Vol. 103, No. 1, July 4, 1986. 8 pages. View this issue
Redress ran through much of this eight-page issue. Grayce Uyehara wrote about lobbying Congress for H.R. 442, Minoru Yasui tied the bill to the Statue of Liberty centennial, and Harry Kajihara reported that the first year of the JACL fund drive raised $178,374.88. The front page led with the guilty verdict in the death of Cambodian refugee Bun Vong, and also covered California’s English-only measure, which qualified for the November ballot.
Also inside: J.K. Yamamoto on the Japanese Americans who resettled at Seabrook Farms, a dedication at the Heart Mountain campsite in Wyoming with Congressman Norman Mineta, and Henry Sakai on the search for a new editor. Harry Honda explained the paper’s return to a larger tabloid format, and Southeast Asian students won scholarships from the Nisei Student Relocation Commemorative Fund.
What’s in this issue
National
- Guilty Verdict Handed Down in Bun Vong Case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Scott Arsenault was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Cambodian refugee Bun Vong and sentenced to 7 to 12 years. The case drew protests from Asian American community groups after an earlier mistrial and a lenient sentence for a related assault charge.
- English Initiative Qualifies for November Ballot, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A controversial measure to make English the official language of California qualified for the November ballot with over 815,000 signatures. Opponents, including Asian American and Hispanic organizations, fear it could be used to eliminate bilingual government services.
- Racial Motive Seen in Stabbing, page 1. Gary Moy, a 17-year-old Asian American student, was stabbed in Coney Island in an apparently racially motivated attack by a group of teens who shouted anti-Asian slurs. One assailant was arraigned while police investigate under a bias crime unit amid rising anti-Asian violence in New York.
Incarceration & Redress
- Jewish Community Organization Backs Redress, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Jewish Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of San Diego County announced support for redress bills H.R. 442 and S. 1053. Director Steven Klappholz said the council would inform San Diego-area members of Congress of its position, joining similar councils in Philadelphia, Seattle, Southern New Jersey and Oakland.
- Hearing on Aleut Redress Slated, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Hearings on the Aleut portion of H.R. 442 are scheduled for July 23 after JACL-LEC Executive Director Grayce Uyehara met with Rep. Dan Glickman. The bill includes a trust fund, individual compensation, and other remedies for Aleuts interned during WWII.
- History Students Get First-Hand Account of Japanese American WW2 Experience, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Three Nisei—Yosh Kawamoto, Key Kobayashi, and Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga—gave presentations to 11th grade classes at Madison High School in Vienna, Va., about their WWII internment experiences. Herzig-Yoshinaga criticized the lack of textbook coverage of the internment and urged more community education efforts.
In-Depth
- Seabrook: A Story of Resilience, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 1. Researcher Mitziko Sawada discussed the experiences of Japanese Americans who resettled at Seabrook Farms in New Jersey after leaving WWII internment camps. Despite disruption and hardship, former internees like George Sakamoto and Fuju Sasaki built a thriving community at Seabrook.
- Seabrook (Continued), by P.C. Staff, page 8. This continuation details how Seabrook Farms owner Charles Seabrook recruited Japanese American internees from all ten camps to address wartime labor shortages, building a community with churches, JACL chapters, and cultural groups. The Japanese American population at Seabrook later declined, dropping to 530 by 1970 as the company changed hands.
JACL
- Southeast Asians Win Scholarships From ‘College Nisei’, by J.K. Yamamoto, page 1. Twelve Southeast Asian high school students were awarded scholarships from the Nisei Student Relocation Commemorative Fund, established in honor of Nisei who were helped to leave internment camps for college during WWII. The fund continues the tradition of aiding refugee students fleeing Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.
- One Down, Two to Go, by Harry Kajihara, page 5. The first year of JACL’s 3-year Legislative Education Committee fund drive raised $178,374.88 toward lobbying for redress legislation. Prime solicitors, chapters, and districts across the country contributed, with Selanoco and Fresno chapters leading fundraising efforts.
- Seven Speech Finalists Named, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Seven finalists were named for JACL’s first National Speech and Forensic Competition, to be held at the National Convention in Chicago. Chevron USA is funding the competition and hosting a luncheon for the finalists.
