Vol. 105, No. 9, September 25, 1987. 8 pages. View this issue
Redress filled the front page. The House of Representatives approved H.R. 442, the Civil Liberties Act of 1987, by a vote of 243 to 141, with a public apology and $20,000 compensation for surviving internees. Grayce Uyehara and Rita Takahashi reported on the vote, including personal testimony from Reps. Mineta and Matsui about their families’ experiences. George Johnston gathered reactions from JACL National Director Ron Wakabayashi and others, and Laurie Mochidome covered Rep. Robert Matsui’s visit with the Japanese American Democrats Club in Los Angeles.
Elsewhere in the issue: a California Assembly bill to fund educational films on the World War II incarceration (often called internment), Pope John Paul II’s visit to the JACCC in Little Tokyo, Bill Hosokawa’s column on the Asian American Journalists Association convention, and a reader’s letter asking for coverage of the Bork hearings. Community briefs close the issue.
What’s in this issue
Incarceration & Redress
- H.R. 442 Passage Draws Positive Reactions, by George Johnston, page 1. A compilation of reactions from JACL leaders, community organizations, and members of Congress following the House approval of H.R. 442 on Sept. 17, 1987. Statements from Ron Wakabayashi, the National Coalition for Redress/Reparations, Reps. Mineta, Matsui, Boxer and others celebrate the bill’s passage as a victory for justice and the Constitution.
- House Passes Redress Bill: Public Apology from U.S. Gov’t, $20,000 Compensation Included, by Grayce Uyehara and Rita Takahashi, page 1. The House of Representatives approved H.R. 442, the Civil Liberties Act of 1987, by a vote of 243 to 141, including a public apology and $20,000 compensation for surviving internees. Reps. Mineta and Matsui gave personal testimonies about their families’ internment experiences, and amendments by Reps. Lungren and Shumway to eliminate or reduce compensation were defeated.
- Matsui Credits Community, Others for Bill’s Success, by Laurie Mochidome, page 1. Rep. Robert Matsui met with the Japanese American Democrats Club in Los Angeles two days after H.R. 442 passed, expressing renewed faith in the Constitution. He discussed the bill’s provisions, including the $20,000 compensation and $50 million for educational programs, and credited community support for the legislation’s success.
National
- Bill to Fund Film Passes Assembly, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A California Assembly bill allocating $50,000 each for educational films on the WW2 internment of Japanese Americans and the Armenian genocide passed by a 44-28 vote. Speaker pro Tempore Mike Roos authored the bill as part of a 1985 mandate to teach human rights violations in the state’s curriculum for grades 7-12.
JACL
- Igasaki Named to Chicago Program, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Paul M. Igasaki, Asian American Liaison for the City of Chicago and JACL chapter president, was named one of 29 Fellows in the 1988 Leadership Greater Chicago program. The program identifies promising Chicago-area leaders and provides exchange of ideas on urban issues among professionals from diverse fields.
Commentary
- Bork Controversy Needs More Coverage in P.C., by Lynne D. Funatake, page 4. A letter to the editor criticizes the Pacific Citizen for not covering the Senate hearings on Judge Bork’s Supreme Court nomination. The writer cites an Oregonian article detailing Bork’s record of ruling against the right to sue for various groups, including Japanese Americans interned during WW2.
- Asian Journalists on the Rise, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Bill Hosokawa writes about the first national convention of the Asian American Journalists Association in Los Angeles, highlighting its prominent members and honorary co-chairs from major media organizations. He contrasts this with the difficult history Asian Americans faced breaking into journalism, citing examples from the University of Washington journalism school in the 1930s.
Community
- Pope Visits Little Tokyo, JACCC, by Kats Kunitsugu, page 6. Pope John Paul II addressed representatives of four major non-Christian world religions at the Japan America Theatre of the JACCC on Sept. 17. He was welcomed by Bishop Gyoko Saito and joined onstage by Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic and Jewish religious leaders, emphasizing interfaith respect per the Vatican’s ‘Nostra Aetate’ declaration.
- Himel Receives Service Award, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Yoshinori H.T. (Toso) Himel received the California State Bar President’s Pro Bono Service Award at the 1987 annual meeting in Los Angeles. The award recognized his legal and management work with Asian Legal Services Outreach, the Legal Center for the Elderly and Disabled, and the Voluntary Legal Services Program.
- Development Director Named at Asian Foundation, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Deann Borshay has been named development director of the Asian Foundation for Community Development in Oakland. She previously served as a development associate for the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco and holds a bachelor’s degree in rhetoric from UC Berkeley.
- Shida Elected Partner to Firm, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Takashi Shida, AIA Architect, was elected partner at the Los Angeles architectural firm O’Leary Terasawa Takahashi De Chellis and Chaffin. A 1960 USC graduate active in community affairs, Shida serves on committees for the Japanese American National Museum and JACCC, and was named ‘Asian American Architect of the Year’ in 1986.
Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.