Redress, the Heritage Week proclamation and the JACCC dedication

Vol. 90, No. 83, March 7, 1980. 8 pages. View this issue

The Pacific Citizen’s front page carried President Carter’s proclamation declaring May 7-14 Asian/Pacific Heritage Week, issued after requests from Reps. Norman Mineta and Robert Matsui. Harry Honda reported on the dedication of the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center in Little Tokyo, where about 1,000 people gathered in cold rain. Minoru Yasui wrote on redress, calling for a commission to investigate wrongs committed under Executive Order 9066, and John Tateishi described the work of raising $120,000 for the redress campaign.

Also inside: a Justice Department pledge to resist redistricting plans that weaken minority voting strength, and an American Testimonial dinner planned for Sen. S.I. Hayakawa. Columns by Clifford Uyeda, Bill Hosokawa and Bill Marutani appeared on pages 4 and 5. Page 6 gathered JACL chapter news, including Project Kifu for the 1980 national convention in San Francisco.

What’s in this issue

National

• Carter Designates May 7-14 Asian/Pacific Heritage Week, by P.C. Staff, page 1. President Carter issued a proclamation declaring May 7-14, 1980 as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week, following requests from Japanese American members of Congress including Mineta and Matsui. The proclamation praises Asian and Pacific peoples’ contributions to American society and calls for observance with ceremonies and activities.
• Redistricting Out Minorities Eyed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Justice Department will resist redistricting plans that dilute minority voting strength under the Voting Rights Act, according to Drew S. Days III of the civil rights unit. California and Hawaii are among nine states required to submit reapportionment proposals for review.
• Rain Also Wanted to Witness JACCC Dedication Rites With 1,000 Others, by Harry Honda, page 1. About 1,000 people braved cold rain to attend the dedication of the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, a six-story building in Little Tokyo, with the ceremony moved indoors due to heavy rain. Former Ambassador James D. Hodgson and JACCC board chairman Katsuma Mukaeda spoke, and a 60-day exhibit of ancient Japanese artifacts opened at the center’s gallery.
• Many Asian Concerns Helped by Late John D. Rockefeller 3rd, by P.C. Staff, page 2. John D. Rockefeller III, who died in 1978, gave $94 million in philanthropic contributions over his lifetime, much devoted to Asian causes including the International House of Japan, the Asia Society, and the Agricultural Development Council. His associate Porter McKeever detailed his lifetime giving, which also included major gifts to Lincoln Center and Princeton University.
• Mineta Named to ‘Agenda for ’80s’, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Rep. Norman Mineta was appointed by House Speaker Thomas P. O’Neill to the 50-member Presidential Commission for a National Agenda for the Eighties. The commission is charged with identifying major public policy challenges of the decade and will report to the President and Congress by Dec. 31, 1980.
• D.C. Nisei Helping Management Meet Affirmative Action Goals, by George Reiss, page 3. William H. Marumoto, a Japanese American and founder of the Washington-based Interface Group, runs a firm specializing in placing qualified women and minority candidates into top management positions. He explains that affirmative action mandates have proven burdensome for corporations due to a shortage of qualified minority candidates reaching executive levels.
• Chinatown Bank Misses $1 Million in Burglary, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Burglars bored through the ceiling of a Chinatown bank in New York during the Lunar New Year celebration weekend, looting 364 safety deposit boxes of an estimated $1 million in valuables. The FBI reported the thieves gained entry to Lincoln Savings Bank without tripping the alarm.

