September 7, 1984 aci ic citizen (65¢ Postpald) The National Publication of the Japanese American Citizens League ews. 25¢ Republican platform recognizes minorities D te Nakashima, a Nisei attor­ ney from San Jo e. found th Republican na­ tional con ention anything but dull. He at­ tended n only a a alifornia del gat but also as a member of the party s platform committee, and in th latter capa ity he was able to ha e statem nts on the WW2 intern­ ment of ikkei and on minority Americans in general included in the platform. akashima who wa interned in P ton during the war, noticed that the platform draft prepared in Wa hington did not have anything about the e acuation or redress. As a member of the Human Resourc and 0p­ portunities committee he submitted an amendment that call d the inter nment "a grave injustice" but which made no m tion of redress. The platform conunittee, he recalled, was " leaning extremely r ight, ' and under ucb circumstances his philosophy was " you take Phob by Jon TakaSJgl what you can get. " akashlma favors the es­ Community test fier Among the Nikkei June Kizu, and Bert Nakano, all representing tablishment of a community fund, particular­ wItnesses at Aug. 16 redress hearing were the National CoalitIO n for Redress/ Repara­ ly for elderly ikkei, although he does not (fro m left) Mas Fukai, Gordon Nakagawa, tions (see story on page 3). support individual payments. The amendment, which was accepted unan- imously, states that the wartime treatment of Opinions mixed about GOP responsiveness to Asian concerns Japanese Americans ' contravened the fun­ damental principles of our people" and that DALLA~Like their D m tic unt.er- that an J.an RepublIcan caucus would be , the deprivation of rights they suffered hall parts, Asian American Republica ns ar fo rmed Wltiun the n t four years never again be permitted in this land of liber­ ing a greater role within th If party e A conference 0 Ian Paclfic Republicans ty." there was a defllllte Asian presence at thl h ld ug 20, lh flfSt day of the convention, year's Republican national convention, th was attended by 200-300 people. peakers m­ L ack of A ar were mixed pmions to whether the r pre­ eluded SaIki, Chennault, akashima and Nakashima found that fellow comnuttee sentation was adequate indy Sbinja Daub, the lIe of ebraska con- members were unaware of th role their Among delegates and alternates, about 26 manH Id ub. states played in ikkei history. Minnesota (roughly 1% of tbe tota1) were of Asian Daub call fo r til appoinbnent of m r congressman V in Weber, for example, did not scent. The 13 voting delegates included. qualified Asian Americans to policy-making know that Ft. Snelling was the site -of a lan­ PatriCia Saiki Hawaii Lynn Akiyama, C0- po iho within party and for greater guage school where the isei of Military In­ lorado; Da id Chen, Oregon, Anna Ch AsIan representation a1 I national con eo­ telligence rvice were trained. akashima nault, Washrngton, D.C.; MingHsu, ew Jer­ tIOns. A nati of th orea, she also urged also thought that Rep. Trent Lott of Miss iss ip­ sey; and Stephen akashima, Sam FU]lm to, alTlless and compassion in ururugration laws pi could have been educated about the train­ Hid ko Bannai, S.1. Hayakawa, Antonia and said that tan Americans should be ing of the 442nd Ref at Camp Shelby. Murray, and Carol Li, California (Echo 0010 1 ked to as e perts and r ource people in The scant attention paid to n n-whites in the the area ofU. relatlons with Asia. platform-less than four lines-gave Naka­ Sailu, wbo headed th Ha aii delegati n. shima the impression that the party was aid that the GOP was not recepli e to ian writing off minorities , " particularly in view News in Brief Americans durin the ' ritical time" imme- of the fact that the 1980 platform had a special I an AsIan chara ter, Short Rourxi ." diately after 2 and that as a consequenc section on Blacks and Hispanics. He said that Dept. of education employee "Indiana J nes" has come Wld r flfe for its Ian D ats outnumber Asian Republi- he " bitterly complained" and submitted a charges job discrimination rtrayal of Aslan Indtans as, in th wor 0 cans Despite this 'emotional alignment" six-paragraph statement that was eventually one critic, "eith r eVI l, disgusting pIe, or with th Democratic party. aikJ saId the Re­ cleared and adopted with few changes. SA C ~NT~esseF~wa ,a l~year pathetIC. disgustIng ople." publican philo ophy is m uch clo er to Asian - The on ginal statement on minorities sim­ employee of the California Dept. of Educa­ alu ith regard