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•• •• aCl lC Cl lZen National Publication of the Japanese American Citizens League Newsstand: 25¢ (SOe Postpaid) ISSN: 0030-8579 I Whole No. 2,325 I Vol. 100 No. 5 244 S. San Pedro St., #506, Los Angeles, CA 90012-3981 (213) 626-6936, 628-3768 February 8, 1985 Wakijob Day of Remembrance still in jeopardy During the next two weeks, Japanese Americans across the countIy will gather for c mmunity events that mark the 43d by Robert Shimabukuro anniversaIy ofthe signing of Executive Order 9066. That order, SALT LAKE CITY - Hruston signed on Feb. 19, 1942, by President Franklin Roosevelt, au JACL president Betty Waki, a thorized the military to carry out the mass expulsion of all Houston art teacher who was American citizens and permanent residents of Japanese an twice cut from the staff of Sharps cestry from the west Coast Some of the activities taking place town High School so that the are listed below. school could comply with dese • Sacramento - A memorial to be pennanently displayed gregatioo rulings, will be speak as a reminder of the violation of constitutional rights will be ing at the JACL lntenmxmtain unveiled at a public ceremony on Feb. 19, at 11 am in the District Council meeting on Feb. board of supervisors' chambers, 700 H St 16. The memorial consists of colorful 6-foot by 15-foot mural She will speak about her em made up of6-inch-square ceramic tiles and a poem A collal:r ployment difficulties and subse oration of two artists, ceramic artist Y oshio Taylor and poet! quent fJght to retain her job, a job playwright Hiroshi Kashiwagi, the memorial will hang on the that is threatened because she west wall immediately inside the south entrance to the Sac and other Asians in the Hruston ramento County Bldg. Independent School District It was constructed as a result of an ordinance passed last (HISD) are classfied as "white." May, which also established a fund to compensate former county employees for having been dismissed because of their Analysis ancestry during WW2 • Salinas - Watsonville Chapter JACL conducts a special Waki has just returned from ceremony on Feb. 19, from 2 p.nt to 3 p.nt at the Salinas Washington, D.C., where she con Fairgrounds (Sherwood Park), site of a former "assembly ferred with people from the Dept. center." of Education and the Office ofCivil The program includes a rendition of 'God Bless America" Rights. As a resultofthese consul by tlle Watsonville Issei Choir, who learned the lyrics phonet tations, she decided not to pursue ically, and readings by Sansei youth Information: Sumio Koga, the case through the courts, which (400) 7'lIHXm. she said would be too costly aDd • San Francisco - Rose Bird, chief justice of the California take approximately six years; Supreme Court, is main speaker at a program to be held on instead, she plans to seek a "poli Saturday, Feb. Z3, from 1 p.m to 4 p.nt at Christ United Presby tical solution." terian Church, Sutter and Laguna St.s. Waki, a tenured school teacher Asian American Dance Collective also performs during the in HlSD, has been teaching at event, which is sponsored by National Coalition for Redress! UPI Photo Sharpstown High School for over Reparations. This year's theme is "U.S. Concentration Camps, HEAVENLY HUG - Maj. Ellison Onizuka hugs his daughter 13 years. Her teaching career has 1942 - Could It Happen Again?" Darien, 9, on his return to earth Jan. 27. Related story, page 11. been successful and her job per • San Jose - A candlelight procession through Japantown formance has never been the sub follows a memorial service at 5:30 p.nt on Sunday, Feb. 17 at ject of controversy. However, she Wesley United Methodist Church, 566 N. 5th St The procession has been active with the local ends at the San Jose Buddhist Church, where an educational Dachau revisited by 442nd liberators teachers union, which she organ program will take place. Sponsor of the event is Nihonmachi ized 7 years ago. Presently, she Outreach Committee. The theme is "Redress in '85: Build the J ACL has begun preliminary tour ofEurope last year. Reporter serves as the unioo's shop steward. Progressive Tide." discussions with representatives Mark Matsunaga accompanied Dan Watanabe, former presi of the American Jewish Ccmgress the vets as they revisited places • Gardena - Sen Alan Cranston (D-Callf), Rep. MeIVYIl Dym dent of Houston JACL, feels that in San Francisco about the possi where they had fought 40 years in anti~on Houston, this fact, ally (D-Callf) and Gardena City Councilman Mas Fukai are bility ofa reunion between surviv before. A ceremony at Bruyeres, main speakers at a program to be held Saturday, Feb. Z3, more than anything else, has con ors of the Dachau concentration France, marked the 40th anniver tributed to Waki's problems with from 7 p.nt to 9 p.nt at the Ken Nakaoka Memorial