JACL’s proposed budget, the Enomoto firing and the push for redress

Vol. 90, No. 91, May 2, 1980. 8 pages. View this issue

The front page carried the JACL National Board’s proposed $782,770 budget for FY 1981, with individual national dues rising to $20 and a plan to present it at the National Convention in San Francisco. Also on page one: the California State Senate Rules Committee approved Assemblyman Paul Bannai’s resolution supporting a federal commission to study the World War II incarceration (often called internment), while the Colorado General Assembly killed a redress resolution. The paper followed Jiro Enomoto’s removal as director of corrections, with a letter from G.N. Asawa and continuing coverage on page five. Page six carried a call to press for a hearing on HR5499, the JACL redress bill.

Commentary included Clifford Uyeda on the Iran hostage crisis, Robert Kwan on the words “Asian” and “Oriental,” Bill Marutani on racial taunts, and Bill Hosokawa on the 1980 Census. Chapter news came from Cleveland, Indianapolis, Pocatello-Blackfoot and Solano County, and page eight told how rare 16th century swords were returned to a family in Japan.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• $728,000 JACL Budget Proposed for ’81, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National JACL Board is recommending a $782,770 budget for FY 1981, to be presented at the National Convention in San Francisco. Individual national dues would rise from $16.50 to $20 for FY 1981 and $23.50 for FY 1982 to meet inflationary pressures and an anticipated shortfall.
• JACL Chapters Receive ’80 Convention Packet, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL chapters received the 1980 National JACL Golden Anniversary convention information packet this week, including registration forms, hotel reservation forms, and event details. The convention package covers three major events plus registration fee for $60 if submitted before June 15.
• Budget (Continued), by P.C. Staff, page 4. Continuing coverage of the JACL National Board budget session details constitutional revision plans, a proposed political action committee, and nearly $85,000 netted at a recent American Tessier event for redress. Membership goals and district funding allocations were also discussed, with the session running from Friday evening to Sunday noon under President Clifford Uyeda.
• JACL Pressing for Hearing on HR5499, by P.C. Staff, page 6. JACL chapters and officers are being urged to contact Rep. George Danielson, chairman of the House Judiciary subcommittee, to call a hearing on HR5499, the JACL commission-approach redress bill. Letters can be sent directly to Danielson’s Washington office.

National

• State Senate Panel OKs Bannai Bill for Internment Probe, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Assemblyman Paul Bannai’s resolution supporting a federal commission to study the WWII internment was approved 3-0 by the California State Senate Rules Committee after sharp questioning. Bannai, who was interned at Manzanar, defended the need for the study despite objections from Sen. Robert Presley.
• Judge Backs Gov.’s Right to Fire Enomoto, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Gov. Brown’s new director of corrections, Ruth L. Rushen, assumed her post despite a legal challenge from predecessor Jiro Enomoto, who sought judicial review of his dismissal. A Superior Court judge ruled the director serves at the governor’s pleasure, though Enomoto’s attorneys continued to fight the removal, citing disrespect in how he was treated.
• Three Nikkei Held for Desecrating Flag, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Three Nikkei individuals claiming to be members of the Revolutionary Communist Party were arrested for desecrating the American flag at a memorial and attempting to run up a red flag. The incident occurred at the Pearl Harbor Naval Base memorial, the first such incident since its establishment in 1962.
• At-Large Elections Constitutional, Says High Court, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in City of Mobile v. Bolden that cities may use at-large election methods even if they reduce voting strength of racial minorities, upholding Mobile, Alabama’s system. Justice Thurgood Marshall dissented strongly, calling the court ‘an accessory to the perpetuation of racial discrimination.’

Incarceration & Redress

• Colo. Assembly Kills Bill to Aid Redress, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Colorado General Assembly voted 37-20 to refer to committee, effectively killing, a resolution by Rep. Richard Castro urging Congress to enact redress measures S1647 and HR5499. The bill sought to address injustices suffered by Japanese Americans during WWII evacuation and internment.
• Enomoto (Continued), by P.C. Staff, page 5. Continuing coverage reveals National JACL learned the recommendation to replace Enomoto stemmed from Howard Way, a Brown appointee seeking to bolster support in Central California. Support rallies for Enomoto were being organized in Los Angeles and Sacramento, with the National JACL Board pledging complete support and launching a fund-raising campaign.

