Vol. 117, No. 19, November 26, 1993. 12 pages. View this issue
Redress was the thread through the front page of this 12-page issue. Reps. Patsy Mink, Robert Matsui and Norman Mineta joined a letter from 24 members of Congress urging Japanese Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa to provide redress for ‘comfort women,’ pointing to the redress of Japanese American incarceration. The paper also followed the effort to remove a racial slur from road names in Beaumont, Texas: the Honolulu City Council backed renaming Jap Road, and Betty Waki wrote about the Houston Chapter’s yearlong struggle. Harry K. Honda reviewed Leslie T. Hatamiya’s book on the Civil Liberties Act of 1988.
Inside are columns by Bill Hosokawa, Dr. Roy Nishikawa and Karl K. Nobuyuki on how JACL is run and on the Pacific Citizen’s independence. Other pages cover an Executive Order 9066 exhibit at the Japanese American National Museum, the MIS reunion in Washington, D.C., a new Georgia Chapter, and Dean Hojo Matsubayashi as the second Masaoka fellow.
What’s in this issue
National
- Redress Urged for ‘Comfort Women’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Reps. Patsy Mink, Robert Matsui and Norman Mineta joined 24 members of Congress in a letter urging Japanese Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa to provide redress for ‘comfort women’ forced into sexual slavery during World War II. The letter drew parallels to Japanese American redress and urged prompt investigation of the allegations.
- Japanese Not Critical of ‘Rising Sun,’ Reports Kyodo News Service, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Kyodo News Service reported that Japanese moviegoers interviewed after the film’s Nov. 6 opening in Japan did not feel it encouraged Japan-bashing or racial stereotyping, with some even feeling it was overly complimentary. The film, based on Michael Crichton’s novel, had grossed $63 million domestically and opened well in Japan despite earlier controversy over deleted terms like burakumin and ainoko.
- Discrimination Case Won by JA Civilian Against Marines, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Barbara Hashimoto, a former civilian worker at Camp Smith in Hawaii, was awarded $280,000 by a federal jury that found she had been discriminated against based on gender and ethnicity, after an earlier $300,000 verdict was set aside for a new trial. In related news, Marine Corps Gen. Carl Mundy apologized for comments on ’60 Minutes’ suggesting minorities perform worse in military skills like shooting and swimming.
JACL
- Japan Chapter Member Murase Named to White House, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Emily Moto Murase, former president of the Japan Chapter, JACL, is serving on the White House staff as an International Affairs Fellow with the National Economic Council, studying U.S.-Japan trade relations. She was selected as one of 13 fellows nationally by the Council on Foreign Relations and previously worked for AT&T Japan.
- UC Irvine Grad Named Second Masaoka Fellow, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Dean Hojo Matsubayashi, 23, of Culver City was selected as the recipient of the Mike M. Masaoka Congressional Intern Program for 1993-1994, becoming the second Masaoka fellow. He will serve in the office of Sen. Daniel K. Inouye starting mid-January 1994, following the first fellow Joe Horiye.
- JAs Honored by Japanese Government, by P.C. Staff, page 3. JACL National President Lillian Kimura and Gardena Valley Chapter board member Helen Kawagoe were among twelve Japanese Americans awarded Japanese national medals (kunsho) for fostering U.S.-Japan relations. Kimura received her award at the Japanese Consul General’s residence in New York City, presented by Ambassador Hiromoto Seki.
- Georgia Becomes 114th JACL Chapter, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Georgia Chapter became JACL’s 114th member group, chartered at the September 1993 National Board meeting with Bill Sakamoto White serving as chapter president. The chapter, with 27 founding members, joins Houston as the only other JACL chapter in the southern United States.
- Membership Update, by Clay Harada, page 8. JACL’s assistant director of membership discusses a new National Membership Questionnaire aimed at developing a membership profile and recruitment strategy, alongside the success of the Centralized Membership Program which has boosted membership in chapters like Detroit and Twin Cities. A new Membership Chair Handbook is also in development to assist chapters with recruitment and retention.
Incarceration & Redress
- Honolulu City Council Supports Change of Jap Road Name, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Honolulu City Council joined the call to rename Jap Road in Beaumont, Texas, with Councilman Andy Mirikitani introducing a resolution urging renaming to Mayumi Road, honoring the Issei family that farmed the area. Jefferson County Commissioner Mark Domingue said he had no problem with a name change but objected to outside communities dictating local decisions, while Houston JACL Chapter President Betty Waki praised the resolution.
- An Excellent Reference: Review of ‘Righting a Wrong’, by Harry K. Honda, page 4. Leslie T. Hatamiya’s book on the passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 is praised as a scholarly reference on Japanese American redress, including useful appendices with texts of EO 9066 and HR 442. The reviewer notes surprise at the author’s comment that grassroots letter writing has limited policy impact, contrasting it with the true exercise of leadership.
- Jap Road Controversy Continues, Council Backs Change, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Following up on the Jap Road controversy, this article clarifies that despite a TV segment on ‘The Crusaders’ suggesting resolution, no decision has been made and residents in a second meeting reaffirmed wanting to keep the name. The Beaumont Enterprise editorial board came out in favor of the name change, while Honolulu Councilman Mirikitani emphasized the term ‘Jap’ is a racial slur despite not viewing Fannett residents as racist.
