Multiracial identity and JACL’s future: the December 1995 holiday issue

Vol. 121, No. 11, December 1995. 120 pages. View this issue

Being of mixed heritage was the subject of much of this 120-page holiday issue. Maria P.P. Root offered a “Bill of Rights” for multiracial identity, and David Mura wrote about raising a hapa daughter. Valerie Nao Yoshimura, Hisami Yoshida and Kelly Wicker added first-person essays. Another thread asked where JACL was headed: Randy Shibata, Bill Hosokawa and Paul M. Shinkawa wrote about change and adversity, and Mae Takahashi urged readers to support the Pacific Citizen.

Also inside are Harry Honda’s pieces on Nisei Military Intelligence Service linguists in the Tokyo war crimes trials and the Korean War, and Graham J. Dickson’s account of diplomat Chiune Sugihara. Chapter news covers Detroit’s 50th anniversary and plans for the JACL convention in San Jose. About 82 of the issue’s pages carry holiday greetings, including from the Olympia, Snake River, Sequoia and San Mateo chapters.

What’s in this issue

In-Depth

• Preserving PC’s Heritage: Pacific Citizen’s New Year Resolution, by Mae Takahashi, page 6. The Pacific Citizen Editorial Board chair traces the newspaper’s history from its 1929 founding through its role during WWII internment, the Redress movement, and into the 1990s. She calls on readers to make supporting and preserving the Pacific Citizen a New Year’s resolution.
• My Hapa Daughter, Hollywood and the Past, by David Mura, page 10. Author David Mura, excerpting from his upcoming memoir, explores raising a mixed-race daughter and grappling with questions of race, sexuality, and identity as a Sansei writer. He reflects on Hollywood’s stereotypes of Japanese people, his own family’s silence about the internment, and his struggle to give his children tools to understand their heritage.
• Making History: Asian American Writing, by Stewart David Ikeda, page 14. Novelist and teacher Stewart David Ikeda discusses teaching Asian American creative writing at the University of Wisconsin and the challenge of moving beyond internment-camp narratives to represent diverse contemporary experiences. He argues literature must evolve beyond a narrow definition of authentic Asian American identity.
• Who Were the Japanese Americans?, by Lawrence Okamura, page 15. A history professor reflects on growing up in postwar Hawaii, attending Japanese language school, and absorbing Japanese culture through films and festivals, drawing a parallel to the assimilation of ancient Romans. He predicts continued cultural blending will eventually make the question ‘Who were the Japanese Americans?’ relevant to future generations.
• Chiune Sugihara: The Good Samaritan, by Graham J. Dickson, page 32. The article recounts how Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara defied orders to issue thousands of transit visas to Jewish refugees fleeing the Holocaust in Lithuania in 1940, saving an estimated 6,000 lives. The author draws parallels between Sugihara’s moral courage and the heroism of Japanese American WWII soldiers who liberated Dachau.

