JACL restructuring debate and a World War II memorial in Washington

Vol. 115, No. 15, November 6, 1992. 8 pages. View this issue

The Phoenix Team, a committee from the Pacific Southwest District, reported on what chapters thought of the Select Committee’s restructuring plan, written by Sharon Kumagai and the team. Most chapters asked why restructuring was needed, though they backed hiring a national youth director. Also on the front page, President George Bush signed H.J.Res 271, authorizing a memorial in Washington, D.C. to Japanese American servicemen of World War II. Rep. Norman Mineta’s office said no federal funds would be used. Bush also signed the law making May permanent Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

On redress, the Justice Department said 74,600 Japanese Americans had received $20,000 payments. Gwen Muranaka covered the Super Dave cartoon’s character Fuji, and a JACL letter to Fox objected to it. Harry K. Honda’s two columns look at Ontario, Ore., and at the late civil rights lawyer Joseph L. Rauh Jr. Smaller items cover green card replacement and Japan ending fingerprinting of ethnic Koreans.

What’s in this issue

National

• D.C. Memorial to JA WWII Heroism Becomes Law, by P.C. Staff, page 1. President George Bush signed H.J.Res 271, authorizing construction of a memorial in Washington, D.C. honoring Japanese American servicemen of World War II. The memorial will use no federal funds, and Rep. Norman Mineta said it will remind Americans that rights are defined by shared commitment to constitutional principles rather than race.
• Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Now Permanent, by P.C. Staff, page 1. President Bush signed H.R. 5572 on Oct. 23, making May permanently designated as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Rep. Norman Mineta, who co-authored the law with Rep. Frank Horton, called it a victory allowing Asian Pacific Americans to reflect on their history and educate other Americans about their contributions.
• Shattering the Glass: EEOC Leader Calls for Corporate Awareness of Minorities, page 1. An EEOC commissioner spoke at a conference in Dallas about the Asian American Vote and obstacles facing the advancement of women and minorities in corporate America. The remarks called for greater corporate awareness of glass-ceiling issues affecting minorities.
• Japanese Interest in U.S. Real Estate Declines, page 1. Finance expert Jack Rodman of Kenneth Leventhal & Co. said Japanese capital investment in American real estate has largely dried up, though Hong Kong and Taiwan remain sources of investment. Many existing Japanese-owned properties are undergoing restructuring including buy-outs and troubled loan transfers to Japanese banks.
• Japan to End Fingerprinting Requirement for Ethnic Koreans, page 3. Japan’s Alien Registration Law will be revised to replace fingerprinting with photographs, signatures, and official family records for foreign residents. The fingerprinting system had long been viewed as a symbol of discrimination against ethnic Koreans born in Japan, many descended from forced laborers of World War II.
• SBA Opens On-Line System, page 3. The Small Business Administration launched an online bulletin board system in early October, earning acceptance from business owners with computers and modems. Administrator Patricia Saiki said the system helps the agency move into the 21st century.
• This Time It’s Sushi, page 3. A debate arose in Japan over whether importing U.S.-made frozen sushi violates the government’s rice import ban. Sushi-Boy president Fujio Matsumoto plans to combine tuna or salmon with California rice at a factory in Escondido and ship it frozen to Japan, pending government approval.
• Firm Claims Japanese Sub, by Allan Beekman, page 3. The California-based Institute of Aeronautical Archeological Research has petitioned for exclusive rights to a wreckage believed to be a Japanese mini-submarine sunk near Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7. The organization discovered the vessel 1,400 feet below the surface and claims rights based on extensive research and recovery operations.
• ABA Panel Explores Racism in U.S., page 5. At the American Bar Association’s annual convention in San Francisco, six panelists including Asian Law Caucus director Paul Igasaki debated whether American racism can ever be eliminated, sparked by Harvard professor Derrick Bell’s pessimistic view. Panelists including Elaine Jones and Cruz Reynoso acknowledged the difficulty of eliminating racism while stressing progress made and the importance of continuing the struggle.

