Remembering Spark Matsunaga, and a bus stop case in Los Angeles

Vol. 110, No. 16, April 27, 1990. 8 pages. View this issue

The death of U.S. Senator Spark Matsunaga marked this issue. Readers will find coverage of the memorial service at Central Union Church in Honolulu, with tributes from Senators Hatfield, Inouye and Byrd, and of his burial at Punchbowl. A letter from Grant Ujifusa recalled Senator Byrd’s Senate floor remarks on how Matsunaga lobbied every senator for redress. The front page also reported that Craig Leck, 19, was ordered to take a course on the psychology of prejudice after menacing Black school children at a Los Angeles bus stop. A salute to longtime editor Harry K. Honda also ran.

Elsewhere: a Manzanar pilgrimage notice, a 100th Battalion memorial planned at Cassino, Italy, and the dispute over a Los Angeles veterans memorial. Barry Saiki and Ray Okamura’s exchange continued on page 4, with columns by Bill Hosokawa and Jin Konomi. Page 5 carried Taizo Watanabe on racism in Japan and Canada’s formal redress apology. JACL news included convention airfares to San Diego and chapter reports.

What’s in this issue

National

• Youth Convicted for Terrorizing Black Students at Bus Stop, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Westchester man, Craig Leck, 19, was convicted of menacing a group of Black school children at a bus stop and ordered to do community service and take a course on the psychology of prejudice. He also received probation and jail time after pleading no contest to two counts of ethnic intimidation.
• Thousands Pay Final Respects at State Capitol, Church in Hawaii, by Allan Beekman, page 1. Supporters paid their respects to U.S. Senator Spark Matsunaga at a memorial service at Central Union Church in Honolulu, with tributes from national dignitaries including Senators Hatfield, Inouye and Byrd. An overflow crowd of about a thousand also gathered at the State Capitol, where his body had lain in state guarded by men of Co. D, 100th Infantry.
• Amerasia Journal’s Special Issue: On Asians in Canada, the Caribbean, by P.C. Staff, page 2. UCLA’s Asian American Studies Center announced a special Amerasia Journal issue examining Asian experiences in Canada and the Caribbean, co-edited by Shirley Hune and Russell Leong. The issue includes essays on Chinese communities in the Caribbean, Latin America, Southeast Asian resettlement, and Korean American entrepreneurship, among other topics.
• Waking Up to Our Own Racism, by Taizo Watanabe, page 5. A Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs official reflects on Japan’s growing internationalism and awareness of its own racial prejudices toward other Asians. He argues Japan must confront its history as a perpetrator, not just victim, of racism to become a truly open, cosmopolitan society.

Community

• Longtime P.C. Editor Honored, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Harry K. Honda, longtime Pacific Citizen editor, was honored as a Distinguished Alumnus by the Association of Asian American Journalists at Loyola Marymount University. John S. Saito, JACL regional director, presented the honor, similar to one Honda received in 1988.
• Cleveland JACL Installation Dinner a Resounding Success, by Tom Nakao, Jr., page 1. JACL National President Cressey Nakagawa visited Cleveland for meetings with Mayor Michael R. White and a CARP retiree reception before the chapter’s sellout annual installation dinner. Harry and Sally Taketa were honored with the JACL Silver Pin Award for their long service to the chapter and community.
• Ft. Lupton JACL Elects Its First Woman President, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Fusaye ‘Fuzzy’ Hisamoto became the first woman president in the Ft. Lupton JACL chapter’s 48-year history. She has been active in Denver-area community programs including the Minoru Yasui Memorial project.
• UC Irvine Celebrates Asian Heritage Week, by P.C. Staff, page 2. UC Irvine’s Asian Pacific Student and Staff Association sponsored ‘A Celebration of Cultural Diversity’ for Asian Heritage Week, featuring speakers, traditional foods, dance, music and martial arts. Numerous student organizations, including Tomo No Kai and Korean-American student groups, participated.
• Placer County JACL to Hold Fund-raiser Teriyaki Chicken Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Placer County JACL chapter is holding a teriyaki chicken dinner fund-raiser to support its scholarship program. The scholarship committee reviews applications according to the chapter’s qualification criteria.
• JA Optimists Holds Speech Contest, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Japanese American Optimist Club hosted an oratorical contest themed ‘The Dream is Alive’ focusing on a drug-free America and human dignity. Winners Henrietta Nofre and Chris Van, along with other contestants from Marshall High and King Jr. High, were judged on essay content and presentation.

JACL

• Discount Airfares to Convention Still Available, by P.C. Staff, page 1. United Airlines is offering discount airfares of 5-40% to San Diego for the 31st Biennial JACL National Convention, June 17-23. Travelers can call United Meeting Plus specialists and reference a discount code to save on tickets.

