Manzanar’s future, immigrant welfare cuts and the San Jose convention

Vol. 123, No. 3, August 2, 1996. 12 pages. View this issue

The future of Manzanar led this 12-page issue. At its fifth quarterly meeting, the Manzanar National Historic Site Advisory Commission heard from opponents and advocates of full development, including JACL’s Al Muratsuchi and 100th Infantry veteran Col. Young O. Kim, who argued the site should show the wrongful incarceration of Japanese Americans who served. Welfare reform also drew coverage: Congress passed bills that would bar legal immigrants from most safety net programs, and Karen Narasaki and Bob Sakaniwa of JACL criticized the Senate bill.

The 34th Biennial JACL National Convention in San Jose ran through the issue, with the Japanese American of the Biennium honorees George Takei, George Tsutakawa and Yuri Kochiyama, and workshops on affirmative action and entrepreneurs. Columns by Bill Hosokawa, Bill Marutani and Mei Nakano appeared, along with Harry K. Honda’s history of Nisei Week in Little Tokyo.

What’s in this issue

Incarceration & Redress

  • JACL, Nisei Veterans Speak to Manzanar Historic Site Panel, by P.C. Staff, page 1. At its fifth quarterly meeting, the Manzanar National Historic Site Advisory Commission heard testimony from both opponents and advocates of full development of the site, including JACL’s Al Muratsuchi and 100th Infantry veteran Col. Young O. Kim. Kim presented a list of 14,000 Japanese Americans who served overseas during WWII, arguing the site should accurately depict their wrongful incarceration despite their patriotism.

National

  • Bill Would Bar Critical Aid to Legal Immigrants, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Senate and House passed welfare reform bills that would prohibit legal immigrants from receiving most safety net programs including Medicaid, SSI and Food Stamps. The Congressional Research Service estimates up to 1.7 million legal residents could lose health care coverage under the legislation.
  • San Pedro Slayer Given Death Sentence, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Raymond Oscar Butler, 20, was sentenced to death for the cold-blooded killing of Marymount College film students Takuma Ito and Go Matsuura. The sentence was delivered July 30 by Superior Court Judge James Pierce.
  • Sansei Heads GM’s Global Communications, by P.C. Staff, page 7. John C. Onoda was appointed worldwide corporate communications officer and elected a vice president at General Motors, effective June 24. Onoda previously built a widely recognized communications organization at Levi Strauss & Co. and is the son of Chicago JACLers Chieko and Hideo Onoda.
  • Immigrants Face Welfare Cuts as Senate Passes Reform Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 11. The article details failed Senate amendments that would have softened welfare reform’s impact on immigrants, including votes on exempting immigrant children and deferring Medicaid bans. Karen Narasaki and Bob Sakaniwa of JACL criticized the bill for balancing the budget at the expense of poor and needy immigrants.

JACL

  • Artist Tsutakawa, Actor Takei and Activist Kochiyama Picked for JA of Biennium Awards, by Eileen Otsuji, page 1. George Takei, George Tsutakawa and Yuri Kochiyama were selected as Japanese American of the Biennium honorees to be recognized at the 1996 JACL convention in San Jose, chosen from eleven nominations across six categories. The article profiles each honoree’s career and contributions, from Takei’s acting work to Tsutakawa’s sculpture and Kochiyama’s decades of civil rights activism.
  • JACL Offices to Be Closed Aug. 12-13, by P.C. Staff, page 5. JACL offices, except for Pacific Citizen, will close for two days following the national convention in San Jose. Staff will return to regular hours on Wednesday, Aug. 14.
  • JACL National Convention Workshops: ‘Affirmative Action in the ’90s: A Vision of Diversity for the Future’, by Lisa Hirai Tsuchitani, page 6. A convention workshop sponsored by Berkeley, Contra Costa, and Diablo Valley JACL chapters will explore affirmative action’s history and impact through testimonies from journalists Wendy Hanamura, Robert Handa, and attorney Donald Tamaki. The article details each panelist’s professional background and accomplishments.
  • Workshop Focuses on Two Successful JA Entrepreneurs, by Ruth Yamamoto, page 6. A National JACL Convention workshop will highlight Jim Omura of Cylink and Dr. Koichi Nishimura, CEO of Solectron, as examples of successful Japanese American entrepreneurs. The article traces Omura’s family history from Heart Mountain internment to his path through academia and business, alongside Nishimura’s leadership in growing Solectron into a global company.
  • New Members and Attractive Chapters Needed, by David Kawamoto, page 9. Kawamoto, governor of the PSW District of JACL, argues that increasing JACL’s national membership, currently about 22,000 or 3% of Japanese Americans, requires chapters to offer attractive cultural and recreational programs. He urges members to be visible in their communities and use new membership brochures to recruit.
  • New Membership Benefits Update, by Karen-Liane Shiba, page 10. Shiba, JACL’s VP of Membership, announces three new member benefits including discount memberships at Sam’s Club, Price/Costco, and Knott’s Berry Farm’s Adventurers’ Club. She also details a membership upgrade contest running through the San Jose convention’s Whing Ding event.

