APAC Alert - May 1988

              Asian
Pacific
American
Coalition
U.S.A.
* *c ^
&
Asian
Pacitic
American
Coaliton
USA
1489 Dolores St.
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 362-0323
YEAR 7  No.5
MAY
1988
REDRESS    AND    REPARATIONS
ACHIEVED IN THE SENATE
The    Senate approved the Redress
and Reparations    Bill,    S.    1009,    on
April 20th by a vote of 69-27.
A    Congressional    conference    is
currently      finalizing      S. 1009    and
H. R. 442    before    it    is      sent      to
President Reagan.    The combined bills
will be    incorporated    with      a      442
title,    according    to Jerry    Enomoto,
chair of JACL's Legislative Education
Committee    and      APAC/USA    Sacramento
Region IV president.
Americans    of    Japanese    descent
who were        deprived of        their
Constitutional rights during World
War II hysteria will receive an
official apology from the United
States. In addition, survivors will
receive $20,000 each as retribution
for their      losses. The      amount
represents a mere fraction of the
true economic losses. Such
recognition cannot begin to address
the psychological and emotional
suffering of the survivors and
following generations.
All Americans can take pride in
this nation's admission of its past
injustice although it took over 40
years. Americans of Asian Pacific
descent realize that the fight for
redress and reparations was motivated
by a faith in the Constitution and
those who have a sworn duty to it.
APAC/USA      will        continue      to
contribute      to    the        redress      and
reparations    effort.      The issue    has
not   been       completely resolved.
Enomoto    urged    all APAC/USA    members
and    supporters to participate in the
last    critical step, a final plea    to
President    Reagan    to      approve      the
Redress and Reparations bill.
ACTION ITEM: Contact President Reagan
at: The White House
Washington DC    20500
202/456-1414.
ENGLISH ONLY AMENDMENT:
Ill-conceived and Simplistic
The    English Language    Amendment
(H. R. 13, S. 13) to the Constitution
establishes    English as the    official
language of the United States.
Opponents    to    the    English-only
amendment      understand      the    blatant
attack    this proposal wields    against
American speakers of other languages.
It is    not    just an innocent    act    to
enhance English usage.
John Trasvina, counsel to
Senator Paul Simon, maintains that in
America one's language is not a
prerequisite        for civil        and
Constitutional    rights.      He    further
described    the    link that US    English
and English    First,    two    reactionary
English-only organizations, have with
restrictive immigration groups.
A    staunch refusal to extend the
Amnesty deadline;    persistent efforts
to limit immigration from Third Workd
nations        as        embodied        in      the
Kennedy-Simpson Immigration Act;    and
a resistance    to promote an    accurate
and comprehensive    count of    minority
groups    are characteristic    positions
of the    two    groups      promoting      the
English-only Amendment.
By legislating one language, the
English-only    Amendment      promotes    a
false    sense    of unity    by    confusing
uniformity with solidarity.
A    simplistic notion exists that
one's language directly correlates to
one's    national identity (recall    the
assumption    that consumer behavior is
related to patriotism in April's APAC
ALERT).      The    ones who    support    the
English    Only Amendment are misguided
by the the misconception that the use
(Continued, page 2)
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