Vol. 106, No. 18, May 6, 1988. 8 pages. View this issue
Redress and the Civil Liberties Act drew most of the front page. S. 1009 passed the Senate 69-27 on April 20, and the Pacific Citizen reported on what came next. George Johnston covered former Sen. S.I. Hayakawa’s call for a veto and NCJAR President William Hohri’s doubts about President Reagan signing the bill. Grayce Uyehara described the conference committee steps still ahead, and Harry Honda compiled a chronology running from Executive Order 9066 to the Senate vote.
Inside, five past JACL presidents, including Shig Wakamatsu and Jerry Enomoto, gave their views on JACL after redress, a question Bill Hosokawa also took up in his column. Other pages carry George Johnston’s review of Velina Hasu Houston’s play Tea, Bill Marutani’s East Wind column, and community news such as the Pacific Southwest District conference and the Asian American Drug Abuse Program’s 15th anniversary.
What’s in this issue
Incarceration & Redress
- Redress Will Reflect Unfavorably, Says S.I. Hayakawa, by George Johnston, page 1. Former Sen. S.I. Hayakawa argues President Reagan should veto S. 1009 because he believes Japanese Americans are financially successful and don’t need redress money. He also contends the Issei generation was excluded from the redress movement and would not have sought monetary compensation themselves.
- NCJAR ‘Skeptical’ on Chances for Redress, by George Johnston, page 1. NCJAR President William Hohri expresses cautious approval of the Senate’s passage of S. 1009 but remains skeptical that President Reagan will sign it. He explains differences between the Senate and House versions regarding the time period for internees to choose between legislative redress and the NCJAR class action lawsuit.
- Redress Chronology, by Harry Honda, page 1. A detailed chronology of major redress-related events from 1942 through 1988, compiled from the Pacific Citizen’s annual chronology. It traces the path from Executive Order 9066 through the CWRIC hearings, legislative efforts, and the eventual Senate passage of S. 1009.
National
- Clarification, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A correction notice clarifies that a phone number given in a previous article was not the JACL-LEC mailgram hotline but rather a service operated by the Florin JACL Chapter. The JACL-LEC hotline has not yet been activated.
- ILWU Supports Redress, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Delegates at the International Longshoreman’s & Warehouseman’s Union’s 27th Convention voted to support a resolution favoring redress for Japanese and Aleutian internment victims. ILWU President James Herman also proposed donating $1,000 to the redress campaign, which was adopted without opposition.
- Ohio Mayor Resigns to Avoid Japanese, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Wapakoneta, Ohio Mayor William V. Lietz resigned rather than deal with Japanese investors interested in his city, citing his WWII Navy service in the South Pacific. His successor noted Lietz has a right to his opinion, though the resignation drew attention given the city’s connection to astronaut Neil Armstrong.
- Iino Named Small Business Accountant Advocate of the Year, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Tom Iino, a partner at Deloitte Haskins & Sells in Los Angeles, was chosen as the Small Business Accountant Advocate of the Year by the L.A. district office of the U.S. Small Business Administration. He was recognized for his creative solutions to financial problems facing small businesses and will be honored as part of a nationwide salute to small businesses.
JACL
- JACL-LEC Praises Efforts, Looks to Next Redress Hurdle, by Grayce Uyehara, page 1. The JACL Legislative Education Committee praises Sen. Spark Matsunaga’s floor management leading to the Senate’s passage of S. 1009/H.R. 442 by a 69-27 vote. The article details White House press briefing comments on whether President Reagan will sign the bill and outlines the conference committee process still needed before any payments can be made.
- Kinoshita Announces Bid for Public Affairs VP, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Cherry Kinoshita, incumbent JACL vice president for Public Affairs, announced she will run for a second term in the office. She was confirmed in February to a 3-year term on the JACL-LEC Board.