Commentary

• A Bill of Rights for Asserting a Multiracial Identity, by Maria P.P. Root, page 6. A clinical psychologist and University of Washington professor proposes a ‘Bill of Rights’ affirming multiracial people’s right to self-identify without justifying their existence or ethnic legitimacy to others. She frames the document as part of a broader social movement toward resistance, revolution, and change regarding America’s racial construct.
• Celebrating Freedom: 50 Years After, by Denny T. Yasuhara, page 8. JACL National President Denny Yasuhara’s speech to the New York Chapter warns that Asian Pacific Americans and Japanese Americans face renewed threats from anti-Asian violence, erosion of civil rights, and anti-immigration legislation. He urges younger generations to honor the legacy of perseverance left by their Issei and Nisei ancestors and to fight for tolerance and diversity.
• JACL: What to Do, Where to Go?, by Randy Shibata, page 10. JACL Vice President for Planning and Development Randy Shibata argues the organization must embrace diversity of viewpoints and multiracial membership, tailor programs to a maturing membership base, and adopt better business practices. He thanks longtime volunteers and warns that JACL’s survival depends on adapting to demographic and generational change.
• A Proud Blend, by Kim Yukiko Ponthier, page 12. A homemaker of Japanese, Irish, and English descent describes blending her family’s diverse heritage through food, poetry, and traditions passed down from her grandparents. She reflects that while the ‘Japanese blood may be getting thin’ physically among her mixed-race children, the cultural heritage remains strong.
• Ethnicity: Please Check One, by Valerie Nao Yoshimura, page 18. A hapa Detroit JACL chapter president describes growing up with an Irish American mother and Japanese American father, embracing her Japanese heritage through community involvement, and organizing museum exhibitions to preserve Japanese American history. She reflects on being biracial as both a personal gift and a bridge against racism.
• Hiroshima Reverie, by Sandra Mikesell Buscher, page 21. The author describes chaperoning American students at the Students’ International Peace Conference in Hiroshima in 1995, marking the 50th anniversary of the atomic bombing, as a way to reconcile her family’s heritage from Hiroshima with wartime history. She recounts presenting 1,000 paper cranes at the Children’s Peace Monument and attending the emotional Aug. 6 memorial service and Lantern Ceremony.
• Adversity, Again, by Bill Hosokawa, page 22. Longtime columnist Bill Hosokawa reviews JACL’s history of overcoming adversity, from its Depression-era founding through the WWII internment crisis, the Redress campaign, and internal leadership conflicts of the 1970s. He argues JACL has repeatedly found strength through crisis and may do so again amid its current financial and organizational troubles.
• Coping With and Managing Change, by Paul M. Shinkawa, page 23. Former JACL National Board member Paul Shinkawa compares JACL’s struggles to the NAACP’s leadership crisis and argues the organization must restructure its board, diversify funding sources, and better train leaders. He calls 1996 a pivotal year for determining JACL’s future direction.
• What Happened to Tolerance?, by Patricia Ikeda Carper, page 24. The author questions why American society has become increasingly violent and intolerant despite widespread material comfort, citing examples from the Oklahoma City bombing to abortion clinic violence. She argues intolerance has replaced reasoned debate across the political spectrum.
• Viewpoint: Why Japanese Americans Must Support Affirmative Action, by Rita Takahashi, page 26. A professor at San Francisco State University argues that Japanese Americans, given their history of discrimination including WWII internment, should support affirmative action as a tool for equity and justice. She cites Supreme Court opinions and historical precedent to argue against a purely ‘colorblind’ approach to remedying discrimination.
• Teaching as Mastery and Mystery, by Lane Hirabayashi, page 38. University of Colorado professor Lane Hirabayashi describes his path from anthropology fieldwork in Mexico to teaching Asian American Studies, crediting his multicultural upbringing for informing his teaching philosophy. He emphasizes fostering mastery, clear thinking, and a sense of responsibility in his students.
• Culture, Coming of Age, by Mae Adams Owada, page 40. A hapa mother describes her multicultural upbringing partly in Japan and her efforts to pass on Japanese heritage to her own hapa children, noting how intermarriage complicates cultural continuity. She credits JACL potlucks and activities with helping nurture her family’s connection to Japanese culture.
• Seeking Validation Through Self-Definition, by Hisami Yoshida, page 47. A former PNW District governor argues that being mixed-race allowed her unique self-definition rather than having identity dictated by either full-blooded Japanese Americans or Euro-Americans. She describes passing on Japanese American history and culture to her quarter-Japanese children.
• Mixed Blessings, by Sandra Mikesell Buscher, page 47. The author describes early experiences of being mistaken for full Japanese or full Caucasian in different contexts, including a formative trip to Hawaii where she experienced prejudice from both directions. She credits this experience with helping her understand prejudice as a universal human failing rather than limited to one group.
• A Growing Appreciation, by Kelly Wicker, page 48. A young hapa JACL member from Olympia, Washington describes learning Japanese American history and culture through family mentors and community events like Bon Odori and Senryu poetry gatherings. She emphasizes teaching Japanese American history to foster cultural understanding across communities.
• Twice the Cultural Enrichment, by J. Reiko Callner, page 50. A municipal prosecuting attorney of Japanese and Lithuanian Jewish heritage reflects on how both sides of her family enriched her life with distinct cultural traditions. She argues that derision born of stereotypical intolerance must be bridged through shared appreciation of diverse heritage.
• Coming to Grips, by C. Nozomi Ikuta, page 52. The author shares a personal poem and essay about growing up hapa in Cleveland after WWII internment, describing internalized self-hatred induced by racism and her eventual reclamation of her Japanese name. She draws parallels between Japanese American assimilation and the coercive assimilation experienced by Native Americans, Hawaiians, and other communities of color.