Arts & Entertainment
- Another A-Bomb? Book Review of ‘Why I Survived the A-Bomb’, by Harry K. Honda, page 4. Akira Kohchi’s book recounts his experience as a 16-year-old survivor of the Hiroshima atomic bombing and offers a personal Japanese perspective on the historical event decades later. The review notes Kohchi’s rebuttal to Western journalists Ian Buruma and Karel van Wolferen regarding portrayals of Japan-U.S. relations.
Military & Veterans
- Historic Moments: Executive Order 9066 Exhibit, by P.C. Staff, page 4. A landmark exhibit on Executive Order 9066 featuring photographs by Russell Lee and Dorothea Lange is on display at the Japanese American National Museum through March 1994. The exhibit, on loan from JACL, was conceived by Maisie and Richard Conrat for the California Historical Society in 1972.
- MIS Short Takes, by Harry K. Honda, page 6. A roundup of events from the Oct. 21-23 MIS reunion in Washington, D.C., including President Clinton’s tribute to the ‘Yankee Samurai,’ a memorial ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery led by Maj. Gen. James Mukoyama Jr., and a reception hosted by the Japanese ambassador. The piece also covers an oral history interview with Richard Sakakida, who conducted undercover work in Manila and survived Japanese captivity after the fall of Corregidor.
- Mysteries of the MIS: Stories of Americans in Siberian POW Camps Still Puzzling, by Allan Beekman, page 6. Wymo Takaki, a former MIS interrogator, recalls two unresolved mysteries from his work screening Japanese POWs repatriating from Siberia after WWII: an American woman working as a railroad crossing guard at a Soviet gold mining camp, and two American GIs held with Japanese POWs at a Kazakhstan camp. The article also details the broader history of Japanese POWs held in Soviet labor camps, with about 254,000 believed to have died in Soviet hands.
Community
- Olympia Chapter Members Celebrate 10th Anniversary, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Olympia Chapter, JACL, marked its 10th anniversary with a ‘Decade of Dignity’ celebration featuring speeches from JACL National President Lillian Kimura and a slideshow of the chapter’s decade of activities. Approximately 100 people attended, including local mayors and representatives from the governor’s office.
Commentary
- The Nub: Members Should Control JACL, by Bill Hosokawa, page 7. Hosokawa discusses the ongoing controversy over editorial independence of Pacific Citizen and highlights Peggy Liggett’s article calling for JACL members to take back control from an unrestrained national headquarters staff. He warns that without resolution, the controversy and its lessons risk being swept aside without meaningful reform.
- Asians Were Affected by Apartheid, by Harry K. Honda, page 7. Honda reflects on the end of apartheid in South Africa following the signing of an interim constitution, tracing decades of history involving Japanese and Asian encounters with apartheid policies. He recounts stories including Nisei sailors barred from South African ports, a Canadian Nisei clergyman denied entry, and Chinese South Africans classified as ‘non-white.’
- Tribute to the Passing of a Soldier and Activist, by Joe Kanazawa, page 7. A letter honoring the late Bill Kochiyama recounts his heroism as a 442nd combat veteran who continued fighting despite injury during the rescue of the Lost Battalion, refusing to remove his boots despite trench foot. The writer also notes Kochiyama’s lifelong commitment to civil rights causes and his role as first president of the 442nd Veterans Association.
- Pacific Citizen Is a Newsletter, Reader Says, by Foy Morimote, page 7. A reader argues that Pacific Citizen functions as an organizational newsletter rather than a national newspaper, appealing primarily to JACL members and dependent on the organization financially. The writer suggests JACL would be better served by a quarterly in-depth magazine-style publication covering broader topics.
- Constitutional Violations—Again, Again and Again, by Dr. Roy Nishikawa, page 8. Nishikawa details three alleged constitutional violations by the JACL National Board at its September 25-26 meeting, including issues with the Pacific Citizen, mismanagement of the Endowment Fund Committee including an unauthorized $200,000 transfer, and unauthorized spending on a chapter president’s handbook. He calls for better communication, accountability, and adherence to the JACL constitution.
- Jap Road and the Help That Didn’t Come, by Betty Waki, page 8. Houston Chapter JACL President Betty Waki details the chapter’s yearlong struggle to change the names of Jap Road and Jap Lane in Texas, criticizing former National Director Dennis Hayashi for failing to provide support despite repeated requests. She credits Pacific Citizen’s Gwen Muranaka and later Midwest Regional Director Bill Yoshino for providing crucial assistance.
- Reaching Out, by Joseph Horiye, page 9. Masaoka Fellow Joseph Horiye reflects on attending a Washington, D.C. Chapter JACL ceremony honoring senior members, and reflects on the importance of bridging generational gaps within the Japanese American community. He urges younger generations to learn from and honor those who came before while carrying forward the community’s legacy.
- We Can Work It Out, by Karl K. Nobuyuki, page 9. Former JACL national director Karl Nobuyuki uses a family analogy to describe JACL’s internal disagreements, arguing that like a family, JACL members can have heated debates yet remain united by a shared sense of belonging. He expresses confidence that the organization’s sense of family will ultimately override its current divisions.
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