Vol. 103, No. 22, November 28, 1986. 8 pages. View this issue
The front page of this issue carried news on the redress lawsuit brought by the National Council for Japanese American Redress. Justice Antonin Scalia took no part in the Supreme Court’s decision to hear the case, which raised the possibility that he would disqualify himself because he had ruled on it earlier as an appeals court judge. The same page reported that services for Minoru Yasui were set for December 5 in Hood River, Oregon, and Bill Hosokawa’s column, “A Man of Principle,” looked back on his life. Robert Shimabukuro’s report on exclusive rights to Japanese American stories continued on page 8.
Elsewhere, a JACL-LEC column on page 5 reviewed a year of lobbying for redress bills in Congress, and Harry Honda covered the Central California District conference in Fresno, where Tritia Toyota spoke. Page 1 also reported the murder of an Issei woman in Little Tokyo Towers, and page 2 covered an admissions study at Stanford. Bill Marutani’s column and reader letters fill pages 4 and 5.
What’s in this issue
National
- Justice Scalia May Not Hear NCJAR Case, page 1. Justice Antonin Scalia’s non-participation in the Supreme Court’s decision to hear arguments on the NCJAR class action suit raises the possibility he will disqualify himself, since he ruled on the case while on the D.C. Court of Appeals. The Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments in spring 1987 and may decide by May or June.
- Black Residents in D.C. Seek to Expel Asian Store Owner, page 1. A Black-led movement in Anacostia, Washington D.C., sought to oust Chinese American store owner Cheung Hung Chan after he allegedly pulled a gun on a Black customer, sparking protests and racial tension between Black residents and Asian merchants. D.C. officials, including Mayor Marion Barry, intervened, expressing mixed views on the dispute’s racial and economic dimensions.
- Suspect Pleads Guilty in N.Y. Stabbing Case, page 1. Raymond Cruz, 19, pleaded guilty to charges including first-degree assault and discrimination under the Civil Rights Law after stabbing Chinese American Gary Moy in a racially motivated attack in New York. The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office recommended a sentence of three to nine years, with sentencing scheduled for Dec. 12.
- Stanford Looks at Possible Anti-Asian Admissions Bias, page 2. Stanford University’s Faculty Senate will review an admissions study showing Asian American applicants were accepted at lower rates than white applicants with equivalent qualifications. The committee found no evidence of conscious bias but recommended measures including ethnic identification on applications and training to avoid unconscious stereotyping.
- ABC Delays ‘Our World’, page 2. ABC again delayed broadcast of a segment of “Our World” dealing with WW2’s effects on Americans, including Japanese American internment, now rescheduled for Dec. 4. A network staffer did not rule out another last-minute change.
- Inouye Reelected to Senate Post, page 7. Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii was reelected unopposed as Secretary of the Democratic Conference, the third-highest position among Senate Democrats. Inouye stated that Senate Democrats would closely scrutinize the Reagan administration’s foreign policy and deficit issues in the new Congress.
- Minorities Now the Majority in New York, Researcher Says, page 8. A demographic analysis by sociologist John Kasarda found that Blacks, Hispanics and Asian Americans now constitute 54 percent of New York City’s population, marking a historic shift, though officials cautioned the sample size required careful interpretation. The city’s white population fell by 276,000 between 1980 and 1985 while Hispanic, Black and Asian populations grew substantially.
Community
- Security Increased After Issei Is Murdered in Little Tokyo, page 1. Yoshie Mitoma, 89, was found murdered in her Little Tokyo Towers apartment after a burglar climbed onto her balcony, becoming the building’s first homicide victim. Police released a composite of the suspect and building management increased security patrols and fencing height in response.
- Chinese American Loses Courts Reject New Election, page 2. Dorothy Chin Brandt’s petition for a new election after losing a Manhattan Civil Court judgeship race by 108 votes was rejected by New York’s highest court due to a technical error by her attorneys in delivering legal notification. Her campaign manager maintained that a new election would have resulted in a win for Brandt.
- Arts Groups Form Consortium, page 6. Four major Los Angeles ethnic arts institutions, including the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, formed The Arts Consortium to broaden audiences through joint marketing, fund-raising, and a seven-point collaborative program. Initial funding of $150,000 came from the W.M. Keck Foundation, growing out of a 1982 President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities initiative.