to family, education. and ply read, "To all Americans, but especially to tion, med a complaint Aug. 14 With the state th work etluc. our Black, Hispanic and Asian American citi­ personnel board charging that the depart­ Actors protest casting of play b nnaul t R buffed zens who desire full participation in all as­ ment demoted her in retaliatIon for her advo­ pects of our society, the party of Lincoln will ca ting programs to help Southeast Asian E W Y RK- Actors Equity has sent formal Chennault, who is Ice-chair of the Reagan­ remain the party of equal rights for all." refugees. complamts to the Old Globe Theatre in San Bush campaign' ethnic voters division, said When she brought up her concerns, Furu­ Diego, Calif. and the Asolo Theater in Sara­ that Asians still need to overcome their imag Contributions by Minorities kawa said, "I was accused of trying to 'stir up sota. Florida, for thelf failure to cast Asian as " silent Americans" and must work to get T!Ie expanded statement reads, m part: all the Asians in California,' and was told that actors m their productiOns of "Rashomon" thls Republicans elected and run or office them­ " For millions ofBlacl{-Ain encans, Hispan­ Asians don't get educational programs be­ summer, reports the New York Times. sel es in order to aclueve greater i ibility ic Americans, Asian Americans, and mem­ cause we speak too many languages and be­ The play by Ryun uke Akutagawa is tin within the party. bers of other minority groups, the past four cause we don't know how to fight back." feudal Japan and has nine characters. Both Chennault was disturbed by the party' years have seen a dramatic improvement in The consultant charges that the depart­ theaters cast white m all roles. handling of its Asian American members at their ability to secure for themselves and for ment gave her eight assignments to complete ArtIstic director John Ulmer at th Asolo the con ention, howe er . he comm nted their children a better tomorrow. in three weeks and then lowered her salary Theater saId whites were cast "becaus rur that ' It was a big disappointment for th director felt it was not a bizarre Oriental play, " ...T he policies ofthe Reagan Administra­ when she failed to finish them all. Asian Am ican group to tay in the back­ tion have opened literally millions of doors of but a uni versa! one." ground whil Black white, andHi panic dele­ The d partment counters by saying that It opportunity for these Americans, doors which Furukawa's job performance was poor. gates played m jor rol s in the convention. either did not exist or were rapidly being Child taken from Calif. home At the biennial conv ntion 0 th rganization slammed shut by the no-growth policy of the Lucas defends film as fantasy of Chinese Americans held in Ro kville, Carter-Mondale Administration. FAIRFIELD, Calif.-Three-year-old To hiro Maryland, h said that the party rebuffed " We Republicans are proud of our efforts SAN RAFAEL, Calif.- Lucasfihn , producerof (Clark) Handa was kidnapped from his her requ t that the RepubU an ational on behalf of all minority groups, and we " Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom," smaU-town home late Wednesday night, Aug. ommittee set up an Asian aeific Caucus pledge to do even more during the next four says the movie " is clearly a fantasy, full of 22, or early th following morning. Th boy like th on establish d by the Democrats last years. exciting but improbable events, and would rot was di scovered missing at about 8:20 a.m. year. " We will continue to press for enactment of be interpreted by the viewer as a derogatory Thursday. The window next to his bed was She said sh wa told by RN chair Frank economic and social policies that promote comment on any race or a social statement of open and a ransom note was found on the bed. F a hrenkopf that such a caucus was 'not n - growth and stress individual initiative of mi­ qny kind." Linda Handa works as a nurse's aide; th ssary becaus w are all American ." When nority Americans. Our tax: system will contin­ In a letter to JACL director Ron Wakaba­ father, Ron, is an Exxon employee. she pointed out that the party had Bla , ue to be overhauled and reformed by making yasru, Sidney Ganis, LucasfIlm vice president, The child is described as a 3 1h- year~ld Hispanic, and J wish caucus , Fahrenkopf it fairer and simpler, enabling the families of stated that, "Although there is an Asian gang­ E urasian, 3 foot 2, 30-40 pounds, with black reportedly r plied that such ial caucuses minorities to work and save for their future.