Radio jokes about Chinese, redress in the Senate, and a JACL staff dispute

Vol. 104, No. 14, April 10, 1987. 16 pages. View this issue

A San Diego radio disc jockey’s call-in jokes about Chinese people, and the outrage that followed from local Asian/Pacific Islander communities, led the front page in a report by Edna Ikeda. The same page followed redress and the coram nobis cases: Senate Majority Leader Robert Byrd became the 68th sponsor of the Senate redress bill, and a federal appeals court dismissed the case of the late Minoru Yasui, though his family and attorney Peggy Nagae planned to ask the U.S. Supreme Court for review.

The commentary pages gave much of their space to a dispute over a proposed JACL personnel manual, with letters and a PSWD report, plus Bill Hosokawa on the 1946 Denver convention. Elsewhere are plans for the Tri-District Conference in Los Angeles, a Mike Roos bill to fund a film on the Japanese American internment, and a remembrance of Sim Togasaki by Kelly Yamada.

What’s in this issue

National

• Disc Jockey’s Ethnic Jokes Anger Asians, by Edna Ikeda, page 1. San Diego radio DJ Randy Miller solicited and aired derogatory jokes about Chinese people, sparking outrage from local Asian/Pacific Islander communities. Miller later issued a mocking faux-apology in exaggerated accented English, and the station defended him while declining to air a formal on-air apology.
• Noguchi’s Five-Year Legal Battle Is Over, page 1. The California Supreme Court refused to hear Thomas Noguchi’s appeal of his 1982 demotion as L.A. County chief medical examiner, ending his five-year legal fight. Noguchi vowed to continue fighting for justice for Asian Americans facing discrimination while remaining at his position at County-USC Medical Center.
• Senate Majority Leader Becomes 68th Sponsor, page 1. Senate Majority Leader Robert Byrd agreed to co-sponsor the Senate redress bill, giving it support from both top Senate leaders including Minority Leader Robert Dole. JACL-LEC director Grayce Uyehara praised the bipartisan support as redress legislation nears a vote.
• State Bill Proposed to Fund Film About JA Internment, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 1. California Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Mike Roos authored AB 1375, which would appropriate $115,000 to develop educational films on the Japanese American internment and the Armenian genocide. Roos said the bill addresses gaps in educational curriculum and expressed hope lawmakers would treat the issue as non-partisan.
• Asian Pacific Democrats Recommend 3 Scientists, page 11. The National Democratic Council of Asian and Pacific Americans recommended three Asian American scientists—Yuan T. Lee, Chia Wei Woo, and Chen Ning Yang—for appointment to the National Science Board. No Asian American has ever served on the 24-member board, and eight seats will open in 1988.

Incarceration & Redress

• Yasui’s Petition Dismissed; High Court Review Sought, page 1. A federal appeals court granted the government’s motion to dismiss the coram nobis case of the late Minoru Yasui, but his family and attorney Peggy Nagae plan to petition the U.S. Supreme Court for review. Yasui’s 1943 curfew conviction case had been reopened in 1983 over evidence the government misled the Supreme Court during WWII.

JACL

• Tri-District to Address Future of Community, page 2. The 1987 Tri-District Conference hosted by Pacific Southwest District JACL will be held May 1-3 at the Airport Hyatt in Los Angeles, focused on the future of the Japanese American community and JACL. Keynote speaker Dr. William Ouchi will address demographic and socio-economic trends, with workshops on civil rights, education and media representation.
• Pacific Southwest District LEC Seeking Local Contributions, page 11. PSWD JACL’s Legislative Education Committee, co-chaired by Henry Sakai and George Ogawa, launched a mail campaign seeking financial support for redress lobbying from Southern California Nikkei. Sakai hopes to raise $250,000 this year and next to fund continued lobbying efforts as redress gains congressional co-sponsors.

Military & Veterans

• Smithsonian Exhibit Will Be ‘Terrific,’ Mineta Tells Vets, page 2. Rep. Norman Mineta addressed members of the Military Intelligence Service/Northern California at a dinner, previewing the Smithsonian’s upcoming exhibit “A More Perfect Union: Japanese Americans and the United States Constitution.” He described the exhibit as portraying constitutional ideals, their violation during WWII internment, and Japanese American military service and sacrifice.

Community

• Japanese American Judicial Appointees Have Lengthy Legal Backgrounds, by Clayton Fong, page 3. Three Japanese Americans—Morio Fukuto, John Setsuo Oda, and Kazuharu Makino—were appointed to California judicial positions by Gov. George Deukmejian last summer. The article details each judge’s legal career, family background including wartime internment, and current community involvement.
• NAATA Offers Selection of Audio Cassettes, page 3. The National Asian American Telecommunications Association released a new audio cassette catalog featuring documentaries, docu-dramas and an original musical distributed by CrossCurrent Media. The service aims to provide educational content about Asian American communities not readily available in mainstream media.
• Two to Get Asian American Freedom Award, page 6. Asian Americans for Community Involvement will honor Dr. Yoshiye Togasaki, who set up medical services at Manzanar during WWII, and Serena Chen, a longtime Oakland Chinatown community organizer and broadcaster, with the second annual Asian American Freedom Awards on May 9. Keynote speaker will be Cabrillo College historian Sandy Lydon.
• PANA Conference to Be Held in Argentina, page 6. The fourth Pan American Nikkei Association convention will be held July 23-26 in Buenos Aires, with registration fees set at $150 single and $250 couple. Part of the fee will fund a special assistance fund for delegates from countries suffering high inflation like Bolivia and Peru.
• Nisei, Sansei Needed for Study on Diabetes in Washington JAs, page 11. University of Washington researchers are seeking Nisei women born before 1944 and Sansei men and women born before 1955 for the Japanese American Community Diabetes Study. Participants, who must be King County residents, will receive free medical testing including blood sugar, heart, lung, and kidney function tests.
• So. Calif. Chapter Sends Four to D.C. Presidential Classroom, page 11. Selanoco JACL sponsored four students to attend the Presidential Classroom for Young Americans in Washington, D.C. in February, funded by proceeds from the chapter’s annual mochitsuki. One student, Stephanie Endo, wrote that the program deepened her understanding of political systems and respect for differing opinions.

