Vol. 117, No. 18, November 19, 1993. 8 pages. View this issue
JACL’s direction and its internal debates ran through this eight-page issue. Grayce Uyehara, keynote speaker at the Central California District Council installation in Fresno, told JACL’s younger leaders to set meaningful priorities and to understand the demographic changes facing the country. The Intermountain District Council asked that reorganization wait until the 1994 national convention and that the Pacific Citizen’s constitution and bylaws stay as they are. JACL National President Lillian Kimura reported on ad hoc committees, and readers wrote in on the paper and on Kimura.
Elsewhere, the Spokane Chapter filed a federal suit against local Democrats, and an 18-year-old was arraigned in five Sacramento firebombings. The Go For Broke National Veterans Association named its preferred Washington site for a monument to Nikkei patriotism in World War II. Bill Hosokawa profiled Shoji Tabuchi of Branson, Missouri, and Betty Waki wrote about the Houston chapter’s campaign to rename Jap Road and Jap Lane in Texas.
What’s in this issue
JACL
- JACL Needs to Set Priorities, Uyehara Tells CCDC Group, by Harry K. Honda, page 1. Grayce Uyehara, keynote speaker at the 1993 installation of Central California District Council chapters, urged JACL’s young leadership to set meaningful priorities and understand demographic changes facing the U.S. She emphasized that JACL doesn’t need to address every issue and stressed the importance of understanding environmental and social changes affecting Japanese Americans.
- IDC: Hold Off Reorganization, Keep Pacific Citizen as It Is, page 1. The Intermountain District Council passed resolutions at its October meeting to table structural reorganization proposals until the 1994 national convention and to make no changes to the Pacific Citizen’s constitution or bylaws. The council cited the volatile situation stemming from the September national board meeting where the PC board chair was asked to resign.
- Committee Updates, by Lillian C. Kimura, page 3. JACL National President Lillian Kimura outlined progress on various ad hoc committees including Health Care Reform Issues chaired by Dr. Toaru Ishiyama, an electronic networking initiative led by Richard Okabe, and an image and identity group now chaired by Patricia Ikeda Carper. She also detailed the Pacific Citizen ad hoc committee’s conference call and ongoing work on organizational structure changes to be voted on at the 1994 convention.
- New 1994 Chapter Officers Installed, page 5. CCDC Governor Larry Ishimoto installed new chapter officers across ten Central California chapters including Clovis, Delano, Fowler, Fresno, and others. Mayors of Delano and Sanger were among those present at the installation.
- CCDC Welcomes Its 10th Chapter, page 5. Livingston-Merced, a prewar Northern California chapter, intends to become the 10th chapter of the Central California District Council due to its geographic proximity to Fresno. Bylaws need to be amended since Merced County is currently designated under the Northern California-Western Nevada-Pacific District Council.
- Six Scholarships Presented, page 5. At the annual CCDC installation dinner, six scholarships were awarded to students including Christine Kataoka, Maia Fujisawa, Vivian Stagnoli, Cynthia Sakai, Ryan Hashimoto, and Ryan Suemoto. The CCDC scholarship fundraiser featured a grand prize of two business-class round trip tickets to Japan.
- Five Members Awarded JACL Silver Pins, page 5. National JACL presented Silver Pins to five members for outstanding service and leadership over 10 continuous years at the chapter level. Honorees included Sadao Yonaki and Takashi Kono of Delano JACL, and Deborah Ikeda, Franklin Ng, and Robert Shintaku of Fresno.
- Elisa Kamimoto Leaves CCDC Post, by Harry K. Honda, page 5. Elisa Kamimoto resigned as JACL regional director of the Central California District to take a staff position with the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles. She will continue working with the Japanese American community as an education specialist, and was praised for her work on the Fresno Fairground Project during her tenure.
Community
- A District Women Honored, page 1. Four longtime JACL members—June Fukawa, Martha Kajiwara, Barbara Taniguchi, and Yoshino Hasegawa—were honored as Women of the ’90s by the Central California JACL District Council at their annual installation dinner. Each honoree was recognized for decades of community leadership and service in their respective fields and towns.
