A JACL resolution on its wartime errors, and redress nearing signature

Vol. 107, No. 1, July 8, 1988. 12 pages. View this issue

The front page carried a resolution from the Golden Gate Chapter, presented by George Johnston’s report at the NCWNP District Council meeting, asking JACL to admit error in its World War II counsel of “willing cooperation” after Executive Order 9066. If approved at the National Convention in Seattle, it would also retract the label of “disloyal” for those who disagreed. Clifford Uyeda explained the thinking behind it in his column. The same page reported that President Reagan intended to sign the redress bill, and that the Sunnyvale City Council had rescinded a 1944 resolution urging the exclusion of Japanese people from California.

Inside are previews of the Seattle convention by Cherry Kinoshita, the three JACL presidential candidates’ answers to a questionnaire, and letters from Frank Chin and others on the camp draft resisters. Toshiko S. Yoshida wrote about her brother, a 442nd soldier pictured on the cover of “Unlikely Liberators.” A report from the AJA Veterans Reunion in Reno and a visit by a Fukushima group to Manzanar round out the issue.

What’s in this issue

National

• Resolution Admitting JACL ‘WW2 Errors’ Presented to NCWNP, by George Johnston, page 1. The Golden Gate Chapter presented a resolution at the NCWNP District Council meeting calling for JACL to admit error in its WW2 counsel of ‘willing cooperation’ and its characterization of dissidents as disloyal. The resolution, written by Clifford Uyeda, seeks to promote community unity and healing by recognizing contributions of those with differing wartime positions.’
• Immediate Tenure for UCLA Professor Sought by Supporters, by J.K. Yamamoto, Hokubei Mainichi, page 1. A committee found that UCLA officials made a deliberate attempt to deny tenure to Professor Don Nakanishi, prompting supporters including attorney Dale Minami to call for immediate tenure. Nakanishi has filed grievances alleging bias from Dean Lewis Solmon and Department Chair Norma Fesbach in the tenure review process.’
• Court Rejects Lungren’s Bid for State Treasurer, page 1. The California Supreme Court unanimously rejected Rep. Daniel Lungren’s claim to the state treasurer post after his nomination was narrowly rejected by the state Senate following protests from Asian American organizations. Lungren had angered the community with his opposition to Japanese American redress legislation.’
• Matsui Vice Chair of California Demo Delegation, page 1. Rep. Robert T. Matsui was elected vice chairman of California’s delegation to the Democratic National Convention in Atlanta. He will share the role with Assemblywoman Maxine Waters under delegation chairman Lt. Gov. Leo McCarthy.’
• U.S.-Japan Panel, by Denny Yasuhara, page 5. A panel titled ‘United States & Japan: The Future & The Nikkei’ will be held at the JACL National Convention, featuring Mike Masaoka, Glen Fukushima, Dr. Gail Nomura, and Mike Mochizuki. The article details each panelist’s extensive background in U.S.-Japan relations and policy.’
• Little Tokyo Service Center Honors Three Community Leaders, page 10. Raymond Katagi, John Fukushima, and Harold Muraoka were honored at the Little Tokyo Service Center’s Volunteer Recognition and Awards banquet for their community contributions. Katagi managed the Pioneer Center, Fukushima served on hospital and nursing home boards, and Muraoka helped establish housing and information programs in the San Fernando Valley.’

