Redress rules, a Vincent Chin film and a JACL leader’s death

Vol. 108, No. 24, June 23, 1989. 8 pages. View this issue

Redress was at the center of the front page. Robert Bratt of the Office of Redress Administration spoke in Los Angeles about proposed eligibility regulations, which opened a 30-day comment period, and George Johnston reported on a rally planned to press Congress to fund payments under the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. The page also told of the death of Tom T. Shimasaki, 74, a longtime Tulare County JACL leader, and carried a Monterey Park library ruling. A review and a filmmakers’ profile by Johnston covered the documentary Who Killed Vincent Chin?

Inside, Kathy Aoki profiled Judge Irene Takahashi on her first anniversary on the bench, and Little Tokyo’s Historic District earned a preservation award. Gann Matsuda wrote about Don Nakanishi’s tenure at UCLA. Notices covered a Heart Mountain draft resisters forum, a Rohwer reunion planned for June 1990, and buses to the Tule Lake campsite and Linkville Cemetery.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Tulare County JACL Leader Tom Shimasaki Dies in Accident, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Tom T. Shimasaki, 74, a longtime JACL leader in Tulare County, was killed in an automobile accident near his home in Lindsay, Calif. He had been a JACL charter member since 1935, held numerous national and district offices, and was active in community organizations including the chamber of commerce and Boy Scouts.
• Monterey Park Library Ordered to Keep Operating, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A California Court of Appeals injunction affirmed that the city of Monterey Park must keep the Bruggemeyer Memorial Library open, after the city had closed it in 1987 amid a dispute over Asian language materials. The ruling upheld an earlier Superior Court order to reopen the library and reinstate its trustees.
• Seattle’s Iwata-Sanchez Resigns Vice-Chancellor Post, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Naomi Iwata-Sanchez, vice chancellor for Seattle community colleges and president of the Seattle JACL chapter, resigned from her position. She had previously been an unsuccessful finalist for the chancellor position, which went to Thomas Gonzales amid opposition from faculty and staff.
• Little Tokyo Historic District Earns 1989 Conservancy’s Preservation Award, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Community Redevelopment Agency received the Los Angeles Conservancy’s 1989 Preservation Award for its work preserving the Queen Hotel and Sindorf Building in Little Tokyo’s Historic District. The rehabilitated buildings now provide low-income housing and retail space while preserving their historic architecture.
• Union Pacific Foundation Contributes $5,000 to Establish Permanent JACCC Gallery Gift Shop, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Union Pacific Foundation donated $5,000 to help establish a permanent gallery gift shop at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center in Los Angeles. The gift was delivered by regional sales manager William R. Blank to JACCC leaders Frank Kuwahara and Gerald D. Yoshitomi.
• JCCCNC Summer Program Brochures Published, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Northern California released its Summer Program brochures listing family activities including art classes, shiatsu massage, and a community picnic. The brochure cover was illustrated by cartoonist Jack Matsuoka.
• Veteran Nisei Steward of 39 Years Retires, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Eddie Takahashi, 62, retired after 39 years as a United Airlines flight steward, having been one of the first eight men to work the Honolulu-San Francisco route. His final flight was from Osaka to Honolulu on May 30.
• San Jose Seniors Tour Kimochi Home in S.F., by P.C. Staff, page 3. Twenty Yu-Ai Kai seniors and staff traveled to San Francisco to appear on a local TV show and tour the Kimochi Home, where program director Gail Nakatsu led them around the facility. Executive director Steve Nakajo spoke to the group about Kimochi’s history over lunch.
• UC Berkeley Asian Student Magazine Out, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The spring 1989 issue of Tea Leaves, a semi-annual Asian American arts and literary magazine founded by UC Berkeley students in 1987, is now available. The magazine aims to showcase creative talent within the Asian American community.
• BCA Hosting 1989 Pacific Seminar July 7, 8 & 9, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Buddhist Churches of America is hosting a seminar in San Francisco commemorating the 90th anniversary of the BCA. Details of the event’s programming were included for community members interested in attending.
• Sacramento’s Rained-Out Picnic Set for July 8, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Sacramento JACL community picnic, originally rained out on June 4, was rescheduled for July 8 at Elk Grove Park. Organizers announced hundreds of prizes would be given away during the day’s competitive events.

