Barry Saiki leaves Japan, and redress payments move closer

Vol. 110, No. 18, May 11, 1990. 8 pages. View this issue

Barry Saiki, founder and longtime president of the JACL Japan Chapter, was the subject of the front page. Calvin Kuniyuki wrote about his decades of work and his plan to return to California this year. The news turned to redress as well: Robert Bratt of the Office of Redress Administration spoke to crowds in Seattle and Oakland about verification and payment timelines, and about 8,000 names were reported verified as eligible. Rep. Daniel K. Akaka was appointed to the Senate seat of the late Sen. Spark M. Matsunaga, and Rep. Norman Mineta paid tribute to Matsunaga on the House floor.

Also in this eight-page issue: JACL’s Paul Igasaki testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee against employer sanctions in immigration law. Bill Hosokawa wrote about Japanese borrowings from English, and Bill Marutani and Ed Mitoma debated U.S.-Japan relations. Poet Garrett Hongo and playwright Philip Kan Gotanda won Guggenheim fellowships, and a page 8 story looked at Japanese Canadians marking April 1 as Freedom Day.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• Saiki — Mr. JACL Japan Chapter — Is Returning Home to California This Year, by Calvin Kuniyuki, page 1. Barry Saiki, founder and longtime president of the JACL Japan Chapter, is returning to California after decades of dedicated service. The article recounts his history of promoting Japanese American history and culture in Japan and his eventual decision to move on to other pursuits.

National

• Rep. Akaka to Fill U.S. Senate Seat, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Daniel K. Akaka was appointed to fill the Senate seat of the late Sen. Spark M. Matsunaga, who died of complications from prostate cancer. Akaka will serve until January when a special election winner is seated for the remainder of the term.
• JACL Testifies on Employer Sanctions in Immigration Law, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL Washington Representative Paul Igasaki testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee calling for repeal of employer sanctions in the Immigration Reform Act due to widespread discrimination against Asian and Hispanic Americans. Senator Kennedy has introduced legislation that would automatically repeal sanctions if discrimination is found, while Senator Simpson criticized JACL and other groups testifying against the law.
• JPL Nikkei Scientist Casts Eye on Pluto, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Bruce Tsurutani, a plasma physicist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is planning a Pluto solar probe mission that would be ahead of NASA’s schedule and lower cost. NASA has taken the proposal seriously according to reports.
• Bush Signs Bill Keeping Tabs on Hate Crimes Climb, by P.C. Staff, page 3. President Bush signed the Hate Crimes Statistics Act authorizing the Justice Department to track crimes motivated by racial, religious or sexual prejudice. However, FBI budget cutbacks threaten the agency’s ability to compile the required crime reports.
• JACL Testimony Continued: Discrimination, by P.C. Staff, page 8. This continuation of the front-page story details testimony from Paul Igasaki tracing the history of discrimination against Japanese Americans, including immigration and naturalization policy. He noted continuing failures to distinguish Asian Americans from foreign nationals and how employer sanctions law has led to discrimination against Asian American citizens.

Incarceration & Redress

• Seattle Redress Workshop Draws Record Crowd, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Approximately 300 Nikkei attended a standing-room-only redress workshop in Seattle with ORA Administrator Robert Bratt, who announced about 8,000 names were verified as eligible in the ‘ready to go’ category. Bratt discussed the verification process and provided updates on redress payment timelines.
• NCWNDC Sponsors Workshop for ORA, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Bob Bratt, administrator of the Office of Redress Administration, spoke to about 200 people at a workshop sponsored by JACL’s Northern California-Western Nevada-Pacific District in Oakland. He explained verification procedures, eligibility criteria for military members, and the process for heirs to receive redress payments.
• ORA Progress, by P.C. Staff, page 6. This continuation article provides detailed statistics on redress verification packages sent and returned in the Seattle area, broken down by ZIP code, along with warnings from Bob Bratt about delays affecting payment order. The event included a moment of silence for Sen. Spark Matsunaga and was organized by the Washington Coalition on Redress.
• Japanese Canadians Remember April 1 as Freedom Day, by P.C. Staff, page 8. There is a movement within the Japanese Canadian community to observe April 1 as ‘Freedom Day,’ marking the anniversary of the lifting of the last wartime restrictions against them in 1949. The article outlines other rights gradually restored to Japanese Canadians in the years prior, and notes that those born after April 1, 1949 are not eligible for redress.

