Vincent Chin retrial, UC admissions and the redress bill in 1987

Vol. 104, No. 15, April 17, 1987. 8 pages. View this issue

The April 17, 1987 front page led with the April 21 retrial of Ronald Ebens, accused of civil rights violations in the 1982 beating death of Vincent Chin. Asian American groups in Cincinnati, including local JACL chapters, were organizing court observation and a candlelight prayer service. The front page also carried the University of California admissions hearing, where JACL’s Ron Wakabayashi and professors Ling-chi Wang and Don Nakanishi testified, and news that Sen. Spark Matsunaga introduced S. 1009, a redress bill backed by 71 co-sponsors. Page 2 listed those scheduled to testify at the April 29 House hearing on H.R. 442.

Inside are Bill Hosokawa’s column on arm wrestling across generations and Bill Marutani’s look at the timing of the end of exclusion. Five letters on page 5 welcomed Hosokawa’s column back after its removal. Richard Drinnon was announced as speaker for the 18th annual Manzanar Pilgrimage, and a planning meeting for a 1988 Tule Lake reunion was announced on page 8.

What’s in this issue

National

• Cincinnati’s Asian Community Prepares for Chin Retrial, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Cincinnati-area Asian American community groups are organizing activities, including court observation and a candlelight prayer service, ahead of the April 21 retrial of Ronald Ebens in the Vincent Chin civil rights case. Local JACL chapters and the Roundtable of Americans of Asian Descent are coordinating with media and legal observers amid concerns about renewed anti-Asian sentiment tied to auto industry layoffs.
• Changes Needed in University Policies, Calif. Assembly Told, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 1. At an Assembly Subcommittee on Higher Education hearing, JACL’s Ron Wakabayashi, UC Berkeley professor Ling-chi Wang, and UCLA professor Don Nakanishi testified about controversial UC admissions policies affecting Asian American applicants. They argued that demographic and structural factors, rather than special admissions for other minorities, explain rising Asian enrollment, and called for policy changes and further study.
• UC Admissions Continued: Officials Urged to Study Bias, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Continuing coverage of the UC admissions controversy details further testimony from Don Nakanishi and others, including criticism of Berkeley’s supplemental admissions criteria and calls for comprehensive study of Asian Americans in higher education. Nakanishi cited Stanford’s response to ‘unconscious bias’ findings as a possible model for UC reforms, while Assemblyman Hayden said testimony would inform a legislative report and recommendations.

Arts & Entertainment

• Morita Awarded for Film, Television Roles, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 1. Actor Pat Morita received a lifetime achievement award from the Association of Asian Pacific American Artists at a Beverly Hills ceremony honoring his work in the ‘Karate Kid’ films and TV series ‘Ohara.’ The event also recognized other media productions and the band Hiroshima for positive portrayals of Asian Americans.

Incarceration & Redress

• Matsunaga Introduces Bill With 70 Senators’ Support, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sen. Spark Matsunaga introduced S. 1009, a redress bill for Japanese Americans interned during WW2, with 71 co-sponsors including both the Senate Majority and Minority Leaders. The bill would enact CWRIC recommendations including $20,000 payments to survivors, a civil liberties education fund, and a government apology.
• House Testifiers Announced, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Nine individuals, including Reps. Norman Mineta and Robert Matsui and JACL officials, are scheduled to testify at an April 29 House Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on redress bill H.R. 442. Subcommittee chair Barney Frank said the hearing will focus on remedies rather than reviewing internment history.
• Author to Speak at Manzanar, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Richard Drinnon, author of a biography of War Relocation Authority director Dillon S. Myer, will be the guest speaker at the 18th annual Manzanar Pilgrimage on April 25. The pilgrimage’s theme this year is ‘Honor the U.S. Constitution,’ with buses departing from three Southern California locations.
• Reunion Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A planning meeting for a May 1988 Tule Lake reunion will be held April 28 at Sacramento Buddhist Church. Interested parties can contact the listed phone number for more information.

