Sweatshop lawsuits and the Mochizuki redress settlement

Vol. 128, No. 2, January 22, 1999. 12 pages. View this issue

Two stories led the news. Tracy Uba reported on three lawsuits filed against major U.S. clothing makers and retailers over alleged sweatshop conditions for immigrant workers in Saipan, with follow-up coverage on page 9. Caroline Aoyagi wrote that a federal judge gave final approval to the Mochizuki settlement for Japanese Latin American internees, though funding shortfalls mean only about half of those eligible may receive their $5,000 redress payments. Page 12 returned to the redress shortfall, where NCRR and former internee Joe Suzuki pressed the government to restore missing funds.

Also inside: a Denny’s discrimination lawsuit set against its new diversity ad campaign, and a column by Mika Tanner on a research weekend in Las Vegas. Several pages cover Go for Broke monument fundraising for the 100th Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team and MIS veterans, a Chicago Day of Remembrance program, and plans for a Manzanar pilgrimage. Chapter dinners, scholarship notices and a Bill Hosokawa book signing fill out the community pages.

What’s in this issue

National

• Sweatshop Lawsuits Target Major U.S. Clothing Brands Over Saipan Labor Abuses, by Tracy Uba, page 1. Three lawsuits were filed against 18 major U.S. retailers and manufacturers including The Gap, J. Crew, and Wal-Mart, alleging they profited from sweatshop conditions imposed on immigrant workers in Saipan. Workers reported forced labor, verbal and physical abuse, and threats over pregnancy, prompting claims under U.S. labor and racketeering laws.
• Denny’s Hit With New Discrimination Lawsuit as Chain Launches Diversity Ad Campaign, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 1. Denny’s restaurant chain faces a new discrimination lawsuit filed in Santa Clara Superior Court alleging a group of mostly Hispanic patrons were denied service and had police called on them, coinciding with the launch of a $2 million anti-racism ad campaign. The company previously paid $45.7 million to settle a racial discrimination suit by Black customers and faces another pending suit from Asian American students in Syracuse.
• California’s Prop. 227 Fallout Spurs Bilingual Education Battles in Arizona and Utah, page 3. Following California’s anti-bilingual education Proposition 227, similar measures are being pursued in Arizona while Utah considers competing English-only and English Plus resolutions. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected an appeal on an Arizona Official English measure that had been ruled unconstitutional by the state supreme court.
• Kidnapping of Chinese Developer’s Son Raises Fears for Wealthy Asian Immigrant Families, by Associated Press, page 3. The kidnapping of a Chinese developer’s son in the U.S. has raised concerns among law enforcement and community leaders that wealthy Asian immigrant families may become targets for extortion. Chinese authorities negotiated with kidnappers who had contacted the boy’s father in Taiwan demanding $1.5 million ransom.
• Sweatshop Lawsuits Detail Scope of Alleged Saipan Labor Abuses, page 9. Continuing coverage details how Saipan factories shipped an estimated $1 billion in wholesale clothing to the U.S. mainland while exploiting the territory’s exemption from tariffs and duties. Plaintiffs’ attorneys argue that powerful local businessmen control regulators, necessitating private litigation since no government action has been taken to shut down the factories.
• International Vegetarian Union Pushes Global Campaign for New Millennium, page 12. Delegates from around the world gathered for the 33rd World Vegetarian Congress, aiming to convert at least 5 percent of meat-eaters to vegetarianism by 2000. Speakers addressed topics ranging from AIDS treatment through plant-based diets to the environmental impact of the meat industry.
• Nissin Founder Continues Innovating Instant Ramen After 40 Years, page 12. Momofuku Ando, 88-year-old chairman of Nissin Food Products, continues to develop new variations of the Chicken Ramen he invented nearly 40 years ago. Despite his modesty about the product’s success, roughly 40 billion portions of instant ramen are consumed worldwide each year.
• Survey Finds Tokyo Women Lead in Saving for Children’s Education, page 12. A survey of women in Tokyo, New York, and Paris found that 41 percent of Tokyo women and 37 percent of New York women prioritize saving for their children’s education. Parisian women’s responses differed notably from the other two cities.
• Remarriages Among Japan’s Older Population on the Rise, page 12. Japan’s Health and Welfare Ministry reports that remarriages among people 50 and older have increased significantly, with 14,342 men over 50 remarrying in 1995 compared to 1975. Women’s remarriage rates in the same age group also rose substantially during the same period.
• Denny’s Faces Scrutiny Over Diversity Efforts Amid Ongoing Legal Troubles, page 12. Continuing coverage of Denny’s diversity ad campaign notes the company’s fair-share agreement with the NAACP and increased minority representation in franchise ownership and management. Critics questioned whether the ads would effectively address lingering skepticism among minority customers who recall past discrimination settlements.

