Looking back at 1986: redress, coram nobis and a year in chronologies

Vol. 104, No. 1, January 2, 1987. 24 pages. View this issue

The Pacific Citizen opened 1987 by looking back at the year before. A set of 1986 chronologies compiled by J.K. Yamamoto follows redress legislation, the coram nobis cases of Gordon Hirabayashi and Min Yasui, remembrances of the World War II incarceration (often called internment), Asian Americans in politics, the ‘Official English’ movement and anti-Asian violence. The front page carried news on Sen. Daniel Inouye heading the Senate panel on the Iran arms deals, a settlement for the families of the Challenger astronauts including Ellison Onizuka, and a Sacramento redress fund-raiser attended by more than 800 people.

Elsewhere in the issue are commentary from Bill Hosokawa and the new board chair Peggy Sasashima Liggett, JACL officers’ columns from Yosh Nakashima, William Marutani and Tim K. Otani on the 1988 Seattle convention, a necrology of 1986 deaths, a feature by Andrew Y. Kuroda on Joseph Heco, and a short story, “Ichiro Tanaka.”

What’s in this issue

National

• Inouye to Head Iran Investigation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sen. Daniel Inouye was named Dec. 16 to head an 11-member Senate panel studying the Reagan Administration’s secret arms deals with Iran and the diversion of profits to Nicaraguan contras. Inouye, first elected in 1962, previously served on the Watergate investigation committee and chaired the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
• Onizuka’s Family Gets Settlement, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The families of four astronauts killed in the Challenger explosion, including Ellison Onizuka, settled with the government for damages believed to be at least $750,000 per family, 60 percent provided by Morton Thiokol. The settlement precludes any future claims and is meant to provide financial security for the families.
• Court Upholds Noguchi’s Demotion, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The state Court of Appeal upheld the 1983 demotion of Dr. Thomas Noguchi, former Los Angeles County coroner for 14 years, after the Board of Supervisors charged him with mismanagement. The court called Noguchi an outstanding pathologist but said he lacked managerial skills to run the coroner’s office.
• Jackson: Japan Must Improve Treatment of Minorities, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 1. Rev. Jesse Jackson, after a trip to Japan and South Korea, discussed Japan’s relations with U.S. minorities and its treatment of its own minorities at press conferences in Los Angeles and San Francisco. He criticized Japanese companies’ lack of affirmative action and called for Japan to recognize rights of Koreans and other minorities within Japan.
• Nationwide Membership Drive Gets Results, by P.C. Staff, page 3. More than 700 new members joined the National Japanese American Historical Society since launching its first membership drive in December, under the direction of Dr. Clifford Uyeda and John Tateishi. The society, founded as Go For Broke Inc. in 1981, has amassed a collection valued at more than $500,000 and is working on a major Smithsonian exhibit.
• 1986 Chronology: Asian Americans and Politics, by Compiled by J.K. Yamamoto, page 11. This chronology covers the political activities and election results of Asian Americans throughout 1986, including the formation of the Asian Pacific American Municipal Officials and National Democratic Council of Asian and Pacific Americans. It details numerous candidates and officials elected or defeated across California, Hawaii, New York, Washington and other states.
• 1986 Chronology: ‘Official English’ Movement, by Compiled by J.K. Yamamoto, page 11. This chronology traces the ‘Official English’ movement throughout 1985-86, from the Monterey Park city council controversy to the passage of Proposition 63 in California by a 73%-27% margin. Various civil rights organizations and politicians opposed the measure throughout the year.
• 1986 Chronology: Anti-Asian Violence, by Compiled by J.K. Yamamoto, page 11. This chronology documents numerous incidents of anti-Asian violence throughout 1986, including attacks on Cambodian refugees in Boston, the stabbing of Gary Moy in New York, and the retrial of Ronald Ebens in the Vincent Chin case. It also notes a U.S. Commission on Civil Rights report finding widespread anti-Asian attacks.
• 1986 Chronology: Slurs and Stereotypes, by Compiled by J.K. Yamamoto, page 12. This chronology catalogs instances of ethnic slurs and stereotyping of Japanese Americans throughout 1986, including remarks by GM chairman Roger Smith and various officials, and efforts by Reps. Mineta and Matsui to address them. It also notes the House’s passage of a resolution changing the abbreviation of ‘Japan’ from ‘Jap’ to ‘Jpn.’
• 1986 Chronology: Discrimination/Civil Rights Issues, by Compiled by J.K. Yamamoto, page 12. This chronology covers various discrimination complaints and civil rights issues affecting Japanese and Asian Americans in 1986, including a sex discrimination complaint by a pharmacist, demotion controversy at West LA Community College, and detention of a SUNY instructor by INS. It also notes concerns about UC Berkeley and Stanford admissions policies regarding Asian applicants.
• 1986 Chronology: Other Major Stories of 1986, by Compiled by J.K. Yamamoto, page 12. This summary covers major 1986 stories affecting the Japanese American and Asian American community including the Challenger disaster, the Philippines revolution, Navajo relocation parallels, JACL convention election controversy, and Nakasone’s controversial remarks about Blacks and Hispanics. It also notes concerns about the new immigration bill’s employer sanctions provisions.
• Asians May Be Largest Minority in Wash., by Jackie Jamero, page 12. Two reports show Asians have surpassed Blacks and Hispanics in population growth in Washington State, with the Asian population increasing 38.8 percent from 1980 to 1986. Officials note Asians face underrepresentation in government and economic barriers despite being the fastest growing demographic group.
• Sheriff’s Order Angers Blacks, Pleases Whites, by P.C. Staff, page 13. Harry Lee, the Chinese American sheriff of Jefferson Parish near New Orleans, drew criticism for ordering officers to stop young Black drivers in predominantly white areas, though he rescinded the order after backlash. Many white constituents supported Lee despite the controversy, while Black community leaders and civil rights groups called for his resignation.
• Japan’s Treatment of Minorities, by P.C. Staff, page 13. This continuation piece details Rev. Jesse Jackson’s criticism of Japanese companies’ lack of affirmative action and his comparison of fingerprinting requirements for Korean residents in Japan to South Africa’s pass book system. JACL National Director Ron Wakabayashi expressed some reservations about parts of Jackson’s rhetoric regarding trade issues.

