Vol. 88, No. 32, March 2, 1979. 12 pages. View this issue
Communities across the country marked the Day of Remembrance on February 19, the anniversary of Executive Order 9066. Speakers in Portland, Tanforan, Sacramento and Los Angeles called for redress and vowed that such an injustice must never happen again. Min Yasui spoke at the Portland and Tanforan ceremonies. Harry Honda reported that the JACL Redress Committee met to draft a bill for the 96th Congress, with three ideas on the table: an IRS check-off plan, a $25,000 payment per detainee, and a congressional study commission.
The commentary pages took up Senator Hayakawa’s remarks on the wartime incarceration. Clifford Uyeda and Dr. Frank Sakamoto answered him, and Bill Marutani and Bill Hosokawa wrote their regular columns. Joseph Harrington’s Yankee Samurai series followed Nisei linguists in the Pacific. Chapter news came from San Mateo and Washington, D.C., and Cathy Hironaka reported on youth programs.
What’s in this issue
Incarceration & Redress
- ‘A Day of Remembrance’ observed coast to coast, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Communities across the nation marked the Day of Remembrance on February 19, honoring the anniversary of Executive Order 9066. Speakers at ceremonies in Portland, Tanforan, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and elsewhere called for redress and vowed that such injustice must never happen again.
- JACL to draft its redress bill this weekend, by Harry Honda, page 1. The JACL Redress Committee met to draft a redress bill to be filed in the 96th Congress seeking compensation for the wartime incarceration of persons of Japanese ancestry. Three concepts were under consideration, including an IRS check-off plan, a $25,000 per-detainee payment, and a congressional study commission.
- A Day of Remembrance observed at Portland and Sacramento, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Portland’s observance featured Oregon Nisei Vets, Issei speakers, and Mayor Neil Goldschmidt, while Min Yasui delivered a forceful address on Japanese American rights. Sacramento marked the day at the site of the former Walerga Assembly Center with a program that included former camp director John North.
Commentary
- Hayakawa, by Clifford Uyeda, page 4. JACL President Clifford Uyeda criticizes Senator Hayakawa’s remarks defending the wartime evacuation and questions the source of his information. Uyeda argues that the 1948 Evacuation Claims Act was grossly inadequate and welcomes the Senator’s recent shift toward sympathy for overturning the Supreme Court rulings.
- Yankee Samurai, by Frank F. Sakamoto, page 4. A letter to the editor praises a book on Nisei intelligence operatives but argues that the story of most Nisei GIs differs, since many came from camps. The writer emphasizes the JACL’s role in campaigning for the restoration of the draft among incarcerated Nisei.
- Sen. Hayakawa, by Frank F. Sakamoto, page 4. Dr. Frank Sakamoto responds to Senator Hayakawa’s claim that Japanese Americans have no right to reparations, arguing that the government violated constitutional rights by incarcerating 110,000 people without due process. He notes the Senator’s earlier opposition to Nisei naturalization and says his own privileged position should not shape his view of injustice.
- Esther Rhoads, by Nobuyuki Nakajima, page 4. The writer mourns the passing of Esther Rhoads, who encouraged the founding of International Hostess Homes that cared for war orphans and war brides. Her humanitarian work touched many lives in the Japanese community.
- East Wind: Before It’s Too Late, by Bill Marutani, page 5. Bill Marutani laments that many Sansei seem unmotivated and uninterested in education and self-improvement. He compares this with the determination of earlier Nisei and urges parents to convey the importance of knowledge and effort.
- From the Frying Pan: At the Woolworth’s, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa describes finding a 1965 book on Oriental Americans in a discount bin and reflects on its generally accurate history. He quotes a passage from the book in which Hosokawa recalls the self-conscious and serious outlook of the Nisei in the 1930s.
- Lack of Staff Hurts, by Cathy Hironaka, page 6. National Youth Coordinating Committee member Cathy Hironaka reports that youth programs have been slow to start due to lack of staff. She outlines JAYS convention recommendations for regional youth directors and a leadership development workshop.
Community
- Dialogue with educators held, by P.C. Staff, page 7. San Mateo JACL hosted a dialogue with acting superintendent Julian Crocker and school board chairman Donald Hill on educational issues affecting Japanese American families. Topics included quality education, affirmative action, and English as a Second Language.
- Over 400 served at Mochitsuki, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Washington, D.C. JACL chapter’s year-end mochitsuki on December 30 drew more than 400 servings of ozoni, teriyaki chicken, and mochi. Hideki Hamamoto was later installed as chapter chairman at the January annual dinner dance.
Military & Veterans
- Yankee Samurai, by Joseph Harrington, page 9. This installment recounts how Nisei linguists served in the Pacific campaigns, from Buna and Guadalcanal to interrogations and captured documents. It also describes how recruiters at Camp Savage drew volunteers from the relocation camps and how Hawaiian Nisei were later brought into military intelligence.
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