Center, camp and Nisei GIs who helped sary of the 442nd's liberation of 1700 W. 162nd St "Political Power Through Unity" is the theme Principal William Jackson, who liberate the camp in 1945. that toum. seems determined to frre her. of the event sponsored by Pacific Southwest District JACL, On Jan. 19, Matsunaga, the only National Coalition for RedresslReparations, and Little Tokyo The following* *article, * one of a journalist from Hawaii to cover The fact that Sharpstown bas People's Rights Orgru:rization series that appeared in the Hono the event, was given a plaque by never been in compliance with the • Chicago - Northeastern illinois University is the site for lulu Advertiser, describes a visit Wilbert "Sandy" Holck, organizer Singleton Ratio before lends cre dence to claims by Waki's sup a program entitled ''Dialogue and Participation," featuring to the site of the Nazi death camp of the trip, for "comprehensive speakers from JACL, National Council for Japanese Amer by 100thl442nd veterans during a and diligent coverage." porters that Jackson has a per ican Redress, and the Japanese American Redress Commit ------------------- sonal vemetta going against tee, the program's sponsors. The videotape "Some Kind of by Mark Matsunaga Waki. Within thelflSD, a Teacher Apology" will screen. and Minasama-No, an Asian American Honolulu AdveJ1iser In OctDber 1984, some of the vet of the Year is selected anmally. theater group, performs a short skit erans made a grim visit to the Da Critics charge that after a mmi The program takes place at 7:30 p.nt on Tuesday, Feb. 19, DACHAU, West Germany- 'We chau concentration camp, which nating committee unanimously at Commuter Hall, 5500 N. St Louis. got here after the ftrst guys. But is maintained as a reminder of the nominated Waki, Jackson changed the incinerator was still warm. unspeakable brutality of Hitler's nominating procedures aDd, in • New York - A showing of the documentaIy "Unfinished There were bones inside," Ray "Final Solution' '-the extennina another break with traditioa, Business" highlights a program on Saturday afternoon, Feb. Kunimura recalls. tion of ITX>re than 6 million Jews. counted the ballots by himself, Z3 , at New York Buddhist Church The program is sponsored Kunimura, a semi-retired con In late April 1945, members of denying Waki the award which by local Nikkei and Asian American groups organized under tractor who lives in Lanikai, is one the 522rxi Field Artillery Battalion most teamers thought she would the slogan, ''No More Internments! The Coalition for Japanese of several hundred veterans of the passed through Dachau and were receive. American Redress." 442nd Regimental Combat Team among the ftrst liberators of the For two consecutive schoOl Information: Phil Nash, 966-5932. who last year revisited the Euro camp. years ('82-'83, '83-'84) Jackson pean battleftelds where they A short while before Kunimura has notified Waki that she would Cond ....... _ ..... ~ fought 40 years ago. Continued 011 Page 7 2-PACIFIC CITIZEN / Friday, February 8, 1985 ~----------------Ill) I~ I~ Another 800 view 'Unfinished Business' I~ LOS ANGELE~More than 800 coram nobis cases; and Fred Ko people attended benefit screen rematsu, whose resistance to the ings of Steven Okazaki's "Unfin WW2 evacuation orders is depict ished Business" at Little Tokyo's ed in the film along with the cases Japan America Theater on Jan. of Min Yasui and Gordon Hiraba 26. Proceeds will go toward pro yashi. The program also featured motional and educational materi "Gaman," a short film about the als to be used in connection with a camps by Great Leap, Inc. national broadcast of the f11m on Sponsors of the benefit were PBS. Japanese American Community Speakers included actor Mako, Services (JACS), National Coali who emceed; fllrnmaker Okazaki; tion for Redress/ Reparations attorney Lorraine Bannai, who (NCRR), and the Pacific South explained the current status ofthe west District Board of J ACL. Photo by J.K. Yamamoto RENEWED FRIENDSHIP-Fred and Kathryn Korematsu (far left and far right) dlat with Mas and Alma Takahashi of Torrance after the l.A. premiere of .. Unfinished Business." Alma was part of the bridal party at Legal service agency finds new home the Korernatsus' wedding in 1948 in Detroit, but had not seen them again until 1983, when Fred's 1944 Supreme Court case was reopened. NEW YORK-Asian American community and will facilitate co Legal Defense and Education alition work on important issues • Fund (AALDEF) celebrated its affecting minorities and women, ----------------_. tenth anniversary and its joining said program coordinator Mar For the Record four otl~r major civil rights or garetFung. In a computer printout supplied Coram nobis hearing may be pushed back ganizations Jan. 25 at a new home AALDEF will continue to con to the PC, the name of Indiana SEATILE - u.s.