Redress and a Nikkei mayor in Rochester, Minnesota

Vol. 88, No. 47, June 15, 1979. 12 pages. View this issue

Redress was the main subject of this June 1979 issue. The JACL National Board voted 13 to 1 to approve the commission approach, and the front page carried a defense of that choice from the National Committee for Redress. John Tateishi’s column called the commission a necessary step, and letters to the editor took up the debate. The cover also announced that Charles Hazama, 46, had been elected mayor of Rochester, Minnesota, the first Nikkei mayor east of the Rockies.

Elsewhere in these 12 pages, Assemblyman Floyd Mori answered attacks by the United Farm Workers, and Clifford Uyeda recalled the three lawyers who defended Iva Toguri. Bill Hosokawa profiled Kay Sugahara of Little Tokyo. Chapter news covered scholarship dinners, a youth council conference and the JACL track meet in Santa Barbara.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Charles Hazama Elected Mayor of Rochester, Minnesota, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Sansei Charles Hazama, 46, won the mayoral election in Rochester, Minnesota, becoming the first Nikkei mayor east of the Rockies. He credited his victory to support from the professional community and cited flood control and downtown redevelopment as key issues.
• No Wrong-Doing Found in Accounts, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A Japan Foreign Ministry investigation into accounting practices at the Japanese consulate in Honolulu found no wrongdoing after reports that the consulate had asked groups to sign blank receipts. The consulate declared the matter closed.
• Crowds Entertained at Salt Palace Asian-Pacific Fest, by P.C. Staff, page 2. The second annual Asian-Pacific Fest in Salt Lake City drew approximately 4,500 people to sample foods, view handicrafts, and watch performances. Organized by the Asian Association of Utah and Society of Polynesia, it featured music, dance, and martial arts.
• Yamato Pioneers Subject of Morikami Exhibit, by P.C. Staff, page 2. A photographic essay titled Yamato, Florida will be exhibited at the Morikami Museum in Delray Beach. It documents the Japanese farming community that existed between Delray Beach and Boca Raton from 1904 until 1942.
• NC-WNDC Fiscal Procedure Deals with Unbudgeted Items, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The NC-WNDC quarterly session in Sunol approved motions on district fiscal policy, including authority for executives to handle time deposits and disburse up to $250 for unbudgeted items. Other business included appointments to the district health plan and chapter awards.
• Events for Summer Scheduled, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Cincinnati JACL plans a general meeting with Midwest Regional Director Bill Yoshino and National Executive Director Karl Nobuyuki. The chapter board will also meet to discuss upcoming summer activities.
• Aging/Retirement Committee Organized, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Contra Costa JACL organized a central committee on aging and retirement chaired by Tom Arima, outlining long-range program areas and chairpersons. A health screening day for Japanese-speaking seniors is also scheduled.
• JACL Achievement Award Winners, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Eden Township JACL presented its seventh annual Senior Achievement scholarships to local graduating students at a recognition dinner. S. Floyd Mori was the featured speaker at the event.
• Five Fresno Area Scholars Honored, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Fresno JACL honored its 1979 scholarship and achievement award winners at a June dinner. The chapter also participated in Memorial Day services at the Nisei War Memorial in Roeding Park.
• Great Expectations Theme of Midwest-Eastern DYC Confab, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The biennial Midwest-Eastern JACL District Youth Council conference in St. Paul will feature workshops on chapter development, fundraising, and interpersonal communication. A follow-up session on redress and camp experiences is also included.
• Two Scholarships for Excellence Presented, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Marysville JACL presented two academic scholarships, one to a local high school graduate and one to a second-year college student. The awards recognize academic excellence among local students.
• Monterey Peninsula First-Ever Reno Overnighter Slated, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Monterey Peninsula JACL plans its first Reno overnighter June 30 to July 1 at the Red Carpet Lodge. George Takahashi and Pet Nakasako are in charge of the charter trip.
• Rhonda Matsunami Wins Scholarship, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Omaha JACL awarded its annual $200 scholarship to Rhonda Beth Matsunami for outstanding scholastic achievement. She had a 3.8 GPA and was honored at a luncheon on June 9.
• Makes Headway with Hitachi, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Lloyd M. Miyao, a Detroit JACL member, received an award for his promotion by Hitachi Ltd. after returning from Vietnam and rising through the company’s ranks. He had secured a major hydroelectric contract at Grand Coulee Dam.
• Dayton JACL Japan Flight Information, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Dayton JACL announced an airline package for its 1979 Japan flight departing July 7 to 28. Details on airline and contact information are provided.
• Milwaukee Names Scholarship in Honor of Evacuee Worker, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Milwaukee JACL and JAYs presented four scholarships to area high school seniors, including one newly named in honor of Elizabeth Campbell, who helped evacuees relocating to Milwaukee. Two JAY Award winners were also recognized.
• Boston JACL Observes Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The New England JACL chapter participated in Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week in Boston with a photographic essay on WW2 incarceration by Dr. Sakura and radio and television appearances. The chapter also contributed to the multi-ethnic exhibit.
• JACL Track Crown, by Steve Okamoto, page 7. Southern California won the JACL track meet in Santa Barbara, claiming most medals with 542 points to Northern California’s 400. Results and individual winners in various events are detailed.
• Japan Ponders Poultry Farms in West Virginia, by P.C. Staff, page 12. West Virginia Agricultural Commissioner Gus Douglass reports Japanese interest in duplicating a major state poultry plant to export products to Japan. Japanese industrial officials also expressed interest in coal and a coal liquefaction plant in Morgantown.
• Driver’s Handbook in Nihongo Printed, by P.C. Staff, page 12. The California Driver’s Handbook is now available in Japanese, the seventh foreign language version offered at Department of Motor Vehicle offices. The translation was done by Teiichi Hirano of Sacramento and printed by Toyo Printing in Los Angeles.

