A Census Bureau denial and the Heart Mountain memorial, 1982

Vol. 95, No. 21, November 19, 1982. 8 pages. View this issue

The Census Bureau’s denial of a charge made in John Toland’s book “Infamy” led the November 19, 1982 issue. Director Bruce K. Chapman said the Bureau never released names and addresses of Japanese Americans before World War II, in a story by Raymond Okamura. Elsewhere on the front page, Los Angeles County approved payments to Japanese Americans fired from county jobs during the war. Bill Hosokawa’s column described efforts to memorialize the Heart Mountain camp in Wyoming, and Clifford L. Uyeda compared the wartime incarceration (often called internment) with the removal of Navajos at Big Mountain.

The eight pages also carry Peter Imamura’s look at civil rights voting records for Nikkei lawmakers and Bill Marutani’s column asking whether National JACL has long-range plans. Community pages cover Little Tokyo condominium plans, a visit by Rev. Kiyoshi Tanimoto to the Bay Area, and chapter news on the redress campaign from several JACL districts.

What’s in this issue

National

• Census Director Denies Stats Were Used to Intern Nikkei, by Raymond Okamura, page 1. Census Bureau Director Bruce K. Chapman denied claims in John Toland’s book ‘Infamy’ that the Bureau secretly released names and addresses of Japanese Americans to the White House before WWII. A bureau report concluded Henry Field’s account, the source for Toland’s claim, was inaccurate and that no names or addresses were ever released from census records.
• Nikkei Scientists Contribute to Development of New Insulin, page 1. Human insulin produced by bacteria through recombinant DNA techniques developed at City of Hope National Medical Center and Genentech has been approved by the FDA for sale in the U.S. The breakthrough, led by Nikkei scientists including Keiichi Itakura, represents the first human health care product from recombinant DNA technology approved for sale in the United States.
• Payment for Fired Nikkei L.A. County Workers Passes, page 1. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an ordinance authorizing reparations to Japanese Americans fired from county jobs during World War II. The measure, proposed by Supervisor Kenneth Hahn, provides payments of $1,250 per year for up to four years to about 49 qualifying former employees.
• Nisei Balloonist Won’t Try Again, page 1. Adventurers Maxie Anderson and Don Ida abandoned their third attempt to fly around the world in a helium balloon after a leak forced an early landing just 17 hours into the flight. Both men said they had no plans to attempt the feat again.
• Trade Pressure on Japan Continues, page 1. A U.S. trade negotiator said talks with Japan made no progress on tobacco, beef and citrus products, warning that American frustration with Japan’s trade barriers has reached a critical stage. A Japanese negotiator responded that Japan is willing to negotiate but has limited flexibility given domestic political pressures from farmers.
• Japan Robot Will Inspect Nuclear Plants, page 1. Toshiba Corp. announced it developed a multi-joint, snake-like robot for inspection work in hazardous environments like nuclear reactors. The prototype can navigate past physical barriers and carry a welding gun to perform minor repairs on reactor piping.
• Japan to Import ‘Sushi Robots’, page 1. A Japanese manufacturer, Suzumo Co., obtained U.S. import clearance for 20 robots capable of making sushi four times faster than a trained chef. The machines, classified as food processing equipment, will begin selling on the West Coast this month.
• Asian Stunt Persons Charge CBS-TV Series Discriminates, page 1. Six Asian American stunt performers filed complaints with the Screen Actors Guild and EEOC alleging that Columbia Pictures Television’s ‘Bring ‘Em Back Alive’ hired white stuntmen painted to look Asian while bypassing qualified Asian performers. The performers, members of the Asian Stunts Assn., say the studio may attempt to blacklist them for filing the complaint.
• Noguchi Named Head of Medical Group, page 2. Dr. Thomas T. Noguchi, awaiting appeal results of his demotion from L.A. County’s chief medical examiner-coroner post, was elected president of the National Assn. of Medical Examiners. A support group, Concerned Americans for Responsible Progress, plans a meeting to discuss recent civil service hearings on his case.

