Colin Powell’s apology for a slur, and a Manzanar historic site bill

Vol. 123, No. 8, October 18, 1996. 12 pages. View this issue

A retired general’s use of a racial slur in a Stockton speech led the news. Colin Powell said “Chinamen” on Oct. 5, and Lori Fujimoto, JACL national vice president for public affairs, wrote to him asking for a public apology. He sent a written one, though JACL National Director Herb Yamanishi still wanted to meet him. Congress also passed a parks bill that paved the way for a National Historic Site at Manzanar and a Japanese American Patriotism Memorial in Washington, D.C. Hiroshi “Hershey” Miyamura, a Medal of Honor recipient, was named honorary chair of a campaign for a Korean War veterans memorial.

Inside are columns by Bill Hosokawa, Bill Marutani, Harry K. Honda and Jerry Enomoto, who urged a NO vote on Proposition 209. The issue also covered the 34th JACL convention in San Jose, the JACL Legacy Fund’s annual giving drive, the Go for Broke monument fundraising, new housing in Little Tokyo, and a hate crime plan in Novato, Calif.

What’s in this issue

National

• Colin Powell Says He’s Sorry About ‘Chinamen’ Remark, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Retired Army General Colin Powell used the term ‘Chinamen’ during an Oct. 5 speech in Stockton, prompting outrage from JACL and Chinese American organizations. Powell issued a written apology after JACL’s Lori Fujimoto and others demanded one, though JACL National Director Herb Yamanishi still wants to meet with him personally.
• Immigration Bill Softens Impact of Welfare Reform, by P.C. Staff, page 1. President Clinton signed H.R. 2202, the Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, which primarily addresses border control but also removed several harsh welfare-related provisions affecting legal immigrants. The final bill included exemptions for battered women and reduced sponsor income requirements, among other changes.
• Cars Belonging to Asians in St. Louis Bombed, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Two cars owned by Dr. Seiishi Noda and a third owned by Eric T. Choi were bombed and set on fire in a St. Louis suburb, with no injuries reported. Police and federal ATF agents were investigating, suspecting the attacker knew the family, as JACL’s Mike Hoshiko warned Asians remain targets of hate crimes.
• ‘Official English,’ a Top Case on Tap for Supreme Court, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The U.S. Supreme Court’s 1996 fall term includes Arizonans for Official English v. Arizona, examining whether a state constitutional provision requiring government business in English is valid. A federal appeals court had struck down the requirement citing free-speech concerns.
• Powell: OCA Reaction to Apology, by P.C. Staff, page 10. This continuation reports that the Organization of Chinese Americans, while disappointed by Powell’s remark, commended his quick apology as sincere, with OCA leaders saying it raised awareness of the Asian Pacific community. Powell had made the comment while discussing affirmative action and China’s economy.
• Reform: Additional Immigration Bill Provisions Remain Troubling, by P.C. Staff, page 11. This continuation details remaining harsh provisions in the immigration bill, including expedited asylum deportations, reduced federal court oversight of INS actions, and a higher discrimination standard for immigrant workers. Asian Law Caucus attorney Jessica Su called the immigrant benefit exemptions a modest but significant step forward.

Military & Veterans

• Medal of Honor Hero Heads JA Korean War Vet Memorial Campaign, by Staff report, page 1. Hiroshi ‘Hershey’ Miyamura of Gallup, N.M., a Medal of Honor recipient, is serving as honorary chair of a national campaign to raise $150,000 for a memorial to Japanese American Korean War veterans at the JACCC Memorial Court. The memorial is planned for installation on Memorial Day 1997.
• Sansei Show Support for ‘Go for Broke’ Monument, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Maj. Gen. James Mukoyama Jr. and Col. Young Oak Kim spoke at a Los Angeles fundraising luncheon urging unity behind a monument honoring Japanese American WWII veterans, including both survivors and the fallen. The foundation has raised $600,000 of a $2 million goal for the black granite monument to be built near the Japanese American National Museum.
• MIS Pushes Search for Medal of Honor Awards, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Following legislation signed by the President directing the Army to review WWII Distinguished Service Cross recipients of Asian Pacific American descent for potential Medal of Honor upgrades, MIS Norcal is searching for additional cases. Project director Dr. James McNaughton is compiling a history of Nisei MIS soldiers and needs substantiating documentation for nominations.
• Inouye Supports JA Korean War Vets Plan, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye has agreed to serve on the board and as honorary co-chairman of the Japanese American Korean War Veterans Organization’s planned memorial, an 18-foot granite wall listing the deceased and missing to be dedicated May 27, 1997. Fundraising and name verification committees are finalizing details, with membership open to Japanese American veterans of the Korean War era.
• Hero: Medal of Honor Recipient Miyamura’s Story, by P.C. Staff, page 10. This continuation details Hiroshi Miyamura’s Medal of Honor citation for heroic actions during the Korean War, including hand-to-hand combat and covering his unit’s withdrawal before being captured as a POW for 27 months. Now retired in Gallup, N.M., Miyamura speaks at schools about honoring those who served and sacrificed.

