Honda in Ohio, the PC’s 53rd anniversary and redress pledges

Vol. 95, No. 16, October 15, 1982. 8 pages. View this issue

The front page followed Honda’s new auto assembly plant near Marysville, Ohio, where residents faced doubled sewer rates and a fight over a highway expansion, and felt misled about the costs. Also on page one: census figures on Asian population growth in California from 1970 to 1980, automakers testifying against a domestic content bill, and a play at the Ahmanson Theater that drew concern from JACL and other groups over racial slurs in its dialogue. Peter Imamura reported on the play and wrote the commentary “On Trade.”

The Pacific Citizen marked its 53rd anniversary and showed its new logo. Inside are Bill Hosokawa’s review of three slim books on Japanese American history and Bill Marutani’s column on the Nisei work ethic. On redress, the Washington D.C. JACL became the first chapter to fulfill its national pledge, and a letter from Tom Miyanaga called on other chapters to do the same. Steven Okazaki’s PBS documentary “Survivors” drew over a million viewers.

What’s in this issue

National

• Honda Plant in Ohio Town Getting Unfriendly Welcome, page 1. Honda’s new auto assembly plant near Marysville, Ohio, has brought the town more problems than benefits, including doubled sewer rates and a contentious highway expansion fight. Residents feel misled by the state and Honda over the true costs of hosting the Japanese automaker, while economic woes from other plant closures compound local resentment.
• JA Population Had Low Growth in California During 1970-1980, page 1. Census data show Asian populations in California grew dramatically from 1970 to 1980, with Filipinos as the fastest-growing group and Chinese populations surging in urban and suburban counties. Japanese Americans registered the lowest growth rates among Asian groups, though still often exceeding the state’s overall growth rate, with populations concentrated in Los Angeles County and relatively stable rural bases.
• Auto Heads Oppose Local Content Bill, page 1. Leaders of both U.S. and Japanese automakers testified against a domestic content bill before a House subcommittee, arguing it would harm rather than help the U.S. auto industry. GM’s Roger Smith and representatives from Nissan and Honda said the bill would discourage investment and job creation in America.
• Judge Dismisses 3 in IBM Case, page 1. A federal judge dismissed indictments against three defendants in the IBM computer espionage case after prosecutors refused to turn over documents sought by defense attorneys. The government said it would appeal the dismissal.
• APAAC Continues Its Role as ‘Watchdog’, by Clifford Uyeda, page 6. The Asian Pacific American Advocates of California (APAAC) board met in San Diego, reviewing successful advocacy against a discriminatory nursing licensure bill and ongoing efforts supporting the Amerasian Child Act. The group also opposed the Hart textbook bill, which would bypass review ensuring accurate cultural portrayals in instructional materials.

Arts & Entertainment

• Japan’s Postwar Best-Selling Book Translated Into English, page 1. “Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window” by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi has sold over five million copies in Japan and is being translated into English. The book recounts the author’s childhood at a progressive school and implicitly critiques Japan’s authoritarian modern education system.
• ‘Survivors’ Film Gets High PBS Ratings, Good Reviews, page 5. Steven Okazaki’s documentary “Survivors,” about Japanese American atomic bomb survivors, reached over a million viewers on its national PBS broadcast and received glowing reviews. The film, produced with JACL, is now moving into wider distribution to schools and organizations to support survivor advocacy efforts.

Community

• PC Fetes 53rd Anniversary, page 1. The Pacific Citizen celebrates its 53rd anniversary, having begun as a six-page quarto dated Oct. 15, 1929. The paper also notes its new logo design, with lettering suggested by J.D. Hokoyama and an “overlapping hemispheres” design submitted by the PC Board.
• L.A. Play May Raise Ire of JA Community With Racial Slurs, by Peter Imamura, page 1. A new play, “A Little Family Business,” starring Angela Lansbury at the Ahmanson Theater, contains anti-Japanese racial slurs referencing Pearl Harbor and using derogatory terms. JACL and several Asian American organizations met with play officials to address concerns over the offensive dialogue.
• Amerasian Children Benefit Termed a ‘Great Success’, page 1. A benefit at San Francisco’s Kabuki Theater drew about 1,200 attendees to raise funds for Amerasian children, who face social ostracism in Vietnam as offspring of Vietnamese mothers and American fathers. Public officials attended the event sponsored by the Center for Southeast Asian Refugee Resettlement.
• Nisei Named to Agriculture Post, page 2. A Nisei nurseryman was appointed to California’s state agriculture board after challenging Gov. Brown on the lack of Asian representation. He plans to focus on agricultural inspection standards at state entry points to protect against pest contamination.
• CalJAR Gets Republican Charter, page 2. The newly-organized California Japanese American Republicans (Cal-JAR) received its official charter as a Republican Club at the California Republican Convention. George Oki of Sacramento serves as chairman, with several other state board members representing different regions of California.
• Nisei Heads Senior Discount Program, page 3. Sue Kunitomi Embrey joined the California Department of Consumer Affairs as a consultant for the Senior Discount and Cooperative Development Programs. The program aims to help elderly Californians access discounts on goods and services and raise business awareness of seniors’ contributions.
• Gardena JCI Housing Applications Out, page 3. HUD announced that application forms for the Japanese Cultural Institute senior housing in Gardena are now available. Applicants must be at least 62 years old, ambulatory, and meet income criteria for the two three-story buildings housing 101 units.
• Japan Fdn. Fellowships Available, page 3. The Japan Foundation is offering Professional and Dissertation Fellowships for 1983-84, available through the Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles. Applications for professionals and doctoral candidates studying Japan-related topics must be postmarked by Nov. 15, 1982.
• Family Histories to Be Probed in Lecture, page 3. Mrs. Kei Yoshida will speak about Japanese family histories and crests (Kamons) at a Takahashi Lecture in San Francisco on Oct. 30. Attendees can inquire about their own ancestral backgrounds by providing their family’s prefecture and village of origin.
• Chinatown Library Branch Gets Funds, page 3. The Friends of the Chinatown Library pledged over a quarter million dollars to the Los Angeles Unified School District for expanding the Chinatown Library Branch. The expansion, funded partly by community donations, will create a larger facility with community rooms and a public language resource center.
• Noguchi Supporters Slate Meetings, page 3. Concerned Americans for Responsible Progress (CARP) will hold meetings to discuss the demotion hearings of former county coroner Dr. Thomas Noguchi. Meetings are scheduled for Oct. 20 and Oct. 27 at locations in Los Angeles.
• Riverside JACL to Hold Sendai Festival, page 5. The Riverside JACL will hold its 15th Annual Sendai Festival on Oct. 16 to commemorate the Sendai-Riverside sister city relationship. The festival will feature demonstrations, exhibits, food, and entertainment.
• Hawaii Hochi Marks 70th Year, page 6. The Hawaii Hochi, now the sole bilingual English-Japanese daily in Hawaii, celebrated its 70th anniversary with a 76-page special edition. Founded in 1912 by Kinzaburo Makino, the paper was later purchased by the Shizuoka Shimbun in 1964.
• For the Record, page 6. A correction clarifies an ambiguous paragraph in Vernon Yoshioka’s earlier “Membership Campaign” column about encouraging new members to join before January 1983 rate changes. The clarification explains that joining before year-end allows new members to lock in the lower 1982 dues rate for a full 12-month membership.

