Redress funding delayed, plus anti-Asian violence and a disco discrimination claim

Vol. 109, No. 15, November 10, 1989. 8 pages. View this issue

The front page carried news of Asian American students who said they were denied entry to the Florentine Gardens nightclub in Hollywood because of their race, not a dress code. It also reported that the Senate delayed final action on redress funding, which affects $20,000 payments to an estimated 60,000 surviving Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II (often called internment). Other front-page stories covered a Capitol Hill meeting on anti-Asian violence, where Paul Igasaki and Dennis Hayashi spoke, and the conviction of the gunman in the killing of Karen Toshima.

Inside, Bill Hosokawa wrote about a noodle shop near Kyoto, and Bill Marutani wrote about women in Japan’s workplaces. Readers also wrote in about reparations, with Steve Tezber and Ed Kysar on opposite sides. Yuzuru J. Takeshita described a memorial service honoring Tule Lake internees. A community page covered an artifact gathering at a Little Tokyo building for the Japanese American National Museum.

What’s in this issue

National

• Asian American Students Claim Disco Discrimination, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Asian American university students, including a group from Occidental College’s Asian Alliance, say they were denied entry to Florentine Gardens nightclub in Hollywood based on race rather than dress code violations. The Asian Pacific American Legal Center has sent an inquiry to the club, while a coalition of students gathers signatures for a petition and considers picketing.
• Gunman in Toshima Killing Convicted, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Gang member Durrell Dewitt Collins was found guilty of first-degree murder in the 1988 shooting death of Karen Toshima in Westwood Village, as well as the murder of a rival gang member. Collins faces 27 years for Toshima’s murder plus a life sentence for the other killing, with sentencing set for Dec. 1.
• Concerns Discussed at D.C. Anti-Asian Violence Confab, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Asian American community organizations convened on Capitol Hill Nov. 1 to discuss rising anti-Asian violence, co-sponsored by JACL, OCA, and the Asian Pacific American Heritage Council. Speakers including senators, congressmen, and advocates like Paul Igasaki and Dennis Hayashi called for unity and a national response network against hate crimes.
• 37 Asians Seated in Chicago School Council Elections, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Thirty-seven Asian American parents and community representatives won seats in Chicago’s local school council elections, marking a milestone as the first Asians elected to any position in the city. Rudyard Unan of the Chicago Commission on Asian Affairs praised the achievement and the over 200 Asian Americans who ran.
• Judge Convicts Protestors for Homeless of Trespass, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Judge Ron Mamiya sentenced three members of ‘Operation Homestead,’ arrested during a downtown Seattle demonstration for the homeless, to perform community service and deferred jail sentences. The judge said he respected their commitment to the cause but had to act against lawbreaking.
• Orchardist Appointed as Farmers Home Administration Director for New Jersey, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Takashi Moriuchi, 70, an award-winning fruit producer and Philadelphia JACLer, was appointed state director for the Farmers Home Administration in New Jersey by Secretary of Agriculture Clayton Yeutter. Moriuchi, who was interned at Amache during WWII, will oversee FmHA programs and a staff of about 100 in the state.
• U.S. Civil Rights Chairman Resigns, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The White House revealed that President Bush accepted the resignation of William B. Allen as chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, with Vice Chairman Murray Friedman becoming acting chairman. The commission’s future funding is uncertain as its charter expires Nov. 30 unless Bush and Congress act.
• The Newsmakers, by P.C. Staff, page 6. This roundup profiles several Japanese Americans achieving notable milestones, including Ken Fujimoto’s promotion at Charter Savings, Craig Morita’s medical fellowship at Harvard, and Judge Kazuharu Makino’s appointment to Orange County Superior Court. Other honorees include Shoichiro Honda’s induction into the Automotive Hall of Fame and Harley Nakamura’s recognition as Fowler’s honored pioneer for 1989.
• Rita Takahashi Honored by Chinese Americans, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Organization of Chinese Americans announced recipients of its annual Asian Pacific American Achievement Awards, including Rita Takahashi, former executive director of the JACL Legislative Education Committee, and Mary Grant Jackson. Other notable winners included TV personality Yue-Sai Kan, playwright David Hwang, and tennis star Michael Chang.
• Skipper Drowns Pet Monkeys, Feared Seizure, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A Japanese fishing boat captain drowned three pet spider monkeys in Honolulu harbor out of fear he would be charged with a U.S. Customs violation. A customs official noted the monkeys could have been kept in quarantine instead, and the captain was fined $1,000 for unlawful unlading of unmanifested cargo.

