Census outreach, redress history and a slur on PBS

Vol. 110, No. 13, April 6, 1990. 12 pages. View this issue

The U.S. Census was the lead story. Asian American leaders, including JACL’s Paul Igasaki, raised concerns with Census Director Barbara Bryant about the slow pace of outreach to monolingual immigrant communities. Also on page 1, Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga and William Hohri spoke at a historians’ conference in Washington about the incarceration (often called internment) and redress, including the coram nobis cases of Korematsu, Hirabayashi and Yasui. JACL also joined a protest after the moderator of PBS’s Inside Washington used a racial slur, and called for repeal of employer sanctions in the 1986 immigration law.

The commentary pages included Bill Hosokawa on missed opportunities with Japanese business in Los Angeles, Velina Hasu Houston on a store sign using the same slur, and Eiji Suyama on the 442nd Regimental Combat Team’s April 1945 assault on the Gothic Line. Other pages covered Little Tokyo sculptures, San Jose’s Japantown revitalization, Gila River reunion plans, and a photo exhibit on the detention camps.

What’s in this issue

National

• U.S. Census Hears Asian Concerns, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Asian American community representatives raised concerns at a U.S. Census Bureau press conference about the slow pace of outreach efforts to monolingual immigrant communities. JACL’s Paul Igasaki and other Asian American leaders questioned Census Director Barbara Bryant and Commerce Secretary Robert Mosbacher about the delays.
• PBS ‘Inside Washington’ Moderator Used Epithet, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Complaints were received over use of the epithet ‘Jap’ by the moderator of PBS’s ‘Inside Washington’ program aired by KQED. JACL joined the protest, reminding producers that the term is derogatory like other ethnic slurs.
• North Carolina Killer Gets 35-Year Sentence for Racial Motivation, by From the Hokubei Mainichi, page 1. A jury found Robert Piche guilty of racially motivated second-degree murder in the killing of Jim Loo in Raleigh, N.C., and he received a 35-year sentence. Witnesses testified the Piche brothers racially taunted Vietnamese and Chinese students before the fatal assault.
• JACL Calls for Repeal of Discriminatory Employer Sanctions in Immigration Law, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL called for repeal of Employer Sanctions provisions of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act after a GAO report documented widespread discrimination against those perceived as ‘foreign.’ JACL representatives cited studies showing high rates of discriminatory hiring practices linked to the law.
• Harry Bridges Broke Nevada Anti-Miscegenation Law, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Labor leader Harry Bridges died March 30 at his home in San Francisco at age 88, survived by his Nisei wife Noriko Nikki Sawada. Bridges had successfully challenged Nevada’s anti-miscegenation law to marry her in 1958 and founded the International Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Union.
• Local Charities Overlooking L.A. Asian Causes, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A report by the Asian Pacific Planning Council found less than half of 1% of foundation and corporate donations in Los Angeles targeted Asian causes. Of 360 United Way-funded charities, only eight were Asian American groups, prompting a reassessment by United Way leadership.
• One Detroit Auto Mogul Talking Straight About Japan: ‘Why Can’t We Grasp the Truth of It, Get Mad and Fight Back?’, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Chrysler Chairman Ben Bidwell delivered a fiery speech criticizing Japan’s economic strategy as ‘centrally orchestrated economic aggression,’ prompting Detroit Free Press coverage of deepening U.S.-Japan tensions. Other commentators including David Gergen and Rep. Sander Levin weighed in on the need for American self-reflection amid rising anti-Japanese sentiment.
• Florida Stiffens Penalty for Crimes Aroused by Hate, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Florida Gov. Bob Martinez signed a ‘hate crimes’ law increasing penalties by one degree for felonies or misdemeanors motivated by race, ethnicity, religion or national origin. The law takes effect October 1.
• UC Students Make Demands on Minority Issues, by From the Hokubei Mainichi, page 11. UC Berkeley students protesting the university’s minority policies took over a campus building, resulting in 45 citations for trespassing, with negotiations leading to agreements on student monitoring of admissions and transfer assistance programs. Demands also included faculty tenure diversity and a gay studies department amid charges that tenured faculty was 91 percent white.