Community

  • Six Community Leaders to Be Honored at JACL National Convention, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The San Jose JACL chapter announced it will honor six local leaders—Shig Masunaga, Eiichi Sakauye, Karl Kinaga, Judge Wayne Kanemoto, Dr. Tokio Ishikawa, and the late Helen Mineta—for their combined 250-plus years of community service. The honorees will be recognized at the National Awards Luncheon during the 34th Biennial JACL National Convention.
  • Sacramento Chosen for Census Rehearsal, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Department of Commerce announced Sacramento as one of three national sites for a 1998 dress rehearsal ahead of Census 2000. New procedures including user-friendly forms and new sampling techniques will be tested simultaneously at all sites.
  • Changes at East West Players, by P.C. Staff, page 7. East West Players of Los Angeles promoted administrative and public relations director Luisa Cariaga to managing director effective July 1. The theater company is preparing to move into the Union Center for the Performing Arts in Little Tokyo.
  • Many Japanese Runners Expected for Las Vegas Marathon, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Las Vegas International Marathon director Al Boka expects between 600 and 1,000 Japanese competitors for the Feb. 9, 1997 race, double last year’s turnout. Boka noted Japan has the highest density of runners in the world, with an estimated 20 million runners among its 120 million population.
  • Exhibit Honors Northern California JAs, by P.C. Staff, page 7. An exhibition titled ‘The Road Not Forgotten’ created by the Marysville Chapter JACL and Sutter County Community Memorial Museum documents Japanese descendants in Butte, Colusa, Sutter and Yuba Counties from 1889-1995. The exhibit opened May 3 and a companion book was published in connection with the chapter’s fifth Marysville Area reunion.
  • Retirement Fete for Judge Takei, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A community appreciation dinner will honor Judge Taketsugu Takei, who is retiring after 20 years on the Santa Clara County superior court. Takei, a West Valley JACLer appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown in 1976, began his legal career in 1961 as a public defender.

Arts & Entertainment

  • ‘Honor Bound’: An ‘Emmy’ for Wendy Hanamura, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Wendy Hanamura won a Northern California Emmy for Best Documentary for ‘Honor Bound: a Personal Journey,’ which chronicles her father’s WWII experience with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. The film also won the CINE Golden Eagle, CHRIS Award, and a CBS Excellence in Community Service Award.
  • Dancing ‘Otakes’ Named ’96 MacArthur Fellows, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Dance artists Eiko and Koma Otake received a $290,000 MacArthur Fellowship for their collaborative dance work blending natural and stylized elements. The married pair, who have performed together since 1971, will premiere their piece ‘River’ in 1997 with the Kronos Quartet.

Military & Veterans

  • Purple Heart Catches Up After 41 Years, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Former Marina, Calif. Mayor Robert T. Ouye finally received his Purple Heart in September 1994, 41 years after being wounded in the Korean War at Pork Chop Hill. Ouye, classified as 70% combat disabled, had declined an earlier ceremony and went on to serve 12 years on the Marina city council including three as mayor.
  • Nikkei Named to Korean War Veterans Memorial Group, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A distinguished group of Japanese Americans, including Sen. Daniel Inouye and Congressman Robert Matsui, were named honorary chairs of the Japanese American Korean War Veterans Memorial organization formed to raise $150,000 for a memorial in Los Angeles. Regional coordinators were also appointed nationwide to lead the fundraising campaign.

