Census count, JACL Legacy Fund and redress files: September 1990

Vol. 111, No. 8, September 21, 1990. 8 pages. View this issue

Rep. Robert T. Matsui told a congressional subcommittee that the Census Bureau had jeopardized the 1990 Census by not creating separate strata for Asian Pacific Islanders in its post-enumeration survey. The JACL Legacy Fund Campaign also launched, with a $10 million goal over three years and Grayce Uyehara chairing the committee. On page 3, a series article followed one sample case through the Office of Redress Administration, which was handling nearly 30,000 files for $20,000 redress payments.

Columns on page 4 included Bill Hosokawa on his son’s sushi dinner and Bill Marutani on nikkei in politics. Tom Bradley’s letter urged rejection of ACR 181, which he said recast the history of the World War II incarceration (often called internment). A museum at Fort DeRussy in Honolulu was dedicated to the 100th Battalion and 442nd veterans, and page 6 carried newsmaker notes.

What’s in this issue

National

• Matsui Criticizes Census Bureau for Method on Counting, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Robert T. Matsui testified before Congress that the Census Bureau jeopardized the validity of the 1990 Census by failing to create separate strata for Asian Pacific Islanders in the post-enumeration survey. He urged the Bureau to modify its procedures to ensure an accurate count and proper resource allocation for Asian-American communities.
• New Civil Rights Chief in Education Dept. Praised, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Michael Williams, new head of the Office of Civil Rights at the Education Department, has received praise from civil rights monitors for his approach after only two months in office. A report on Harvard and UCLA admissions practices is expected to be completed by October.
• A Misplaced Decimal at Fault, Admits Lloyd Hara, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Seattle city treasurer Lloyd Hara admitted he misplaced a decimal in his accounting, overestimating lost interest by more than half a million dollars. The actual amount lost due to the court’s tardy deposit was around $25,000, not the estimated $700,000.
• N.Y. Mayor’s Commission Issues Report on Black Boycott of Korean Stores, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Mayor David Dinkins’ commission investigating a black boycott of two Korean grocery stores in Brooklyn’s Flatbush section issued its report, which the New York Times said addressed racism directly. The report warned that weak leadership in response to racism would further complicate New York’s race relations, including a second boycott underway in Brownsville.
• Fujimori’s Request for Japan’s Help Seen in 120 Trucks, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party announced it will give Peru a fleet of 120 trucks worth 300 million yen to transport relief goods to drought-stricken areas, fulfilling a request from President Alberto Fujimori. This is in addition to $4 million in assistance Japan’s government had already pledged in July.
• 1990 Excellence 2000 Award Night to Honor Asian Americans, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce and the Organization of Chinese American Women hosted an award banquet in Washington to mark a decade of excellence in the Asian American community. Honorees included Japanese Americans Kristi Yamaguchi and Grant Ujifusa among others.
• Michael Hoshiko Elected ASHA Fellow, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Michael Hoshiko was elected as a Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, becoming the first Nisei to be elected ASHA Fellow. He is a professor at Southern Illinois University and has been active in JACL leadership roles.
• Don Tsunawaki Awarded LAPD Medal of Honor, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Don Tsunawaki was awarded the Los Angeles Police Department’s Medal of Honor for bravery after rushing to aid a pinned-down and injured partner during a North Hollywood shootout in July. He carried his partner’s body to shield him until reaching a waiting ambulance.
• Carol Kawanami Named Treasurer of American Lung Association, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Carol Kawanami, an active Selanoco JACLer, has been named treasurer of the American Lung Association of California. She has volunteered with the organization since 1971 and won the prestigious Pottenger Award in 1986.
• Alice Suet Lee Barkley Appointed to Veterinary Medicine Board, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Alice Suet Lee Barkley of San Francisco was appointed as a public member to the Board of Examiners in Veterinary Medicine by Assembly Speaker Willie L. Brown Jr. She is a Chinese American architect and attorney active in Chinese American Democratic Club and Nihonmachi Political Association.
• Michael Nakamura Named New Honolulu Police Chief, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Michael Nakamura is the new Honolulu police chief, whose grandmother Mrs. Oto Nakasone, 86, emigrated to Hawaii decades ago from Okinawa. Yori Wada was also named among four new members elected to the board of directors of International House Berkeley.
• George Shirakawa Candidate for San Jose City Council, by P.C. Staff, page 6. George Shirakawa, candidate for San Jose City Council’s district 7 seat, is supporting a two-term limit measure. Brief note included among newsmaker items.
• Kibimaro Ishida Named Internist of the Year, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Dr. Kibimaro Ishida, son of Archbishop Nitten and Chiyoko Ishida of San Francisco, was awarded ‘Internist of the Year’ at Kaiser West Los Angeles Hospital. Born in the Crystal City, Texas camp during WWII, he attended UCLA medical school and served in the Army in Germany.
• Paul S. Sakamoto Honored by Asian Americans for Community Involvement, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Dr. Paul S. Sakamoto, a prominent Bay Area educator since 1956, was honored at the Freedom Awards dinner in Campbell. He has served on numerous educational boards and commissions and received several distinguished awards throughout his career.
• Hironoshin Furuhashi Willing to Lead Olympic Council of Asia, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Hironoshin Furuhashi, president of the Japanese Olympic Committee and known as the ‘Flying Fish from Fujiyama,’ said he is willing to succeed the late Sheik Fahad of Kuwait as president of the Olympic Council of Asia. Fahad was killed during Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait.
• Cyril Nishimoto Appointed to Gov. Cuomo’s Advisory Committee, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Cyril Nishimoto, director of Japanese American Social Services Inc. in New York, was appointed to Gov. Mario Cuomo’s American Advisory Committee to advise on issues related to the state’s Asian American community. The committee held its initial meeting in August.

