The 1996 holiday issue: Japanese Americans and the next millennium

Vol. 123, No. 11, December 1996. 120 pages. View this issue

Looking ahead to the next millennium ran through this 120-page holiday issue of December 1996. Harry K. Honda introduced a chronology of Japanese American history from 1008 A.D. onward, and writers including Clifford I. Uyeda, Bill Hosokawa and K. Patrick Okura imagined what the coming century might bring. Many columns asked where JACL goes after 2000, with views from Fred Hirasuna, Dr. Roy Nishikawa and Barry Saiki, while Hiromi Ueha and Nicole Inouye wrote for the younger generation.

Other pieces looked at multiracial Asian American families, with Maria P.P. Root and Martha Kaihatsu, and at affirmative action and Proposition 209, with Ken Yabusaki. Caroline Aoyagi interviewed Angela Oh about rising anti-Asian American violence, and Fred Oshima wrote about President Clinton and JACL. About 78 of the 120 pages carry holiday greetings from chapters including Salt Lake, Boise Valley, Snake River and San Jose.

What’s in this issue

In-Depth

• The Past Millennium, by Harry K. Honda, page 4. Harry Honda reflects on Holiday Issue traditions, JACL’s history of proportional representation debates dating to 1938, and the challenges of assembling this year’s issue. He credits volunteers and staff who help produce the annual Holiday Issue and previews the ‘Past Millennium’ historical chronology series.
• Comfort in the Changing Face of Asian America, by Maria P.P. Root, page 8. Maria P.P. Root examines the rapidly growing population of multiracial Asian American children and the unique challenges their families face navigating racial identity. She offers practical advice for parents on naming, education about heritage, and preparing children to handle racial insensitivity.
• Bleaching the Issei and Nisei: Threats to Identity and Memory in the Third Millennium, by Lawrence Okamura, page 12. Lawrence Okamura reflects on memories of his Hawaiian Issei grandmother and warns that postmodernist academic ‘Theory’ threatens to distort authentic Japanese American history and identity. He criticizes a doctoral dissertation that he says misuses ideology to defame Nisei veterans and community myths.
• The Millennium: A History of the Past 1,000 Years for Japanese Americans, by Harry K. Honda, page 22. Harry Honda presents an extensive chronological history of Japanese and Japanese American experiences across the Americas spanning from 1008 A.D. to the 20th century, covering early contact, immigration waves, discriminatory laws, and community development in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Peru, Brazil, and other countries. The piece continues across multiple pages tracing events through Pearl Harbor and beyond.
• The Nikkei Community Down the Road, by Al Muratsuchi, page 32. JACL Pacific Southwest District regional director Al Muratsuchi discusses demographic research by Ed Suguro showing Japanese American communities shifting away from historic centers like Gardena toward suburbs like Torrance and Palos Verdes. He expresses cautious optimism that JACL can adapt to serve an increasingly assimilated and multiracial Nikkei community.

