Vincent Chin’s killers face a second trial, and redress awaits a White House position

Vol. 98, No. 23, June 15, 1984. 12 pages. View this issue

The Vincent Chin case led the front page. Ronald Ebens and Michael Nitz faced a second trial in Detroit, this time on federal civil rights charges, with jury selection beginning June 5. Also on page one, JACL redress director John Tateishi urged readers to write President Reagan in support of redress bills HR 4110 and S 2116, as the Wall Street Journal reported that Congressional Republicans and possibly the White House opposed $20,000 compensation for former internees. J.K. Yamamoto reported on Asian American delegates elected in California’s June 5 Democratic primary.

Inside are columns by Ron Wakabayashi on Hawaiian pidgin ahead of the national JACL convention in Honolulu and by Bill Marutani on a “blue-jeans” convention. Harry Honda wrote about Jackson Street in Little Tokyo and about how two Oregon newspapers covered the World War II incarceration. Minoru Yasui wrote on Memorial Day, and the sports pages covered the Nisei Relays and the Northern California Junior Olympics.

What’s in this issue

National

• Detroit Jury to Hear New Charges Against Vincent Chin’s Slayers, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Ronald Ebens and Michael Nitz face a second federal trial in Detroit on civil rights charges for the 1982 killing of Vincent Chin, this time requiring prosecutors to prove racial motivation. Jury selection began June 5, with the defense expected to argue the attack was not racially motivated and that Chin may have instigated the fight.
• White House May Take Position on Redress Soon, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Wall Street Journal reported that Congressional Republicans and possibly the White House oppose paying $20,000 compensation to former internees while backing a formal apology. JACL redress director John Tateishi urged the public to write President Reagan in support of redress bills HR 4110 and S 2116.
• Few Surprises in Primary Races for Congressional Seats, Judgeships, by P.C. Staff, page 1. California’s June 5 primary saw Japanese American candidates run for Congress, with incumbents Robert Matsui and Norman Mineta facing minimal opposition while Republican challengers Echo Goto and Mas Odoi had mixed results. Japanese American judges Anthony Ishii and George Yonehiro both won judicial elections in Fresno and Placer counties respectively.

Community

• Asians Among California Delegates to Politick at Democratic Convention, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 1. Asian American delegates for Gary Hart, Walter Mondale, and Jesse Jackson were elected in California’s June 5 Democratic primary, including Mary Miyashita, Michael Yamaki, Ying Lee Kelley, Irene Hirano, and Bert Nakano. National party rules require additional Asian ‘add-on’ delegates since Hart’s elected delegates are nearly all white, and the article details delegate counts and backgrounds for each candidate’s supporters.
• Festival Is Berry Successful, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The California Strawberry Festival in Oxnard drew an estimated 90,000 to 100,000 attendees over two days in May, exceeding organizers’ expectations. Event chair Tsujio Kato said the festival, despite costing about $49,000 to produce, is expected to make a small profit and will return bigger next year.
• Fifteen Women to Pit Their Poise, Beauty and Talent in VFW-Sponsored Pageant, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The 20th anniversary Miss Sansei California Pageant, themed ‘Olympiad ’84,’ will be held July 14 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel with fifteen contestants competing for a trip to Japan and a $1,000 scholarship. The pageant has been sponsored by the VFW Nisei Memorial Post 9938 since 1965.
• JAL Moving to New LAX Airport Facility, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Japan Air Lines is relocating operations to the new Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX starting June 20. A dedication ceremony was held June 11 featuring a keynote address from a House aviation subcommittee chairman.
• Nikkei Human Service Agency Is Latest to Honor Morimitsu for Community Service, by P.C. Staff, page 11. The Japanese American Service Committee in Chicago held its annual meeting honoring president Arthur T. Morimitsu, who recently received Japan’s Fifth Class Order of the Sacred Treasure. Morimitsu, interned at Tule Lake during WWII before serving in military intelligence and the War Crimes Trial in Tokyo, has been active in numerous Chicago-area community organizations including as a past commander of the Chicago Nisei Post American Legion.
• Japan Honors Nisei Industrialist, Four Others, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Henry Isamu Daty, a Seattle-born broker who developed Japan’s kaolin clay market and facilitated industrial exchange between the U.S. and Japan, received the Third Class Order of the Sacred Treasure medal honoring Emperor Hirohito’s birthday. Four other Nikkei men, including Ichiro Shirato, Toru Sakahara, Edward Tsutakawa, and Arthur Morimitsu, were also recognized for their leadership and cultural contributions.

