Highway dedicated to the MIS, and JACL fights immigration cuts

Vol. 120, No. 12, June 16, 1995. 12 pages. View this issue

A memorial highway for the Military Intelligence Service was dedicated in Simi Valley, Calif., on June 10, and the front page covered it. About 200 veterans, dignitaries and friends attended, and Col. Young O. Kim and Assemblywoman Cathy Wright spoke. Immigration shared the front page. JACL and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, led by Norman Mineta, opposed the Immigration Reform Commission’s call to cut legal immigration, and JACL National President Denny Yasuhara criticized President Clinton’s endorsement. The Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling limiting affirmative action was also reported.

Other highways honoring the 100th Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team are described on page 4, where Frank Iritani reports on a new kiosk at the Poston memorial. On page 10, Harry K. Honda covers Sen. Daniel Inouye’s address at the 522nd Field Artillery reunion in Little Tokyo. Columns include Bill Hosokawa, Bill Marutani and Mei Nakano on an A-bomb apology.

What’s in this issue

Military & Veterans

• Simi Valley, Calif., Highway Dedicated June 10 to MIS, by P.C. Staff, page 1. About 200 veterans and dignitaries attended the June 10 dedication of a memorial highway at Highways 23 and 118 in Simi Valley honoring the Military Intelligence Service. Speakers included Col. Young O. Kim and Assemblywoman Cathy Wright, with funds for the highway signs raised by Nisei veterans.
• Central California Highway to Honor 100/442nd, MIS, by Barry Saiki, page 4. The final of three California state highway sections honoring Japanese American WWII military units will be dedicated with a commemorative banquet Aug. 4 at the Stockton Hilton, marking the 442nd Regimental Combat Team Highway on Highway 99. The 100th Infantry markers on Highway 99 near Fresno will be celebrated at a separate dinner July 29, following the June 10 MIS highway dedication in Simi Valley.
• Quiet Saga of WWII Nisei Aerial Gunner, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Sgt. John H. Matsumoto, a 12th Air Force gunner on an A-20 attack bomber during WWII, recently recounted his 50 combat missions and experiences facing both camaraderie and occasional discrimination while serving overseas. His parents were interned at Amache while he served, and he later worked as a gardener after a career in tuna fishing.
• Dachau Survivors Embrace 522nd Vets, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Dachau survivor Larry Lubetski and his brother Roman were reunited after 50 years with the 522nd Field Artillery Battalion soldiers who liberated them in 1945. Lubetski recounted volunteering to join the battalion after being freed and was located this year through research by veteran Nelson Akagi.
• MIS-Northwest Reunion Celebrates 50th Anniversary, by P.C. Staff, page 10. The MIS-Northwest reunion in Tukwila, Washington will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of WWII with panel discussions on the history of the Military Intelligence Service. Dr. James C. McNaughton, command historian of the Defense Language Institute, will be keynote speaker and is developing an official Army history of the MIS.

JACL

• Boise Valley Hosts IDC-PNW Conference, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Boise Valley Chapter JACL and the Intermountain District are co-sponsoring the fourth Intermountain-Pacific Northwest bi-district meeting July 8-9 in Boise, Idaho. The conference will include district meetings, a joint session, workshops on membership, and a keynote address by Marilyn Shuler of the Idaho Human Relations Commission.

National

• Affirmative Action Programs Limited by Supreme Court, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to sharply restrict federal affirmative action programs for racial minorities, requiring a ‘strict scrutiny’ standard. JACL’s Leigh-Ann Miyasato criticized the ruling as ignoring the pervasive nature of racism in society.
• JACL Opposes Cuts in Number of Legal Immigrants Allowed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL and other Asian American groups criticized a bipartisan federal commission’s recommendations to cut legal immigration by one-third and eliminate visa preferences for extended family members. JACL National President Denny Yasuhara said the changes would devastate the Asian Pacific American community.
• JACL Worried About Feinstein, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL expressed concern over Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s votes on immigration legislation, including allowing employers to demand extensive proof of work authorization. JACL’s Leigh Ann Miyasato urged Californians to express dismay over Feinstein’s anti-immigrant stance.
• Group Protests Agency Targeting of Asian Immigrants, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus members, led by Chair Norman Mineta, protested the Immigration Reform Commission’s recommendations that would eliminate family immigration categories used mostly by Asian applicants. The caucus said the changes would disproportionately affect immigrants from the Philippines, Taiwan, India, China, and other Asian countries.
• Clinton Endorses Immigration Cutbacks, by P.C. Staff, page 5. President Clinton endorsed the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform’s findings calling for cuts to immigration, putting him at odds with JACL and other Asian American civil rights groups. JACL President Denny Yasuhara and other advocates criticized Clinton’s characterization of the proposals as ‘pro-family.’

