Redress hearings take shape: the Commission names its chair

Vol. 92, No. 11, March 20, 1981. 8 pages. View this issue

The March 20, 1981 issue followed the early work of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians. Joan V. Bernstein was elected chairperson at its first meeting, with Rep. Daniel Lungren as vice-chair. Harry Kawahara, JACL Pacific Southwest District redress committee chair, called for witnesses to testify in Los Angeles about the World War II incarceration (often called internment). Barry Saiki wrote from Tokyo that the hearings should also cover the hard years after the camps, and Dr. James K. Tsujimura urged unity behind redress. The front page also carried Peter Imamura’s report on Los Angeles school busing and a ‘Go for Broke’ exhibit dedication at the Presidio in San Francisco.

Elsewhere in the issue: plans for the JACL Tri-District Conference in Los Angeles on April 3-5, a youth convention at UC Irvine, and columns by Bill Marutani, Sachi Seko and Jerry Enomoto. Page 7 gathers community news, and page 8 reports on Puerto Rican concerns about talc-coated rice.

What’s in this issue

National

• JAs Silent on Calif. End to Forced Busing, by Peter Imamura, page 1. The article traces the long legal history of Los Angeles school busing litigation from 1968 through the California Supreme Court’s 1981 ruling upholding Proposition 1’s end to mandatory busing. It notes the Japanese American community and JACL have been largely silent on the issue, contrasting this with their intense focus on the Redress campaign.
• Columnist Says ‘Japan, Not Russia’ Threatens U.S., by P.C. Staff, page 1. Detroit News columnist June Brown wrote that Japan, not Russia, is the greatest threat to the U.S. through its industrial and auto exports. She accused Japan of unfair trade practices and urged consumers to ‘Buy American.’
• Official Reaffirms Warning About Rice, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Dr. Angel Roman-Franco, director of the Puerto Rico Cancer Institute, reaffirmed his concern about talc-coated rice potentially causing cancer, based on his two-year study. The FDA said the study caught them by surprise and is investigating whether to prohibit talc as a food additive.

JACL

• Chair Picked for Commission, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Joan V. Bernstein, former general counsel to the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, was elected chairperson of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians at its first meeting. Rep. Daniel Lungren was elected vice-chair, and the commission announced plans to hire an administrator and staff director.
• Los Angeles Geared for Tri-District, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The 1981 JACL Tri-District Conference will be held April 3-5 at the Los Angeles Hilton, featuring newly selected Commission chairs Joan Bernstein and Daniel Lungren as invited speakers for a redress workshop. The conference will include a roast honoring actor Yuki Shimoda, with proceeds benefiting the redress campaign, plus multiple workshops on political action, rural concerns, and other topics.
• JACL Youth Conference at U.C. Irvine Set June 22-27, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Southern California will host the JACL Japanese American Youth Convention for the first time, held at UC Irvine June 22-27, featuring workshops on interracial dating, Asian gangs, redress, and other topics. Distinguished Nikkei speakers and a keynote address by new National Executive Director Ron Wakabayashi are planned, along with recreational activities and a closing dinner-dance.
• New Mexico JACL, by Jerry Enomoto, page 6. Former National JACL President Jerry Enomoto recounts visiting the New Mexico JACL chapter in Albuquerque, where he discussed his work helping reform the state’s prison system after a tragic riot. He reflects on the value of grassroots JACL involvement even in states with small Japanese American populations.

Incarceration & Redress

• Witnesses for L.A. Hearings Sought, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Harry Kawahara, newly appointed JACL Pacific Southwest District redress committee chair, issued an urgent call for witnesses to testify on WW2 Evacuation and camp experiences before the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians. He emphasized that non-Japanese witnesses should also be sought, with Los Angeles expected to host the first hearings.
• Redress Push Snagged in Columbia Basin, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Moses Lake Mayor Bob Hill declined to endorse a JACL redress resolution without broader support from the local Japanese American community, prompting pushback from JACL’s Edward Yamamoto. The city council referred the matter to the Interracial Commission for Human Rights for further study before a late March decision.

Military & Veterans

• ‘Go for Broke’ Exhibit Dedicated at Presidio, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A crowd of 1,500 gathered at the Presidio Army Museum in San Francisco for the dedication of the ‘Go for Broke’ exhibit, which will be on display for a year. Senators Daniel Inouye and Spark Matsunaga, San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein, and other dignitaries attended the ceremony.

