Vol. 94, No. 9, March 5, 1982. 8 pages. View this issue
Redress was the main business of this eight-page issue. Harry Honda reported that the National JACL Board, meeting in San Francisco, decided to set up a separate JACL Legal and Education Fund to lobby for a redress bill, and the Senate adopted HR 5021, which extended the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians. John Tateishi wrote about Min Yasui’s work leading the campaign, while Kathryn Bannai objected to a trust fund in place of individual payments. About 250 people marked the 40th anniversary of Executive Order 9066 with a march through Little Tokyo.
Also inside: a column by Bill Hosokawa on Sen. S.I. Hayakawa’s decision not to seek reelection, and Bill Marutani on JACL’s convention leadership. Other pages cover newly found Army photographs of Nisei in the Military Intelligence Service, a Nisei veteran’s honorable discharge after 36 years, and chapter news from South Bay and Chicago.
What’s in this issue
National
- JACL Legal & Education Fund to be established for redress, by Harry Honda, page 1. The National JACL Board, meeting in San Francisco Feb. 26-28, decided to establish a separate 501(c)4 organization called the JACL Legal and Education Fund to engage in lobbying for redress legislation. Contributions to this fund would not be tax-deductible, unlike existing 1000 Club donations to the tax-exempt JACL.
- CWRIC Extension Bill Passes Senate, page 1. The Senate adopted HR 5021 on Feb. 25, granting a one-year extension to the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians. This gives the commission more time to complete its work.
- Justice Dept. Blamed for Lax Civil Rights, page 1. The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights charged the Justice Dept. with allowing political considerations to corrupt fair administration of civil rights law in a 57-page document released Feb. 23. The report sharply criticized the Administration’s positions on school desegregation, voting rights and affirmative action, and JACL, a founding LCCR member, was expected to review it at its board meeting.
- Japan Denies Support of Nisei Businessman’s ‘Foreign Aid’ Plan, page 1. The Japanese government denied supporting Nisei businessman Sugahara’s proposed $10 billion investment fund to create U.S. jobs, calling reports of its endorsement false. Japanese officials and businessmen expressed disbelief about the plan, which was presented to the National Governor’s Association on Feb. 22.
- Supreme Court Gives INS Easier Access to Businesses in Raids, page 1. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Feb. 22 that INS may use search warrants lacking specific information such as names and physical descriptions when searching for undocumented workers. The ruling upheld an appeals court decision involving a 1978 raid on Blackie’s House of Beef restaurant that resulted in 14 arrests.
Military & Veterans
- Long-Buried and Misfiled MIS Photos Found in Army Library, page 1. Over 200 official U.S. Army photographs of Nisei in the Military Intelligence Service during WWII were discovered in Washington, D.C. by Eric Saul, curator of the Presidio Army museum, after being misfiled under ‘Japanese Prisoners of War’. The MIS Association of Northern California announced plans to send an expanded ‘Go For Broke/Yankee Samurai’ exhibit to Los Angeles, Honolulu and Washington, opening in L.A. Aug. 4.
- Nisei Veteran Wins Honorable Army Discharge After 36 Years, page 1. Kiyoshi Kawashima, 63, won an honorable discharge after 36 years following an Army Discharge Review Board hearing, reversing his 1946 ‘blue’ discharge. His attorney Capt. Hyman Bravin said the ruling is a test case that could help up to 300 other Nisei veterans get their discharges upgraded, as Kawashima described mistreatment of Nisei soldiers during the war.
Incarceration & Redress
- WW2 Aid of Quakers Recalled, page 1. San Francisco Nikkei and the local JACL observed the Day of Remembrance by honoring the American Friends Service Committee for their WWII-era assistance to internees, including placing over 4,000 Nisei in colleges and establishing hostels. AFSC member Virginia Heck received a certificate of appreciation at a Feb. 20 program at Christ Presbyterian Church.
- 250 Remember in Little Tokyo, page 1. Nearly 250 people marked the 40th anniversary of Executive Order 9066 by marching through Little Tokyo on Feb. 20, chanting for justice and reparations in a demonstration organized by the National Coalition for Redress-Reparations. Speakers included Ralph Lazo, Councilman Mas Fukai, Rep. Mervyn Dymally, and Masaharu Tanibata, who called for individual monetary reparations.
Commentary
- JACL’s Redress Ambassador, by John Tateishi, page 2. John Tateishi explains why he, not redress chair Min Yasui, writes the Redress column, describing Yasui’s grueling schedule and extensive personal sacrifice in leading the national redress campaign. He praises Yasui’s leadership, oratory skills, and tireless advocacy for redress over the past year.
- ‘I, Too, Am a Human Being!’, by Sachi Seko, page 4. The column connects the retrial of Chol Soo Lee, a Korean man convicted in a 1973 San Francisco killing, with the wartime experience of Japanese Americans who also felt their humanity was disregarded. It highlights Dr. Robert O’Brien, a longtime advocate for minorities who helped place Nisei college students during WWII internment and now actively supports Chol Soo Lee’s cause.
