Manzanar named a National Historic Landmark; Hirabayashi hearing set

Vol. 100, No. 18, May 10, 1985. 12 pages. View this issue

The front page carried two stories from the Japanese American incarceration and redress record. At the 16th annual Manzanar Pilgrimage, a plaque was unveiled declaring the camp site a National Historic Landmark, with J.K. Yamamoto reporting. A federal judge also denied the government’s motion to dismiss Gordon Hirabayashi’s coram nobis petition and set a full evidentiary hearing for June 17. Sen. Spark Matsunaga introduced redress bill S 1053 with 25 co-sponsors, and the Washington State Legislature passed a resolution urging Congress to pay $20,000 to each person incarcerated during World War II. Inside, Milton S. Eisenhower’s death and Minoru Yasui’s library award recalled that period.

Other pages offer Bill Marutani on being an early Asian American lawyer in Philadelphia, Bill Hosokawa on baseball and camp postal history, and Bob Shimabukuro’s tribute to his mother. Yosh Nakashima reported on preparations for the 1986 JACL national convention in Chicago, and Meriko Mori profiled her mother, an Issei woman who came as a picture bride.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• Government Forced Into Hirabayashi Hearing, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A federal district court judge denied the U.S. government’s motion to dismiss Gordon Hirabayashi’s petition for a writ of error coram nobis. A full evidentiary hearing is scheduled for June 17, based on government documents allegedly showing suppression of evidence about JA loyalty.
• Matsunaga Introduces Redress Bill With 25 Co-Sponsors, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sen. Spark Matsunaga introduced Senate redress bill S 1053 with 25 co-sponsors, nearly identical to his previous bill embodying recommendations from the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians. The bill would provide $20,000 per capita compensation to surviving internees and require a formal government apology.
• WW2 Camp Now National Landmark, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 1. Manzanar, the WW2 internment camp site where 10,000 Japanese Americans were held, was formally declared a National Historic Landmark during the 16th annual Manzanar Pilgrimage. National Park Service official Jerry Rogers unveiled the plaque before approximately 300 attendees including former internees and local officials.
• Washington Legislature Endorses Redress, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Washington State Legislature passed a resolution urging Congress to pay $20,000 to each Japanese American interned during WW2, following heated debate in the state house. Some legislators objected, arguing the internment was justified or that reparations were unaffordable.
• Museum Contains Camp Artifacts, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Eastern California Museum near Manzanar displays WW2 camp artifacts and photographs collected over ten years by Shi Nomura, including images from the private collection of former project director Ralph Merritt. Nomura is also conducting a voluntary census of former Manzanar residents.

National

• Anh Mai Slayer Sentenced to Life in Prison, by P.C. Staff, page 1. U.S. Marine Robert Glass Jr. was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life for stabbing Vietnamese immigrant Anh Mai to death in 1983. Boston police do not consider the murder racially motivated, despite rising numbers of racial incidents against Asians reported in the city.
• Racist Radio Broadcasts Protected by FCC, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The FCC ruled that racist and anti-Semitic broadcasts urging listeners to kill Jews are protected under the First Amendment and are not sufficient grounds to deny a Kansas radio station’s license. The station owners may still face license issues based on other character qualifications.
• Pearl Harbor Cited in Contract Dispute, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Colorado State Senator Ray Powers sparked outrage by citing the bombing of Pearl Harbor as a reason to oppose a state contract awarded to a Japanese American-owned firm. The firm, Koga Engineering & Construction, was founded by a third-generation Hawaiian whose uncles died serving in the 442nd RCT during WW2.
• Petitioners Ask Leniency for Kimura, by Katie Kaori Hayashi, page 2. Supporters in Japan and Los Angeles sent petitions asking for leniency for Fumiko Kimura, a Japanese national charged with murder after allegedly attempting oyako-shinju (parent-child suicide) with her two children. Supporters argued her actions stemmed from Japanese cultural beliefs and that she should not be judged solely by American legal standards.
• Chinese American Astronaut Encounters Share of Problems, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Dr. Taylor G. Wang became the first Chinese American in space aboard the space shuttle Challenger, working to fix a malfunctioning Drop Dynamics Module he helped develop. Despite technical setbacks with equipment, Wang successfully repaired the device and conducted fluid dynamics experiments.
• White House Briefing Set, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The White House will host a briefing on issues affecting Asian and Pacific Islander women on May 20, coordinated with the National Network of Asian and Pacific Women. JACL representatives will address topics including policy-making, unemployment, refugee needs, and the mail-order bride issue.
• Women Fight Harassment, by P.C. Staff, page 9. State Dept. of Fair Employment and Housing administrator Norma Crane reported rising numbers of sexual harassment complaints at a Tri-District Convention workshop on employment rights for women. Crane described the commission’s enforcement process and the range of penalties available for harassment violations.