Incarceration & Redress

• Congress Passes Land Transfer Bill for Manzanar Site and JA Patriotism Memorial, by Staff report, page 1. Congress passed an omnibus National Parks bill authorizing land transfers to create the Japanese American Patriotism Memorial in Washington, D.C., and a National Historic Site at the former Manzanar internment camp. Key sponsors included Rep. Robert Matsui, Rep. Jerry Lewis, Sen. Daniel Inouye and Sen. Barbara Boxer, with President Clinton expected to sign the bill.
• Plan: Novato Hate Crime Prevention Committee Details, by P.C. Staff, page 10. This continuation explains that the Multicultural Oversight Committee was formed after a hate crime against a Chinese American man who was stabbed by an attacker targeting ‘a Chinaman,’ resulting in an 11-year prison sentence. A steering committee including the mayor and police chief helped establish the committee’s membership and mission.

Community

• Hate Crime Prevention Plan Approved in Novato, Calif., by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Novato City Council unanimously approved a Hate Crime Prevention Plan presented by Dennis Sato, chair of the Multicultural Oversight Committee and president of the Marin Chapter, JACL. The plan was developed after a hate crime against a Chinese American and aims to build community strategies addressing education, law enforcement, and community involvement.
• San Fernando Valley Chapter Honors Odas, by HKH, page 4. Nearly 300 JACLers and friends gathered to honor James and Dr. Mary Oda on the 20th anniversary of a scholarship they established in memory of their son Eugene. Dr. Oda thanked the Issei generation for values of education and responsibility passed down to the Nisei and Sansei.
• Chicago Plans ‘More Perfect Union’ Exhibit, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Chicago has drafted a full schedule of ceremonies, panel discussions, and teacher/student workshops for the ‘A More Perfect Union’ exhibit opening Jan. 23, 1997 at the Harold Washington Library. Chiye Tomihiro chairs the exhibit committee, with Ross Harano serving as local contact.
• Fresno Benefit Run Is Big Success, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The 1996 Shin-zen Benefit Run, dedicated to the late Akira Yokomi, drew 650 active participants along a new course through Woodward Park. Pepsi Cola San Joaquin Bottling Co. and Central Fish sponsored the event, with Ken Takeuchi and Deborah Ikeda leading organization efforts.
• New York JACL Marks 52nd Anniversary, by P.C. Staff, page 4. New York JACL is gathering recollections from past chapter presidents for its 52nd anniversary dinner on Nov. 2 at the Golden Unicorn. Featured speaker Bob Sakaniwa will discuss JACL’s future, and Hiroki Sugihara, son of Chiune Sugihara who saved thousands of Jews in Lithuania, will attend.
• Housing Units Dedicated in L.A.’s Little Tokyo, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Little Tokyo Service Center’s $17.4 million Casa Heiwa project, featuring 100 units of housing plus community amenities, was formally dedicated Oct. 10 in Los Angeles. The project, funded partly by a $6.1 million CRA loan, provides affordable housing for low-income families, seniors and the physically challenged.
• Paul Terasaki Honored for Tissue Typing Work, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Dr. Paul I. Terasaki, director of UCLA’s Tissue Typing Laboratory, received the Sir Peter B. Medawar Prize at the International Transplantation Society meeting in Barcelona. Terasaki, honored by JACL in 1970 as Nisei of the Biennium, and his wife also donated $400,000 to the Japanese American National Museum.
• California University Honors Civil Rights Leader Wakabayashi, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Ron Wakabayashi, executive director of the L.A. County Commission on Human Relations, is being honored by Cal State University Los Angeles Asian Support Group with its 1996 award of excellence. Wakabayashi previously served as National JACL executive/national director and founded several social service agencies.

