Marge Schott’s slur: JACL calls for her resignation

Vol. 115, No. 19, December 4, 1992. 12 pages. View this issue

JACL’s response to Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott led the news. Schott told national director Dennis Hayashi and midwest director Bill Yoshino that she did not realize the term “Jap” was racist, and JACL called for her resignation. Bill Yoshino’s letter to her, printed on page 9, described the harm such slurs caused, including the World War II incarceration (often called internment) of Japanese Americans. Baseball’s executive council set a meeting in Louisville to discuss the controversy. The front page also covered Democrat Mark Takano’s recount filing after his narrow congressional loss, and Toko Fujii’s report on the Sacramento testimonial for Jerry Enomoto.

Elsewhere, Grayce K. Uyehara wrote about the JACL Legacy Fund, and Harry Honda reported on Jefferson County, Texas, roads named with the same slur. Bill Hosokawa wrote about Dr. John W. Nason and the Nisei Student Relocation Commemorative Fund, and Bill Marutani reflected on corruption scandals in Japan. A short item noted Eagle Scout John Cox’s restoration project at Manzanar.

What’s in this issue

National

• Didn’t Know ‘Jap’ Is Racist, Says Schott to JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott told JACL national director Dennis Hayashi and midwest director Bill Yoshino that she didn’t realize the term ‘Jap’ was racist after using it in phone calls. JACL called for her resignation, citing her history of racial slurs including using the word ‘nigger’ and possessing a swastika armband.
• Owners Call Meeting on Schott, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Baseball’s executive council scheduled a meeting in Louisville to discuss ongoing controversy surrounding Marge Schott’s racist remarks. Dodgers president Peter O’Malley said Schott should resign as chief executive officer if the statements attributed to her are accurate.
• It’s Not Over—Nikkei Files for Recount in Election Dogfight, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Democrat Mark Takano filed for a ballot recount after narrowly losing his congressional bid in California’s 43rd district, with campaign manager Parke Shallman citing reports of voting irregularities. The recount could cost $30,000-$60,000, which the state would cover if Takano wins.
• Inouye Accuser Won’t Participate in Senate Ethics Investigation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Lenore Kwock, who accused Sen. Daniel Inouye of sexual misconduct, announced she will not participate in any Senate Ethics Committee investigation, saying she wants to put the episode behind her. The group Code of Silence Broken, formed after her allegations, said it is disappointed but supports her decision.
• Fujimori Coalition Wins Election in Peru, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Supporters of Peru President Alberto Fujimori won virtual control of the 80-seat Democratic Constituent Congress with 44 seats based on exit polls. The new congress will rewrite the constitution and legislate until Fujimori’s term expires in 1995, amid ongoing scrutiny of U.S. relations and drug trafficking issues.
• Confusion Over ‘Native Americans’ Still Persists, by Allan Beekman, page 3. Media reports calling Colorado Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell the ‘first native American’ in the Senate sparked controversy since Hawaii Senator Daniel Akaka, a native Hawaiian, was already a sitting native American senator. Historical records show at least three other senators of native American descent served before Campbell, highlighting confusion over the term’s usage.
• Poll: 40 Million in U.S. Hate Jews, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A national poll conducted by the Anti-Defamation League found approximately one in five Americans hold strongly anti-Semitic views. ADL director Abraham Foxman expressed deep concern over the findings, which showed higher rates among certain demographic groups including older, less-educated, blue-collar Americans.
• Transportation Key to Growth, Says Mineta, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Rep. Norman Mineta, incoming chairman of the House Public Works and Transportation Committee, said full funding of a $151 billion highway transit bill is key to stimulating America’s economy. Mineta is expected to play a key role in President-elect Clinton’s infrastructure improvement plans.
• Schott Controversy Continued: JACL Demands Accountability, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Bill Yoshino’s letter to Marge Schott detailed the historical harm caused by racial slurs like ‘Jap,’ referencing the WWII internment of Japanese Americans as a consequence of unchecked racism. JACL criticized Schott for meeting with African American and Jewish representatives but avoiding similar meetings with the Japanese American community.
• Fujimori Election Coverage Continued, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Additional coverage details Fujimori’s visit to Ayacucho to encourage voter turnout in the heart of Shining Path guerrilla territory, and notes OAS observers monitoring the election. The article also discusses U.S. suspension of aid following Fujimori’s dissolution of Congress and his stated goals to combat drug trafficking and terrorism.

