Eastern District Council meets as JACL weighs its budget and its future

Vol. 121, No. 10, November 17, 1995. 12 pages. View this issue

The Eastern District Council’s meeting in New York ran through much of this issue. Gwen Muranaka reported on the district’s review of the proposed bare-bones 1996 JACL budget, its debate over how national conventions are run, and Tom Kometani’s announcement that Herbert Yamanishi had been named national director. She also covered the Seabrook Chapter’s response after a school superintendent used a racial slur at a teachers meeting. Elsewhere, the National Board voted to study a World Wide Web presence for JACL and the Pacific Citizen, and agreed to model a civil rights network on the redress network. Karyl Matsumoto looked back on her months as interim national director.

Also inside: opposition from JACL and other groups to Senate Bill 1394, which would cut family immigration, and Grayce Uyehara’s report on Legacy Fund distributions to eight districts. Bill Hosokawa wrote about Shimoda, Mei Nakano concluded her Beijing journal, and Harry K. Honda covered the salute to Japanese American veterans in Los Angeles.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Seabrook Chapter Deals with Racial Slur Incident, by Gwen Muranaka, page 1. John Fuyuume of the Seabrook Chapter reported that a local school superintendent, Donald D’Amico, used a racial slur referring to ‘Japs taking over everything’ at a teachers meeting. The chapter did not seek his firing but sent a letter to the school board, which voted 4-4 on terminating his contract, leaving him in his position.
• EDC Meeting: More Chapter Reports, by Gwen Muranaka, page 4. Reports from Washington D.C., New York, Southeast, and Philadelphia chapters were given at the Eastern District Council meeting, covering upcoming anniversaries, forums on gay and lesbian issues, workshops on the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and senior appreciation events. Chapters discussed newsletters, fundraising clubs, and youth involvement efforts.
• Mineta Tribute to Be Held in San Jose, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The San Jose community will honor former Rep. Norman Mineta on Dec. 1 at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center, with proceeds donated to a designated community service in his name. Mineta retired from Congress this year to become CEO of Lockheed Martin’s Transportation and Services Division.
• Health Forum on JA Women Opens, by P.C. Staff, page 10. A study on the health of Japanese American women and other ethnic groups aged 40-55 commenced at UCLA-SWAN with centers across the country, funded by the National Institutes of Health. Random selection from a computer-generated list will be used to recruit participants rather than active solicitation.
• Kona Coffee Topic of Museum Exhibit, by P.C. Staff, page 10. A six-week exhibit, ‘The Kona Coffee Story,’ opened at King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel in Honolulu, spanning over a century of immigrant history in Hawaii’s coffee industry. Plans call for the exhibit to travel to Bishop Museum and possibly Maui and Kauai.
• Sculpture Honors Sakamotos, by P.C. Staff, page 10. A 12-foot basalt stone monument honoring Jimmie and Misao Sakamoto was dedicated at Seattle’s Keiro Nursing Home entrance. Sakamoto organized prewar sports leagues for Seattle-area Nisei and published the Japanese American Courier.
• 65,000 Asians Live in Las Vegas, by P.C. Staff, page 10. The Clark County, Nev. Commission unanimously approved a 15-member panel to study needs facing the Asian American community, which numbers about 65,000 and owns 1,200 businesses in the Las Vegas area. The Japan America Society of Nevada also co-sponsored the first Nevada-Japan Business Forum.
• Domestic Violence Center Honored, by P.C. Staff, page 10. A family service center in New York City providing domestic violence services to Korean Americans was named among the country’s most innovative programs at the first annual Marshalls Domestic Peace Prize event in Washington, D.C. Seven programs nationwide each received $1,000 awards.

