Slurs, a JACL rift over the Pacific Citizen, and convention plans

Vol. 118, No. 4, February 4, 1994. 8 pages. View this issue

The paper’s own place inside JACL was the hardest-fought subject of this 8-page issue. Paul M. Shinkawa’s speech to the Mile-Hi Chapter, printed in full, argued that JACL had lost its focus. Ron Wakabayashi called the paper’s coverage of that speech “an abomination,” and National Director Randy Senzaki answered with a call to reassess, reaffirm and renew. Chicago Chapter members wrote in support of the paper. The news pages also reported on a Wisconsin state senator’s repeated use of a racial slur in a 1993 speech, and letters took up the Houston Chapter’s fight over the “Jap Road” sign in Fannett, Texas.

Other items looked ahead and closer to home. Claudia H. Nakano previewed the Aug. 2-7 national convention in Salt Lake City, and the JACL National Youth Council named its first Vision Award recipients. The San Fernando Valley Chapter set up a Northridge earthquake relief fund. Columns came from Bill Hosokawa and Mei Nakano, and new officers were listed for the Honolulu and Las Vegas chapters.

What’s in this issue

National

• Wisconsin Politician Uses Racial Slur, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Wisconsin State Sen. David Zien repeatedly used the word ‘gook’ in a 1993 Veterans’ Day speech, drawing angry protests from students and teachers. JACL Midwest regional director Bill Yoshino condemned the remarks and called on Zien to apologize, which he has not done.
• Former JACL National Director Takes Critical Stand Against PC, by Gwen Muranaka, page 1. Ron Wakabayashi, former JACL national director and now executive director of the LA City Human Relations Committee, sharply criticized Pacific Citizen’s recent coverage of Paul Shinkawa’s speech, calling it ‘an abomination.’ He suggested it may be time for JACL and PC to ‘get a divorce’ due to unresolvable tensions over the paper’s dual role as newspaper and house organ.

Community

• Earthquake Relief, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The San Fernando Valley Chapter, JACL, set up a fund to help victims of the Jan. 17 Northridge earthquake, noting that the Asian American community tends to be overlooked in relief efforts. The chapter is coordinating with other Asian American service agencies and accepting donations through its treasurer.
• Mile-Hi Chapter Installation Dinner Draws 118 Members, by Tom Masamori, page 1. The Mile-Hi Chapter, JACL, held its annual installation dinner Jan. 22, hosted by new member Adele Arakawa and chapter president Tom Migaki. Guest speaker was Paul M. Shinkawa, former PC Board chairman and member of the Houston Chapter, JACL, and the event drew 118 members.
• Personally Speaking, by P.C. Staff, page 4. This roundup column covers Japanese American achievements including Takashi Uchiyama’s appointment as Mitsubishi Electric America chairman, Mei Nakano being named ‘Woman of the Year’ by the YWCA and Sixth Assembly District, and Caesar Uyesaka being honored with a UC Santa Barbara baseball facility dedication. It also notes Alan Sasaki’s appointment as LA County auditor-controller and other community members’ recognitions and appointments.
• All Aboard: Honolulu and Las Vegas Chapter Officers, by P.C. Staff, page 7. This listing presents newly installed 1994 officers for the Honolulu and Las Vegas JACL chapters, including presidents, vice presidents, and boards of directors. Honolulu’s new president is Allicyn Hikida while Las Vegas’s new president is George Goto.

