Save the Dream march, a ballplayer’s memories, and redress deadlines

Vol. 125, No. 9, November 7, 1997. 12 pages. View this issue

Asian community members joined Rev. Jesse Jackson and civic leaders including Lori Fujimoto at a Sacramento press conference for the Save the Dream! march. Caroline Aoyagi profiled 80-year-old Shig Kawai of Pasadena, who played with Jackie Robinson in a 1936 high school all-star game. Redress ran through the news: Al Chi and K. Honda reported on 80 members of Congress urging President Clinton to settle the Japanese Peruvian appeal, and DeDe Greene updated readers on the Office of Redress Administration ahead of its close. Bill Hosokawa wrote about George Aratani’s gift to the National Japanese American Memorial.

Other pages carried Bill Marutani’s review of the Go for Broke pictorial history, a last call for veterans’ names for the Los Angeles monument, and Manzanar hospital staff and Poston reunions. A Tule Lake reunion was announced for May 1998, the Minidoka campsite figured in a 1000 Club reunion report, and Little Tokyo hosted a tofu festival.

What’s in this issue

Community

• Asians Parade in ‘Save the Dream’ with Rev. Jesse Jackson, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Rev. Jesse Jackson joined civic leaders including Lori Fujimoto at a press conference in Sacramento for the ‘Save the Dream!’ march. Asian community members participated in the march alongside other civic groups.
• Stockton JACLers View ‘Children of the Camps’, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Stockton JACL members watched a documentary film about children’s experiences in WWII internment camps. Dr. Satsuki Ina, family counselor and CSU Sacramento faculty member, commented on how the film reaches audiences through the eyes of children.
• St. Louis Workshop to Examine Extremists, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A workshop in St. Louis is being organized to examine extremist groups. Limited details on the workshop’s content were provided in this brief item.
• Rep. Kim’s Campaign Plight Stirs Contenders, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Assemblyman Gary Miller is emerging as a front-runner to potentially replace Rep. Jay Kim, who faces possible federal detention after pleading guilty to campaign law violations. Kim, the only Asian American Republican in Congress, has vowed to seek a fourth term despite the investigation.
• Arcadia High School Students Vote to Keep Apache Mascot, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Following controversy over Arcadia High School’s Apache mascot, the student council voted to keep the name after studying the issue, with plans for more education about Apache culture. Native American activist Sonny Skyhawk criticized the decision, arguing that tradition doesn’t make a practice right.
• Manzanar Hospital Workers Hold Reunion, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Some 100 former Manzanar Hospital staff held their first reunion at Hotel New Otani, with former hospital administrator Frank Chuman recalling the hospital’s establishment in March 1942. Over 300 evacuees were recruited to serve in various medical and support roles at the 250-bed facility.
• Utah Youngsters Join Iwakuni Entertainers on Stage, by Marion Hori, page 10. Japanese artists from the Iwakuni Sister City of Everett, Washington performed before a sellout crowd at the Egyptian Theater in Ogden, Utah, arranged by the Wasatch Front North JACL Chapter. The performance included traditional dance groups and a shamisen presentation, with local children participating in a staged Japanese fable.

Arts & Entertainment

• Pasadena’s Shig Kawai Played with Jackie Robinson, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 1. 80-year-old Shig Kawai recalls playing alongside Jackie Robinson in a 1936 high school all-star baseball game in Southern California, before World War II and before Robinson broke baseball’s color line. Kawai shares memories of Robinson’s character, their friendship at Pasadena Junior College, and how their paths diverged due to the war and internment.
• Beyond Barbed Wire’ Up for Video Honors, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The documentary ‘Beyond Barbed Wire’ by Mac and Ava Motion Pictures Productions was nominated in the ABC-News Video Source category at the 13th annual Independent Documentary Association awards. The film combines WWII footage and interviews with 100/442/MIS veterans and their families, and will have its Idaho premiere in February.
• Little Tokyo’s Newest Tastes: Tofu-Coffee Dessert, Tofu Patty with Shiitake Sauce, by Stephanie Lai, page 10. The second annual L.A. Tofu Festival drew approximately 18,000 people to the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center Plaza during Nisei Week, featuring 46 different tofu-based dishes from various cuisines. The festival benefited the Little Tokyo Service Center and JACCC while providing health information about tofu’s nutritional benefits.
• More Perfect Union’ Exhibit at UCLA, by P.C. Staff, page 10. The Smithsonian-American Library Association’s traveling exhibition ‘More Perfect Union’ is on display at UCLA Powell Library, marking its only Los Angeles showing. Full-day workshops exploring the Japanese American internment experience are scheduled in conjunction with the exhibit.

