Earthquake relief, redress payments and the JACL budget debate

Vol. 120, No. 3, February 3, 1995. 12 pages. View this issue

Relief for victims of the Kobe earthquake ran through this 12-page issue. A telethon hosted by George Takei, Amy Hill and Mario Machado raised funds, airlines flew supplies to the Osaka-Kobe region, and JACL pointed readers to relief funds. The front page also reported on redress: Cherry Kinoshita wrote that the Office of Redress Administration had paid 79,515 recipients and planned a new cycle of payments, while nominees to the Civil Liberties Public Education Fund board awaited Senate confirmation.

The commentary pages turned to JACL’s finances and the National Board’s decision to cut staff. Bill Hosokawa, Karl Nobuyuki, Grayce Uyehara and Clifford Uyeda each offered a view. Mei Nakano wrote about her life as a Nisei. Also inside: a symposium planned for May on the Heart Mountain experience, a Day of Remembrance program in Chicago with Mitsuye Yamada, and a long run of chapter officer installations.

What’s in this issue

National

• College Funds JA Collection, page 1. California State University, Sacramento established a $100,000 endowment fund for the Japanese American Collection at its library, announced by University Librarian Dean Charles Martell. The reception celebrated donations including the Florin Chapter JACL Oral History Project, the Mary Tsukamoto Collection, and a historic Butsudan altar from the Florin Buddhist Church.
• Nominees for Civil Liberties Public Education Fund Board Await Senate Confirmation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Senate committee was scheduled to meet to verify documentation for presidential nominees to the Civil Liberties Public Education Fund board, established under the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. Congressmen Mineta and Matsui urged confirmation of the board and protection of the $5 million appropriated for the fund amid a potential rescission threat.
• White House Mental Health Program Announced, page 7. The Okura Mental Health Leadership Foundation is establishing a new White House Fellowship program for Asian Pacific Americans in public health and human services fields. The fellow will spend four months in the White House Office of Public Liaison starting April 1, 1995, receiving a $6,500 stipend.

Incarceration & Redress

• ORA Schedules Redress Payments, by Cherry Kinoshita, page 1. The Office of Redress Administration plans to begin a new cycle of redress payments in late February or March to about 40 eligible claimants, having already paid 79,515 recipients as of Jan. 26. ORA staff continues to review remaining Hawaii and Arizona cases and plans further community outreach trips to California and Arizona later in the year.
• Revisiting the Heart Mountain Experience, page 5. Northwest College in Powell, Wyoming will host a three-day symposium May 19-21, 1995, titled ‘After 50 Years—Japanese American History: The Heart Mountain Experience,’ featuring 16 scholars including Roger Daniels and Bill Hosokawa, plus former internees like draft resister Jack Tono. The symposium includes a visit to the actual camp site and the Buffalo Bill Historical Center exhibit on Heart Mountain.

Community

• JACL Supports Northern California Earthquake Relief Fund, page 1. JACL is encouraging contributions to the Kobe/Osaka Earthquake Relief Fund established by the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California, as well as supporting the Red Cross and Japan America Societies. President Denny Yasuhara emphasized the importance of Japanese Americans expressing support for earthquake victims, noting that 100 percent of contributions will go directly to relief efforts.
• Organizations Aid Kobe Victims, page 5. A list of relief agencies across the United States are accepting donations for earthquake victims in Japan, including the Japan Earthquake Relief Fund, American Red Cross, and various religious and humanitarian organizations. Contact information and account numbers are provided for donors wishing to contribute to specific funds.
• Telethon Raises Funds for Victims, page 5. The International Channel Network held a five-hour telethon on Feb. 5 to benefit survivors of the Jan. 17 Kobe earthquake, hosted by actors George Takei, Amy Hill, and broadcaster Mario Machado. All proceeds were donated to Japanese Red Cross Societies through the American Red Cross, with broadcast reaching over 10 million households in Southern California.
• Airlines Fly Supplies to Kobe Area, Donate $1 Million in Relief Funds, page 5. All Nippon Airways and Nippon Cargo Airlines announced they would transport relief supplies free of charge from the U.S. to earthquake survivors in the Osaka-Kobe region, plus donate $1 million to relief funds. AmeriCares and Northwest Cargo also organized relief flights carrying over 119,000 pounds of supplies to Kansai International Airport.
• Participating in M.L. King Day, by Chizu Iiyama, page 6. Members of the Contra Costa JACL chapter joined over 500 people in El Cerrito’s Martin Luther King Day parade and celebration themed ‘Living the Dream.’ The author interviews chapter member Esther Takei about the importance of unity among people of all backgrounds honoring Dr. King’s legacy.
• New Slate of Officers Announced, page 6. The French Camp Chapter JACL installed new officers including Gail Matsui as president during its annual New Year party. Barry Saiki of the Stockton Chapter conducted the installation ceremony for the full slate of officers and appointed committee chairs.
• New Team Installed; Education Discussed, page 6. The San Mateo Chapter JACL installed new officers led by president Karyl Matsumoto, with speakers Tom Schiltgen of INS and U.S. Attorney Michael Yamaguchi. The chapter also distributed JACL’s educational curriculum guide on Japanese American history to local schools and libraries.
• Chapter Honors Local Journalists, page 6. The San Francisco JACL Chapter honored community journalists Michi Onuma of the Nichibei Times and J.K. Yamamoto of the Hokubei Mainichi with the chapter’s ‘Vision’ award at its annual installation dinner. Jeffrey G. Adachi was installed as the chapter’s new president along with a full slate of new board members.
• Chapter Plans Annual Picnic, page 6. The Parlier Chapter JACL invited former community members to its annual picnic on April 2 at Burris Park, celebrating the historic ties of the once-thriving Nikkei farming community in central California. The event will feature barbecued steaks and a raffle.
• E. San Gabriel Valley Installs Officers, page 6. The East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center inducted its 1995 officers and board members at its annual dinner held at the California Country Club in Whittier. Leroy Kawai was installed as president along with a full slate of officers and members-at-large.
• Japanese American Bar Names Officers, page 6. Michael Yamamoto, born at Poston camp and a UCLA Law School graduate, succeeds Neil Nagano as president of the Japanese American Bar Association. The organization also named a full slate of new officers and board of governors members.
• Personally Speaking, page 6. This roundup column highlights achievements of various Japanese Americans including Sandra Nakata’s honor from the MLK Support Group for her fight to rename ‘Jap Road’ in Texas, Kazunori Amano’s appointment to the California Chamber of Commerce board, and teacher Gary Tsuruda’s recognition for innovative math teaching. Additional notes cover Patricia Akiyama’s promotion to acting chief of staff for Senator Patty Murray and other community leaders’ accomplishments.
• Writer Set for Chicago Day of Remembrance, page 7. Writer, poet, and human rights activist Mitsuye Yamada will speak at a Day of Remembrance program on Feb. 19 at Chicago’s Field Museum, commemorating Executive Order 9066. Yamada, a former internee, is known for her poetry collection ‘Camp Notes and Other Poems’ documenting her wartime experience.
• Memorial Seeks Names of Detained Japanese Canadians, page 7. Officials of the Momiji Garden at Hastings Park in Vancouver are seeking names of the 8,000 Japanese Canadians who passed through the WWII assembly center, for inclusion on a memorial wall. The public, including Nisei in the U.S., are being asked to help identify names since government archives proved insufficient.

