Redress letters and a contested immigration bill, November 1987

Vol. 105, No. 17, November 20, 1987. 8 pages. View this issue

The Pacific Citizen reported in this November 1987 issue on the push for redress. The National Coalition for Redress/Reparations asked for at least 10,000 letters urging President Reagan to sign the Civil Liberties Act of 1987, and John Ota laid out how to write and whom to contact. Mollie Fujioka, a candidate for National JACL president and a former Tule Lake internee, called redress an issue for all Americans. The front page also carried George Johnston on the Chicago JACL’s opposition to immigration bills S. 1611 and H.R. 3143, and on a Congressional hearing about anti-Asian violence. Judith A. Lyons reported that Vincent Chin’s mother had left the United States for China.

Inside are Bill Hosokawa’s column on preserving Elmer Ogawa’s papers, Shig Kahara on the Military Intelligence Service Language School, and Ron Wakabayashi on a proposed Census change. Letters recall Japanese Peruvians sent to U.S. camps and a search for a childhood friend, Marjorie Ota. The front page also reported on a Bellflower city treasurer’s investment loss.

What’s in this issue

National

• Bellflower City Treasurer’s Investment Deal Goes Sour, page 1. Bellflower City Treasurer Mike Sakamoto is under scrutiny after a zero-coupon Treasury note investment deal resulted in a $290,000 loss, with the SEC investigating the matter. City officials expressed anger over the speculative investment, which may have violated California Government Code restrictions on public money speculation.
• Chicago JACL Calls Kennedy Immigration Bill ‘Racist’, by George Johnston, page 1. The Chicago JACL Board of Directors voted to oppose identical immigration reform bills S. 1611 and H.R. 3143, calling their implications racist. Asian American groups including AALDEF and OCA have raised concerns that the bills would disadvantage Asian immigrants through a new point system and restrictions on family reunification.
• Vincent Chin’s Mother Leaves U.S. in Disgust, by Judith A. Lyons, page 1. Lilly Chin, mother of Vincent Chin who was murdered in a racially motivated attack, has left the United States for China after failing to find justice following the acquittal of her son’s killer. She plans to use restitution money to build an elementary school in her village in China.
• JACL Urges Federal Tally of Anti-Asian Violence, by George Johnston, page 1. At an October 10 Congressional hearing, representatives including Rep. Bob Matsui and JACL’s Floyd Shimomura testified about rising anti-Asian violence, citing statistics showing Asians as disproportionate victims of hate crimes. Proposed remedies include federal data collection on hate crimes, stiffer penalties, and more Asian American representation in law enforcement.
• Two of Senator Matsunaga’s Trade Proposals Accepted, page 2. Two trade proposals authored by Sen. Spark Matsunaga were approved as House and Senate conferees negotiated historic trade legislation. The amendments would implement the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System and renew the president’s negotiating authority for the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade talks.
• Immigration Bill Continued: Nations ‘Adversely Affected’, page 3. Continuation of coverage on the immigration bill detailing criteria for 50,000 additional non-preference visas meant to help nations ‘adversely affected’ by 1965 reforms. The article explains how the point system and reduced family reunification preferences could disproportionately harm Asian immigrants.

Community

• Education Fund Offers Internships to Asian American Students, page 3. Asian American Communities for Education announced the inaugural year of the Jessie Cheng Education Fund, which will provide internships for Asian American high school students in San Francisco interested in civics and government. The semester-long internships come with a $500 stipend and will place students with elected officials and government agencies.
• Over 500 Attend Reunion, Honor Nakane, page 7. More than 500 people attended a reunion at the East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center honoring Aiko Nakane, a former teacher at the San Gabriel Japanese School from 1927 to 1935. Attendees came from across the U.S. and Japan to reconnect and reminisce about pre-WWII community life.
• Smithsonian Exhibit Theme for San Mateo JACL Fund-Raiser, page 8. Dr. Harold Langley of the Smithsonian will present on the Bicentennial of the Constitution exhibit ‘A More Perfect Union’ at a San Mateo JACL fund-raiser hosted by Jan Yanehiro. Proceeds will support the San Mateo community center’s services for seniors, including counseling, translation, and transportation programs.

Military & Veterans

• 46 Years of a Warm Association, by Shig Kahara, page 3. The article recounts the history of the Military Intelligence Service Language School, beginning with Lt. Col. John Weckerling’s recruitment of Private John Aiso in 1941, and the enduring relationship between the U.S. Army and Japanese Americans through war and peace. It details the achievements of MIS soldiers during WWII and the continuing legacy honored through memorials and exhibits at the Defense Language Institute.
• MIS Celebrates 46th Anniversary in Monterey, page 7. The 46th anniversary of the Military Intelligence Service Language School was celebrated at the Presidio of Monterey, with a permanent photo exhibit installed in Nakamura Hall. All branches of the U.S. armed forces participated in the ceremony honoring the school’s legacy.

Commentary

• Nature of Being a Treasurer, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This editorial profiles Seattle City Treasurer Lloyd Hara, recently honored as part of the 1987 All-Pro City Management team, highlighting his innovative management style and professional achievements. It also recalls his past involvement with JACL’s National Council discussions on endowment fund management.
• ‘Trash’ a Treasure for Future Generations, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Columnist Bill Hosokawa recounts how the personal papers and photographs of Elmer Ogawa, a Nisei who died in 1970, were preserved by the University of Washington Libraries rather than discarded. He reflects on the historical value of such personal archives and laments how much Nisei history is being lost as personal papers are thrown away.
• Japanese Peruvians Were Also Interned, by Susana M. Sotillo, page 4. A letter writer recalls childhood memories of a Japanese-Peruvian friend whose family was rounded up and sent to U.S. internment camps after being stripped of their possessions in Peru during WWII. She argues for redress and compensation for all victims of wartime injustice, drawing parallels to other instances of racism in American history.
• In Search Of…, by Lorraine Vernon, page 4. A reader writes seeking help locating her childhood friend Marjorie Ota, a Japanese American she knew in Ellensburg, Washington in the 1930s, with whom she lost contact after Ota’s family was sent to an internment camp. She shares memories of their friendship and asks for the newspaper’s assistance in finding her.
• Guilty Eyes, by Lois M. Shimazaki, page 4. A poem by a Cal State Northridge senior depicting the experience of Japanese Americans imprisoned in camps during WWII, expressing themes of injustice, dehumanization, and hope for eventual freedom from guilt and prejudice.
• Plan Would Lump All Asian Americans Together, by Ron Wakabayashi, page 5. In his Musubi column, Ron Wakabayashi warns that a proposed U.S. Census change toward a single Asian Pacific category rather than ethnically specific data could obscure important social trends within diverse Asian American communities. He calls on Asian American organizations to advocate for ethnically specific data collection before the January 1988 deadline.

Incarceration & Redress

• NCRR Calls for Letters to Reagan on Redress Bill, by John Ota, page 5. The National Coalition for Redress/Reparations is urging at least 10,000 letters to President Reagan asking him to sign the Civil Liberties Act of 1987, with support coming from across the U.S. and even France. The article provides detailed instructions for writing letters, sending mailgrams, and contacting Reagan’s advisers to support the redress bill.

JACL

• Redress: An Issue for All Americans, page 8. Mollie Fujioka, candidate for National JACL president and former Tule Lake internee, emphasizes that redress remains the organization’s highest priority and urges continued letter-writing to President Reagan. She frames redress as an issue for all Americans concerned with upholding constitutional principles, not just a Japanese American issue.

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