Redress bill clears Senate committee; Gov. Brown draws protest

Vol. 90, No. 93, May 16, 1980. 8 pages. View this issue

Redress led the news in this eight-page issue. The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee voted 11-0 to send S1647, the JACL-backed commission bill, to the full Senate. Amendments cut the commission from 15 to 7 members and added the forced relocation of 1,000 Aleut civilians. John Tateishi and Ron Ikejiri gave JACL’s reaction. Hugh Davis reported on former law clerk Vern Countryman’s account of Justice William O. Douglas and the Nisei cases. Twelve temporary detention camp sites were named California Historical Landmarks. Also on the front page, Asian Pacific Americans stayed away from a Heritage Week event at the Capitol to protest Gov. Brown’s firing of Jerry Enomoto.

On the commentary pages, Clifford Uyeda wrote about volunteers and staff in JACL, Bill Marutani about a double standard for minorities, and Rev. Andrew N. Otani asked whether there is a Christian view on redress. Floyd Shimomura described proposed constitutional revisions for the San Francisco convention. Nancy Ukai profiled the new Tokyo chapter, and Bill Hosokawa described a Thai Water Festival in Denver.

What’s in this issue

National

• Gov. Brown Loses Face with Asian Americans, by P.C. Staff, page 1. About two dozen people showed up at the California State Capitol to kick off Asian-Pacific American Heritage Week, far fewer than expected, due to protests over Gov. Brown’s firing of Jerry Enomoto. Assemblyman S. Floyd Mori criticized the governor’s treatment of Enomoto as a slap in the face to the Asian-Pacific community during Heritage Week.
• CRC to Probe Bias in Elderly Programs, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights will begin collecting data on discrimination against the elderly after fiscal year 1981 starts in October. Sen. Matsunaga said the data could strengthen existing programs or form the basis for new legislation.
• Tashima Nominated U.S. District Judge, page 1. Atsushi Wallace Tashima, a Los Angeles civil trial lawyer, was nominated for the federal bench in the Central District of Los Angeles by Sen. Alan Cranston. Also noted were other Nikkei judicial appointments including Hawaii circuit court judge Bertram Kanbara.
• Chinese American Named to High Post, page 2. Francis L. Jung of Woodbridge, Va., was nominated by President Carter to be a member of the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission. The 32-year-old Philadelphia native specializes in international trade matters and awaits Senate confirmation.

Incarceration & Redress

• Senate Panel Votes Out S1647 11-0, page 1. The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee voted 11-0 to report out S1647, the JACL-backed redress commission bill, for full Senate consideration in June. Amendments reduced commission size from 15 to 7 members, shortened its duration, and added study of the forced relocation of 1,000 Aleut civilians during WWII.
• ‘Significant Step Forward’ Taken, page 1. John Tateishi, national JACL redress committee chair, expressed encouragement over the unanimous Senate committee vote on S1647, calling it an important step forward. He noted the harder task ahead lies in gaining support in the House of Representatives.
• Douglas Was Wrong on Nisei Cases, by Hugh Davis, page 1. Former Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, despite his reputation as a defender of civil liberties, wrongly voted to uphold Japanese American internment during WWII according to former law clerk Vern Countryman. Countryman, speaking at a Gonzaga University lecture, said Douglas later regretted supporting the curfew and internment orders but felt it was too late to reverse course.
• ‘Temporary Detention Camps’ Designated Historic Landmarks, page 1. Twelve Temporary Detention Camp sites used to confine Japanese Americans in 1942 before transfer to permanent camps have been designated California State Historical Landmarks. The California State Historical Resources Commission unanimously approved the application submitted by the Ethnic Minority Cultural Resources Survey-Japanese Americans.
• Landmark Sites Listed, Plaques Available, page 5. A list of twelve California sites recently designated as historic landmarks for former temporary detention camps is provided, including fairgrounds in Fresno, Merced, Salinas and other locations. Communities interested in installing a commemorative plaque at these registered landmarks must submit a separate application with proposed wording to the state.

JACL

• Mark-Up Session Pleases JACL Rep, page 1. JACL Washington representative Ron Ikejiri praised the Senate committee’s inclusion of 1,000 Aleuts in the redress commission’s findings, saying it strengthens the bill’s scope. He expressed hope the Senate action would spur the House to move forward on its own version of the commission bill.
• Nat’l JAYS Confab Slated July 22-27, page 1. The 1980 Japanese American Youth conference will be hosted by Northern California JAYS at Sacramento State July 22-27, with registration limited to the first 250 due to housing constraints. The $100 fee covers conference expenses including meals, lodging, transportation and workshops.
• Constitutional Revisions, by Floyd Shimomura, page 4. JACL’s National Constitutional Revision Committee, chaired by Judge Mikio Uchiyama, has prepared a revised constitution to be presented at the National Convention in San Francisco. Key changes include strengthening the National Board’s role, clarifying the National Council’s policy-setting function, reforming elections, and making membership dues more flexible.
• NC-WN Proposes Proportional Voting in National Council, page 7. The Northern California-Western Nevada District Council proposed a plan for proportionate voting at JACL’s national convention, assigning chapters votes based on membership size rather than one vote per chapter. The proposal, requiring a three-fourths majority to pass, aims to better represent larger chapters and encourage greater membership participation.

