Redress eligibility, firebombings and the Rising Sun protests

Vol. 117, No. 4, August 6, 1993. 12 pages. View this issue

Redress claims and hate crimes led the news. Japanese American groups met Justice Department officials to press for review of the 2,224 claims ORA had ruled ineligible, and Acting Assistant Attorney General James Turner said some “voluntary internment” re-entrants might qualify. JACL also denounced firebombings at its branches in Tacoma and Sacramento, with statements from Karen Narasaki and Carole Hayashino. Gwen Muranaka asked JACL officials how the organization could communicate better when such crises arise.

The Rising Sun film drew protests in New York and a run of opinion pieces, including Karl K. Nobuyuki and Barry Saiki, who disagreed with each other. Seichi Sugino reported on the dedication of Rohwer as a National Historic Landmark. Bill Hosokawa and Lillian Kimura wrote columns, Kimura on the 30th anniversary March on Washington. Notices covered the 33rd national convention planned for Salt Lake City and a JACL internship.

What’s in this issue

National

• Government: Some Ineligible Redress Claims May Be Reversed, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Japanese American groups met with Justice Department officials to discuss ORA’s redress ineligibility determinations, with over 2,224 cases found ineligible so far. Turner indicated that ‘voluntary internment’ re-entrants born into confinement they couldn’t leave could be found eligible, potentially affecting more than 80 claimants.
• JACL Denounces Firebombings, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL expressed outrage over firebombings at JACL branches in Tacoma, Wash. and Sacramento, Calif., which are being investigated as hate crimes. Karen Narasaki and Carole Hayashino condemned the attacks as discriminatory violence victimizing the entire community.
• New York Coalition Protests Rising Sun, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Approximately 100 members of the New York Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans Against Rising Sun protested the film’s Asian stereotypes at its July 30 opening, as part of a nationwide protest organized by National JACL. Coalition leaders including Karen Narasaki and Lillian Kimura criticized 20th Century Fox and director Philip Kaufman for perpetuating negative stereotypes without accountability.
• Asian Pacific Group Criticizes Clinton’s Restrictions on Political Asylum, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium (NAPALC) sharply criticized President Clinton’s proposal to place new restrictions on political asylum, calling it anti-refugee and anti-humanitarian. The group opposed efforts to link asylum reform with immigrant smuggling issues.
• Labor Group Wants More Asian Pacific Appointments by New L.A. Mayor, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) criticized new Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan for lack of Asian American appointments to city boards and commissions. The group demanded appointments reflecting the Asian American population across eight major city agencies.
• Mineta: Let’s Avoid Asian Undercount in Census 2000, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Rep. Norman Mineta called on the Census Bureau to consult with the Asian Pacific American community ahead of Census 2000, citing failures in 1990 including excluding Asian Islanders from a key ethnic question. Mineta warned that the Census Bureau must take concrete action rather than words to avoid another undercount.
• JACL: High Court Should Review Glass Ceiling Case, by P.C. Staff, page 5. JACL joined other civil rights organizations urging the Supreme Court to review Ezold v. Wolf, Block, Schorr & Solis-Cohen, a gender discrimination case involving a law firm partnership denial. Karen Narasaki argued the Third Circuit’s ruling makes it too difficult to challenge glass ceiling discrimination based on subjective promotion criteria.

JACL

• Cleveland Tri-District Workshops Announced, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A tri-district JACL workshop schedule was announced featuring sessions on membership recruitment and retention, presented by various JACL officials including Lillian Kimura and Allan Kuwahara. Sessions were scheduled for August 20-21 in Cleveland covering topics from leadership development to Asian American women in the workplace.
• Improving Communication: Thoughts From JACL Officials, by Gwen Muranaka, page 1. Pacific Citizen surveyed JACL members at local and national levels about how the organization can improve communication in response to pressing issues like hate crimes. Officials including Carole Hayashino, Lucy Kishiue, and Bill Kaneko discussed the lack of clear communication roles and protocols between local chapters, districts, and national leadership.
• JACL Seeks Applications for EDC Intern, by P.C. Staff, page 4. JACL is accepting applications for the Eastern District Council Internship Program, which places a college graduate student in JACL’s Washington, D.C. office for three-month periods. Interns receive a $1,100 stipend per quarter to work on public policy issues.
• Craig Tanabe Named Summer Intern, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Craig A. Tanabe was awarded the summer internship for JACL’s Eastern District Council, working in the JACL Washington office on the EDC Education Project and various legislative tasks. He is the son of Thomas and JoAnne Tanabe of the West Valley Chapter and plans to attend law school.
• 33rd JACL Convention Planned for Salt Lake, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The 33rd Biennial National JACL Convention will be held August 2-5, 1994 in Salt Lake City, hosted by the Mount Olympus Chapter with assistance from Salt Lake City and Wasatch Front North Chapters. The convention will include workshops, youth activities, social functions, and a golf and tennis tournament.
• Thoughts on Improving JACL Communication (continued), by Gwen Muranaka, page 10. The continuation of the communication feature includes perspectives from Patricia Ikeda Carper, June Arima Schumann, and others on how JACL chapters and national leadership can better coordinate on sensitive issues. Officials discussed the need for clearer roles, a communications liaison, and better use of action alerts for urgent matters.