Community

• American Testimonial to Honor Sen. Hayakawa, by P.C. Staff, page 1. California’s first U.S. Senator of Japanese ancestry, S.I. Hayakawa, will be honored at an American Testimonial dinner March 22 at the Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles. The article details his career as a semanticist, his election in 1976, and his various Senate committee assignments.
• Nisei Seeks Repeal of War Measures Act, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Shirley Yamada, a 33-year-old Nisei secretary, is running as a Libertarian Party candidate in Toronto’s Parkdale-High Park riding for the second time. Part of her platform includes repeal of the War Measures Act, which was used to forcibly remove Japanese Canadians in 1942.
• Nisei Week Date Set: Aug. 9-17, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Nisei Week Festival in Los Angeles will now be permanently set for the second Saturday of August, running through the following Sunday, announced general chairman Howard I. Nishimura. New events include a street art festival and a 5-km run.
• Li’l Tokyo: Rent Subsidy Negotiations Continue for JACCC Tenants, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Negotiations with the Community Redevelopment Agency may enable nonprofit tenant groups moving into the JACCC to pay a temporary reduced rate per square foot. Rising inflation and interest rates have made it impossible for the center to open mortgage-free as originally planned.
• Co-workers Help Nikkei Fire Victims, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Co-workers of fire victim Tomoshi Suto in Vancouver, B.C. are working extra shifts to donate pay to his surviving family after he died trying to save them from a house fire. Mill owner John Hruby pledged to match donations dollar for dollar in hopes of raising $20,000.
• Kokubo Fund Aids Japanese Room at Wayne State, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Wayne State University’s speech department faculty lounge is being converted into a room with Japanese decor for community meetings, with assistance from the Kokubo Building Fund. Heidi Fujii is the designer of the project.
• East Los Angeles JACL Plans 26th Annual Emerald Ball, by P.C. Staff, page 6. East Los Angeles JACL will present its 26th annual Emerald Ball dinner-dance on April 5 at the Luminarias Restaurant in Monterey Park to crown Miss ELA of 1980. The event will feature music by ‘The Good Sounds’ band.
• Seattle JACL Considers Eastside Chapter, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Seattle JACL members are considering forming a new chapter across Lake Washington, noting that 20% of the chapter’s 750 members live outside city limits. Board member Ken Nakano argued an eastside chapter would strengthen the Pacific Northwest district and cultural ties in an area lacking other Japanese organizations.
• Sonoma County JACL Hosts Cherry Blossom Fantasy Fashion Show, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Sonoma County JACL’s second annual Cherry Blossom Fantasy Fashion Show was held March 8 to raise funds for entering a candidate in the Cherry Blossom Festival queen contest. Chairperson Clarine Sunada organized JACL members to model fashions from local clothing stores at the Enmanji Memorial Hall.
• Northern California Crab and Spaghetti Feed to Benefit Issei Housing, by P.C. Staff, page 6. An all-you-can-eat crab and spaghetti feed benefiting East Bay Issei Housing, Inc. was scheduled for March 23 at the Numano Sake Co. in Berkeley. Tickets were available through co-chairs Grace Goto and June Sakaguchi.
• Sacramento to Host Western Young Buddhist League Conference, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The 38th annual Western Young Buddhist League Conference will be held March 14-16 at the Woodlake Inn in Sacramento, expecting over 500 youth participants. The conference theme is ‘Everyday Suchness.’
• Hawaii Notes: Bowling Tournament and Flight Attendant Milestone, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The annual American National Bowling Assn. tournament was held in Hilo March 3-8 with over 100 teams expected. Separately, flight attendants David Pang and Eddie Takahashi completed 30 years with United Airlines, among the first male flight attendants hired for inter-island routes.
• Greater Seattle Japanese Community Queen Events Scheduled, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Events for selecting and crowning the Greater Seattle Japanese Community queen were scheduled for March 8 and March 15 at Bush Garden and the Butcher Restaurant respectively. Terry Nakano serves as president of the Queen Committee, with Diana Higashiyama as outgoing queen.
• Taiyo Club Plans Golden Age Reunion, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Seattle’s Taiyo Club, which marked its golden jubilee in 1976, is planning another Golden Age Reunion for July 20 at the Nisei Vets Hall. The event is chaired by a member referred to as Abe.

Military & Veterans

• DLI Buildings to Be Named After Nisei GIs, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The U.S. Army will dedicate three academic buildings at the Presidio of Monterey on May 9 in honor of three MISLS graduates who died in the Pacific campaign. The dedication coincides with Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week activities at the Presidio.

Incarceration & Redress

• Seattle Forum on Redress Lauded for Generating Impetus, by Minoru Yasui, page 2. Minoru Yasui of the National JACL Redress Committee praises Seattle-area commemorative activities marking the WWII evacuation and calls for similar nationwide efforts to support passage of S.1647 and HR 3499, which would create a commission to investigate wrongs committed under Executive Order 9066. He outlines his personal views on how redress funds should be disbursed, including direct payments, community programs, and civil rights protections.
• Redress Continued: Congressional Support for Commission Approach, by Minoru Yasui, page 6. The continuation of Yasui’s redress article discusses support among roughly 150 House members and 32 senators for the commission approach to redress, citing Justice Frank Murphy’s 1943 description of the wartime incarceration as ‘a loaded gun.’ Rep. Pat Schroeder is quoted supporting letting the commission make findings before Congress acts.

