CWRIC hearings in Washington and a vandalized garage in De Kalb

Vol. 93, No. 20, November 13, 1981. 8 pages. View this issue

The Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Citizens hearings in Washington drove the news. Peter Imamura reported on testimony by Karl Bendetsen and John J. McCloy, who defended the wartime evacuation while Commissioners William Marutani, Edward Brooke, Arthur Goldberg and Robert Drinan challenged them. Testimony by Leland Barrows on life in the camps ran across three pages. On the front page, vandals spray-painted a slur on the garage of Myron Kuropas, who had influenced the 1976 proclamation nullifying Executive Order 9066.

Elsewhere, a fund drive began for an Amache memorial, and a pilgrimage there drew 51 people. Columns came from Bill Hosokawa on the word kamikaze, Bill Marutani, Harry Honda and Nancy Shoji, who wrote on the $25,000 redress payment. The issue also covered JACL chapter news, a health plan dues increase, and the Seattle Bush-Asia Center.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

• Vandals Smear ‘Nip Lover’ on Ex-White House Aide’s Garage, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Myron Kuropas of De Kalb, who testified at CWRIC-Chicago hearings, found anti-Japanese graffiti spray-painted on his garage door. Kuropas, who had influenced Pres. Ford’s 1976 proclamation nullifying Executive Order 9066, said racism is resurfacing and speculated the vandalism could relate to competition between Japanese and American products.
• McCloy, Bendetsen Defend Their WWII Evacuation Decisions, by Peter Imamura, page 1. During CWRIC hearings in Washington on Nov. 2 and 3, retired Col. Karl Bendetsen and former Assistant Secretary of War John J. McCloy defended the wartime evacuation of Japanese Americans as necessary wartime measures, citing fears of Japanese invasion and sabotage. Commissioners including William Marutani, Edward Brooke, Arthur Goldberg, and Fr. Robert Drinan sharply challenged their testimony, pointing out contradictions and insensitive remarks, including McCloy’s suggestion that some Nisei soldiers may have been suspected of disloyalty before being discharged.
• Amache Memorial Campaign Underway, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A fund drive was launched by the Central Optimist Club of Denver to build a memorial monument for the roughly 7,500 Japanese Americans held at the Amache concentration camp during WWII. Organizers are appealing to all Japanese Americans, especially former Amache internees, to support the project.
• Barrows Speaks on WRA Before CWRIC, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Leland Barrows, a top WRA administrative official under both Milton Eisenhower and Dillon Myer, testified before the CWRIC about conditions in the relocation centers, explaining the origins of terms like ‘assembly center’ and ‘relocation center’ versus ‘internment camp.’ Commissioner Brooke questioned him closely about barbed wire, armed guards, labor, food and medical care in the camps.
• Amache Pilgrimage Draws 51, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A busload of 51 people made a pilgrimage in September to the former Amache camp site, organized by the Central Optimists. The visit included cleaning gravesites of 13 evacuees and a joint religious service conducted by Buddhist and Methodist clergy at the camp cemetery, which contains a 1945 memorial stone honoring 30 Nisei soldiers.
• Barrows Testimony Continued, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Continuing testimony from Leland Barrows before the CWRIC details camp conditions including barbed wire, armed guards, and enforcement of rules within camps, largely handled by evacuee councils themselves. Commissioner Brooke pressed Barrows on whether camp residents could leave freely and what happened when rules were violated.
• CWRIC Hearing: Barrows Testimony on Camp Conditions, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Continued testimony from Leland Barrows before the CWRIC addressed whether internees were compelled to work, food quality, medical attention, and recreational facilities in the camps. Barrows stated that work was voluntary and that camps were largely self-administered by evacuee councils.

National

• Supreme Court to Rule on Job Bias at Japanese Firm, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to rule on a case involving a Japanese firm’s hiring practices for executive positions under a 1953 treaty of commerce. The case raises questions about whether Japanese companies can favor Japanese nationals for top positions in the U.S.
• East Coast Nikkei to Testify Nov. 23, page 1. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye announced that East Coast Japanese Americans will testify regarding wartime experiences. The testimony is scheduled for Nov. 23.
• Asians Make Up 3.2% of NYC Population, by P.C. Staff, page 7. According to U.S. Census Bureau figures, Asians and Pacific Islanders constitute 3.2% of New York City’s total population of over 7 million. Whites made up the largest share at 51.9%, followed by Blacks at 24% and Hispanics at 19.9%.
• Sony Appeals U.S. Court’s VTR Ruling, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Sony Corp. announced it will appeal an Oct. 19 appellate court ruling that found makers and distributors of video tape recorders liable for copyright infringement damages. Sony chairman Akio Morita vowed to fight the decision up to the Supreme Court, arguing the technology benefits mankind.
• Gov. Ariyoshi Warns U.S. Cutback to Hurt, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Hawaii Gov. Ariyoshi warned that the state stands to lose about a quarter of its federal funding without adequate state dollars to make up the difference. He said local officials are being forced to restructure programs as new federal budget cuts take effect.