JACL

• ‘Phoenix Team’: Why Restructure JACL?, by Sharon Kumagai and Phoenix Team, page 1. Following the 32nd JACL Biennial Convention, the Pacific Southwest District formed a committee nicknamed the ‘Phoenix Team’ to gather chapter feedback on the Select Committee’s restructuring report. The team organized outreach to PSW chapters, distributed questionnaires, and found most chapters questioning why restructuring is necessary while supporting the idea of hiring a national youth director.
• JACL Letter Demands Fox Address Super Dave Stereotype, page 5. A JACL letter to Fox stated that stereotypical characters like Fuji from Super Dave are deplorable and damaging given the underrepresentation of Asian Americans in media. The letter demanded Fox discontinue distributing the cartoon unless the character issue is addressed and asked what steps would be taken.

Arts & Entertainment

• TV Producer Says Cartoon Character Is Not a Stereotype, by Gwen Muranaka, page 1. Bobby London, executive producer of the Super Dave cartoon, responded to complaints that the character ‘Fuji’ is a stereotype, saying the character is voiced by Japanese Canadian actor Art Irizawa who had input on its creation. London defended the show’s exaggerated caricature style as consistent with how all characters, including Super Dave himself, are drawn.
• Hiroshima: Record Tracks and Tours, by Gwen Muranaka, page 4. Jazz group Hiroshima released their new album ‘Providence,’ their first in three years, described by taiko drummer Johnny Mori as reflecting the multicultural society America now lives in. Mori discussed recording during the L.A. riots, the band’s diverse audience, and concerns about the band’s future amid a slow economy for jazz artists.

Incarceration & Redress

• ORA Says Redress Nearly Finished, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Department of Justice announced that 74,600 Japanese Americans have received $20,000 redress payments, with 5,000 more expected in fiscal 1994. The ORA’s toll-free Help Line ceased operations Oct. 30 as staff focus on processing remaining cases.

Community

• Minorities Do Well in Sheriff’s Recruitment Day, page 1. A one-day recruitment event for the San Francisco sheriff’s department drew 3,800 applicants, of whom 1,421 qualified, with 82 percent being women and minorities. Asian candidates made up 34 percent (453) of qualifiers, who will be placed on a two-year hiring list.
• Green Cards to Expire Aug. 1, ’93, page 3. Resident aliens holding green cards issued before 1978 must replace them before the Aug. 1, 1993 expiration date. Applicants must file Form I-90 with a $70 fee at their nearest INS office.
• Nikkei Profiled at Reunion, by Ed Suguro, page 3. Seattle’s Franklin High School class of 1972 held its 20-year reunion, with two Sansei graduates profiled by the Seattle Times. Terry Mori built a successful marketing firm in Minnesota, while Patsy Yamada became an active mother and Tupperware seller in Rainier Beach.
• Retiree Health Facility Planned, page 3. A $3 million retirement complex called the Takshane Inn in the Catskills was unveiled by Ken Kobayashi, chief director of the Kobayashi Cultural Center for Good Life, Inc. The self-sustaining facility for 120 people will feature organic farms, health equipment, and traditional remedies with completion expected soon.
• Asian Groups Awarded Grants, page 3. The Asian Pacific Community Fund of Southern California made its first grant presentations, totaling $10,000, to numerous human service agencies serving the Asian Pacific community of Los Angeles. Recipients included Asian American Drug Abuse Program, Little Tokyo Service Center, and several other organizations.
• Museum Names Chairman, page 3. Francis Y. Sogi, senior partner with the law firm Kelley Drye and Warren, was elected the new chair of the Japanese American National Museum board of trustees. Sogi, a Hawaii-born University of Hawaii and MIS graduate who served as a CIC officer in Hokkaido during the Occupation, succeeds attorney Henry Ota.

Commentary

• Small Kid Time: Treasure Mound, by Harry K. Honda, page 6. Columnist Harry Honda recounts a trip to Ontario, Ore., visiting Sab Nishimura’s machine shop and Ken and Max Ozawa’s metering pump company, drawing a metaphor between old and new Japanese American enterprises. He also reflects on past visits to the Takarazuka Revue in Japan, noting the historic theater’s demolition and replacement with a high-tech facility opening New Year’s Day 1993.
• Rauh and Redress, by Harry K. Honda, page 6. Honda writes about the passing of civil rights pioneer Joseph L. Rauh Jr., longtime general counsel of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, who received the Masaoka Distinguished Public Service Award at the 1972 JACL convention. The column recounts JACL’s history with LCCR, including participation in the 1963 March on Washington and Rauh’s role advocating for redress legislation.

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