Prop. 209 and UC admissions, plus Arizona’s English-only ruling

Vol. 126, No. 10, May 15, 1998. 12 pages. View this issue

Proposition 209 and its first results led the news. The 1998 freshman admissions figures for the University of California showed minority admissions down as much as 46 percent, with Berkeley down 54.7 percent, and scholars such as Don Nakanishi weighed the effect on diversity. Ronald Takaki proposed a race-neutral lottery among qualified applicants. Elsewhere on the front page, the Arizona Supreme Court struck down that state’s English-only law, a billboard from the group behind Proposition 187 drew criticism, and Richard J. Machado was sentenced for hate e-mails sent to Asian American students.

Also inside: JACL teacher workshops on the World War II incarceration, a call for Legacy Fund grant applications, and Bill Hosokawa’s column on Hiroshi Miyamura. A Manzanar photography exhibition opened in San Francisco, and a Manzanar high school reunion was announced. Reunion and veterans’ notices, including a 442nd memorial in Oakland, fill the community pages.

What’s in this issue

National

• Ivory Tower or Ivory Power? Prop. 209 and the UC System, page 1. The 1998 freshman admissions figures for the University of California system show minority student admissions dropped as much as 46 percent following the passage of Proposition 209, with UC Berkeley hardest hit at 54.7 percent decline. Officials and scholars like Don Nakanishi debate the long-term impact on diversity within the UC system.
• Arizona Strikes Down English-Only Law, page 1. The Arizona State Supreme Court unanimously struck down the state’s 1988 English-Only Law on April 28, ruling it violated the First Amendment’s Freedom of Speech provision and the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment. The court said the law’s goal of promoting English did not require prohibiting other languages in government business.
• Group Continues Anti-Immigrant Message with Freeway Billboard, by Caroline Aoyagi, page 1. The California Coalition for Immigration Reform (C.C.I.R.), the group that co-sponsored Proposition 187, unveiled a large anti-immigrant billboard near the California-Arizona border on Interstate 10. The sign has drawn criticism from immigrant rights groups while C.C.I.R. leaders say they are pleased with the attention it has generated.
• Ex-Student Who Sent Hate E-mail to Asian Americans Sentenced, page 1. Richard J. Machado, the former UC Irvine student convicted of sending hate e-mails to 59 Asian American students in 1996, was sentenced on May 4 to one-year probation after already serving a year in jail awaiting trial. He is the first person convicted under a federal law protecting students’ rights to attend public university free from interference.
• Claremont Colleges Form Intercollegiate Asian American Studies Department, page 3. The Claremont Colleges established a new intercollegiate Asian American Studies Department to be housed at Pitzer College, joining a field born in 1968 at San Francisco State and UC Berkeley. The department is notable as the first such program housed within a consortium of private liberal arts colleges.
• Senate Judiciary Committee Moves APA Judiciary Nominee Forward, page 3. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 12 to 5 to advance the nomination of Susan Oki Mollway, who would become the first Asian Pacific American woman to serve as a federal district court judge if confirmed by the full Senate. Four Republicans joined all eight Democrats in supporting her nomination, while JACL and Asian Pacific American legal groups urged the community to contact senators in support.
• Alternative to Prop. 227 Passes, page 3. An alternative bill to the ballot initiative eliminating bilingual education in California public schools narrowly passed the state legislature on May 4 and was sent to Governor Pete Wilson’s desk. The bill, authored by Senator Dede Alpert, would give educators flexibility to design bilingual or English immersion programs while requiring accountability for student success.
• C.C.I.R. Takes Anti-Immigrant Message to California’s Freeways, page 8. The California Coalition for Immigration Reform’s billboard campaign continues to draw criticism from Asian American and Latino community leaders, including JACL National Director Herbert Yamanishi, who see it as an attempt to resurrect anti-immigrant sentiment after Prop. 187 was overturned. Leaders like Stewart Kwoh suggest withholding attention may be the best response to the group’s provocations.
• Prop. 209 and the UC System (continued), page 10. The article continues examining reactions to Prop. 209’s impact on UC admissions, featuring perspectives from graduate student Nakashima on minority alienation and access to social networks, and Professor Ronald Takaki’s proposal for a race-neutral lottery admissions system. Sources warn that even Asian Americans who saw enrollment increases should not assume they have truly benefited given historical patterns of institutional backlash against successful minority groups.

