Redress bill nears final passage as JACL prepares for its Seattle convention

Vol. 107, No. 2, July 22, 1988. 16 pages. View this issue

The redress bill, H.R. 442, led the front page. The conference report was distributed to the ten conference committee members on July 14, and JACL-LEC expected the climax soon after Congress returned from recess on July 25. Four House conferees had signed on, and the report limited vesting of the $20,000 payment for deceased individuals to spouse, children and parents. The paper also reported that Ron Wakabayashi intended to leave his post as JACL National Director, and that Mike Masaoka and Dr. Clifford Uyeda disagreed over a Golden Gate Chapter resolution. Harry Kajihara looked back on his two years as National President.

Several pages prepared readers for the national convention in Seattle: a business session schedule, a speech competition, a grassroots redress celebration and a Hiroshima-Nagasaki remembrance. Page 2 covered the June 30 dinner honoring the Korematsu, Hirabayashi and Yasui coram nobis attorneys, and page 13 carried Frank Abe’s article on a Tule Lake study. Bill Hosokawa described the changing face of Little Tokyo.

What’s in this issue

National

• Conference Report Circulating for Sign-off, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The conference report on the redress bill H.R. 442 was distributed to conference committee members on July 14, with JACL-LEC expecting a climax to the ten-year campaign soon after Congress returns from recess. Four House conferees signed the report, while vesting of the $20,000 payment to deceased eligible individuals would be limited to spouse, children and parents, with payments stretched over ten years.
• 86 AA Attend Democratic Nat’l Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The 1988 Democratic National Convention opened July 17 in Atlanta with 86 Asian American delegates and alternates representing 2 percent of the total delegates from eleven states. At the Asian caucus meeting, Michael Dukakis and Jesse Jackson campaigners addressed over 100 attendees including foreign media from several Asian countries.
• Civil Rights Commission Study Finds Economic Status of AA ‘Quite Strong’, by Rita Takahashi, page 1. A U.S. Commission on Civil Rights preliminary summary found the overall economic status of Asian Americans is strong, though Vietnamese and foreign-born Asian Americans fall below non-Hispanic white counterparts. The study was put on hold for further review after Commissioner Mary Frances Berry expressed concern that it masked ongoing discrimination against Japanese Americans and others.
• Senate Hearing: ‘Hate Crime’ Data Collection Debated, by Rita Takahashi, page 2. Senate hearings chaired by Sen. Paul Simon examined three bills requiring the Department of Justice to collect hate crimes statistics, with the Justice Department opposing the bills as impractical and overly subjective. JACL’s Bill Yoshino testified in favor, warning that bias crimes cause psychic damage to entire communities and create societal divisiveness.
• Der and Purcell to Be Honored with Edison Uno Award, by Carole Hayashino, page 6. Civil rights advocate Henry Der and attorney James Purcell were selected for the 1988 Edison Uno Memorial Civil Rights Award for their leadership in civil rights. Der has led Chinese for Affirmative Action since 1974, while Purcell represented Mitsuye Endo and California state employees unjustly fired in 1942.
• Sherman This Year’s Recipient of Distinguished Public Service Award, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Ambassador William C. Sherman has been chosen as the 1988 Mike Masaoka Distinguished Public Service Award recipient for his career promoting U.S.-Japan relations. Sherman held numerous diplomatic posts including consul general in Osaka-Kobe and deputy chief of mission to Ambassador Mike Mansfield.
• Contra Costa JACL Program Confronts Problem of Asian American Media Stereotypes, by Mark Jue, page 13. A Contra Costa JACL program explored media stereotyping of Asian Americans through a screening of the documentary ‘Slaying the Dragon’ followed by a panel discussion with actor Hiroshi Kashiwagi, filmmaker Steven Okazaki, actress Sharon Omi and AAJA’s Diane Wong. Panelists discussed demeaning roles for Asian actors and the need for greater community support for Asian American media projects.