Arts & Entertainment

• Holiday Video Catalog from NAATA/CrossCurrent Media, by P.C. Staff, page 19. An advertisement-style listing describes documentary videos available from NAATA including ‘Days of Waiting,’ ‘Family Gathering,’ ‘Unfinished Business,’ and ‘Meeting at Tule Lake,’ covering internment history and Japanese American cultural stories. The catalog includes ordering information and pricing for educational and home use.
• A Cultural Blossoming, by Carolyn Mariko Pinces and Julie Keiko Pinces, page 39. Two sisters growing up in Ontario, California, describe learning about their Japanese heritage through classes and cultural activities in Little Tokyo despite living in an area with little Japanese cultural presence. They discuss learning calligraphy, origami, and traditional dance during visits to Los Angeles and their grandparents’ home in Washington state.
• Twin Cultures: A Family Perspective, by Jonathan Maynard, page 58. A young Olympia Chapter JACL member of Japanese and German heritage reflects on the importance of understanding his Japanese American background amid ongoing issues like immigration and civil rights. He credits organizations like JACL with providing resources to address these issues and looks forward to passing on his heritage to his own children.

JACL

• Holiday Greetings & Thanks from the Japanese American National Museum, by P.C. Staff, page 19. The Japanese American National Museum reports on its 1995 activities including a Phase II groundbreaking, new exhibitions like ‘Fighting for Tomorrow,’ and the National Salute to Japanese American Veterans held Nov. 8 in Los Angeles. Over 5,000 veterans and supporters attended the salute and preceding fall dinner.
• Teaching Teachers About the Japanese American Experience, by Mace Ishida, page 50. An educational consultant describes conducting teacher seminars nationwide using JACL’s Curriculum and Resource Guide to teach the Japanese American internment experience in schools. He outlines seminar goals, activities including personal internment testimonies, and evaluation methods used to train educators.
• Smithsonian Exhibit Is Useful Teaching Guide, by P.C. Staff, page 50. The traveling Smithsonian exhibit ‘A More Perfect Union: Japanese Americans and the United States Constitution’ provided Dayton-area teachers an opportunity to learn about JACL’s Curriculum Guide through seminars organized by Dr. Ron Katsuyama. The exhibit was scheduled for additional stops in Ohio libraries in early 1996.
• San Jose to Host JACL ’96 Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 58. The 1996 National JACL Biennial Convention, themed ‘For the Sake of the Children,’ will be held Aug. 6-11 in San Jose at the Fairmont Hotel. Convention chair Tom Shigemasa and his committee are planning events including a welcome mixer, awards banquet, speech contest, and fashion show.
• Detroit Chapter Celebrates Golden Anniversary, by P.C. Staff, page 58. The Detroit JACL Chapter is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a cultural exhibit at the Detroit Historical Museum and an installation dinner featuring actor George Takei as guest speaker on Feb. 17. The chapter received JACL Legacy Fund grants to support the historical exhibit and its Speakers Bureau.
• Greater L.A. Chapter Hosts Successful Convention, by Miyako Kadogawa, page 59. The Greater Los Angeles Singles Chapter successfully organized the 7th JACL National Singles Convention in Costa Mesa with support from several other singles groups. Steering committee co-chair Grace Masuda received the PSW District Special Achievement Award for her leadership.
• San Fernando to Host New JACL Director, by P.C. Staff, page 60. New JACL National Director Herbert Yamanishi will keynote the San Fernando Valley Chapter’s 54th annual installation banquet on Jan. 27 at the Airtel Plaza Hotel in Van Nuys. Yamanishi, a Sansei social worker from Michigan, assumes his post Jan. 2, 1996.
• IDC Elects New Officers, by P.C. Staff, page 60. The Intermountain District Council elected new officers at its fall meeting in Jackpot, Nevada, including Yas Tokita as governor, and welcomed the resurrected Wasatch Front North Chapter. The IDC committed to raising and donating $2,000 to National JACL and increasing chapter membership by 10%.