Community

• Kosuge’s Sculpture Stands Tall in Little Tokyo, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Tokyo-born sculptor Michihiro Kosuge dedicated bronze and stainless steel sculptures in Little Tokyo’s Gilbert Lindsay Mall, installed just before Christmas last year. The origami-like pieces, commissioned by All Right Corp., depict lanterns and temple garan decorations.
• San Jose Japantown Seizes Unique Opportunity for Revitalization of Business & Community Life, by P.C. Staff, page 2. San Jose’s Japantown Business and Professional Association has worked with the city since 1986 on revitalization using federal block grant funds, including streetscape improvements and building renovations. A major planned project is a mixed-use anchor development by the San Jose Nihonmachi Corp. on 6.4 acres currently occupied by a city maintenance yard.
• Cal State L.A. to Hold Civil Rights Symposia, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Cal State L.A. will present a two-part civil rights forum honoring the 25th anniversaries of the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act. Sessions will be held April 12 and 19, free and open to the public.
• Calif. Human Service Scholarships Available, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Asian Pacific Community Counseling board, Pacific Bell and PG&E announced a third annual scholarship program offering six $500 awards to Asian Pacific Islander students entering human service fields. The application deadline is May 11.
• Library Dedicated to Author Uchida, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Berkeley’s Longfellow Intermediate School dedicated its library to Yoshiko Uchida, a graduate and author of more than 26 books on the Japanese American experience. Uchida was honored as one of ten outstanding women on the 1990 National Women’s History Month poster.
• Ohyama to Lead L.A. Japanese Orchestra, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Maestro Heichiro Ohyama, principal violist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, was appointed music advisor to the Japan Philharmonic Society of Los Angeles. He will conduct the remaining concerts of the season.
• Japan Offers Mombusho Scholarships to U.S. Graduate Students, Travel Included, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Applications are available for the 1991 Japanese Government Scholarship for American graduate students to study in Japan, administered by the Ministry of Education. The scholarship covers transportation, stipend and school fees for one and a half to two years of study.
• Gila River Camp’s Butte High Grads Slate Reunion, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Former members of Butte High School, part of the Gila River Internment Camp during WWII, will hold a reunion Oct. 5-7 in San Luis Obispo, California. All friends and acquaintances from that period are urged to attend.
• Saga of San Diego Pioneer Asakawa Family Part of Local Press Feature on Ethnic Mix, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The San Diego Tribune featured three generations of the pioneer Asakawa family as part of a story on the city’s ethnic mix, tracing the family’s history from 1907 immigration through wartime internment at Poston and postwar return to San Diego. Moto Asakawa built a successful nursery business and remains active in community affairs including the Japanese Friendship Garden project.
• Community Center to Honor Fundraiser Wada, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Northern California will host a dinner celebrating the successful conclusion of its VISION 80s capital campaign, honoring campaign chairperson Yori Wada. Dianne Feinstein will head the honorary dinner committee.
• THE NEWSMAKERS, by P.C. Staff, page 9. This roundup profiles numerous Japanese Americans achieving recognition, including Cynthia Mayeda’s appointment as director of the Dayton Hudson Foundation, sculptor Ruth Asawa’s Cyril Magnin Award, and Rose Matsui Ochi’s appointment to the California Center for the Study of Asia Task Force. Other honorees include Thomas Okita, Linda Nakamura, Robert Mizukami, and WWII veteran Frank Nishimura among others recognized for professional and community achievements.
• Tukwila Nisei Councilman Outraged by Sobriquet, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Seattle Times columnist Erik Lacitis wrote that ‘visiting Tukwila’ was a euphemism for making love, prompting outrage from the Tukwila City Council including Nisei councilman Clarence Moriwaki. The community felt the column was an unfair way to publicize the city near Seattle’s Southcenter Mall.
• Midwest’s First Asian American Nursing Home Is Dedicated, by P.C. Staff, page 12. Japanese Americans in Chicago celebrated a groundbreaking ceremony for a Nikkei Keiro nursing home, the first Asian American nursing home in the Midwest, culminating an eight-year fundraising campaign by the Japanese American Service Committee. The $38.3 million, 180-bed facility will be funded through tax-exempt revenue bonds and community fundraising.
• Delano Nisei to Hold Reunion, by P.C. Staff, page 12. The Delano JACL is planning a Delano Nisei Reunion on May 19 at the Delano Bowl, nearly 48 years after the internment of local Japanese Americans. All former Delano Issei will be guests of the Japanese community at the event.

