Redress, a hibakusha bill and a Tule Lake plaque in 1979

Vol. 88, No. 36, March 30, 1979. 12 pages. View this issue

Redress ran through this 12-page issue. Rep. Norman Mineta spoke at the University of Michigan about the World War II incarceration (often called internment) and the need to educate a new generation. In Washington Wrap-Up, Ronald Ikejiri questioned the push for payments, and JACL President Clifford Uyeda answered an open letter about Senator S.I. Hayakawa’s views. On page one, Rep. George Danielson re-introduced HR 1924 to aid American hibakusha exposed to atomic bombs in Japan.

Elsewhere, the JACL-Tule Lake Plaque Dedication Committee passed the halfway mark toward its $10,000 goal for a May 27 unveiling. A wartime chronology looked back 35 years, including the Supreme Court’s review of the Korematsu case. Joe Harrington’s Yankee Samurai excerpt followed Nisei soldiers and linguists in the Pacific, and chapter news came from Fresno, Diablo Valley, Philadelphia and Denver.

What’s in this issue

National

• Mineta Calls for Redress Attention at University of Michigan, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. Norman Mineta spoke at the University of Michigan about the Japanese American internment and the need to educate new generations. He called the redress effort an opportunity to reflect on the wartime evacuation.
• Danielson’s HR 1924 Hibakusha Bill Re-introduced, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rep. George Danielson re-introduced a bill to aid surviving American hibakusha exposed to atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The bill would provide health care for U.S. citizens who were caught in Japan during the war and exposed to radiation.
• Matsunaga Urges Early Action on SJR 23, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Senator Spark Matsunaga called for early consideration of SJR 23 to improve collection of statistics on Asian and Pacific Americans. The resolution would require federal agencies to publish reliable social and economic data for the 1980 census.

Community

• Calif. Seeks Survey Listing Ethnic Historic Resources, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The California Office of Historic Preservation is funding surveys of cultural resources of five ethnic minority groups, including Japanese Americans. The surveys aim to identify historic properties worthy of recognition and preservation.
• Eunice Sato Falls Short in Senate Try, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Long Beach Councilwoman Eunice Sato finished third in a special state senate election, short of the April runoff. Speraw and Simon will face each other in the runoff.
• Denver: Skiing and an Installation Banquet, by Karl Nobuyuki, page 3. JACL staffer Karl Nobuyuki recounts his trip to Denver for the Mile High Chapter installation, including a meeting with a Methodist young adult group and Fort Lupton JACL. He reflects on JACL’s growing educational impact.
• Diablo Valley: Mandate of Prop. 13 Changes Local Govt., page 6. Contra Costa Supervisor Sunne McPeak spoke at the Diablo Valley JACL installation on citizen involvement in local government. She stressed that Proposition 13 changed county government.
• Fresno JACL Formula for Chapter of the Year, by Mae Morita, page 6. Fresno JACL received the Central California chapter of the year honors for 1978 for membership growth and community programs. The chapter also granted honorary life memberships to Fred Yoshikawa and Mary Yatabe.
• PSWDC Chapter Presidents Caucus at Saturday Lunch, page 6. Chapter presidents met at a Pacific Southwest District caucus to discuss JACL activities and programs. Items discussed included an Asian-Pacific American Heritage Week packet and a long-term project on Japanese in America.
• Philadelphia EDC Meeting Prior to Installation, page 7. Philadelphia JACL will host the Eastern District Council meeting before its installation dinner. The program features the reading drama Unbroken Thread by Philip Tajitsu Nash.
• Ohio Scholars Start Nisei-Sansei Study, page 7. Univ. of Akron professors Steve Fujita and Dave O’Brien will survey 750 Nisei and Sansei in Gardena, Fresno and Sacramento. The study compares urban and rural experiences of Japanese Americans.
• Nisei Face Appears on Canadian Mural, page 7. Toronto Nisei leader George Tanaka is depicted in a Canadian mural titled The Great Canadian Equalizer. The mosaic features about 170 historical Canadian personalities.
• Judge Acquits Suspect in Nishizaki Murder, page 8. A Los Angeles judge dismissed the murder charge against Frankie Dean Meeks in the slaying of Henry Nishizaki but convicted him on burglary-robbery counts. Sentencing is set for April 16.
• Coroner Noguchi Asks Clearer Legal Definition of Death, page 8. Dr. Thomas Noguchi said brain injuries, not removal of life support, caused the death of Benjamin Cruse. He called for a committee to set criteria for withdrawing life support.
• Mother Who Killed Son Held Insane, Will Be Deported, page 8. Kayoko Powdrill was found insane in the death of her three-year-old son and will be deported to Japan. A psychiatrist reported she obeyed commanding voices before the slaying.
• Tule Lake Plaque Dedication, page 8. The JACL-Tule Lake Plaque Dedication Committee passed halfway to its $10,000 goal. The monument will be unveiled May 27 at the former campsite.
• Grace Pastries Founder to Be Cited, page 8. George Izumi, founder of Grace Pastries, will be honored at a testimonial dinner March 31 at the Hyatt International Hotel. The company grew to 10 retail outlets in Los Angeles County.

