Remembering Senator Spark Matsunaga, who died April 15, 1990

Vol. 110, No. 15, April 20, 1990. 8 pages. View this issue

Senator Spark M. Matsunaga of Hawaii, who died April 15 at age 73, was the subject of much of this eight-page issue. A front-page obituary followed his life from a Kauai sugar plantation through service with the 100th Infantry Battalion to the House and Senate, with continuations on pages 3 and 5. An editorial called him a warrior for peace, and tributes came from Senator Daniel Inouye, Jerry Enomoto, Congressman Robert Matsui, Governor John Waihee and others. Page 1 also gathered the anecdotes he told to loosen up audiences.

Elsewhere, Bill Hosokawa wrote about Barry Saiki, a Nisei leaving Tokyo for California, and Dale F. Shimasaki criticized two education board decisions in California. Clifford Uyeda reviewed a book on Iva Toguri and the Tokyo Rose case. Also inside are scholarship news, the JACL convention golf tournament and an editorial on Alberto Fujimori in Peru.

What’s in this issue

National

• Matsunaga Will Not Be Forgotten, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Senator Spark M. Matsunaga of Hawaii, a poet, statesman and advocate for Japanese American justice, died April 15 at age 73 in Toronto General Hospital. The article traces his life from a Kauai sugar plantation upbringing through WWII military service with the 100th Infantry Battalion, his career in law and WRA resettlement work, and his long tenure in the U.S. House and Senate.
• U.S. Human Rights Center Includes Ichioka’s Book on ‘Issei’ to Its 1988 List, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Gustavus Myers Center selected Yuji Ichioka’s book ‘The Issei: The World of the First-Generation Japanese Immigrants, 1885-1924’ as an outstanding book on American intolerance published in 1988. The book was also nominated for a Los Angeles Times Book Prize and won a national Asian American studies award.

Commentary

• His Oft-Told Anecdotes: Spark’s Sparks, page 1. A collection of anecdotes and stories that Senator Spark Matsunaga often told to loosen up audiences at JACL conventions and other events. The stories recount humorous encounters, meetings with foreign dignitaries, and moments from his time in Congress and with Presidents Johnson and Carter.
• In Tribute to Matsunaga, by Various JACL and community leaders, page 2. JACL leaders including Cressey Nakagawa, William Yoshino, Paul Igasaki, Senator Daniel Inouye, Jerry Enomoto, Mas Fukai, and Arthur Morimitsu offer personal tributes to the late Senator Spark Matsunaga. They praise his leadership on redress legislation, his military service, and his character as a statesman and friend.
• A Warrior for Peace, by P.C. Staff, page 4. An editorial tribute reflecting on Senator Spark Matsunaga’s dual legacy as a decorated WWII combat veteran and as a lifelong advocate for peace through his work establishing the U.S. Institute of Peace. The piece mourns that he did not live to see the full flowering of his peace initiatives or the completion of redress payments.
• Fujimori’s Rise in Peru, page 4. The editorial discusses Alberto Fujimori’s surprising rise in Peru’s presidential race as an outsider candidate, noting the irony that Peru once cooperated with the U.S. to intern Japanese-Peruvians during WWII. It reflects on how Fujimori’s background as a child of Japanese immigrants resonates with voters seeking new leadership amid economic crisis.
• Tokyo Won’t Be the Same Without Barry Saiki, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Bill Hosokawa profiles Barry Saiki, a Nisei who spent decades in Japan as a military intelligence officer and later public relations consultant, known for his extraordinary gift for making friends. As Saiki prepares to retire to California, the column recounts stories of his generosity and the many people whose lives he touched in Tokyo.
• A Sad Time, by Dale F. Shimasaki, page 4. Dale Shimasaki criticizes California Governor Deukmejian’s decision not to reappoint two Asian American women, Agnes Chan and Hideko Bannai, to key education governing boards. He argues this decision came at a critical time given the rapidly growing Asian American student population and represents a lost opportunity for representative leadership.
• In Tribute to Matsunaga (Additional Tributes), by George Yoshinaga, Miya Iwataki, Hawaii Governor John Waihee, Congressman Robert Matsui, New York Times, page 5. Additional tributes to Senator Spark Matsunaga from community and political figures highlight his vision for peace, his role in redress legislation, and his lasting influence as a leader for Japanese Americans. The piece also recounts his poetry, including verses written during WWII while recovering from wounds, and his haiku diplomacy with Japanese officials.
• Japan-Bashing: Fear and Loathing of Japan, by Ed Mitoma, page 5. Ed Mitoma summarizes a Fortune magazine article examining the rise of anti-Japan sentiment in America, arguing that such attitudes obscure U.S. economic weaknesses and risk provoking real trade conflict. The piece debunks several common myths about Japanese investment and trade practices, urging balanced understanding ahead of a JACL U.S.-Japan workshop.