Community

• ‘Speak English Only’ Policy at Work ‘Racist’, by Linda Ogawa Ramirez, page 2. San Francisco city employees have complained about department policies restricting employees from speaking their native languages at work, with one advocate calling such policies racist. The Human Rights Commission is investigating which departments have issued such directives, including one in the Department of Social Services instituted in 1976.
• Village Plaza Gets Nat’l HUD Award, page 3. The Housing and Urban Development’s honor award for urban design was presented to Japanese Village Plaza in Los Angeles. The award was received by architect-developer David Hyun and other officials from HUD Secretary Moon Landrieu.
• Hawaii Herald Revived, page 3. The Hawaii Herald is being revived by Hawaii Hochi as a semi-monthly tabloid starting May 16, with Kenneth Toguchi as editor. The paper, which previously lasted 4.5 years until a 1973 paper shortage, will emphasize Japanese heritage and community communication.
• Nitta Cherry Trees Bloom, page 3. Thirty-seven Japanese cherry trees donated by longtime Philadelphia JACLer S. John Nitta and planted in 1976 at a memorial park bloomed for the first time in late April. The number of trees symbolized Nitta’s years of residency in the area.
• Topaz 45 Grads Plan Reunion, page 3. The Topaz High class of 1945, the only group to receive its entire secondary education in a WWII camp, will hold its 35th year reunion on August 16 at the Miyako Hotel in San Francisco. Graduates needing details were directed to contact general chairman Sam Nakaso.
• Chapter Pulse, page 7. Brief roundup of chapter activities including Hollywood JACL’s tour of the Edward Morse Japan Day-by-Day exhibit at Pacific Asia Museum led by art historian Tomoo Ogita, Las Vegas JACL’s preparations for a food booth at the Las Vegas International Festival, New York JACL’s fundraising theater party for Wakako Yamauchi’s play ‘The Music Lessons’, and Placer County JACL’s spring clean-up of the Okei gravesite and Wakamatsu Colony memorial garden.

Sports

• Zebras 50th Year Gala Reunion Set, page 2. The San Jose Zebras basketball organization will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a banquet on May 25 featuring guest speakers Dr. Robert Bronzan and Rep. Norman Mineta, a former Zebra player. A reunion mixer, memorial service, and invitational basketball tournament are also planned for the weekend.

In-Depth

• JACL in Japan Attractive to Sansei, by Nancy Ukai, page 3. Barry Saiki, president of the newly-formed Tokyo chapter of JACL, discusses the diverse experiences of Nisei and Sansei living in Japan and plans to collect their oral histories. The article traces waves of Japanese American migration to Japan before and after WWII, including those who served as translators during the postwar occupation.

Arts & Entertainment

• Sculpture Removal Shocks Noguchi, page 3. Sculptor Isamu Noguchi criticized the removal of his aluminum sculpture from the Bank of Tokyo lobby near Wall Street as ‘vandalism and very reactionary’. The sculpture had been commissioned by the bank in 1975 and praised by the New York Times architecture critic.
• ‘30,000 Negatives’ Documentary to Air, page 7. NHK-TV’s hour-long documentary ‘30,000 Negatives’ about photographer Toyo Miyatake will air as a UTB special on Channel 18 on May 23. It previously aired throughout Japan in March.

Commentary

• Volunteers, by Clifford Uyeda, page 4. JACL National President Clifford Uyeda discusses the delicate balance between paid staff and volunteer leadership within JACL, noting that both are indispensable to the organization’s function. He emphasizes that elected volunteer officers set policy while staff manage daily operations, with conventions serving as the mechanism for change.
• Double Standard, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Marutani criticizes the double standard imposed on minority groups, who are often asked whether their proposals have unanimous support despite the lack of such unanimity being required of mainstream political decisions. He also notes that minorities themselves impose harsher standards on their own candidates for office than are applied to candidates from the majority.
• Radiation Victims: The Growing Concern, by Sheridan Tatsuno, page 4. Kanji Kuramoto, president of the Committee of Atomic Bomb Survivors, testified at Citizens’ Hearings for Radiation Victims in Washington D.C. alongside over 100 other radiation victims including atomic test veterans and uranium miners. The hearings led to a commission statement calling for independent research, victim notification, and uniform federal compensation for radiation victims, with several related bills currently pending in Congress.
• Thai Community’s Water Festival a Hit, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa describes attending a Water Festival celebration by Denver’s Thai community along with Vietnamese, Cambodian and Laotian friends, featuring traditional dances and music alongside disco. He reflects on the differences between this joyful immigrant celebration and the more somber gatherings of Nisei expatriates he once observed in Japan.
• Is There a Christian View on Redress?, by Rev. Andrew N. Otani, page 6. Rev. Otani examines debates within the Japanese Convocation of the Episcopal Asiamerica Ministry over whether supporting JACL’s redress campaign is ethically consistent with Christian values. He concludes that both supporters and opponents of redress include people with genuinely ethical motivations, citing Senator Inouye’s framing of redress as a matter of honor and constitutional rights rather than money.
• Le Grandeur de la France, by Fred Fukazawa, page 8. Fukazawa reflects on the changes in Paris since his earlier years living there, noting the shift from wine to beer drinking, declining French wine prestige against California vintages, and the fading elegance of once-glamorous districts like the Champs-Elysees. He observes rising costs, increased security in jewelry shops, and worries that French traditions will fade as the older generation passes away.

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