Incarceration & Redress

• Redress, Commission Approach, by JACL National Committee for Redress, page 1. The JACL National Committee for Redress defends its decision to pursue a presidential commission rather than direct appropriations for redress. It argues the commission route is more realistic, shifts focus from money to constitutional issues, and has endorsement from Nikkei congressional legislators.
• Board Approves Redress Commission Approach, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Following heavy debate, the National Board endorsed the commission approach to redress, with supporters arguing it keeps the Evacuation story alive and opponents raising concerns about separating process from the Salt Lake City mandate. Legal counsel Frank Iwama said the commission approach did not violate the mandate.
• Redress Phase Two, by John Tateishi, page 5. John Tateishi argues that the commission approach is a necessary step in the redress campaign and that the community must now engage in the national political arena. He defends the National Committee’s decision as based on the best interest of ultimate success.

National

• Mori Lambasts UFW Leadership, Tactics, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Assemblyman Mori accuses the United Farm Workers and Cesar Chavez of harassment and smear tactics against him over his amendment to the farm labor law. He says the union refuses to discuss legislation and is more interested in external enemies than resolving its own failures.
• Foreign Language Studies Drop in U.S., by P.C. Staff, page 1. Roger Paget, consultant to President Carter’s Commission on Foreign Language and International Studies, warns that fewer students are studying foreign languages, reflecting a drift toward parochialism. He cites statistics on declining enrollment and offers suggestions for reversing the trend.
• Carter Administration Backs Mineta Amendment to Addabbo Law, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Carter Administration endorsed Rep. Norman Mineta’s amendment to S918 that would include Asian/Pacific Americans among groups presumed socially disadvantaged for Section 8A eligibility. Mineta called the endorsement a clear vote of support for the Asian Pacific community.
• Rep. Matsui Heads Task Force on Narcotic Abuse by Elderly, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Rep. Robert T. Matsui has been named chairman of a House task force studying drug misuse among senior citizens. He says the problem has been ignored and that 25 percent of prescriptions go to people over 60.
• Heavy Dialogue Precedes National Board Vote on Redress, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The JACL National Board voted 13 to 1 to approve the commission approach to redress after extended debate among regional governors and national officers. The board also approved a $397,996 educational campaign package to inform the American public about redress.

Military & Veterans

• The Awa Maru: Tragedy of 2,000 Lives Lost in WW2, by P.C. Staff, page 2. Salt Lake-born Nisei businessman Minoru Fukumitsu has long sought permission from China to recover remains from the Awa Maru, a Japanese passenger ship torpedoed by a U.S. submarine in 1945. He has written a book on the incident and seeks a share of the cargo’s estimated value for next-of-kin.
• A WWII Hero Remembered: Lt. Hitoshi Yonemura, by P.C. Staff, page 9. A Korean War veteran honors Lt. Hitoshi Yonemura, a former UCLA yell leader who volunteered for the 442nd Regiment and was killed in action. The speech connects the sacrifices of the 442nd to ongoing struggles against racism and the Korematsu decision.

Commentary

• President’s Corner: Iva’s Defenders, by Clifford Uyeda, page 4. JACL President Clifford Uyeda remembers the three counsels who defended Iva Toguri in the 1949 Tokyo Rose trial, Wayne Collins, Theodore Tamba, and George Olshausen, all of whom have since died. He notes that Iva Toguri, now the only surviving figure, regained her citizenship after public support in 1976.
• Ye Editor’s Desk: Community Voices, by Harry K. Honda, page 4. Editor Harry Honda reflects on a busy week in Los Angeles, describing the youth track meet, a Japanese Friendship Dinner promoting investment, and the JAL anniversary celebration at the Bonaventure Hotel. He portrays the varied Japanese American communities that coexist in the greater Los Angeles area.
• Letters to the Editor: Racial Backlash and Related Letters, by Hashime Saito; Roz Enomoto; Arnold B. Larson; Michael Driver; Elmer S. Tazuma, page 4. Readers respond to issues including Senator Hayakawa’s remarks on gas prices and redress, the Doi v. JACL case, a search for a former Heart Mountain internee, and debate over the redress commission approach. Contributors express varied views on redress and the Japanese American experience.
• From Nobuyuki Nakajima: U.S.-Japan Trade, by Nobuyuki Nakajima, page 4. Nakajima argues that Americans must increase their sales efforts toward Japan rather than expecting something for nothing. He calls for a more innovative approach to U.S.-Japan trade and identifies obstacles that hinder American exports.
• Seko: Marriage Reflections, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A columnist reflects on decades of marriage, describing it as a continuous obstacle course of hard labor and hardship that never ends. The piece touches on the high divorce rate among contemporaries and humorously resists being called a lady of leisure.
• From the Frying Pan: Kay Sugahara, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa profiles Kay Sugahara, a Little Tokyo customs broker who created Nisei Week and later became an international shipping tycoon. The column traces his career from orphaned youth to his role in founding the American Council on Japan.
• Fresh Off the Boat: Theater Review, by Joe Oyama, page 10. Joe Oyama reviews David Henry Hwang’s play F.O.B., presented by the Stanford Asian American Theater Project, examining its portrayal of a Chinese student confronting prejudice. He praises the cast and the play’s examination of identity and assimilation.

Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.