 28% reduction in crime since the Nihonmachi Merchants Association hired private patrolmen in August 1981, though views on safety remain divided. Victims of crimes in the area, including mugging survivors, shared differing perspectives on the effectiveness of security measures and police response.
• Nisei, Mistaken for Tourist, Mugged, page 8. Two youths mistook a local Nisei grocery clerk for a Japanese tourist and attempted to rob him in a Little Tokyo parking lot in broad daylight. The victim yelled at the muggers when they realized he was not a tourist and was thrown to the ground.
• Word ‘Nisei’ Used in Nat’l Spelling Bee, page 9. The word ‘Nisei’ was among those that helped 12-year-old Molly Dieveney of Denver win the 55th National Spelling Bee. She went on to win with the French word ‘contretemps’ and received a $1,000 prize.
• Troop 379 Booklet, Mugs Available, page 10. A souvenir booklet and mug commemorating the 50th anniversary of Koyasan’s Troop 379 are available for donation through George Narumi. The booklet was compiled and edited by Kango Kunitsugu.
• Alameda Buddhist Fest Slated This Weekend, page 10. The Buddhist Temple of Alameda will hold its Vacationland Carnival and Bazaar on June 26-27, featuring food, game booths, and a raffle drawing. The event takes place at the temple on Pacific Avenue.
• Chicago Nikkei Queen Selected, page 10. Stephanie Naomi Kurokawa was selected Miss 1982 Chicago Nikkei at the Cherry Blossom Festival, which drew over 25,000 attendees. She will represent the community at the Miss Nikkei International pageant in Brazil this summer.
• Asian Health Agency Honored in Oakland, page 10. Alameda County Health Care Services Agency recognized the Asian Community Mental Health Services for outstanding work serving diverse Asian communities since 1974. The agency was recently contracted by the state to develop mass media materials promoting Asian cultural strengths in coping with stress.
• United Way Funds Bilingual Directory, page 10. Western Region United Way funded a Japanese-English service directory listing over 100 health and welfare agencies for Japanese Americans in the West L.A. area. The directory aims to help Asian Americans become aware of available social service resources.
• Oregon Nikkei Air New Community Idea, page 10. Representatives of Nikkei organizations met in Portland to discuss creating a cultural-community or multi-complex residential center. Organizers noted Portland is the only major city with a significant Nikkei population lacking such a dedicated facility.
• PC People, page 11. A roundup of community news briefs covering Nisei and Sansei achievements including awards, retirements, and civic appointments across the country. Highlights include Noboru Honda’s Chicago Hall of Fame honor, Capt. Gunnar Olsburg’s retirement as a Puget Sound pilot, and several JACLers’ political and organizational roles.
• ‘Japanese American Week’ Declared, page 12. Illinois Gov. James Thompson and Chicago Mayor Jane Byrne proclaimed June 20-26 as ‘Japanese American Week’ to recognize the 35th anniversary of the Japanese American Service Committee. JASC will honor co-founders Kohachiro Sugimoto and Harry K. Mayeda at its annual dinner.

Commentary

• Viet Internees?, by John Tateishi, page 2. The columnist discusses the Rancho Cordova homeowners group’s internment proposal for Vietnamese refugees, drawing parallels to the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans. He argues the redress campaign is necessary to prevent similar injustices against other groups in the future.
• The Henry T. Tanaka Platform, by Henry T. Tanaka, page 4. Candidate Henry T. Tanaka outlines his platform for JACL vice president, emphasizing the need to increase young adult membership and coalesce with other Asian organizations. He argues JACL’s goals are viable but hampered by lack of funds and visibility.
• Letterbox: Camp Reunions, by Mas Odoi, page 4. A letter writer suggests the 1982 National JACL Convention in Los Angeles could be an opportunity to sponsor reunions for former internees of all ten WWII relocation centers. He argues such reunions could attract new members and support for JACL’s redress strategy.
• Waiting for the ‘Empty Nest’ Syndrome, by Sachi Seko, page 4. Columnist Sachi Seko reflects humorously on how her life has changed since her son moved out, noting the house is quieter and cleaner without his constant presence and needs. She describes the ’empty nest syndrome’ as more of a pleasant change than a crisis.
• East Wind: A Matter of Choice and Action, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Columnist Bill Marutani discusses the importance of Nisei political involvement, highlighting Sen. Spark Matsunaga’s upcoming re-election and his history of supporting JACL causes. He compares voting records of senators on AFL-CIO and Chamber of Commerce ratings.
• On the Frying Pan: The Remarkable Shimasaki Family Cookbook, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa recounts the story of Kurazo Ideta (who took his wife’s surname Shimasaki) and his family’s journey from Issei immigrant farmers to a large, accomplished family scattered across the country. He describes a family cookbook compiled by granddaughter Eileen Enosaki Magruder containing recipes and personal recollections of growing up Nisei in rural California.
• Musubi: ‘Go For Broke’, by Ron Wakabayashi, page 5. Ron Wakabayashi reflects on his fondness for the veterans’ ‘Go For Broke’ slogan and his year of exposure to Nisei veterans’ activities after moving from Los Angeles. He highlights an upcoming book party for Chet Tanaka’s ‘Go For Broke’ book at National Headquarters.
• The Charles C. Kubokawa Platform, by Charles C. Kubokawa, page 7. Candidate Charles Kubokawa explains his motivations for seeking the JACL vice presidency, citing need, greed, and deed as his guiding principles for serving the organization. He emphasizes his extensive JACL experience and proposes new initiatives including pursuing Nikkei appointments to the Supreme Court.
• The Gene Takamine Platform, by Gene Takamine, page 7. Candidate Gene Takamine outlines his platform goals including maintaining JACL as an effective civil rights organization and increasing Sansei and Yonsei membership. He argues his legal and foreign service background suits the demands of the Public Affairs office covering redress and job discrimination.
• By the Board: Where Are Y’all?, by Dr. Homer Yasui, page 10. Dr. Homer Yasui laments the low number of nominations for JACL’s prestigious JACLer of the Biennium and George Inagaki Citizenship Awards. He also discusses the Pacific Northwest District Council’s decision to tax 1000 Club and Century Club rebates to fund a part-time regional office secretary.

Sports

• Over 30 Records Set at NC-WNPDC Jr. Olympics, page 7. Thirty-three records were set at the 30th annual NC-WNPDC Junior Olympics held at Chabot College with 360 athletes participating. San Mateo JYO retired the district trophy after amassing the most points across all divisions since 1980.

Arts & Entertainment

• Special Asian American Theater Arts Classes Open at CSULA, page 10. A pilot program in Asian American theater arts launched at Cal State L.A. under the direction of actress Nobu McCarthy, featuring two courses on advanced play production and Asian American theater. Dean Bob Suzuki hopes the program will encourage more Asian students to pursue theater arts careers.
• Critics Praise Asian American Film Set in S.F.’s Chinatown, page 10. The low-budget film ‘Chan is Missing,’ produced and directed by Wayne Wang with an all-Asian American cast, received high praise from critics at The New York Times and Newsweek. The mystery film, made for $20,000, explores identity and assimilation within San Francisco’s Chinese American community.
• Miss Sansei Calif. Pageant Set July 17, page 12. Fifteen contestants will compete for the Miss Sansei California crown at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, with a theme celebrating America and a dance production choreographed by Helen Funai. The event will also present author James Clavell’s American Japanese National Literary Award.

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