Community

• Peace Leader to Visit Bay Area, page 2. Rev. Kiyoshi Tanimoto, a central figure in John Hersey’s book ‘Hiroshima’ and co-founder of the Hiroshima Maidens Project, will speak on peace and reconciliation during a Bay Area tour. Accompanied by his wife Chisa, he will preside over church services, meet with UC Berkeley students and faculty, and attend a JACL reception.
• Scholarship Named for Nikkei Newscaster Awarded at SFSU, page 2. KPIX TV-5 anchorwoman Wendy Tokuda presented the first Wendy Tokuda Broadcast News Journalism Scholarship to Donna Lee Cooper, a senior at San Francisco State University. Tokuda established the award to aid low income, minority and women students pursuing careers in journalism and broadcasting.
• L.A. Asian Service Agencies to Receive Over $500,000, page 3. The Los Angeles City Council Committee on Grants, Housing and Community Development allocated $526,384 in federal funds to nine Asian community service agencies, representing 25.7% of total funds distributed. Agencies receiving funds include the Little Tokyo Service Center, Chinatown Service Center, and San Fernando Valley Japanese American Community Center.
• Condo Plans Approved for Little Tokyo Area, page 3. The Community Redevelopment Agency approved final design drawings for a 167-unit condominium project in Little Tokyo pending minor structural changes. The development by Little Tokyo Housing Development, Inc. will be located on 3rd Street between Central and Alameda.
• Forum on Retirement for Nisei Set in S.F., page 3. Nisei and Retirement will hold an open forum on support services for out-of-home care of the aged at the JACL National HQ Building in San Francisco. Speakers will include representatives from the Kimochi Board and Care Home Project, Mt. Zion Geriatric Services, and other elder care programs.
• Ikebana Basket Show Slated at Huntington, page 3. An Ikebana bronze, ceramic and basket show will be held at the Huntington Library, sponsored by the Ikebana Japanese flower arranging class of the San Marino League. Approximately 75 different vessels and containers will be exhibited, some dating from the 15th century.
• Little Friends Holds Arts and Crafts Fair, page 3. Nihonmachi Little Friends, a Japanese bilingual/bicultural childcare center in San Francisco, will hold a Christmas Arts and Crafts Fair featuring handmade items by local artists. Proceeds will benefit the Center and its After School Program.
• Dance Class in Seinan Area Robbed, page 3. A lone gunman brandishing a toy shotgun held up about 20 members of a dance class at Senshin Church in the Seinan District, making off with an undetermined amount of cash. No one was injured in the robbery, which took place during the weekly dance session.
• Berkeley JACL Sets Christmas Lunch, page 6. The Berkeley JACL will hold an appreciation luncheon and Christmas party for Issei and senior Nisei over age 70 at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Guests are asked to bring an exchange gift not exceeding $1.50 in value.
• Contra Costa CARP Focuses on Health, page 6. The Contra Costa JACL will hold its monthly Aging and Retirement Program meeting at the East Bay Free Methodist Church. Guest speaker Dr. Yoshiye Togasaki will discuss hypertension.
• Two Longtime JACLers Recognized by Japanese Government, page 6. George Azumano and Frank Masatoshi Hisayasu, two longtime JACL members, were honored by the Japanese government with the Order of the Rising Sun on Culture Day among 29 foreigners from 15 countries. Other Americans receiving decorations included Dr. Franklin D. Murphy and S. Dillon Ripley of the Smithsonian Institution.
• West Valley Holds Christmas Store, page 8. The West Valley JACL and Senior Club is offering a Christmas Boutique featuring handmade futon in various sizes including baby futon, plus other gift items made by Senior Club members. The boutique runs through December 15 with varying weekday hours.

Obituaries

• Nellie Sakura Kanzaki Dies in Seattle, page 2. Nellie Sakura Kanzaki, 67, a longtime New Jersey resident and former newspaper reporter and editor, died in Seattle. She was active in community organizations including Nikkei Concern and Keiro Nursing Home Volunteers, and is survived by her husband, two daughters, two grandsons, and several siblings.
• Portland’s Kimie Tambara Dies, page 8. Kimie Kay Tambara, 63, a longtime Portland community activist and English-language editor of a bilingual newsletter, died of a heart attack. She was interned at Minidoka during WWII, worked on the camp newspaper, and later founded the Community News newsletter while remaining active in JACL redress efforts.

