Redress prospects for 1987, a Nisei soldier documentary and new JACL committee chairs

Vol. 103, No. 16, October 17, 1986. 8 pages. View this issue

The front page carried the new JACL committee chairs for the 1986-88 biennium, announced by National President Harry Kajihara after the National Board met in San Francisco. Next to it, the paper reported on redress: LEC Executive Director Grayce Uyehara and Pro-Tem Chair Grant Ujifusa described the outlook for HR 442 in the 100th Congress, and a follow-up on page 8 added word of technical talks over the bill. J.K. Yamamoto wrote about filmmaker Loni Ding’s documentary on Nisei who served in World War II, including 442nd soldiers, MIS veterans and draft resisters from the Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee. Editor Lynn Sakamoto-Chung’s column took up Proposition 63.

Elsewhere in the issue: coverage of Gov. Deukmejian’s veto of the California bilingual education bill, and a Jewish community council’s endorsement of redress. Yosh Nakashima and Fred Hirasuna wrote about the JACL election. The community pages note the next Pan American Nikkei convention, set for Buenos Aires in July 1987, and reunions that included former residents of Poston.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• JACL Board Names Chairs of Committees, by P.C. Staff, page 1. National President Harry Kajihara announced new committee chairs and presidential appointees for the 1986-88 biennium, approved by the JACL National Board at its Oct. 10-12 meeting in San Francisco. The list covers chairs for General Operations, Public Affairs, Planning and Development, Membership Services, and Presidential Appointments.
• Credit Union Offers New Interest Rates, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The JACL Federal Credit Union announced new interest rates for new automobile loans and passbook-secured loans at its September board meeting in Chicago. New car loans with manufacturer warranties now carry a 9.5 percent rate, while passbook loans are at 8 percent.

Military & Veterans

• New ‘Nisei Soldier’ Documentary in the Works, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 1. Filmmaker Loni Ding has spent two years making a documentary capturing the varied experiences of Nisei who served in WW2, including MIS veterans, 442nd soldiers, draft resisters, and Nisei drafted into the Japanese military. The film includes interviews with numerous veterans in Hawaii, Japan, and the U.S., and is nearing completion.
• Follow-up to ‘Nisei Soldier’: More Stories from Ding’s Documentary, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 8. This continuation details more accounts gathered by filmmaker Loni Ding, including MIS veterans Harry Fukuhara and Kazuo Yamane, Merrill’s Marauders veterans Herbert Miyasaki and Howard Furumoto, and Nisei who served in or were affected by Japan’s military. It also covers the story of draft resisters at Ft. McClellan and the Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee, including Frank Emi.

Incarceration & Redress

• LEC Weighs Prospects for Redress in ’87, by P.C. Staff, page 1. LEC Executive Director Grayce Uyehara and Pro-Tem Chair Grant Ujifusa reported to the LEC Board on the prospects for redress legislation in the 100th Congress, citing both encouraging political developments and ongoing obstacles. They emphasized the need for increased grassroots support to ensure passage of HR 442 and a renumbered Senate bill.
• Redress: No Concessions Yet, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Continuing coverage of redress prospects notes that Glen Roberts, an aide to Rep. Norman Mineta, will meet with an aide to Rep. Dan Glickman to discuss technical changes to the redress bill for the 100th Congress. Grayce Uyehara stressed the importance of grassroots support in ensuring congressional co-sponsors sign the new bills.

National

• Veto of Calif. Bilingual Ed Bill Assailed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Gov. George Deukmejian’s veto of a bill extending California’s bilingual education law drew criticism from educators and officials who said it undermined a fragile compromise. Critics argued the veto was politically motivated and would harm non-English-speaking students statewide.
• Jewish Community Group Urges Passage of Bills, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Jewish Community Relations Council of San Francisco, representing 50 Jewish organizations, endorsed redress for Japanese Americans and urged Rep. Peter Rodino to consider HR 442 as soon as possible. Several other Jewish Community Relations Councils across the country have also endorsed redress.
• More Interracial Conflict Feared After Shooting, by P.C. Staff, page 5. An Oakland man was killed and his teenage accomplice arrested after allegedly attempting to rob a Southeast Asian refugee family at gunpoint; the father shot the intruder in self-defense. A member of Oakland’s Violence Against Asians Task Force expressed concern about rising tensions between Asian and Black communities as a result.
• Bilingual Ed Veto Draws Further Criticism, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Continuing coverage of Gov. Deukmejian’s veto of the bilingual education bill includes criticism from Los Angeles School Board member Larry Gonzalez and San Jose Unified bilingual education director Emerita Orta-Camilleri. San Francisco Superintendent Ramon Cortines called the veto a political rather than educational decision.