JACL

• District Reviews JACL Budget, by Gwen Muranaka, page 1. The Eastern District Council met in New York to discuss JACL finances and the proposed bare-bones 1996 budget, which requires individual National Board members to raise $2,000 each. Governor Tom Kometani explained the effort is meant to demonstrate fiscal responsibility ahead of a possible dues increase.
• Board Seeks Further Study on Placing JACL on World Wide Web System, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The JACL National Board voted unanimously to further study placing JACL and Pacific Citizen on the World Wide Web and other internet options, following a presentation by Assistant Editor Gwen Muranaka. The board stipulated that no money can be spent on the project until a further report is presented for approval.
• JACL to Pattern Civil Rights Network After Redress Model, by P.C. Staff, page 1. On the recommendation of JACL President Denny Yasuhara, the National Board approved creating a civil rights network modeled after JACL’s successful redress network. Randy Shibata raised concerns about cost and lack of consensus on localized issues facing Japanese Americans today.
• More National Board Coverage: Web, Model, and Other Discussions, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The National Board appointed members to study PC’s finances and web presence, and discussed patterning a civil rights network after the redress network. Additional board discussions covered redress claims funding, the youth/student council conference, adding A. Magazine as a member benefit, and convention planning concerns for the 1996 San Jose convention.
• Randy Shibata Named V.P. of Planning and Development, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The JACL National Board approved the nomination of Randy Shibata of the New Mexico Chapter as vice president of planning and development, succeeding Trisha Murakawa who resigned. Shibata’s assignments include creating a five-year financial plan for the organization.
• Convention Discussion at EDC Meeting, by Gwen Muranaka, page 4. The Eastern District Council discussed the process of running JACL national conventions, with members expressing concerns about financial losses and lack of clear budgeting from National. Philadelphia Chapter, host of the 1998 convention, and others called for the convention to be run more like a business with clearer accountability.
• EDC Meeting: Other Business Including National Director Announcement, by Gwen Muranaka, page 5. Tom Kometani announced Herbert Yamanishi’s appointment as JACL national director and praised interim director Karyl Matsumoto’s work organizing staff and volunteers. The district also voted to purchase copies of the film ‘American Sons,’ discussed a membership contest with New York leading, and heard about a bone marrow donor drive and an oral history project from Facing History and Ourselves.
• Funds Distributed to Eight JACL Districts, by Grayce Uyehara, page 6. Grayce Uyehara, chair of the JACL Legacy Fund Campaign, reported that district governors received checks representing their 1994 earnings distribution, with Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, Sacramento, and Philadelphia chapters receiving the top amounts. The endowment total reached over $4.6 million, with funds distributed according to a formula of 60% national, 20% chapters/districts, 10% program grants, and 10% returned to principal.
• Legacy Fund Aids Detroit JACL’s 50th, by P.C. Staff, page 10. The National JACL Legacy Fund awarded a $2,500 grant to Detroit JACL for its 50th anniversary historic exhibition featuring family photos and camp/JACL artifacts. Chapter historian Valerie Yoshimura is seeking help with oral histories and hopes to collect current photos from every member for a collage.
• Dayton Gets Grants from Legacy Fund, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Dayton, Ohio JACL received two Legacy Fund grants: $1,000 to help sponsor the Smithsonian’s ‘A More Perfect Union’ exhibit and $500 for a survey of racial attitudes toward Asian Americans in the Miami Valley. The grants are made possible through interest income generated by the fund.

National

• Chinese American Stabbed in Alleged California Hate Crime, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A Chinese American man was seriously injured in a Nov. 8 stabbing attack by an alleged white supremacist, Robert Antone Page, in a Novato, Calif. supermarket parking lot. Marin Chapter JACL President Dennis Sato has been monitoring the case, which police believe was an isolated incident despite Page’s admitted white supremacist views.
• Asian American Groups Oppose Cuts to Family Immigration, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, joined by JACL and other organizations, announced opposition to Senate Bill 1394 introduced by Sen. Alan Simpson that would drastically reduce legal immigration and eliminate sibling and adult-children preferences. The groups urged supporters to contact senators to vote against the measure.
• Matsui Critical of ‘English-Only’ Legislation, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Rep. Robert Matsui and Rep. Bill Richardson warned that English-only legislation eliminating multilingual education would negatively impact the nation’s economy and put American companies at a disadvantage in global trade. They argued for encouraging bilingual staffing rather than restricting language skills.
• With Less Airtime, News Anchor Gets PSW Help, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The JACL Pacific Southwest District joined other Asian American groups expressing concern to KCBS-TV over the decreased visibility of anchor Tritia Toyota and Asian Americans generally in the newsroom. District Governor Wade Kawamoto wrote to station management urging increased exposure for Toyota rather than a diminished role.
• First Chinese American Elected in N.Y., by P.C. Staff, page 10. Doris Ling-Cohan became the first known Chinese American public official elected in lower Manhattan, winning a civil court judge seat in the Nov. 7 election. She has served as an administrative law judge and attorney, and is a founding member of the New York Asian Women’s Center.
• TV Channel Provides Web Site for Computer Tour of Ellis Island, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Cable’s International Channel launched a World Wide Web tour of Ellis Island as a tribute to immigrants, featuring historical overviews, soundbites of immigrant stories, and information about the naturalization process. The site also offers recipes from the Ellis Island Cookbook and a citizenship quiz.