National

• Census 2000 Adopts New Ethnic Categories, But Not ‘Multiracial’, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A task force for the Office of Management and Budget recommended that Native Hawaiians remain classified as Asian and Pacific Islanders in the next census, rejecting a separate ‘multiracial’ classification that many groups including JACL had opposed. The new policy addresses how mixed-race Americans will be tabulated for purposes like the Voting Rights Act.
• AARP Picks Hawaii Nisei as Its Retired Educator of ’97, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Takeshi Fujita of Hanapepe, Kauai was named 1997 National Retired Educator of the Year by AARP’s National Retired Teachers Association. Since retiring after 30 years of teaching, Fujita continues community education work involving nature, crafts workshops, and fundraising for the local library.
• National LCRR to Meet Nov. 15-16, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights will hold a national meeting titled ‘Affirmative Action at the Crossroads: Call to Action’ in Silver Spring, Maryland. The meeting will discuss a coherent national strategy to fight anti-affirmative action initiatives.
• Black Voter Coalition Honors OCA’s Role in APA Signup, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Organization of Chinese Americans received the Spirit of Democracy Award from the National Coalition on Black Voter Participation for its role in registering Asian Pacific Americans. Bob Sakaniwa of JACL praised the voter registration drive as a milestone for APA political participation in the 1996 election cycle.

Incarceration & Redress

• Congressmen Urge Clinton to Settle Japanese Peruvian Appeal for Redress, by Al Chi and K. Honda, page 1. JACL chapters were alerted to lobby Congress to urge President Clinton to settle a class-action lawsuit on behalf of Japanese Peruvians interned in the U.S. during WWII, with 80 members of Congress signing a letter of support. National President Helen Kawagoe noted the irony of Clinton criticizing China’s human rights record while the U.S. has unfinished redress business of its own.
• ORA Community Meeting in Salt Lake City Nov. 22, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The Office of Redress Administration is holding a community meeting in Salt Lake City for those with pending claims, including railroad and mining workers, to explain the close-down process. Staff from Washington will be present to answer questions about the Japanese Latin American redress case as well.
• Funds Sought for National Japanese American Memorial, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Nearly 50 leaders of Colorado’s Japanese American community attended a dinner to learn about the fundraising drive for the National Japanese American Memorial in Washington, D.C. Committee chairman Mel Chiogioji explained the $8.6 million goal must be met by the end of 1998 or the land provided by Congress will revert to the federal government.
• Nisei for Wallace’ Study Near Conclusion, by P.C. Staff, page 5. Tim Carpenter of CSU Fullerton’s Oral History Program is nearing completion of a two-year project documenting the Nisei Progressive Movement from 1940-1952, including the ‘Nisei for Wallace’ campaign. He is seeking additional individuals and organizations to help with interviews and documentation.
• Supreme Court Lets Prop. 209 Stand, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal challenging California’s Proposition 209, which bars the state from discriminating against or granting preferences based on race. The ACLU had argued the case but the Court let the measure stand.
• Over 700 Return for Poston I Reunion, by P.C. Staff, page 9. Approximately 725 former residents of the Poston I WRA camp gathered for their 55th anniversary reunion at the Torrance Marriott Hotel. Reunion co-chairs Nancy Matsuda and others organized the event with remarks and recognition ceremonies.
• Redress and You: Updating ORA’s Projects, by DeDe Greene, page 9. ORA Administrator DeDe Greene provides an update on redress program operations ahead of its scheduled close in August 1998, including community meetings, the Ishida payment update, and research into railroad worker firings. The update also covers efforts to locate unknown claimants and encourages new claims to be submitted by January 1998.
• Tule Lake Reunion Slated May 16-17, by P.C. Staff, page 9. An organizing committee decided that the next Tule Lake Reunion, possibly the last such gathering, will be held May 16-17, 1998 at the Double Tree Hotel in Sacramento. The decision came in response to numerous phone calls and letters asking about future reunions.

JACL

• NCWNP District Council Installs Board Officers; Focus Is on Commitment, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 1. San Jose Assistant Police Chief Tom Shigemasa, retiring after 30 years, was elected to the Northern California-Western Nevada-Pacific District Council board along with several other candidates during elections at the Cortez JACL Hall. The article also profiles Sansei Emily Murase, who overcame early cynicism about JACL to become active in leadership roles.
• Too Bad, If You Missed the 1000 Club Reunion in Jackpot, by Yas Tokita, page 3. The 1000 Club’s 50th anniversary reunion was held in Jackpot, Nevada, October 9-12, featuring a bus excursion to the Minidoka campsite, Keno and Slot tournaments, and a performance by Nikki Nojima’s troupe of ‘Breaking the Silence.’ National Director Herb Yamanishi gave a ‘state of the union’ report and past presidents including Lillian Kimura and Judge Raymond Uno attended the smoothly-run event organized by Hid Hasegawa and Donna Okubo.
• Last Call Issued to WW2 Vets for Names on Monument (continued detail), by P.C. Staff, page 6. Additional details on the criteria for names to be included on the Go-for-Broke monument, including requirements for Japanese Americans and non-Japanese Americans who served with the 100th Battalion, 442nd RCT, and MIS. Foundation executive director Debra Nishinaka-Skelton discussed the $1,000,000 educational endowment fund and fundraising progress toward the $2.5 million goal.