Community

• Community Forum Set for Caltech Prof Denied Tenure, by P.C. Staff, page 1. An informational forum supporting Caltech Professor Mark Tanouye, who claims he was unfairly denied tenure in June, will be held Nov. 17 in Altadena. UCLA Professor Don Nakanishi will be among the speakers at the event co-sponsored by the Tenure for Tanouye Committee and Greater Pasadena JACL.
• ‘Taste of Asia’ Benefit Theme for Morikami Museum Announced, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach, Fla., is planning a Jan. 14, 1990 ‘Taste of Asia’ benefit featuring traditional performances and food from ten Asian countries. Admission is $50 per person, limited to 700 people, with a special children’s rate of $10.
• Asian School Children in Montebello Survey Found Physically Unfit Due to High Cholesterol, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A Cal Poly Pomona study of 3,100 fifth to eighth graders found children generally weak, overweight, and with high cholesterol levels, with Asian youngsters showing the highest cholesterol levels in the study group. Researchers called the findings a ‘recipe for a health disaster’ and noted significant obesity among Hispanic children as well.
• ‘Friends of Amanda’/Asian Pacific Women’s Network Opens Search to Aid 9-Month-Old Leukemia Patient, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A marrow donor drive for nine-month-old leukemia patient Amanda Chiang will be held Nov. 19 in Los Angeles, organized by ‘Friends of Amanda’ and the Asian/Pacific Women’s Network. The drive seeks Asian donors since no family match has been found, with blood testing costing $75 per sample thanks to fundraising efforts.
• Isleton Reunion Honors 22 Issei at Its Third Affair, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Third Isletonian Reunion was held at the Red Lion Inn in Sacramento, attended by over 150 people from across the country, honoring 22 Issei. The event featured a talent show with musical performances including 89-year-old Mrs. Takae Washizu singing ‘God Bless America.’
• AADAP Program Topic of KSCI (18) TV Show, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A KSCI television program will explore substance abuse in the Asian community, focusing on the Asian American Drug Abuse Program (AADAP) in Los Angeles. The show will interview residents, counselors, and a former resident who is now in recovery.
• Asian American Scholars, Community Professionals Honored at USC Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Asian Pacific American Support Group of USC held its Fifth Annual Scholarship Awards Dinner, honoring community professionals and presenting scholarships to about 15 undergraduate recipients. The evening included a retrospective slide show on the Support Group’s five years of service.
• ‘Wives of Japanese’ Marks 20th Anniversary, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Association of Wives of Japanese celebrated its 20th anniversary at the Tokyo American Club, where it was founded in 1969 by foreign wives of Japanese men. The club now has about 450 members from nearly 40 countries with local groups across Japan.
• Silver Bells Festival in San Francisco Dec. 2, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Kimochi, Inc. will hold its Silver Bells Holiday Festival on Dec. 2 at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center in San Francisco. The festival will feature the sale of various arts, crafts, and food.
• Gardena Valley JACL Slates Nov. 17 Fund-raiser, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Gardena Valley JACL will host its second annual Bingo Night on Nov. 17 at the Nisei VFW Hall, with proceeds benefiting the chapter’s general fund and the Miss Gardena JACL pageant fund. Last year’s event drew over 200 attendees for an evening of entertainment.
• N.Y. Chinatown History Exhibit on Women Opens, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A multi-media exhibit on Chinese American women workers in the New York garment industry opened Oct. 29 at the Chinatown History Project Gallery. The exhibit will run through Feb. 3, 1990.