Incarceration & Redress

• Politicos, Entertainers Turn Out for Redress Fund-Raiser, by George Matsuoka and Steve Koyasako, page 1. More than 800 people attended the Japanese American Redress Event sponsored by Americans for Fairness on Nov. 9 at Sacramento City College, raising approximately $20,000 for LEC redress efforts. Speakers included Reps. Norman Mineta and Robert Matsui, Mayor Anne Rudin, and performers Lane Nishikawa and Kim Miyori.
• D.C.-Area Jewish Community Group Endorses Redress Bills, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington passed a resolution Nov. 12 supporting redress legislation pending in Congress, acknowledging the wartime internment of Japanese Americans as violations of constitutional liberties. The resolution was brought by the Intergroup Relations Committee after meeting with JACL Eastern District Governor Mike Suzuki.
• LEC Event: Officials Give Update on Redress Bills, by P.C. Staff, page 2. At the Sacramento redress fund-raiser, Reps. Mineta and Matsui gave updates on redress legislation, with Mineta expressing optimism that the bill would pass with individual compensation and noting the 100th Congress’s favorable makeup. Matsui spoke of his personal childhood guilt over the camps and placed blame squarely on the U.S. government.
• 1986 Chronology: Redress Legislation, by Compiled by J.K. Yamamoto, page 10. A detailed chronological summary of major redress legislation events throughout 1986, including congressional co-sponsors added to H.R. 442, House subcommittee hearings, testimony from supporters and opponents, and the effects of the November elections on bill sponsorship. The chronology notes Jim Wright’s rise to Speaker and Tom Foley’s new sponsorship role.
• 1986 Chronology: Remembrances of JA WW2 Experience, by Compiled by J.K. Yamamoto, page 10. This chronology section details 1986 memorial events including Day of Remembrance programs nationwide, the Manzanar National Historic Landmark dedication, and monuments honoring Nisei soldiers at Heart Mountain and in Chicago. It also notes the Smithsonian Institution’s efforts to gather artifacts for a 1987 exhibit on Japanese Americans.
• 1986 Chronology: Coram Nobis Cases, by Compiled by J.K. Yamamoto, page 10. This chronology tracks the coram nobis cases of Gordon Hirabayashi and Min Yasui throughout 1986, including Judge Voorhees’ ruling vacating part of Hirabayashi’s conviction and the government’s contestation. It also notes Yasui’s death from cancer in November and his legal team’s vow to continue pursuing the case.