JACL

• Sac’to Asian Community to Be Feted, page 5. A series of events on Nov. 19-20 will celebrate the historic Portuguese-Japanese community of Sacramento’s Freeport-Pocket-Riverside area from the early 20th century to 1942. The events, co-sponsored by JACL and other groups, include a conference, multi-image program screening, and banquet featuring Congressman Robert Matsui.
• Mineta Keynotes CCDC Confab, page 5. Rep. Norman Y. Mineta will keynote the Sunday banquet of the 33rd Annual Central California District Council Convention in Fresno. The convention, held the weekend of Nov. 13-14, will include installation of district and chapter officers.
• Takei to Speak Before SD JACL, page 5. Actor George Takei will speak on the role of Asians in the media at the San Diego JACL’s 49th Annual Installation Dinner on Nov. 6. The event will also include installation of 1982-83 officers and awarding of Silver Pins.
• From the Youth Director: Youth Program, by David Nakayama, page 8. The National Youth Program director discusses the challenge of revitalizing JACL’s youth programming across diverse chapters and districts with varying needs. He emphasizes that the national program’s role is to support local chapters with resources and funding while fostering youth who will eventually become JACL members.
• Thousanders’ Corner: Enthusiasm, by Dr. Frank Sakamoto, page 8. The National 1000 Club chairman calls for renewed membership recruitment enthusiasm and proposes a points-based incentive system for chapter fundraising events. He also highlights a planned mid-year fundraising event allowing members to upgrade their membership status through matching contributions.

Incarceration & Redress

• Redress Pledge, page 5. The Washington D.C. JACL became the first chapter to fulfill a national redress pledge, committing $1,400 a year for three years. National officers including President Floyd Shimomura and Director Ron Wakabayashi were present for the presentation of the first year’s check.
• 35 Years Ago in the Pacific Citizen, page 6. A historical column recaps October 1947 events including Mike Masaoka’s advocacy tour addressing Japanese exclusion law repeal and JACL legislative priorities. It also notes approval of a JACL plaque commemorating the 442nd’s rescue of the Texas Lost Battalion.

Commentary

• On Trade, by Peter Imamura, page 6. The author examines a vague JACL resolution on U.S.-Japan relations in light of California Senate candidates’ debate comments on trade tariffs with Japan. He urges the International Relations Committee to pay close attention to political positions on protectionism given the funding it received.
• Letters: Redress Pledges, by Tom Miyanaga, page 6. A letter writer criticizes JACL chapters that lag in contributing to the Redress fund despite its stated priority status, questioning whether districts are providing adequate leadership and guidance. The Salinas Valley Chapter author notes his chapter exceeded its assigned share and calls on other chapters to fulfill their responsibilities.
• Slim Books About Japanese Americans, by Bill Hosokawa, page 7. The East Wind column reviews three recently published books documenting Japanese American community history: “Beginnings” about San Jose Issei, a San Mateo JACL history project, and the multi-ethnic anthology “Turning Shadows Into Light.” The author praises these works for preserving valuable historical records of Japanese American life and settlement.
• The Ethic of ‘More for Less’, by Bill Marutani, page 7. The East Wind column reflects on the Nisei work ethic instilled by Issei parents, emphasizing diligence and care in job performance despite often receiving no corresponding monetary recognition. The author argues this dedication to quality work, rather than the ethic of doing less for more pay, is essential to restoring America’s economic strength.

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