Redress after the commission report: $20,000 and the public response

Vol. 97, No. 3, July 15, 1983. 8 pages. View this issue

The Pacific Citizen’s coverage centered on redress after the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians recommended $20,000 payments to each surviving internee, a total of $1.5 billion. Commission chair Joan Bernstein said no amount of money could fully compensate for the losses. The paper ran editorials from the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times and The Honolulu Advertiser, a statement from the National Coalition for Redress/Reparations that the recommendation does not go far enough, and a roundup of public opinion polls. The front page also reported on the Japanese Canadian redress push in Toronto and on the United Church of Christ’s backing of reparations.

Elsewhere in the issue are JACL chapter scholarship awards from Eden Township, Placer County and New York, and the new Olympia, Washington chapter. Other reports cover the cast of NHK’s drama “Sanka Moyu”, a Portland plan for a Nikkei retirement home, a baseball reunion in Lodi, and the identification of the man behind an anti-Asian telephone hotline in Marin County. Bill Hosokawa and Jim Konomi wrote the columns.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• Canadians Stir Redress Push, page 1. More than 300 people attended a public meeting in Toronto on Japanese Canadian redress, with a second meeting scheduled for July 17. Speakers including JACL’s John Tateishi and NCJAR’s William Hohri discussed redress activities, while the NAJC announced plans to seek $50 million from the Canadian government in compensation for wartime uprooting and detention.
• No Amount of Reparation Can Compensate ‘Victims’, page 1. The Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians recommended $20,000 payments to each of the surviving internees, totaling $1.5 billion, following its finding that WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans was unjust. Commission chair Joan Bernstein said no amount of money could fully compensate for the losses, while dissenting commissioner Rep. Dan Lundgren compared the treatment to that of American Indians and blacks.
• ‘Next Step’ on Redress Moves to Be Aired, page 1. A community forum titled ‘The Next Step’ on redress and reparations will be held July 23 in San Francisco, featuring speakers including Bert Nakano, Floyd Shimomura, Dr. Arthur Flemming and Dale Minami. The forum, sponsored by NCRR, addresses the movement’s next phase following the CWRIC recommendations.
• Keeping Track: On Compensating Internees?, page 5. A roundup of public opinion polls and reactions nationwide on whether Japanese Americans interned during WWII should receive reparations, including a San Francisco Chronicle phone poll split 49-51 against, and mixed reactions collected by USA Today. Opponents often cited Pearl Harbor and Bataan Death March grievances, while supporters cited the injustice of internment without due process.

Community

• Oregon Nikkei Retirement Home Seen, page 1. A steering committee in Portland, Oregon is planning a Nikkei community retirement home after deciding against an earlier nursing home complex concept. Local JACL chapters and groups are supporting the project, which aims to meet special health, dietary and cultural needs.
• APAAC Founder Appointed Despite Deukmejian’s Nay, page 2. Dr. Allan L. Seid, president of Asian Pacific American Advocates of California, was appointed to the state Health Advisory Council by Senate leader David Roberti after Gov. Deukmejian withdrew his nomination to the Board of Education. Seid serves on Stanford Medical Center’s clinical faculty and directs a mental health program for immigrants and refugees.
• Chicago Psychologist Wins Fellowship, page 2. Glenn T. Fujiura, a doctoral candidate at the University of Illinois, was awarded a $3,000 university fellowship to continue research on services to adult populations. He is the son of Chicago JACLers Henry and Gladys Fujiura.
• San Jose Graduate Wins USC Fellowship, page 2. Tish Miye Okabe of San Jose, a USC sociology graduate, was awarded a Pre-Doctoral Merit Teaching Fellowship providing a $10,000 annual stipend. She was active in Phi Beta Kappa, Mortar Board, and the San Jose Buddhist Church before attending USC.
• Professional Colleagues Honor Nisei Entomologist Tamaki, page 2. Dr. George Tamaki of Yakima received the C.W. Woolworth Award from the Entomological Society of America for his 20-year career studying insect control in agriculture. Tamaki, whose family was interned at Topaz during WWII, has published 86 papers and serves as an adjunct professor at Washington State University.
• ‘Intimacy vs. Isolation’ Series on Tap, page 3. A three-week series on ‘Intimacy vs. Isolation’ co-sponsored by several JACL chapters will be held in September at Loyola Marymount University, focusing on Asian American identity and relationships. Speakers will include Ken Mitsuhata, Warren Furutani and Akemi Kikumura among others.
• Workshop on Vacation Pics Offered, page 3. A photography workshop for travelers will be held July 30 at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, taught by freelance photographer Ed Ikuta. The workshop covers equipment, film, packing safeguards and photographic techniques for travelers.
• Las Vegas Summer-Fall Plans Announced, page 6. The Las Vegas JACL announced its schedule of fall events including assisting with the Japan Fair over Sept. 23-25, a Japanese movie screening, a chapter picnic, a luau, and participation in the PSWDC fall convention. A reception was also held for actor-director Mako when he visited UNLV in June.
• Seminar Slated on Pre-Trial Tactics, page 6. The California Asian Judges Assn. and the Japanese American Bar Assn. will sponsor a seminar on approaching mandatory settlement conferences on July 23 in Los Angeles. Justices Arthur Gilbert and Elwood Lui will be luncheon speakers, with several Superior Court judges conducting the seminar.
• UW Archives Set for Seattle JACL, page 6. Access to Seattle JACL historical materials at the University of Washington Library has been expanded beyond graduate research students to the general public. Volunteers assisted the UW Library staff in identifying, sorting, and eliminating duplicate early records.
• Grtr. L.A. Singles Plan Steak Bake, page 8. The Greater L.A. Singles JACL will hold a steak bake July 22 at Burton Chase Park in Marina del Rey, followed by bingo and dancing. Cost is $6.50 plus a white elephant gift.
• West Valley CLer’s Volunteerism Cited, page 8. Saki MacFarlane, a West Valley JACL member and longtime volunteer for Friends Outside, received the YMCA of Santa Clara Valley’s Community Service Award. The former elementary school teacher has volunteered with the organization serving families of prison inmates for 14 years.
• CLers to Attend Giants Ball Game, page 8. The Placer County JACL will host a bus excursion to Candlestick Park on July 30 for ‘Japanese American Day’ festivities during a Giants-Dodgers game. The $20 fare includes round trip transportation and game admission on a first come-first served basis.