Incarceration & Redress

• Judge Gives Final Approval to Mochizuki Settlement, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 1. A federal judge gave final approval to the Mochizuki vs. United States settlement for Japanese Latin American WWII internees, though funding shortfalls mean only about half of eligible internees may receive their $5,000 redress payments. The case sought to include JLA internees who had been excluded from the original 1988 Civil Liberties Act due to citizenship status requirements.
• Twin Cities Chapter Sponsors Teacher’s Workshop on Japanese American Internment, page 5. The Twin Cities JACL chapter is hosting a teacher’s workshop on the Japanese American internment experience during WWII, timed to a new requirement that the topic be taught in Minneapolis public schools. The chapter has also donated books and sponsored the Smithsonian’s traveling exhibit on Japanese American detention camps.
• Day of Remembrance Program at Chicago’s Field Museum, page 6. Chicago is hosting a Day of Remembrance program titled ‘Is This a Tradition Worth Keeping?’ at the Field Museum. The event continues efforts to educate the public about the Japanese American WWII internment experience.
• Manzanar Committee Plans Pilgrimage With Representatives From Each Camp, page 10. The Manzanar Committee is organizing a pilgrimage featuring representatives from each World War II concentration camp and other organizations. Contact information was provided for those interested in attending.
• NCRR and Former JLA Internee Push Government to Restore Redress Funds, page 12. The National Coalition for Redress and Reparations and former Japanese Latin American internee Joe Suzuki are pressing the U.S. government to replace an estimated $200 million in missing redress funds so all eligible internees can be paid. Former internee Rose Nishimura expressed concern that funds may run out before she and others receive compensation.

Commentary

• New Hampshire Lawmakers Push Again for MLK Holiday, page 3. New Hampshire remains the only state without a Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, but supporters in the legislature are predicting success this year after a decade of failed attempts. Sponsors hope to add King’s name to the state’s civil rights holiday despite past resistance.
• A Weekend in Vegas: Reflections on Japanese American Gambling Culture, by Mika Tanner, page 8. The writer recounts a research trip to Las Vegas with Asian American Studies colleagues, exploring the California Hotel’s Japanese American clientele and pondering why gambling has become such a strong cultural phenomenon among JAs. She reflects on the Issei pioneer spirit, the ‘Go For Broke’ philosophy, and discovers a small Asian-oriented strip mall away from the main Strip.
• Principle Versus Expediency: Lessons From 1942 for Today, page 8. The columnist draws a parallel between public willingness to overlook President Clinton’s perjury for the sake of stability and the 1942 decision to intern Japanese Americans as a wartime expedient despite their constitutional rights. Both cases, the author argues, show how principle can be sacrificed for convenience, with lasting consequences.
• Letters: Sports Illustrated Nisei Baseball Feature and Ongoing Support for JLA Redress, page 9. A reader letter highlights a Sports Illustrated article on Nisei baseball during internment featuring Kenichi Zenimura, noting the story didn’t appear in all issue editions. A second letter discusses the complexities of the Mochizuki settlement and JACL’s continued support despite funding shortfalls affecting Japanese Latin American redress payments.