Incarceration & Redress

• Senate Delays Money Bill for Redress, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Senate accepted the conference report for Commerce, Justice, and State Appropriations but added an amendment unapproved by the House, delaying final action on redress funding. The delay affects $20,000 reparations payments to an estimated 60,000 surviving Japanese Americans interned during World War II.
• Sequel to the Tule Lake Pilgrimage: Dottie McGinnis and Family Was There, by Yuzuru J. Takeshita, page 5. A memorial service in Klamath Falls, Ore. honored Tule Lake internees and also included remembrance of six Americans killed by a Japanese balloon bomb in 1945, with Dottie McGinnis and her family invited to the service. The author reflects on this gesture of healing between former internees and the balloon bomb victims’ families as emblematic of reconciliation nearly half a century after the war.

In-Depth

• Artifacts Gathered from Basement of S.K. Uyeda (Taul) Building Being Torn Down in Little Tokyo, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A volunteer crew gathered artifacts from the soon-to-be-demolished S.K. Uyeda building, formerly known as the Taul Building, for the Japanese American National Museum’s permanent collection. The building, a prewar Little Tokyo landmark that housed a pool hall, barbershop, and jazz club over the decades, was condemned after the 1987 Whittier earthquake.

Commentary

• Reagan’s Trip to Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This editorial criticizes former President Reagan for accepting a reported $2 million honorarium from Japanese hosts for speeches, questioning why such compensation was warranted. The piece suggests the gesture appears as an offensive flaunting of wealth to American taxpayers, though notes a silver lining in the taxes Reagan will owe.
• Rep. Rohrbacher’s Stance, page 4. This letter criticizes Rep. Dana Rohrabacher’s resolution opposing alleged discrimination against Asian Americans in college admissions, questioning his motives given his past opposition to affirmative action and redress payments. The author notes JACL’s concerns that the resolution could undermine affirmative action programs that benefit minorities broadly.
• Noodle Time in Nippon, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Bill Hosokawa describes a visit to a modest noodle shop called Kyona-ya near Kyoto’s Heian Shrine, reflecting on the juxtaposition of ancient tradition and modern technology in Japan. He also recounts discovering that ‘Colorado Coffee Shops’ in Japan are named after a Colorado in Brazil, not the American state.
• Hanging Tough, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Bill Marutani discusses Japan’s 1986 Equal Employment Opportunity Law and efforts by companies like NTT to train women for management positions, noting cultural obstacles facing Japanese working women. He draws parallels to the slow progress of women’s rights in the United States, including the 129-year wait for suffrage.
• Asian American Authors, by Don C. Oka, page 5. This letter responds to Bill Hosokawa’s column about Asian American literature, arguing that authors like Kazuo Ishiguro, Cynthia Kadohata, Cathy Song, and David Mura should not be expected to only write about Asian American subjects. The author contends that art should not be confused with mere autobiography or personal experience.
• Reparations and Guilt, by Steve Tezber, page 5. Steve Tezber argues against paying reparations to Japanese internees, claiming today’s taxpayers had nothing to do with the WWII internment and shouldn’t be forced to pay for it. He questions why ‘liberals’ should cough up money for actions of a previous generation.
• Response to Tezber on Reparations, by Ed Kysar, page 5. Ed Kysar responds to Steve Tezber’s letter opposing reparations, arguing that Americans benefit from blessings created by both wise and unwise historic leaders and should also bear responsibility for past wrongs. He states that the internment of Japanese Americans can be ameliorated through reparations payments, and that all Americans are accountable.
• Racial Slurs in P.C. Masthead, by Richard P. Berman, page 5. A letter criticizes the Pacific Citizen for publishing an offensive racial slur used by an associate editor, arguing it validates racist language and underlying prejudices that contributed to WWII internment. The author urges the publication to hold itself to higher standards given its readership and influence.
• Lifestyles: Male and Female Roles, by Reiko Yamaguchi, page 5. This translated Sankei Shimbun piece argues that Japanese women are not oppressed despite Western perceptions, noting that Japanese girls often outperform boys academically and socially while men face societal pressures and burnout. The author contends that the biological and cultural differences between men and women in Japan create a distinct but not unequal arrangement, with women enjoying certain advantages like flexible career changes.

Obituaries

• Dr. Harry Hashimoto, 76, Minister-Pastor of 50 Years, page 6. Harry Yasushi Hashimoto, a minister for 50 years who later became manager of Kiku Gardens Retirement Home, died Oct. 22 in San Diego. He served at numerous churches across the country and taught in San Diego public schools as a counselor and race relations specialist before his recent JACL involvement.

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