Immigration raids in Little Tokyo and a three-year redress plan

Vol. 94, No. 8, February 26, 1982. 12 pages. View this issue

The Pacific Citizen opened this issue with the Immigration and Naturalization Service raids in Little Tokyo and the uncertainty behind official estimates of illegal aliens in the U.S. On the same front page, JACL outlined a three-year redress campaign, with John Tateishi describing the plan, and announced that national JACL scholarship applications were due March 15. Tateishi’s column on page 2 and Barry Saiki’s “Some Thoughts on Redress” on page 10 returned to the Redress effort.

Other coverage included Community groups asking to meet with the INS, a Day of Remembrance statement from Assembly Speaker Willie L. Brown Jr., a Tule Lake reunion planned for Memorial Day weekend, and a preview of Bill Hosokawa’s book on JACL’s wartime work. Columns by Bill Hosokawa, Bill Marutani, Ron Wakabayashi and Clifford Uyeda fill the commentary pages.

What’s in this issue

National

• Reagan Raids: People or Numbers, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The article examines the uncertainty behind official estimates of illegal aliens in the U.S., citing conflicting figures from the Census Bureau and government officials. It also contrasts two opposing viewpoints published in the Christian Science Monitor and Los Angeles Times regarding constitutional protections for undocumented workers.
• Nisei Businessman Proposes Aid to U.S. from Japanese Investors, page 9. Kay Sugahara, a Nisei multimillionaire businessman known as the ‘Nisei Onassis,’ presented a plan to the National Governors Association calling for Japanese investors to fund up to $10 billion in U.S. infrastructure projects. The proposal aims to ease trade tensions between the U.S. and Japan amid Japan’s large trade surplus.

JACL

• Nat’l JACL Scholarship Applications Due March 15, by P.C. Staff, page 1. National JACL scholarship applications for 1982 are now available, with about $40,000 in awards to be distributed among freshmen, undergraduate, and graduate students. Helen Mineta, chairperson of the JACL Scholarship Committee, urged students to contact local chapters for information on the competitive national program.
• JACL Maps Out Program for Redress at District Meeting, page 1. At the Northern California-Western Nevada-Pacific District Council quarterly meeting, officials discussed the redress budget, aging and retirement surveys, and upcoming national convention plans. The district also recognized Oakland and San Jose chapters for membership growth achievements.
• Placer Installs Miyamura, to Continue Local Works, by Roy Yoshida, page 7. Kay Miyamura was installed as president of the Placer County JACL chapter, succeeding Alfred Nitta, with a goal of promoting the JACL motto. Guest speaker Floyd Shimomura discussed national JACL redress efforts and the growing involvement of Sansei in leadership roles.

Incarceration & Redress

• JACL Now Preparing for 3-Year Redress Campaign, page 1. John Tateishi outlined the JACL’s multi-year redress campaign at the NC-WN-P District Council meeting, noting that $125,000 has been raised and spent so far. The program, awaiting approval from Min Yasui and the National Board, calls for chapter workshops, speaker’s bureaus, and lobbying efforts as the CWRIC finalizes its recommendations.
• Some Thoughts on Redress, by Barry Saiki, page 10. Saiki reflects on the accomplishments of the CWRIC hearings, including increased public awareness and government acknowledgment of the WWII injustice against Japanese Americans. He also discusses divisions within the Nikkei community over support for redress and compensation.
• Speaker Brown Cites Feb. 19, page 10. California Assembly Speaker Willie L. Brown Jr. issued a statement recognizing Feb. 19 as a Day of Remembrance, commemorating the internment of 110,000 Japanese Americans in 1942. He urged all citizens to reflect on their shared responsibility to uphold constitutional rights.

