JACL’s post-redress mission and opposition to ‘motor voter’ legislation

Vol. 116, No. 14, April 9, 1993. 12 pages. View this issue

JACL’s role after redress ran through most of this issue. The front page reported that JACL joined other civil rights groups in opposing the Senate version of the “Motor Voter” bill, saying it would make registration harder for Asian Pacific Americans, the disabled and the unemployed. Coverage of the tri-district conference in Costa Mesa came from Richard Suenaga and Gwen Muranaka, including a long question-and-answer session with the national board and talks by Bob Suzuki and Joe Hicks. Karen Narasaki and Michael Yang reported on the national Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C.

On the commentary pages, Bill Hosokawa asked how many redress recipients had given to the JACL Legacy Fund, and Jonathan Kaji explained the 1993 budget and the organization’s first full audit in over eight years. Lillian C. Kimura wrote about her travels, and Mei Nakano took up community beauty pageants. Harry K. Honda reported on a workshop about bringing the Japanese American experience into school curriculum.

What’s in this issue

National

• JACL Opposes ‘Motor Voter’ Legislation, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL and other civil rights groups oppose the Senate version of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, arguing it will make it harder for Asian Pacific Americans, the disabled, and unemployed to register to vote. The coalition, including the Chinese American Citizens Alliance and Asian Law Caucus, says the bill invites discriminatory documentation requirements against Asian Pacific and Latino Americans.

JACL

• EDC Internship Is Announced, by P.C. Staff, page 1. JACL’s Washington, D.C. office is accepting applications for its Eastern District Council Internship Program, which places a college or graduate student in the office for three-month periods. The internship offers a $1,100 grant and requires at least a B average, with preference given to JACL members.
• Tri-District Conference Explores Multiculturalism, by Richard Suenaga, page 1. Nearly 200 JACL members from three California districts plus Hawaii, Arizona and Nevada gathered in Costa Mesa for a tri-district conference themed ‘Making a Difference in a Multicultural Society.’ Speakers Bob Suzuki and Joe Hicks emphasized the need for minorities to understand each other’s cultures and histories to build coalitions.
• It’s Q&A Session for JACL National Board, by Gwen Muranaka, page 1. A live forum at the tri-district conference allowed chapter members to question the JACL national board on communication, credibility and accountability issues. Longtime members used the talk-show format, moderated by J.D. Hokoyama, to raise pointed questions about national leadership since the last convention.
• Leadership: JACL Conference Emphasizes Post-Redress Mission, by Karen Narasaki and Michael Yang, page 1. The National JACL 1993 Leadership Conference began March 19 in Washington, D.C. with a visit to the Smithsonian exhibit and continued with sessions on civil rights strategy, political empowerment, and JACL’s mission after redress. Participants met with numerous congressional staff, administration officials, and civil rights leaders throughout the week.
• Conference Speakers Stress Cross-Cultural Understanding, page 3. Bob Suzuki, president of Cal State Pomona, told conference attendees that ethnic groups must study their interrelationships rather than focusing solely on their own identity to reduce polarization. He described teaching multiculturalism to Irish Americans in Boston and announced an endowed chair in multiculturalism to honor Michi and Walter Weglyn at Cal Poly Pomona.
• Black Leader Calls for Understanding Among Minorities, page 3. Joe Hicks of the Southern California Christian Leadership Conference framed his talk around the 25th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, saying King’s mission to unite America remains incomplete. He urged minorities to examine their own stereotypes of other groups and to overcome ethno-centrism through honest dialogue.
• Doris Matsui Discusses JACL’s Increasing Political Role, page 4. White House deputy director for public liaison Doris Matsui spoke at the tri-district conference luncheon, challenging JACL to continue growing as a civil rights organization to serve both new immigrants and fourth-generation Japanese Americans. She discussed the Clinton administration’s outreach efforts and her role delivering news of support for the Justice for Wards Cove Act.
• Talk Session Continued: Endowment Fund and Accountability Questioned, page 4. Dr. Rey Nishikawa questioned the handling of JACL’s endowment fund and lack of communication about a transfer of money to another fund, prompting national leaders to acknowledge the need for greater financial transparency. National secretary/treasurer Jonathan Kaji said JACL is completing its first full audit in over eight years and preparing a financial report for members.
• Talk Session Continued: Youth Programs and Supreme Court Nominations Discussed, page 5. Members pressed the national board on responsiveness to Supreme Court nominations following Justice Byron White’s retirement, and on communication regarding youth programs. Board members including Bill Kaneko, Trish Murakawa and Kim Nakahara addressed the concerns about timeliness and outreach to chapters.
• Talk Session Continued: Vote Counting Process and Insurance Concerns Raised, page 6. Chapter members raised concerns about the vote-counting process following confusion at the Denver convention and about communication regarding the JACL-Blue Shield health insurance program. National officers responded that human error caused the voting issue and that no change was planned regarding the Blue Shield program’s operations.
• Leadership Conference Concludes With Congressional Meetings and Reflection, page 7. Leadership Conference participants met with numerous officials including Rep. Norman Mineta, Rep. Patsy Mink, Sen. Daniel Akaka, and toured the Capitol and Office of Redress Administration. Attendees expressed feelings of empowerment and dedication in their closing evaluations after the intense week of programming.