Community

• Longest PC Advertiser Retiring, by H.H., page 1. John Ty Saito, a longtime JACL supporter and real estate agent whose ads have appeared in the Pacific Citizen since 1946, is retiring his advertising due to a difficult real estate market. Saito was a constant assistant to Issei-Nisei seeking help through JACL’s regional office in Little Tokyo.
• Fukasawa Elected Carpinteria Mayor, by P.C. Staff, page 1. John K. Fukasawa was unanimously chosen as the new mayor of Carpinteria by his City Council colleagues, succeeding Ernest C. Wullbrandt. Fukasawa has served as a councilman since 1974 and mayor pro-tem for the past two years.
• Min Masuda Wins Coveted EOP Award at U.W., by P.C. Staff, page 2. Dr. Minoru Masuda received the University of Washington’s Charles Odegaard Award for his decades of work advancing equal opportunity programs and civil rights, with his wife Hana accepting on his behalf due to his illness. A faculty member since 1956, Masuda served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team after being interned during WWII and was active in JACL and numerous Asian American causes.
• Sansei Selected Truman Scholar, by P.C. Staff, page 2. John Toaru Ishiyama, 19, will represent Ohio at the Harry S. Truman Scholar awards ceremony, majoring in political science at Bowling Green State University with plans for a career in foreign service. A past president of the Cleveland JAYs, he was also a 1978 Presidential Classroom participant.
• San Francisco Bilingual Voting Plan OK’d, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a bilingual voting plan 7-4, bowing to federal demands to settle a two-year lawsuit with the Justice Department. The program aims to help Chinese and Spanish-speaking voters, who have voted at lower rates than English-speaking residents.
• High Cost Derails Hito Hata Film, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Visual Communications has temporarily halted production on their feature film ‘Hito Hata: Raise the Banner’ due to inflationary film costs, now running about $2,500 a minute. Director Bob Nakamura and co-director Duane Kubo said about 90% of the film has been shot and they are seeking federal, state, and foundation funding to complete it.
• Dr. George Muramoto, Dedicated Sacramento Dentist, to Retire After 40 Years, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Dr. George Muramoto, a two-term Sacramento JACL president and WWII Army Lt. Colonel, is retiring after 40 years of dental practice without ever missing a day’s work. He and his wife Nettie have five children and four grandchildren.
• MDC to Meet in Indianapolis, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Midwest District Council holds its first pre-convention meeting May 2-4 with the Hoosier JACL as hosts at the Ken Matsumoto home in Indianapolis. The MDC Human Rights Committee will present a program at Eastgate Christian Church.
• Cleveland Honors Issei at Annual Appreciation Event, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Cleveland’s Nikkei community will hold its annual Issei Appreciation event May 4 at the Euclid Mall Social Hall, honoring at least 27 Issei pioneers and kicking off Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week observances. The event features Sho-Jo-Ji Dancers, a Japanese potluck supper, and gifts for honorees, emceed by Mary Sadataki.
• Hoosier JACL Plans Garage Sale and Spring Programs, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Hoosier JACL is requesting donated items for a garage sale June 19-20 and has scheduled a cultural program, spring festival with mochitsuki and judo demonstrations, and a family picnic in coming months. Deadline for chapter scholarship applications is May 4.
• Pocatello-Blackfoot JACL Honors Night Set, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Pocatello-Blackfoot JACL will hold its Honors Night at Idaho State University’s Student Union Building to recognize high school graduates and Issei parents in the JACL family. Bob Endo and Tom Morimoto are co-chairing the event, with a Memorial Day service and Father’s Day picnic also planned.
• Solano County JACL to Present Okinawan Dance and Martial Arts Festival, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Solano County JACL will present an Okinawan Dance and Martial Arts Festival May 3 at the Fairfield Civic Center, featuring 15 dancers and five karate experts. Proceeds will benefit the Solano Gakuen, JACL scholarship fund, and community development projects.
• PSW Office Moves, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Pacific Southwest District JACL regional office has moved from its old location at 125 N. Central Ave. to new quarters at the Japanese American center on San Pedro St., effective May 1.

Arts & Entertainment

• Toshio Mori, 70, Pioneer Nisei Author, by Nichi Bei Times, page 2. Toshio Mori, a pioneer Nisei author discovered by novelist William Saroyan, died April 12 at age 70 in Oakland. His writings, including the 1949 collection ‘Yokohama, California’ and 1979’s ‘The Chauvinist,’ chronicled Japanese American life and his WWII internment experience at Topaz.

Commentary

• Grievances, by Clifford Uyeda, page 4. National JACL President Clifford Uyeda reflects on the Iran hostage crisis, noting that both Americans and Iranians feel their grievances are being ignored by the other side. He argues that patience alone cannot resolve the deadlock and that active negotiation with consideration for both sides’ concerns is urgently needed.
• We Are With You, Jiro, by G.N. Asawa, page 4. A letter to the editor expresses support for Jerry Enomoto in his fight against Gov. Brown’s order removing him as director of corrections. The writer argues Nisei have historically taken insults quietly and calls Enomoto’s situation a terrible injustice, pledging solidarity.
• Asian vs. Oriental: A Difference That Counts, by Robert Kwan, page 4. In this concluding portion of an essay, Robert Kwan argues that the term ‘Oriental’ connotes exoticism and tolerant indifference rather than true respect or equality, contrasting it with the self-chosen identity of ‘Asian.’ He discusses how historical accommodation strategies by Asian Americans led to stereotyped, cute caricatures rather than genuine acceptance.
• Sticks ‘n Stones, by Bill Marutani, page 4. In his East Wind column, Bill Marutani recalls childhood racial taunts and the empty comfort of the ‘sticks and stones’ rhyme, reflecting on how such slurs still wound deeply despite claims otherwise. He notes that U.S. law offers no legal recourse for racial defamation of a group, citing a Polish-American Guardian Society lawsuit against NBC as a possible model for JACL to support.
• Census Grouping of Races Puzzling, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa examines the 1980 Census’s expanded racial categories and projects the Asian American population will grow significantly due to immigration, potentially reaching 2.2 to 2.5 million. He questions how Japanese Americans’ identity and political standing might shift as they become a smaller minority within the broader Asian American population, and raises questions about classifying mixed-race individuals.
• Kamo-no-Chomei, Recluse, by Robert H. Kono, page 5. Robert Kono’s Random Musings column explores the life of 12th-century Japanese poet-hermit Kamo-no-Chomei, author of Hojoki, who chose solitude as an artistic and spiritual pursuit rather than passive withdrawal. Kono discusses Chomei’s unique position as both artist and Buddhist, valuing freedom to pursue poetry and music above all else.

Military & Veterans

• Rare 16th Century Swords Go Back to Longtime Japan Family, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A rare 16th century handcrafted Japanese sword, gifted to Major Mark Stevens by the Kaneko family decades ago, was returned to the family via Japan Airlines after a year-and-a-half search led by Seattle JACLer Ken Nakano. The emotional ceremony on April 1 saw Robert Stevens, the Major’s son, hand over the heirloom to Consul General Nakano for return to Takeo Kaneko’s family in Japan.

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