Commentary

• Heart to Hara, page 4. A cultural column explores how Japanese figures of speech center emotion in the “hara” (belly/stomach) rather than the heart, as in Western expression. The piece discusses phrases like hara ga tatsu (anger) and hara gei (the art of indirect communication), as well as the ritual significance of seppuku.
• U.S.-Japan — Then and Now, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Hosokawa reflects on the 40th anniversary of JACL’s first postwar convention in 1946 Denver, which set policy priorities including Issei citizenship and redress despite deep divisions among members. He notes how JACL’s postwar stance of distancing itself from Japan has given way to greater U.S.-Japan economic and cultural engagement, illustrated by Colorado’s new interest in Japan.
• Proposed Manual Bad for Staff Morale, by Roy Nishikawa, page 5. Former National JACL President Roy Nishikawa criticizes the process behind a proposed JACL personnel manual, arguing it damaged staff morale and JACL’s reputation due to insensitive handling and lack of consultation. He urges the National Board to meet in executive session to resolve the controversy and restore trust.
• Letters to the Editor: Ad Hoc Committee Actions Questioned, by Karl K. Nobuyuki, page 5. Former National Director Karl Nobuyuki raises pointed questions about the authority and motivation behind the ad hoc committee that bypassed VP of Operations Yosh Nakashima in revising JACL’s personnel manual. He compares the move to unconstitutional overreach and calls for the committee’s dissolution.
• Letters to the Editor: Confusion Over Personnel Committee Appointment, by M. (initial only, name as signed), page 5. A letter questions conflicting accounts of who appointed Peggy Liggett to lead the personnel manual revision, noting that a presidential committee may have nullified VP Nakashima’s original personnel committee. The writer finds it troubling that inexperienced appointees with ties to the president’s campaign were given such responsibility.
• Far-Reaching Effects: PSWD Report on Personnel Manual, page 5. A detailed PSWD report outlines concerns that the proposed JACL personnel manual would undermine staff authority, damage morale, and set a destructive precedent by allowing a national president to circumvent elected officials. The committee recommends the manual be redone under the supervision of the national VP of operations.
• Letters to the Editor: New Manual Seems Oppressive, by Miki Himeno, page 5. Former VP/Planning Miki Himeno writes that the new personnel manual, while well put together, fails to consider the historical staff-organization relationship and imposes oppressive measures like six-minute time tracking. She warns that rumors of vindictive firings are circulating and urges the board to avoid further appearance of vindictiveness.
• English-Language Law Debated in New York, page 16. A March 5 forum at NYU Law School featured opposing views on making English New York’s official language, with English First representative Sandor Balogh supporting the measure and MALDEF’s Linda Wong warning it could disenfranchise immigrants. A related demonstration was held outside the office of state Sen. John Marchi, who introduced the bill, organized by a coalition including the Chinese Progressive Association.

Arts & Entertainment

• Clavell Award Submissions Being Taken, page 11. Manuscripts are being accepted until June 30 for the ninth annual American Japanese Literary Award, established by novelist James Clavell, with a $1,000 prize for the winner. Entries must relate to the Japanese American experience and be original, unpublished short stories under 5,000 words.
• Ex-Internee Chronicles WW2 Experience, page 12. Community leader Richard K. Tanaka authored “America on Trial,” a book covering Japanese immigration history, wartime internment, and its lasting effects on subsequent generations of Japanese Americans. Rep. Norman Mineta praised the book’s clarity in his introduction, urging Americans to read it for its lessons on equal justice.
• Musician, Professor Among ‘Woman Warrior’ Recipients, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 16. The sixth annual Woman Warrior Awards, presented by Asian Pacific Women’s Network-Los Angeles, honored jazz musician Toshiko Akiyoshi, educator Mary Lee Shon, volunteer Dolores Wong, scholar William Ouchi, and Philippine President Corazon Aquino in absentia. Recipients spoke about overcoming barriers in male-dominated and cross-cultural fields and honoring the women who paved the way before them.

Obituaries

• Sim Togasaki: A Remembrance, by Kelly Yamada, page 16. This eulogy for Susumu “Sim” Togasaki recounts his decades-long friendship with the author and his pivotal role in early JACL history, including saving the Pacific Citizen from financial collapse during the Depression and helping fellow internees during WWII. Togasaki is remembered as one of the last founding pillars of National JACL who provided stability through difficult times.

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