Japanese American Cltizbns League Newsstand: 25¢ (Soe Postpaid)
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•• •• aCl lC Cl lzell National Publication of the Japanese American CltizBns League Newsstand: 25¢ (SOe Postpaid) ISSN: 0030-8579 I Whole No. 2.326/ Vol. 100 NO.6' t:44 S. San Pedro St., #506, Los Angeles, CA 90012-3981 (213) 62&6936, 628-3768 February 15, 1985 Legal and medical costs mount Ordeal of refugee family continues by Helen Y. Zia face separate trials for breaking and against Kiet and Cuong Tien, the DETROIT-The incidents of racial entering with intent to commit family must participate in at lease violence and harassment against murder. five different legal cases. Vietnamese refugee Kiet Tien, 23, Tien, who arrived in the small Asian American groups in Michi and now, the involvement of the mid-Midligan town of Grand Ledge gan have been working with the Tien criminal justice system, continue to in 1981, has traced a history of har family and other government offi take their toll on Tien and his family. assment beginning in 1982, from ha cials to try to assist the family. The In the latest development, Kiet bitual racial taunting and incidents American Citizem for Justice, an Tien, his brother Cuong, 17, and one such as spitting at Tien by other high Asian American civil rights group of the three men who allegedly start school students, to frequent threats that was founded after the Vincent ed a fight last Christmas day with of physical violeoce. School officials Chin case; the Assn. of Chinese the two brothers have been charged took no action, though they were Americans; and the Asian Pacific with creating a public disturbance. aware of the incidents. American Council of East Lansing The Tien:; pleaded not guilty at their The threats fmally culminated in have been monitoring the situation arraigmnent on Feb. 4, in Eaton violent confrontation for the Tiens. and plan to send representatives to County Circuit Court. The two have Their car windows have been broken the trials. There is some concern, requested a jury trial and a court and their tires slashed. The incident however, that a backlash toward appointed attorney. for which the Tien brothers have Asians may develop in this predom Meanwhile Tien's wife, Christina, been charged occurred on Dec. 25, inantly white area of small towns. who was pregnant when the latest when three white men racially har round of racial incidents occurred, assed Tien and his brother Cuong, 17, developed toxemia and delivered a at the gas station where they daughter two months premature worked; that incident eIXied in a Airport melee, house only one week after she had to testify fight, aI¥i one of the three men re arrest greet Kim in court during the preliminary quired stitches for a cut. ALIVE AND WELL - Kim Miyori tells San Fernando Valley hearings against the four white men on return to S. Korea JACLers about life and death on network TV. Story, page 8. Homelessness (different from the other three) who But other problems stemming SEOlJL-.Qpposition leader Kim Dae attacked the Tien household Jan. 1. from the racial harassment also con Jung, returning to South Korea after In that incident, the four 'men told front the Tiens. Besides the fragile two years of exile in the U.S., was Mrs. Tien that they wanted "to health of their premature baby and forcibly separated from the Ameri speak to her Chinese husband and the attendant medical costs, the cans accompanying him by police any other Chinks in the house. " Mrs. Tiens have been unable to live in men and placed under house arrest Blacks, nightclubs settle dispute Tien is Caucasian; Tien is ethnic their h<me because their landlord after his arrival at Kimpo Airport on HONOLULU - Blacks are now being admitted to the Chinese. Then the attackers broke refuses to make repairs, claiming Feb.8. Waikiki nightclubs that were earlier accused of racial windows and damaged the house the that the racial attack is "their prob u.s. <ificials have protested the discrimination, report Honolulu newspapers (see Jan 18 Tiens have been renting. The four lem." And now with the charges manhandling of Kim and of Reps. pc). Representatives ofthree clubs, including the Atlantis Edward Feighan (D-Ohio) and - a club in the Pacific Beach Hotel, where JACL held Thomas Foglietta (D-Pa.), Robert its convention last summer - met with Hawaii officials White, former U.S. ambassador to of the NAACP and agreed that written dress codes and Board tackles apartheid, other issues EI Salvador, and Patricia Derian, admissions policies will be "prominently displayed" and SAN FRANCISCO-At its meeting demns apartheid and requests a re asst. secretary of state for human that any complaint of discrimination will be handled on held Feb. ~10 , the JACL national view ofJACL investments to ensure rights umer President Carte". White the spot by the club manager. board took the following actions: that none are in companies with in and Feighan reported being flung to - Accepted a