Mike Masaoka remembered, and the Pearl Harbor 50th anniversary

Vol. 113, No. 20, December 20, 1991. 126 pages. View this issue

Mike Masaoka, who died in 1991, was remembered across the commentary pages. Harry K. Honda wrote about the many columnists the paper had carried, and reprinted columns by Masaoka from the 1950s and 1960s covered Nisei Soldiers Memorial Day, the Civil Rights Act of 1960 and the JACL’s role in international relations. Grant Ujifusa paid tribute in a eulogy. Pearl Harbor’s 50th anniversary ran alongside it: Allan Beekman wrote about how Nikkei in Hawaii became scapegoats, and Gwen Muranaka reported the JACL’s reaction to President Bush’s remarks on the World War II incarceration (often called internment).

Also inside are Honda’s feature on Peru’s Nikkei President Alberto Fujimori, a year-in-review for 1991, and several pieces on the JACL Legacy Fund, including a $10,000 gift from Wilce and Mitsuko Shiomi. The issue also carries the winners of the paper’s first short story contest, a review of Akira Kurosawa’s film Rhapsody in August, and a call for Asian bone marrow donors. About 80 of its 126 pages hold holiday greetings.

What’s in this issue

In-Depth

• Peru’s Nikkei President Alberto Fujimori: A Year in Review, by Harry K. Honda, page 4. This extensive feature traces the history of Japanese immigration to Peru beginning in 1899, the anti-Japanese sentiment and 1940 riots that plundered Japanese homes and businesses, and the wartime internment of roughly 2,000 Japanese Peruvians in U.S. camps. The article also profiles President Alberto Fujimori’s first year in office, detailing his economic reforms, anti-terrorism and anti-narcotics strategies, and his hopes to serve as an example for Nikkei political participation throughout the Americas.
• The Truth About Pearl Harbor: How Nikkei in Hawaii Became Scapegoats, by Allan Beekman, page 18. Allan Beekman provides a detailed historical account of the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, describing how Hawaii’s plantation system had long fostered division among ethnic groups and how the Nikkei population was systematically identified as “Japanese” rather than American despite most being U.S. citizens. The piece recounts the tragic deaths of Japanese American civilians from misdirected anti-aircraft fire, the false accusations of Nikkei sabotage and fifth-column activity, and the Niihau incident that fueled unfounded suspicions about Japanese American loyalty.

Commentary

• In Memory: Mike Masaoka, Editor’s Reflections on P.C. Columnists, by Harry K. Honda, page 8. Editor Emeritus Harry Honda reflects on the many Pacific Citizen columnists over the decades, including Bill Hosokawa, Bill Marutani, and Mike Masaoka, whose “Washington Newsletter” ran for 20 years starting in 1952. He introduces reprinted excerpts of Masaoka’s columns as part of a tribute following Masaoka’s death in 1991.
• Nisei Soldiers Memorial Day, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. In this reprinted 1954 column, Mike Masaoka explains the origins and importance of Nisei Soldiers Memorial Day, marking the anniversary of the rescue of the Lost Texas Battalion by the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. He argues that the sacrifices of Nisei soldiers in WWII secured acceptance and opportunities for Japanese Americans and calls for a national monument honoring them.
• Civil Rights Act of 1960, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. Masaoka’s 1960 column examines the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1960 through Congress, detailing the legislative maneuvering by Rep. Howard Smith and the bill’s six titles covering voting rights protections. He notes JACL’s disappointment that the bill’s protections were not extended beyond voting rights but supports its passage as a step forward.
• JACL and International Relations, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. This 1958 column describes JACL’s historic policy reversal at its 15th Biennial National Convention, voting to consider international issues relating to Japan that directly affect Japanese Americans. Masaoka explains the creation of a special National Committee on International Relations and clarifies JACL would not become a Japan lobby but would selectively weigh in on relevant matters.
• Challenge to JACL, by Mike Masaoka, page 8. Writing in 1960 amid riots in Japan that led to the withdrawal of President Eisenhower’s invitation to visit, Masaoka warns of a resurgence of anti-Japanese sentiment in America reminiscent of WWII. He urges JACL to use its upcoming convention to address the crisis and promote understanding between the U.S. and Japan while defending Japanese Americans from renewed prejudice.
• A Colleague, Admirer, and Friend Pays Tribute to Mike Masaoka, by Grant Ujifusa, page 9. In a eulogy speech delivered at an Intermountain District JACL meeting, Grant Ujifusa remembers Mike Masaoka’s character, courage, and political genius during the fight for redress and earlier civil rights battles. Ujifusa describes Masaoka’s gentleness, his pivotal role in the Legislative Education Committee, and the emotional toll of his solitary position as a Japanese American figure in Washington politics.
• Milestones in Nisei History, by Mike Masaoka, page 16. This 1955 column chronicles several achievements including the Senate confirmation of Benjamin Tashiro as the first Nisei federal judge, California legislature’s repeal of discriminatory alien land laws, and the arrival of the first postwar Japanese refugees to California farms. Masaoka frames these milestones as evidence of increasing acceptance of Japanese Americans just over a decade after WWII.

Military & Veterans

• Honor Roll: Names for 100th/442nd/MIS World War II Memorial, by P.C. Staff, page 8. The Name Criteria Selection committee is compiling over 13,000 names of Nisei GIs who served with the 100th, 442nd Infantry, and Military Intelligence Service during WWII to be engraved on a monument planned for Little Tokyo’s First Street North Plaza. Names were compiled from historical rosters including the Military Intelligence Language School Album and Ambassador in Arms, with individuals invited to nominate missing names or contribute $200 toward engraving costs.