Community

• Asian Coalition to Examine Racial Violence in Schools, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Break the Silence Coalition in Oakland has targeted racial violence in schools as a primary issue for 1987, with project coordinator Sam Cacas monitoring tensions between Blacks and Asians. The coalition includes JACL, Chinese for Affirmative Action and Asian Law Caucus and provides information through newsletters and presentations.
• New York Man Sentenced for Knife Attack on Asian, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Raymond Cruz was sentenced to 1½ to 4½ years in prison for a racially motivated stabbing of Chinese American Gary Moy near the New York Aquarium after shouting anti-Chinese slurs. Judge Alan Broomer noted the crime’s racial overtones and said Moy was stabbed for no reason except being Chinese.
• Work in Mental Health Noted, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Henry T. Tanaka, founder of Hill House in Cleveland Heights, received special recognition from Ohio Gov. Richard F. Celeste for 25 years of service in mental health. He also received a certificate of appreciation from the Ohio Department of Mental Health for combatting stigmas in the state’s mental health system.
• JA City Official Wears 2 Hats, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Assistant City Manager Sam Sasaki of Greeley, Colo. performed double duties as acting city manager and acting police chief after both officials left their posts. Sasaki became assistant city manager in 1983 after serving as a city planner in Brighton.
• JA Named VP of Insurance Co., by P.C. Staff, page 5. Jerry Tamura has been elected vice president of client services at Pacific Standard Life Insurance Co. in Davis, Calif., assuming responsibility for underwriting, policy service, and administration departments.
• Housing Project for Seniors, Disabled Near Completion, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Construction of Ikoi-so Terrace, a 35-unit housing residence for retired citizens initiated by Portland JACL and Nikkeijinkai, is scheduled for completion in March. The complex will feature units for the handicapped, a meeting room, parking and laundry facilities, with income limits for applicants.
• Retired Colonel Gets Master’s, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Taro ‘Kat’ Katagiri, employed at Sun Life of Canada in Fresno, was awarded a master’s degree in financial services from the American College in Bryn Mawr, Penn. Katagiri, a retired U.S. Army colonel, is a former president of JACL Fresno Chapter and a Million Dollar Round Table member.
• Deni Uejima Presents Check to Asian Pacific Family Center, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Deni Uejima, president of the San Gabriel Valley JACL Chapter, presented a $1,410 check to the Asian Pacific Family Center for psychotherapy equipment, funds secured from the JACL National Endowment Fund. The presentation took place during the annual membership meeting of the East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center.
• Fellowships for Sociological Study Offered, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The American Sociological Association’s Minority Fellowship Program is offering doctoral fellowships in sociology for the 1987-88 school year to minority graduate students, with a maximum stipend of $6,552. Approximately 10 fellowships will be awarded, with applications due Jan. 15, 1987.
• JA Incorporates Ethnic Background Into Ad, by Jane B. Kaihatsu, page 15. Sansei art director Wayne Kosaka created a groundbreaking advertisement for eyewear manufacturer Varilux featuring a Nisei woman arranging ikebana, representing an unusual use of ethnic minority imagery in trade advertising. Kosaka drew on his Japanese cultural upbringing and received full support from both his agency and the client for the concept.