JACL

• CCDC Holds Convention, Meets JACL Presidential Candidates, by George Johnston, page 1. The Central California District Council Convention was held in Clovis featuring presentations from JACL National presidential candidates Mollie Fujioka and Cressey Nakagawa, plus a representative for Helen Kawagoe. Candidates discussed membership growth, youth relevance, and coalition building within JACL.’
• Banquet to Honor Congressional Leaders, by Cherry Kinoshita, page 2. The JACL National Convention’s Opening Banquet in Seattle will honor congressional leaders including Reps. Norman Mineta and Robert Matsui, Sen. Daniel Inouye, Rep. Mike Lowry, Mike Masaoka, Grant Ujifusa, and posthumously Minoru Yasui for their roles in the redress effort. Lori Matsukawa of KING-TV will serve as mistress of ceremonies.’
• Nisei Week Now Offering $1,000 Scholarship, page 2. The Nisei Week Festival is offering a $1,000 scholarship to a continuing college student based on community commitment, cultural heritage interest, college involvement, and academic excellence. The recipient will be honored as a guest at the Nisei Week Awards Banquet in August.’
• Ikeda Elected CCDC Governor, page 3. Dale Ikeda was elected CCDC governor along with a slate of new district officers during the Central California District Council convention. Discussion also covered confusion over the roles of the regional office and regional director, particularly regarding the Nikkei Service Center.’
• Part II: JACL Presidential Candidates Respond to Questionnaire, page 7. Candidates Mollie Fujioka, Helen Kawagoe, and Cressey Nakagawa provide detailed answers on membership growth, U.S.-Japan relations, leadership style, and JACL organizational structure. Each candidate offers distinct proposals for attracting members and improving communication between the National Board, staff, and general membership.’
• New York JACL Presents 6 Awards, by Stanley Kanzaki, page 8. The New York (Big Apple) JACL awarded six $1,000 scholarships to outstanding Nikkei students at a dim sum brunch, funded largely by an anonymous benefactor. Recipients included students from Hunter College HS, Stuyvesant HS, and Cornell University among others.’
• JACL Life Membership a Bargain, by Tom Arima, page 8. Arima explains the benefits of JACL 1000 Club Life Membership, noting the Contra Costa chapter’s 53 members and detailing how chapters receive rebates based on Life Membership funds. He urges readers to take advantage of the $500 lump sum fee before it expires at the end of the biennium.’
• Seattle Convention Plans Moving Along Smoothly, by Ben Nakagawa and Tomio Moriguchi, page 9. Convention organizers announce the registration deadline extension to July 15 and describe activities available on the University of Washington campus during the National Convention. They also promote the National Golf Tournament and encourage prompt reservations given limited dorm and motel rooms.’

Incarceration & Redress

• Reagan Intends to Sign Redress Bill, Says Mercury News Report, page 1. Administration and congressional sources indicate President Reagan intends to sign redress legislation paying $1.2 billion to Japanese Americans interned during WW2, reversing a prior administration veto threat. JACL-LEC strategist Grant Ujifusa said efforts to secure the president’s support were on track.’
• Fukushima Group Visits Gravesite, by Tomi Hoshizaki, page 3. Members of the Fukushima Kenjin Kai paid homage at the gravesite of Okei, the first Japanese woman to die and be buried in the U.S., marking the 120th anniversary of the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Farm. The group then traveled to Manzanar War Relocation Center, viewing the camp’s remaining structures from their bus.’

Community

• Sunnyvale City Council Rescinds 1944 Action, page 1. The Sunnyvale, Calif. City Council repealed a 1944 resolution that had urged Congress to permanently exclude Japanese people from California. Mayor Lawrence Stone said it was appropriate for local governments to correct past mistakes as Congress deliberates redress.’
• Second H.S. Diploma Awarded to JA, page 2. Tami Takehara Malaczewski received a second diploma from Grossmont High School, 46 years after being forced from her family’s Lemon Grove farm to Poston internment camp just before her original graduation. The senior class of 1988 and its president organized the honor to recognize what she endured.’
• Japan Chapter Contemplates Office, page 9. The JACL Japan Chapter is moving forward with a proposal, originally envisioned by Barry Saiki, to establish a permanent office in Tokyo. Chapter President Bob Kent kicked off the building fund with a $1,000 donation courtesy of Phoenix Associates.’
• SCAN and NLA Sponsoring Nisei Week Fashion Show, page 9. The Southern California American Nikkei and Nikkei Leadership Association JACL chapters are co-sponsoring the 1988 Nisei Week Fashion Show, themed ‘Our Star is Born,’ at the Century Plaza Hotel. Actress Kim Miyori is producing the event, which will feature numerous celebrities modeling fashions and a drawing for round-trip tickets to Japan.’