Community

• Eric Nakata Appointed Judge of Calif. Superior Court, page 3. California Governor Pete Wilson announced the appointment of Eric Nakata to the California Superior Court. Nakata, an attorney since 1984, expressed his preference for trial court work over appellate work, saying trial court is ‘where the action is.’
• Bread and Roses Cultural Project Launches ‘AA Women of Hope’ 12-Poster/Guide, page 4. Bread and Roses, the cultural arm of Local 1199, released ‘Asian American Women of Hope,’ a series of educational posters featuring accomplished Asian American women including Maxine Hong Kingston, Maya Lin, and Patsy Mink. The posters and accompanying 48-page study guide are being distributed to schools and community organizations nationwide.
• Japanese American National Museum Pavilion in Home Stretch for Completion of Construction, page 4. The Japanese American National Museum’s 85,000-square-foot expansion pavilion in Little Tokyo remains on schedule for a January 1999 public opening despite winter rains. The museum has raised over $30 million toward its $45 million goal while continuing national programming, including traveling its ‘America’s Concentration Camps’ exhibition to Ellis Island.
• New Mexico JACL Set for 50th Anniversary Reunion June 11-14, page 5. The Albuquerque New Mexico JACL Old-timers’ Reunion committee is inviting former Nikkei residents to a 50th anniversary reunion featuring tours of Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Los Alamos. Organizer Yosh Akutagawa is seeking contact information for numerous named ‘wanted’ old-timers to attend the event.
• French Camp 50th Reunion, page 5. Organizers are calling former residents of French Camp, Stockton, California, to attend a 50th anniversary reunion after having missed the 25th anniversary gathering. The announcement invites former community members to come ‘home’ for the event.
• Dayton, Ohio, Chapter Hosts Hiroki Sugihara, Son of WWII Hero, by Don Hayashi, page 6. The Dayton JACL Chapter hosted Hiroki Sugihara, son of Chiune Sugihara, the Japanese diplomat who issued transit visas to more than 6,000 Polish Jews fleeing Nazi persecution in Lithuania in 1940. Chapter members presented Sugihara with books written by Dayton JACLers, and he later gave lectures at Sinclair Community College and in Cincinnati.
• CCDC-JACL Announces Scholarship Recipients, page 9. The Central California District Council of JACL announced its 1998 scholarship recipients, including Nicole Dunlap, Keith Suda-Cedarquist, and Garett Shitanishi, selected based on scholastic achievement, extracurricular activities, and financial need. The council also awards Citizen Achievement Awards recognizing leadership and community involvement.

Incarceration & Redress

• Former Internees Honored by Arizona House of Representatives, page 3. On May 4, members of the Japanese American community, including MIS and 442nd RCT veterans and former internees, were honored by the Arizona House of Representatives in a Phoenix session introduced by Representative Barry Wong. The recognition included an overview of the WWII internment of Japanese Americans in concentration camps.
• Manzanar High School Reunion Set for September 28-30, page 5. Former internees of the Manzanar concentration camp are organizing a high school reunion scheduled for September 28-30. Interested parties can contact any of several named reunion committee members for more information.