Community

• Japanese Ambassador Attending Asian American Foundation Festival, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Sixth Annual Festival of Asian Arts and Culture in Denver will feature a gala dinner honoring Japanese Ambassador Nobuo Matsunaga, along with a conference, concerts, martial arts demonstrations, and business seminars. The festival runs Aug. 5-7 and includes notable speakers such as Rep. Patricia Schroeder and Gov. Roy Romer.
• CTA Honorees, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The California Teachers Association honored Lorna Mae Nagata of Monterey Park as the first Asian American California Teacher of the Year during its convention at the Los Angeles Sheraton La Reina Hotel. CTA also presented the John Swett Award to 22 print and broadcast journalists for media excellence.
• Denver Festival Features Business Seminars and Japan Perspectives, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Denver festival includes a Japan Business Seminar with keynote remarks from Ambassador Nobuo Matsunaga and Denver Mayor Federico Pena, with Pacific Citizen columnist Bill Hosokawa serving as master of ceremonies. The Asian American Foundation of Colorado organized the event to support Colorado’s Asian American community.
• National Convention Tips, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Seattle chapter prepared travel tips for JACL National Convention attendees heading to the University of Washington campus, covering weather, transportation options, and convention dress code. Attendees staying in dorms were advised to bring shower caps, zoris and light robes due to shared facilities.
• Health Fair Welcomes Help from Volunteers, by P.C. Staff, page 14. The Little Tokyo Community Health Fair Committee is planning its October Health Fair, which provides free bilingual screening services including dental, vision, hearing, podiatry and flu shots. Last year nearly 100 volunteers assisted approximately 300 persons who received services.
• Minidoka H.S. Reunion Still Taking Registrations, by P.C. Staff, page 14. Registration remains open for the Minidoka Relocation Center Hunt High School Reunion, with a dinner-dance planned for July 29 and an indoor picnic on July 30. All classmates, alumni and friends are invited to attend.
• A Feeling of Pride, by Don Kanesaki, Fresno JACL, page 16. The author describes attending a Memorial Day ceremony at a Japanese American veterans memorial in Fresno’s Roeding Park, which has stood since 1951. About sixty people gathered with wreaths from twenty organizations to honor Japanese Americans who died serving the United States.
• Hilo AJAs: New JACL Chapter Opens in Hawaii, by P.C. Staff, page 16. The University of Hawaii at Hilo Chapter was chartered as the newest JACL chapter with about 36 members, aiming to sustain contributions to the university’s growth from a Japanese American cultural perspective. Chapter president Wayne Miyamoto, an art professor, outlined goals including fighting discrimination and protecting minority rights.

JACL

• Wakabayashi Intends to Leave JACL Nat’l Headquarters Post, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Ron Wakabayashi announced his intent to resign as JACL National Director after seven years, sending his letter to National President Harry Kajihara ahead of the National Convention in Seattle. Kajihara is already considering appointing an acting director to minimize confusion during the transition.
• Masaoka Warns Resolution Endangers Redress Program, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mike Masaoka asked JACL’s Golden Gate Chapter to withdraw a resolution acknowledging JACL’s wartime ‘error’ in urging cooperation with evacuation, warning it could jeopardize the redress bill’s appropriations. Dr. Clifford Uyeda, the resolution’s author, disputed Masaoka’s claims and said JACL’s admission of error does not endanger redress.
• Marutani Nominated by EDC for Another Run, by P.C. Staff, page 1. William Marutani’s nomination for a second term as JACL National vice president of planning and development was unanimously endorsed by the Eastern District Council. Marutani, a former judge and writer of the ‘East Wind’ column, is running unopposed for his position at the Seattle Convention.
• Nat’l Council Business Sessions: 19½-Hour Schedule Drafted, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A detailed schedule was drafted for the National Council business sessions at the JACL convention, spanning from Sunday, Aug. 7 through Wednesday, Aug. 10. Sessions include officer elections, budget presentations, resolutions committee work, and various reports from national officers and committees.
• Nine Enter Nat’l JACL Speechfest, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Nine finalists representing five JACL districts will compete in the National JACL Speech and Forensic Competition at the Seattle convention, divided into Impromptu and Prepared/Informative categories. The competition, revitalized in 1986 with support from Chevron USA, aims to promote communication skills and leadership development.
• Embrey, Uchida, Uyehara Get JA of Biennium Award for Promoting Understanding of WW2 Internment, by Carole Hayashino, page 6. Sue Embrey, Yoshiko Uchida, and Grayce Uyehara will be honored as Japanese American of the Biennium for their contributions to education, literature, and redress advocacy respectively. Embrey leads the Manzanar Committee, Uchida is a prolific children’s author, and Uyehara coordinated JACL-LEC’s redress legislative campaign.
• Eight Amendments Proposed: Chicago JACL Wants to Drop Citizenship Requirement for All JACL Membership, by Harry K. Honda, page 7. Four JACL chapters and the Midwest District Council submitted constitutional amendments, including a Nikkei Leadership Association proposal to add ‘sexual orientation’ to the JACL Preamble and Chicago JACL’s proposal to drop the citizenship requirement for membership. The article traces the historical evolution of JACL’s preamble since the 1930s.

