JACL scholarship winners and a Little Tokyo monument dispute

Vol. 113, No. 7, September 13, 1991. 12 pages. View this issue

A Korean group’s petition against a planned war memorial monument in Little Tokyo honoring 442nd/MIS veterans led the front page. Beside it, a study by the Asian American Journalists Association found that press coverage of Asian Pacific Americans in 1990 and 1991 still echoed the old “Yellow Peril” language. Most of the issue, pages 5 through 9, profiled the winners of the JACL National Scholarships, with Bill Marutani’s column on page 6 as the one break. A preview of a guide for covering the Pearl Harbor anniversary and the JACL National Youth Conference, set for Nov. 8-10 in Torrance, also appeared on page 1.

Page 3 gathered chapter news. San Francisco JACL’s Day of Remembrance resolution put resource guides in every school in the district, and the Puyallup Valley chapter’s remembrance week for Executive Order 9066 was announced, with Dr. Gordon Hirabayashi accepting an invitation to speak. Diablo Valley members toured San Quentin, and Washington, D.C. planned its Keiro-Kai dinner.

What’s in this issue

National

• Group Petitions to Oppose L.A. War Monument, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Korean group filed a petition opposing a war memorial monument planned for Little Tokyo honoring the 442nd/MIS veterans. State Sen. Art Torres and others were involved in discussions surrounding the controversy.
• ‘Yellow Peril’ Still With Us in Journalism, Study Says, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A study by the Asian American Journalists Association found continuing racially insensitive coverage of Asian Pacific Americans in print and broadcast media during 1990 and 1991. Examples cited included war metaphors like ‘Asian Invasion’ headlines, ethnic slurs on radio, and inflammatory Japan-bashing coverage tied to U.S.-Japan economic relations.

Incarceration & Redress

• Guide Gives Tips for Coverage of Pearl Harbor, by P.C. Staff, page 1. An article previewing a guide intended to help journalists cover the upcoming anniversary of Pearl Harbor responsibly. The text is cut off but indicates anticipation of the anniversary in media coverage.
• San Francisco Chapter’s Day of Remembrance Resolution Yields Resource Guides, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A Day of Remembrance resolution initiated by San Francisco JACL and the American Friends Service Committee resulted in resource guides being placed in every school in the San Francisco Unified School District. The chapter spent about $5,000 to print the guides and is now seeking donations to replenish its education fund.

JACL

• Youth Meeting Set for Nov. 8-10 in Los Angeles, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The 1991 JACL National Youth Conference is scheduled for Nov. 8-10 at the Marriott Residence Inn in Torrance, California. The conference will feature welcome events, cultural awareness sessions, and aims to introduce new and old members to the organization’s purpose.
• National JACL Scholarship Awards Announced, by P.C. Staff, page 5. JACL awarded 38 scholarships to 18 freshmen, five undergraduates, seven graduates, three law students, and five creative arts students based on community involvement, personal essays, and letters of recommendation. Recipients included Trent Kanemaki, Michael Kanda, Susan Minamizono, Gina Stephens, Harumi Furuya, and Denise Nishiguchi among many others pursuing diverse fields including medicine, law, and the arts.
• Additional Freshman and Undergraduate Scholarship Winners Profiled, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Additional JACL scholarship winners were profiled including Julie Kikuchi, Kristine Sakata, Garrett Ono, Tracy Suzuki, Nozomi Furukawa, Michele Conrad, Robert Morishita, Ryan Sakamoto, Joleen Hanatani, and Ryan Mukai. Each recipient’s academic achievements, community involvement, and future college plans were detailed.
• Graduate, Law, and Creative Arts Scholarship Winners Profiled, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Graduate-level JACL scholarship recipients profiled include Kim Nakahara, Colin Watanabe, Michael Kahn, and Doug Sugimoto, along with law scholarship winners Albert Muratsuchi and Lila Fujimoto. Creative arts scholars Gabrielle Shek and John Tonai were also highlighted, including Tonai’s photography project documenting former relocation camp sites.
• Additional Graduate Scholarship Winners Profiled, by P.C. Staff, page 9. More JACL graduate scholarship winners were profiled including Miya (surname unclear), Ted Mashima, Kirk Horiuchi, Anne Ichiuji, Kristen Boisen, Malia McCarthy, and Amy Mountcastle. Their academic pursuits ranged from veterinary medicine and law to anthropology and medical school studies.

