Prop. 38 and bilingual ballots, plus a JACL brief in the NCJAR suit

Vol. 99, No. 16, October 19, 1984. 12 pages. View this issue

California’s Proposition 38 led the front page. Former senator S.I. Hayakawa backed the measure, which would put the state on record against federal bilingual election materials, and Rep. Robert Matsui opposed it. The same page reported that JACL would file an amicus curiae brief supporting NCJAR’s class action suit on behalf of Nikkei held during World War II, with the full brief covered on page 9. Other front-page items followed the 1984 campaign, including Echo Goto’s run for Congress and S. Stephen Nakashima’s role as chair of Japanese Americans for Reagan-Bush ’84. Frank Sato, Clifford Uyeda and Bill Hosokawa wrote in the in-depth section.

Elsewhere, the paper covered the redress debate in commentary from Joe Oyama and Guy Wright, and a two-part survey report by David Yamada. Harry Honda’s Little Tokyo Life series looked at Japanese American settlements west of Hollywood. Pages 3 and 12 cover a dance piece titled E.O. 9066 and a conference on intermarriage in New York.

What’s in this issue

National

• Bilingual Ballot Battle Continues in Calif., by P.C. Staff, page 1. California’s Proposition 38, spearheaded by former Sen. S.I. Hayakawa, would put the state on record favoring elimination of federal requirements for bilingual election materials. Rep. Robert Matsui and other congressmen oppose the measure, arguing it would undermine the Voting Rights Act and deprive non-English speakers of their say in government.
• Caricature Taken Down, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A racist poster at Six Flags Autoworld in Flint, Michigan depicting a flying car with buck teeth bombing Detroit was removed following protests from Asian Americans including Rep. Robert Matsui and JACL’s Ron Wakabayashi. Autoworld’s PR manager denied the removal was due to community pressure, calling it part of regular exhibit rotation.
• Onizuka to Go Into Orbit, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Hawaii-born astronaut Ellison Onizuka is expected to fly on a space shuttle mission as a mission specialist on Dec. 8. Onizuka, an Air Force major, will be the first Asian American in space.
• Garment Co. Hit With Suit, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A federal lawsuit filed after an Asian Law Caucus suit charges a San Francisco garment shop with underpaying its largely female, Chinese, non-English-speaking workforce by more than $400,000. Owner Tammy Ho and T&W Fashion Inc. allegedly owe over $405,000 in back wages to 424 employees.
• Ethnic Slur Protested, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The term ‘Jap Stuff’ was used to describe sushi in the September Washingtonian magazine, prompting JACL representatives to demand an apology and a policy to prevent future racial slurs. Gojio and Ikejiri urged chapter members to report similar incidents.
• Koreans Resist Fingerprinting, by P.C. Staff, page 1. About 1,000 Korean residents in Tokyo met to declare their intention to refuse fingerprinting required under alien registration regulations affecting 250,000 Koreans in Japan. The move is expected to add momentum to the fight against the discriminatory registration procedure.
• Goto Runs for Congress, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Republican Echo Goto is challenging Democrat incumbent Augustus Hawkins for the 29th district congressional seat in Los Angeles. Goto, a flower shop owner active in Black and Japanese American communities, aims to improve housing and bring new industry to the district if elected.
• Nakashima Chair of JAs for Reagan, by P.C. Staff, page 1. S. Stephen Nakashima of San Jose was named national chair of Japanese Americans for Reagan-Bush ’84. A former JACL national vice president, Nakashima has been active in the Republican Party since 1960 and served on various state committees.
• Funding for Peace Academy Approved, by P.C. Staff, page 2. House-Senate conferees approved appropriations for the U.S. Institute of Peace, providing $1 million for graduate peace study programs and additional funds for other programs. Sen. Spark Matsunaga’s 22-year effort to establish the peace academy was realized through an amendment to the Defense Dept. Authorization Bill.
• Legislation to Benefit Native Hawaiians, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Sen. Spark Matsunaga announced passage of two amendments to aid Native Hawaiians, making them eligible for library services grants and vocational education funding. The measures aim to help Native Hawaiians achieve self-sufficiency through educational programs tailored to their cultural traits.
• Verdict Disappointing, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The voluntary manslaughter conviction of James ‘Jay’ Pierman in the 1983 stabbing death of Vietnamese student Thong Hy Huynh drew negative reactions from the Asian American community. Advocacy groups expressed disappointment that racial motivation was not addressed during the trial and are considering civil rights action.
• Kennedy to Address Asian/Pacific Group, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Asian/Pacifics for Mondale-Ferraro will host a buffet brunch with Sen. Edward Kennedy as part of efforts to mobilize Asian support for the Democratic ticket. The group, formed after the Democratic convention, is emphasizing Mondale’s support for redress and bilingual education.
• A/P Demos for Mondale, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A new Asian desk was established at the New York Mondale-Ferraro campaign headquarters to focus on the Asian American vote. Jacqueline Huey and Robert Eng were appointed to coordinate fundraising and outreach activities in local Asian American communities.
• ABC Responds to ‘Jap’ Complaint—Again, by P.C. Staff, page 12. JACL PSW regional director John Saito received a second, more satisfactory response from ABC regarding a protest over wrestler Randy Lewis’s use of a racial slur during Olympics coverage. ABC’s audience information manager apologized and confirmed the matter was brought to senior management’s attention after multiple complaints were received.