Community

• PNW Campaign to Reduce Project Deficit, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A six-year Spokane JACL effort to establish Asian American Studies at Washington State University cost approximately $24,000, with three-fourths covered by contributions. The JACL National Board endorsed a fund to help clear the remaining $6,000 deficit, with a campaign concluding in Portland in June.
• Tax Assistance Offered, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Japanese Community Pioneer Center in Los Angeles offers free tax assistance to senior citizens with incomes under $12,000 every Saturday through April 4. Project coordinator Tom Hamada advised seniors to bring necessary documentation to complete their tax forms.
• Milwaukee JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Milwaukee JACL will host the Midwest District Council April 24-26, highlighted by a ‘Good Ol’ Western Days’ themed 1000 Club dinner event. The chapter’s 1981 calendar also includes board meetings, a biennial convention, a summer picnic, and a Holiday Folk Fair appearance.
• Washington, D.C. JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The film ‘Hito Hata: Raise the Banner’ will be screened at Georgetown University’s Gaston Hall with proceeds supporting production costs, sponsored by local JACL and other organizations. Actors Mako and Saachiko are expected to attend a reception following the showing.
• Rae Nikkei Heads S.F.-Yosemite Air Tour Firm, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A new tourist company, Air San Francisco Yosemite, led by president Isao Hamamoto, will offer daily chartered flights to Yosemite National Park via Mariposa, California. The firm has been licensed by the state Public Utilities Commission following complaints about unlicensed bus tour operators.
• Mizukami Elected Mayor of Fife, Wa., by P.C. Staff, page 7. Robert T. Mizukami was appointed by the Fife City Council to serve as mayor pro tem, filling the vacancy left by Joe Vraves. Both men are members of the Puyallup Valley JACL.
• Press Row, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Tish Okabe of San Jose, a USC sophomore, was named assistant director of USC’s Student News Service. She is also national liaison for the Public Relations Student Society of America and a member of Women in Communications, Inc.
• Politics, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Los Angeles City Council candidate Mike Woo asked the California Senate Committee on Elections and Reapportionment to consider the needs of Asian Americans during reapportionment. Woo noted that Asian communities in California remain severely under-represented in state and local government.
• Agriculture, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Fresno Chamber of Commerce presented its ‘Top Farmer Award’ to Frank Kimura, who farms more than 700 acres and operates a brush shredding business with his brother George. Kimura also serves as president of Central Valley Ready Mix.
• Tourists from Japan Recover Loot from Hawaii Robbery, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Thirty-five Japanese tourists who were robbed during a bus hijacking at Honolulu International Airport turned over more than $17,000 in donations collected on their behalf to the Hawaii Visitors Bureau. The group requested the funds be used to prevent crimes against tourists, after two teenage suspects were apprehended and most stolen property recovered.

Commentary

• Of Autos and Anti-Semitism, by Peter Imamura, page 3. The columnist criticizes Detroit News columnist June Brown for framing Japan as an economic ‘enemy,’ warning this rhetoric could fuel racist backlash against Japanese Americans, citing a Tennessee anti-Nissan demonstration as an example. The piece also discusses a rising number of anti-Semitic incidents in Los Angeles County, linking both situations to economic anxiety being misdirected into scapegoating minority groups.
• Divided We Fall, by Dr. James K. Tsujimura, page 4. JACL National President James Tsujimura urges unity among Japanese Americans in supporting the Redress movement, noting President Reagan’s expansion of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians. He calls on JACL members and the broader Nikkei community to set aside past differences and attend upcoming hearings as a show of solidarity.
• J.D. Will Be Missed, by Henry S. Sakai, page 4. A letter praises outgoing JACL assistant national director J.D. Hokoyama for his dedication, integrity, and work on Operation ’80s and fundraising plans. The writer expresses hope the momentum Hokoyama built will continue after his departure.
• Pledges and More Pledges, by Henry Sakai, page 4. The author discusses JACL’s reliance on volunteers and the resulting delays in completing organizational tasks, arguing the League needs more staff and funding to operate professionally. He describes JACL’s plans to seek corporate funding, wills, trusts, and pledges rather than simply raising membership dues.
• The Nice Part of Aging, by Sachi Seko, page 4. In this humorous personal essay, the author complains about her adult son still living at home and the stress-eating it causes her, while reflecting on how her family was once the first minority household in their neighborhood. She recalls discovering a restrictive covenant document from her property purchase and reflects on how much progress has been made for minorities in housing rights.
• 10-Sen Stamp, by Bill Marutani, page 5. The columnist relays information from philatelist John M. Yumoto about a WWII-era 10-sen Japanese stamp depicting a shrine plaque reading ‘Enemy Country Surrenders,’ which was censored during the Allied Occupation. The piece details the historical background of the stamp series and the regulations MacArthur’s GHQ imposed on Japanese postage and coinage.
• (S)he Doesn’t Look Like One, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Marutani examines how stereotyping limits Asian Americans to preconceived roles and argues that Nikkei themselves sometimes perpetuate these stereotypes against one another. He urges readers to recognize and reject this internalized bias, noting the capability and competence often overlooked due to assumptions based on appearance.
• Race Relations, by John Saito, page 6. Saito reflects on old JACL files documenting 1965 meetings between JACL and Black organizations that ended with the Watts Riots, and calls for renewed dialogue between minority communities. He recounts a personal anecdote involving children’s questions about his ethnicity and calls for examining how young people absorb prejudiced attitudes.

In-Depth

• Samrai Without Mystique: A Banquet in Sendai, page 5. This historical piece recounts a late 18th-century banquet honoring merchant Masuya Koemon, whose financial power over the indebted Sendai clan inverted traditional samurai-chonin social hierarchy. The story illustrates the declining status of samurai and the rising economic power of merchants in feudal Japan, including the tragic suicide of a samurai humiliated by the encounter.
• Ten ‘Lost’ Years, by Barry Saiki, page 5. Writing from Tokyo, Saiki argues that the upcoming Redress hearings should emphasize the decade of hardship Japanese Americans endured after leaving the camps, not just the 1942-1945 incarceration period itself. He notes that roughly 75 percent of relocated Japanese Americans did not regain their prewar economic standing until the 1950s.

Arts & Entertainment

• Art, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A major fabric sculpture titled ‘Lyra’ by artist Aiko Suzuki was installed in the foyer of the Metropolitan Toronto Library. Valued at $44,000, the 45-by-23-foot sculpture offers a tranquil space for library users.
• Music, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Japanese pianist Etsko Tazaki made her debut with the Oakland Symphony Orchestra at the Paramount Theater, performing Schumann’s Piano Concerto. The performances ran March 19-21.

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