In-Depth
- Exclusive Rights to JAs’ Stories Raise Questions, by Robert Shimabukuro, page 1. Competition among documentaries, museums and TV productions for rights to Japanese American WW2 stories has created conflict, including a dispute over Inner Circle’s exclusive contract with Frank Emi that led the Smithsonian to drop his story from its exhibit. Filmmakers and producers disagree over the ethics of exclusive contracts and honorariums for subjects of community-based projects.
- Exclusive Rights Dispute Continued, page 8. The dispute over exclusive contracts for Japanese American WW2 stories continues, with Smithsonian exhibit director Tom Crouch explaining the decision to drop Frank Emi’s story due to litigation risk, and filmmakers Loni Ding and Steven Okazaki defending documentary practices against Inner Circle’s commercial approach. The piece also cites a similar Hollywood rights dispute over “The Milagro Beanfield War” as a parallel example of competing claims to life stories.
Incarceration & Redress
- Oregon Services for Yasui Scheduled for December 5, page 1. A memorial service for Minoru Yasui will be held at Asbury United Methodist Church in Hood River, Oregon, on Dec. 5. Portland Chapter JACL will arrange travel, and the family requests donations to the Minoru Yasui Memorial Fund in lieu of flowers.
Commentary
- A Man of Principle, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Columnist Bill Hosokawa reflects on the life and death of Minoru Yasui, recalling his principled legal challenge to WW2 curfew and evacuation orders and his unfulfilled quest for full vindication of his constitutional rights. Hosokawa praises Yasui as a man who believed in the Establishment yet dared to swim against the stream for justice.
- The Pearl Harbor Syndrome, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Columnist Bill Marutani recounts a phone call and subsequent meeting with a Black journalist seeking his comment on Japan’s Prime Minister Nakasone’s racial remarks, noting the irony of being asked to answer for another’s statements based solely on race. Marutani draws a parallel to the racial reasoning used to justify the WW2 internment of Japanese Americans.
- The Congressional Scorecard, page 5. A JACL-LEC column reviews a year of grass-roots lobbying for redress legislation H.R. 442 and S. 1053, detailing which congressional co-sponsors won reelection, retired, or moved to other offices following the midterm elections. The author urges continued letter-writing and advocacy to secure redress passage during the Constitution’s bicentennial, noting the urgency given the aging Issei and Nisei populations.
- Automotive Diplomacy, by Frank Iritani, page 5. A letter to the editor responds to Bill Hosokawa’s column about buying an American-made car, discussing the different motivations of car buyers and the broader issue of prejudice and misunderstanding between nations. The writer praises Hosokawa’s sensitivity while noting minorities bear a special role in bettering human relations.
- For Your Information, by Paul Louie, page 5. A letter to the editor offers to share a compiled listing of hearings and reports on anti-Asian violence and racism published since 1980 with interested readers, particularly Asian Pacific American study centers and libraries. Readers can request the list by writing with a stamped, self-addressed envelope.
Arts & Entertainment
- Brody Arts Fund Assisting the Arts, page 4. The Brody Arts Fund awarded grants totaling $57,150 to 18 Los Angeles non-profit arts organizations, including Asian American groups Great Leap, Inc. and Visual Communications. The article also notes California Arts Council grants to several Bay Area Asian American arts groups previously overlooked in an earlier issue.
JACL
- A Trip to IDC’s Past, by Hid Hasegawa, page 4. The Intermountain District Council held its quarterly meeting/reunion in Jackpot, Nevada, featuring workshops, an art exhibit by Fred Ochi, and a banquet honoring the district’s founding “old-timers” from 1939. The gathering also recalled the 1947 founding of the Thousand Club at a National Board meeting in Idaho Falls.
- Toyota Highlights Central Cal Confab; New Officers Installed, by Harry Honda, page 6. KCBS-TV newscaster Tritia Toyota keynoted the JACL Central California District conference banquet in Fresno, discussing stereotyping in television news and urging support for better journalism and voter participation. National President Harry Kajihara installed new district and chapter officers, with Dr. Mae Takahashi elected the district’s third consecutive woman governor.
- Central Cal Conference Honors Longtime Members, Discusses Issues, page 7. At the JACL Central California District conference, outgoing governor Maude Ishida received the Sapphire Pin and several chapter presidents received President’s Pins, while Fred Hirasuna and Tom Shimasaki were honored for over 50 years of JACL service. Daytime workshops covered aging parents, anti-Asian violence, and JACL goal-setting on membership, civil rights and community service.
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