Redress eligibility, draft resisters and the 1990 JACL convention

Vol. 111, No. 1, July 6, 1990. 12 pages. View this issue

News from the JACL National Convention in San Diego filled this 12-page issue. Harry K. Honda reported on how the Office of Redress Administration explained the four-step eligibility process for Nisei veterans under the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. The House of Representatives also passed an appropriations bill with the first installment of redress payments, announced by Reps. Norman Mineta and Robert Matsui. A report from the Hokubei Mainichi covered Bay Area draft resisters, including Mits Koshiyama and George Uyeda, reacting to the resolution that recognized resisters as honorable Americans. Its full text ran on page 6. Convention coverage also included Karen Seriguchi on the speech competition, Trisha Murakawa on the National Youth Council, and Ed Mitoma on the U.S.-Japan relations workshop.

Elsewhere, Bill Hosokawa recalled covering the Korean War 40 years earlier, and Bill Marutani wrote about racism and free speech on campus. Shig Wakamatsu argued for the JACL Legacy Fund in a letter. Page 7 announced the six pioneers to be honored at the 50th Nisei Week.

What’s in this issue

National

• Redress Eligibility Process for WWII Nisei Servicemen Explained, by Harry K. Honda, page 1. At the JACL National Convention in San Diego, the Office of Redress Administration outlined the four-step process for WWII Nisei veterans to determine eligibility for redress payments under the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. Eligible veterans must show they were prohibited from visiting interned family or lost property due to exclusion zone restrictions.
• Bush Administration Appoints Six Asians, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Six Asian Americans, but no Japanese Americans, were named to policy-making positions, boards and commissions in the Bush Administration, according to RNC co-chair Jeanie Austin. The appointees include positions on the Federal Maritime Commission, INS, and the U.S. Civil Rights Commission.
• House Approves Bill with Redress Funding, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The House of Representatives passed an appropriations bill on June 24 including the first installment of redress payments to Japanese Americans interned during WWII. Reps. Norman Mineta and Robert Matsui announced the news, following President Bush’s signing of the entitlement provision the previous November.
• Workers Happy at Japan’s U.S. Auto Plants, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A survey of 200 workers at the Chrysler-Mitsubishi Diamond-Star Motors plant found two-thirds believed Japanese-U.S. automaker collaboration had a positive effect on the U.S. Negative opinions about Japanese culture, economy and work practices were expressed by a minority of workers.
• Matt Matsunaga Introduced in WDC, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Matt Matsunaga, son of the late Sen. Spark Matsunaga, launched his first campaign fund-raiser for the Honolulu-based 1st District House seat being vacated by Rep. Pat Saiki. Other candidates for Hawaii House seats include state Sens. Norman Mizuguchi and Donna Ikeda, and former Rep. Patsy Mink.
• Discussions Begin on Establishment of Asian American Think Tank, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics (LEAP) received a $60,000 planning grant from The James Irvine Foundation to study establishing an Asian Pacific American public policy institute. The task force, co-chaired by Don Nakanishi, will focus on information clearinghouses, 1990 Census analysis, and empowerment issues.
• Interracial Marriage: Shinagawa Assessment Looks into Asian American Motives, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A UC Davis study by Larry Shinagawa found Asian Americans in California who intermarry are likely to be women married to white men with higher socioeconomic status. Shinagawa’s research suggests racial and gender stereotypes, not just assimilation, drive intermarriage patterns among Asian Americans.