Incarceration & Redress

• The Oral History: A Treasure for Tomorrow, by Ike Hatchimonji, page 30. A retired foreign service officer and former Heart Mountain internee argues that Japanese Americans should record their oral histories to preserve internment-era experiences for future generations. He cites the Japanese American National Museum’s oral history workshops as a resource for those wishing to document their stories.

Military & Veterans

• MIS: The Untold Stories, by Harry Honda, page 34. PC editor emeritus Harry Honda details the little-known role of Nisei Military Intelligence Service linguists in the postwar Tokyo and Yokohama war crimes trials, translation work, and Occupation-era diplomacy. The piece includes accounts from MIS veterans who served as interpreters, investigators, and language officers in Japan, Korea, and the Pacific.
• Nikkei Called to Duty in War Crimes Trials, by Harry Honda, page 34. This companion piece describes the structure of the 1946 Tokyo war crimes tribunal and the Yokohama Class B and C trials, detailing how Nisei MIS linguists served as investigators and interpreters. It cites multiple books and sources documenting the legal proceedings against Japanese wartime leaders.
• Secret, Non-Combat MIS and Occupation Phases Revealed, by Harry Honda, page 34. MIS veterans at a Seattle reunion recount their work in covert intelligence sections like PACMIRS at Camp Ritchie, Maryland, and their roles during the Japanese surrender ceremony aboard the USS Missouri. Panelists Phil Ishio, Tom Sakamoto, and others describe classified translation and intelligence work largely unknown to the public.
• The Case of the Seven Dwarfs, by Spady Koyama, page 35. MIS veteran Spady Koyama recounts his role investigating a 1951 Japanese Communist Party espionage case in Tokyo that became known as the ‘Case of the Seven Dwarfs.’ He also describes a heartwarming postwar reunion with a former Japanese POW he had helped after the war.
• Careers of Non-Nikkei MISers, by P.C. Staff, page 35. This article profiles non-Japanese American graduates of the WWII MIS language schools, including their postwar careers in journalism, law, diplomacy, and academia. It highlights pioneers like John Burden and notes their significant contributions working alongside Nisei linguists.
• The MIS in the Korean War, by Harry Honda, page 35. Korean War veteran Paul Hosoda describes changes in the military intelligence field between WWII and Korea, noting increased opportunities for Nisei officers and closer cooperation with Korean officials. He credits Nisei soldiers’ wartime service for helping break down prior prejudice within the ranks.
• Non-Nikkei Vets Enrich History, by P.C. Staff, page 35. Non-Nikkei MIS veteran John Rappin describes his work translating captured Japanese documents in Tokyo after the war, including retrieving the Emperor’s original Declaration of War from the Imperial Palace vault. The article also profiles other non-Nikkei classmates and their postwar careers.

Community

• New York Chapter Tours Historic Japanese-Style House, by Mari Matsumoto, page 39. New York Chapter JACL members toured Shofu-Den, a historic Japanese-style house in Monticello, N.Y. originally built as the Japanese Pavilion for the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. The house was later owned by Japanese American scientist Dr. Jokichi Takamine and has since been restored by the Japanese Heritage Foundation.
• Southeast Chapter Discusses Mixed Race, Culture Issues, by Janice “Sam” Sears, page 45. A panel discussion at the Southeast Chapter JACL meeting explored race, ethnicity, and multiculturalism with panelists of mixed Asian, African American, Native American, and Anglo backgrounds. Panelists agreed race remains socially significant but debated its relationship to culture and identity, with hope expressed for progress through intermarriage and understanding.
• Olympia Continues Strong Chapter Work, by Kelly Wicker, page 55. The Olympia Chapter of JACL combined community activism with social activities in 1995, including Bon Odori festivals, high school graduate recognition, and hosting a new Japanese Consul General. The chapter also participated in civil rights rallies and cultural exchange programs for local students traveling to Japan.

Obituaries

• In Memoriam 1995 (Part 1), by P.C. Staff, page 61. This obituary listing profiles dozens of Japanese Americans who died in 1995, including community leaders, JACL chapter presidents, WWII veterans, and professionals across the country. Notable entries include Clement Boesflug, known as the ‘national JACL chaplain,’ and former congressman Chet Holifield, who opposed the WWII internment.

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