Military & Veterans

• 100th Battalion Memorial to Be Dedicated at Cassino, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A granite monument honoring the men of the 100th Battalion of WWII is to be dedicated at Cassino, Italy, May 19-20. A delegation of French citizens from the Vosges Mountain region, where the 100th also fought, will attend.
• JACL Credit Union Pioneer: ‘Shake’ Ushio Cited for 40-Year Contribution, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Shigeki ‘Shake’ Ushio, a founding member of the National JACL Credit Union movement, was recognized with the Spirit of America Award for more than 40 years of service. The credit union came into existence in 1945 to help Japanese Americans who couldn’t get loans from banks after internment.
• JA Vets Attempt to Quell Memorial Controversy, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Board of Directors of the 100th/442nd/MIS World War II Memorial Foundation issued a position statement addressing controversy among Nisei vets over its proposed Japanese American WWII Veterans Memorial in Los Angeles. The statement details the memorial’s history, design concept, fundraising campaign, and its goal of honoring the 13,639 combat veterans of the segregated units.

Incarceration & Redress

• Spark Buried on Hillside at ‘Punchbowl’ Cemetery, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sen. Spark Matsunaga was buried April 19 on a hillside spot at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl. His grave is away from the more public area where war correspondent Ernie Pyle and astronaut Ellison Onizuka are laid to rest.
• 21st Pilgrimage Scheduled April 28: Study of Manzanar Alternatives Ships, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Manzanar Study of Alternatives was completed by the National Park Service and forwarded to the Secretary of the Interior for report to Congress. The Manzanar Committee urged supporters to lobby for national historic park status ahead of the 21st annual Manzanar Pilgrimage on April 28.
• Canada’s ‘Apology’, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A copy of the formal apology signed by Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney is featured, which accompanied a $21,000 redress payment to Japanese Canadians interned during WWII. The apology acknowledges the wrongful confiscation and liquidation of their property during the war.

Commentary

• The Use of ‘Nikkei’, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This editorial examines the confusing multiple meanings of the word ‘Nikkei,’ which refers to both the Tokyo Stock Exchange average and to people of Japanese descent. It argues that the Japanese American press’s unmodified use of the term doesn’t accurately convey ‘Americans of Japanese descent’ as intended.
• Plea for Help, by Pat A. Amino, page 4. A letter from the manager of Heiwa Terrace senior housing in Chicago seeks help locating relatives of resident Tokiwo Uyeda, who lost track of his sister and brother in the Seattle area in the 1940s. The names of the missing relatives are given, along with a request for information.
• Wants Apology, by Mary T. Yoshida, page 4. A letter writer argues that a formal apology from the President, in addition to monetary redress payments, is essential to properly acknowledge the wrongs done to Japanese Americans during WWII. She believes a written apology would have lasting value for future generations.
• Camp Newspaper Study—R.D. 2, by Barry Saiki, page 4. Barry Saiki responds critically to Ray Okamura’s claims about the reliability of camp newspaper editors as historical sources, defending the credibility of firsthand accounts. He lists several still-living individuals who could support his recollections and challenges Okamura’s research methods.
• Tribute to Spark Matsunaga, by Grant Ujifusa, page 4. The letter shares remarks made by Senator Robert Byrd on the Senate floor praising Spark Matsunaga’s dedication and effort in fighting for redress for Japanese Americans. Byrd recounted how Matsunaga personally lobbied every senator for support of his amendment.
• ‘Planted in Good Soil’, by Masakazu Iwata, page 4. The author of a forthcoming book on the history of Issei in U.S. agriculture responds to a reader’s letter noting the omission of Dr. Roy M. Nakayama, a chili pepper developer, from a prior article. He confirms Nakayama is recognized in his book and recalls his 1965 interview with the Nakayama family.
• Cultural Exchange: Japan’s Astronomical Debt to America, by Jin Konomi, page 4. This ‘Moshi-Moshi’ column explores the imbalance of cultural exchange between Japan and America, noting how few Japanese cultural exports have influenced the U.S. compared to the reverse. The author highlights the hot tub and the ninja concept, tracing the history of ninjutsu and its evolution into modern pop culture like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
• From the Frying Pan: Sansei Dimension in Concert With ‘Taiko’ Drum, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Bill Hosokawa describes taiko drummer Kenny Endo’s performance at Barry Saiki’s Tokyo farewell party, detailing Endo’s journey from Sansei UCLA student to master of traditional Japanese drumming in Japan. The column reflects on Endo’s fusion of jazz and traditional taiko music as a bridge between cultures and generations.
• For the Record: This Ad Is a Hoax, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Pacific Citizen retracts a previously published ad claiming WWII veterans were owed dividends under a new congressional bill, revealing it to be a longstanding hoax plaguing the Veterans Administration. The VA’s San Francisco office clarified that no new law grants such dividends and urged the public to help stop the rumor’s spread.

Obituaries

• Obituaries, by P.C. Staff, page 6. This section lists several obituaries including Nobuyoshi Matsuda, Itsa Mitani, H. Toshie Mitsui, Betty H. Motowaki, Kinu Murakami, and Ira M. Ashizawa, detailing their ages, hometowns, and surviving family members. Most entries include birthplace and family details typical of tribute listings.

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