Military & Veterans

• DeRussy Museum Honors 100th, 442nd, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The U.S. Army Museum at Fort DeRussy in Honolulu was renovated and dedicated August 31 with Nisei veterans in attendance. The museum’s permanent display honors Hawaii’s ‘Go For Broke’ veterans of the 100th and 442nd.

Community

• Founder Returns to Head Agency to Train and Place Low Income, Jobless, page 1. Robert P. Ito, 39, has been named chief executive officer of Occupational Training Services, Inc., which he founded in 1973 and built into one of San Diego’s most successful job training agencies. Ito has also been active in real estate development and community organizations including JACL and San Diego Crime Stoppers.
• PANA to Collect Clothing, Relief Items to Help President Fujimori’s People in Peru, by Harry K. Honda, page 2. The Pan American Nikkei Association designated nine drop areas in Southern California to collect clothing, school supplies, and relief items for shipment to Peru. The campaign began after PANA-USA leaders returned from Fujimori’s inauguration, with local Nikkei community members organizing fundraising through various channels including exhibitions, corporate contributions, and charity golf.
• Central Coast Chapters to Honor George Kondo, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Four JACL chapters in California’s central coast region will honor George Kondo at the Rancho Canada Golf Club, thanking him for his 15 years of service as Northern California-Western Nevada-Pacific regional director. Kondo plans to retire in Pennsylvania.
• Canal High School Alumni, Classes to Gather in SFO, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Nearly 300 Gila River Canal High School alumni and their spouses will gather over the Oct. 26-28 weekend at the San Francisco Airport Westin Hotel to socialize and reminisce. The reunion will include a golf tournament, banquet, door prizes, and dancing.
• Nikkei Doctors, Nurses of Internment Camp Days to Be Remembered at L.A. Gala, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The Japanese Community Health, Inc. is honoring Nisei medical pioneers James M. Goto, George Kambara, Robert Obi, and Yone Akita at its Oct. 6 banquet, recognizing those who ministered in WWII internment camps. Each honoree’s biography details their medical training, camp service, and post-war careers.
• Farewell Party Held for Mark Tanouye Family, Moving to Berkeley, by Alvina Lew, page 3. About 200 members and friends gathered at a farewell potluck for Dr. Mark Tanouye and his family, who are moving to UC Berkeley after being denied tenure three times at Cal Tech. Tanouye has filed a discrimination complaint against Cal Tech with the State Fair Employment Housing Commission.
• Developers in Hawaii Under New Policy to Build, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Japanese company Haseko, developing the Ewa Marina resort at Lanai City, agreed to provide 1,500 non-tourism jobs in exchange for resort zoning under Governor John Waihee’s new policy. Haseko has offered $38 million for new business loans to create jobs.
• 2nd Annual JASEB Award Dinner Set for Oct. 20, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Japanese American Services of the East Bay will hold its second annual appreciation awards dinner on Oct. 20 at the Oakland Airport Hilton. Honorees include Daruma no Gakko, Paul R. DeWitt, Union City Mayor Tom Kitayama, Joe Oishi and Yukio Wada.
• San Jose Area Keiro-kai Dinner to Honor Seniors, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Yu-Ai Kai and the West Valley JACL Senior Club will sponsor their annual Keiro-kai Senior Appreciation Dinner on Oct. 6 at the Buddhist Church Annex. Seniors over age 75 are admitted free by invitation.