In-Depth

• Little Tokyo Life: Looking East from City Hall, by Harry Honda, page 2. Harry Honda recounts the history of Jackson Street in Little Tokyo during the 1910s-1930s, describing the hotels, bath houses, shops, and businesses that once lined the street including the Rafu Nichibei and Sangyo Nippo newspapers. The piece includes a detailed photo panorama from the 1940s showing landmarks now replaced by urban redevelopment.
• The Tales of Two Cities, by Harry Honda, page 5. An Oregon Historical Quarterly article examined how two Oregon weekly newspapers, the Hillsboro Argus and Hood River News, covered the WWII Japanese American internment differently. While the Argus editors showed little understanding of their Nikkei community, Hood River News editor Hugh Ball, who had lived in Japan, provided more sympathetic and fair coverage during the contentious debate over evacuees’ return.

Sports

• Takamiyama Quits Sumo, Is Now Grooming Successors, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Hawaiian-born sumo wrestler Jesse Kuhaulua, known as Takamiyama, retired from the sumo ring after an illustrious career begun in 1967, holding numerous personal records including most bouts at 1,648. He remains in sumo as a coach at the Takasago Stable, where he is training Samoan American wrestler Konishiki.
• Orange County Still Champs, by Harry Honda, page 9. Orange County JACL won the PSWDC-Mikasa Nisei Relays for the eighth straight year at Santa Ana College, with fourteen records tied or broken among roughly 800 participants and spectators. Dr. Robert Watanabe, a co-founder of the 1962 event, continued his decades-long dominance by winning the men’s 40+ division 100-yard dash and 440 in record times.
• San Jose Defends Team Title, Edging Tri-City, Associates, by P.C. Staff, page 10. San Jose JACL won the Northern California JACL Junior Olympics at Chabot College, edging rival Tri-City by 13 points, while David Fukuda of SF Associates was named outstanding athlete of the meet for the second consecutive year. Four meet records were set across various divisions during the event.

JACL

• College Students Nominated to Two Board Positions, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Mika Hiramatsu of Los Altos and Dawn Narita of Lincroft, N.J., are running unopposed for the two national JACL youth board positions. Both candidates outlined platforms focused on civil rights, women’s issues, and encouraging youth involvement in JACL.

Obituaries

• Memorial Plaque Dedicated to Miyata, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A plaque was dedicated at Silver Creek near Sun Valley, Idaho, in memory of Dr. Kenneth Miyata, who died in a drowning accident while fly-fishing in Montana last fall. Miyata, a Harvard-trained scientist who worked for the Nature Conservancy and the Smithsonian, co-authored the book ‘Tropical Nature’ before his death at age 32.

Commentary

• Pidgin to da Max, by Ron Wakabayashi, page 4. In his Musubi column, Ron Wakabayashi humorously teaches mainland Japanese Americans (‘Kotonks’) some Hawaiian pidgin phrases in preparation for the national JACL convention in Honolulu. He notes the casual dress code planned by convention hosts and shares cultural tidbits about Hawaiian food culture and local customs.
• ‘Blue-Jeans’ Convention, by Bill Marutani, page 4. In his East Wind column, Bill Marutani renews his longstanding call for JACL to hold a more affordable ‘blue-jeans convention’ on a college campus instead of expensive hotels, arguing this would save money for the organization’s real mission. He also proposes establishing a national convention committee to set guidelines and evaluate convention bids.
• About Our Readers (5): Personal Profile, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A readership survey of JACL-Pacific Citizen readers reveals occupation breakdowns among the predominantly Nisei readership, with professional/technical workers leading at 41.3% followed by retirees at 14.3%. The data is broken down by district councils including EDC, MDC, MPD, IDC, PSW, and CCD.

Incarceration & Redress

• Memorial Day, 1984, by Minoru Yasui, page 5. Minoru Yasui reflects on the Memorial Day ceremonies at Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno honoring over 120 Nikkei war dead from WWII through Grenada. He notes the diminishing attendance at these ceremonies as Gold Star parents pass on, while calling for continued gratitude toward those who died serving the country during WWII.
• $800 Raised for Coram Nobis Fund, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Seattle JACL Coram Nobis Legal Defense Committee raised $800 at an event featuring Gordon Hirabayashi and representatives from ACLU and American Friends Service Committee, alongside a screening of the film ‘Nisei Soldier.’ The article lists fundraising committee members and numerous donors to the Gordon Hirabayashi Fund.

Arts & Entertainment

• Japan Angle Seen in U.S. Comic Books, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Marvel Comic Group has been publishing comic books featuring Japanese characters portrayed positively as heroes, a shift from past villain portrayals. Titles like ‘Shogun Warriors’ and ‘Sunfire’ featuring a Japanese hero have gained popularity among readers.
• Introducing a JATC Director Bill Hamada, by P.C. Staff, page 6. William Yoshimi Hamada, a 30-year veteran of the travel industry and founding member of the Japanese American Travel Club, has retired from his airline executive career to assist in promoting club tours. Hamada, who was interned at Poston during WWII and later served as an Army interpreter in occupied Japan, grew up in prewar Sacramento.

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