Community

• Min Yasui Progress Report, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Bob Sakaguchi of Mile-Hi Chapter updated the JACL and LEC national boards on Min Yasui’s recovery from cancer surgery and ongoing chemotherapy treatments. Yasui is reported to be slowly regaining strength and recently attended a community event in his honor.
• Service Award, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Elaine C. Nemoto, former director of nursing for the Cook County Department of Public Health, received the Superior Public Service Award at the 18th annual SPSA luncheon in Chicago. The award was presented at the Palmer House.
• 450 Titles Bibliography of Books on JAs Released, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Japanese American Library released its annual publication, Books-in-Print: Japanese in the Americas, containing an annotated bibliography of 450 currently available books. The publication includes subject and geographical indexes, a glossary of terms, and a listing of vernacular newspapers.
• Buenos Aires Site of Next PANA Event, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The fourth Pan American Nikkei Assn. (PANA) convention will be held in Buenos Aires in July 1987 with the theme ‘Integration and Projection’ of Nikkei in the Americas. PANA executives met during the International Nikkei Sports Festival to hear a report on preparations from host Centro Nikkei Argentino.
• Asian Business Association Awards, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Asian Business Association presented its ninth annual awards, co-sponsored with the Asian American Architects/Engineers Association, at a joint banquet in Los Angeles. Recipients included Takashi Shida, Frank H. Watase, and actor George Takei, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
• For the Record, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A correction notes that the Sept. 26 article on the Vincent Chin case failed to identify Elaine Prout as the president of Detroit JACL.
• Seniors in S.F. Can Receive Van Service, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Kimochi, Inc. received two new vans, funded partly through a government capital grant, to assist homebound elderly in San Francisco’s Japantown. The vans will transport seniors to nutrition programs and deliver meals, and Kimochi is seeking donations to expand services.
• ‘No on 63’ Fund-raiser Planned, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A fund-raiser for Californians United Against Proposition 63 will be held Oct. 27 in San Diego, hosted by Assemblyman Peter Chacon and County Supervisor Susan Golding. The event is sponsored by numerous community groups including San Diego JACL and the ACLU.
• Chapter Helps Japan Festival in Missouri, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The St. Louis JACL chapter was credited with the record-breaking success of the Missouri Botanical Garden’s 1986 Japanese Festival, which drew 70,834 visitors compared to 59,327 the previous year. Garden director Dr. Peter H. Raven praised JACL’s strong support for the event.
• Reunions, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Over 400 former Japanese residents of Florin participated in a four-day reunion in Sacramento over Labor Day weekend, featuring a memorial service, picnic, and banquet. Separately, more than 400 former internees of Poston I, Block 213, and Salinas Assembly Center residents gathered for a reunion in Salinas.
• Joint Program, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Four JACL chapters in Washington state—Olympia, Puyallup Valley, Lake Washington and White River—will co-sponsor a Reno Night fundraiser on Oct. 18 at the Heritage Inn Motel in Tacoma. Proceeds will benefit the Pacific Northwest District Council.

In-Depth

• Astronaut Is Remembered in Book, Essay, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The late astronaut Ellison Onizuka is being honored in Hawaii with a new biography, ‘Ellison S. Onizuka: A Remembrance,’ and a statewide high school essay contest. Proceeds from the book will fund an educational pavilion and museum at Keahole Airport in Kona.

Obituaries

• Yoshikatsu Nakayama, page 2. Yoshikatsu Nakayama, president of the Military Intelligence Service Club of Southern California since 1983, died July 5 at age 61 after a brief illness. He served in the Allied Translator and Interpreter Section in occupied Japan and was active in planning an MIS reunion and serving on the Japanese American National Museum board.
• Jack Hifuo Mizuha, page 2. Jack Hifuo Mizuha, a former associate justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court, died Sept. 7 in Honolulu at age 72. He was a WW2 hero who led a rescue squad to free the Hawaiian island of Niihau from a Japanese fighter pilot.
• George W. Ushijima, page 2. George W. Ushijima, 65, president of Growers Produce of Oakland, died Sept. 4 in Orinda, Calif. He was a long-time Alameda JACL member who served as chapter president in 1956 and 1968, and was a 1000 Club member for 31 years.
• Tosh Hara, page 2. Tosh Hara, an active member of the Bay Area Japanese American community, died Aug. 1 while jogging around Lake Merritt in Oakland at age 60. He owned Edwards Clothiers in Oakland for 36 years and organized the annual Kimochi Golf Tournament benefiting senior services.

Commentary

• Broadening Our Scope, by Lynn Sakamoto-Chung, page 4. In her column, editor Lynn Sakamoto-Chung reflects on her first eight weeks at the PC and the paper’s goal of expanding coverage beyond Japanese American issues to other Asian American concerns. She reaffirms the paper’s opposition to Proposition 63, the ‘English Only’ initiative, comparing it to WW2-era language restrictions on internees.
• A Looooong Time, page 4. The columnist recounts a chance encounter with a gas station owner in Portland whose sister, Jane Ozawa, worked at the Pacific Citizen for many years. The piece pays tribute to Ozawa’s upcoming retirement after decades of service and announces a retirement buffet in her honor on Oct. 19.
• When the Okusan’s Away, page 4. A humorous column describes the writer’s domestic struggles while his wife is away house-sitting, including makeshift meals of leftover rice and nappa, and his difficulty finding misplaced household items. He jokes about surviving on fast food and notes his wife will soon leave again for another trip.
• Where Did the Problem Lie?, by Yosh Nakashima, page 4. Yosh Nakashima responds to an earlier PC article about controversy in the JACL national election process, clarifying his role regarding proxy votes at the Chicago convention. He defends the integrity of the credentials process and calls for cooperation moving forward despite lingering distrust.
• Central Cal Clarification, by Fred Hirasuna, page 5. Fred Hirasuna writes to clarify the Central California District Council’s bloc voting decisions in the JACL election, explaining that Selma and Reedley proxy votes were properly transferred to support Harry Kajihara per chapter instructions. He defends the integrity of CCDC delegates and proxies against what he calls unfair criticism.
• In Search of Kawakita, by Nate Williams, page 5. A former Alcatraz inmate writes seeking help locating Tomoya Kawakita, a fellow prisoner convicted of treason during WW2, to get his approval before writing about him in a planned book. An editor’s note explains Kawakita’s case, including his death sentence commutation and eventual deportation to Japan.

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