Redress bills in conference: what ‘eligibility’ would mean

Vol. 106, No. 19, May 13, 1988. 12 pages. View this issue

The front page followed the redress legislation as S. 1009 and H.R. 442 went to conference. Rep. Barney Frank met with Grayce Uyehara of the JACL-LEC about the ‘eligibility’ clause for individual payments, and an editorial compared the House and Senate versions. Torrance, Calif. passed a resolution favoring the bills, and James Munn urged President Reagan to sign. Editorials from newspapers across the country on the Senate’s passage of the redress bill appeared on page 4, alongside a column by Floyd D. Shimomura on JACL’s work after redress and one by Bill Hosokawa.

Also on the front page: three candidates, Cressey Nakagawa, Mollie Fujioka and Helen Kawagoe, in the race for National JACL president, and a demonstration in Little Tokyo against Japan’s fingerprinting laws, reported by Laurie Mochidome. Inside are Bill Marutani’s tribute to Dr. T. Thomas Semba, which recalls their days at the Tule Lake camp, and a report on a JACL PSWD conference on political activism.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• Torrance City Council Passes Resolution Favoring Redress Bills, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Torrance, Calif. mayor and City Council unanimously passed a resolution supporting S. 1009 and H.R. 442 redress legislation, forwarding it to the White House. The resolution noted that Councilman George Nakano believes it’s significant because Torrance is in the congressional district of Rep. Dan Lungren, who voted against redress.
• JACL-LEC Announces Mailgram Info, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL-LEC released instructions for sending free mailgrams to President Reagan urging him to sign redress legislation, using a toll-free Western Union number starting May 16. Two pre-written message options were provided, though JACL-LEC stressed handwritten letters remain most effective.
• S. 1009 & H.R. 442 in Conference; Final Draft Uncertain, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Barney Frank met with JACL-LEC Executive Director Grayce Uyehara to discuss progress on conferencing H.R. 442, addressing concerns about the ‘eligibility’ clause for individual redress payments. The Administration’s Statement of Policy sought to exclude certain individuals and estates from payments, with conferees still working out final bill language.
• Munn Letter Urges Reagan to Sign Redress Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 2. James Munn, an influential Washington State Republican attorney and former Reagan campaign chairman, sent a telegram urging the president to sign the redress bill after learning of a possible veto. Cherry Kinoshita praised the effort and urged others with similar contacts to do the same.
• Who Is ‘Eligible’ for Redress?, page 4. This editorial compares the differing eligibility clauses between the House (H.R. 442) and Senate (S. 1009) redress bills, noting the Senate version’s more detailed definition of ‘eligible individual.’ It recommends a wait-and-see approach while the conference committee works out final legislative language.
• Comments from the Nation’s Press, page 4. This compilation presents editorial excerpts from newspapers nationwide reacting to the Senate’s passage of the redress bill, with most urging President Reagan to sign it into law. Editorials from the Los Angeles Times, Seattle papers, Idaho Statesman and others argue the bill addresses a historic injustice, while a few papers like the Sacramento Union argued against the financial cost.

JACL

• Three Now Vying for JACL Prez Slot, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Cressey Nakagawa, a four-term San Francisco JACL president, announced his candidacy for National JACL president, joining Mollie Fujioka and Helen Kawagoe in the race. This marks the first time in JACL history that two women are vying for the top executive post simultaneously.
• JACL Will Keep ‘After Redress’, by Floyd D. Shimomura, page 5. Past national JACL president Floyd Shimomura argues that JACL will continue serving the Japanese American community after redress is achieved, citing the organization’s history of responding to community needs since the 1930s. He suggests future challenges will involve responding to growth in Asian immigration and anti-Asian backlash.

Community

• L.A. Residents Join ‘Refusers’ in Demonstration Against Japan’s Fingerprinting Laws, by Laurie Mochidome, page 1. Nearly 100 demonstrators joined 16 foreign Asian residents of Japan to protest fingerprinting requirements under Japan’s Alien Registration Law outside the Japanese consul general’s office in Little Tokyo. The protest was part of a U.S. tour by Korean and Chinese residents of Japan highlighting what they called human rights abrogations, drawing comparisons to apartheid.
• Directors Coalition Rescinds Demand, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Asian Pacific Directors Coalition rescinded its demand for the resignation of Seattle Central Community College President Charles Mitchell after meeting with him regarding his selection of a dean of students. The coalition had objected to the appointment of a Black woman over an Asian candidate despite Asians comprising 21 percent of the student body.
• NCWNP District Nearing Goal of $1 Million, by P.C. Staff, page 11. The NCWNP District JACL fundraising drive has reached nearly 75 percent of its $1 million commitment, with nine chapters exceeding their allotted amounts. Eight area coordinators continue organizing redress fundraising efforts across 34 chapters.
• JACL PSWD Conference Focuses on Political Activism in the AA Community, by Laurie Mochidome, page 11. A one-day conference in Gardena, Calif., titled ‘Thought into Action’ featured speakers including Carson City Councilman Michael Mitoma and Korean American Coalition President Yoon Hee Kim discussing Asian American political involvement. Speakers cited the redress bill’s success and the Rolling Stone magazine controversy as examples of effective political activism and coalition-building.
• AAUW Wants Internment Mentioned in History Texts, by P.C. Staff, page 11. The Oregon Division of the American Association of University Women unanimously passed a resolution calling for inclusion of WWII Japanese American internment facts in Oregon textbooks. The resolution, presented by Cathy Maeda-Bergam of the Ontario branch, calls for a coalition with JACL and other groups to lobby the Oregon Board of Education.

National

• Reagan Denounces Anti-Asian Violence, Biased Admissions, by P.C. Staff, page 1. President Reagan addressed anti-Asian violence and discriminatory university admissions policies during a proclamation signing ceremony for Asian Pacific American Heritage Week. He highlighted achievements of various Asian Pacific Americans including Sen. Hayakawa, Wendy Gramm, and Elaine Chao.
• Matsui Pressing Ahead on Census Legislation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Robert Matsui expressed disappointment with the Census Bureau’s decision to use a write-in method rather than check-off system for counting Asian American subgroups in 1990. He vowed to press for passage of his bill, H.R. 4432, requiring a check-off system listing eleven Asian subgroups.
• Holden Amends ‘Stop Selling America’ Motion, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Los Angeles City Councilman Nate Holden proposed an amendment to his motion restricting foreign property ownership, deleting the U.S. citizenship prerequisite and adding a reciprocity element instead. Holden cited concerns about foreign nationals owning $1.4 trillion of U.S. land.

Commentary

• Hayakawa’s Peculiar Redress Stance, page 4. This editorial criticizes Sen. S.I. Hayakawa’s continued opposition to redress legislation despite his earlier role in establishing the Commission on Wartime Relocation. The piece argues his claims about Issei opposition and Japanese American wealth are contrived and that he does not speak for the majority of his former Senate colleagues or the Japanese American community.
• One Man’s Outrage is Another’s ‘Who Cares?’, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. In his column, Bill Hosokawa reflects on selective outrage, noting that University of Colorado students protested apartheid in South Africa while many other global injustices like the Cambodian genocide, Iran-Iraq war, and treatment of Tibetans and indigenous peoples receive little attention. He suggests that because there is so much injustice in the world, people must be selective about what draws their emotional response.

Obituaries

• A Special Nisei, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Bill Marutani pays tribute to his close friend Dr. T. Thomas Semba, recounting their shared experiences from Tule Lake internment camp through college at Dakota Wesleyan University and various jobs including coal shoveling and corn-picking. Marutani reflects on decades of friendship, including serving as best man at each other’s weddings.

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