Redress becomes an entitlement, and JACL on HCR 147

Vol. 109, No. 13, October 27, 1989. 8 pages. View this issue

Redress led the news. A Senate-House conference committee approved making payments a permanent federal entitlement starting in fiscal year 1991, following a proposal by Sen. Daniel Inouye. Reactions from JACL and others mixed celebration with regret that many elderly internees may not live to be paid. John T. Nakahata explained what “entitlement” means in law, Lily Yamasaki wrote a letter of thanks, and editorials from across the country urged Congress to keep its promise. On the front page, JACL also called for an amendment to House Concurrent Resolution 147, asking that a bill on anti-Asian discrimination in college admissions not be used against legal affirmative action.

Other items include the Oct. 17 earthquake that closed JACL Headquarters for a week, the Salinas Valley JACL’s Pioneer Issei Memorial Garden, and 13 Los Angeles High School Nisei finally receiving their 1942 diplomas. Columns by Bill Hosokawa and Bill Marutani, and Downtown L.A. JACL’s 60th anniversary, fill out the eight pages.

What’s in this issue

National

• JACL Cautions Promoters at HCR 147 Panel, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL called for an amendment to House Concurrent Resolution 147 regarding anti-Asian discrimination in college admissions, insisting the bill not be used to attack legal affirmative action policies. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher also sought Asian American students willing to testify about discrimination for Congressional hearings.
• Acupuncture May Help Drug Victims, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Washington, D.C. city council introduced a bill allowing non-certified practitioners to use acupuncture for drug treatment in city clinics. The plan is modeled after a New York program with a 50% success rate among patients treated for three months.
• National Conference on Anti-Asian Violence to Meet on Capitol Hill, by P.C. Staff, page 3. JACL, the Organization of Chinese Americans, and the Asian Pacific Heritage Council are sponsoring a National Conference on Anti-Asian Violence on Capitol Hill Nov. 1, hosted by Sen. Paul Simon. The conference will address rising bias crimes against Asian Americans and discuss legislative responses including the Hate Crimes Statistics Act.
• Holocaust Study Grant OK’d by Education Dept., by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Department of Education reversed a prior rejection and approved a four-year grant to the Facing History and Ourselves Foundation for Holocaust studies. The grant had previously been denied for three years amid political controversy from both conservative and liberal critics.

Incarceration & Redress

• Earthquake Shakes No. Calif.; JACL HQ Closes for the Week, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Oct. 17 earthquake in San Francisco caused minor structural damage to JACL Headquarters, though no staff were injured. The building was closed for inspection before reopening, with building fund plans already underway for maintenance work.
• Reparations Passes, Conference Report Vote by House Expected, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Senate-House conference committee approved making redress payments a permanent federal entitlement program starting fiscal year 1991, following a proposal by Sen. Daniel Inouye. Reactions from JACL, legislators, and civil rights organizations expressed both celebration and regret that funding was delayed another year, meaning many elderly internees may not live to receive payment.
• L.A. High ’42 Nisei Grads Finally Receive Diplomas, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Thirteen Japanese Americans denied diplomas from Los Angeles High School in 1942 due to wartime incarceration will finally receive them in a ceremony presented by school board member Warren Furutani. Though the school board had ruled in their favor at the time, a former principal had ignored the decision.

