Redress payments, the Raleigh killing and a camp exhibit in Little Tokyo

Vol. 109, No. 4, August 18, 1989. 12 pages. View this issue

Redress ran through this 12-page issue. The front page reported that the Office of Redress Administration had adopted a series of requests to ease documentation requirements under the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. Other stories covered Washington state’s tax exemption for redress payments, Sen. Daniel Inouye’s call to write Senate Appropriations members, his letter on the sacrifice of Nisei soldiers, and a redress rally in Little Tokyo. The cover photo showed a guardtower model from a camp exhibit at the Nisei Week Japanese Festival, with the Manzanar Committee among its co-sponsors. The paper also followed the killing of Ming Kai Loo in Raleigh, N.C., with a front-page story and a JACL statement on page 8.

Inside are columns by Bill Hosokawa, Bill Marutani and Jin Konomi. Reports from the JACL Tri-District Convention in Chicago included the JACL Legacy Fund resolution and a salute to Nisei veterans. There are also a forum on the Fair Play Committee and draft resisters, scholarship winners, and a Rohwer reunion planned in Los Angeles.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• Regulations on Documentation for Redress Payment Smoother, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Office of Redress Administration adopted a series of requests to ease documentation requirements for redress recipients under the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. A three-step process was outlined involving eligibility notification, identity verification, and payment issuance, with simplified documentation requirements.
• Wash. State Joins Tax-Exempting Redress States, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Washington state Gov. Booth Gardner signed a bill exempting redress payments from being counted as income for public assistance eligibility. The legislation was crafted with help from JACL members and Keiro Nursing Home staff who were concerned redress funds could jeopardize benefits.
• Redress Rally Draws Over 300 in Little Tokyo, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Actor Edward James Olmos attended an August 5 rally urging the government to deliver on redress payments. The rally held in Little Tokyo attracted over 300 people.
• Poston Camp Teacher’s Paperback Novel Out, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Georgia Day Robertson’s novel ‘The Harvest of Hate,’ deemed too controversial to publish in 1946, is now available in paperback. The book centers on the Sato family’s uprooting from their Southern California farm to Poston, Arizona during WWII.

National

• ‘Vincent Chin’-Type Case Explodes in Raleigh, N.C., by P.C. Staff, page 1. Two brothers, Robert and Lloyd Piche, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges in the racially motivated killing of Chinese American Ming Kai Loo in Raleigh, N.C. The attack followed anti-Asian epithets and references to the Vietnam War at a local pool hall.
• Rhode Island’s Aug. 14 Holiday Nickname Offensive to Nikkei, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rhode Island’s Victory Day, nicknamed V-J Day, has caused pain for Japanese Americans like Hiroko Shikashio, prompting the Japan Society of Rhode Island to hire lawyers to seek a name change. Veterans groups strongly oppose any change, while business leaders worry the name hampers efforts to attract Japanese investment.
• Inouye Urges Writing Senators, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sen. Daniel Inouye urged grassroots redress supporters to write Senate Appropriations Sub-Committee members to boost redress funding for fiscal 1990. The recommendation came from a meeting with JACL-LEC leaders Jo Anne Kagiwada and Grayce Uyehara.
• Osaka Family Targeting Black Racism in Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The U.S. Black Business Council sponsored a national tour for a Japanese family campaigning against anti-black racism in Japanese merchandise. Their efforts led to the discontinuation of racially offensive products like ‘Bubble Face’ gum.
• Police Brutality in New York Upon Asians Settled for $90,000; Civil Action Remains, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund announced a $90,000 settlement against New York City for police brutality against the Wong and Woo families. The case stemmed from a 1987 incident where officers broke into their apartment without a warrant following a false complaint.
• Judge Takasugi Nullifies Pomona’s English-Only Law, by P.C. Staff, page 3. U.S. District Judge Robert Takasugi declared Pomona’s business sign ordinance unconstitutional following a lawsuit by the Asian American Business Group. The ruling found the law violated First Amendment rights and due process clauses.
• Drink Maker to Drop 65-Year-Old Trademark, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Calpis Food Industry Co. announced it will abandon its 65-year-old trademark depicting a Black person due to criticism that it was demeaning. A company survey found more than half of foreigners in Japan felt the label was racist.
• Asian American Leaders Meet With President, by P.C. Staff, page 3. President Bush met with 16 Asian American community leaders at the White House to discuss redress, immigration reform, college admissions bias, and U.S.-China policy. The president announced appointments of Dr. John Tsu and Cindy Daub to government positions.
• Western Journalists Covering Tiananmen Square Before and After June 4 Massacre Address AAJA, by Brenda Paik Sunoo, page 6. Journalists who covered the Tiananmen Square massacre discussed the challenges of reporting under martial law at an AAJA panel discussion in Los Angeles. Panelists described the pro-democracy atmosphere before the crackdown and the government’s media control, including the aftermath coverage by various news organizations.
• District Attorney in Eugene, Oregon, Sees No Crime Spraying Racist Epithet Sign, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Lane County district attorney’s office determined no crime was committed when ‘Go Home Japs’ was spray-painted at a farm owned by a Japanese group in Oregon. JACL National Director Bill Yoshino challenged the decision, calling for stronger response to hate crimes.
• Americans, Japanese Agree U.S. Declining as World Power, Uncertain on Future Lead, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A joint TBS-CBS-Emnid poll found that Americans and Japanese disagree on which country will be the dominant economic power in the 21st century, though both agree the U.S. is declining as a world power. The poll also revealed differing views on environmental taxation, East-West relations, and trade restrictions.
• Raleigh Case Update: JACL Joins Call for Justice, by P.C. Staff, page 8. JACL joined with the Organization of Chinese Americans and other groups expressing concern over the racially motivated killing of Ming Kai Loo in Raleigh, N.C. JACL officials Bill Yoshino and Paul Igasaki called for prosecution and warned against a repetition of the Vincent Chin case.
• Rhode Island Veterans Continue to Oppose Holiday Name Change, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Rhode Island veterans groups continued to oppose changing the Victory Day holiday name, with VFW and American Legion officials defending the current name. Central Falls Veterans Council president Rene Bobola made inflammatory remarks against Japanese Americans’ property ownership and rights to object.