Commentary

• A Rich Resource, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Hosokawa reviews the book ‘Japanese Americans: From Relocation to Redress,’ edited by Roger Daniels, Sandra C. Taylor and Harry Kitano, which grew out of a 1983 University of Utah symposium. He praises its first-person accounts and scholarly essays on topics including Issei internment, redress efforts, and coram nobis cases, funded partly by JACL’s Japanese American Research Project.
• PC’s New Board Chair: A Self-Introduction, by Peggy Sasashima Liggett, page 4. Peggy Sasashima Liggett introduces herself as the new Pacific Citizen board chair, describing her career as a civil litigation attorney and her JACL chapter leadership experience in Fresno and Sanger. She outlines five specific goals for the Pacific Citizen during the 1986-88 biennium, including more representative reporting and establishing historical archives.
• The ‘English First’ Mentality, page 4. This editorial criticizes the ‘English Only’ proposition that passed in California by nearly three to one, comparing it to historical nativist movements against Italian, Russian, and Yiddish-speaking immigrants. The author argues immigrants want to learn English and warns the movement could cause serious disruptions to legal, medical and emergency services.
• Clarification, by Ron Wakabayashi, page 4. JACL National Director Ron Wakabayashi clarifies that JACL’s contracting with Arthur Young & Co. was initiated to review tax compliance issues organization-wide, not solely due to the Sequoia Chapter IRS audit. He also notes National JACL retained Washington D.C. counsel to assist former President Frank Sato, at a cost of $4,000 with additional pro bono work.
• Exclusive Rights, by Selma Thomas, page 4. Selma Thomas of Watertown Productions responds to a prior article about honorariums for documentary participants, stating it is not customary or PBS policy to pay documentary subjects to avoid conflicts of interest. She notes this differs from procedures for commercially distributed films.
• In Search Of…, by Monomita Roy, page 4. A Syracuse University graduate student seeks sources about the wartime experiences of Japanese American women in internment camps, including memoirs, diaries and autobiographies. She requests materials be sent to her at Maxwell School and offers to cover copying and mailing costs.
• In Search Of… Pat Okamoto, by Nori I. Komorita, page 4. A reader seeks help locating Pat Okamoto, who lived in Minneapolis in 1947 and later moved to the Los Angeles area. The letter writer recalls visiting her around 1952 in Boyle Heights or Pasadena and requests any information or advice.

