Vol. 112, No. 24, June 21, 1991. 8 pages. View this issue
Coalition building and redress were the main subjects of this eight-page issue. JACL met with the American Jewish Committee and the Organization of Chinese Americans in San Francisco on June 9 to discuss joint programming. Harry Honda reported that water rights had become a sticking point in the bill for a Manzanar National Historic Site. The House approved $500 million for redress payments under the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, in a vote of 338 to 80.
Elsewhere, the paper covered the 1990 Census undercount of Asian Pacific Islanders, discrimination complaints against Japanese firms in the U.S., and President George Bush’s June 16 visit to an Asian Pacific event. Columns by Bill Hosokawa and Konomi appear on page 4. A bill for a memorial to Nikkei veterans, backed by the Go For Broke National Veterans Association, was introduced in Congress. Page 5 also reports on Asian enrollment at Berkeley and in the California State University system.
What’s in this issue
JACL
- JACL Discusses Chinese, Jewish Coalition Effort, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Leadership from JACL, the American Jewish Committee, and the Organization of Chinese Americans met in San Francisco on June 9 in a historic meeting to discuss joint programming. National presidents and other leaders from all three organizations attended, with JACL’s Nakagawa emphasizing the importance of coalitional efforts to advance a national agenda in Washington, D.C.
- JACL Leadership Event Scheduled, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The 1991 JACL Washington Leadership Conference is scheduled to be held, focusing on public policy education and access to administration officials and agencies. The seminar will include visits with government officials and members of the administration, and district councils are encouraged to send members.
National
- Census Bureau Reveals Undercount of Asians, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The 1990 Census Bureau tally missed 5.3 million people nationally, with Asian Pacific Islanders undercounted by more than 107.8%. Chinese, Filipino, and Japanese populations maintained their top three rankings, with the Japanese population growing 20.9% while Chinese grew 104.1% and Filipino 81.6%, and Rep. Robert Matsui’s 1988 legislation was credited with forcing restoration of detailed ethnic breakdowns.
- Redistricting Hearings Set, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A series of public hearings on legislative redistricting plans are scheduled across California in June and July, including in Santa Ana, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Ventura, and San Jose. Community input is being sought as Asian Pacific Islander advocates plan to attend the meetings.
- Commission Calls for Overhauling of Justice System, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National Commission on Crime and Justice, a 21-member panel including Asian Americans, called on June 20 for fundamental changes to the nation’s criminal justice system due to high incarceration rates among people of color. Their 60-page report, ‘A Call to Action,’ outlines 39 recommendations addressing root causes of crime including joblessness and racial discrimination.
- House Makes Redress Commitment, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The U.S. House of Representatives approved $500 million on June 13 for redress payments, part of the Commerce-Justice-State appropriations bill, in a vote of 338 to 80. Rep. Norman Mineta called it another important step in fulfilling the commitment to the Civil Liberties Act of 1988.
- Top Asian American Official to Address Education Group, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A conference on Asian American drug abuse and education issues is scheduled to be held at the Biltmore Hotel featuring speakers including Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley and representatives of the Vietnamese Community organization. The event will address key concerns facing Asian American communities.
- Bias Charged Against Japanese Firms in U.S., by P.C. Staff, page 3. American workers have filed complaints alleging discrimination by Japanese companies operating in the United States, including a lawsuit against Ricoh Corp.’s San Jose plant seeking $75,200 in damages. Experts including UC Berkeley professor Robert E. Cole and former EEOC lawyer Linda Krieger commented on cultural management practices and covert discrimination patterns among Japanese employers.
- Toyota Sued for Discrimination, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A $240 million class action lawsuit alleges Toyota discriminated against an American worker in favor of Japanese nationals in employment practices. A Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigator found ‘reasonable cause’ to pursue the suit based on national origin discrimination.
- Study: Wife Abuse High Among Southeast Asians, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A UC Davis study found that the breakdown of traditional family roles among Southeast Asian immigrants has contributed to increased domestic violence as women take on expanded roles and men face unemployment and discrimination. The research, part of a continuing study on racism and immigrant communities, examined changing gender dynamics in Vietnamese, Cambodian, and other Southeast Asian communities.
- Bush Defends Positions at Asian Pacific Event, by P.C. Staff, page 3. President George Bush addressed the Asian Pacific community at an event in Fountain Valley, California on June 16, joined by Rep. Norman Mineta, Barbara Bush, and Sen. John Seymour. Bush defended his recent policy positions while thousands of Asian students and community members gathered for the salute.