Incarceration & Redress

• JACL Participation in Nationwide Redress Rally Sought, by George Johnston, page 1. A redress payment rally originally planned for July 8 was postponed partly to secure JACL’s participation and to better align with the anniversary of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 signing. NCRR leaders emphasized the urgency of getting Congress to appropriate funds before more eligible elderly recipients die.
• ORA’s Proposed Redress Regs Announced, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Robert Bratt of the Office of Redress Administration addressed over 100 people in Los Angeles about proposed redress eligibility regulations, opening a 30-day comment period. He explained the documentation required for claims and noted that no payments can be made until Congress appropriates funds after Oct. 1.
• Correction: Editorial Error on Nakanishi Tenure, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A correction clarifies that UCLA Chancellor Charles E. Young announced Don Nakanishi had been granted tenure, correcting an erroneous statement in a previous editorial. The Pacific Citizen regretted any confusion caused by the error.
• Heart Mountain Draft Resisters Forum Slated, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Several Heart Mountain draft resisters agreed to speak at a public forum in San Francisco about their wartime experiences and answer audience questions. The event, co-sponsored by the Center for Japanese American Studies and Golden Gate JACL, was moderated by former National JACL president Clifford Uyeda.
• Ouchi Dolls Given to Klamath Falls Museum in Memory of WWII Balloon Bomb Victims, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Japanese women from Yamaguchi prefecture sent dolls and a letter of apology to Klamath Falls in memory of six Americans killed by a Japanese balloon bomb in 1945 near Bly, Oregon. The women, who had helped construct the balloons as schoolgirls, learned the victims’ identities decades later and sought reconciliation.
• First Rohwer Reunion in L.A. Due June 1990, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The first Rohwer camp reunion in Southern California was scheduled for June 30, 1990, at the Hacienda Hotel in El Segundo, with seating limited to 400 people. The reunion will honor Rohwer Issei survivors and interested parties were directed to contact organizers for reservations.
• Buses Chartered for Trip to Tule Lake Gravesites, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Sacramento organizers chartered buses for a group trip to Klamath Falls on Sept. 9-10 to visit the restored Linkville Cemetery and the Tule Lake WRA Center campsite. The trip follows a successful fundraising effort for the cemetery’s restoration led by co-chairs Tom Fujimoto and Ellen Kubo.

Arts & Entertainment

• Vincent Chin Film Set for L.A. Benefit, PBS, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Academy Award-nominated documentary Who Killed Vincent Chin? will screen at a Los Angeles benefit on June 28 and air nationwide on PBS’s P.O.V. series on July 18. The film, by Christine Choy and Renee Tajima, has won several documentary festival awards.
• ‘Who Killed Vincent Chin?’: A Must-See, by George Johnston, page 1. A film review praising the documentary Who Killed Vincent Chin? for its objective storytelling about the killing of Vincent Chin and its aftermath. The reviewer calls it essential viewing and describes the difficulties the filmmakers faced getting it funded and made.
• Vincent Chin Filmmakers Reflect on Five-Year Project, by George Johnston, page 3. This continuation piece details filmmakers Christine Choy and Renee Tajima’s five-year effort to make Who Killed Vincent Chin?, including early struggles for funding and skepticism about Asian American objectivity. The film will also be shown in Japan through Cinesaison and includes footage from Japanese news crews who covered the case.
• ‘East Meets West’ Theme Highlights 15th Annual St. Louis Japanese Festival, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Missouri Botanical Garden’s 15th annual Japanese Festival, themed ‘East Meets West,’ will run Aug. 26 through Sept. 4 featuring taiko performances, ikebana displays, and a Kabuki makeup photo exhibit. The festival will also honor St. Louis’s Japanese sister city Suwa with an appearance by Suwa Suzuki violinists.