Incarceration & Redress

• L.A. Board of Education Supports Redress, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Los Angeles City Board of Education voted unanimous approval for a resolution urging President Reagan to sign redress legislation into law. The resolution noted that the wartime internment order was a mistake and recalled the board’s history of support for Japanese American employees affected by Executive Order 9066.
• Coram Nobis Teams Honored at JACL Fund-raiser, by J.K. Yamamoto, Hokubei Mainichi, page 2. About 430 people attended a June 30 JACL fund-raising dinner in San Francisco honoring the attorneys who represented Fred Korematsu, Gordon Hirabayashi and Minoru Yasui in their coram nobis cases. Reps. Nancy Pelosi and Barbara Boxer discussed the redress legislation, while attorneys like Dale Minami and Peggy Nagae Lum reflected on the historic legal victories.
• Conference Report Details and Senate Committee Members Named, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Senate conference committee members for the redress bill were named, including Sens. John Glenn, David Pryor, Spark Matsunaga, Ted Stevens and Warren Rudman. JACL-LEC Executive Director Grayce Uyehara noted that payment procedures would be publicized but actual payments could be a year or two away due to the appropriations process.
• Candlelit Lantern Floats, Buddhist-Christian Services to Remember Hibakusha of Hiroshima-Nagasaki, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Two memorial services commemorating the 44th anniversary of the atomic bombings will be held during the JACL National Convention, including a floating peace lantern ceremony at the University of Washington Frosh Pond. The events will honor hibakusha survivors and feature speakers including Dr. Judith Lipton and Rep. Mike Lowry, who introduced the first redress legislation in 1979.
• Celebration of Grassroots Redress Effort Set for Aug. 6, by P.C. Staff, page 3. An informal grassroots celebration of redress accomplishments called ‘It Never Again’ will be featured at the HUB Ballroom during the convention, honoring JACLers who took leadership roles in the redress campaign. Certificates of appreciation will be awarded from JACL-LEC to recognize their contributions.
• Former Renunciant Charges WW2 Scientist with Defamation, by Frank Abe, Special to the Pacific Citizen, page 13. Violet Kazue de Cristoforo accuses anthropologist Rosalie Hankey Wax of betraying her confidence during the Tule Lake Segregation Center study, falsely branding her a troublemaker and informing on her to the FBI. De Cristoforo details how the resulting blacklisting led to a decade-long separation from her children and the disintegration of her family.