Sports

  • Top Table Tennis Player in Brazil Dies, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Claudio Kano, 30, the No. 1 player on Brazil’s Olympic table tennis team, died in a motorcycle crash in Sao Paulo just hours before he was to leave for the U.S. Table Tennis Open. The Japanese Brazilian athlete had popularized table tennis in Brazil since winning gold medals at the 1983 Pan American Games.

Commentary

  • Could More Ads Return PC to Weekly?, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. Hosokawa examines why Pacific Citizen publishes semi-monthly rather than weekly, tracing the issue to insufficient advertising revenue and the resulting dependence on membership dues. He suggests that either hiring a professional ad salesman or harnessing volunteer effort could help restore weekly publication without raising dues.
  • Shin-cho-gun: Luxuriating, by Bill Marutani, page 8. Marutani recalls his experiences serving with the Army of Occupation in postwar Japan, describing luxurious accommodations like a villa with hot spring baths and elaborate meals at an Air Corps officer’s club. He contrasts these with more spartan experiences, including a fiery curry lunch with Indian soldiers and simple sashimi shared with a Japanese acquaintance.
  • 34th Biennial ‘Olympics’, by P.C. Staff, page 8. An editorial reflects on how JACL organizational news has dominated recent Pacific Citizen issues ahead of the 34th Biennial National Convention. It notes the frequency of PC’s publication will be part of convention budget discussions since subscriptions are funded through membership dues.
  • A Day in the Life of a JACL Intern, by Kelli Nakayama, page 9. Nakayama recounts her first day interning at the JACL-Pacific Southwest District Office, which involved attending an affirmative action rally in Koreatown despite her initial ambivalence about the issue. The experience opened her eyes to the significant number of Asian Americans supporting affirmative action and its broader impact beyond college admissions.
  • Use It or Lose It, by Mei Nakano, page 9. Nakano profiles her 70-year-old sister Bess Kawamura, who earned a master’s degree in gerontology as the oldest graduate in her class after decades of balancing family and part-time study. The column connects this achievement to research on memory and aging, emphasizing that staying mentally engaged helps prevent cognitive decline.
  • Affirmative Action: Separating Fact from Fiction, by Al Muratsuchi, page 10. Muratsuchi addresses common questions and misconceptions about affirmative action, citing statistics on the ‘glass ceiling’ facing Asian Americans in management positions and wage gaps despite educational attainment. He argues JACL should adopt a ‘mend it, don’t end it’ approach and urges opposition to California’s Proposition 209.
  • Getting Involved with the Help of JACL, by Bob Sakaniwa, page 10. Sakaniwa, JACL’s Washington D.C. representative, reflects on his first months with the organization and compares the political system to an engine requiring active citizen participation. He emphasizes JACL’s role as a diverse, nationwide community that amplifies individual voices in the political process.

In-Depth

  • Nisei Week: More Than Three Generations Old, by Harry K. Honda, page 9. Honda traces the history of Little Tokyo’s Nisei Week Festival from its 1934 origins as a JACL fundraiser through wartime hiatus and postwar revival to its current 66th annual edition. The piece also highlights the tradition of Kamon (family crest) exhibits, including a crest designed for President Nixon in 1971 and a floral Chrysanthemum display made for Emperor Hirohito’s 1975 visit.

Obituaries

  • Leslie Etsuko Honnami Taniguchi, by P.C. Staff, page 12. Leslie Etsuko Honnami Taniguchi, 69, wife of architect Alan Taniguchi, died in San Francisco on July 5 after a brief illness while visiting her sister following their other sister’s recent death. She had worked as a clerk in the Texas state legislature and was active with Caritas of Austin, survived by her husband, two sons, and two grandchildren.

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