Military & Veterans

• Piche Re-sentenced in Loo Murder Case, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Lloyd Ray Piche was re-sentenced from 48 months to 70 months without parole for civil rights violations in the murder of Ming Hai (Jim) Loo, after the Justice Department appealed the original sentence as too lenient. The court also ordered $28,000 in restitution to the victim’s family.
• Clinton Plan on Gays in Military Is Disappointing, by P.C. Staff, page 5. JACL expressed dissatisfaction with President Clinton’s ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ compromise policy on gays in the military. Karen Narasaki called the policy unacceptable, saying it forces gay men and lesbians to live a lie to serve their country.

Community

• Chinese Group Grades Clinton Administration, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) issued a six-month report card grading the Clinton administration on issues affecting the Chinese American community, giving mixed marks on appointments and various policy issues. OCA also addressed the smuggling of undocumented Chinese immigrants, condemning the practice while calling for fair treatment of those affected.

Incarceration & Redress

• Torrance Under Fire for Alleged Employment Discrimination, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The U.S. Department of Justice filed a civil lawsuit against Torrance, Calif., alleging employment discrimination against Asians, Latinos and blacks in its fire and police departments. City Councilman Dan Nakano disputed the lawsuit’s demands, arguing the city’s own demographics don’t match those of L.A. County.
• Redress: Government Reviewing Ineligible Claims, by P.C. Staff, page 5. JACL and NCRR continued working with the Office of Redress Administration on ineligible cases including Hawaii relocation cases, Phoenix cases, Japanese Peruvian claimants, and children sent to a Japanese-language school in Colorado. Lillian Kimura and Gann Fujioka pressed for expanded eligibility determinations based on 1992 amendments to the Civil Liberties Act.
• Rohwer Dedicated as U.S. National Historic Landmark, by Seichi Sugino, page 6. A fourth monument was unveiled at Rohwer Relocation Center Memorial Cemetery in Arkansas designating it a National Historic Landmark, with speeches from Sen. Dale Bumpers and other officials. George Sakaguchi chaired the fund-raising campaign for the monument and historic designation, with tribute paid to the Yada family and Earnest Gober for maintaining the site since 1945.

Commentary

• How Not to Win Friends, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. Hosokawa recounts a conversation with a prominent Japanese visitor who suggested Japan should buy an American newspaper to publish favorable coverage, comparing it to pre-WWII Chinese public relations efforts. Hosokawa argues this would backfire and suggests Japan already has an effective public relations asset in Crown Princess Masako, who should be allowed to engage more with American media.
• Marching On…, by Lillian Kimura, page 8. Kimura describes plans for the 30th anniversary March on Washington, detailing the goals of jobs, justice, and peace, and JACL’s role as a co-convener. She reports on planning meetings with Karen Narasaki and Pat Okura and calls on JACL members to contribute funds and participate in the march.
• No Matter Where, Racism Must Be Fought, Reader Says, page 8. A letter writer responds to a previous letter dismissing the significance of ‘Jap Road’ as a place name, arguing that racial slurs are never insignificant regardless of location. The writer compares the indifference to racism historically enabling violence like the murder of Vincent Chin and lynchings of black men.
• No Consensus on Rising Sun, by Karl K. Nobuyuki, page 9. Nobuyuki offers a personal perspective on the Rising Sun controversy, arguing the film isn’t necessarily Japan-bashing or racist given the broader context including Glen Fukushima’s comments and the book’s extensive bibliography. He suggests JACL could proactively engage with authors and screenwriters rather than only reacting after release.
• A Negative View of Rising Sun, by Barry Saiki, page 9. Saiki expresses disagreement with a more favorable view of Rising Sun published earlier, arguing the film will foster negative impressions among audiences regardless of directorial intentions. He contends the film’s negative stereotyping of Japanese people, unlike a Japanese-authored TV drama shown without controversy, will have real anti-Asian consequences given the film’s American origin and broad audience.
• Likes PC’s Handling of Rising Sun, by Wei Nakane, page 9. A reader praises the Pacific Citizen for publishing differing editorial views on the Rising Sun controversy rather than taking a single party line. The writer argues there’s a difference between a film that is inherently racist and one that merely depicts racism.
• Reader Disagrees With Gays in the Military, by Mack, page 9. A reader criticizes the Pacific Citizen for not publishing more letters opposing gays in the military, citing General Colin Powell’s opposition and Christian JACLer values. The writer argues homosexuality conflicts with Biblical teachings while stating JACL should not discriminate against gay people.

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