Community

• San Mateo JACL, Tomodachi Club Scholarships Given, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The San Mateo JACL Scholarship Committee announced recipients of its 1990 high school senior scholarships, including top Tomodachi Club awards to Satoko Furuta and Paul Kohara. Three additional students received JACL awards, with funds raised through an annual Holiday Bazaar boutique.
• Overseas Japanese Assn. to Hold 31st Convention in Tokyo May 16-18, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Overseas Japanese Association will hold its 31st convention in Tokyo, drawing an estimated 300 to 400 participants from the Americas, Southeast Asia and Australia. The convention aims to strengthen ties among people of Japanese descent worldwide.
• WLA JACL Plans Health Fair, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The West Los Angeles JACL Chapter is sponsoring ‘Health Fair Expo ’90,’ a community health project on May 6 at the Japanese Institute of Sawtelle. The fair will offer more than 15 free health screening stations including prenatal information and spinal column screening.
• Indochinese Literacy Project Receives Grant, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Assistance League of Southern California’s Western Region Asian Pacific Agency received a $10,000 grant from GTE California to fund language instruction and case management for Indochinese refugees. The grant supports the agency’s Indochinese Literacy Project serving communities in Mar Vista Gardens.

JACL

• JACL Convention Golf Tourney To Be Held at Rancho San Diego Course June 20-21, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The National JACL Golf Tournament will be held concurrently with the National Convention at Rancho San Diego Golf Course on June 20-21. Registration details, costs, and prize information including a hole-in-one prize of $10,000 or a car are provided.
• JACL Singles Offering $1000 Scholarships to L.A. Area Freshmen, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Greater Los Angeles Singles Chapter of JACL is seeking eligible candidates for its annual $1000 scholarship awards for incoming college freshmen from single-parent Japanese American households. The scholarship committee, chaired by Emy Sakamoto, emphasizes financial need this year.

Incarceration & Redress

• Matsunaga Continued: Statehood, Constancy of Values, by P.C. Staff, page 3. This continuation of the front-page obituary details Matsunaga’s political career including his testimony for Hawaiian statehood, his election to the territorial legislature and later Congress, and his consistent advocacy for justice despite facing ancestry-based opposition. It also covers his role in establishing the U.S. Institute of Peace and being named JACL’s Nisei of the Biennium.
• Matsunaga Continued: Senate Career and Legacy, by P.C. Staff, page 5. This continuation details Matsunaga’s Senate committee assignments, his championing of the U.S. Institute of Peace since 1963, and his successful proposal for a national poet laureate. It notes his lifelong JACL membership and closes with funeral contribution information for the Pacific Peace Foundation.

Arts & Entertainment

• Iva Toguri Fulfilled U.S. Gov’t Need to Prosecute the GI Fantasy of ‘Tokyo Rose’, by Clifford Uyeda, page 6. Clifford Uyeda reviews Russell Warren Howe’s book ‘The Hunt for Tokyo Rose,’ which concludes that Iva Toguri was wrongly scapegoated by the U.S. government to satisfy public demand for a ‘Tokyo Rose’ conviction. The review recounts the history of her prosecution, later pardon by President Ford, and calls for a congressional resolution acknowledging her innocence.
• Books to P.C.: Masterworks of the No Theater, by Harry K. Honda, page 6. Harry Honda briefly reviews Kenneth Yasuda’s book on Noh theater, which includes translations of 17 plays along with Romaji text, stylistic analysis and an original Noh play about Martin Luther King Jr. Yasuda, a professor emeritus at Indiana University, has also published works on Japanese haiku.
• English Novelist Ishiguro Revisits Japan for the First Time in 30 Years, by P.C. Staff, page 6. British novelist Kazuo Ishiguro, born in Nagasaki, returned to Japan for the first time in 30 years after achieving acclaim for his novels including the Booker Prize-winning ‘The Remains of the Day.’ He discussed his emotional connection to his ‘personal, imaginary Japan’ and his role as an international writer.
• ‘Miss Takuan’ a Storybook Illustrated for Children, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A new children’s storybook titled ‘Miss Takuan’ by Aiko Masuda tells the story of a pickled turnip character who overcomes being ordinary to become a magazine cover feature. The Honolulu-raised author holds degrees in religion, philosophy, and fine arts.

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