Community

• Sacramento’s Community Service Recognition Dinner Honors Four Local Leaders, page 4. Sacramento JACL honored State Sen. Ralph Dills, Hiroko Ninomiya, Larry Nobuya Takai and Police Chief Art Venegas for their contributions to the Japanese American community. Dills was recognized for advocating fair treatment of Japanese Americans during WWII, while Ninomiya was honored for decades of community service.
• Lake Washington Chapter Honors Contributors to Japanese American Causes, page 4. The Lake Washington JACL chapter’s annual installation dinner recognized several Washington contributors including Jan Johnson for preserving the Panama Hotel’s sento in Seattle’s Japantown, and a teacher who incorporated internment history into student projects. New 1999 chapter officers were also announced.
• Fremont JACL Holds Board Appreciation and Installation Dinner, page 4. Fremont JACL held its annual board appreciation and installation dinner at Southern Alameda County Buddhist Church, welcoming over 50 guests. President Alan Mikuni thanked volunteers for fundraising efforts and installed new board members for 1999.
• San Mateo JACL Seeks 1999 Scholarship Applicants, page 5. San Mateo JACL and the Tomodachi Senior Women’s Group announced they are accepting applications for annual scholarships totaling $4,000 for high school seniors in San Mateo County. Local recipients may be forwarded to the national JACL scholarship competition awarding over $40,000 total.
• Toma Named Assistant Executive Director of Human Relations Commission, page 5. Robin S. Toma, an attorney involved in a lawsuit on behalf of former Japanese Latin American internee Joe Suzuki and NCRR, was appointed assistant executive director at the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission. He previously served as a senior human relations consultant with the commission.
• Teacher Jennifer Yazawa Earns National Board Certification, page 10. Jennifer Yazawa, a current New Mexico JACL member and past chapter officer, is among 924 candidates nationwide to earn certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. The rigorous certification process spans a full school year of assessment.
• Terauchi Announces Bid for Gardena City Council, page 10. A candidate named Terauchi has announced a run for Gardena city council, citing a critical time in the city’s history requiring attention to resource allocation and public education. Gardena has lacked Japanese American representation on its city council since Paul Tsukahara and Mas Fukai left two years earlier.
• Margaret Yonekura Wins Women’s Rights Advocacy Award, page 10. Margaret Yonekura was honored among 52 nominees for a women’s rights advocacy award recognizing her contributions in the field. She was one of 12 individuals selected for the honor.

In-Depth

• Hosokawa Signs Book in Denver, page 5. Author Bill Hosokawa spoke and signed copies of his autobiographical book to 75 friends and fans in Denver, covering his life from youth through retirement. The book details his family’s prewar struggles, his journalism career in Singapore and Shanghai, and his internment at Heart Mountain during WWII.
• Nisei Radio Tokyo Broadcaster Cleared of Treason Charges, page 11. A Nisei defendant who had been accused of conspiracy related to sabotaging Zero aircraft production was later tried in the United States on espionage charges but was cleared in 1949. He later became a U.S. citizen and worked as a broadcaster in Honolulu.

Military & Veterans

• AJA WWII Memorial Alliance Collects $290,116 to Date, page 6. The AJA WWII Memorial Alliance has raised $290,116 toward a monument honoring the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team and Military Intelligence Service veterans, to be built in Little Tokyo. Veteran Fred Yasukochi and others continue fundraising efforts including ceramics sales by fellow veteran Isei Anami.
• San Fernando Valley Forms 100th/442nd/MIS Monument Foundation Committee, page 6. A San Fernando Valley JACL committee has raised over $66,750 in six months toward the 100th/442nd/MIS Memorial Foundation monument planned near the Japanese American National Museum. The committee chair continues to seek donations and pledges for the project.
• ‘Go For Broke’ Monument to Be Unveiled June 5, page 6. A monument commemorating the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team and Military Intelligence Service will be unveiled June 5, with a luncheon to follow. Advertising space is available in a commemorative booklet to be distributed at the event.

JACL

• California State Assembly Accepting Applications for Fellowship Program, page 10. The California State Assembly’s 1999 Anheuser-Busch/Frank Horton fellowship program is accepting applications, offering a stipend of $1,792 plus health and dental benefits. Applicants must have graduated by June 1999 with no specific major required.

Obituaries

• Sam Nakanishi, 74: Pioneer Las Vegas Restaurateur, page 11. Sam Nakanishi, who founded the first Japanese restaurant in Las Vegas, ‘Osaka,’ 30 years ago, died Dec. 11 at age 74. A former WWII internee and member of the Japanese American Club of Las Vegas, he brought authentic Japanese chefs to the city and is survived by his wife Aiko and several children and siblings.

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