National

• ‘Neo-Nazi’ Operating Anti-Asian Telephone Hotline Identified, page 1. Tom Niederreuther, 22, was identified as the person behind the ‘Right Wing Hotline’ in Marin County that spread anti-Asian hate messages, including praise for a teen who killed a Vietnamese student. Civil rights groups like Chinese for Affirmative Action condemned the messages while grappling with First Amendment protections for the hotline.
• United Church of Christ Backs Redress, page 1. The 14th General Synod of the United Church of Christ unanimously passed a resolution supporting reparations for Japanese Americans imprisoned during WWII. Rev. Yoshi Kaneda described how 70 percent of his San Diego congregation had been imprisoned behind barbed wire for three to four years.
• Trade Strains U.S.-Japan Ties, page 3. A Japanese Foreign Ministry official expressed concern that Japan’s trade surplus with the U.S., which could exceed $12 billion, may become a serious bilateral political issue, especially ahead of U.S. presidential elections. Officials suggested Japan may need to adopt measures to address the surplus amid worsening economic relations.
• Bataan Survivors Seek Damages, page 6. Rep. Manuel Lujan Jr. is sponsoring a bill allowing two Bataan death march survivors, Agapito Silva Padilla and Leo Padilla, to sue the Japanese government and companies that used them in forced labor camps. Padilla argues that if Japanese Americans can seek redress from the U.S. government, survivors should be able to sue Japan as well.
• Hotline (continued coverage), page 6. Follow-up coverage on the Marin County ‘Right Wing Hotline’ detailed efforts by civil rights advocate Henry Der to limit the hateful recorded messages through regulation of flyer postings on public property, while respecting First Amendment protections. Niederreuther gave conflicting accounts to reporters about his involvement, while his father threatened to disinherit him if he continued the activities.

Arts & Entertainment

• Cast Named for ‘Sanka Moyu’, NHK’s 1984 Historical Drama, by Shig Kihara, page 1. Koshiro Matsumoto, Yoko Shimada and Toshiro Mifune have been cast in NHK’s upcoming drama ‘Sanka Moyu,’ based on Toyoko Yamasaki’s novel about Nisei MIS soldiers. The story follows characters from Little Tokyo to Manzanar, Camp Savage, the Pacific theater, and the Tokyo War Crimes trials, with filming to begin in Los Angeles in September 1983.
• Hawaii’s Top Writing Honor Presented, page 2. Gov. Ariyoshi presented author Maxine Hong Kingston with the 1982 Hawaii Award for Literature for her acclaimed books ‘Woman Warrior’ and ‘China Men.’ She is currently working on her third novel.
• New JACCC Theatre Presents Noon Chamber Music, page 3. The Laguna Beach Summer Music Festival and the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center orchestra, directed by Masatoshi Mitsumoto, will perform works by Mozart, Vivaldi and Elgar. The event also marks the debut of the Isamu Noguchi sculpture exhibition at JACCC Plaza.