Community

• Salinas Valley JACL Presents Pioneer Issei Memorial Garden to Medical Center, by Fred K. Oshima, page 1. The Salinas Valley JACL dedicated a new Pioneer Issei Memorial Garden at Natividad Medical Center in Salinas, Calif., honoring the area’s Issei pioneers. About 200 people attended the Oct. 15 dedication ceremony featuring speeches, music, and an unveiling by Iso Higashi and her granddaughters.
• Seattle School Board Candidate in L.A. Fete, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Seattle School Board candidate Al Sugiyama was honored at a Los Angeles reception after advancing to the final city-wide elections. He could become the first Asian Pacific American elected to the Seattle school board.
• Temple Bell in Kansas Returned to Japan, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A Japanese Buddhist temple bell cast in 1795, taken by U.S. sailors after WWII and displayed in Topeka, Kansas, was returned to its original temple owner in ceremonies attended by the temple’s chief priest. The bell had been found, restored, and its origin traced with help from the Japanese consul general in Kansas City.
• More Japanese Saké Being Bottled in U.S., by P.C. Staff, page 3. Japanese sake producers in the U.S. now produce more sake domestically than Japan exports to the United States, driven by cheap California rice. Gekkeikan Saké Co. of Kyoto announced plans for a $7 million plant near Sacramento.
• Issues Facing Nikkei Parents Topic for Panel at San Fernando Valley, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The San Fernando Valley JACL will host a panel discussion addressing issues facing parents raising Japanese American youth today, including ethnic heritage, generational expectations, and interracial dating. The event will be held Nov. 11 at the SFV Japanese American Community Center.
• Arizona JACL to Hold 55th Anniversary Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Arizona JACL will celebrate its 55th anniversary with a dinner on Nov. 18 featuring National JACL president Cressey Nakagawa as guest speaker. The chapter also announced a 7.42% dividend for its credit union’s third quarter.
• Diablo Valley JACL to Hear Author Nakano, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Diablo Valley JACL’s annual installation and awards dinner will feature author Mei Nakano speaking on three generations of Japanese American women. Teen Steven Shigeki Long will also present a slide show on naturalist John Muir that won him a trip to a national competition.
• Nishikawa, Horii to Be Feted by Architects/Engineers, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Asian American Architects/Engineers will host its 12th annual awards banquet honoring Dennis Nishikawa, a Los Angeles City Board of Public Works commissioner, and City Engineer Robert Horii. The event will be held Nov. 2 at Kung Lum Restaurant in Universal City.
• Calif. Art Council Funds Four Nikkei Art Groups, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Four local Japanese American arts groups received support funds from the California Arts Council, announced by CAC director Robert H. Reid. The brief item lists this as part of ongoing arts funding support programs.
• Proposed Asian Cultural Center in Seattle Supported, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Robert Chinn Foundation’s Far East Gala raised funds for a proposed Asian cultural center in Seattle’s International District, with $75,000 anticipated this year after $56,000 raised last year. Chinn had long dreamed of a central gathering place for the district’s ethnic groups.
• The Newsmakers, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A roundup column profiles community members’ achievements including Dr. Milton Inouye receiving a community service award, musician June Kuramoto and writer Jude Narita being honored at the Woman’s Building Vesta Awards, and Salt Lake City publisher Kuniko Terasawa gaining national media attention for the Utah Nippo’s upcoming 75th anniversary. Additional mentions include swimmer Toshio Imai’s hall of fame induction, Seattle campaign volunteer Ruth Woo, and golf tournament results among Buddhist women’s groups.
• Weingart Foundation Funds AADAP Expansion of Family Residence, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Weingart Foundation awarded a $10,000 grant to the Asian American Drug Abuse Program for kitchen and family room renovations at its residential facility. The improvements aim to create a more family-like atmosphere to support residents’ recovery process.
• San Mateo Tomodachi Boutique Set Nov. 17-18, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Tomodachi Senior Women’s Club of San Mateo JACL will hold its sixth annual Holiday Boutique featuring handicrafts, Japanese goods, and homemade food items. Proceeds will benefit the JACL scholarship fund and support Community Center operations.

Commentary

• What Is ‘Entitlement’?, by John T. Nakahata, page 4. JACL-LEC Special Counsel explains that the Senate’s entitlement provision for redress legally obligates the federal government to pay all eligible individuals by Sept. 30, 1993. The piece details how entitlement funding differs from the normal discretionary appropriations process in Congress.
• Comments from the Nation’s Press: Make Good the Promise of Redress, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A compilation of newspaper editorials from across the country urging Congress to honor its redress promise without further delay. Excerpts from the Honolulu Advertiser and Idaho Statesman praise Senator Inouye’s efforts and criticize budgetary excuses for postponing payments.
• An Alternate for a 30-Year-Old Camera, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Columnist Bill Hosokawa reflects on his decades-old Honeywell Pentax camera and his struggles adapting to a new, technologically advanced camera. He compares the learning curve to his underused word processor, humorously noting both devices exceed his ability to fully use their capabilities.
• The Early Bird, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Marutani writes about the proliferation of Japanese department stores (‘depato’) across Asian markets including Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Brunei. He recounts personal travel experiences visiting Japanese department stores abroad and notes Asian merchants’ concerns about competition from these expanding Japanese retail chains.
• Bouquets, by Lily Yamasaki, page 5. A letter from Lily Yamasaki of Houston thanks JACL members for their efforts toward passage of redress legislation. She reflects on family members who did not live to see the victory and encourages recipients of redress payments to donate to National JACL to continue its programs.

JACL

• Perceptions from Intermountain and Pacific Northwest District Participants, by Henry Tanaka, page 5. Results from the JACL Long Range Planning Workshop held in Park City, Utah, outline strengths, weaknesses, trends, and goals identified by IDC/PNW District participants. The piece catalogs extensive lists of organizational concerns including membership decline, racism, and generational engagement, to be used for recommendations to the National Council.
• The Porch: Hangout for Chapter Presidents – West Los Angeles JACL, page 5. West Los Angeles JACL describes its search for new leadership and efforts to engage younger members through a dinner meeting that drew about 20 attendees interested in reviving the chapter. The piece discusses plans to transition responsibilities to younger members while preserving existing programs.
• Downtown L.A. JACL’s 60th Anniversary Establishes Ninth St. School Scholarship, by Harry K. Honda, page 8. Downtown Los Angeles JACL celebrated its 60th anniversary with nearly 300 attendees at a dinner highlighting the chapter’s partnership with Ninth Street School, where chapter president Kitty Sankey teaches. City Attorney James Hahn was keynote speaker, and proceeds from the event established a scholarship for college-bound Ninth Street Elementary School graduates.

Obituaries

• Deaths, by P.C. Staff, page 6. This roundup lists obituary notices with narrative details for numerous Japanese Americans including Masato Matsushita, Toshiko Muraoka, Tom Okazaki, Shinji S. Okubo, Momose Osaka, Shozo Yamashita, Masao Tsukada (proprietor of Bunkado in Little Tokyo), and several others, detailing their origins, survivors, and causes of death. Masao Tsukada, a WWII veteran and longtime Little Tokyo business owner, is among those memorialized with detailed biographical information.

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