Fox revises the ‘Fuji’ cartoon, and the Bruce Yamashita case

Vol. 115, No. 17, November 20, 1992. 8 pages. View this issue

Fox’s decision to revise Fuji, the cartoon character on the “Super Dave Show,” led the issue after complaints that the character was a racial stereotype. Kenyon S. Chan and JACL national director Dennis Hayashi were among those who objected, and a page 8 story covered the Media Action Network for Asian Americans claiming credit for the change. The Bruce Yamashita case also ran on three pages: a hearing on his charge of racial bias in Marine Corps officer training, his account of harassment, and a $5,000 pledge from a JACL district council. JACL National President Lillian Kimura spoke about reorganization and the Legacy Fund.

Inside are reunion reports from Topaz and Gila River, and a forum on Executive Order 9066 with Fred Korematsu. Bill Hosokawa reviewed four small-press books, including a Heart Mountain nurse’s diary and a poetry collection about Amache. Doris Matsui was named to President-elect Bill Clinton’s transition team, and delegates wrote about the national convention in Denver.

What’s in this issue

National

• Fox to Revise ‘Fuji’ Character on ‘Super Dave Show’ After Complaints, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Fox announced it will revise the cartoon character Fuji on the ‘Super Dave Show’ following numerous complaints that the character was racially stereotypical. Criticism from Kenyon S. Chan of Cal State Northridge and JACL national director Dennis Hayashi contributed to producer DIC Enterprises reversing its earlier stance against changes.’
• Asian American Attacked in S.F., by P.C. Staff, page 1. An 18-year-old Asian American college student, Anthony Kung, was beaten by five African American teenagers on a San Francisco Muni bus in an incident he called racially motivated. Another Asian American passenger was also injured, and a law firm is considering filing a civil suit against the assailants and possibly the bus company.
• Illinois Nikkei Found Drowned Near Home, by P.C. Staff, page 1. University of Illinois professor Jeffrey Tanaka, 34, was found drowned in a pond near his home outside Champaign after being reported missing. Police believe he drove off a dark road on his way to an election night party, and have dismissed suspicions of foul play.
• Clinton Names Doris Matsui to Transition Team, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Doris Matsui, wife of U.S. Rep. Robert Matsui, was named to President-elect Bill Clinton’s transition team, serving under Warren Christopher. She had played an active role in the Clinton campaign, organizing women’s groups and publicizing his health care initiatives.
• Agency Is Now Multi-Lingual, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Employment Practices can now communicate with victims of discrimination in more than 140 languages through AT&T Language Line Services. Interpreters are available seven days a week for non-English speaking callers.
• Cartoon Controversy: MANAA Claims Credit for Fox Reversal, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Following Fox’s announcement to revise the Fuji cartoon character, the Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA) said its advocacy played a key role in prompting the change. JACL’s Dennis Hayashi speculated that public letters of protest, not just Kenyon Chan’s criticism, influenced Fox’s decision, and MANAA said it would take a wait-and-see approach going forward.

JACL

• ‘Let’s Be Major Players,’ Says Kimura, by Gwen Muranaka, page 1. JACL National President Lillian Kimura spoke to Southern California chapters about reorganization efforts to strengthen JACL’s internal structure and increase its recognition and clout before government agencies. She outlined plans including the Legacy Fund campaign, outside funding solicitation, leadership training, and networking with other civil rights organizations.
• Kamimoto Is CCDC Regional Director, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Elisa Kamimoto, formerly collections manager and curator with the Fresno Metropolitan Museum, succeeds Sachi Kuwamoto as JACL regional director effective Nov. 23. Kamimoto has a background in art history and has been active in the Fresno JACL and community organizations.
• JACL Praises Matsui, Clinton, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL praised President-elect Bill Clinton for appointing Doris Matsui to his transition board, calling it a dramatic first step toward making Asian Pacific Americans visible in his administration. JACL national director Dennis Hayashi issued a statement of support.
• Agenda: Chapter Reports on National Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Excerpts from several JACL chapter newsletters share delegates’ perspectives on the recent national convention in Denver, covering topics such as the Legacy Fund, proposed reorganization, and resolutions on Life membership extension. Delegates from Salt Lake, San Diego, and Berkeley chapters described the convention’s intensive schedule and JACL’s commitment to civil rights for all people.

Military & Veterans

• Hearing Scheduled in Yamashita Case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A public hearing was scheduled before a naval administrative board to hear new evidence of alleged racial discrimination in the U.S. Marine Corps in the case of Bruce Yamashita. Yamashita charged that racial bias led to his disenrollment from USMC Officer Candidate School two days before graduation.
• Harassment Began Early for Yamashita, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Bruce Yamashita recounted racial harassment during his time at USMC Officer Candidate School, including derogatory remarks about his ethnicity and references to World War II. Despite his disenrollment, Yamashita said he still wants to be a Marine Corps officer.