National

• Bush’s Pearl Harbor Remarks Draw Favorable JACL Reaction, by Gwen Muranaka, page 20. JACL President Cressey Nakagawa praised President Bush’s remarks acknowledging the injustice of Japanese American internment during 50th anniversary Pearl Harbor commemorations in Honolulu. Bush honored Nisei veterans of the 442nd and MIS while also stating that internment “was a great injustice” that would never be repeated, prompting responses from JACL chapters in Honolulu and Chicago about their advocacy efforts leading up to the anniversary.
• 1991: The Year in Review, by Gwen Muranaka, page 21. This extensive year-end roundup chronicles major events affecting the Japanese American community in 1991, including the JACL Legacy Fund campaign reaching $1 million, the Manzanar National Historic Site legislation, redress payments, the Rodney King beating and its aftermath, Mike Masaoka’s death, and the death of Klu Klux Klan leader David Duke’s presidential announcement. The piece also covers anti-Asian violence incidents, the Clarence Thomas Supreme Court nomination controversy, and preparations for the Pearl Harbor 50th anniversary commemoration.

Community

• Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches Seeks Donors, by Gwen Muranaka, page 33. The organization Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches, founded in August 1991, works to recruit Asian American bone marrow donors for over 100 Asian Americans nationwide suffering from fatal blood diseases, as only 22,098 of 406,379 registered donors are Asian American. The article profiles three individuals connected to the cause: 17-year-old leukemia patient Mindy, donor drive organizer Sharon Sugiyama who lost her nephew to leukemia, and donor Vic Fukuhara awaiting a potential match.

Arts & Entertainment

• Short Story Contest Winners Announced, by P.C. Staff, page 34. Pacific Citizen and the Association of Asian Pacific American Artists (AAPAA) announce the winners of their first national short story contest, which drew nearly 70 submissions reviewed by judges including playwright Velina Hasu Houston and author David Mura. First place winner Thelma Seto received $500 for her story “Vacancy,” with additional winning stories “Winter” by Sandra L. Betchley and “Norma Jean” also featured.
• Vacancy, by Thelma Seto, page 34. This first-place short story contest winner depicts a Japanese American family being turned away from a motel during a road trip, likely set in an earlier era of discrimination. The story explores the father’s quiet dignity in the face of rejection and the children’s confusion and fear amid the family tension that follows.
• Winter, by Sandra L. Betchley, page 34. This short story contest entry follows a family grappling with the father’s serious illness following a stroke, exploring themes of caregiving, guilt, and the mother’s stoic sacrifice. The narrator reflects on childhood memories of her father’s garden and the emotional toll of watching him decline while seeking connection amid his cognitive struggles.
• Norma Jean, by Lee Betchley, page 35. This short story contest entry follows a young woman working as an exotic dancer and sex worker who dreams of becoming an actress, chronicling her difficult relationships and her friendship with a fellow performer named Norma Jean. The narrator reflects on themes of loneliness, exploitation, and fleeting connection while working various demeaning jobs to survive.
• With ‘Rhapsody’ Kurosawa Shows He Is Still the Master, by Martha Nakagawa, page 36. Martha Nakagawa reviews Akira Kurosawa’s 29th film “Rhapsody in August,” which depicts the atomic bombing of Nagasaki’s effects on three generations of one family, countering claims that the film is anti-American. The review describes Richard Gere’s involvement in the film and benefit premieres in New York and Los Angeles, noting support from celebrities including Woody Allen, Francis Ford Coppola, and Martin Scorsese.

Incarceration & Redress

• JACL Programs: The Mission Moves After Redress, by Grayce Uyehara, page 41. Grayce Uyehara, chair of the Legacy Fund Campaign, describes JACL’s proactive efforts to prevent racial exploitation during the Pearl Harbor 50th anniversary commemoration, including media packets distributed to chapters nationwide. She details a White House meeting with President Bush’s staff where JACL veterans shared their wartime experiences, influencing Bush’s eventual acknowledgment of internment injustice in his Pearl Harbor speech.

JACL

• Facts on the JACL Legacy Fund, by P.C. Staff, page 41. This Q&A article explains the JACL Legacy Fund, a perpetual endowment designed to support JACL’s mission of protecting civil rights and preserving Japanese American heritage, with a goal of raising $10 million over three years. It details how ten percent of Fund earnings will be distributed to chapters and districts through a Grants Distribution Pool for programs consistent with JACL’s Program for Action.
• Believing in the Cause: Wilce and Mitsuko Shiomi, by P.C. Staff, page 41. Seattle JACL member Wilce Shiomi donated an extraordinarily generous $10,000 to the National JACL Legacy Fund, motivated by his belief that JACL’s advocacy was essential to combating ongoing racial prejudice and that redress would not have happened without the organization. Shiomi and his wife Mitsuko, who met before WWII and were sent to Puyallup and Tule Lake during evacuation, later built a successful appliance business in Seattle after the war.
• Count on Clovis, by P.C. Staff, page 45. The Clovis Chapter of JACL, with a membership of 100, raised $16,500 through September 30, 1991 toward its $40,000 goal in the three-year Legacy Fund campaign. The chapter met its first-year fundraising goal of $16,000 through the efforts of members including Yoshiko Yamamoto, Ruth Kunishge, and Masao Yamamoto.

Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.