JACL

• JACL Files Brief Supporting Class Action Suit, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL announced it would file an amicus curiae brief supporting NCJAR’s class action lawsuit on behalf of Nikkei interned during WW2, which is before the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. JACL president Frank Sato said the organization has unique information attorneys believe the court should consider before ruling on the case, which was dismissed on statute of limitations grounds.
• How to Target Issues & Problems in an Active District, by David Yamada, page 6. The Northern California-Western Nevada-Pacific District conducted a comprehensive survey to assess member priorities and problems, examining gender and generational differences in attitudes toward JACL programs. The survey found redress to be the most important short-term priority while aging/retirement and cultural heritage education ranked high across generations.
• Survey Conclusions and Interpretations, by David Yamada, page 7. The second part of the NC-WN-P District survey report draws seven major conclusions including the importance of changing demographics, the women’s movement’s impact, and the salience of redress as a district priority. The report calls for district leadership to build bridges between generations and balance competing interests within the organization.

Community

• A/P ‘Women Warriors’ Honored in S.F., by P.C. Staff, page 3. Nine Asian and Pacific American women were honored at the second annual ‘Women Warrior’ awards program by the Pacific and Asian American Women Bay Area Coalition. Honorees included Julie Yumi Hatta, Beth Rosales, Jade Snow Wong, Mitsu Yashima, and Velma Yemoto, recognized for their community contributions.
• Watsonville Chapter Celebrates 50th Anniversary, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Watsonville Chapter JACL celebrated its 50th anniversary with over 330 attendees at a dinner featuring a ‘Go For Broke’ 442nd Infantry exhibit and historical photos. The event honored 150 Keiro honorees and included recognition from state Sen. Henry Mello, Watsonville’s mayor, and Congressman Leon Panetta.
• Conference on Intermarriage Held, by P.C. Staff, page 12. New York’s Nikkei community held its first conference on interracial dating, marriage, and parenting, organized by the Japanese American Counseling Center and New York JACL. Panelists discussed the unique challenges facing interracial families, including geographic isolation and children’s dual identity issues.

Arts & Entertainment

• Dance Performance of ‘E.O. 9066’ Scheduled, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The June Watanabe Dance Company opens its 1984 fall season with concerts featuring ‘E.O. 9066,’ a piece reflecting the anguish of a family during Japanese American internment. Watanabe, a UCLA graduate who trained with the Martha Graham Dance Company, will also perform the piece ‘Michiyuki,’ adapted from Noh dance.