Incarceration & Redress

• 1,400 Attend Topaz 50th Reunion, by P.C. Staff, page 2. More than 1,400 people attended the 50th Year Topaz Reunion at the Hyatt Burlingame over Labor Day weekend, featuring speaker John Hada and an exhibit of camp memories curated by several volunteers. The event included a forum on Executive Order 9066 featuring Fred Korematsu and other panelists, plus camp songs, a floor show, and traveling art exhibits.
• Gila Camp I Event at Fresno Draws 700, by P.C. Staff, page 2. An August reunion for the Gila Camp I community drew 700 participants to Fresno for activities including bowling, golf, a Yosemite trip, and a museum visit, without featuring guest speakers. The class of ’43 announced plans to hold their next reunion in Reno in 1993.
• Sayonara for JA Story at Museum, by Toko Fujii, page 5. The Sacramento History Museum’s six-month exhibit ‘Japanese Americans: Story of a People, 1869-1992’ closed after being viewed by an estimated 40,000 people. The exhibit featured historical presentations and was supported by multiple Nisei organizations and major underwriters.

Community

• NCWNPDC Gives $5,000 for Yamashita Case, by Fred Hirasuna, page 3. The Northern California-Western Nevada-Pacific District Council of JACL voted unanimously to contribute $5,000 to support Bruce Yamashita’s discrimination suit against the U.S. Marine Corps. District governor Lucy Kishiue said the contribution was crucial to help Yamashita challenge the Marine Corps.
• Photos Sought for 70th Anniversary, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The San Jose Chapter, JACL, is seeking photos from past chapter events for a slide presentation at its 70th anniversary celebration in February 1993. The chapter is also trying to locate original charter members who joined in 1923 as part of the American Loyalty League.
• Fund-Raisers Honored in Sacramento, by P.C. Staff, page 5. More than 600 well-wishers gathered at Lincoln Plaza in Sacramento to honor four community members for their fund-raising efforts that helped the Asian Community Center and Asian American nursing home over the years. The honorees were recognized by community representatives including Joan Ichimura-Hoffman and Tom Fujimoto.
• Multicultural Center Blooms in Biloxi, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Vietnamese refugee youth in Biloxi, Mississippi added Asian cultural elements to the Center for Cultural and Community Development this past summer. The center serves a mixed racial neighborhood through an intercultural arts program involving artists from multiple ethnic backgrounds.

Commentary

• Keeping Up the Good Word, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Bill Hosokawa reviews four self-published or small-press books related to Japanese American history, including a nurse’s diary from Heart Mountain, a poetry collection about the Amache camp, an updated guide to the ten wartime camps, and a memoir of Christmas letters from a global engineering family. He also mentions an unfinished manuscript by Dr. Frank Inouye about Heart Mountain’s segregation debates.
• The Age of the Woman: Hanako-San, by Jin Konomi, page 6. Jin Konomi describes the ‘Hanako Phenomenon,’ a lifestyle trend among young, affluent Japanese women in the bubble economy era characterized by leisure spending, high standards for potential husbands, and resistance to career advancement. The column explores how this subculture reflects broader social and economic shifts for women in Japan during the late 1980s.

Obituaries

• Masamune Kojima, 60, Los Angeles County Public Defender and JACL Leader, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Masamune Kojima, 60, died suddenly of cancer; he was a Placer County-born MIS veteran of the Korean War who served as Los Angeles County senior public defender since 1961 and as PSWDC JACL legal counsel in the 1970s. He also served as National JACL vice-president for membership services from 1976-78 and was credited with drafting the PSWDC Trust Fund incorporation papers.
• Sumire Morishita Oda, 89, Prewar Nisei Youth Worker, by Tad Fuji, page 8. Sumire Morishita Oda, 89, died in Tokyo from complications after a broken hip; she was a prewar Nisei youth worker with Rev. Sabunosuke Kato in the YPCC movement and married Rev. Nobuo Oda in Berkeley in the 1920s. She was survived by sons Nobuaki, a Japanese representative to the U.N., and Nobuyoshi of the Yomiuri Shimbun.
• Edward M. Yoshimasu, 76, Retired Brigadier General and 100th Infantry Veteran, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Retired Brig. Gen. Edward M. Yoshimasu, 76, of Honolulu died Oct. 7; he was a Maui-born 100th Infantry veteran who served as acting commander of the Hawaii Army National Guard from 1968-69 when its 20th Brigade was activated for Vietnam duty. He was promoted to general in 1971 and later served as Hawaii director of the U.S. Bond Drive from 1976-82.

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