Community

• Essence Magazine Hosts Reception for Japanese Students, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Essence Magazine hosted a reception giving insight into the black experience for Japanese students. Executives including Clarence Smith and Edward Lewis of Essence Communications were involved in the event.
• Washington, D.C. Chapter Keiro-Kai Dinner Planned, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Washington D.C. JACL chapter will hold its annual Keiro-Kai dinner honoring members and guests age 70 and older on Saturday, Sept. 21, at Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church. The potluck event will include a screening of the national JACL redress video.
• Salt Lake City Chapter Plans 1992 Membership Directory, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Salt Lake City JACL chapter announced plans for a 1992 chapter membership directory intended for private use by members to get better acquainted. The directory will include names, addresses with ZIP+4, and phone numbers to help reduce bulk mailing costs.
• Sonoma County Chapter Awards Four Scholarships, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Four scholarships were awarded at the annual Sonoma County JACL picnic in August to students including Bryan Ito, students from Piner and Santa Rosa High, and Lisa Meyers. Committee chair Margaret Wallman, who has led the scholarship committee since 1985, made the presentations and is noted to be legally changing her name back to Matsuyama, her father’s original family name before it was changed during internment.
• Reno Chapter Moves ‘Big Fish Story’ Fish Fry, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Reno JACL chapter rescheduled its ‘Big Fish Story’ fish fry-potluck event to be held at the Knights of Pythias Hall. The chapter is also gathering recipes and traditional secrets for an Asian Pacific American cookbook project.
• Portland’s Oregon Nikkei Endowment Launches Book Project, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Oregon Nikkei Endowment (ONE) has launched a new book project to create a portable version of the Japanese American Historical Plaza at Portland’s Tom McCall Waterfront Park. The book, coordinated by Mark Sherman, is intended for those unable to visit the memorial in person and is expected to be published in fall 1992.
• Diablo Valley Chapter Tours San Quentin Prison, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Twenty Diablo Valley JACL members toured San Quentin prison in July, arranged by chapter member and prison administrator Eizo Kobayashi. The tour, prompted by concern over the growing number of Asian inmates, included lunch with the warden and a tour of cell blocks, exercise yards, and the entrance to the gas chamber.
• Lake Washington Chapter News, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Lake Washington JACL chapter’s main fundraiser is the sale of Entertainment books, organized by Elsie Tokita and Yo Yasuda. Former chapter vice president Dennis Uyemura was appointed to the JACL Legacy Fund Investment Committee by National JACL president Cressey Nakagawa.
• Puyallup Valley Chapter Plans Remembrance Week at UPS, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Hui-o-Hawaii Club at the University of Puget Sound, endorsed by local and district JACL, announced plans for a remembrance week commemorating the signing of Executive Order 9066 next February. Dr. Gordon Hirabayashi has accepted an invitation to be a principal speaker at the event.
• Community Notes: Awards, Achievements, and Appointments, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Several community members were recognized for achievements including John Nagata receiving a national information technology award, Juliet S. Bone winning the James Clavell literary award for her short story ‘Soup,’ and Lenore E. Cohen becoming chief resident at Valley Medical Center. Diane Miyeko Matsuda joined San Francisco Nihonmachi Legal Outreach as an attorney, and two Japanese-speaking Maryknoll priests celebrated their 60th anniversary of ordination after serving evacuees during WWII.

Military & Veterans

• Tom Fujimoto Honored at Retirement Dinner, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Tom Fujimoto was honored at a retirement dinner in Sacramento for his 41 years of service with the California Water Resources Department and the California Water Commission. He is a former Sacramento JACL chapter president and holds leadership roles in several Japanese American organizations including the MIS of Northern California.

Commentary

• Oh Man! That’s Not My Cup of Tea, by Bill Marutani, page 6. Columnist Bill Marutani reflects on changing gender-neutral language usage and relates an essay by Japanese writer Senji Kuroi about his daughter challenging traditional gender assumptions over tea cup sizes. He also discusses Tokyo’s severe parking shortage problem, noting that 97% of vehicles lack designated parking spaces.

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