In-Depth

• Sansei Judge Irene Takahashi Celebrates First Anniversary on Bench, by Kathy Aoki, Nichi Bei Times, page 2. Irene Takahashi, the only Asian American woman judge appointed by Gov. Deukmejian to serve in Contra Costa County, marked her first year on the Municipal Court bench. The article details her path from deputy district attorney to judge, her approach to sentencing, and her commitment to community outreach and education.

National

• Deukmejian Proposal to Reduce State Personnel Board Budget by 20% Opposed, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Florin JACL president Curtis R. Namba wrote to Gov. Deukmejian opposing proposed cuts to the State Personnel Board, which would eliminate affirmative action programs and outreach offices. The letter argued the cuts would harm the state’s ability to maintain a workforce representative of California’s diverse population.
• Reporter’s Handbook on Asian Americans Now Available from AAJA, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A free 80-page handbook titled Asian Pacific Americans, co-sponsored by AAJA, aims to help news organizations avoid stereotypes and cover Asian Pacific American issues accurately. It includes a glossary, demographic statistics, naming conventions, and a guide to media images, and was distributed at AAJA’s national convention.

JACL

• Ten Years After: John Saito Honored for Decade of JACL Service, by P.C. Staff, page 3. John Saito, regional director of JACL’s Pacific Southwest District Council, was recognized at the JACL National Board meeting for 10 years of service. National President Cressey Nakagawa presented him with a plaque.
• San Francisco JACL Offers $1,000 Award to CORO CityFocus Scholar, by P.C. Staff, page 3. San Francisco JACL announced a $1,000 scholarship for a Japanese American community member accepted into the CORO CityFocus program, which develops civic leadership skills. Chapter president Greg Marutani noted many nonprofits cannot afford such training for staff.
• Deadline Approaching for $1,000 Clavell ’89 Award, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The 11th annual James Clavell American Japanese National Literary Award short story competition was accepting submissions until June 30, 1989, for stories incorporating the Japanese American experience. The $1,000 prize will be presented at a Nikkei Foundation benefit gala in Century City.

Commentary

• Redress Reg Review, by P.C. Staff, page 4. An editorial examines the Justice Department’s newly released redress regulations, noting they largely meet JACL’s goals but contain ambiguities, such as requirements for original birth certificates and the eligibility of children born after leaving WRA camps. It urges Congress to appropriate the necessary funds without delay.
• Letters to the Editor, by David C. Moore, Nobu Nakayama Lowe, Walter H. Kondo, Grant Ujifusa, page 4. Several letters address redress activism, requests for claim forms, a correction about a profiled paraplegic climber’s background, and a restored quote from Senator Spark Matsunaga regarding fiscal 1990 redress funding. The letters reflect ongoing reader engagement with redress and community stories.
• More Nikkei Humor, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. In his From the Frying Pan column, Bill Hosokawa shares a collection of Japanese American jokes and puns submitted by readers, including wordplay based on Japanese language terms. He reflects on whether humor is a strong suit for Nikkei culture, citing an academic’s skepticism.
• Media Stereotyping: Bad News & Good News, by George Johnston, page 4. In his Iroiro column, George Johnston discusses an upcoming animated Karate Kid TV series containing inaccurate and stereotypical depictions mixing Chinese and Japanese culture. He argues that while reactive protests are common, having educated people in decision-making positions is the best way to prevent such errors from happening in the first place.
• Nakanishi: Victory for an Individual & a Community, by Gann Matsuda, UCLA Nikkei Student Union, page 5. This Grassroots Forum piece celebrates UCLA’s decision to grant tenure to Professor Don T. Nakanishi, calling it a victory for ethnic studies and diversity in higher education. The author details the three-year campaign involving students, faculty, politicians, and community organizations who supported Nakanishi’s case.

Obituaries

• Deaths: Harold Shintaku, Toshi Nakahira, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Harold Shintaku, 61, a former Hawaii circuit judge, died from a fall at a Las Vegas hotel in an apparent suicide. Toshi Nakahira, 67, known for her volunteer work with Milwaukee JACL, died of cancer after a long career at Equitable Life Assurance Co.

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