Native Hawaiian self-determination, Proposition 209 and Gov. Ralph Carr

Vol. 123, No. 7, October 4, 1996. 12 pages. View this issue

Native Hawaiian self-determination led the news. In a vote announced Sept. 11, nearly 3 to 1 favored electing delegates to propose a native Hawaiian form of governance, as Alan T. Murakami reported. The issue also followed a Sept. 15 forum on Proposition 209 and affirmative action, covered by Julia Ha, and a federal jury’s $1 million award to veterinarian Brij Bhargava in a national origin bias case.

Colorado’s memorial to Gov. Ralph Carr, who dissented against the wartime evacuation, was dedicated with a pouring of Amache soil. Bill Hosokawa wrote about Carr, while Bill Marutani and Harry K. Honda looked at Japanese Latin Americans deported during World War II. Grayce Uyehara reported the Legacy Fund campaign closing at $4,649,323, and the Civil Liberties Public Education Fund announced its grant criteria. Houston’s Minh Suoi case ran across three pages.

What’s in this issue

National

• Most Native Hawaiians Favor Self-Determination, by Alan T. Murakami, page 1. A ballot sent to nearly 85,000 Native Hawaiians resulted in almost 3-to-1 support for electing delegates to propose a native Hawaiian form of governance, with results announced Sept. 11 after legal challenges delayed release. Comparisons were drawn between this self-determination effort and Japanese American redress at a recent JACL workshop.
• Asian Indian Wins $1 Million in Bias Lawsuit, page 1. A federal jury awarded $1 million to India-born veterinarian Brij Bhargava after finding he was repeatedly denied promotions due to national origin bias at the Agriculture Department. Attorney Gary T. Brown presented evidence showing Asian Pacific Americans received fewer promotions than white counterparts.
• Six Named in D.C. Memorial Design, page 5. The design competition for the National World War II Memorial, to be located on the Mall in Washington, D.C., has narrowed to six finalists from more than 400 entries, with a winner to be announced later in the year. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye served on the 12-member design jury for the memorial, distinct from the separate Japanese American WWII memorial.

Commentary

• California Proposition 209 Debate on Affirmative Action Heats Up, by Julia Ha, page 1. A Sept. 15 forum on Proposition 209 sponsored by JACL chapters drew 150 people for an intense debate over whether the initiative would eliminate affirmative action programs or merely outlaw preferential treatment. Panelists disagreed sharply on the measure’s true impact, with the discussion continuing on page 9.
• The Confusing Maze of Immigration Reform, page 4. The column traces the legislative history of HR 2202, which began targeting both legal and illegal immigration before legal immigration provisions were largely stripped out amid controversy. Last-minute negotiations reduced sponsor income requirements from 200 percent to 125 percent of the poverty level before the bill was folded into a continuing resolution and signed into law.
• Gov. Carr’s ‘Welcome to Evacuees’, by Bill Hosokawa, page 10. Hosokawa recounts Colorado Gov. Ralph Carr’s courageous WWII-era statement defending the constitutional rights of Japanese Americans against internment, a stance that cost him his political career. He describes the September dedication of memorial tablets honoring Carr at the Colorado State Capitol, organized largely by the Colorado Bar Association and state legislature.
• Doing the Right Thing, by Bill Marutani, page 10. Marutani discusses the Japanese Latin Americans’ class-action lawsuit seeking redress for their WWII deportation and internment by the U.S. government, noting they were used as bargaining chips for prisoner exchanges with Japan. He criticizes the wartime government’s prioritization of collecting human
• ‘ABC’ Unlike Peru, by Harry K. Honda, page 10. Honda surveys how various Latin American countries responded differently to U.S. pressure to intern their Japanese residents during WWII, noting Peru deported the most while Argentina, Brazil and Chile sent none. He highlights the resilience of Peru’s Japanese community, culminating in the election of Alberto Fujimori as the country’s first minority president.