Community

• Kimochi Home-Care Project Launched, page 1. Kimochi, Inc. received a $100,000 challenge grant from the Koret Foundation toward its $1.3 million Issei home and care project in San Francisco. The organization must raise a matching $200,000 by June 1, 1982, despite legal obstacles from neighboring property owners.
• S.F. Matsuri Format Changed, page 1. San Francisco’s Cherry Blossom Festival will combine its queen’s pageant and parade into one opening weekend, April 17-18, rather than spreading them across two separate weekends. The festival will conclude the following weekend with cultural displays and a carnival in Japantown.
• Gardena Bukkyokai Receives 24-hr. Surveillance Equipment, page 3. Following a third arson fire at Gardena Buddhist Church, city officials arranged for 24-hour surveillance cameras linked to police and fire departments, installed free of charge by the local cable company. The church has raised $1.4 million over two reconstruction drives despite ongoing attacks with no suspects identified.
• Statewide APA Bar Assn. Formed in Ca., page 3. Representatives from 10 local Asian Pacific American bar associations met to establish the Asian/Pacific Bar of California, aiming to improve communication and address statewide issues affecting the APA legal community. Dale Minami was elected president of the new organization.
• PSW Admits Pacifica, New L.B. Chapter, page 3. The Pacifica JACL chapter was welcomed into the Pacific Southwest District Council, bringing the chapter count to 34. The council also addressed concerns about INS immigration raids in Little Tokyo and considered funding requests from its trust fund.
• L.A. Asian Restaurants Cited by County Health Department, page 3. Tokyo Kaikan in Little Tokyo was fined $1,965 and placed on probation after pleading no contest to health code violations including rodent infestation and improper food storage. Several Chinatown restaurants were also prosecuted for similar health violations.
• From Central California: Clovis, Sanger, by Sachi Kuwamoto, page 6. The Clovis JACL hosted its annual Shrimp Dinner serving over 1,300 diners through volunteer efforts, with proceeds funding scholarships and community contributions. The Sanger JACL also held its New Year’s Party featuring a traditional dinner and a screening of a documentary on Japanese Americans in the San Joaquin Valley.
• Mt. Olympus Picks 2 for PCYA Session, page 6. Mt. Olympus JACL selected Karen S. Namba and Robert Y. Mukai as delegates to the Presidential Classroom for Young Americans session in Washington, D.C. in March. The chapter is sponsoring their air fare and tuition for the program.
• Two PC Board Reps Appointed, page 6. JACL president Jim Tsujimura appointed Shirley Nakatsukasa and Ellen Nakamura as new district representatives to the Pacific Citizen board for three-year terms. They succeed Anna Peterson and Ruby Y. Schaar respectively.
• Community Groups Want to Meet with INS, page 8. Little Tokyo Service Center president I. Mike Murase requested a meeting with INS district director Michael H. Landon to address concerns over recent immigration raids in Little Tokyo. Several community organizations joined in supporting the request.
• Tule Lake Reunion to be Fun-Filled, page 8. A reunion for former Tule Lake camp internees is scheduled for Memorial Day weekend, May 28-31, in Sacramento. Attendees who pre-register by April 1 will be included in a souvenir booklet commemorating the event.
• Asian Bar Assn. Formed in Sacramento, page 8. Over 60 attorneys formed the Asian Bar Association of Sacramento, holding its first charter meeting with interim president Yoshinori Himel. The new association aims to serve the interests of the area’s diverse Asian American legal community.

Commentary

• Redress Phase 3: Grassroots Push, by John Tateishi, page 2. Tateishi details the comprehensive 1982 JACL Redress program being proposed to Min Yasui and the National Board, including pre-legislative workshops, speaker’s bureaus, national organization endorsements, and curriculum development. The plan also includes a proposed photo exhibit, media outreach, and a possible book publication documenting personal Evacuation stories.
• Nuclear Arms, by Dr. Clifford Uyeda, page 4. Uyeda warns of the dangers of nuclear arms buildup between the U.S. and Soviet Union, arguing that there is no winner in nuclear war and stressing the need for meaningful arms control negotiations. He also criticizes the shift of federal spending from civilian to military priorities, recalling President Eisenhower’s warning about the military-industrial complex.
• CWRIC at New York, by Gerald G. Kubo, page 4. A letter to the editor expresses interest in learning more about the behind-the-scenes planning of the CWRIC hearing held in New York City. The writer references a previous letter by Michi Kobi describing the event’s organization.
• A Jolting Reminder, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa reviews a booklet of wartime newspaper clippings compiled by Dr. James Watanabe’s late sister, which documents the racial hysteria following Pearl Harbor. He criticizes the West Coast press of that era for failing to defend the civil rights of Japanese Americans facing Evacuation.
• Issei Principles, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Marutani reflects on his childhood farm labor and the Issei values of shinbo (perseverance) and shimatsu (thoroughness) instilled by his parents. He argues these principles are essential not just for individuals but for the nation to remain competitive globally.
• Hotel Fire Hero, by Ron Wakabayashi, page 5. Wakabayashi pays tribute to Muts Furiya, a Nikkei who died helping save others during a hotel fire in Tokyo on Feb. 8, 1982. He reflects on Furiya’s gentle character and nominates him for recognition as a hero, similar to the Air Florida crash hero in Washington, D.C.
• Nisei in Japan: Samrai Without Mystique—Kabu, by Jin Konomi, page 12. Konomi explores the historical practice in Tokugawa Japan of commoners purchasing samurai status (kabu), detailing notable examples including Ooka Tadasuke and Katsu Yoshiyasu. The piece also includes humorous senryu poems satirizing newly-made samurai from merchant backgrounds.

In-Depth

• Mission to Lima, Peru: Site of ’83 Pan American Nikkei Convention, by Chuck Kubokawa, page 4. Kubokawa recounts his trip to Lima, Peru, to help organize the international Nikkei organization ahead of the 1983 Pan American Nikkei Conference. He reflects on meeting various Nikkei individuals during his travels and raises questions about unity and criticism within the JACL community.
• JACL’s Wartime Efforts Recalled in Hosokawa’s New History Book, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A preview of Bill Hosokawa’s forthcoming book ‘JACL In Quest of Justice’ details the organization’s wartime efforts to prove Japanese American loyalty to U.S. officials before and during the Evacuation. The book covers the Tolan Committee hearings and the controversial JACL position on Evacuation enforcement.

Arts & Entertainment

• Richard Sakai, 27, ABC-TV Co-Producer of ‘Taxi’ Explains How, by Clara Marinucci, page 9. Richard Sakai, a UCLA film school graduate and co-producer of the hit TV series ‘Taxi,’ spoke to the Diablo Valley JACL about his journey from troubled high school student to successful television producer. He discussed his admiration for the show’s writing quality and the challenges facing television compared to film.

Military & Veterans

• MIS Assn. in Utah/Idaho to be Formed, page 10. Mits Kasai and other Military Intelligence Service veterans are initiating a new MIS Association chapter for the Intermountain area. Membership will be open to honorably discharged MIS veterans of the U.S. armed forces.

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