Arts & Entertainment

• Hawaii Honors Sakamoto with Highest Literary Award, page 3. The State Foundation on Culture and the Arts and the Hawai’i Literary Arts Council selected a Hawaii-based playwright named Sakamoto as recipient of the 1997 Hawai’i Award for Literature, the state’s highest literary recognition. A ceremony was scheduled for May 26 at the Office of the Governor at the State Capitol.
• ‘Picturing History: Manzanar,’ an Exhibition of Photographs, page 4. A collection of 45 photographs and artifacts documenting the WWII internment at Manzanar opened April 28 at the Ansel Adams Center for Photography in San Francisco, running through October 18. The exhibition features historic images by Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange, and Toyo Miyatake alongside contemporary photographs by artists including Patrick Nagatani and Masumi Hayashi.
• Debut Novel Offers a Refreshing Look at the AA Immigrant Experience, by Mika Tanner, page 10. Patricia Chao’s debut novel ‘Monkey King’ tells the story of Sally Wang, a young Chinese American woman recovering from a suicide attempt and confronting memories of childhood sexual abuse by her father. Reviewer Mika Tanner praises Chao’s unflinching, unsentimental portrayal of the Wang family and her courage in tackling the taboo subject of incest within the Asian American community.
• Indochine: Vietnamese Food Hollywood Style, by Mika Tanner, page 12. Reviewer Mika Tanner dines at Indochine, a trendy Los Angeles restaurant known for elevated Vietnamese cuisine and a celebrity clientele, sampling dishes prepared by executive chef Huy Chi Le. Tanner praises the flavorful appetizers and entrees while noting an awkward moment when a fellow diner suggested renaming Vietnamese cuisine, and humorously reveals the restaurant’s PR staff mistakenly believed the Pacific Citizen was a Japanese-language publication.

Commentary

• Letter from Prof. Takaki on Affirmative Action, by Ronald Takaki, page 5. UC Berkeley ethnic studies professor Ronald Takaki argues that the UC system’s ‘merit-based’ admissions policy actually favors privileged suburban students through advanced placement GPA boosts and costly SAT prep courses. He proposes a race-neutral lottery system among top-tier qualified applicants as a fairer alternative, while ultimately advocating for overturning Prop. 209.
• From the Desk of Author James Oda, by James Oda, page 5. Author James Oda reflects on renewed community interest in archaeological studies following the publication of his book, referencing a video presentation about a lost continent discovered in the Pacific Ocean. He discusses the Takeuchi Document and hieroglyphic writing systems in relation to ancient civilizations.
• Very Truly Yours: Miyamura’s Story Told in New Play, by Bill Hosokawa, page 7. Columnist Bill Hosokawa recounts the story of Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Hiroshi ‘Hershey’ Miyamura, who was held as a POW for 19 months during the Korean War after heroically holding a hill position against overwhelming Chinese forces. Hosokawa previews a new play by Jon Shirota, ‘Honor, Duty, Country,’ dramatizing Miyamura’s story, scheduled for performances in Los Angeles.
• Mixed Messages: Fish Out of Water, by Mika Tanner, page 7. Columnist Mika Tanner reflects on a trip to Costa Rica that helped her step outside her identity as a Japanese American and reconsider the insularity of community-focused life in Los Angeles. She argues that Asian Americans should embrace genuine diversity rather than remaining ethnocentric while claiming to champion multiculturalism.
• Justice Black and Ambassador McCloy, by Bill Marutani, page 7. Columnist Bill Marutani discusses the Supreme Court’s Korematsu decision and testimony from Ambassador John McCloy before the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians. McCloy defended the wartime treatment of Japanese Americans and remained unyielding under questioning despite later reports of his declining health.
• Voice of a Sensei: On Letting Go, by Akemi Kayleng, page 8. Columnist Akemi Kayleng addresses community members overwhelmed by changes such as outmarriage, Hapa identity, and gay and lesbian issues, comparing these anxieties to historical societal adjustments like the integration of Black actors in advertising and women in the Supreme Court and space program. She argues these changes will eventually feel normal, just as earlier societal shifts did.
• Reconciliation, page 9. A letter writer revisits his earlier proposal for a ‘reconciliation’ rather than an apology regarding the divisive issue of WWII draft resisters, expressing frustration that a National JACL Board motion on the topic was tabled in November 1997 and not revisited. He urges delegates at the upcoming Philadelphia convention to bring the resolution to a vote to bring closure to the issue.
• Camp Locations Inquiry, page 9. A reader from Honolulu asks for information about the locations of WWII internment camps in order to plan a pilgrimage visit. The response recommends the book ‘Ten Visits’ by Frank and Joanne Iritani and lists camp locations including Amache and Heart Mountain.

