Women's Concerns Provided the Underpinning to Committee
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
•• •• aCl lC Cl lZell Newsstand: 25¢ National Publication of the Japanese American Citimns League (60e Postpaid) ISSN: 0030-8579/ Whole No. 2,342/ Vol. 100 No. 22 244 S. San Pedro St., Rm. 506, Los Angeles, CA 90012-3981 (213)626-6936 June 7,1985 Hirabayashi confident of court victory by J.K. Yamamoto ruled that the government's ac dence in," said Hirabayashi. "If I were not involved, I would LOS ANGELES-Gordon Hiraba tions were justified by military protest that our tax money is used yashi, speaking ata reception held necessity. so poorly by the government," he in his mnor May 30, expressed The Court ruled against Fred joked, "because I think we could confidence about the outcome of Korematsu and Minoru Yasui, have much better representation an upcoming trial in which his 1943 who had been similarly convicted ofthe government's case." Supreme Court case will be re of violating government orders, examined. as well. Scheduled to Testify The reception, held at the Japa In 19m, attorneys representing Witnesses to be called by Hira nese Alrerican National Museum Hirabayashi, Korematsu and Ya bayashi's legal team include: Ed in Little Tokyo, was part of an ef sui had the cases reopened on the ward Ermis, the Justice Dept.'s fort to raise $50,000 to cover the basis of recently declassified gov director of enemy alien control cost of preparing for the trial, ernment documents indicating during WW2 and a critic of the in scheduled to begin June 17 in that War Dept. and Justice Dept. ternment; Peter Irons, the attor Seattle. officials presented the Court with ney who obtained many of the rel faise infurmation in order to por evant documents through the California Secretary of State March Fong Eu hands LEC finance chair Now a resident of Alberta, Ca nada, Hirabayashi was a student tray Japanese Americans as a Freedan of Infonnation Act and Harry Kajihara a $1,000 check as LEC chair Min Yasui and chief ass't. military threat. author of Justice At War; Jack Secretary of State Florence Ochi look on. (Story on page 3.) at University of Washington when WW2 broke out. He spent 3lh years A Full Hearing and Aiko Herzig, who have done in prison for resisting curfew and In Korematsu's case, Judge extensive archival research on the evacuation orders directed at Ja Marilyn Patel vacated the war interrunent; and Hirabayashi AlP women briefed at White House panese Americans. His appeal time C<llviction and found the himself. went to the Supreme Court, which goverrunent guilty of misconduct Hirabayashi noted that his legal ~ by Mei Nakano women, the "l00-hour" employ in November 1983. In Y asui 's case, effort the support of the attor WASHINGTON - Approxi ment regulation, and rising senti Judge Robert Belloni vacated the neys gere-al of California, Oregon mately 250 women of Asian and ment against Japan, fueled by NP women tend to come into convictioo in January 1984 but de and Washington. He called this Pacific Island origins gathered rhetoric such as that of Chrysler the job market at a relatively clined to rule on whether the gov developnent "a real coup" be May 18-19 in response to an invi chairman Lee larocca, were ban high level, but tend to get stuck ernment had erred. Both decisions cause it reverses the prcrevacua tation to a special White House died across the table. there, another panelist observed. were reached largely on the basis tion position taken by the West briefing The briefing was ar Rep. Norman Mineta (D A major reason for this is that of docmnents submitted by both Coast attorneys general, including ranged for "a select group of Calif) also met briefly with the they are often stereotyped as not sides. California's Earl Warren, during California delegation Some of being aggressive enough to cope Because of a ruling by Judge WW2. Asian American women" from Government Witnesses the same issues discussed with with the rigors of management Donald Voorhees in May 1984, Hi across the U.S., said Eliza Pasch As for the government's witness alL associate Director of the Of Matsui were brought up in this and as lacking in leadership and rabayaSli's case will go to an evi session as well as some details commmunication skills. dentiary hearing. list, "you would think the two star fice of Public Liason to the White witnesses would be John J. Mc House, to discuss issues relating ofthe budget battle slated to take It was noted, at the same time, "In our case," Hirabayashi ex Cloy, 8$istant secretary of war to employment, policy-making, place that week that aggressiveness and confron plained, "the judge said, 'I haven't during the war period ...and the and the family. The conference agenda in tation is not generally a cultural made up my mind .. .I want to chief architect of the process of In conjunction with this event, cluded the election of Tin My feature of NP people, and