JACL

• Nat’l JACL Legacy Fund Campaign Eyes $10 Million in 3 Years for Programs, page 1. JACL launched its Legacy Fund Campaign, the first major national fundraising effort since 1952, aiming to raise $10 million over three years to establish a perpetual endowment. Grayce Uyehara chairs the campaign committee, which includes national officers and district governors, with funds to support JACL’s mission and Program for Action.
• Dinner-Dance to Boost JACL Scholarship Trust, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Downtown L.A. JACL will hold a dinner-dance Oct. 12 at Grace Simons Lodge to raise funds for its scholarship trust, established five years ago to assist graduates of Ninth Street Elementary School. The chapter became involved with the inner-city school through its president Kitty Sankey.
• JACL Legacy Fund Campaign Moving Forward, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Grayce Uyehara emphasized that the JACL Legacy Fund will honor the Issei generation’s struggle while funding future civil rights work, with district governors responsible for chapter-based fundraising goals due by Sept. 28. The campaign aims to reach its $10 million goal through active chapter and membership participation.

Incarceration & Redress

• ORA Case Flow for the First 30,000: What’s in Your File and Where It Goes, page 3. The fourth in a series of articles describes the Office of Redress Administration’s process for handling nearly 30,000 case files of Japanese Americans eligible for $20,000 redress payments. The article follows a typical case, ‘Fumiko,’ through verification, research, and final eligibility determination stages.
• In The Pacific Citizen 45 Years Ago, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A historical retrospective recounts incidents of vandalism and terrorism against returning Japanese Americans in 1945, including arson and shootings targeting Nisei families in California. Attacks were reported in Loomis, San Francisco, Oakland, and Lodi.

Commentary

• Reject ACR 181, by Tom Bradley, page 3. Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley’s letter urges rejection of ACR 181, a bill attempting to recast the history of Japanese American internment, citing lack of credible documentation and reliance on discredited historian Lillian Baker. Bradley argues the bill’s revisionist approach ignores documented Constitutional violations during WWII incarceration.
• Airborne Heroes, by Jack Hertzig, page 4. A letter describes the 50th anniversary commemoration of the U.S. Army Parachute troops, where Nisei paratroopers George Kojima and Harry Akune were honored with American flags by their wartime commander General George M. Jones. Kojima volunteered from a WRA camp and suffered severe wounds in the Philippines, while Akune was a POW at Corregidor.
• Golf, by P.C. Staff, page 4. An editorial discusses the controversy over all-white country clubs following the PGA’s threat to pull its championship from Shoal Creek Country Club. The piece highlights a Denver club manager’s odd comment about having ‘even a gentleman who was interned in one of the camps in Colorado’ as a minority member, criticizing the ongoing need to educate Americans about the internment injustice.
• Dem Japanese Are Takin’ Over: Can Become a Sushi-Maker, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Bill Hosokawa recounts his son Mike’s visit from Missouri, during which Mike prepared an impressive sushi dinner despite being an American-born Sansei with no formal training. Mike learned by watching Japanese sushi chefs in St. Louis and practicing at home.
• The Nikkei in Politics, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Marutani discusses nikkei figures in politics, including Peru’s President Alberto Fujimori who faced hostile crowds during his campaign, and U.S. Congressmen Robert Matsui and Norman Mineta who have risen in political prominence. He notes other rising Asian American political figures like Elaine Chao and Mike Woo.
• East Wind (Continued), by Bill Marutani, page 5. Continuing his column, Marutani details Congressman Mineta’s early internment experience as a child and his political rise from San Jose City Council to Congress. He expresses optimism about the increasing involvement of Asian Americans in politics.

Arts & Entertainment

• Asian American Ophthalmologist Donates $750,000 to Irvine Performing Arts Theater, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Dr. George and Arlene Cheng of Newport Beach donated $750,000 to the Irvine Barclay Theatre, the second largest gift received toward its $17.6 million construction cost. Dr. Cheng, a Montebello ophthalmologist who immigrated from China, cited America’s opportunities and a desire to encourage philanthropy among Asian Americans.
• Japanese Posters Exhibit to Show Through Oct. 21, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A retrospective exhibit titled ‘The Best 100 Japanese Posters, 1945-1989’ traces the development of postwar graphic design in Japan and is on display at the JACCC Doizaki Gallery through Oct. 21. It premiered in conjunction with the Los Angeles Festival.

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