Incarceration & Redress

• Grants Criteria for Civil Liberties Public Education Fund Announced, page 1. The Civil Liberties Public Education Fund Board of Directors issued its final grant regulations for research and educational grants under the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. The criteria emphasize projects that illuminate the causes and circumstances of the Japanese American exclusion and detention during WWII.
• Historic Japanese Tombstone in San Diego Stolen, page 5. The 1887 tombstone of Japanese Navy Seaman Tsunejiro Toya, who drowned in San Diego Bay, was stolen from Mount Hope Cemetery around Aug. 18 amid a spate of grave vandalism. Retired Japanese admiral Kenzo Sato and historian Don Estes had researched and preserved the story of the sailor’s death and the monument’s history.
• Colorado Memorial Honors Gov. Ralph Carr, page 5. A Memorial Circle honoring late Colorado Gov. Ralph Carr, who dissented against the WWII evacuation, was dedicated Sept. 18 at the East Lawn of the Colorado State Capitol with a pouring of Amache soil. Plaques recognize Carr’s stance, the Amache camp’s history, and a commemorative statement from the Colorado Bar Association and Japanese American community.

Community

• Houston, JACL, Concerned About Asian Community-Police Tension, page 1. A Wall Street Journal report examined the case of Vietnamese Houston resident Minh Suoi, convicted for a 1988 Virginia home invasion, amid allegations of anti-Asian bias by police officer Lotz. Houston JACL and Asian community leaders have organized town hall meetings to address deepening distrust between Asian communities and police.
• Native Hawaiian Sovereignty Council Faces Funding, Timeline Questions, page 11. Following the sovereignty vote, council members estimate the cost of holding a delegate convention at $6-12 million, with Gov. Ben Cayetano saying the state cannot fund it. A nonprofit, ‘Ha Hawai’i,’ has been formed to plan the election of delegates and the convention within the next year to 18 months.
• Houston Case Continues to Haunt Asian Community, page 11. The article continues examining tensions between Houston’s Asian community and police over the Minh Suoi case, noting community leaders’ distrust of law enforcement rooted partly in corruption in home countries. Officer Lotz’s credentials and conduct are scrutinized amid conflicting accounts from colleagues and community members.

JACL

• Faces of the Future: National Youth/Student Council Report, by Kim Nakahara and Kimi Yoshino, page 3. The National Youth/Student Council report describes how the 1994-96 biennium’s internal JACL turmoil stalled youth programs and led to loss of momentum. The authors outline a five-point Program for Action for 1996-98 aimed at recruiting, retaining and training younger members.
• What’s Happening in the PSW District, by Al Muratsuchi, page 3. The column honors Carol Saito’s 18 years of service to JACL’s Pacific Southwest office and highlights the PSW Affirmative Action Committee’s work organizing forums against Proposition 209. It also announces a Civil Rights Caucus co-chaired by Jimmy Tokeshi and Ken Inouye addressing hate crimes, redress and other issues.
• The Legacy Fund: As Campaign Ends, JACL Records Total of $4,649,323, by Grayce Uyehara, page 4. The JACL Legacy Fund campaign, launched in 1990 with a $10 million goal, closed having raised $4,649,323 in contributions, giving JACL an endowment valued at over $5 million. The report details distribution formulas splitting earnings between National JACL, chapters, districts and reinvestment, and calls on younger generations to sustain future giving.
• Gift: Singles Convention Donates $3,000 to JACL, page 5. National JACL President Helen Kawagoe received a $3,000 contribution from Joyce Kuruma and Grace Masuda, co-chairs of the 1995 JACL singles convention. Kawagoe said the funds will help return Pacific Citizen to weekly publication.

Military & Veterans

• Houston Case: Questions Linger Over Investigation Tactics, page 12. The Wall Street Journal investigation raises questions about how officer Lotz knew of a robbery warrant weeks before informant testimony tied Minh Suoi to the crime, and disputes over witness credibility at Minh’s abbreviated trial. Business owner Dong Tran disputed claims in a police-published book that Minh had threatened him, while podiatrist Thuy Giang declined further comment on her testimony.

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