- Sen. Hayakawa’s Wise Decision, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa reflects on Sen. S.I. Hayakawa’s decision not to seek reelection, reviewing his unexpected rise to the Senate from a campus confrontation with student radicals. The column assesses Hayakawa’s mixed legacy and notes that Japanese American Senate representation will shrink to Inouye and Matsunaga of Hawaii.
- A Leadership for the Times, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Bill Marutani calls for JACL’s upcoming convention to elect leadership willing to embrace new ideas and take risks on behalf of the people it represents rather than clinging to the past. He urges the organization to speak out boldly on civil rights issues of the day rather than settling for platitudes.
- JACL Network, by Ron Wakabayashi, page 5. Ron Wakabayashi describes visiting local JACL chapters and reflects on the importance of the chapter network as the basic unit of the organization. He addresses chapter concerns about being treated as subordinate to National JACL and stresses the need for reciprocal support, particularly regarding the redress campaign.
- Trust Fund for Redress Seen as Breach of Faith, by Kathryn Bannai, page 6. Seattle JACL President Kathryn Bannai criticizes JACL’s shift toward a trust fund approach to redress instead of individual monetary payments, calling it a breach of faith with the redress campaign’s supporters. She lays out five reasons the trust fund concept is flawed and calls on National JACL to pursue individual compensation instead.
Community
- Oxnard’s Mayor Kato to Seek Calif. Assembly Seat for GOP, page 3. Oxnard Mayor Tsujio Kato announced his candidacy for the newly reapportioned 36th Assembly District as a Republican, noting there are currently no Asian American legislators in the State Legislature. Several other candidates, including retired businessman Nao Takasugi, announced plans to run for Oxnard mayor following Kato’s announcement.
- Tribute to Justice Tamura Slated, page 3. A dinner honoring retired Associate Justice Stephen K. Tamura will be held March 26 at the New Otani Hotel in Little Tokyo, organized by members of the Asian American legal and business community. A law scholarship in Tamura’s name has also been planned.
- Tom Shigekuni to Head South Bay, page 6. South Bay JACL installed 1982 president Tom Shigekuni and his board at a luncheon Feb. 28 at Torrance Recreation Center, with speaker Tak Matsuda discussing the historical beginnings of Japanese in America. Shigekuni, an attorney, previously headed the Gardena Valley JACL and is a founding member of the South Bay chapter organized in 1973.
- Social, Cultural Events on Chicago Calendar, page 6. Chicago JACL’s 1982 program began with a wine and cheese social Feb. 20 featuring pianist Pam Morita, followed by an upcoming tax and legal workshop March 8 covering topics like new tax law and affirmative action. Additional planned events include ballroom dancing lessons and a white water rafting excursion in May.
- Yick Wo School Breaks Ground, page 8. Ground was broken Feb. 23 for a new Yick Wo Elementary School in San Francisco, renamed in recognition of the 1886 U.S. Supreme Court decision that outlawed discriminatory business ordinances. Board of Education commissioner Ben Tom sponsored the resolution to rename the school.
JACL
- National Board Approves Legal and Education Fund, Reviews Convention Plans, page 4. Following up on the front-page story, this piece details additional National JACL Board actions including introduction of youth director David Nakayama, approval of the 1982 convention schedule, and a new 1000 Club Life Membership Restricted Fund. The board also addressed INS raids in Little Tokyo and campaign spending limits for convention elections.
Obituaries
- Tomoko Watanuki Yano, page 6. Tomoko Watanuki Yano, 64, died Feb. 10 in Salt Lake City after serving as a charter member of the Salt Lake JACL and on the boards of the chapter, IDC, and the Salt Lake JACL redress committee. She is survived by her husband Mas, son Kent T., daughter-in-law Donna, two step-grandchildren, brothers Isamu and Max, and sister Mrs. Reiko Imada.
Arts & Entertainment
- Cal.-Brewed Sake Faces Stiff Import Duty in Japan, by Joe Oyama, page 8. Numano Sake Co. president Curt M. Rocca Jr. spoke at the Berkeley JACL installation about challenges distributing California-made sake in Japan, where Japanese brewers pressured the government into imposing a huge import duty. New JACL president Kiyoshi Katsumoto also spoke about JACL’s role as a spokesman for the Japanese American community amid U.S.-Japan trade tensions.
- Nisei Watercolorist to Lead China Tour, page 8. Watercolor artist Lewis Suzuki, 61, will lead an art and sketching tour of China departing July 30, visiting Beijing, Shanghai, Guilin, Hangzhou, Guangzhou and Hong Kong. Suzuki, known for his ‘wet on wet’ technique, previously visited China in 1953 and 1981.
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