Community

• Japanese Eating ‘American’ Food Not Found in U.S., by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Wall Street Journal reported that Japanese consumers are eating American-branded food products that don’t actually exist in the U.S., such as Aunt Stella’s cookies and Georgia Coffee. A corporate strategist notes that Japanese tastes for American imagery are difficult to predict for companies entering the market.
• El Cerrito High Senior Science Project Wins Bay Area Grand Prize, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Joel Toshiro Nagafuji, a senior at El Cerrito High School, won a grand prize at the Bay Area Science Fair for his genetic engineering project on DNA transformation. He tested his project at UC San Diego and plans to study molecular biology at UC Berkeley with the help of a JACL scholarship.
• Ikeda Bros. End 45-Year Family Operation, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Ikeda & Co., a Seattle wholesale Japanese food business started by the Ikeda family in 1945, was sold to Korean-owned Hanmi Inc. after the younger generation chose not to continue the demanding family business.
• New Ceramic Tile Mural OK’d for Denver Center to Include 6 Nikkei, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A proposed 600-foot ceramic tile mural for Denver’s new convention center will include the likenesses of six Japanese Americans among 168 Coloradans depicted, chosen by artist Barbara Jo Revelle. The honorees include astronaut Ellison Onizuka and civil rights advocate Minoru Yasui.
• Nisei Week Festival Seeks Souvenir Booklets, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Nisei Week Japanese Festival Booklet Committee is seeking souvenir books from prewar Nisei Week and select years to help document festival history ahead of its 50th anniversary. Committee Chair Frank Omatsu said all borrowed booklets would be returned to owners.
• Nikkei Win National Merit Scholarships, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Approximately 1,300 winners of corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarships were announced, with several Japanese American students among the recipients including Kimberly Doi, Irene Fujishima and others. The scholarships, funded by 400 corporations, are typically renewable for up to four years of college.
• Judy Chu Installed as Monterey Park Mayor, 2nd Asian Also Elected, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Judy Chu was sworn in as mayor of Monterey Park under the city’s rotating mayoral system, while Samuel Kiang became the second Asian American elected to the city council alongside Latino businessman Fred Balderamma. The election also saw the ouster of controversial councilman Barry Hatch and Mayor Pat Reichenberger.
• Burmese New Year Rites Observed at Azusa, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A three-day water festival marking the Burmese New Year was held at the Azusa Buddhist Meditation Center after neighbors allowed additional parking space. The center, founded in 1985 by a Burmese monk, was seeking a conditional parking permit from the city council.
• The Newsmakers, by P.C. Staff, page 6. This roundup column profiles several Japanese Americans making news, including Norio Endo who helped introduce lacrosse in Japan, Tomio Moriguchi honored as Volunteer of the Year in Seattle, and Fred Tsuchiya named Minnesota Young Engineer of the Year. Also featured are Ai Yokota’s recognition by President Bush and Eunice Sato’s congressional campaign.
• San Jose JACL to Host Scholarship Benefit, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The San Jose JACL is hosting a Casino Night Roundup fundraiser with a western theme to benefit chapter scholarship programs. The event features a barbecue dinner, gaming, and prizes donated by local businesses including hotel stays in Reno and Lake Tahoe.

Arts & Entertainment

• Hongo, Gotanda Win Guggenheim Awards, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Poet Garrett Hongo and playwright Philip Kan Gotanda were named Guggenheim Foundation fellows, each receiving grants of more than $30,000. Hongo plans to complete a prose memoir and third poetry volume, while Gotanda’s play was recently produced in Tokyo and his work The Wash was made into a film.
• Pacific American Ballet Theatre’s ‘Winter War’ Ready for California Premiere, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Pacific American Ballet Theatre will present the California premiere of ‘Winter War,’ a ballet depicting the Japanese American experience including internment and redress, choreographed by Mariko and Cory Jeanne Murakami. The ballet is dedicated to the late Minoru Yasui and Masamori Kojima, both of whom supported the production before their deaths.