- Berkeley’s Asian Student Policy Questioned, by P.C. Staff, page 5. UC Berkeley officials reportedly redirected Asian applicants to other UC campuses beginning in 1984 to comply with diversity guarantees for black, Mexican American, and American Indian students. Asian American leaders raised concerns about admission ceilings, and the controversy remains unresolved as the Office of Civil Rights investigates related complaints.
- New York Pushes for Hate Crime Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Asian American advocates in New York are pushing for legislation addressing hate crimes in the state. The push comes amid growing concerns about bias-motivated violence against Asian American communities.
- Isaki Tapped for Washington Trade Post, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Paul Isaki, 45, was appointed by Washington Gov. Booth Gardner to a trade-related economic development post. Isaki brings a mix of business experience and government expertise in international economic development, particularly regarding Pacific trade relations.
Incarceration & Redress
- Water Rights Snag Manzanar Proposal, by Harry Honda, page 1. Water rights have become a sticking point in plans for the Manzanar National Historic Site, with LA Department of Water and Power president Mike Gage stating the city lacks authority to give away its water rights. The bill, authored by Rep. Mel Levine and co-authored by other California representatives, has been endorsed by the Department of the Interior but action was postponed pending resolution of the water rights language.
Commentary
- No Mikan, ‘High Tech’ Plants Instead, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. The columnist recounts visiting Hamamatsu, Japan, where mikan orchards have been replaced by industrial parks as trade pressure from the U.S. forced Japan to accept more citrus imports, undercutting local mikan growers. He reflects on how this shift toward high-tech industry may have inadvertently encouraged Japanese investment in U.S. real estate for factories and labs, and speculates on what might happen to U.S. real estate markets if Japan similarly abandons rice farming under U.S. trade pressure.
- Wise by His Trade, by Konomi, page 4. The author recalls his early days working as a novice in a Japanese-run restaurant, learning kitchen tasks like boiling potatoes and celery from an experienced cook named Yoshi. He reflects on a Confucius quote a colleague cited about being wise by one’s trade, which he later discovered was actually fortune-cookie pseudo-Confucianism rather than authentic classical text.
Community
- Ethnic Enrollment Up in California State University System, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The California State University system’s student body across 20 campuses has become significantly more ethnically diverse, with nonwhite undergraduate enrollment more than doubling since 1980. Asian American enrollment reached 12.5% systemwide, with Cal Poly Pomona under incoming president Dr. Bob Suzuki reporting 24.3% Asian American enrollment.
- Lions Club Names Woman President, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Karen Murai, administrative assistant to Assemblyman Richard E. Floyd, was installed as the first woman president of the El Camino Lions Club on May 22. Floyd praised Murai as a credit to his office and an asset to the community.
- Pacific Pioneers and JACCC President’s Awards Honor Six, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Three Pacific Pioneers and three winners of the JACCC President’s Awards were honored at the 11th annual Japanese American Cultural and Community Center dinner on June 12 at the Regent Beverly Wilshire. Honorees included the late Koichi Kawana, a renowned designer of Japanese gardens, and H. Shigemitsu, PhD, recognized for decades of contributions.
Military & Veterans
- Nikkei Veterans Memorial Bill Introduced, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Rep. Norman Mineta and Sen. Daniel Inouye introduced identical legislation on June 12 to authorize construction of a memorial in Washington honoring American veterans of Japanese ancestry. No federal funds will be required, as the memorial will be built with private donations led by the Go For Broke National Veterans Association.
Sports
- Omori Referees in NCAA and NIT Tournaments, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Omori, a former Seattle University baseball infielder who later played for the Hiroshima Carp in Japan and a minor league club, has become a referee in NCAA tournament and NIT basketball games. He currently works as an independent commodities trader while continuing his officiating career.
Arts & Entertainment
- Playwright’s Rosie’s Cafe Tours Nationally, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A Japanese Canadian playwright’s work Rosie’s Cafe, a prequel to his earlier hit Yellow Fever, has toured nationally including a run at Toronto’s Factory Theater. The earlier play Yellow Fever, featuring a Nisei detective character in Vancouver’s prewar Japantown on Powell Street, was a major stage hit across Canada and in San Francisco in the 1980s, with the playwright describing his role as reflecting the Japanese Canadian community’s experience.
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