JACL

• Puyallup, Olympia JACL Pay Tribute to Ellises, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Dr. Paul and Edna Ellis received JACL Life Achievement Awards from the Puyallup Valley and Olympia chapters during the Pacific Northwest District Council meeting in Tacoma. The couple has been involved with the Japanese American community since before WW2, assisting evacuees and helping start the Olympia Chapter in 1983.
• Putting Substance Behind Our Words, by Yosh Nakashima, page 8. JACL VP of General Operations Yosh Nakashima criticizes the organization for lacking continuity in committee leadership and failing to accomplish key goals like funding mechanisms for redress and membership drives. He calls for greater grassroots input in decision-making and better treatment of national staff.
• The Generational Changing of the Guard, by William Marutani, page 8. JACL VP of Planning & Development William Marutani discusses the organizational transition from Nisei leadership to the new generation of Japanese Americans, reflecting on the trauma of wartime incarceration that shaped the Nisei’s cautious approach. He argues JACL must continue pursuing issues beyond redress to achieve full civic equality.
• Clarification of LEC Fund-Raising, by Harry Kajihara, page 8. LEC Fund Drive Chair Harry Kajihara details fund-raising procedures for the LEC 501(c)(4) organization, explaining that contributions must be solicited as non-deductible and clarifying rules for chapter contributions under IRS code. He also explains the deductibility rules for the $5 per member redress pledge program.
• A Few Words of Gratitude, by Thomas I. Hara, page 9. Midwest District Governor Thomas Hara thanks numerous individuals for their work on the successful 1986 Chicago convention, redress solicitations, and district committee service. He expresses continued support from the Midwest district for JACL’s future.
• Come Home to Seattle in ’88!, by Tim K. Otani, page 9. PNW Regional Director Tim Otani previews the 1988 National JACL Convention in Seattle themed ‘Coming Home,’ to be held at the University of Washington campus with co-chairs Tomio Moriguchi and Ben Nakagawa. The convention aims to be a ‘membership convention’ with expanded youth activities and affordable housing options.
• A Broad Range of Legal Talent, by Gene Takamine, page 9. National Legal Counsel Gene Takamine announces the expansion of the National Legal Counsel office with deputy legal counsels representing different districts and areas of legal expertise. Bill Marutani will serve as Honorary National Legal Counsel, and plans are underway to have team members licensed to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court.
• Mayor Washington Honors Yasui at Chicago JACL Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 13. Chicago Mayor Harold Washington addressed the Chicago JACL Chapter’s Nov. 15 Inaugural Dinner, paying tribute to the late Minoru Yasui, former JACL-LEC chair who died in November. Washington called for proper retribution and redress from the U.S. government for wartime violations of Japanese American rights.

Military & Veterans

• Harry Kadoshima Receives Making A Difference Award, by P.C. Staff, page 13. Harry Kadoshima, an officer and active volunteer at Nikkei Concerns in Seattle, received the Making A Difference Award from KING-TV during October award ceremonies honoring outstanding community volunteers. Kadoshima also serves on multiple community boards including the Japanese Community Service and Mayor’s Small Business Task Force.

Obituaries

• Necrology: 1986 Deaths in the Japanese American Community, by P.C. Staff, page 14. This comprehensive necrology lists dozens of notable Japanese Americans who died in 1986, including astronaut Ellison Onizuka, architect Minoru Yamasaki, redress activist Minoru Yasui, and Philadelphia JACL president Jack Ozawa. Each entry details the deceased’s community contributions, military service, and professional achievements.
• Takeyo Okano, 80, by P.C. Staff, page 15. Takeyo Okano, a member of the San Jose JACL Chapter and native of Hawaii, died Oct. 28 in Campbell, Calif. She was also a member of the San Jose Fujinkai and San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin, survived by three daughters, two sons and eight grandchildren.
• Novo Kato, 72, by P.C. Staff, page 15. Novo Kato of Bellflower, Calif., originally from Idaho, died Nov. 16 following a brief illness. He was a founding member of the Pocatello-Blackfoot JACL and later served with the Long Beach and Selanoco chapters, survived by two daughters, four sisters and two granddaughters.

In-Depth

• Joseph Heco and the Joseph Heco Society, by Andrew Y. Kuroda, page 18. This extensive historical feature details the life of Joseph Heco, the first Japanese American citizen (naturalized in Baltimore in 1858), who served as an interpreter for the American Consulate in Japan and later founded Japan’s first Japanese-language newspaper. The article also describes the Joseph Heco Society in Japan, founded by Haruyoshi Chikamori, which maintains his grave and commemorates his legacy on the sesquicentennial of his birth.
• Ichiro Tanaka, page 19. This short story narrates the discovery of a mugging victim named Itch Tanaka by a narrator who knew him decades earlier in Detroit after the WW2 internment, exploring themes of memory, philosophical discussions about haji (shame), and Itch’s deep friendships with George and Jon despite their different backgrounds. Itch ultimately dies from his injuries, and the narrator reflects on his friend’s life as a quiet but dedicated ‘model human being.’

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