Commentary

• Ron Wakabayashi Served Us Well, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This editorial praises outgoing JACL National Director Ron Wakabayashi for his seven years of service bridging generational divides within the organization and working with other Asian American groups. The piece acknowledges the difficulty of finding a worthy successor ahead of the momentous national convention.
• How the Two Years Have Passed Along, by Harry Kajihara, page 4. Outgoing JACL National President Harry Kajihara reflects on his two-year term, discussing the redress campaign’s progress, JACL-LEC funding challenges, the Personnel Manual update controversy, and diversified fund development efforts. He highlights fundraising successes including the June 30 dinner and expresses hope that the new administration inherits a more stable financial position.
• A Time to Heal the Nisei Psyche, by Sachi Seko, page 4. This column reflects on the divisions within the Japanese American community stemming from WW2 experiences, including JACLers, army volunteers, draft resisters and renunciants. The author calls for reconciliation and healing among all survivors of the wartime tragedy, noting the community cannot rewrite history but can choose to move beyond condemnation.
• The Changing Face of Li’l Tokyo, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa describes the economic transformation of Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo district, noting new construction, Japanese investment, and prosperous businesses like the Yaohan supermarket. He notes that money from Japan is fueling the local economy alongside opportunities for Asian American entrepreneurs.
• When You Are Passing Through Narita, by William Marutani, page 5. William Marutani recounts a conversation with a young Japanese woman on a flight, discussing Japan’s fingerprint laws for resident aliens and her limited awareness of the WW2 Japanese American internment experience. He reflects on the need for Japanese Americans to better share ‘our story’ with people in Japan.
• Palaver at an Empty Bar, by Jimmy Tokeshi, page 5. This fictional vignette depicts a conversation between an elderly Nisei veteran and a young bartender about generational differences, wartime sacrifice, and the fear of being forgotten. The bartender reassures him that his sacrifices will not be forgotten.
• Clearing the Air, by James M. Omura, page 5. James Omura challenges Bill Hosokawa’s claim that Omura falsified his position regarding wartime editorials, demanding evidence or a retraction. He proposes a public panel confrontation with Hosokawa to clarify the historical record, which Hosokawa has reportedly declined.
• Nakagawa Info Misleading, by Douglas Urata, page 5. A trustee of the JACL-Blue Shield Health Trust disputes characterizations of Cressey Nakagawa’s role in forming the trust, stating Nakagawa had minimal involvement in the actual process. The letter defends the Blue Shield program’s management record and financial transparency.
• JACL’s Duty, by Michi Nishiura Weglyn, page 5. Michi Weglyn discusses Public Law 405’s unconstitutional targeting of Japanese Americans for denationalization and the later government acknowledgment of wrongdoing. She argues JACL has a duty to end the wartime ‘divide and conquer’ tactic of stereotyping dissidents and support redress for all survivors.
• Togasaki Fund Growing, by Mollie Fujioka, Yo Hironaka, Yori Wada, Yukio Wada, page 5. The letter thanks Pacific Citizen readers for their generous response to a column about the Togasaki family, noting that the Togasaki Family Fund continues to grow through community donations. The writers express deep gratitude for the Togasaki sisters’ unstinting service to the community.
• Unknown Comrade, by Bill Suyama, page 5. A veteran recounts a wartime combat patrol incident in Italy in 1945 where he and a comrade aided a wounded German soldier before having to retreat under fire. He expresses hope to learn the identity of the unknown comrade from that encounter.

Obituaries

• Honorary Life Member, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Dr. Frank Y. Nishio of Fresno received the title of Honorary Life Member from the Fresno Chapter at a CCDC district meeting. The retired optometrist, who is planning to move to Hawaii, received a plaque and gift set.
• Gene I. Sogioka, Watercolorist Who Painted Internment Camp Scenes, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Gene Sogioka, a 73-year-old watercolorist who painted scenes of daily life at an Arizona internment camp, died Feb. 21 in Larchmont, N.Y. His paintings are now part of archives at Cornell University and the Smithsonian Institution’s exhibition on Japanese Americans and the Constitution.
• Kenji Ishizaki, Co-owner of Yamato Restaurant, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Kenji Ishizaki, co-owner of the Yamato Restaurant in Century City and San Francisco, died June 20. He was a founder and board member of the Pacific Heritage Bank and actively supported many Japanese American community projects in Los Angeles.

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