Vol. 116, No. 3, January 22, 1993. 8 pages. View this issue
Doris Matsui’s appointment to President-elect Bill Clinton’s White House staff led the news. She was named deputy assistant to the president and deputy director of public liaison, and JACL, through National Director Dennis Hayashi and Karen Narasaki, welcomed the appointments. Gwen Muranaka reported from Beaumont, Texas, where Sandra Tanamachi Nakata and Betty Waki of the Houston Chapter were working to change two road names containing a racial slur. Harry K. Honda covered Assemblyman Nao Takasugi’s remarks to the Selanoco Chapter, and the JACL Legacy Fund drive gained a new director of fund-development in Gail Ideno.
Columns by Bill Hosokawa, Bill Marutani and national president Lillian Kimura fill page 6. Elsewhere, a study of Los Angeles sports found whites held nearly all top positions, and Robert K. Murase was chosen to lead design of a traveling exhibit on Issei pioneers in Oregon.
What’s in this issue
National
- Doris Matsui Appointed to Clinton White House Staff, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Doris Matsui, who served on President-elect Bill Clinton’s Transition Board, was named deputy assistant to the president and White House deputy director of public liaison. JACL applauded the appointment, noting Clinton’s commitment to making his administration reflect the diversity of America.
JACL
- Takasugi: His First Days on the Job, a Sign of the Times, by Harry K. Honda, page 1. Assemblyman Nao Takasugi, the first Asian American assemblyman in a decade, spoke at the Selanoco Chapter JACL installation dinner about his early days in the Sacramento legislature. He discussed a bill addressing the state budget impasse and the influence of the large freshman caucus due to term limits.
- Gail Ideno Named JACL Fund-Raiser, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Gail Ideno, a former assistant account executive with Foote, Cone & Belding Direct West, has been appointed JACL director of fund-development. She will oversee fund-raising efforts, the donor database, and work with the JACL Legacy Fund Committee toward its $10 million goal.
- JACL Applauds Clinton Appointments, by P.C. Staff, page 1. National Director Dennis Hayashi said JACL is encouraged by President-elect Clinton’s appointments, including Doris Matsui and Shirley Sagawa, calling it a significant step toward an administration reflecting America’s diversity. Karen Narasaki, JACL Washington D.C. representative, expressed hope that more Asian Pacific Americans would be given opportunities to serve in the administration.
Incarceration & Redress
- Despite Local JACL Protests, Jap Road, Jap Lane Remain in Towns Near Beaumont, Texas, by Gwen Muranaka, page 1. Sandra Tanamachi Nakata, a Beaumont schoolteacher and Houston JACL member, has campaigned to rename Jap Road and Jap Lane near Beaumont, Texas, facing harassment for her efforts. Community leaders including Betty Waki of the Houston Chapter JACL are working cautiously to change the road names while honoring the historic Kishi Colony.
Sports
- Study: Whites Dominate L.A. Sports Positions, by Barry Zepel, page 3. A study by the Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles found that whites control nearly all top-level positions in L.A. sports organizations, despite minorities making up over half the population. The study examined professional teams, universities, and high schools, finding minorities underrepresented in administrative, coaching, and support roles.
- Sports Briefs: Honolulu Marathon and Aloha Stadium Controversy, by P.C. Staff, page 5. More than 25,000 runners, including about 18,000 from Japan, participated in the 20th annual Honolulu Marathon on Dec. 13. Meanwhile, the Aloha Stadium Authority hopes controversy over a $50,000 office renovation is resolved after the stadium manager resigned under pressure.
Community
- Nice Job, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Lisa Kubokawa, a corporate banking officer at First Interstate Bank of California, received the ‘Gentleman’s Community Reinvestment Award’ for her volunteer support of small businesses in Southeast Los Angeles. She was one of 12 honorees among the bank’s 19,000 statewide employees and also volunteered with a group helping businesses affected by the L.A. riots.
Arts & Entertainment
- Robert K. Murase to Lead Design for Issei Pioneers in Oregon Exhibit, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Landscape architect Robert K. Murase has been named to manage the design and fabrication team for the upcoming 1993 traveling exhibit ‘The Issei Pioneers in Oregon,’ organized by the Japanese American National Museum of Los Angeles. Murase is known for landscape architectural projects throughout the U.S., Japan, and elsewhere.
Commentary
- Tales of Karaoke and Catfish, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Hosokawa recounts two anecdotes about President-elect Bill Clinton’s interactions with Japanese businessmen, including a karaoke performance in Osaka and a catfish tempura solution during a formal dinner in Little Rock. He reflects on what these stories suggest about Clinton’s diplomatic skills heading into his presidency.
- ‘Goh-ru-fu’ Updated, by Bill Marutani, page 6. Marutani writes about the collapse of the golf membership market in Japan, where prices for club memberships have dropped nearly 60% from their peak. He notes that despite dramatic price cuts, some clubs still struggle to attract new members amid Japan’s economic slide.
- From Routine to Flurry, by Lillian Kimura, page 6. JACL National President Lillian Kimura recounts a busy visit to San Francisco that included a surprise reception for Sox Kitashima, who was named one of Bush’s 1000 Points of Light, and meetings with various JACL members and community figures. She also attended a meeting supporting Jean Ishibashi’s sexual harassment case against the American Friends Service Committee and paid respects at a memorial service for Dr. Kazue Togasaki.
Obituaries
- Ikuhara, Akihiro ‘Ike’, Longtime Dodgers Aide, Dies at 55, by P.C. Staff, page 8. Akihiro ‘Ike’ Ikuhara, a Fukuoka-born longtime assistant to Dodgers president Peter O’Malley, died Oct. 26 in Los Angeles. He joined the Dodgers in 1965 and helped coordinate international baseball exchanges and establish baseball fields in China, Russia, and Taiwan.
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