Incarceration & Redress

• ‘A Breakthrough for JACL’: Draft Resisters React Favorably to Resolution, by From the Hokubei Mainichi, page 1. The JACL resolution recognizing WWII Nisei draft resisters as honorable Americans received favorable reactions from Bay Area resisters like Mits Koshiyama and George Uyeda. The resolution, passed unanimously at the JACL convention, reversed the wartime JACL’s condemnation of resisters and expressed regret for past treatment, though it did not fully cover “no-no boys.”
• Guamanians to Push for Redress, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Guam Del. Ben Blaz asked Gov. Joseph Ada and Speaker Joe T. San Agustin to speed approval of amendments to a war reparations bill for Guamanians affected by Japanese atrocities during WWII. The Guam legislature and war reparations commission are resisting amendments proposed by Sen. Daniel Inouye.
• In The Pacific Citizen 45 Years Ago, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This historical retrospective recounts a 1945 California court ruling denying Japanese aliens the right to lease commercial property, along with news of Nisei GIs facing citizenship questions and California’s Alien Land Law enforcement. It also notes an ACLU reward for the arrest of anyone attacking Japanese Americans in California.
• Resolution 13: To Heal the Community’s Wartime Wounds, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The full text of Resolution 13, unanimously adopted by JACL’s National Council, formally recognizes WWII draft resisters as honorable Americans who defended constitutional rights. The resolution expresses JACL’s regret for its wartime failure to recognize this group and calls for community healing.

Community

• Recent Immigrants Strain Chinatown’s Resources, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A New York Times report describes how a new wave of Chinese immigrants, some undocumented and smuggled in, are straining resources in Chinatown communities in New York and the West Coast. Workers face exploitative wages, long hours and little job security in garment factories and restaurants while paying off smuggling debts.
• Bay Area Community Center Award Night Set, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California will host its fifth annual awards dinner at the Grand Hyatt Hotel on August 18. Yo Hironaka is dinner chair, with tickets priced at $60 per person.
• L.A. Unified School District Dedicates Its First Japanese American Named School, by Alvina Lew, page 3. Riggin Elementary School in East Los Angeles was renamed Morris K. Hamasaki Elementary School, honoring the dedicated principal who died of cancer at age 56 after 12 years leading the school. Brother-in-law Denny Yasuhara presented checks totaling $2,300 to the school on behalf of the Hamasaki family.
• Bainbridge Islanders Plan Aug. 12 Reunion, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Japanese Americans from Bainbridge Island, Washington will gather for a reunion picnic on August 12 at Strawberry Hill Park. A 100-year photo narrative exhibit on the local Japanese community, “Kodomo no Tame Ni,” will be on view at the nearby historical society museum.
• Watsonville JACL Awards Scholarships, by Mas Hashimoto, page 3. Watsonville JACL awarded $500 scholarships to seniors Kiminari Akiyama and Laura Nakashima of Watsonville High, both voted “most likely to succeed” by peers. Both students played leading volunteer roles on the Earthquake Relief Committee assisting classmates made homeless by the 1989 and 1990 temblors.
• Sacramento JACL Establishes Local Endowment Fund, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Sacramento JACL board voted to establish an endowment fund to help cover fixed chapter expenses, appointing a development committee led by fundraising chair Royce Makishima. Interest from the fund is expected to offset office expenses including the cost of a part-time office coordinator.
• 50th Nisei Week to Honor Six Pioneers, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Six Nikkei community pioneers—Fumiko Takei, Tsutomu Maehara, Tetsujiro Nakamura, Yuichiro Yamaguchi, Ethel Kohashi, and Hiroshi E. Hishiki—will be honored during the Nisei Week Japanese Festival’s 50th anniversary, riding in the grand parade on August 19. Each honoree’s extensive community service and biographical background, from prewar internment to decades of civic leadership, is detailed.

Military & Veterans

• Chicagoan Promoted Army’s Youngest Two-Star General, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Major General James Hidafumi Mukoyama became the youngest two-star general in the Army and the first Japanese American to command a division, taking charge of the 70th Division. Mukoyama, 45, credited his faith, mentors, and subordinates for his rapid rise through the ranks over his 24-year Army career.