- Foreign-Born Asians Double in California, page 4. A report by the Asian and Pacific Islander Center for Census Information and Services found that foreign-born Asians in California more than doubled over ten years, with two-thirds of the API population being foreign-born. The study also found high rates of linguistic isolation among various Asian groups, including one-third of Japanese households.
- Anti-Smoking Efforts Poor in AP Community, page 4. Dr. Moon S. Chen of Ohio State University criticized the nationwide anti-smoking efforts targeting Asian Pacific Americans as inadequate, noting low awareness of smoking dangers in these communities. Advocates noted California leads the nation in APA-focused anti-smoking programs, while tobacco companies aggressively target these communities with advertising.
- Chapter Joins ‘Same Sex Marriage Issue’ Force, page 4. The Honolulu JACL Chapter board voted to join a coalition supporting the Hawaii Supreme Court’s Lewin v. Baehr decision, which found that prohibiting same-sex marriage may violate the state constitution’s equal protection provisions. Chapter president Allicyn Hikida said the board viewed the issue as fundamentally a civil rights matter after extensive internal discussion.
Incarceration & Redress
- D.C. Site Proposed for Monument to Nikkei in WWII, page 1. The Go For Broke National Veterans Association announced a park near the U.S. Capitol and Supreme Court as the top choice for a monument honoring Japanese American WWII patriotism. The site must still be approved by three federal commissions, and funding will be raised privately since Congress specified no federal funds for the memorial.
National
- Spokane Chapter Files Suit Against Local Democrats, page 1. The Spokane Chapter, JACL, along with individual plaintiffs, filed a federal civil complaint against the Spokane County and Washington State Democratic Party over alleged discriminatory remarks and subsequent retaliation. The suit stems from a racist remark made by a party official in November 1992 and a racial gesture made by another official in February 1993.
- Others Linked to Five Sacramento Firebombings, page 1. Richard Campos, 18, was arraigned on 14 felony counts for five racially motivated firebombings in Sacramento, but his lawyer says other white supremacists were involved. JACL leaders praised the arrest but urged continued investigation, noting targets included Councilman Jimmy Yee’s home and the Sacramento JACL Chapter office.
- Suit Update: Spokane Chapter Complaint Details Emerge, page 8. Continuing coverage of the Spokane Chapter JACL lawsuit reveals JACL National Director Randy Senzaki’s strong support for the plaintiffs and criticism of the Washington State Democratic Party’s inaction. The complaint seeks decertification of the Spokane County Democratic Central Committee and implementation of affirmative action policies within the party.
Arts & Entertainment
- Entertainment Emissary: Shoji Tabuchi Reigns as King of Branson, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Shoji Tabuchi, who left Japan decades ago to pursue music in America, has become a top country music entertainer in Branson, Missouri, known as the ‘King of Branson’ with his own 2,000-seat theater. His warm personality, musical talent, and showmanship have made him a beloved figure who personally greets fans after every performance.
Commentary
- Jap Road: Then, Now—and the Future, by Betty Waki, page 6. The Houston JACL Chapter continues its campaign to change the names of Jap Road and Jap Lane in Texas, despite opposition from local residents who claim the names honor Japanese American farmers. The author argues that regardless of intent, the racist terminology should not remain and draws parallels to successful efforts to rename racially offensive place names honoring African American communities.
- Takes Issue with Taniguchi Statement, by Wat Nakano, page 6. A letter writer criticizes Neal Taniguchi’s article for making unsubstantiated charges against the Pacific Citizen editor and diverting from real issues. The writer states that the membership has expressed overwhelming support for how the Pacific Citizen has operated under editors Suenaga, Honda, and Muranaka.
- Kimura Not Extravagant in Her Duties, Reader Says, page 6. A letter writer defends JACL President Lillian Kimura against implications in a Peggy Liggett column about extravagant travel expenses, stating Kimura has always been a serious and dedicated volunteer. The writer, familiar with Kimura from the N.Y. Chapter, hopes the interpretation of Liggett’s words was unintended.
Military & Veterans
- 442 RCT’s Pershing Nakada Dies, page 8. Pershing Nakada, 75, a native of Nebraska and captain of the 232nd Combat Engineers, died October 6 following a long illness. He was one of the original Nisei officers in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery.
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