Incarceration & Redress

• Poston Monument Kiosk Completed, by Frank Iritani, page 4. An all-volunteer crew from Sacramento completed an 11-foot informational kiosk adjacent to the Poston Relocation Center memorial monument, working two weeks in difficult conditions. The kiosk will eventually feature four panels of historical photos and information about camp life and the Colorado River Indian Tribes, with a dedication program planned for November 7, 1995.

Commentary

• Another U.S.-Japan Imbalance, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. Hosokawa discusses Ambassador Kuriyama’s letter highlighting the imbalance between Japanese students studying in the U.S. and American students studying in Japan. He argues this gap in educational exchange threatens mutual understanding despite the importance of the U.S.-Japan relationship.
• Carmen: Where Are You?, by Bill Marutani, page 8. Marutani reminisces about big band era music and nostalgic memories tied to songs from the 1940s, focusing especially on pianist Carmen Cavallero. He reflects on his own limited musical background growing up on a farm with little time or resources for music.
• Thoughts on Trade Between U.S.-Japan, page 8. A letter writer from Glendale, Calif. argues that trade issues between the U.S. and Japan come down to product quality and consumer preference rather than national origin. The writer suggests American automakers should adapt their products, such as steering wheel placement, to succeed in the Japanese market rather than relying on trade sanctions.
• A-Bomb Apology Needed, by Mei Nakano, page 9. Nakano argues that the U.S. should apologize for the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, citing historical evidence that the bombings were not necessary to end the war. She contends that acknowledging this wrong is essential to championing a nuclear-free world.
• Census Box Whose Time Has Come, by Harry K. Honda, page 9. Honda discusses a proposal to add a ‘bi-racial’ or ‘mixed-ethnic’ category to the U.S. Census, noting President Clinton’s supportive reaction to the idea. He reviews the complex existing racial and ethnic categories used by the Census Bureau for Asian Pacific Islanders and other groups.
• Reader Has Praise for Clinton, Mondale, page 9. A letter writer from Columbia, Mo. defends Clinton and Ambassador Mondale against criticism over statements regarding WWII bombings, arguing their comments reflect fairness and a spirit of brotherhood. The writer compares the renaming of VJ Day controversy to VE Day and describes tragic wartime incidents affecting civilians on all sides.
• No Apology to Draft Resisters, by Easy Company Chapter, Northern California 100th Btn/442nd RCT Veterans, page 9. A group of WWII veterans wrote to object to JACL’s apology to Nisei wartime draft resisters, arguing the action was improper and unsupported by evidence of wrongdoing by JACL. The veterans argue that if any apology is due, it should come from draft resisters to the volunteers and draftees who served and were sometimes harassed for doing so.
• Joseph Heco Society Pleading for Support, by Frank Shozo Baba, page 12. The writer describes visiting the gravesite of Joseph Heco, considered the first true Japanese American citizen, in Tokyo’s Aoyama Cemetery. He appeals for American benefactors to help maintain the grave and support the Joseph Heco Society after its elderly Japanese president is gone.
• President Corrects Comment on Fund-Raiser, by Denny Yasuhara, page 12. JACL National President Denny Yasuhara clarifies a previous statement regarding PSW fundraising comments attributed to him, explaining the context of cash flow needs earlier in the year. He apologizes to Phyllis Murakawa for any confusion caused by the original report.

In-Depth

• Tracing the Jewish-Nisei Connection: Inouye, Vets Reunited with Dachau Survivors, by Harry K. Honda, page 10. Sen. Daniel Inouye keynoted the 522nd Field Artillery reunion in Little Tokyo, tracing the historic bond between Jewish and Nisei people rooted in the liberation of Dachau concentration camp subcamps by the 522nd. Two Congressional Medal of Honor winners, Hershey Miyamura and Col. Lewis Millett, also spoke, along with a Dachau survivor honoring the memory of a fallen officer.

Obituaries

• Death Notice: Taira Fujimoto, page 11. Taira Fujimoto, 84, of Watsonville, Calif., passed away May 27 in Westminster, CA. He is survived by his wife Yaeko, sons James and Don, daughter Joann, and six grandchildren.
• Death Notice: George Kahei Yoshizawa, page 11. George Kahei Yoshizawa, 96, formerly of Oakland, Martinez, and Salinas, passed away Dec. 1, 1994, in Kagoshima, Japan. He is survived by his grandson Paul Kimoto of Ithaca, New York.

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