Community

• Torrance Elects Nikkei to School Post, page 1. Three winners were elected to a Torrance school board position, unseating two incumbents. Details of the election results were reported briefly.
• Con Man Victimizes Cal First Depositors, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A con artist in Oceanside, Ca. set up a fake night deposit box outside a bank, tricking patrons into depositing money and checks into it. Police reported victims lost money before the scammer removed the box later each night.
• 600 Hear Brokaw at AAJA Inaugural, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Over 600 people attended the first annual scholarship benefit dinner of the Asian American Journalists Association in Los Angeles, featuring NBC’s Tom Brokaw. Tritia Toyota spoke about AAJA’s mission to enhance Asian American roles in journalism and encourage young Asian Americans into the field.
• Contra Costa Honors Past Presidents, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Contra Costa JACL held a barbecue party recognizing its past chapter presidents dating back to pre-evacuation years, with the chapter having been founded in 1935. Plaques were presented to numerous past presidents, and several deceased former leaders were honored in memoriam.
• JACL/CBS Health Plan Needs Slight Dues Increase, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The JACL/California Blue Shield Health Plan negotiated an 11.86% dues increase starting Jan. 1, 1982, a relatively modest rise compared to the insurance industry’s projected 20-25% increases. The plan, initiated in 1965, now serves over 4,700 JACL members and their families from more than 70 chapters.
• NCWNP to Further Study Self-Insurance Concept, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The NC-WNP District Council referred a self-insurance concept proposed by Steve Okamoto to a special committee for further study, to report back at the next district meeting in March. The committee includes representatives from Calif. Blue Shield and Blue Cross.
• Bush Hotel Reopens as Seattle Asian Center, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Bush Hotel, once a mainstay of Seattle’s Nihonmachi, has been converted into the Bush-Asia Center as part of a $3.5 million preservation project. The building’s street-level units, which once housed Japanese American businesses, are now open to merchants and office space.

JACL

• Wakabayashi to Keynote WLA Inaugural, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL National Director Ron Wakabayashi will keynote West Los Angeles JACL’s 40th anniversary installation dinner on Nov. 21 at the Miramar-Sheraton Hotel. Charter members will be honored and chapter scholarships awarded at the event.
• Tsujimura to Address PSWDC, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Pacific Southwest District Council will hold its first session in southern Nevada since Las Vegas JACL joined as a member chapter, featuring national president Dr. James Tsujimura as guest speaker. The agenda includes election of district officers and committee reports on topics such as redress and ethnic concerns.
• Tateishi Denies Issuing Request for Extension, by P.C. Staff, page 1. John Tateishi of the JACL National Committee for Redress denied that his committee had requested chapter members to ask the CWRIC for an extension of time to prepare its final report. He stated the commission could use more time but that no such formal request had been issued by his committee.
• Diablo Valley JACL Wins Two District Awards, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Diablo Valley JACL won the NC-WNPDC Chapter of the Year and Scrapbook of the Year awards for small chapters at a recent quarterly session. Each award carried a $100 prize, with Mollie Fujioka accepting on behalf of the chapter.
• Min Yasui to Speak at Selanoco Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Min Yasui of Denver, national JACL redress committee chair, will be guest speaker at the 1982 Selanoco JACL installation dinner on Jan. 23 at the Buena Park Hotel. The chapter also announced a mochitsuki fundraiser for its scholarship program.
• Nominees Listed for Seattle 1982 Board, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Seattle JACL announced nominations for its 1982 board at the October board meeting, with Kathryn Bannai nominated for president. The full slate of nominees for various officer and board positions was listed.

Commentary

• Let Reason, Law Prevail, by Shiro Hotta, page 2. In a letter responding to a South Pasadena newspaper editorial, Shiro Hotta argues that if Executive Order 9066 is judged illegal, restitution to Japanese Americans would be appropriate, and that the federal government rather than individual citizens should be held accountable. He compares the situation to reparations paid to American Indians and warns against setting a precedent that could allow future unjust detentions of other ethnic groups.
• No Gohan?, by Harry Honda, page 4. The author recounts his visit to Rocky Ford, Colorado for a Mountain Plains District Council JACL event, noting cultural differences such as the absence of rice at the dinner and musing on broader Nikkei cultural quirks like matsutake hunting and misunderstood New Year rituals. He reflects on how these cultural differences both unite and distinguish Japanese Americans from the wider community.
• $25,000: A Testimony Not the Government, by Nancy Shoji, page 4. The author, who was incarcerated as a child during WWII, draws parallels between the Japanese American camps and Nazi concentration camps, reflecting on her experiences and later travels to Jerusalem. She argues that the proposed $25,000 redress payment is not merely money but a necessary acknowledgment of injustice and government responsibility.
• ‘Kamikaze’—A 13th Century Typhoon, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. In his From the Frying Pan column, Hosokawa explores the historical origins of the word ‘kamikaze,’ describing the 13th century Mongol invasions of Japan led by Kublai Khan that were repelled by typhoons. He details the massive scale of the failed invasions and suggests the dramatic history would make a great film.
• ‘Ethnic Hara-Kiri’: Revisited, by Bill Marutani, page 5. In his East Wind column, Marutani discusses the troubling phenomenon of ethnic minority members viciously attacking their own community members and organizations like JACL while ignoring real external threats. He speculates this may stem from self-insecurity and recommends ignoring such ‘ethnic assassins’ rather than giving them publicity.
• Washington Wrap-Up: Oral History Proposal, by Ron Ikejiri, page 5. Ikejiri discusses how the JACL Redress effort has brought generations of Japanese Americans closer together and proposes that JACL chapters develop an oral biography cassette library program. He cites William Zimmerman’s book on recording family histories as inspiration for preserving the community’s collective experiences.

Arts & Entertainment

• Art Professor’s Works to Be Displayed at LACC, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Ben Sakoguchi, a professor of art at Pasadena City College and UCLA graduate, will exhibit recent works at the Los Angeles City College Art Gallery from Nov. 14 through Dec. 10. He received the 1980 National Endowment for the Arts Artist Fellowship.

Sports

• Hayward Nishioka Heads Calif. Judo Group, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Hayward Nishioka, athletic director at L.A. City College, was elected president of Calif. Judo Inc., one of the state organizations under the national governing body U.S. Judo Inc. A rokudan and past Pan American and U.S. champion, Nishioka has been invited to train at the U.S. Olympic training center for the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

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