Community

• Six to Be Honored at Mother’s Day Luncheon, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Downtown JACL and the Japanese Women’s Association of Southern California will co-sponsor the 25th annual Mother’s Day luncheon at the New Otani Hotel on April 26, honoring six women for their community service and family contributions. Honorees include Yoshiko Inose, Chikuyo Kawakami, Midori Marumoto, Matsue Muranaka, Michiko Nagahiro, and Fumiko Takei, each with decades of involvement in temples, churches, and civic organizations.
• Scholarships for Women Offered, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Central California Asian/Pacific Women’s Organization is accepting scholarship applications until April 25 for Asian and Pacific Islander women in Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Kings, Kern, Mariposa and Merced counties pursuing academic or vocational training. Awards can be used at any college, university, or training program of the applicant’s choice.

Commentary

• From the Frying Pan: Arm Wrestling Across Generations, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Hosokawa reflects on arm wrestling matches with his father in his youth and a recent staged match with his teenage grandson Matt, framing it as a generational rite of passage. He recounts winning the match through age and endurance, while humorously anticipating a future rematch he expects to lose.
• East Wind: The Political Timing Behind Delayed Release of Internees, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Marutani examines documentary evidence showing that military necessity for Japanese American exclusion had been discredited within the War Department by spring 1943, yet exclusion orders were not rescinded until November 1944. He argues the delay appears tied to the 1944 presidential election and notes the suspicious timing relative to the Supreme Court’s Ex Parte Endo decision.
• U.S.-Japan Success Story, by Jonathan T. Kaji, page 5. The author describes how informal discussions among Sansei JACL members led to a California bill creating trade offices in Tokyo and London to promote investment and counter the loss of business to other states. He credits Assemblywoman Gwen Moore for introducing the bill and reflects on attending the Tokyo office’s opening.
• Letter: Anti-Semitism in Japan Troubling, by Margaret S. Chin, page 5. The writer expresses concern over reports of anti-Semitism among popular Japanese authors, linking it to prewar militarism and recent remarks by Prime Minister Nakasone about Blacks and Hispanics. She draws parallels to anti-Asian violence like the killing of Vincent Chin and calls for mutual understanding among all peoples.
• Letter: Great Leap Forward, by Yas Umeda, page 5. The writer thanks PSWD and LEAP organizers for the ‘Making a Difference’ leadership conference, praising its workshops and the engagement of young JACL members. He specifically credits several staff members for their dedication to producing the event.
• Letter: Welcome Back, Bill, by J. Barbara Coopersmith, page 5. The writer expresses pleasure that Bill Hosokawa’s column has returned to the Pacific Citizen after its temporary removal. She notes Denver’s pride in Hosokawa and looks forward to reading his column weekly.
• Letter: Compliments on Hosokawa’s Return, by Amy Ono, page 5. The writer compliments the Pacific Citizen for reversing its decision to drop Bill Hosokawa’s column, praising his professionalism. She encourages the paper to keep up the good work.
• Letter: PC Readable Again, by Terry Sato, page 5. The writer thanks the Pacific Citizen for reinstating Bill Hosokawa’s column and praises improvements in news coverage and layout. She notes appreciation for increased emphasis on news about Japanese Americans for Japanese Americans.

JACL

• Singles Make Their Mark, by Meriko Mori, page 4. Greater L.A. Singles JACL held its fifth installation dinner-dance, drawing support from various Nikkei singles groups and national JACL leadership including president Harry Kajihara. The chapter highlights its role in establishing the National Singles Concerns Committee at the 1984 National JACL Convention.
• PNW Confab, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Seattle JACL will host the Pacific Northwest District Council conference April 25-26 at the Warwick Hotel, featuring a talk by UW professor emeritus Frank Miyamoto on Pacific Northwest Japanese American history. A Sunday workshop will cover tax issues for chapters seeking independent entity status.

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