Vol. 111, No. 19, December 7, 1990. 8 pages. View this issue
Redress and the JACL Legacy Fund ran through this eight-page issue. At the Central California District Council banquet in Fresno, National JACL President Cressey Nakagawa thanked the Nisei for the sacrifices behind redress, and Ken Yokota was installed as district governor. The JACL Legacy Fund reported more than $500,000 from over 750 donors in five weeks. Michael Norman told how a $20,000 redress check reopened painful memories for Yoshimi Yamamoto, who was held at Minidoka and served in the 442nd RCT. President Bush signed the Immigration Act of 1990.
The commentary pages held Bill Hosokawa on the 49th anniversary of Pearl Harbor and Bill Marutani on Shinto. Paul Igasaki wrote about political empowerment as he left for Bob Matsui’s Senate campaign. Inside are chapter installations in Chicago, Contra Costa and Sacramento, a design competition for a Nisei veterans memorial, and a notice that no paper would follow the next week.
What’s in this issue
JACL
- CCDC Elects Ken Yokota Governor; Nisei Community Thanked for Its Sacrifices to Make Redress Possible, by Marlene Kubota, page 1. National JACL President Cressey Nakagawa thanked the Nisei generation for their sacrifices at the Central California District Council’s annual installation banquet, where Ken Yokota was installed as 1991-92 district governor. The event also honored outgoing officers, presented awards including recognition to Project Amends, and announced upcoming exhibits on Japanese Americans in the San Joaquin Valley.
- Over 750 Donate $500,000 to JACL Legacy Fund, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL Legacy Fund Campaign Committee reported that over 750 contributors donated more than $500,000 in the first five weeks of the campaign toward a $10 million, three-year goal. District campaign goals were announced, and National Board members pledged over $20,000 collectively toward the fund.
National
- President Signs Landmark Immigration Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 1. President George Bush signed the Immigration Act of 1990 in a low-key White House ceremony, marking the first major change in legal immigration policy since 1965. JACL Washington Representative Paul Igasaki praised the bill for protecting family unity while noting work remains on other immigration issues affecting Asian Americans.
- Sen. Inouye Volunteer Witness at Senate Ethics Hearing, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Senator Daniel K. Inouye testified voluntarily before the Senate Ethics Committee investigating the Keating scandal, defending Senator Dennis DeConcini’s character. Inouye described the Senate’s role in constituency service and testified for 90 minutes despite being ill with the flu.
- Need for More Minority Lawyers and Jurors Cited by State Minority-Justice Task Force, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A Washington state task force report recommends increasing minority representation on juries and among lawyers, citing underrepresentation issues in the court system. The report, announced by Justice Charles Z. Smith, also recommends the state bar association issue annual reports on minority representation.
- AAJA, JACL Rap New Character in ‘Beetle Bailey’ Comic Strip, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Asian American Journalists Association and JACL criticized the new Japanese American character Cpl. Yo introduced in the ‘Beetle Bailey’ comic strip, citing stereotyped depictions. Deputy JACL director Carole Hayashino and AAJA director Diane Yen-Mei Wong both raised concerns about racial stereotyping and the ‘model minority’ portrayal.
Incarceration & Redress
- Video on JACL Work on Redress Premiered, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A 30-minute video documenting JACL’s redress legislation work premiered at the National JACL Board meeting in San Francisco, produced by John Esaki of Visual Communications. Funded by several Seattle memorial foundations, copies will be distributed to JACL chapters nationwide for educational use.
- Redress Checks a Reminder of Painful Memories, by Michael Norman, page 5. Yoshimi Yamamoto of Cleveland, who was interned at Minidoka during WWII, received a $20,000 redress check and presidential apology, but the experience reopened painful memories including the death of his sister in camp. Yamamoto, who also served in the 442nd RCT, reflects on the injustice and hopes the payment ensures such actions never happen again.
In-Depth
- Buddhist Scriptures on CD’s: UC Berkeley Specialists Dress Ancient Texts in Modern Format, page 2. UC Berkeley professors Lewis Lancaster and Padmanabh Jaini are leading a project to transcribe ancient Buddhist scriptural materials onto compact discs, encoding millions of Chinese and Pali characters. The ROM project involves international partners from Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand and aims to preserve and make searchable ancient Buddhist texts.