Incarceration & Redress

• Nikkei Address Conference on Internment, Redress, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga and other Nikkei addressed a joint historians’ conference in Washington, D.C. about internment and the redress movement, including discussion of the coram nobis cases of Korematsu, Hirabayashi and Yasui. William Hohri also spoke about the Hohri v. U.S. class action lawsuit and legislative history of redress.
• Common Memorial to Restore Pioneer Issei History on Vancouver Island Planned for 1991, by Y. Richard Yagi, page 3. The Japanese Canadian Memorial Monument Committee is planning memorials at Chemainus and Port Alberni cemeteries where Japanese Canadian graves have vanished due to wartime removal and decades of neglect. A dedication with a reunion of ex-Chemainus Nikkei is anticipated in 1991.
• PSW JACL District Supports JA Library Project to Publish CWRIC Testimonies, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The JACL Pacific Southwest District Trust Fund awarded a $2,300 grant to the Japanese American Library in San Francisco to edit and annotate 4,200 pages of CWRIC hearing transcripts. The project, coordinated by Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga, will document testimony from nearly 675 individuals who testified before the commission.
• Photo Display Shows Detention Camps, by Clifford Uyeda, page 8. The National Japanese American Historical Society’s photo exhibit ‘U.S. Detention Camps, 1942-1946’ premiered at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center, featuring over 80 photographs depicting various phases of camp life including dissidents and draft resisters. The exhibit also covers postwar resettlement and pilgrimages to former camp sites.

Arts & Entertainment

• Documentary on Vincent Chin Killing Wins Peabody, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Who Killed Vincent Chin? by Renee Tajima and Christine Choy won a George Foster Peabody Award for broadcasting excellence. The film examines the 1982 death of Vincent Chin in Detroit and the light sentences given to his killers.
• Clavell Short Story Contest Deadline of May 31 Is Near, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Short stories are being accepted for the 12th Annual James Clavell American Japanese National Literary Award, established to encourage Japanese Americans to write about their experiences in America. The $1,000 award winner will be presented at the Nikkei Foundation Gala Benefit in July.
• Kibei Poet’s Book Nominated for Coveted 1990 Pulitzer Prize, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Kibei poet Soichi Furuta’s book ‘Montefeltro: The Hawk Nose’ has been nominated for the 1990 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry. Furuta, a longtime contributor to New York Nichibei, will read at St. Andrews College and the first Laurel Festival of the Arts alongside other notable poets.

Military & Veterans

• New Information Found: Nisei Actually Saved ‘Lost Texas Battalion’ Twice, 1st by 522nd FA, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A previously secret document revealed that the 522nd Field Artillery questioned an order to fire on a hill during the Lost Battalion rescue, which would have hit the battalion itself. The story reveals the Nisei soldiers of the 442nd saved the Texas battalion twice during the famous WWII rescue mission in the Vosges forest.
• Registrations Due for JA Vets Reunion in Hawaii, by P.C. Staff, page 11. The 15th National AJA Veteran’s Reunion is scheduled for June 27-30 in Kona, Hawaii, with a farewell banquet at the Kona Surf Hotel. Anyone planning to attend is urged to register by the April 15 deadline.

In-Depth

• JACL Connection at Meiji-Mura Shines in Seattle Home Reconstructed in 1982, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. JACL helped locate a Seattle Japanese Evangelical Church building that was dismantled and shipped to Meiji-Mura museum in Japan to represent Issei heritage in North America, joining structures from Hawaii and Brazil. The author recounts the history of the search led by Ken Nakano and the building’s dedication ceremony attended by the Yasutake family.
• Books Found Untrue to Japan-Jewish History, by Bruce M. Ramer and Neil C. Sandberg, page 8. The article details the historic friendship between Japan and Jewish people, including Jacob Schiff’s financing of Japan during the Russo-Japanese War and Japanese officials facilitating Jewish refugee escapes during both World Wars. The authors argue recent anti-Semitic publications in Japan contradict this history and call for greater education and dialogue between the two peoples.