Commentary

• The Effects from ‘Bashing’, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This editorial discusses Michael Porter’s 855-page report “The Competitive Advantage of Nations,” which argues that American shortcomings—not unfair Japanese competition—explain U.S. manufacturers’ struggles. The piece criticizes political leaders for “Japan-bashing” instead of addressing domestic issues like poor education, low savings rates, and inadequate worker skills.
• A Winning Hand, by Shig Wakamatsu, page 4. A letter to the editor argues for establishment of the JACL Legacy Fund, citing consensus among JACL members on its necessity and the historic role JACL has played in advancing civil rights for Japanese Americans. The writer urges the National Board to act now to establish the fund.
• U.S. – Japan Problems, by H.D. Yamashita, page 4. A letter to the editor calls for the JACL National Convention to address the real issues affecting U.S.-Japan relations through a panel of distinguished speakers. The writer draws parallels to 1930s trade protectionism and urges JACL to form an advisory committee on U.S.-Japan relations and the Pacific Basin.
• Reminiscing: 40 Years Ago, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Columnist Bill Hosokawa reflects on covering the Korean War 40 years earlier as a correspondent, describing the poor state of occupation-softened U.S. troops thrown into brutal mountain combat against North Korean forces. He contrasts this with how South Korea later built a disciplined army, and remembers GIs and correspondents who did not return from Korea.
• Racism on Campus, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Columnist Bill Marutani examines the tension between combating racism and preserving free speech on college campuses, discussing conduct codes at Michigan and Wisconsin universities. He questions why financial interests receive stronger legal protection than protection from racial epithets and violence against minorities.
• P.C. Says Goodbye to Lisa Escobar, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Pacific Citizen bid farewell to receptionist Lisa Escobar on June 29 as she left to pursue training as a U.S. Marine Corps trainee. Editor-in-Chief Mark Osaki praised her patience and grace in dealing with a wide range of individuals during her tenure.

JACL

• Students Win Kudos for Speeches, by Karen Seriguchi, page 5. Ten finalists from five JACL districts competed in the 1990 National JACL Speech and Forensic Competition at the National Convention in San Diego. Kevin Nakamura of Portland won the high school division and Christine Harada of UC Davis won the collegiate division, each receiving $500 scholarships.
• Young JACLers Need Support from the Nisei, by Trisha Murakawa, page 5. The National Youth Council created its first National Program for Action at the 31st Biennial Convention, identifying goals to empower youth and create programs addressing civil rights education, cultural heritage, and leadership development. The council developed a 1990-92 Plan of Action requiring support from JACL chapters, districts, and Nisei members to ensure the organization’s future.
• U.S.-Japan Relations Strong, But Picture Has Many Economic Problems, by Ed Mitoma, page 5. At the JACL convention’s workshop on U.S.-Japan relations, Ambassador Michio Mizoguchi and other panelists discussed the strong but economically strained relationship between the two nations. Mizoguchi detailed trade imbalances, the Structural Impediments Initiative, and urged JACL members to be well-informed American citizens rather than advocates for Japan.
• JACLers Canvass Strategies to Break Through ‘Glass Ceiling’, by Ron Taoka, page 6. A JACL National Convention workshop on equal employment opportunity, featuring speaker Harvey Horikawa, focused on breaking the “glass ceiling” barrier preventing Asian Pacific Americans from reaching upper management. Participants developed objectives including convincing Fortune 500 companies of EEO benefits and securing APA board appointments.

Obituaries

• William Haruo Enomoto, 76, by P.C. Staff, page 7. William Haruo Enomoto, 76, died in September; he had served as national JACL treasurer from 1948-1952 and was president of the Redwood City Rotary and member of the Commonwealth Club. A memorial service was held to honor his contributions.

In-Depth

• New Jersey’s ‘Past and Promise’ Lists Its Famous 300 Women, Nisei Included, by Harry K. Honda, page 10. A new reference book on notable New Jersey women includes three Nisei women: journalist Ellen Noguchi Nakamura, Seabrook Farms leader Mary Yamashita Nagao, and ceramicist Toshiko Takaezu. The review details each woman’s contributions to their fields and community, alongside other famous New Jersey women profiled in the book.

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