Military & Veterans

• Last Call Issued to WW2 Vets for Names on Monument, by P.C. Staff, page 1. Chairman Young O. Kim of the 100/442/MIS World War II Memorial Foundation announced that names of eligible Nisei veterans must be submitted by Feb. 27, 1998 for inclusion on the monument being built in Los Angeles. The monument will feature approximately 15,000 names with ground-breaking tentatively scheduled for June 1998 and unveiling in October 1998.
• Veteran’s Day Service at Parkview Cemetery, by P.C. Staff, page 5. The Stockton JACL will hold its annual Memorial Service honoring Stockton-area Nisei killed in action at Parkview Cemetery in French Camp. The monument, originally placed in 1951, will have 23 more names inscribed including WWII and Vietnam veterans.

Commentary

• Word from Herb, by Herb Yamanishi, page 3. National Director Herb Yamanishi provides an update on JACL’s transition to a new computerized membership and accounting system, detailing the cleanup of records and staff training underway. He also reminds members about redress program deadlines and the availability of a list of unknown WWII internees.
• David Kawamoto Reflects on Athletes as Role Models, by David Kawamoto, page 3. PSWDC Governor David Kawamoto discusses how society places athletes like Tiger Woods and Kristi Yamaguchi in the spotlight, influencing youth who look up to them as heroes. He notes that both athletes have taken on the responsibility of being positive role models through community service and philanthropic efforts.
• Nisei Philanthropist George Aratani Gives Generously to Memorial, by Bill Hosokawa, page 5. Bill Hosokawa profiles George Aratani, who along with his wife Sakaye donated half a million dollars to jump-start the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation’s fundraising drive. Aratani, who built successful businesses under the Mikasa and Kenwood names after wartime internment, emphasizes the importance of educating Americans about Japanese American history through the memorial.
• Very Truly Yours: Remembering James Michener, by Harry K. Honda, page 8. Harry K. Honda reflects on the life and JACL connections of author James Michener, who died at age 90, recalling his keynote address at a 1965 EDC-MDC joint convention in Philadelphia. Michener and his wife Mari Sabusawa were longtime JACL supporters who contributed scholarships and were Life members of the 1000 Club.
• Letters: Kibei Definition, Camp Documents, and More, by Various, page 8. Several letters address topics including the definition and usage of the term ‘Kibei,’ a donation of historical WRA and Rohwer camp publications from Susan Y. Matsumoto, and an offer from educator Tsuyoshi Koizumi in Japan to help JACL students pursue graduate studies there. Additional letters discuss a railroad redress correction and skepticism about a previous article on ancient astronaut theories.
• The New Civil Rights Movement, by Akemi Knight, page 9. Akemi Knight, president of the San Fernando Valley JACL chapter, advocates for adopting business management philosophy in civil rights leadership as organizations move beyond 1960s-style activism. She argues that modern methods including financial investment and strategic planning can better advance JACL’s goals than purely emotional rhetoric.

In-Depth

• Go for Broke – A Pictorial History Reviewed by Bill Marutani, by Bill Marutani, page 4. Bill Marutani reviews Chester Tanaka’s book ‘Go For Broke – A Pictorial History of the Japanese American 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team,’ which contains 4,000 photos and personal accounts from veterans. The review highlights anecdotes including the unusual mission of sending Nisei soldiers to train dogs on Cat Island and instances of discrimination faced by Nisei soldiers in uniform.
• Colo.’s Sogo Way Promotes U.S.-Japan Understanding, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Sogo Way, a Denver organization established in 1992 to increase mutual understanding between the U.S. and Japan, published its first book, ‘Old Man Thunder: Father of the Bullet Train’ by Bill Hosokawa. The biography documents the life of Shinji Sogo, a railroad builder who led Japan’s National Railways.
• Camp Experience Propels General Takayo Ochi’s Commitment to Race Relations, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 4. U.S. Assistant Attorney General Rose (Takayo) Ochi shared her emotional camp experience while being honored with the Government Advocate Award at the Alliance of Women Entrepreneurs awards ceremony. Ochi, the highest-ranking Asian American woman at the White House, discussed how her internment experience drives her commitment to improving race relations and civil rights in America.
• Video Offer for JACLers Ends Jan. 31, by P.C. Staff, page 5. San Francisco JACL and Farallon Films are offering Steven Okazaki’s Academy Award-winning film ‘Days of Waiting’ and Academy Award-nominated ‘Unfinished Business’ on VHS at a special price to JACL members. SF JACL officer Greg Marutani expressed gratitude for making the historically significant films available.

Obituaries

• Kango Kunitsugu, 73, Pioneer Director of Little Tokyo CRA Redevelopment, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Kango Kunitsugu, who began his career as a sports columnist at Rohwer WRA Center, passed away at age 73; funeral services were held at Higashi Honganji. A design engineer by profession, he was active in JACL leadership roles and served as the first project director for the Community Redevelopment Agency’s Little Tokyo office from 1969-1974.

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