Commentary

• Small Cut Hand, by Bill Marutani, page 4. In his ‘East Wind’ column, Bill Marutani explores the etymology of the Japanese word ‘kogitte’ (check), tracing the kanji meanings of ‘small, cut, hand’ through various compounds and idioms. He humorously admits he never found a satisfying answer to his original question about the word’s origin.
• Greed and Scam, by Jin Konomi, page 4. The Moshi Moshi column criticizes the Japanese government’s commemorative gold coin issue for Emperor Hirohito’s 60-year reign, noting the coins were overvalued by more than 100% versus their actual gold content. The huge price disparity created an opportunity for a massive counterfeiting scam involving 103,000 fake coins.
• Opportunity Knocked But We Were Busy, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. In ‘From the Frying Pan,’ Bill Hosokawa discusses the significant economic impact of Japanese business investment in Los Angeles and laments that many Nisei were unprepared to take advantage of these opportunities due to a lack of Japan-related skills. He attributes this to factors including the desire to Americanize, wartime hostility, and the disruption caused by internment.
• It’s Just an Abbreviation, by Velina Hasu Houston, page 4. In ‘A Brown Japanese American Speaks,’ the author recounts confronting a natural foods store over a sign reading ‘JAP EGGPLANT’ and her disturbing encounter with a Japanese American employee who dismissed her concerns. She argues that Asian Americans must maintain cultural and racial consciousness to combat racism, even when it seems minor.
• Proposed Monument Disgraceful, by Shigeya Kihara, page 5. A letter to the editor criticizes the Los Angeles 100th/442nd/MIS WWII Memorial Foundation’s plan to inscribe living veterans’ own names on a war memorial, comparing it unfavorably to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The author argues this concept is dishonorable and not supported by many Nisei veterans organizations.
• Remembering a Promise of Death, by Eiji Suyama, page 5. A veteran reflects on the 442nd RCT’s April 1945 assault on the Gothic Line in Italy, recalling the disconnection felt from society due to wartime incarceration and the strange sense of order that took over once battle began. He describes the successful pincer movement with the 100th Battalion that captured the ridge with minimal casualties for his unit.
• U.S.-Japan Groups Natural, by Shigeo Yuge, page 5. A letter to the editor responds to Bill Marutani’s prior column, arguing that common-interest groups for U.S.-Japan understanding don’t require professional expertise, only desire and interest. The author cites American Jewish groups supporting Israel as a model and urges Nikkei to form similar groups to protect their interests.
• On Top of the Nikkei Agenda, by Frank S. Okusako, page 5. A letter to the editor proposes that JACL/Pacific Citizen create position papers on Nikkei community issues to rebut media misrepresentation, and establish a central film archive documenting Japanese American history. The author also asks about efforts to exempt federal redress compensation from state taxation in Arizona.
• Military Costs High, by Nuclear Free Asian Pacific Committee, page 5. The Nuclear Free Asian Pacific Committee of Los Angeles describes the extensive U.S. military presence in the Asia Pacific region, including nuclear weapons stockpiles and bases in the Philippines, Korea, and elsewhere. The group argues this military presence has promoted dictatorships and economic hardship, and plans educational programs and legislative campaigns for base removal.
• It Was Time for This Book—Japan Can’t Say ‘No’, by Yoichi Masuzoe, page 5. A Japanese political scientist analyzes the controversy surrounding ‘The Japan That Can Say No’ by Shintaro Ishihara and Akio Morita, arguing the authors should have anticipated American backlash given their prominent status. He discusses ongoing U.S.-Japan trade friction over distribution systems and land costs, concluding Japan must adapt to international norms despite domestic resistance.

JACL

• JACL 1000 Club Photo Contest Cancelled, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The recently announced JACL 1000 Club photo contest has been cancelled, but members can still bring pictures to the 1000 Club Whing Ding at the National JACL Convention in San Diego. The convention committee will display photos for those unable to attend.

Obituaries

• Teiko Tomita, 93, Issei Poet Dies in Seattle, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Teiko Tomita, an Issei poet interned during WWII, died at age 93 in Seattle after recording her experiences with farm labor, internment and her daughter’s death through tanka poetry under the pen name Yukari. Her poems were translated by Dr. Gail Nomura but have yet to be published.

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