Community

• Multi-Racial, Multi-Cultural JACLers Shaping New Asian American Network, by George Johnston, page 2. A new organization called the Amerasian League has been formed to serve persons of mixed Asian ancestry, founded by JACL members Velina Hasu Houston, Philip Tajitsu Nash and Teresa Kay Williams. The group aims for educational awareness and plans annual forums and publications about Amerasian culture and identity.
• Canadian National Youth Forum Slated Sept. 2-4, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The National Association of Japanese Canadians will hold a youth forum in Winnipeg, Manitoba to address survival of the Japanese Canadian community through youth involvement. Topics include identity, cultural preservation, and Japanese Canadian history for attendees aged 16-30.
• Gila River Butte High ’45 Class Expands Reunion, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The reunion committee for the 1945 class of Butte High School at Gila River WRA Center expanded its reunion to include graduates from 1943, 1944 and 1946. The events include a Friday mixer and Sunday brunch in Torrance, California.
• Japanese Books Added to Little Tokyo Library, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Friends of the Little Tokyo Branch Library donated $1,500 toward purchasing additional Japanese language books for the library. The branch library opened April 19 and is supported by fundraising events including a book fair and author luncheon.
• Short People Items, by P.C. Staff, page 9. This community briefs column covers various individuals including George Okamoto, honored for community service in San Francisco; Jean Ushijima, named Clerk of the Year by the California City Clerks Association; and Andrew Okada, enshrined in Kirkland’s Plaza of Champions. Also featured are scholarship recipients, sports achievements, and other notable community members’ accomplishments.
• Former Students Throw Thank-You Party for Spokane Teacher, Retired Since Spring, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Denny Yasuhara, known in JACL circles and a longtime Spokane teacher, was honored with a surprise thank-you party by former students after his retirement. Students credited him with teaching integrity and responsibility over his decades-long teaching career.
• Rohwer’s 1st Reunion in L.A. Forced to Shift Site as Response Heavy, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Organizers of the first-ever Rohwer Camp reunion had to change venues due to overwhelming response of about 300 reservations within 45 days. The reunion committee is searching for a larger hotel site able to accommodate 1,000 people.