Military & Veterans

• AJA Veterans Plan Convention in Hawaii July 2-5, page 5. The Oahu AJA Veterans Council is hosting the 1998 AJA Veterans National Convention in Honolulu, expecting upwards of 4,000 veterans of the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd RCT, 1399th Engineer Construction Battalion, and Military Intelligence Service. In Wailuku, Maui, the Sons & Daughters group continues fundraising for a Maui Nisei Veterans Memorial Center.
• Two Nisei DSC Vets Inducted by Hawaii’s Gallery of Heroes, page 9. Two Nisei veterans were inducted into Hawaii’s Gallery of Heroes for earning the Distinguished Service Cross, one during WWII near Belvedere, Italy, and the other, Inuzuka, during the Korean War near Chango-ri in 1951. Inuzuka, who later completed a solo voyage around the world, was drafted from Minidoka to serve with the 442nd before his DSC-earning actions in Korea.
• World War II Heroes to Dedicate Memorial in Roberts Park, page 9. Veterans of Company E, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, will gather at Roberts Park in Oakland on May 22 to dedicate a permanent plaque honoring their fallen comrades near a memorial redwood tree. The event will also honor the late William Penn Mott and include veterans of the famous ‘Lost Battalion’ rescued by the 442nd in 1944.

JACL

• Teaching the JA Experience, page 6. JACL has been conducting teacher training workshops titled ‘Teaching the Japanese American Experience’ across the United States, educating public school teachers about the WWII incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans. Workshops have been completed in Phoenix, Albuquerque, Omaha and Salt Lake City, with more scheduled in Denver, Chicago, and New York City.
• Deadline Set for Legacy Grant Fund Applications, page 6. JACL’s 1998 Legacy Fund Grants program has $22,700 available for distribution to support chapter and district projects, with a completed application deadline of Friday, June 12. Interested chapters can contact the Pacific Northwest District office for application materials.
• Min Yasui Oratorical Contest, page 6. The 1998 Min Yasui Oratorical Competition, open to high school and undergraduate students, will culminate at the JACL national convention in Philadelphia in July after district-wide competitions. The contest is named for Minoru Yasui, a civil rights attorney who challenged WWII curfew laws imposed on Japanese Americans and later chaired the JACL Committee on Redress.
• Nat’l Y/SC Announces ID-4 Conference to Take Place at Convention, page 6. The JACL National Youth/Student Council will present ID-4, a one-day conference featuring an Internship/Fellowship Fair and skill-building workshops, during the national JACL convention in Philadelphia on July 4. The conference costs $25 and will be held at the Sheraton Society Hill Hotel.

In-Depth

• Bancroft Library Collection of WRA Photos, 1942-1945, by Harry K. Honda, page 8. A collection of War Relocation Authority photographs from 1942-1945 held at UC Berkeley’s Bancroft Library has been digitized and made available online through the California Heritage Digital Image Access Project. The collection includes roughly 7,000 photographs from photographers like Dorothea Lange and Hikaru Iwasaki, searchable by caption text or location on the Bancroft website.

Obituaries

• Teiko Kuroiwa, 82: Pioneer Nat’l JACL Staffer, by Harry K. Honda, page 11. Teiko Kuroiwa, a pioneer National JACL staffer who served as executive secretary during the WWII evacuation period, died May 1 at age 82 in San Francisco. She helped coordinate volunteer workers during JACL’s emergency 1942 meeting and later worked to send thousands of letters advocating for civil rights and Japanese American resettlement.
• Oscar Phillips, 90: Gila (Butte H.S.) Teacher, page 11. Oscar Myles Phillips, 90, who taught at Gila River WRA Camp’s Butte High School from 1942-1944, died at an Arizona Eastern Star Care Center. After the war he worked in soil conservation and later transferred Thunderbird Airfield to the Arizona Conference of Seventh Day Adventists before returning to Arizona in 1993 following his wife’s death.

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