Commentary

• Masugi Responds, by Ken Masugi, page 4. Ken Masugi responds to two letters that he says misrepresent his earlier arguments about Jesse Jackson and the Rainbow Coalition’s rhetoric regarding Japanese Americans. He clarifies that his critique of conflating Japanese Americans with Japanese nationals is consistent with his views on the redress debate.
• Kubo Mistaken, by Joe Oyama, page 4. Joe Oyama disputes Harry Kubo’s congressional testimony against individual redress payments, arguing that personal justice was denied to every one of the 120,000 interned Nikkei. Oyama contends that JACL chapters voted unanimously for individual redress and that Kubo’s concerns about Issei philosophy do not apply to the legal violations at issue.
• Connections, by Mary C. Shimasaki, page 4. A reader recounts a moving trip to the Pacific Northwest including a pilgrimage to the Minidoka Relocation site and her husband’s 50th high school reunion. She also shares a request to help connect with a former pen pal from Poston camp days.
• A Different Kind of Redress?, by Guy Wright, page 8. San Francisco Examiner columnist Guy Wright argues that Japanese Americans should use redress funds to establish a watchdog foundation fighting prejudice rather than distributing individual payments, citing JACL’s history of civil rights advocacy. He references Harry Kubo’s and Bill Marutani’s differing views on individual compensation.
• Judge’s Decision in NCJAR Suit Criticized, by P.C. Staff, page 9. A San Diego Tribune editorial criticizes the dismissal of the NCJAR class action suit on statute of limitations grounds, arguing it perpetuates a failure to admit wrongdoing regarding WWII internment. A related letter from Gene Van Dyke contrasts his German-American family’s treatment with that of interned Japanese Americans.

In-Depth

• A Look Into the Future, by Frank Sato, page 5. JACL National President Frank Sato discusses the National JACL Board’s upcoming meeting in San Francisco to set goals and objectives for the biennium. He emphasizes the importance of JACL’s constitutional purposes including civil rights, cultural heritage, and good citizenship as the organization plans for the future.
• ‘Perception’ of Censorship, by Clifford Uyeda, page 5. Clifford Uyeda discusses JACL’s history of protesting inaccurate portrayals of Japanese Americans in films and literature, countering claims that such protests constitute censorship. He cites examples including wartime films, ‘Shogun,’ and Japanese works like ‘Futatsu no Sokoku’ and ‘Sanga Moyu.’
• From the Frying Pan: Kagoshima Flower Growers’ Success Story, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa recounts the remarkable success story of Kagoshima immigrant flower-growers in California’s Salinas Valley, who built a multi-million-dollar floral industry starting from humble beginnings as farm laborers. Key to their success was the help of established Japanese Americans like Zenichiro Uchida and Nisei businessman Yoshimi Shibata who provided expertise and investment.
• Little Tokyo Life (No. 38): And West of Hollywood, by Harry Honda, page 10. Harry Honda continues his historical account of the Japanese American community west of Hollywood in the 1930s, detailing settlements in Venice, Sawtelle, Santa Monica, and other westside areas. He also explains the Japanese kanji naming conventions used by Issei journalists for American cities.

Military & Veterans

• Nisei Vets to Honor Author Duus, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Company K Club of the 442nd Assn. will hold a dinner honoring Masayo Duus, author of ‘Liberators of Bruyeres,’ which tells the story of the 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regiment’s liberation of a French town. Duus, who also wrote the bestseller ‘Tokyo Rose,’ is working on a new book about Japanese immigrants in Hawaiian sugar and pineapple fields.

Incarceration & Redress

• NCJAR Lawsuit Brief Challenges Dismissal, by P.C. Staff, page 9. JACL’s amicus brief, written by Tim Gojio, challenges the dismissal of NCJAR’s lawsuit by arguing the government cannot hide behind the statute of limitations when evidence was deliberately suppressed for nearly 40 years. The brief details discriminatory laws that continued against Japanese Americans well after WW2, including alien land laws and restrictions on naturalization.

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