- Past JACL Presidents Looking to the Post Redress Horizon, by Laurie Mochidome, page 2. Five former JACL national presidents—Shig Wakamatsu, Henry Tanaka, Clifford Uyeda, Frank Chuman and Jerry Enomoto—shared their reactions to the Senate’s passage of redress legislation and their views on JACL’s future direction. Opinions varied from building a stronger national organization to expanding coalitions with other Asian American groups and broader human rights work.
- JACL Chapters Offered Fund-Raising Premium, by P.C. Staff, page 4. JACL chapters are being offered a discount on the Mike Masaoka autobiography, They Call Me Moses Masaoka, for fund-raising purposes. Details on ordering in bulk lots of 50 books per case have been mailed to chapters.
Community
- KCBS Airing APA Heritage Week Show, by P.C. Staff, page 1. KCBS-TV Channel 2 will broadcast a special edition of ‘2 the Point’ profiling events of the Tenth Annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Week. Guests include comedienne Tamayo Otsuki, actress Lisa Lu, and actor Mako.
- Kim to Speak at PSWD Conference, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Yoon Hee Kim, president of the Korean American Coalition, will be the luncheon keynote speaker at the Pacific Southwest District JACL’s May 14 conference on critical issues facing the Japanese American community. The conference will feature eleven workshops and panelists including KCBS anchorwoman Tritia Toyota and National JACL Director Ron Wakabayashi.
- AADAP to Celebrate 15th Anniversary, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Asian American Drug Abuse Program will celebrate its 15th year of services with a May 21 fundraising dinner honoring its three past executive directors: Ronald Wakabayashi, Tommy Chung, and Patrick Ogawa. The dinner will also tribute Congressman Robert Matsui and his wife Doris, with entertainment by pianist Benny Yee.
Obituaries
- Dr. Chihiro Kikuchi, Nuclear Engineering Pioneer, Dies at 73, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Dr. Chihiro Kikuchi, professor-emeritus of nuclear engineering at the University of Michigan and discoverer of the ruby maser, died March 6 after a long illness. He was honored by JACL in 1968 as one of the Nisei of the Biennium and is survived by his wife, three children, and several siblings.
Arts & Entertainment
- Houston’s ‘Tea’ Proves a Strong, Strange Brew, by George Johnston, page 3. A review of Velina Hasu Houston’s play Tea, which tells the story of Japanese women who married American servicemen during the U.S. occupation of Japan, reuniting after one of their own commits suicide. The reviewer praises the strong cast and Houston’s powerful writing in documenting this largely undocumented chapter of Japanese American experience.
Commentary
- Bright Green Carp for Your Grandson? Konjak, by Bill Marutani, page 4. In this East Wind column, Bill Marutani muses about konnyaku, the translucent food found in oden and sukiyaki, and his lifelong uncertainty about what it’s actually made of. He recounts childhood memories of his mother making it and reflects on cross-cultural food habits between Japanese and Chinese cuisine.
- JACL After Redress: What Then?, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. In this From the Frying Pan column, Bill Hosokawa reflects on JACL’s achievement in securing congressional redress legislation and ponders what mission the organization should pursue next. He considers options including human rights advocacy, Asian-Pacific coalition building, and questions whether Sansei and Yonsei generations will sustain JACL’s membership and leadership.
Military & Veterans
- Nagaoka Promoted to Captain in L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Michael M. Nagaoka, 41, was recently promoted to captain in the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, becoming the highest ranking Asian American law enforcement official in Southern California. He is currently assigned to the Recruit Training Bureau at the Sheriff’s Training Academy in Whittier.
- Chiogioji Chosen as Rear Admiral in Naval Reserve, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Melvin H. Chiogioji was selected as Rear Admiral in the Civil Engineer Corps of the U.S. Naval Reserve, one of only two Japanese American officers to achieve flag rank in the Navy. His decorations include three Meritorious Service Medals and two Navy Commendation Medals, and he currently serves as president of an auto repair firm.
Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.