Commentary

• Ouija 2K, by Stewart David Ikeda, page 10. Stewart Ikeda uses the metaphor of a Ouija board party game to explore anxieties and hopes surrounding the approaching millennium and recent presidential election. He argues that speculating about the future forces us to confront unfinished business and unresolved questions from the past.
• Riding the Rail into the Next Millennium, by Pete Hironaka, page 10. Cartoonist and columnist Pete Hironaka humorously recounts childhood memories on his family’s Salinas Valley farm and offers whimsical predictions for the future including a female president and international World Series. He reflects on aging while maintaining his sense of humor about JACL and American life.
• President Clinton and JACL, by Fred Oshima, page 10. Fred Oshima criticizes President Clinton for declining a brief courtesy visit to JACL’s 34th Biennial National Convention in San Jose despite being nearby. He argues the snub reflects Japanese Americans’ continued lack of political influence despite their record as law-abiding, hardworking citizens.
• The Internet and Buddhism, by Gordon Yamate, page 17. Attorney Gordon Yamate draws parallels between Buddhist concepts of interdependence and impermanence and the structure of the internet and World Wide Web. He argues that despite rapid technological change, human storytellers and content creators will remain essential to conveying meaningful information.
• As People of Color We Need to Be Aware, by K. Patrick Okura, page 19. Former JACL national president K. Patrick Okura recounts his decades of civil rights work, from founding the Omaha JACL chapter to marching with Martin Luther King Jr., and warns of a growing backlash against civil rights progress. He urges Japanese Americans to build coalitions with other minority groups going into the next century.
• The Changes We’ll See, by Clifford I. Uyeda, page 19. Former JACL national president Clifford Uyeda predicts that by the end of the next millennium, world citizenship will replace nationalism and racial differences will be understood as adaptations rather than fixed categories. He argues the most significant future change will be recognizing that modern warfare technology has made total war unacceptable as national policy.
• Without Colonies, by C. Nozomi Ikuta, page 20. C. Nozomi Ikuta critiques the myth of technological progress solving humanity’s problems and argues that true peace requires addressing historical colonialism and racial injustice. She envisions a future of decolonization for indigenous peoples, Pacific and Caribbean nations, and calls on Japanese Americans to support self-determination movements as allies.
• Simply ‘American’, by Martha Kaihatsu, page 24. Martha Kaihatsu describes encounters with mixed-race young women who proudly claimed partial Japanese heritage and reflects on a visit with Canadian Inuit artists that highlighted shared experiences of ethnic identity. She predicts future generations will increasingly blend racial identities, making common ancestry harder to recognize outwardly.
• Groundwork for a Nikkei Nobel Prize Winner, by Bill Hosokawa, page 24. Bill Hosokawa surveys the extraordinary achievements of Japanese Americans across science, government, arts, and other fields throughout the 20th century, from space exploration to Congress to Hollywood. He argues this record of accomplishment despite historical discrimination lays groundwork for future Nobel Prize-caliber achievements by Japanese Americans.
• Challenge and Gaman, by Hiro Hishiki, page 25. Former Kashu Mainichi editor Hiro Hishiki reflects on the Issei legacy of challenge and perseverance (gaman) and how Nisei honored that legacy through wartime military service. He expresses hope that future generations will continue fighting discrimination and seeking social justice into the new millennium.
• On Affirmative Action, by Ken Yabusaki, page 25. Ken Yabusaki traces the history of American slavery and racial oppression to explain the context and necessity of Affirmative Action programs. He criticizes Proposition 209 and Asian Americans who supported ending affirmative action, arguing true equality requires acknowledging historical injustice and cannot be achieved through ‘color-blindness.’
• Without Colonies (continued), by C. Nozomi Ikuta, page 26. This is the continuation of Ikuta’s essay questioning what would happen to Asian Americans in a decolonized North America and whether Japanese communities should seek their own land base. She concludes that Japanese Americans should act in solidarity with oppressed peoples while retaining cultural identity as respectful guests.
• Coalition Building in the Next Millennium, by Raymond Uno, page 26. Retired judge Raymond Uno urges JACL chapters to build coalitions within their local Nikkei communities to identify achievable joint projects benefiting the broader community. He suggests such efforts could reinvigorate JACL leadership and inspire greater commitment from members.
• Mirror of My Garden, by Mei Nakano, page 29. Author Mei Nakano reflects on aging and mortality through the metaphor of her backyard garden, finding meaning in tending fruit trees of Japanese origin and maintaining friendships built on traditional practices of sharing garden produce. She describes a spontaneous cultural exchange with Scottish visitors that reflected her growing comfort with her Japanese American identity.
• A Time for Giving, by Bill Hosokawa, page 41. Bill Hosokawa examines President Clinton’s defense of Asian American campaign donors following controversy over illegal contributions from Indonesian and Korean businessmen. He questions Clinton’s claim that many Asian Americans have personally complained to him about harassment, suggesting this reveals unusual access to the White House.
• JACL: Where to After 2000? (National Board reflections), by Dr. Roy Nishikawa, page 41. Former JACL national president Roy Nishikawa reflects on the organization’s recent financial turmoil under President Denny Yasuhara and expresses cautious optimism about new leadership under Helen Kawagoe. He identifies declining membership, chapter burnout, and generational disconnect as key challenges JACL must address to remain viable.
• Keep JACL Viable into the Next Millennium, by Dr. Roy Nishikawa, page 41. This continues Nishikawa’s essay outlining specific steps taken by the outgoing administration to stabilize JACL’s finances, including new budget discipline and investment committees. He calls on members to share their views on JACL’s core purpose to ensure the organization’s survival for future generations.
• A Running Start for JACL, by Jerry Enomoto, page 51. Jerry Enomoto expresses hope for international peace and criticizes the passage of Proposition 209 as rooted in continuing racial bias despite evidence that minorities and women still face discrimination. He praises new JACL National President Helen Kawagoe for her energetic and fiscally responsible start to the biennium.
• Let’s Not Ignore Our Past, by Barry Saiki, page 69. Barry Saiki, former JACL national vice president, warns that JACL risks losing its Japanese American identity if it doesn’t maintain connections to its historical roots and legacy. He recounts incidents on the National Board suggesting younger leaders may not fully understand or value JACL’s past achievements and donor history.
• JACL’s Course: Not by Ignoring the Past, by Barry Saiki, page 69. This is a continuation of Saiki’s essay urging JACL chapters to build coalitions within the Nikkei community and warning that abandoning Japanese American-specific goals for broader Asian Pacific coalitions could make JACL irrelevant. He proposes using Filial Piety and cross-generational unity as guiding principles for the organization’s future.
• The Season of Loss, by Sachi Seko, page 79. Sachi Seko writes a deeply personal reflection on caring for her husband Ern during his terminal cancer illness and his eventual suicide, and later the death of their beloved German shepherd Conrad. She meditates on aging, loss, and the importance of letting go of material possessions and sentimental attachments.

JACL

• JACL: Where to After 2000?, by Fred Hirasuna, page 19. Fred Hirasuna, a founding member of the Fresno JACL chapter, defends historical JACL decisions including wartime cooperation with Evacuation and the campaign to reopen the draft to Nisei soldiers. He raises concerns about JACL’s future viability given declining Nisei membership and questions whether Sansei and Yonsei will maintain the same commitment to the organization.
• Rising Generations, by Hiromi Ueha and Nicole Inouye, page 20. Young JACL leaders Hiromi Ueha and Nicole Inouye describe challenges facing the National Youth/Student Council in recruiting members and argue JACL must become less ethnocentric to survive. They call for JACL to build coalitions with other Asian American and civil rights organizations while addressing issues affecting youth and students directly.
• Looking Back at the Past 11 Months, by Herbert Yamanishi, page 71. National JACL Director Herbert Yamanishi reviews his first year on the job, describing efforts to stabilize the organization’s finances through staff reductions and budget restraint after years of deficit spending. He outlines ongoing JACL priorities including redress advocacy, opposing Proposition 209, and responding to requests for information and assistance.

National

• Civil Unrest: Situation Bad and Getting Worse, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 21. Assistant editor Caroline Aoyagi interviews Los Angeles civil rights attorney Angela Oh about rising anti-Asian American violence, citing a 37 percent increase in incidents nationally and dramatic spikes in violence against Korean small business owners in Southern California. Oh criticizes inadequate media coverage and law enforcement response while calling for greater political participation and coalition-building within Asian American communities.

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.