Commentary

• In Search of Youth Members, by Hiromi Ueha / Nicole Inouye, page 3. Newly elected National Youth Student Chair Hiromi Ueha and Representative Nicole Inouye introduce themselves and outline their goals of recruiting youth-student members to fill vacant district representative positions. They discuss plans for a Web page, a national leadership conference, and advocating on issues like Asian American Studies and financial aid.
• Demand Political Respect! Let’s Deliver the JACL Vote, by Al Muratsuchi, page 3. The author argues JACL must mobilize its 22,000 members to vote in order to gain political respect, citing a disappointing lack of major-party commitments to a JACL-co-sponsored presidential election forum. He highlights JACL’s success organizing forums against Proposition 209 and urges chapters to organize phone trees to get out the vote by Nov. 5.
• Japan and U.S. on Cigarettes, by Bill Hosokawa, page 8. Hosokawa observes the prevalence of cigarette smoking in Japan compared to declining rates in the U.S., noting American tobacco exports to Japan totaled $334 million in 1993. He draws a critical parallel between U.S. tobacco export policy and Britain’s historical opium trade with China.
• Kyu-ka: (Vacation), by Bill Marutani, page 8. Marutani reflects on Japanese work-leisure attitudes reported in Japan Now magazine, then contrasts them with his observations of Nisei work ethics, including result-orientation and reluctance to complain. He also criticizes the practice of borrowing money to fund vacations as fiscally unwise.
• Topaz Reunion Cruise, by Harry K. Honda, page 8. Honda recounts a trip to Vancouver, B.C., including a visit to the Momiji Garden at the former Hastings Park assembly center site and an evening exchange between Canadian and U.S. Nikkei during the Topaz Reunion Cruise. He reminisces about connections to the Momii family and the Shin Nichibei newspaper’s historic ties to the Pacific Citizen.
• In and Out of Law Enforcement, by Jerry Enomoto, page 9. Former JACL national president Jerry Enomoto defends affirmative action as a vital tool that opened law enforcement and corrections leadership to minorities and women, drawing on his own experience as California’s first Asian American prison warden and department director. He urges Asian Pacific Americans to vote NO on Proposition 209.
• ’93rd’ Biennial Convention Hits Home, by Karl Nobuyuki, page 9. Nobuyuki praises the 34th biennial JACL convention in San Jose for its well-organized, efficient business sessions compared to past conventions, crediting National President Denny Yasuhara and staff for technological and procedural improvements. He highlights the use of timed debate, projector displays, and strict adherence to the one-chapter-one-vote rule.
• No More U.S. Servicemen, Say Okinawans, by Fred Mt. Uye, page 9. A letter to the editor discusses a non-binding Okinawan referendum opposing continued American military presence, spurred by the rape of a 12-year-old girl by U.S. marines. The author urges the U.S. and Japan to honor Okinawan wishes as they did in the Philippines.
• Achieving Identity in Offspring Hierarchy, by Wimpy Hirota, page 9. A letter writer humorously corrects a Harry Honda column that misidentified him, clarifying his own identity as editor of Crossroads and father of Russell Hiroto. He notes his history as a longtime Nisei columnist and occasional Pacific Citizen editor.
• Old-Timers’ Touch at San Jose Convention, by S. Ruth Hashimoto, page 9. A letter writer commends the San Jose JACL and NCWNPDC chapters for a spectacular convention and reminisces about seeing many elderly Nisei attendees, some in wheelchairs, alongside a new generation of Sansei and Yonsei leadership. She also notes a convention booklet essay written by the granddaughter of the late Phil Matsumura.
• Late Colorado Gov. Carr Honored in Colorado, by Frank Tsutae, page 9. A letter describes a ceremony honoring former Colorado Gov. Ralph Carr, who opposed forced relocation of Japanese Americans, at the State Capitol in Denver. The writer recounts anecdotes shared by Carr’s son Robert about his father’s character and religious beliefs.
• Very Truly Yours: Video Suggestions for Telling the Evacuation Story, by Harry K. Honda, page 11. This continuation of Honda’s column recounts a discussion at a San Fernando Valley JACL luncheon where Karl Nobuyuki suggested ‘Farewell to Manzanar’ and ‘The Pride and the Shame’ as video resources for teaching the WWII Japanese American incarceration story to non-Nikkei audiences. Honda invites readers to suggest additional double-feature options.

JACL

• Deadline for CLPEF Grant Dec. 13, 1996, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Civil Liberties Public Education Fund announced application forms are available for its grant program aimed at educating the public about the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans. The application deadline is Dec. 13, 1996, with contacts provided for both West and East Coast offices.
• Shooting for $100,000 in ’96-97, by Grayce K. Uyehara, page 7. The JACL Legacy Fund Campaign Committee reported on the Annual Giving Program launched in 1994 to address budget shortfalls, which raised close to $100,000 in its first year. The article details the campaign’s origins and lists major donors to the Annual Giving Campaign across several districts.
• Affirmative Action Program at NCWNP District Meeting, by P.C. Staff, page 10. The NCWNP District Board of JACL will hold a panel discussion on affirmative action and Proposition 209 at its Nov. 3 quarterly meeting in Stockton, featuring speakers Jerry Enomoto, Chizu Iiyama, Anne Omura and Andy Noguchi. The district board is also raising funds to oppose the proposition through advertising in Northern California Nikkei papers.

In-Depth

• Historic Northern California Nisei Baseball Artifacts on Display, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Kerry Nakagawa’s ‘Diamonds in the Rough’ exhibit, honoring Japanese Americans in baseball, was displayed at the JACL San Jose convention and originally presented as a San Francisco Giants tribute. Dozens of prewar Nisei ballplayers from Northern California leagues spanning the 1920s-1941 were honored, and the Giants are pushing for a permanent Hall of Fame exhibit on Japanese American leagues.
• Story of a Nisei GI and ‘Musume’ Is Told, by P.C. Staff, page 6. Paul and Shizue Ito celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, having married in Japan in 1946 under the ‘Soldier Brides Act’ that allowed Japanese war brides to immigrate despite exclusionary laws. More than 260 family and friends gathered in Sacramento to celebrate the couple’s history and Shizue’s decades of caring for Paul’s large family.

Sports

• Oregon City Prep Sharp in Volleyball and Basketball, by Hank Sakai, contributor, page 6. Lindsey Yamasaki, a top junior at Oregon City High School in both volleyball and basketball, is drawing interest from roughly 100 colleges including Connecticut, Texas and Stanford. Her family has a strong athletic background, and she is weighing which sport and school to pursue at the collegiate level.

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