JACL

• New Officers for 1995 Installed, page 6. JACL’s newest chapter, the Southeast Chapter based in Atlanta, announced its new slate of officers for 1995 led by president Mike Furukawa. The chapter also released its lineup of events for the year including cultural programs and a Japanese American heroism WWII discussion.
• Furutani Won’t But Kiriyama Will Run for Los Angeles School Board, page 7. George Kiriyama announced his candidacy for the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education after former board president Warren Furutani decided not to run for re-election. Kiriyama, a longtime LAUSD educator and current principal, is the only Asian Pacific American candidate in District 7.
• Sugiyama Shows Support for JACL Board Decision, page 7. Former JACL president Shig Sugiyama expressed his endorsement of the National Board’s decision to downsize national staff to address the organization’s financial crisis. His letter of support was intended to join 14 other past presidents’ open letter but was delayed in the mail.

Commentary

• Hiding Behind Anonymity, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. Hosokawa criticizes the Japanese American press for printing anonymous attacks on JACL President Denny Yasuhara regarding staff cuts, contrasting this with the forthright journalism credo of the late Gene Cervi. He draws parallels to historical instances where biased press coverage harmed Japanese Americans, from the Yellow Peril campaign to wartime incarceration coverage.
• So Mistakes Forgotten by History, by Jin Konomi, page 8. Konomi explores historical figures of mixed-race heritage who achieved prominence despite racist attitudes of their times, including Alexander Pushkin, Alexander Dumas, and various inventors like Ralph Banneker and Elijah McCoy. The column argues that miscegenation produced many accomplished individuals whose contributions were often erased or minimized due to racial prejudice.
• Board Meeting Should Not Have Been Closed, by Gost Nakashima, page 8. A letter to the editor criticizes JACL for holding its National Board decision on staff cuts in closed session, arguing this secrecy raised concerns that transparency could have prevented. The writer calls for performance audits of staff and volunteers and greater membership involvement in decision-making processes.
• Gridlock, by Karl Nobuyuki, page 9. Nobuyuki discusses JACL’s financial crisis using Marshall Sumida’s metaphor of ‘mental gridlock,’ where conflicting emotions block productive thinking and blame-focused discourse. He argues the National Board’s difficult decisions following the Takahashi Report should now be supported by membership working toward solutions rather than continued internal conflict.
• My Nisei Life, by Mei Nakano, page 9. Nakano reflects on being part of the vanishing Nisei generation, sharing personal memories of childhood racism and the day Pearl Harbor was bombed. She describes the duality of pride in her Japanese heritage instilled by her parents versus the rejection she experienced from the broader American society, culminating in her family’s forced removal to internment camps.
• Managing Knowhow, by Grayce Uyehara, page 9. Uyehara discusses JACL’s need for better management practices amid its financial crisis, referencing the book ‘Winnie the Pooh on Management’ to illustrate fundamental management principles. She argues that the organization’s structure needs restructuring to align with JACL’s priorities as set by the National Council and Board.
• Perceptions and Misperceptions, by Joel Peterson, page 10. Peterson reflects on receiving a well-meaning condolence call about the Kobe earthquake, which highlighted how Japanese Americans are still perceived as foreign despite generations of American citizenship. He argues that recognizing shared American citizenship despite outward differences is essential for the nation to respond well to both triumph and tragedy.
• Letters: Another View of JACL War Activity, by Clifford Uyeda, page 10. Uyeda responds to Barry Saiki’s article about JACL’s wartime activities, arguing that diversity of views among Japanese Americans regarding wartime cooperation and draft resistance must be acknowledged and respected. He contends that JACL should apologize for labeling wartime dissenters as ‘un-American,’ similar to how the government apologized through the Civil Liberties Act of 1988.

Obituaries

• Memorial Notice: Dr. Gladys Ishida Stone, page 11. A memorial service for Dr. Gladys Ishida Stone, who passed away Dec. 20, was scheduled for Feb. 17 in Minneapolis at the Hubert H. Humphrey Center. Contributions in her memory were directed to the University of Minnesota Foundation’s Nisei Women’s Book Project.

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