Military & Veterans

• Mineta Remembers Sen. Matsunaga in House Floor Remarks to Colleagues, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Rep. Norman Mineta delivered remarks to the House of Representatives honoring the late Sen. Spark Matsunaga, a decorated 100th Battalion/442nd veteran who led the fight for redress legislation. The article also includes tributes from other colleagues praising Matsunaga’s dedication to civil rights and peace.

Commentary

• Racism in Peru, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This editorial discusses the racism directed at Alberto Fujimori, a presidential candidate in Peru of Japanese descent, by supporters of his rival. It traces the history of Japanese immigration to Peru and notes that U.S. wartime policy deporting Japanese Peruvians to detention camps contributed to lingering suspicion being exploited by racist elements today.
• Civil Rights Act of 1990, by Robert S. Sato, page 4. JACL Pacific Northwest District Governor Robert Sato explains the Civil Rights Act of 1990, which aims to reverse restrictive Supreme Court rulings and strengthen protections against workplace discrimination. He clarifies the bill does not create quotas but rather codifies prior law and provides remedies for victims of discrimination.
• English with a Japanese ‘Akusento’, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. In this Frying Pan column, Bill Hosokawa explores how young Japanese have adapted English words into trendy new vocabulary with meanings distinct from the originals, such as ‘manshon’ for apartment and ‘sekuhara’ for sexual harassment. He reflects on how these linguistic innovations mirror the society that created them.
• No Bridge Over Troubled Waters, by Ed Mitoma, page 4. In this letter to the editor, Ed Mitoma responds to Bill Marutani’s column criticizing JACL’s involvement in U.S.-Japan relations activities. Mitoma defends the National JACL U.S.-Japan Educational Committee’s careful scope and questions Marutani’s narrow viewpoint as National Vice President.
• Historic Opportunity, by Mas Odoi, page 4. In this letter to the editor, Mas Odoi argues that JACL can play a historic role at its 1990 convention in clearing up misunderstandings in U.S.-Japan relations. He discusses Japanese cultural values of honor and gratitude toward America’s postwar generosity while noting concerns about the trade deficit.
• Reason for Subscribing, by Ambrose Uchiyamada, page 4. In this brief letter to the editor, Ambrose Uchiyamada explains why he hadn’t renewed his subscription, citing lack of interest in JACL-focused content and skepticism about whether redress had truly been achieved. He nonetheless included a check to renew his subscription.
• Studying in Nippon: An Update, by Bill Marutani, page 5. In this East Wind column, Bill Marutani provides updated statistics on foreign students studying in Japan, noting the U.S. ranks fifth with 961 students behind China, South Korea, Taiwan and Malaysia. He highlights Andrew Nelson’s dedication in his Japanese-English dictionary to his son who passed Japan’s medical exams, as inspiration for those considering studying Japanese.
• Since the Economic Decline in Origin, by Ed Mitoma, page 5. Ed Mitoma challenges narratives of American economic decline relative to Japan, arguing that the U.S. remains a dominant economic and diplomatic power despite trade deficits. He contends that domestic issues like the savings and loan crisis and drug trade cost far more than the trade deficit with Japan.

Obituaries

• Ann H. Tokita, 83, Pioneer Issei, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Ann Tokita of Seattle and postwar Salt Lake City died of a heart attack at age 83. Widowed with eight children, she built a business empire of five hotels and apartments and was named JACL Japanese Community Mother of the Year in 1967.
• Chitose Uchida, 94, Nisei Teacher, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Chitose ‘Tose’ Uchida of Vancouver, B.C., died at age 94 as the last known survivor of the University of British Columbia’s first graduating class of 1916. She taught in one-room schoolhouses before and during WWII, including at internment relocation sites in Cariboo, B.C.
• William Chung, 81, Bethesda, Md., by P.C. Staff, page 7. William Chung, a native of Soochow, China, came to the U.S. in 1945 as a Chinese Nationalist diplomat and later became a U.S. citizen with a career in federal government. He is survived by his wife, five daughters including TV journalist Connie Chung, and grandchildren.
• Laurence Mineo Kido, 53, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Memorial services were held for Laurence M. Kido of Little Tokyo, California, at Kubota Nikkei Mortuary. He was born in Oakland and is survived by his daughter, brother, sister, and granddaughter.

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