Commentary

• How Far We’ve Come, by Karyl Matsumoto, page 3. Outgoing interim national director Karyl Matsumoto gives an overview of operations at JACL headquarters since her arrival in April, listing accomplishments including rebuilding the membership database, distributing chapter rebates, and establishing financial controls. She thanks staff, volunteers and regional directors for stabilizing JACL’s operations and finances during a period of upheaval.
• History, Off the Beaten Path, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. Bill Hosokawa recounts visiting Shimoda, Japan, the historic site where Townsend Harris served as the first U.S. consular official and where an American flag first flew on Japanese soil in 1856. He describes the small cemetery of American sailors and a butcher’s monument, lamenting that the historic site is little known and poorly maintained.
• Beyond Beijing, by Mei Nakano, page 8. Mei Nakano concludes her journal on attending the NGO Forum on Women in Beijing, China, describing a warm reception contrary to negative media portrayals of hostility and restriction. She reflects on China’s rapid economic transition and its family planning policies, concluding that the conference’s larger goal was to elevate the condition of all people worldwide.
• Reader Suggests Stories on Kibei, by Wirtki Matsumoto, page 8. A reader writes to Pacific Citizen suggesting a story on Kibei, noting that many were initially shunned by Nisei society but later became successful professionals and businesspeople, especially utilizing bilingual skills in Japanese companies. The editor notes an upcoming piece on MIS linguists, many of whom were Kibei.
• New JACL Member Wants to Help Out, by Michael Cibenko, page 8. A new JACL member and University of Montana senior studying Japanese literature writes seeking ways to get more involved with JACL despite living far from other members. He inquires about volunteer opportunities and expresses interest in connecting Japanese exchange students at his university with JACL.

Military & Veterans

• Nikkei Vets from WWII, Korea, Vietnam Honored, by Harry K. Honda, page 9. The Japanese American National Museum hosted a ‘National Salute to Japanese American Veterans’ Nov. 8-11 in Los Angeles, drawing thousands including dignitaries like Secretary of the Army Togo West and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jesse Brown. The event included a fund-raising dinner emceed by Norman Mineta, a Vietnam memorial dedication, and the opening of the ‘Fighting for Tomorrow’ exhibit.

Incarceration & Redress

• Jerseyites Learn More WWII History, by P.C. Staff, page 10. The Camden, N.J. County Library program at Voorhees explored the history of Seabrook Farms and Japanese Americans in the military and internment camps throughout October. Speakers included Grayce Uyehara on evacuation conditions and Teresa Maebori discussing JACL’s teacher’s manual on the topic.

Sports

• Cyril Nishimoto Runs His 11th New York Marathon, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Cyril Nishimoto of the New York JACL Chapter completed his 11th New York City Marathon on Nov. 12, finishing 407th out of 26,531 finishers with a time of 2:54:16. He trains with a local Japanese running club and plans to run the Boston Marathon next year.
• Dodgers’ Hideo Nomo Named Rookie of the Year, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Hideo Nomo of the Los Angeles Dodgers was named National League Rookie of the Year on Nov. 10 after finishing the season 13-6 with a 2.54 ERA and leading the league in strikeouts. Nomo, hailed in Japan as the biggest star since Sadaharu Oh, intends to return to the Dodgers next season.

Obituaries

• Katsuma Mukaeda Succumbs at 104, by P.C. Staff, page 12. Katsuma Mukaeda, 104, a pioneering Issei lawyer and community leader in Southern California, died Nov. 4 following a September automobile accident in Hemet, Calif. He served as Downtown L.A. JACL president in 1960 and promoted Japanese culture through decades of civic involvement, receiving numerous honors including Japanese government decorations.

Thank you for exploring the Pacific Citizen archive. The title, introduction and contents on this page were written by an AI model from scans of the printed issue, so they may contain mistakes. If you spot one, we would be grateful if you let us know.