to take hear more' ...An evidentiary uproot~ and detention, Karl the National Network of Asian Thein of the American Assn of on that leadership style as well hearing is something like a trial, Bendetsen," said Hirabayashi. and Pacific Women organized a Bunnese Women, preparation as others demanded in the mar where evidence is presented in for the White House briefing, a ketplace posed a conflict How court, witnesses take the stand "Neither of them are on the list.' , two-day conference in which the The omission of the two, both of wide variety ofgroups represent special tribute to Indochinese to preserve one's own cultural [and] they are cross-examined." women, and particpation is six characteristics (which many No witnesses were called in the whom continue to defend their ed explored issues affecting wartime actions, "is quite signifi them Counted among the ethnic workshops. women found important) and ad other two cases. vance on the employment ladder cant am it reveals something origins of the groups .officially Networking U.S. attorney Victor Stone has at the same time is a problem repeatedly asked the judge to dis about their case," he said, sug represented were Bunnese, Pili The need for networking gesting that their testimony might pino, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, whose solution is not soon forth miss the case without investigat among NP women was a note coming. ing the charges against the gov not withstand close examination Cambodian, Hmong, Vietnamese, struck early in the conference. But that NP women were ernment. Voorhees has refused in court. Thai, Samoan, Tongan, and In Though many organizations and Former U.S. intelligence officer dian. excluded from toJrlevel posi each time, most recently on April ethnic groups had their own tions there seemed no doubt 29. Stone "has irritated the judge David Lowman will give testimo These ethnic groups were agenda to advance, the value and ny on the "Magic" cables, decod comprised of delegations from "And given the current adminis every time they've met" by "try necessity of maintaining com tration's deliberate color-blind ed Japanese diplomatic messages more than 2l) Asian American ing to get the judge to dismiss munication for mutual support, CoaUnued OIl Page 4 women's organizations, includ policy, it will be a hard go," one without bringing any new evi- encouragement and enrichment speaker said, noting that 70% of ing JACL Women's Concerns provided the underpinning to Committee. JACL women par AlP women work in low-paying the conference theme: 'Today's jobs and current programs for up ticipating were Betty Waki, Rita Involvement Builds Tomorrow's Cates, Clare Kawamura, Lillian grading their knowledge and Future." skills, such as funding for English Kimura, Grayce Uyehara, Fae proficiency, are being cut. Minabe, Lily Okura, Betti Jane Employment Watanabe, Mollie Fujioka, Mei The lack of networking was Refugees Nakano, Lia Shigemura, Irene cited as one of the reasons that Related to the issue of employ Hirano, Karen Seriguchi, Mary NP women failed to move into mentJunderemployment is the Nishimoto, Mae Takahashi, Jean positions for which they are qual "lOO-hour rule" imposed on per ette Ishii and a number of ified, stated Ranu Rasu, a panel sons on public assistance. Jean Washington JACLers including ist in the workshop on employ ette Ishii of Fresno articulated June Sato and Betty WakijL ment Far too many NP women to the conference, to legislators The California JACL contin suffer from not being in touch and to the emissaries from the gent was additionally favored with sources of information, vital White House the problem p~ with a private luncheon meeting to upgrading their skills, know duced by this regulation as it per with Rep. Robert Matsui (D ing where and what jobs are av tains to the more than 2D,(XX) . Calif). Issues such as the mail ailable and where to get needed Hrnong refugees living in Fres- Ron Ohata (left) and Willard Yamaguchi (right) present Gordon order bride catalogues of Asian support Continued OIl page 6 Hirabayashi with honorary plaque. 2-PACIFIC CITIZEN I Friday, Ju ne 7, 1985 eral government has changed a -----~----------- great deal under this Adminis C\I Matsui urges political involvement Trible responds ~ I~ tration," he told the audience. N ;j _8 ill "Instead of talking about the ci cal ll to protests z sS i~ ja: by Mei Nakano Committee but to chair that value of programs, they ask first § . WASIllNGTON - Rep. Robert body. how it impacts on the budget" ~~~ WASIDNGTON~n. 11)) Matsui (D-Sacramento) deliv Speaking to the redress issue, And despite the Administra Paul Trible II C\I • ~U 0" II::2J ered a rousing speech to a which had earlier been brought tion's campaign pledge to get rid (R-Va.), who received protests 81 Q.~ largely enthusiastic, responsive to the floor by Grayce Uyehara of the deficit, the fact is that, in from Asian American organiza ~.