Rising Sun and the March on Washington, 1993

Vol. 117, No. 5, August 20, 1993. 12 pages. View this issue

The Rising Sun film and the paper’s own coverage of it filled much of this 12-page issue. Karen Narasaki described how JACL and a coalition of groups met with Twentieth Century Fox before speaking out. Chizu Iiyama defended the paper for printing varied views, while Dale Shimasaki and Gwen Muranaka disagreed over how the newspaper handled the story. Karl K. Nobuyuki wrote about seeing the film. On the front page, Asian Pacific Americans joined the March on Washington, with JACL National President Lillian Kimura among the leaders.

The Pacific Southwest District Council’s recommendations to restrict the paper drew a reply from editor Richard Suenaga. Redress was extended to children of voluntary internees, under the Civil Liberties Act. Bill Hosokawa corrected an earlier column on Nagasaki, and Kimura wrote about the Seabrook Farms story. Chapter news and a letter on the JACL Legacy Fund fill out the issue.

What’s in this issue

National

• Asian Pacific Americans Join March on Washington, D.C., by P.C. Staff, page 1. More than 250,000 people were expected to converge on Washington, D.C. for the 30th anniversary of the 1963 March for Civil Rights, with a coalition of more than 20 Asian Pacific American organizations organizing a special program. JACL National President Lillian Kimura and other leaders planned to march to urge Congress to support legislation including the Justice for Wards Cove Workers Act.
• Wilson Stand on Illegal Immigration Criticized, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) criticized California Governor Pete Wilson’s proposal to curb illegal immigration, calling it an alarmist plan that scapegoats immigrants without offering viable solutions. OCA officials argued that denying social services would not deter immigration since people come for work opportunities, not government benefits.
• JACL Supports House Approval of Federal Hate Crime Measure, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL applauded House Judiciary Committee action on the Hate Crime Sentencing Enhancement Act of 1993, which would increase penalties for crimes motivated by bias against race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. JACL Acting Director Carole Hayashino said the legislation sends a message that society will not tolerate such crimes.
• Surgeon General Nominee Gains Support, by P.C. Staff, page 3. President Clinton’s nomination of Dr. Jocelyn Elders for U.S. Surgeon General won approval from the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee, with support from numerous civil rights and health organizations. Religious right groups opposed her nomination due to her outspoken efforts on teenage pregnancy, AIDS, and child abuse prevention.
• Discrimination by National Origin Defined, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Asian Law Caucus explained that many employers unknowingly violate anti-discrimination provisions of the Immigration Reform and Control Act by discriminating based on national origin, such as refusing to hire workers who look foreign or speak with an accent. Victims of such discrimination can file a charge with the Office of Special Counsel.

Community

• Nisei Bids for Ottawa Seat, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Art Miki of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, a former president of the National Association of Japanese Canadians who led negotiations for redress settlement from the Canadian government in 1988, is seeking a Federal Liberal candidate seat in the House of Commons. He is also a contributor to federal Canadian legislative committees on broadcasting, immigration and the constitution.
• Sacramento Chapter Holds Annual Community Picnic and Senior Appreciation Dinner, by Toko Fuji, page 3. The Sacramento Chapter JACL held its 43rd Annual Community Picnic at William Land Park featuring games, races and bingo for participants of all ages, with cochairs thanking volunteers and merchants for making it the most successful picnic yet. More than 350 people also attended the chapter’s Senior Appreciation buffet at the Sacramento Japanese United Church, commemorating the marriage of the Crown Prince of Japan.
• Chapter News Roundup, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Fresno Chapter JACL, founded in 1923 as the pioneer chapter, planned a 70th anniversary gala dinner featuring Bill Hosokawa as speaker, honoring founder Dr. Tom Yatabe, JACL’s first elected national president. The Berkeley Chapter held its first golf tournament fundraiser and awarded chapter scholarships to East Bay students, including recipient Kyle Tanimachi.