- PC Board, by Henry Sakai, page 7. This continuation of Henry Sakai’s column further details Pacific Citizen’s financial struggles, the editor selection process, and the board’s efforts to raise salary ranges to attract qualified candidates. He expresses optimism about PC’s potential to grow into a top-grade national newspaper with improved facilities and staff.
Military & Veterans
- Veterans’ Monument Unveiled, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Over 500 people attended the unveiling of a monument honoring deceased Nikkei veterans at Montrose Cemetery in Chicago during a Memorial Day program. Maj. Gen. Allen Ono and other dignitaries spoke, and Mayor Harold Washington proclaimed the day Japanese American Veterans Memorial Day.
Community
- Temple to Mark 70th Anniversary, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Buddhist Temple of Alameda will hold a special anniversary service and banquet July 27 to commemorate its 70th anniversary. The temple survived WWII internment, during which its buildings were used by the U.S. Navy, and was reactivated when Japanese Americans returned.
- Women’s Network to Hold Hawaii Confab, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The National Network of Asian & Pacific Women will hold a conference in Honolulu Aug. 1-3 themed around the power of Asian Pacific women in the workplace. Workshops will cover entrepreneurship, professions, trades, and international women’s issues.
Commentary
- Confusing Patriotism With Xenophobia, by P.C. Staff, page 4. An editorial criticizes the ‘Official English’ ballot measure as xenophobic rather than unifying, arguing it could eliminate government services for immigrants. It contrasts the measure’s exclusionary goals with the inclusive message of the Statue of Liberty centennial.
- P.R. Problems, by Bob Shimabukuro, page 4. This column discusses Morton Thiokol’s public relations troubles following the Challenger disaster, including potential penalties and lawsuits. It also notes JACL’s direct mail campaign welcomed 246 new members and readers to Pacific Citizen.
- Back to the ‘Big’ Tabloid, by Harry Honda, page 4. General Manager Harry Honda explains that Pacific Citizen is returning to a larger tabloid format using a wider newsprint roll. He traces the history of the paper’s page dimensions since 1961.
- An Asian in the Hospital, page 4. A personal essay recounts the writer’s hospital stay, criticizing poor hospital design and disruptive routines while praising his own cultural tolerance as a patient. He describes devising countermeasures to hospital staff routines and his eagerness to leave once recovered.
- Contacting Congressmen, by Grayce Uyehara, page 4. This LEC Update column details the lobbying efforts of individuals like Yuri Tsukada and Mitsugi Kasai in securing congressional support for redress legislation H.R. 442. It highlights successful outreach strategies and encourages more JACL members to engage in similar lobbying.
- Warmth in a Windstorm, page 5. The writer describes the dedication of a war memorial at the Heart Mountain WRA campsite in Wyoming, despite a fierce windstorm during the ceremony. Congressman Norman Mineta and Minoru Yasui spoke, honoring the 22 Heart Mountain internees who died in WWII and highlighting the friendship between homesteaders and former evacuees.
- Liberty and Justice for All, by Minoru Yasui, page 5. Minoru Yasui’s column connects the Statue of Liberty centennial and the Constitution’s bicentennial to the unresolved injustice of Japanese American WWII incarceration. He argues that passage of H.R. 442 redress legislation would rectify constitutional violations and benefit the principles of the nation as a whole.
- The PC Editor Search, by Henry Sakai, page 5. Former PC Board Chair Henry Sakai explains the financial challenges facing Pacific Citizen and the process of searching for a new editor following Bob Shimabukuro’s tenure as acting editor. He describes efforts to raise the editor’s salary and grow the newspaper’s circulation and revenue.
Sports
- Contingent of U.S. Sansei to Take Part in Mexican Nikkei Olympics, by Harry Honda, page 6. An American Sansei team from Southern California will compete against Nikkei athletes from Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Peru in the 11th Mexican Nikkei Olympics in Mexico City. Team leader Carrie Okamura is soliciting donations for uniforms through Pacific Southwest District JACL.
Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.