bid from the Seat vestments in South Africa Copies the ground as Kim was forced into an Club owner says he was angry, not racist tle Chapter to host the 1008 national of the resolution, brought by the elevator. SACRAMENTO - The owner of a private swim and convention. Convention co-chairs Washington n.e. Chapter, are to be Two Korean Americans, Chang tennis club called a Pilipino American man a "damn are Ben Nakagawa and Tomio Mori sent to the State Dept and to Asian Hak Choi of Garden City, N.Y. and Jap" as he threw him out of the club, but he "is not now guchi Americans Against Apartheid Sun Kuen Song of San Francisco, nor has ever been a racist," said his lawyer Feb. 4. A - Retained Albert H Wohlers were rejX>rtedly hospitalized as a re complaint was filed by the State Dept of Fair Employ and Co. as brokers for a $1 million Among the announcements sult of the scuftle. ment and Housing on behalf of Dexter Del Mar (see Jan supplemental health insurance made at the board meeting were: A delegation of 22 Americans had 18 pc), who claims that Sherman Chavoor pushed him program for members. - Jon Nakahata of Asian Law accompanied Kim to help insure his down and repeatedly called him a ''yellow Jap coward" - Approved for publication and Students at Hruvard University is safety, rearing that he might meet while ousting him from the club. education a report on Asian mail conducting a research project on the same fate as Philippine opposi Chavoor's lawyer, Stephen Boutin, contends that ''yel order brides, prepared by Irene precedents for compensation to tion leader Benigm Aquino, who was low" denoted cowardice and had nothing-to with race; Hirano and Lia Shigemura This re those wronged by the U.S. govern shot dead upon returning to Manila that minorities have belonged to Chavoor's club for 2n port discusses the growing business ment Scheduled date of comple in 1983 after living in exile in the U.S. years; that Del Mar refused to remain outside a members in mail-order catalogs for women tion is March l. The Americans who were roughed only area; and that he has a history of emotional prob from Thailand, Malaysia and the - A compilation of Judge Mari up were outraged not only at the ac lems. Philippines. lyn Hall Patel's statements in the tions of the Korean police, which Administrative law judge Karl Engeman will recom - Retained the services ofS.RS. Korematsu coram nobis case will Derian called "thuggery at its mend a resolution of the case to the Fair Employment Group Consultants, Inc. for redress be read into the Congressional Rec height, " but also at U.S. Ambassador and Housing Commission at the end of the hearing. income generation through the use ord on Feb. 19. Richard Walker, who seemed to, in of direct mail solicitation of mem - Astronaut Ellison Onizuka, White's words, "defend or explain .Matsunaga sponsors rights amendment berships of other human rights who took JACL pins and other away the indefensible attitude of the WASHINGTON - Sen. Spark Matsunaga (D-Hawaii) groups. The potential income to the items with him into space, will at South Kocean government. " joined Sen. Edward Kennedy and 15 other senators in JACL redress fund, the educational tend the Saturday evening dinner, By canparison, Kim seemed to sponsoring the Equal Rights Amendment Jan 23. value and the possibility of in April 2n, at the Tri-District confer take the rough treatment in stride. The amendment, first proposed in 1921 by suffragist cre~ed JACL membership were ence in Fresno. "I'm not sure if I was beaten or not. Alice Paul, would add the following language to the Con amdng the reasons cited for the ac A more detailed report of the The situation was very much con stitution: "Equal rights under the law shall not be denied tion. board meeting will be carried in fused," he said later. .. I have been on account of sex." - Passed a resolution that con- next week's Pacific Citizen Coatinged 0C1 Pille 5 Capital fund for oonter hits $1.5 million SAN FRANCISCO - Targeting porters ofthe project to cover the the start of construction for this balance of the funds needed to month, the Japanese Cultural meet the higher construction bid and Community Center of North figures submitted by general ern California (JCCCNC) re contractors in December. The cently announced major gifts guarantees will be released dur that bring its capital funds total ing the course of construction, as to just under $1.5 million additional pledges and dona Among the gifts were $10,(XX) tions are received and $3O,(XX) grants from the Those wishing to help the com Jewett Foundation and the munity center project by con BankAmerica Foundation re tributing to the building fund spectively, as well as substantial may contact the JCCCNC office conbibutions from the Japanese by calling (415) 567-5500 or ad business community, including a dressing inquiries to JCCCNC, $W,(XX) pledge from Otagiri Mer 1759 Sutter St, San Francisco, BUILDING SUPPORT - Ray Hirokawa (center), Otagiri president, cantile Co.