JACL

• PSW Recommends Restrictions on Pacific Citizen, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Pacific Southwest District Council (PSWDC) of JACL met in Oxnard, Calif. and passed recommendations to restrict Pacific Citizen’s publishing policies, including barring articles on personnel matters and developing a formal editorial review policy. The council also requested a policy decision on whether Pacific Citizen should be an independent newspaper or a house organ.
• NCWNP Gives Financial Aid to Woman in Harassment Case, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Northern California-Western Nevada-Pacific District Council of JACL voted to contribute $3,500 to Jean Ishibashi, a former staff member of the American Friends Service Committee, to help fund her legal efforts for a fair trial in her sexual and racial harassment lawsuit against the organization. District officials emphasized they were supporting her right to due process rather than taking sides in the case.
• JACL Roundup, by P.C. Staff, page 4. JACL Associate Director Carole Hayashino was named acting national director after Dennis Hayashi left to lead the Office of Civil Rights at HHS; JACL also expressed dismay at lenient sentences given to officers convicted of beating Rodney King, calling the 30-month sentences a travesty of justice. JACL additionally endorsed Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Supreme Court nomination, citing her sensitivity to civil rights issues.
• PSW Group Praises Hayashi, Criticizes Pacific Citizen, by Pacific Southwest District Executive Committee, page 6. The Pacific Southwest District Executive Committee sent an open letter criticizing Pacific Citizen for printing an article about complaints against former National Director Dennis Hayashi’s assistance on the Jap Road renaming issue in Texas. The committee argued the article was inappropriate personnel matter and could undermine recruitment of a new national director.

Incarceration & Redress

• Redress Granted to Children of Voluntary Internees, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Following a meeting with Justice Department officials, the Office of Redress Administration decided to grant redress to children born to women classified as voluntary entrants into internment camps, affecting approximately 70-75 people. The ORA is also reviewing other denied cases, including those of Japanese Peruvians sent to American internment camps who were denied redress under the Civil Liberties Act of 1988.