Commentary

• Japanese Investment in the U.S., page 4. An editorial examines concerns over Japanese real estate investment in American cities, noting that Japanese holdings represent only about 1.6 percent of U.S. tangible assets. The piece argues Japanese investors are simply making sound economic choices and urges they do so without unseemly flamboyance.’
• What’s Different About This Issue, page 4. The Pacific Citizen explains its first major typeface change in five years, switching from Corona to Times Roman to fit more words per page. The editorial also notes a summer schedule of printing every other week.’
• Minor Item Reveals Times Are Changing, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Hosokawa recounts columnist George Yoshinaga’s experience being installed as president of the local U.S. Air Force Academy Parents’ Club, noting the historical significance given past exclusion of Japanese Americans from military academies. The piece reflects on how barriers for Japanese Americans in military service have fallen over time.’
• Coming Up at the ’88 Convention, by Cherry Kinoshita, page 4. Kinoshita previews the JACL National Convention in Seattle, highlighting the Leadership Conference, Nikkei Education Conference, Opening Banquet, and Sayonara Banquet. She encourages attendees to take advantage of the many activities and to celebrate an anticipated redress bill signing.’
• Golden Gate Resolution: Quest for Unity, by Clifford Uyeda, page 4. Uyeda explains the rationale behind the Golden Gate Chapter’s resolution asking JACL to acknowledge error in its WW2 counsel and treatment of dissidents. He argues that admitting error does not diminish the need for redress nor the heroism of Nisei soldiers, and calls for the community to view history more objectively after 45 years.’
• Resisters, page 5. A letter writer from Falls Church, Va. discusses coverage of camp draft resisters including Frank Emi and James Omura, criticizing edits made to a story about the Fair Play Committee. The writer references Sen. Daniel Inouye’s and Bill Kochiyama’s statements understanding the resisters’ courage, contrasting this with other reactions.’
• More On Resisters, by Frank Chin, page 5. Frank Chin writes that volunteering for the 442nd and resisting the draft were not alternatives to each other, since the 442nd was not a protest against the constitutional issues of internment. He argues the draft resisters sought to test the constitutionality of camp through the courts.’
• After Redress, by Mas Odoi, page 5. Odoi reflects on the Nisei experience through WW2 evacuation and anticipated redress, questioning whether the community will wisely use redress funds to benefit future generations. He suggests JACL should discuss the post-redress future at its National Convention.’
• Redress Questions, by Y. Tanaka, page 5. A reader from Shelton, Wash. poses a series of detailed questions about redress eligibility criteria, proof requirements, registration, and fund disbursement timelines. The editor’s note responds that details will be answered once the president signs the bill.’
• When You Are Passing Through Narita, by William Marutani, page 5. Marutani describes the heavy security at Narita Airport, stemming from decades of resistance by farmers whose land was seized for the airport’s construction, including a violent 1971 clash that killed three policemen. He notes ongoing tensions as the airport authority plans further expansion despite incomplete land acquisition.’

Military & Veterans

• The Man on the Cover, by Toshiko S. Yoshida, page 5. The writer identifies her brother, Tech. Sgt. Tom Tamemasa Sagimori of the 442nd’s Love Company, as the soldier pictured on the cover of ‘Unlikely Liberators.’ Sagimori survived earlier campaigns but was killed in April 1945 near Leghorn, Italy, and was posthumously awarded a Silver Star.’
• Reunion Recap, by Wilson Makabe, page 5. Makabe thanks the Pacific Citizen and Reno JACL volunteers for their help with the AJA Veterans Reunion, which drew about 2,150 attendees to events including a Welcome Banquet and Farewell Dinner-Dance. Speakers included former Nevada Gov. Mike O’Callaghan, Sen. Daniel Inouye, and Sen. Spark Matsunaga.’
• Nine MIS Groups Gather During AJA Vets Reunion, page 8. Former Hawaii Gov. George Ariyoshi was keynote speaker at a Military Intelligence Service Assn. dinner in Reno attended by about 250 people representing nine MIS organizations nationwide. The event featured entertainment including Japanese dance and karaoke performances.’

Arts & Entertainment

• JAL Director Guest Speaker, page 8. Tadao Fujimatsu, director of public relations for Japan Air Lines, spoke about his book examining the past and present relationship between Japan and America. He discussed Japan’s economic power and its effects on international relationships, delivered with humor.’

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