Military & Veterans

• ‘Oriental American’ Named to Help President, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Maj. Art Wallace, head nurse at Tripler Army Medical Center, was named to the medical team serving President Bush. Press reports described him as the first ‘Oriental American’ in such a position, though he is Caucasian and was born in Tokyo.
• ‘Last Full Measure’, by Daniel K. Inouye, page 5. Sen. Daniel Inouye’s letter to Senate Appropriations Committee members shares his personal reflections on the WWII internment and the sacrifices of Japanese American soldiers who volunteered from internment camps. He recounts stories of fellow soldiers’ families losing everything and urges support for redress funding in memory of those who gave their lives in combat.
• Why a New York Judge Mobilized Jews to ‘Go for Broke’ on Redress Campaign, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Retired New York traffic judge Daniel Valk mobilized Jewish veterans groups to support redress for Japanese Americans after learning about the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion’s liberation of Dachau. Valk lobbied congressmen and Jewish War Veterans posts, crediting the story for helping pass the redress bill.
• WWII Role of Nisei Veterans for Redress Push Remembered, by Harry K. Honda, page 7. The JACL Tri-District Convention in Chicago saluted Japanese American WWII veterans with nearly 360 attendees, featuring keynote speaker Brig. Gen. James H. Mukoyama Jr. The event honored the sacrifices of Issei and Nisei generations and their contributions to proving Japanese American loyalty.
• Daughter Hoods Dad His Honorary Doctorate Degree, by P.C. Staff, page 8. William Kajikawa, a retired ASU faculty member and coach who served with the 522nd Field Artillery during WWII, received an honorary doctor of laws degree at ASU’s summer commencement. His daughter, Christine K. Wilkinson, ASU’s acting vice president for student affairs, bestowed the academic hood upon him.
• Kay Kazumi Kawafuchi, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Kay Kazumi Kawafuchi, 73, of Gardena died following a lengthy illness. The Hilo-Hawaii born veteran of the 442nd RCT was a Little Tokyo businessman survived by his wife, sons, and brothers.

JACL

• Nakagawa Calls for Nat’l ‘Nikkei Summit’ in 1990, by George Johnston, page 3. JACL National President Cressey Nakagawa called for a ‘Nikkei summit’ gathering Japanese Americans from various professions to determine future community priorities, in a speech at the Tri-District Convention in Chicago. He also discussed his meeting with President Bush and the importance of JACL’s role in U.S.-Japan relations and coalition building with other Asian American groups.
• JACL Forum Slated on Draft Resisters, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A JACL educational forum titled ‘Understanding the Fair Play Committee and Draft Resisters During WWII’ will be held in Los Angeles featuring speakers Peter Irons, Frank Emi, and Mits Koshiyama. The forum aims to provide understanding of the pre-WWII hysteria surrounding internment and the motives of draft resisters.
• JACL Legacy Fund Resolution Draws Support at Chicago, by Harry K. Honda, page 7. The JACL Legacy Fund, established by the National JACL Board, received endorsement from three district councils at their Tri-District Convention in Chicago. The fund is separate from the JACL Endowment Fund and requires a three-fourths majority board vote for disbursement of principal.
• Snake River JACL Grants 2 $1,000 Awards, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Snake River JACL announced this year’s recipients of $1,000 JACL-Nikkeijinkai scholarships as Shelli Iseri and Jolene Shiraishi, both of Ontario. Both are daughters of local chapter members.
• Las Vegas JACL Awards Two $1,000 Scholarships, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Lynn Fukumoto and Sondra Tanaka received $1,000 Las Vegas JACL scholarships at a dinner presented by Gary Namba. Lynn plans to study aerospace engineering while Sondra will pursue biology with aspirations of becoming a pediatrician.

Commentary

• The Nation’s ‘Unfinished Business’, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This editorial discusses Time magazine’s report on racial inequality facing Black Americans, noting the report’s failure to mention other minorities like Asian Americans. It argues that discrimination remains a national disgrace regardless of victim group, and urges affected communities to speak out.
• Dickens and I, by Jin Konomi, page 4. The author recounts his struggles learning English as a young immigrant in 1921 by reading Dickens novels with an Oxford dictionary, while working grueling household chores for room and board. He reflects nostalgically on his persistence and the memento of his worn-out dictionary.
• Advertising & the Asian Americans: Never the Twain Shall Meet?, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Bill Hosokawa discusses a Wall Street Journal article about advertisers’ confusion in approaching the Asian American market, noting the diversity within Asian American communities. He argues advertisers should treat Asian Americans as an economic/demographic group rather than a monolithic ethnic one.
• Go-Ru-Fu, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Bill Marutani writes humorously about the golf boom in Japan and his own struggles learning golf after being stationed at Ft. Snelling. He reflects on buying and abandoning golf clubs over the years and jokes about waiting for a Nikkei golf star to root for.
• Nisei Veteran Asks, by Etsu Sugaya, page 5. A letter to the editor from a Nisei veteran in Tucson asks about applying for redress compensation as a soldier whose Japanese parents were removed from California in 1942. The editor’s response directs him to the Voluntary Information Form from the Office of Redress Administration.