Arts & Entertainment
- Living National Treasure of Classical Japanese Dance Coming to JACCC, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Living National Treasure Fujima Fujiko, an 83-year-old master of classical Japanese dance, will perform at the Japan America Theatre in two shows. She will be joined by family members and other performers with musical accompaniment on shamisen and tsuzumi.
- Parry Miyake’s ‘Doughball’ to Premiere at East West Players, by P.C. Staff, page 3. East West Players opens the second production of its Silver Anniversary Season with ‘Doughball’ by Sansei playwright Perry Miyake, directed by Pat Li. The play follows a Sansei who returns home to Venice for Christmas and reminisces with an old classmate about summer carnivals, the Vietnam War, and the draft.
Community
- Student Projects Office Coordinator Being Sought, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The UCLA Asian American Studies Center’s Student/Community Projects Office is seeking an Assistant Coordinator for a ten-to-twelve month position starting January 1991. Applicants must submit a resume, cover letter, and an essay on the role of students in Asian American studies and communities.
- Sacramento JACL to Raise $125,000 for Chapter Endowment, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Sacramento JACL launched a campaign to raise $125,000 for its Endowment Fund, mailing appeals to the local Japanese American community. Interest from the fund will help defray fixed costs of maintaining the chapter office and fund operations.
- Contra Costa Elects Joanne Mukai President, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Joanne Mukai was elected president of Contra Costa JACL for 1991, succeeding Natsuko Irei. The new cabinet includes several other officers and board members who were announced along with the chapter’s leadership transition.
- JACL and Communication Cited as Key to J.A. Well-Being, by Shiro Tanaka, page 5. Cincinnati JACL President Shiro Tanaka discusses the chapter’s declining membership over the past 20 years and reflects on possible post-redress complacency among Japanese Americans. He urges members to participate in chapter functions, volunteer for leadership roles, and recruit new members.
- Chicago JACL Installs 1991 Cabinet, Jim Hattori of CBS News Guest Speaker, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Chicago JACL installed its newly elected officers for 1990-91 at its annual inaugural dinner, with new chapter president David Igasaki taking office. CBS News correspondent Jim Hattori was the keynote speaker, and former National President Shig Wakamatsu received a special recognition award.
- The Newsmakers, by P.C. Staff, page 6. This roundup profiles several Japanese Americans achieving professional recognition, including Dr. Thomas K. Hasegawa Jr.’s dental fellowship, Julia T. Nagano’s appointment at the Port of Los Angeles, and Dr. Ted M. Nakata’s periodontology citation. Also featured are Mie Aoki’s TV reporting and Rocky Teranishi’s agricultural extension work.
Military & Veterans
- Nisei Memorial in Washington: National Design Competition Opens with July 1 Deadline, $5,000 Prize Set, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Go For Broke National Veterans Association announced a design competition for a national monument in Washington, D.C. honoring Japanese American veterans from the Spanish-American War through Grenada, with special emphasis on WWII. The winning design will receive $5,000, with entries due by July 1, 1991.
Commentary
- ‘Redress’ Prospects for Others, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This editorial examines claims by Black Americans and German Americans seeking reparations similar to Japanese American redress, arguing that key dissimilarities make redress a poor precedent for these other groups. The piece contends that slavery’s history predates the United States and involved different circumstances than the WWII internment of Japanese Americans.
- A Day of Infamy, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Bill Hosokawa reflects on the 49th anniversary of Pearl Harbor and its lasting impact on Japanese Americans, including the internment of 115,000 people and the eventual successful redress campaign. He looks forward to the 50th anniversary as an opportunity for healing and moving toward the future.
- Ancestor ‘Worship’?, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Bill Marutani explores the meaning and misunderstood connotations of Shinto and its connection to ancestor reverence, prompted by news of Emperor Akihito’s participation in an ancient ritual. He recounts his own visit to the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo and concludes that Shinto is not as threatening as commonly perceived in the West.
- The Next Step: Political Empowerment, by Paul Igasaki, page 5. JACL Washington Representative Paul Igasaki reflects on lessons learned from the redress campaign and announces his departure to join Congressman Bob Matsui’s Senate campaign. He emphasizes the importance of political empowerment for the Asian American community and praises Matsui’s decision to run for the Senate.
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.