New JACL director, a new year, and the Pacific Citizen debate

Vol. 118, No. 1, January 7, 1994. 16 pages. View this issue

JACL’s direction in 1994 ran through the issue. Randy Senzaki, the newly appointed National Director, sat for an interview and wrote his first column from the director’s desk. National President Lillian C. Kimura set out her agenda for the year, including JACL’s 65th anniversary and the 33rd National Convention in Salt Lake City. Financial trouble was a second thread, with Frank Sakai and former National Director Karl Nobuyuki writing about the deficit and calling for accountability.

Letters and columns also took up the Pacific Citizen’s own role, the “Jap Road” renaming campaign in Texas, and a legal opinion from Allen Kato on the paper’s independence. Elsewhere, Bruce Yamashita accepted a Marine Corps captain’s commission, Karen Narasaki wrote on hate crimes, and Bill Hosokawa and Bill Marutani had columns. Judy Austin Rantala recalled bringing students out of the camps to college.

What’s in this issue

JACL

• New Director, New Directions: An Interview with Randy Senzaki, page 1. Newly appointed JACL National Director Randy Senzaki discusses his professional background in public health, education, and counseling, and his leadership philosophy of empowering individuals and fostering collective decision-making. He outlines JACL’s challenges and priorities including membership development, multicultural coalition building, and fiscal planning.
• Yamashita to Speak at JACL Youth Event, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Bruce Yamashita will be the keynote speaker at the JACL National Youth Conference, ‘People Envisioning Tomorrow,’ to be held Feb. 4-5, 1994 at the Miyako Hotel in San Francisco. The conference will feature workshops on political empowerment, ethnic studies, AIDS awareness, hate crimes, and media representation, and will include the first JACL National Youth Council award honoring an Asian American youth.
• JACL Curriculum Guide—It’s Ready to Go, by Teresa Maebori, page 9. As chair of JACL’s National Education Committee, Teresa Maebori describes the development and distribution of the new ‘Japanese American Experience’ curriculum guide for educators, created with contributions from national staff and committee members. She calls on chapters to form local education committees to advocate for curriculum inclusion and plans a national education conference for chapter representatives in 1994.
• National JACL: Review and Renewal, by Karl Nobuyuki, page 10. Former JACL National Director Karl Nobuyuki provides a detailed timeline of JACL’s 1993 organizational and financial troubles, including a $100,000 deficit and a controversial $200,000 transfer from the Endowment Fund. He proposes solutions focused on financial accountability, officer accountability, and restoring membership ownership of the League ahead of the national convention.
• JACL Legal Counsel Kato Interprets PC’s Constitutional Role, by Allen Kato, page 11. JACL legal counsel Allen Kato provides a legal analysis concluding that the 1984 National Council intended the Pacific Citizen to be an independent publication with editorial control resting with the PC Board. He notes that JACL retains only indirect editorial control through the National President’s ability to remove the PC Board Chairperson and other board members with National Board approval.
• JACL Works with Crime Prevention Program, by P.C. Staff, page 13. The National Crime Prevention Council launched ‘Taking a Stand Against Crime and Drugs,’ a campaign kit developed with help from JACL that includes brochures on hate crimes and other prevention topics. JACL’s 1991 publication ‘Walk with Pride’ is listed as a resource, with funding from Motorola and distribution assistance from the Department of Justice.