JACL

• Lots to See and Do at 1994 Convention, by Claudia H. Nakano, page 1. Ahead of the Aug. 2-7 33rd biennial national JACL convention in Salt Lake City, Utah, the Mt. Olympus, Salt Lake, and Wasatch Front chapters suggest visitors take in local historical sites and attractions. Highlights include the Great Salt Lake, Historic Temple Square, Kennecott’s Bingham Canyon Copper Mine, mountain hiking, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
• JACL Youth Announce 1st Vision Awards, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL National Youth Council named actress Tamlyn Tomita and disabled rights activist Liane Yasumoto as recipients of its first biennial Vision Award, to be honored at the National Youth Conference in San Francisco. Former Marine Bruce Yamashita, who was ‘disenrolled’ after racial discrimination incidents, will deliver the conference keynote address on the theme ‘People Envisioning Tomorrow.’
• Stand (Senzaki Responds to Criticism, PSW to Discuss PC), by P.C. Staff, page 3. JACL National Director Randy Senzaki likened JACL to a large family with regional differences and said the organization is in transition, urging members to bring in younger people and focus on ‘reassessing, reaffirming and renewing.’ The Pacific Southwest district scheduled a Feb. 5 meeting in Los Angeles to discuss Pacific Citizen and recommendations from a district committee formed to review the publication.
• Masaoka Fellowship Fund Seeks Intern Applicants, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The Mike M. Masaoka Fellowship Fund is seeking applicants for its third Congressional Intern Program for 1994-1995, offering a $5,000 stipend for an internship in the office of an Asian Pacific American member of Congress. The fund honors the late Mike Masaoka’s lifetime of public service, with past fellows serving with Reps. Norman Mineta and Sen. Daniel Inouye; the third selectee will serve with Rep. Robert Matsui.

Commentary

• Healthy Eating—The Good, The Bad, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Hosokawa discusses a booklet on healthy eating from Nikkei Horizons of Seattle, highlighting surprising sodium content in traditional Japanese foods like umeboshi, wakame, and takuan. He also recalls his mother serving okara, a fibrous soybean byproduct now recognized as an excellent low-cost source of dietary fiber.
• Multiculturalism: Beyond Sushi and Enchiladas, by Mei Nakano, page 5. Nakano examines resistance to multiculturalism among mainstream Americans who fear it threatens a unified set of American values, tracing historical examples of cultural suppression. She argues that recognizing rather than ignoring cultural differences, as she experienced when speaking to a Rotary Club, is essential to fostering genuine understanding and equity.
• Thanks for Story on How JAs Got Educational Help, by Nao Takasugi, page 5. Assemblyman Nao Takasugi writes to thank Judy Austin Rantala for her Pacific Citizen article describing her efforts to enroll Japanese American students at the University of New Hampshire during WWII through the National Japanese American Student Relocation Council. Takasugi, a beneficiary of the program, expresses gratitude to the Quaker organizers and schools that helped relocate Nisei students to colleges during internment.
• Don’t Dismiss Those Who Fight ‘Jap Road’ Situation, page 5. A letter writer expresses disappointment with Japanese Americans who dismiss the Houston Chapter’s fight against the ‘Jap Road’ street sign in Fannett, Texas, arguing that JACL should defend the interests of all Japanese Americans regardless of the issue’s location. The writer praises Betty Waki and Sandra Nakata’s courage and criticizes the national JACL for not taking the issue as seriously as it should.
• We Support Pacific Citizen, by Nelson Kitsuse, Sam Ozaki, Chiye Tomihiro, Joy Yamasaki, and The Rev. S. Michael Yasutake, page 6. Members of the Chicago Chapter, JACL, write in support of Pacific Citizen’s reporting on internal JACL conflicts, including coverage of the Rising Sun movie controversy and the Houston Chapter’s Jap Road fight. They argue that suppressing news of disagreement is unhealthy for the organization and praise Paul Shinkawa for defending PC staff’s right to publish newsworthy items, which they believe led to his removal as PC Board chair.
• The Importance of Fighting ‘Jap Road’, page 6. A letter writer from Evanston, Ill., responds to Betty Waki’s article about the Jap Road controversy in Fannett, Texas, noting that white residents’ claims of good intentions and resentment of ‘outside interference’ reveal the pervasive nature of racism. The writer urges all JACL chapters to join and continue the Houston Chapter’s struggle to eliminate the racist name.

In-Depth

• What Was Can Be Again—It’s Up to You, by Paul M. Shinkawa, page 6. In this extended speech to the Mile-Hi Chapter, JACL, Shinkawa traces JACL’s history from its 1928 founding through Redress in 1988, arguing the organization has lost its focus and is spending down membership and resources while chasing Pan-Asian and unrelated causes. He calls for members to reclaim control of JACL through a member’s bill of rights, financial accountability audits, and consensus-building rather than top-down decision-making by staff and leadership.

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