JACL

• 500 at Jerry Enomoto Testimonial, by Toko Fujii, page 1. Close to 500 friends gathered at Hoi Sing restaurant in Sacramento to honor two-time national JACL president Jerry Enomoto for his decades of leadership in the Nikkei community and criminal justice field. Enomoto expressed gratitude and credited colleagues and his wife Dorothy for their support during his career.
• JACL Legacy Fund: More Important Now Than Ever, by Grayce K. Uyehara, page 1. Uyehara describes recent events honoring redress administrator Paul Suddes and JACL leader Jerry Enomoto, highlighting local chapter efforts to support the JACL Legacy Fund. She discusses the fund’s $10 million goal and its importance for continuing JACL programs addressing racism and community needs.
• EDC Offers D.C. Internships, by P.C. Staff, page 2. JACL is accepting applications for the Eastern District Internship Program, which places a college or graduate student in JACL’s Washington, D.C. office for three-month periods with a $1,100 quarterly stipend. Qualified candidates must be JACL members or children of members with at least a B average.
• Legacy Fund Continued: Chapters Surpass Goals, by Grayce K. Uyehara, page 9. Uyehara details how seven JACL chapters surpassed their Legacy Fund goals by the Denver convention, with Cleveland’s Hank Tanaka and Seattle’s Cherry Kinoshita leading successful community outreach campaigns. The fund, nearing $4 million by end of 1992, supports JACL programs including anti-Asian violence conferences and educational initiatives.

Community

• Nikkei/Swiss Neighbors Blossom in Print, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Reader’s Digest condensed a story about two prewar Northern California immigrant families, the Ninomiyas and the Aebis, who grew roses in San Francisco. When the Japanese family was interned during WWII, their Swiss neighbor cared for their nursery, and the families’ businesses later expanded together into Salinas.
• ‘Census 2000 Alert’ Providing Asian/Pacific Input, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Chinese for Affirmative Action’s ‘Census 2000 Alert’ project is working with the National Coalition for an Accurate Count of Asian-Pacific Americans to improve accuracy in the next census. The effort follows controversy over how Asian-Pacific Islander subgroups were counted in the 1990 census, with Reps. Mineta and Matsui having opposed lumping all API groups together.
• San Fernando Valley Dedicates New Temple, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The San Fernando Valley Buddhist Temple in Pacoima dedicated a new sanctuary twice the size of the original 1962 building. Bishop Seigen Yamaoka of the Buddhist Churches of America officiated the dedication ceremony.
• Controversy Hits Texas Roads Named ‘Jap’, by Harry Honda, page 4. Jefferson County, Texas commissioners are taking an educational approach rather than forcing a rename of Jap Road and Jap Lane, named after early Issei rice farming settlers Kichimatsu Kishi and Yasuo Mayumi. A public hearing found overwhelming negative response to renaming, even from some Nikkei Texans who prefer to avoid controversy.
• API Labor Group Protests Hotel’s Anti-Union Tactics, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance announced plans to protest the Inter-Continental Hotel in Los Angeles for allegedly breaking a 1989 promise to negotiate a neutrality agreement with labor unions. APALA president Ed Miyakawa criticized the hotel’s use of an anti-labor law firm with a history of federal labor law violations.
• Personally Speaking: Education, Entertainment, Fine Arts and More, by P.C. Staff, page 5. This roundup column covers various Japanese American achievements including University of Hawaii chancellor Joyce Tsunoda’s bid for UH president, teacher awards for Art Kimura and Glenn Minami, and the dedication of Mary Tsukamoto Elementary School in Elk Grove. It also covers filmmaker Steven Okazaki’s new projects and other community news items.
• Personally Speaking: JACL D.C. Leadership Program Applications Solicited, by P.C. Staff, page 9. JACL named the program after national director Dennis Hayashi to develop community leaders through a five-day Washington policy program including meetings with legislators like Senator Inouye and Reps. Mineta and Matsui. District councils may select up to two participants with tuition, housing and meals paid by sponsoring chapters.
• Personally Speaking: Religion, Sports and Special Corner, by P.C. Staff, page 9. This section covers Rev. Sumio Koga speaking at Calvary Presbyterian’s 75th anniversary and Molly Miyako Kimura’s ordination achievement as a Nishi Hongwanji minister. It also notes Victor Tarawa’s new golf course venture in Colorado and Eagle Scout John Cox’s restoration project at Manzanar.