Commentary

• Why Japan Prefers Hakujin Teacher, page 3. A letter from Marion Iwasaki complaining of racial discrimination in hiring English teachers in Japan drew a wave of follow-up letters, many unsympathetic. One writer suggested Japanese language schools prefer Caucasian teachers because students attend for entertainment and social reasons rather than genuine language learning.
• Conscience Money, by Wall Street Journal, page 4. A Wall Street Journal editorial questions the commission’s recommendation of $20,000 payments to Japanese Americans, arguing that wartime officials acted under pressures that must be understood in context rather than judged purely through modern moral lenses. The piece argues the relocation pales compared to other wartime horrors and questions whether dwelling on old guilts serves any purpose.
• Recommendation ‘Does Not Go Far Enough’, page 4. The National Coalition for Redress/Reparations criticized the CWRIC recommendation as insufficient, arguing the $20,000 payment doesn’t reflect actual losses, which NCRR estimates should be at least $25,000 per individual. The group also argued heirs of deceased internees should receive reparations and objected to the term ‘pardon’ for wrongly prosecuted individuals like Korematsu, Yasui and Hirabayashi.
• An Affirmation of Values, by Los Angeles Times, page 4. A Los Angeles Times editorial argues that while no amount of money can truly compensate Japanese Americans for WWII internment, failing to adequately compensate survivors would prolong the tragedy. The piece notes JACL welcomed the CWRIC proposal as a symbolic recognition of suffering experienced during incarceration.
• Redress for Internment, by The Honolulu Advertiser, page 4. A Honolulu Advertiser editorial discusses the CWRIC’s finding that internment resulted from race prejudice and war hysteria, noting that officials including J. Edgar Hoover recognized by 1943 that internment was unnecessary. President Roosevelt reportedly prolonged internment past the 1944 elections for political reasons.
• Government ‘Goof’, by Chiyeko Hedani, page 4. A letter writer compares flooding victims along the Colorado River to her own WWII internment at Poston, criticizing the $20,000 reparations offer as paltry and noting that heirs of deceased internees are being excluded. She vows to continue fighting for inclusion of heirs in redress payments.
• PR for AJAs, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa’s column argues that Japanese Americans have historically neglected public relations efforts, which contributed to the ease of WWII incarceration, and that this neglect continues to cause misconceptions, citing a Time Magazine cover story that lumped Japanese Americans with recent immigrants. He contends that the successful campaign for a redress commission shows the value of sustained public relations efforts.
• Moshi-Moshi: Fubutsushi, by Jim Konomi, page 8. Jim Konomi’s column explores the Japanese concept of fubutsushi—seasonal phenomena imbued with poetic and cultural significance, such as carp streamers in spring and insect vendors in autumn. He reflects on how modern Japanese culture is losing touch with these traditional seasonal markers and wonders what, if anything, will take their place in collective memory.

In-Depth

• Bookshelf: 88 Shrines of Shikoku, by Victor E. Okim, page 4. A review of Oliver Statler’s ‘Japanese Pilgrimage,’ which recounts the author’s personal journey along the 88 Sacred Places of Shikoku and explores the history and spiritual meaning of Buddhist pilgrimage in Japan. The book blends historical research, legend, and personal observation about Kobo Daishi and the Shingon Buddhist sect.

Obituaries

• RIP: Ken Asamoto, by Tom Nakao Jr., page 4. Cleveland JACL president Tom Nakao Jr. pays tribute to Ken Asamoto, who died June 12, 1983, describing him as a man who cared deeply and gave generously of himself to both the Japanese and broader Cleveland communities. Nakao writes that Asamoto’s death leaves a void that cannot be filled.
• RIP: Rev. Nicholson, by Dennis A. Roland, page 4. A tribute to Rev. Herbert V. Nicholson, who dedicated his life to aiding Japanese and Japanese Americans, particularly those interned in WWII concentration camps. The writer, a survivor of the Burma/Thai Railroad and River Kwai Bridge ‘H’ Force, includes a poem reflecting on doing good while one has the chance.

JACL

• Eden Township Fetes 8 Scholars, by Mrs. T. Miyamoto, page 5. The Eden Township JACL awarded scholarships to eight Sansei students at its 1983 dinner, with top recipient Edwin Yoichi Noma receiving $300 for graduating at the top of his class at Hayward High. Guest speaker Dale Minami discussed his legal work to reverse the Supreme Court decisions against Korematsu, Hirabayashi and Yasui.
• Summer Seniors Awarded $200 Scholarships from Placer CL, by Roy Yoshida, page 5. Placer County JACL awarded $200 scholarships to three Sansei graduates and administered a California First Bank award for a fourth student. Recipients included Helene Nakamura, Jon Takahashi, Harry Toda and Vickie Yoshikawa, who plan to pursue degrees in forestry, physical therapy, electrical engineering and journalism respectively.
• Sansei Leads New JACL Club, page 5. The new Olympia, Washington chapter of JACL gained official status July 1 after a 12-year effort led by Paul and Edna Ellis. Sansei Ted Masumoto Jr. helped recruit younger Japanese Americans to bolster the chapter, which will be installed by PNWDC governor Dr. Homer Yasui.
• New York Honors Single Scholar, page 5. The New York JACL awarded its 1983 General Scholarship of $500 to John Toyoii Kiyasu, a National JACL Freshman Scholarship winner who will attend UC Berkeley. Ambassador Shinichiro Asao, Japanese consul general at New York, was guest speaker at the joint scholarship dinner.

Sports

• Lodi JACL to Host Baseball Reunion, by Fred K. Oshima, page 6. The Lodi JACL will host a baseball reunion July 23-24 celebrating the historic Lodi YMBA Templars, a dominant Nisei baseball team from the pre-WWII era that won multiple championships. The reunion, co-chaired by former players Red Tanaka and Mas Okuhara, expects 350 former players from around the country and Japan to attend.

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