Incarceration & Redress

• Nikkei Story Needs to Be in School Curriculum, Panel Says, by Harry K. Honda, page 6. A workshop at the Tri-District Conference led by Greg Marutani of San Francisco JACL addressed the ‘unfinished business’ of embedding the Japanese American experience into school textbooks and curricula. Panelists including Dr. Franklin Ng and Elisa Kamimoto discussed strategies to insure the program’s success, including a curriculum guide and a video on Gordon Hirabayashi’s case.

Commentary

• The Redress-Legacy Fund Connection, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. Hosokawa questions why only a small fraction of the 70,000 redress recipients have contributed to JACL’s $10 million Legacy Fund campaign despite the symbolic importance placed on redress payments. He calculates that modest average donations from a portion of recipients could meet the fund’s goal, suggesting the low contribution rate undermines claims that redress money’s symbolism outweighed its material value.
• Back East, Out West, by Lillian C. Kimura, page 8. JACL National President Lillian Kimura recounts her travels to Washington, D.C. for the National Board meeting and Leadership Conference, and to Philadelphia and Costa Mesa for chapter events. She highlights meeting Doris Matsui and various JACL members and thanks conference sponsors and Pacific Citizen staff.
• Nikkei in Maine Made a Difference, by Ahane Lunt, page 8. A letter writer recalls a Japanese man named Harold who was disfigured and walked miles to help her family in 1940s Portland, Maine. She describes the lasting impact his kindness had on her as a child.
• Disagrees With Position on Gays in Military, page 8. An African American veteran writes to disagree with JACL’s support for allowing openly gay individuals to serve in the military, arguing minorities should not automatically support every minority issue. The writer contends homosexuality runs contrary to biological human survival and should not be socially legitimized as equal to heterosexuality.
• Power of Beauty/Power of the Weak, by Mei Nakano, page 9. Nakano criticizes Japanese American beauty pageants like Cherry Blossom Festivals and Nisei Week queen contests as archaic and demeaning, recalling a 1985 JACL Women’s Concerns Committee resolution to abolish chapter sponsorship of such contests that provoked fierce backlash. She argues beauty contests reduce women to passive objects chosen by others, quoting scholars who call beauty ‘the power of the weak.’
• Belt Tightening for ’93, by Jonathan Kaji, page 9. National Secretary/Treasurer Jonathan Kaji describes JACL’s 1993 budget of approximately $1.4 million and the organization’s first full financial audit in over eight years, conducted by Grant Thornton. He reports the Legacy Fund’s 1993 budget of $166,000 and notes fundraising expenditures were kept below 10% of gross revenues, calling for continued fiscal conservatism.

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