Arts & Entertainment

• ‘Hito Hata’ Production Resumes Filming in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Actors and nonprofessionals filmed scenes for the Visual Communications production ‘Hito Hata: Raise the Banner’ at a West Los Angeles market. Production resumes this month to film an early Nisei Week scene and crowded Evacuation scenes.

Commentary

• President’s Corner: New Chapters, by Clifford Uyeda, page 4. JACL National President Clifford Uyeda discusses the emergence of new JACL chapters across the nation and overseas, including in Boston, Tokyo, and California. He argues that ethnic identification enhances participation in a pluralistic society and that JACL serves varied purposes for different members.
• Redress Phase 2: Fund Raising Challenges, by John Tateishi, page 4. John Tateishi describes the difficulty of raising the $120,000 needed for the Redress campaign’s legislative effort, noting progress from the Dollar per Chapter Member appeal and individual contributions. He credits volunteers including Ruth Watanabe, Mitsu Sonoda, John and Carol Saito, Debbie Nakatomi, and Karl Nobuyuki for their sacrifices organizing the March 22 American Testimonial dinner.
• Nisei in Japan: How Europeans View Japan, by Barry T. Saiki, page 4. Barry Saiki recounts meeting fifty European essay contest winners invited to Japan by the Foreign Ministry, noting their surprising depth of knowledge about Japan despite common outdated stereotypes among average Europeans. He draws parallels to Americans’ similarly limited understanding of Asian nations beyond Japan.
• Comments & Letters: Gardena Councilman Candidate Dispute, by Doris Diamond Bankus, page 4. A reader protests that a prior article about City of Gardena Council candidates incorrectly listed her name and failed to identify her as a JACL member like other candidates mentioned. She also complains about typographical formatting that made her name appear less prominent than others.
• Comments & Letters: Surname Puzzle, page 4. A reader complains about delays receiving a membership card despite having paid dues on time, expressing frustration with the subscription department’s handling of renewals. The letter’s author withheld their last name.
• From the Frying Pan: London Tops Tokyo as Most Expensive City, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa shares findings from World Business Weekly showing London has surpassed Tokyo as the world’s most expensive city for business travelers, though Tokyo retains the priciest restaurants. He also shares amusing phrases from Japanese phrasebooks and reflects on a passage from Inazo Nitobe’s ‘Bushido’ regarding the concept of redress and revenge.
• East Wind: A Goal for Nisei Lawyers, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Bill Marutani recalls his unsuccessful attempts in the late 1960s to form a national organization of Nisei lawyers and hold special conferences at JACL conventions. He highlights the Chinese Lawyers Association as a model with 250 members nationwide and expresses continued hope for a similar Asian American legal organization.

JACL

• San Francisco Re-elects Steve Teraoka, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Sansei attorney Steve Teraoka was unanimously reelected to a second term as San Francisco JACL president, installed by regional director George Kondo with National JACL executive director Karl Nobuyuki as guest speaker. Teraoka outlined three major challenges for 1980: the national convention, redress commission support, and an Issei-Nisei retirement program.
• Diablo Valley JACL Installation Dinner Features Rep. Mineta, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Diablo Valley JACL installation dinner was held Jan. 13 at the Mandarin Restaurant in Concord, with Congressman Norm Mineta as guest speaker discussing JACL’s future, Japan relations, and the reparations bill. The 1980 board was installed by Chuck Kubokawa, with entertainment by Dr. John Kikuchi.
• Project Kifu Fund Drive in High Gear for 1980 Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Fundraising for the 1980 National JACL Convention in San Francisco is underway through Project Kifu, which helps the host chapter defray convention expenses. Chairman Nob Mihara reminded chapters they receive a 50% commission on donations turned in before the May 31 deadline.

In-Depth

• Random Musings: The Barber and the Tanuki, by Robert H. Kono, page 8. Robert Kono recounts a traditional Japanese folk tale about a barber named Bankichi who is repeatedly summoned at midnight by a mischievous tanuki (badger) named Tatsu. The story humorously depicts the barber’s eventual encounter and haircut-related revenge on the shapeshifting creature.

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