Commentary

• An American Monument in Nagasaki, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa corrects an earlier column, noting that an American-sponsored sculpture titled ‘Constellation Earth’ by Minnesota artist Paul Granlund was placed in Nagasaki’s Peace Park in October 1992, thanks to efforts by St. Paul’s Nagasaki Sister City Committee. The sculptor himself had flown over Hiroshima shortly after the atomic bombing as part of an Army Air Force reconnaissance crew.
• Coming Up with Coke, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Marutani discusses how cocaine residue has become so pervasive that it commonly taints paper currency, citing studies showing the vast majority of dollar bills tested carry trace amounts. He recounts his experiences learning about drug terminology and slang during his years on the bench.
• JACL Member Questions Direction of Legacy Fund, by Fred Y. Wirasuna, page 5. A letter responds to Fred Oshima’s comments in the Nichibei Times questioning whether the JACL Legacy Fund campaign is a top priority, given perceived ‘extreme leftist conduct’ at JACL headquarters. The writer argues that National JACL should be pragmatic and consider both sides before taking definitive stands on civil rights issues in the organization’s name.
• Reader Comments on Meaning of Gaman, page 6. A reader responds to columnist Mei Nakano’s article on communication, offering alternative Japanese terms such as ‘tae-ru,’ ‘shino-bu,’ and ‘nin-niku’ as more precise translations for endurance and perseverance than ‘gaman.’ The writer suggests the popular usage of gaman may carry connotations of resentful obligation rather than pure virtue.
• Racist Remarks Mar Caribbean Cruise, by Phil, page 6. A writer recounts how his family was offended by a racist line using the word ‘Jap’ in a staged production of ‘Grease’ during a Caribbean cruise, and how the cruise director initially refused to change the script. After a meeting with the hotel director, the line was ultimately changed, but the writer notes the irony of having used Redress money to fund the cruise.
• More Thoughts, Reactions to Rising Sun Movie Controversy, by Karen Narasaki, page 6. Narasaki responds to criticism that JACL failed to do its homework on Rising Sun, detailing how former National Director Dennis Hayashi led a coalition of organizations in meetings with Twentieth Century Fox officials and the film’s director before determining the studio was not negotiating in good faith. She explains that JACL’s public statements were based on independent viewings at pre-screenings, not just the book or early script.
• PC Has Right to Voice Views on Rising Sun, by Chizu Iiyama, page 6. A reader praises Pacific Citizen for allowing diverse opinions on Rising Sun, arguing that the film must be seen in the historical context of ‘yellow peril’ fears resurfacing amid U.S.-Japan economic competition. She calls for support of Asian American filmmakers and media to counteract negative stereotypes.
• Hated Book But Likes the Movie, by William Rohr, page 6. A reader states he despised Michael Crichton’s novel but liked the Rising Sun film, arguing that director Phil Kaufman removed much of the novel’s ‘Jap bashing’ content after Rohr wrote to him expressing concerns. He questions Guy Aoki’s characterization of the film as worse than the book, asking where the specific racist accusations from the novel appear in the movie.
• Response to PSW: Readers Have a Right to Know, by Richard Suenaga, page 7. Pacific Citizen’s editor defends the newspaper’s decision to print the article critical of Dennis Hayashi’s performance, arguing that JACL members have a fundamental right to voice concerns about leadership and that suppressing such reporting would prioritize protecting individuals over accountability. Suenaga asserts that full disclosure and a free press are essential to the organization’s integrity.
• Pacific Citizen Mishandled Rising Sun, by Dale Shimasaki, page 7. Shimasaki criticizes Pacific Citizen’s point-counterpoint format on whether Rising Sun is racist, arguing it damages JACL’s credibility by treating a civil rights issue like a movie review and by not disclosing that assistant editor Gwen Muranaka attended a studio-paid press junket. He also contends that JACL staff publicly debating an already-decided organizational position creates an embarrassing appearance of conflict.
• Rising Sun Reaction Demands Discussion, by Gwen Muranaka, page 7. Muranaka defends her article and the paper’s coverage of Rising Sun, arguing that presenting differing views encourages healthy debate and that JACL should not condemn a film before viewing it firsthand. She contends that the paper’s balanced approach, including turning down an ad for the film, was intended to give readers the fullest possible context and information.
• The Seabrook Story, by Lillian C. Kimura, page 8. JACL National President Kimura describes the history of Seabrook Farms in New Jersey, where more than 2,500 Nikkei relocated from internment camps between 1944-45 to work at the large frozen food processing plant. She discusses the Seabrook JACL Chapter’s efforts to preserve this history through a planned museum and cultural center opening in 1994.
• Shimasaki’s Commentary Response, by Dale Shimasaki, page 9. This continuation piece further argues that JACL had already taken an official position on Rising Sun before the Pacific Citizen point-counterpoint was published, questioning why staff would publicly debate a settled organizational stance. Shimasaki warns that such internal conflict undermines JACL’s credibility with coalition partners fighting racism and stereotypes in media.
• Muranaka’s Response Continued, by Gwen Muranaka, page 9. Muranaka continues her defense, clarifying that many media outlets attended the same Fox-sponsored preview screening and that Pacific Citizen maintained impartiality by declining to run an advertisement for the film. She argues that JACL’s condemnation of the film before an official viewing was premature and based on early scripts and hearsay rather than firsthand knowledge.

Arts & Entertainment

• Impressions of Rising Sun, by Karl K. Nobuyuki, page 8. Nobuyuki recounts attending a screening of Rising Sun and finding many scenes and Asian American actors’ performances impressive, including Tia Carrere, Mako, and Hiroyuki Tagawa. He reflects on the tension between fighting for better roles for Asian Americans versus supporting increased casting in existing roles, hoping controversy over the film won’t discourage future Asian American casting.

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