Vol. 113, No. 19, December 6, 1991. 8 pages. View this issue
The 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor ran through this 8-page issue. Reports described worry in the Japanese American community that the commemoration could stir anti-Japanese feeling, and the paper followed the media attention around it. Two first-person accounts looked back at December 1941: a Nisei GI’s story, and the story of Rev. Thomas R. Okano’s Issei family. A column by Harry K. Honda told of Richard Sakakida’s undercover mission in Manila. Front-page stories also covered a hate crime in which a Vietnamese restaurant in San Jose was burned and a racial slur painted on it, and the vandalism of a home in Anaheim Hills.
Elsewhere, Japan’s parliament planned an apology for the bombing, and President Bush said no apology would be given for Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Rep. Norman Mineta’s highway and transit bill passed the House, 372 to 47. A short item announced a UCLA exhibit of art made in the camps, timed to the 50th anniversary of Executive Order 9066.
What’s in this issue
National
- Vietnamese Restaurant Victimized in San Jose Arson Attack, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Vietnamese restaurant called Tu-Do owned by a Vietnamese family was set on fire and had a racial slur spray-painted on its walls in San Jose. Investigators classified the incident as a hate crime, noting it was the first such attack against a Vietnamese-owned business in the area, following a day earlier extortion confrontation with two Vietnamese men.
- Man Formerly Charged in Murders Sues for False Arrest, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A man previously charged in connection with murders is suing for false arrest, alleging deprivation of civil rights, assault and battery, and malicious prosecution after charges against him and three others were dropped due to lack of evidence. Two teenagers remain in custody still charged in the crimes.
- Japan Plans Apology for Bombing of Pearl Harbor, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Japan’s parliament planned to adopt a resolution apologizing for the Pearl Harbor bombing before Dec. 7, but President Bush stated no reciprocal apology would be given for the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Bush, a WWII Navy pilot shot down by the Japanese, defended Truman’s decision to drop the bombs as having saved American lives.
- Mineta Highway-Transit Bill Passes U.S. House, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Rep. Norman Mineta’s six-year, $151 billion Intermodal Surface Transportation Infrastructure Act passed the U.S. House by a vote of 372 to 47, creating a national network of roads, bridges, and transit systems. Mineta said the legislation would create two million jobs over six years while addressing infrastructure needs in California and nationwide.
Incarceration & Redress
- Anaheim Hills Home Defaced with Racial Epithets and Swastikas, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A home in the Anaheim Hills area owned by Alfred Lee was broken into and vandalized with racial epithets including ‘Jap Out’ and ‘Chinese Out’ along with swastikas. The homeowner was vacationing in Europe when a friend discovered the damage on Nov. 26, and police classified it as a hate crime.
- Will Pearl Harbor Anniversary Worsen Situation?, by P.C. Staff, page 1. As the 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor approached, commentators and officials debated whether commemoration events would heighten anti-Japanese sentiment amid U.S.-Japan economic tensions. The article surveys comments from Admiral Ronald Hays, Major George Ishida, and others on the anxiety felt within the Japanese American community ahead of the anniversary.
- And the World Tunes In: Pearl Harbor Anniversary Becomes Major Media Event, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The 50th anniversary commemoration of the Pearl Harbor bombing became a major media event with extensive news coverage, forums, debates, and TV films examining both American and Japanese perspectives. JACL prepared for potential backlash while historical societies emphasized learning from history rather than rewriting it.
- An Issei Story, page 1. The article tells the story of Rev. Thomas R. Okano’s family, detailing his father’s arrest by the FBI following Pearl Harbor as a suspected dangerous alien and subsequent internment. The family was later exchanged to Japan aboard the Gripsholm and endured a harrowing journey through Singapore and near-tragedy aboard the ill-fated Awa Maru before finally reaching Japan safely.
- A Surprise Attack—Or Was It?, page 5. Historians continue debating whether FDR anticipated the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, citing declassified intelligence including a Dutch naval attache’s diary noting the location of the Japanese Task Force was known days before the attack. The article also examines suppressed radio intercepts from the Matson liner Lurline and Navy listening posts that reportedly detected Japanese naval movements toward Hawaii, information never shared with local commanders Gen. Short and Adm. Kimmel.
Military & Veterans
- A Nisei GI’s Story, page 1. The article recounts the experience of a Japanese American soldier during the Pearl Harbor attack, one of many Americans of Japanese ancestry serving at the time. It describes the chaos following the attack, including evacuation preparations and confusion among troops regarding trust of Nisei soldiers.
- Richard Sakakida’s Undercover Mission, by Harry K. Honda, page 4. Nisei intelligence agents Richard Sakakida and Arthur Komori were recruited by the U.S. military in 1941 to infiltrate the Japanese community in Manila before the outbreak of war, and were later captured, tortured, and eventually freed. Sakakida shared his story publicly for the first time at the 50th anniversary reunion of the Military Intelligence Service in Monterey, revealing details of his ordeal to an audience of 750 veterans.
Commentary
- Anniversary Coverage Continued: Japanese American Community Responds, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Lee Iacocca and other business leaders commented on rising U.S.-Japan tensions surrounding the Pearl Harbor 50th anniversary, while JACL chapter leaders like Bill Kaneko worked to coordinate media relations and mitigate backlash. Incidents of harassment against Asian Americans in California, including vandalism and racial taunts against golfers, were also detailed.
In-Depth
- Japan’s Vaunted Efficiency, by Harry K. Honda, page 4. The column examines contrasts in Japanese retail and packaging customs compared to American practices, noting the elaborate art of gift wrapping and product packaging in Japan. It also questions common assumptions about Japan’s productivity levels compared to other nations.
Community
- Japanese American Exhibit Announced, by P.C. Staff, page 6. A new exhibit curated by Karin M. Higa focusing on artistic works created by Japanese American internees is scheduled to open in October 1992 at the Wight Art Gallery on the UCLA campus, timed to the 50th anniversary of Executive Order 9066. Higa is seeking additional examples of camp artwork and has identified over two dozen artists so far for possible inclusion.
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