Commentary

• On the Agenda for 1994, by Lillian C. Kimura, page 1. JACL National President Lillian Kimura reflects on 1993’s challenges, including the Sacramento chapter firebombing and the loss of an executive director, and looks ahead to JACL’s 65th anniversary and 33rd National Convention in Salt Lake City. She discusses plans for surveying chapters on critical issues and setting new priorities for the organization’s future.
• From the Director’s Desk: Where Are We Going?, by Randy Senzaki, page 3. National Director Randy Senzaki reflects on his first month in office, expressing optimism about JACL’s vitality despite organizational transitions. He calls for collective decision-making, respect across generations, and renewed commitment to civil rights and multicultural coalition building heading into the 21st century.
• JACL Financial Problems: Attention Must Be Paid, by Frank Sakai, page 8. A former National Treasurer criticizes JACL for facing a $100,000 deficit while spending $5,000 for the president to participate in an event, questioning who is monitoring expenditures. The writer calls for transparency and for the Treasurer to explain to the membership how the organization got into financial trouble.
• The Mettle of Money, by Bill Marutani, page 8. Bill Marutani muses on the history of currency including wartime aluminum pennies, copper gutter donations, and past failed attempts to replace the dollar bill with a coin like the Susan B. Anthony dollar. He discusses the practical costs and benefits of coins versus paper currency for vending machines and transit fare boxes.
• Midwest Members Rely on PC for News and Information, by Scott Nagai, page 8. A past president of the Detroit JACL chapter writes that midwest members rely heavily on the Pacific Citizen for news about issues affecting Japanese Americans. He states that the chapter never viewed ‘Jap Road’ or ‘Rising Sun’ controversies as detrimental to JACL, but rather as evidence of a healthy, diverse publication willing to consider a range of opinions.
• Weaving a Multicultural Fabric, by Kay Kaneko, page 9. Kay Kaneko proposes the metaphor of America as a tapestry rather than a melting pot, arguing that individuals should take pride in their distinct ethnic and cultural threads rather than erasing them through assimilation. She offers a video presentation, ‘Hawaii: A Part of the American Tapestry,’ to illustrate how diverse cultures intertwine to strengthen the nation.
• New Member Says JACL Needs to Wake Up, by Penelope Haru Suipper, page 10. A new JACL member expresses disappointment and embarrassment over the actions of the National President and Board amid recent controversies. She had hoped the organization had modernized but now questions whether it has truly changed.
• Praises Shinkawa for Doing the Right Thing, by Sandra Tanamachi Nakata, page 10. The writer thanks several individuals and the Houston JACL Chapter for supporting the campaign to rename ‘Jap Road’ and ‘Jap Lane’ in Southeast Texas, singling out Paul Shinkawa for his courage and conviction. She argues JACL should not shy away from controversial issues and that the misuse of a racial slur must be corrected.
• Likes Recent Hosokawa Articles on PC Controversy, by Wally Ozaki, page 11. The writer, who once criticized Bill Hosokawa’s columns, now commends his thoughtful articles on the Pacific Citizen controversy, particularly a November piece. He hopes JACL members take heed and that good resolutions emerge from the situation rather than lingering bitterness.
• ‘Kotonk,’ an Insult to Mainland Nikkei, page 11. The writer argues that before criticizing the use of ‘Jap’ in a Texas road name, Honolulu councilman Andy Mirikitani should address the use of ‘kotonk,’ a term used to insult mainland Japanese Americans. The writer questions whether raising a fuss over an obscure road name is a sensible priority for JACL.

National

• Yamashita Accepts Offer of Marine Captain Commission, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Former Marine Corps Officer Candidate Bruce Yamashita announced he will accept a Pentagon proposal offering him a commission as captain in the U.S. Marine Corps, resolving his case against racial discrimination that began with his 1989 disenrollment from Officer Candidate School. JACL praised the agreement as a victory for equal opportunity and against institutional racism, though Yamashita vowed to continue pursuing broader reforms for military personnel.
• Ishimaru Named Acting Civil Rights Director, by P.C. Staff, page 5. President Clinton designated Stuart Ishimaru as acting staff director of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, a move applauded by JACL and other civil rights organizations. Ishimaru, a third-generation Japanese American attorney, has extensive civil rights experience including work on the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 and other landmark legislation.
• Working Together to Battle Hate Crimes, by Karen Narasaki, page 9. JACL Washington Representative Karen Narasaki reports on rising anti-Asian violence, including the murder of Cambodian American Sain Nang Nhem in Fall River, Mass., and JACL’s efforts to push for passage of the Hate Crime Penalty Enhancement Act. She highlights the Arizona JACL chapter’s local advocacy work with police and prosecutors as a model for combating hate crimes nationwide.

In-Depth

• Still Playing Somewhere, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. Bill Hosokawa recalls his teenage years in Seattle living near the Yanagimachi family, a lively household of five siblings including star athlete Harry, who played football and later served as a commissioned officer in WWII. He reflects on learning that both Mako and Harry Yanagimachi died within weeks of each other, joining their youngest brother Bill in death.
• Helping JA Students into College, by Judy Austin Rantala, page 12. Judy Austin Rantala recounts her efforts as a University of New Hampshire student during WWII to bring Japanese American students out of internment camps and into college, facing significant resistance from fellow students and administrators. Through persistence, including a direct appeal to the university president, she and the Student Christian Association successfully brought two Japanese American students to campus.

Obituaries

• Onetime JACL Regional Director Ishimaru Was 76, page 14. Haruo Ishimaru, a San Mateo JACL life member and former Northern California JACL regional director from 1951-54, died of failing health on Dec. 23 in Altadena. During his tenure he worked on legislation benefiting Issei and Nisei in California, including old age assistance and fair housing, and later worked in insurance and real estate before retiring in 1985.
• Yoshitaka Hino, page 14. Yoshitaka Hino of Culver City, who served in the MIS during WWII, is remembered in a tribute noting his survivors including his wife and extended family. The notice includes details of his military service and family connections.
• Hikomune Watanabe, page 14. Hikomune Watanabe of Salt Lake City died November 7, 1993 at age 86; he was a pre-war celery farmer in Venice, California. He organized and became the first certified Shigin teacher in Utah, and is survived by his wife Ida and three sons.

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