In-Depth

• War Crimes Haunt Japan’s Genetic Engineers, by Shingo Shibata, page 5. This translated article investigates how Japan’s National Institute of Health was linked to the WWII Unit 731 biological warfare program, with former Unit 731 members serving as NIH directors and conducting human experiments on prisoners and psychiatric patients. The piece reveals how the U.S. military supervised NIH and used the institute’s bacteriological research data for its own weapons program.
• Cho Cho San: A Sequel?, by Naomi Kashiwabara, page 5. The author recounts a late-night conversation in a Yokohama snack shop with an old Japan-hand named Roland Overture, who spins an elaborate alternate ending to the Madame Butterfly story. In his version, Cho-Cho-San doesn’t die but marries the American consul instead, while Pinkerton’s fate takes a comedic detective-noir turn.
• Artifacts Sought for ‘Issei Pioneers in Hawaii & Mainland’ Exhibit Due to Open February, 1991, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Japanese American National Museum has begun a nationwide search for artifacts for its first exhibit on Issei immigration history from 1885 to 1924. The museum team is working with historical consultants and seeking items like tools, art, diaries, and photographs from the community.

Arts & Entertainment

• ‘East Meets West’ in Missouri: Art of Kabuki Make-up Feature in St. Louis, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The 15th Japanese Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden will feature the exhibit ‘Kumadori: The Art of Kabuki Make-up’ along with demonstrations of Bonseki, Ikebana, and Bonsai. The ten-day event celebrates shared inspiration between eastern and western cultures.
• BBC-NHK to Co-Produce Billion Yen Docudrama, by P.C. Staff, page 8. BBC and NHK are jointly producing ‘Ginger Tree,’ a TV docudrama adapted from Oswald Wynd’s novel about a woman’s affair with a Japanese officer in the early 1900s. The four-part series will air in Britain, Japan, and eventually America.
• Amerasia Journal Comes Double-Sized, by P.C. Staff, page 9. UCLA’s Asian American Studies Center published a special double-sized issue of Amerasia Journal commemorating the Asian American movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The 384-page issue examines the movement’s political, cultural, and social legacy.
• Japanese TV Program on Sunday A.M. Added, by P.C. Staff, page 11. KSCI-TV Channel 18 added a new Japanese-language program ‘Waga Kokoro no Uta’ to its Sunday morning schedule, hosted by sculptor Masuo Ikeda and pianist Yoko Sato. The channel also announced schedule changes for other Japanese programs including a new program ‘Enka no Hanamichi’ debuting in September.

Obituaries

• Shoichi Hada, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Shoichi Hada, 101, of Lincoln, Calif., died July 25 at Roseville Hospital. The Hiroshima native is survived by several children.
• Mary Yoshiko Harada, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Mary Yoshiko Harada, 87, of Culver City died following a prolonged illness. The San Francisco-born Nisei is survived by numerous children and grandchildren across multiple cities.
• Raymond M. Kiyohara, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Raymond M. Kiyohara, 73, of Des Moines, Wash., died at a Seattle hospital after managing his family farm and later running S.T. Produce until retirement in 1982. He left Minidoka WRA Center during WWII to work in Ontario, Oregon before the family returned to Seattle.
• Shitoyo Kotake, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Shitoyo Kotake, 93, of Fremont, Calif., died August 1. She is survived by three sons and three daughters.
• William B. Shockley, by P.C. Staff, page 11. William B. Shockley, 79, of Stanford, Calif., died at his campus home. The 1956 Nobel Prize-winning physicist known for the electronic transistor was also controversial for his claims about racial genetics, and died of prostate cancer.

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