Community

• ‘Asian America’ Program Up for L.A. Emmys, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Tritia Toyota and Stanley Kawakami were nominated for Los Angeles area Emmy Awards for their work on the documentary ‘Asian America.’ The program also received nominations for KNBC-TV and film editor John Alarid.
• New Yorkers Learn How to Succeed, by Teru Kanazawa, page 2. JACL and the Organization of Chinese Americans held a joint conference on career success featuring city officials Gail Kong and Hugh Mo, who discussed overcoming stereotypes and advancing in government and corporate careers. Speakers emphasized networking, communication skills, and cultural identity as key factors for Asian American professional advancement.
• Grief Workshop Slated, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Asian American communities in Stockton are invited to a free workshop on coping with grief and loss led by Thomas E. Bruce, who teaches a course on death and dying at Sacramento City College. Bruce is known for his work with hospices and grief support groups.
• Journey Into Our Heritage, by June Oba Hashimoto, page 6. Members of Fremont JACL visited Angel Island to view a photo exhibit commemorating 100 years of Japanese immigration, where the author unexpectedly discovered a photograph of her late grandparents from Maui, Hawaii. The emotional discovery allowed her to share images of her grandfather, who had died decades earlier, with her own children for the first time.
• Chapter Pulse, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Brief chapter news roundup covering Mile-Hi’s Go For Broke Golf Tournament, San Diego’s community picnic rescheduled to June 30, Arizona’s PSW District Council meeting, and Golden Gate’s screening of the film ‘Return to Bainbridge’ about Japanese American expulsion from Bainbridge Island.
• Yasui Receives Library Award for Contributions, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Minoru Yasui received an award from the Friends of Auraria Library for donating his personal papers to the Auraria Higher Education Library Archives in Denver. Yasui said the collection will help future students research the WW2 Japanese American evacuation.

Military & Veterans

• WW2 Lost Battalion, Rescuers to Reunite, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Members of the 1st Battalion, 141st Regiment, and the 442nd RCT are reuniting in Houston to commemorate the famous WW2 rescue of the Texas ‘Lost Battalion,’ in which the 442nd suffered over 800 casualties rescuing 211 trapped soldiers. The weekend includes a photo exhibit dedication, special exhibits honoring individual soldiers, and a symposium with historians and Go For Broke representatives.

Commentary

• Hiroshima/Nagasaki to Be Commemorated, by Dr. James Tsujimura and Ken Nakano, page 3. The co-chairs of the Atomic Bomb Survivors Committee describe upcoming events marking the 40th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings and JACL’s involvement in the coalition Citizens Against Nuclear War. They urge support for a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and participation in commemorative events this summer.
• The Second Beginning, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Marutani reflects on being one of the first Asian American lawyers in Philadelphia decades ago and recounts humorous anecdotes about joining the Italian American Justinian Society and battling the American Bar Association over race/nationality questions on membership forms. He notes the progress reflected in the formation of a new 35-member Asian American lawyers’ organization in Philadelphia.
• Thanks, Mom, by Bob Shimabukuro, page 4. The writer recalls a childhood memory of his mother’s patience and quiet humor while caring for him during an asthma attack, including an anecdote involving the family dog and a bill collector. He reflects on his mother’s quiet strength, her non-traditional upbringing by a progressive Okinawan immigrant father, and her enduring support for her children’s varied life choices.
• Potpourri of Memories, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa reflects on baseball pioneers Wally Yonamine and Kaiser Tanaka, both Hawaii-born players who had significant careers in Japan, with Tanaka recently passing away in Tokyo. He also discusses WRA camp postal history, noting that internees lacked free mail privileges unlike POWs and other detainees, and shares recollections of early American football coverage in Japan by George Shimizu.
• Hollow Honor, by Ronny Baby, page 5. A letter writer criticizes the honoring of John J. McCloy, questioning how he could be celebrated given his role in WW2 Japanese American incarceration while also helping Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie escape to South America. The writer calls the honor ironic given ongoing efforts to find Josef Mengele.
• Reminder, by Yasuo Saito, page 5. A letter writer responds to a previous op-ed opposing reparations, arguing that reparations would help publicize the government’s wrongdoing during WW2 internment. The writer suggests Japanese Americans on the West Coast should hold annual mock evacuations each February so the injustice is not forgotten.
• Unwitting Victims of Events Abroad, by Herb Robinson, page 9. A Seattle Times editorial, reprinted by the Pacific Citizen, draws a connection between rising anti-Japan sentiment over trade disputes and historical hostility toward Japanese Americans. The piece highlights recent positive developments for Seattle’s Japanese American community while warning against conflating Japanese nationals with American citizens of Japanese ancestry.

JACL

• Gearing Up for ’86 Convention, by Yosh Nakashima, page 4. The JACL Vice President for General Operations summarizes committee activities in preparation for the 1986 national convention in Chicago, including changes to resolution procedures, nominations rules, and credentials forms. He also discusses progress on a Former Chapter President’s Handbook and a National Convention hosting guidebook.
• Speaking the Language of Success, page 5. The Recruitment and Leadership Committee sponsored a workshop at the Tri-District Convention in Fresno focused on leadership skills, featuring a presentation by JACL national president Frank Sato on communication, ethical conduct, and strategic goal-setting. Participants discussed cultural factors affecting Nikkei leadership styles and the importance of recruiting new members.

Obituaries

• Eisenhower, Former WRA Director, Dies, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Milton S. Eisenhower, the first director of the War Relocation Authority during WW2, died at age 85 in Baltimore. Though he later called the internment ‘an inhuman mistake’ in his memoirs, he had implemented the forced removal policy under pressure from interior-state politicians during his brief tenure.

Arts & Entertainment

• Nip Drivers Released, by P.C. Staff, page 10. An all-white rock band called Nip Drivers released its second album, ‘Oh Blessed Freak Show,’ featuring a kimono-clad woman on the cover, following their controversial debut album titled ‘Destroy Whitey.’

In-Depth

• A Liberated Issei Woman, by Meriko Mori, page 11. The author profiles her mother, Fuki Hoshiyama, an independent Issei woman who came to America as a picture bride in 1918, learned English and to drive, and taught Japanese language for over 40 years at Sawtelle Gakuen. She received Japan’s 5th Class Order of the Sacred Treasure in 1969 for her contributions to U.S.-Japan relations and was known for instilling strong principles of character in her students.

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