Gulf War, a new judge in Illinois, and Japanese language teaching

Vol. 112, No. 7, February 22, 1991. 8 pages. View this issue

The Gulf War ran through this eight-page issue. A Chicago-area group approved a resolution calling for an end to the war while voicing support for troops, and a Pacific Citizen editorial urged parents and schools to teach children not to hate indiscriminately. Richard Suenaga reported on Lynne Kawamoto, sworn in Feb. 1 as the first Asian American on the Cook County, Illinois bench. Bill Hosokawa wrote about reading the nearly 2,000 names on the JACL Legacy Fund list, and Bill Marutani looked at the debate in Japan over its role in the war.

Also inside: a front-page note on a proposal to make Manzanar a historic site, and a two-part look at Japanese language teaching, from Navy programs in 1922 to growth in U.S. public schools. A new World War II stamp sheet drew criticism, and readers wrote letters on apologies, bias stories and a search for old friends.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Chicago Group Opposes War, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Chicago-area group approved a resolution calling for an end to the Gulf War at a Feb. 13 meeting, citing economic burdens on minorities. The group plans to circulate the resolution within the Japanese American community while also expressing support for troops in the Gulf.
• Manzanar Proposed as Historic Site, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A brief mention notes an effort to designate Manzanar as a historic site. Details are limited in the available text.
• She’s Named First Asian Judge in Illinois (continued), by Richard Suenaga, page 6. The continuation of Lynne Kawamoto’s profile details her career path from physical education teacher to law school and her work as an assistant state’s attorney prosecuting gang and hate crimes, including skinhead cases. She reflects on her new role as a judge, saying she looks forward to serving with integrity while drawing on her experience seeing both sides of legal disputes.
• Personally Speaking, by Frank Abe, page 6. This column reports on several individual achievements: KIRO Newsradio’s Frank Abe received awards for his courthouse reporting and legal journalism; Miya Iwataki was named a recipient of a 1991 Award of Appreciation by the L.A. County Commission for Women; and Suzanne Yamamoto was promoted to partner at a Burlingame law firm specializing in bankruptcy law.

National

• Group Lobbied for Asians; She’s Named First Asian Judge in Illinois, by Richard Suenaga, page 1. Lynne Kawamoto was sworn in Feb. 1 as the first Asian American to serve on the Cook County, Illinois bench, following two years of lobbying by an Asian American legal advocacy group. Attorney Irene Cualoping described efforts to raise awareness and identify qualified Asian American candidates for the judiciary in a state with the fourth largest Asian American population in the country.
• Stamps Could Reopen Wounds, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A new 10-stamp World War II commemorative sheet from the U.S. Postal Service includes captions naming Japan as the enemy for Pearl Harbor and the declaration of war, prompting criticism from stamp collector Carl R. Prager. Prager argued the stamps unnecessarily single out Japan compared to other wartime stamps that did not name Germany directly.
• Japanese Language Goes to Head of Class, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The National Endowment for the Humanities awarded $400,000 to support Japanese language education efforts in the United States. Officials stressed the need for Americans to develop deeper understanding of Japanese language and culture.
• Japanese Language Expands in U.S. Public Schools, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The article traces the history of Japanese language instruction in U.S. public schools from Hawaii in the late 1950s through JACL-backed efforts in the Pacific Northwest and Los Angeles in the 1960s and 70s. It notes the number of U.S. high schools offering Japanese grew from 200 to 700 between the 1980s and 1990, with California student enrollment in Japanese quadrupling from 1983 to 1990.

Commentary

• Wants to Locate Acquaintance, by Rev. L.R. Scott, page 2. A reader recalls a childhood friendship with a young Japanese American girl named Kimiko he met near an army base in Colorado during the 1940s. He is seeking help locating her decades later to reconnect.
• No Apology From Japan Is Necessary, by Fred H. Kawashima, page 2. A reader strongly objects to the idea that Nisei should request an apology from Japan for Pearl Harbor, arguing Japanese Americans are Americans, not Japanese. He contends such requests only reinforce stereotypes and unfairly link Japanese Americans to Japan’s wartime actions.
• Tired of Bias Stories in Pacific Citizen, by Glenn N. Yamada, page 2. A longtime reader expresses concern that the Pacific Citizen frequently leads with stories about bias against Asians, suggesting these may be isolated incidents. He suggests there are many other newsworthy topics to cover.
• Applauds Jan. 25 Hosokawa ‘Fryer’, by Janet Makrauer, page 2. A Cincinnati JACL member praises Bill Hosokawa’s Jan. 25 ‘From the Frying Pan’ column for addressing ethnic bashing. She says the U.S. does not need any form of ethnic bashing, including against American Indians.
• He’s Looking for Subject of Artwork, by Richard Oleszewski, page 2. A reader seeks help locating a woman named Tajue Mahara or her family, the subject of artwork created decades ago by artist Nell Pomeroy O’Brien while visiting an orphanage in Santa Barbara. Records show the child came to St. Vincent’s Orphanage in 1929 and was later returned to her father’s custody in Los Angeles in 1932.
• Let’s Teach Our Children Well, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This PC editorial reflects on the emotional complexity of the Gulf War, noting how yellow ribbons symbolize support for troops while war also risks fueling racism and prejudice against those who look different. The piece calls for parents and schools to teach children not to hate indiscriminately, illustrated by an anecdote of a mother correcting her child’s assumption about hating a stranger.
• On Reading the Names in the JACL Legacy Fund List, by Bill Hosokawa, page 4. Bill Hosokawa reflects on skimming through nearly 2,000 names of contributors to JACL’s Legacy Fund, noting most donors were ordinary Japanese Americans rather than well-known figures. He praises their quiet dedication to supporting JACL’s ongoing work and expresses hope the $10 million fundraising goal can be reached despite competing community needs.
• Hinan-sha (Refugees), by Bill Marutani, page 4. Bill Marutani discusses the debate happening in Japan over the nation’s role and participation in the Persian Gulf War, particularly regarding whether Japan’s jiei-tai (self-defense forces) should be involved. The column examines Japan’s postwar constitutional constraints on military engagement in the context of international pressure during the Gulf crisis.

Military & Veterans

• Language Training History: From Navy Programs to MIS, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The article describes early U.S. Navy Japanese language training programs beginning in 1922 and the WWII Allied Translator Interpreter Section headed by Sidney Mashbir. It notes MIS graduates from WWII underwent intensive nine-month to one-year language courses, while today’s Defense Language Institute considers Japanese five times harder to master than Spanish or French.

Arts & Entertainment

• Tokyo String Quartet Performs Mozart Classics in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Tokyo String Quartet, featuring three Japanese musicians and an Armenian Canadian, will perform three Mozart quartets at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles on March 12. The group plays vintage Italian instruments dating from the 1600s and is currently in residence at Yale University and the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music.
• ‘Dawg’ Days Come to Berkeley, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A brief playbill notice announces a production of ‘Yankee Dawg You Die’ running through March 9. Limited details are provided about the production’s cast and venue.

Obituaries

• In Memoriam, by P.C. Staff, page 8. This section lists numerous obituary notices for Japanese American community members who passed away, including names, ages, hometowns, dates of death, and surviving family members. Individuals mentioned include Takeshi Takesor, Norie Takeuchi, Grace K. Tanita, and several others from cities across the United States.

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