Arts & Entertainment

• ‘East Wind’ Magazine Looks at Asian Issues, page 3. The Fall/Winter issue of East Wind magazine focuses on topics including Nikkei atomic bomb survivors, nuclear disarmament, Hawaiian sovereignty, and the case of Korean immigrant Chol Soo Lee. Copies can be obtained by mail from the publication’s San Francisco office or purchased in Los Angeles through the Little Tokyo Service Center.
• Pan Asian Rep. Sets ‘Yellow Fever’ in NY, page 3. The Pan Asian Repertory Theater will open its sixth season with ‘Yellow Fever,’ a mystery-comedy by R.A. Shiomi, previewing at the 28th St. Playhouse in New York. The play opens December 1 and runs through December 19.

Commentary

• Civil Rights ‘Report Cards’, by Peter Imamura, page 4. The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights released its Voting Record for the 97th Congress, rating lawmakers on civil rights issues including school desegregation, fair housing, and voting rights. Nikkei legislators Inouye and Matsunaga scored well, Hayakawa scored poorly, and Matsui and Mineta both received perfect scores in the House.
• Goldberg’s Comments, by David A. Maxon, page 4. A letter writer criticizes former Justice Arthur Goldberg’s effort to discourage formal attacks on the Korematsu decision, noting the timing coincides with revelations about Census Bureau misconduct. The writer argues the government’s perversion of the legal system for political gain must be addressed to prevent other ethnic groups from suffering similar fates.
• Memorializing the Heart Mountain Camp, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. The columnist recounts a visit with Wyoming state senator Cal Taggart and former camp neighbor Chester Blackburn, discussing efforts to preserve the Heart Mountain War Relocation Center site. Plans include a scholarship for students writing about the Heart Mountain experience, a highway sign directing visitors to the memorial park, and a possible future reunion at the campsite.
• National JACL: Dead in the Water?, by Bill Marutani, page 5. The columnist questions whether National JACL has developed meaningful long-range plans and goals for the organization’s future. He argues that planning should be undertaken by a body separate from the National Board, one free to think imaginatively beyond day-to-day practical concerns.

Incarceration & Redress

• Another ‘Relocation’, by Clifford L. Uyeda, page 4. This column draws parallels between the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans and the forced removal of 10,000 Navajos from land surrounding Big Mountain, Arizona under Public Law 93-531. The author details the history of Navajo land seizure for mineral and grazing rights and argues that America’s racism toward Native Americans undermines its credibility on human rights.

JACL

• Mike Mitoma Named to JACL Endowment Comm., page 6. Mike Mitoma, chairman and CEO of the upcoming Pacific Business Bank, has been named to the JACL National Endowment Committee for a six-year term. He joins Mike Masaoka, Dr. Roy Nishikawa, Tomio Moriguchi and Y. George Kodama on the committee and will serve as interim chairperson.
• N.Y. JACL Planning for ’83 EDC/MDC Convention, by B.J. Watanabe, page 6. The Eastern District Council held its quarterly meeting in Philadelphia, highlighted by a report on the National JACL Leadership Program, a new pilot program to train young JACL leaders in Washington D.C. The meeting also discussed plans for the joint EDC/MDC Convention scheduled for August 1983 in Manhattan, including workshops on redress and Asian American issues.
• Placer County Slates Elections, page 6. Placer County JACL will present a slate of 18 candidates to members to elect ten directors for two-year terms. Official ballots will be mailed to members with a voting deadline of November 27 at the annual general meeting.
• PSWDC Redress Meeting Nov. 19, page 6. PSWDC Governor Cary Nishimoto announced the district redress committee’s second meeting, chaired by Harry Kajihara, will be held at the JACCC Building. The meeting is scheduled for Friday, November 19 at 7:30 p.m.
• Yosh Nakashima Re-elected to NCWNPDC Governorship, page 8. Yosh Nakashima was re-elected governor of the Northern California-Western Nevada-Pacific District Council, with new board members including Dr. Yoshio and several chapter representatives joining. The meeting covered JACL’s redress program fundraising campaign, scholarship awards, and plans for a biennial Tri-District JACL Convention in April 1983 hosted by the Alameda Chapter.

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