Incarceration & Redress

• Angel Island Barracks Plans Underway, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Barracks at Angel Island, which served as an immigration station from 1910-1940 and was the first stop for many Issei picture brides, are undergoing restoration due to historic Chinese immigrant carvings. The Immigration Station Foundation formed in 1983 to raise funds after state funding ran out, and now offers tours and is preparing a traveling exhibit.

Commentary

• A Good Man, A Good Cause, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. Hosokawa writes about Dr. John W. Nason, chairman of the National Student Relocation Council, which helped thousands of Japanese Americans leave WRA camps to continue their education. He also highlights the Nisei Student Relocation Commemorative Fund, which now helps refugee students from Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos in a spirit of on-gaeshi (repayment of moral debt).
• Paradox in Integrity, by Bill Marutani, page 8. Marutani reflects on the contrast between the honesty he’s experienced with ordinary Japanese citizens and the corruption scandals involving Japanese political leaders, including bribery cases involving Shin Kanemaru and the LDP. He notes the light punishment given despite significant illegal contributions, raising questions about judicial integrity in Japan.

In-Depth

• Is There Hope for Japan’s Universities?, page 8. Physicist Takafumi Matsui of the University of Tokyo discusses in an interview with Shukan Asahi the arbitrary and political nature of academic promotions in Japan, citing his own 14-year wait to become associate professor. He argues Japanese universities need reform, including field-specific rankings, to overcome cliquish mentalities and incompetence in higher education.
• Personally Speaking: Architecture and Awards, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Canadian architect Raymond Moriyama was named designer of the $20.3 million National Nikkei Heritage Centre in Vancouver, funded partly by the Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation. The section also covers Japanese government decorations awarded to five Southern Californians including Tsugio Kawaguchi and Naoyuki Takasugi.

Arts & Entertainment

• Showtime: Amy Hill Seeks Writers for New Theatrical Project, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Actress and performer Amy Hill is seeking young Asian American writers to collaborate on a new theatrical piece reflecting Asian American history and experience, building on work already underway with Cal State Northridge students. Interested writers should submit samples to Tokyo Bound Productions for a reading funded by the L.A. Arts Recovery fund.
• Here and Now Theatrical Troupe Tours Campuses, by P.C. Staff, page 10. The Asian American theatrical troupe Here and Now is presenting its new show ‘The Road to Together’ at college campuses across Los Angeles in its fourth year. The show addresses issues including sex, hate crimes, women’s issues and the L.A. riots.
• Playwright Phillip Kan Gotanda Named Grant Recipient, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Playwright Phillip Kan Gotanda received the Gerbode Foundation Grant and the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund Writer’s Award, a three-year support grant for established artists. His play ‘Fish Head Soup’ will make its Southern California premiere at East West Players in January.

Obituaries

• Obituary Listings, by P.C. Staff, page 11. This section lists numerous obituaries for Japanese American community members who passed away in October and November 1992, including details on survivors and hometowns. Notable entries include Yoshihiro Hattori, a 16-year-old exchange student killed by gun violence, and Dr. Jeffrey S. Tanaka, a University of Illinois psychology professor who died in an accident.

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