In-Depth

• Study on Oral Intake of Urea Urged for Sickle Cell Treatment, by P.C. Staff, page 3. NIH scientist Dr. Makio Murayama proposes a study of oral urea treatment for sickle cell anemia. He argues earlier trials tested the wrong form and doses.

Commentary

• President’s Corner: Open Letter, by Clifford Uyeda, page 4. JACL President Clifford Uyeda responds to an open letter criticizing Senator S.I. Hayakawa’s views on redress. He stresses individual members’ right to express opinions while JACL seeks consultation with the senator.
• Japan’s Northern Territories, by Barry Saiki, page 4. Barry Saiki compares Japan’s claims to the Northern Territories with the reversion of the Ryukyus. He argues the Soviet Union has gained territory while the U.S. returned islands to Japan.
• Evacuation Cases, page 4. A reader criticizes Senator Hayakawa’s statements about the Supreme Court’s Hirabayashi and Yasui decisions on the curfew and evacuation. The letter argues the Court’s rulings on the exclusion orders were limited.
• How About Nikkei?, page 4. A reader with a Kibei Nisei father and Issei mother asks for a term describing his generation. The editors suggest ‘Nikkei’ as a possible term.
• Balanced Budget, by Taro J. Kawakami, page 4. A reader proposes a constitutional amendment forbidding two consecutive unbalanced federal budgets. He suggests Senator Hayakawa could guide such a measure.
• Konnyaku Bakudan, by Mike Hoshiko, page 4. A reader explains the word Samhara in the story Konnyaku Bakudan as a combination of Sanskrit and Japanese reflecting Zen concepts. He notes such terms blend over time.
• Higher Education — VIII, by Nobuyuki Nakajima, page 4. Nakajima argues that the youth should pursue higher education, while not suggesting it be compulsory. He responds to a friend who believes college is unnecessary for artists and carpenters.
• Washington Wrap-Up: The Redress Bill, by Ronald Ikejiri, page 5. Ikejiri argues against seeking redress payments and questions JACL’s shifting rhetoric from principle to money. He warns that rumors of imminent payments are misleading elderly community members.
• East Wind: Divorce, Issei Style (None), by Bill Marutani, page 5. Marutani reflects on the rarity of divorce among Issei and compares the tolerance levels of Issei and Nisei. He concludes with a personal note about his own marriage.
• El Pimentero: Aah… Ooh…, by Frank Fukazawa, page 5. Fukazawa satirizes Prime Minister Ohira’s vague speaking style through a dialogue between two commentators. They contrast politicians who avoid clear answers with true statesmen.

Military & Veterans

• Wartime Chronology: 35 Years Ago, page 4. A chronology of 1944 events affecting Japanese Americans, including evacuee dispersal, draft evaders from Poston, and the Supreme Court’s review of the Korematsu case.
• Yankee Samurai Excerpt: Nisei in the Pacific Campaigns, by Joe Harrington, page 9. This excerpt from Harrington’s book describes Nisei linguists and soldiers in New Guinea, Burma, Saipan and Guam during World War II. It recounts their courage, language work, and the loyalty they demonstrated despite internment of their families.

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