Nisei Week, redress after ten years, and the 2000 Census fight

Vol. 127, No. 4, August 21, 1998. 12 pages. View this issue

The Nisei Week Queen pageant led the front page, with Mika Tanner asking whether the Los Angeles tradition, begun in 1935, is worth keeping and a second article tracing its history and the debate over who may compete. Redress also ran through the issue. Takeshi Nakayama reported on Wendy Hirota’s suit over the January 1945 cutoff, Julie Small covered the Mochizuki v. U.S. settlement for Japanese Latin Americans, and a ceremony in Los Angeles marked ten years since the Civil Liberties Act of 1988.

Greg Mayeda reported on the Washington fight over how the 2000 Census will count Americans. Inside are news of the Go for Broke monument, whose unveiling moved to June 5, 1999, and the Tule Lake and Topaz stories behind two articles. Columns by Bill Hosokawa, Bill Marutani and Harry K. Honda fill the commentary pages, and Craig Ishihara profiled astronaut Daniel Michio Tani.

What’s in this issue

Community

• The Nisei Week Queen Pageant — A Tradition Worth Keeping?, by Mika Tanner, page 1. The article examines the annual Nisei Week Queen pageant in Los Angeles, a tradition dating to 1935 that crowns a young Japanese American woman to represent the JA community. Toyoko Tiffany Hattori was crowned the 1998 Nisei Week Queen after a competitive selection process judging poise, charm, and appearance.
• Raising Awareness, Providing Support Among and Beyond API Gay/Lesbian Youth, by Tracy Uba, page 1. The article explores the challenges faced by API gay and lesbian youth in coming out to their families, featuring stories from Christian Alvez and others navigating family rejection and cultural stigma. It also discusses the Kameya family’s journey with PFLAG after their daughter came out, and efforts to build support and educational outreach for LGBTQ API youth.
• Nisei Week Queen Pageant Tradition Explored Further: History and Controversy, page 4. The article traces the history of the Nisei Week Queen pageant back to its 1935 origins, detailing its evolution from a ballot-based merchant promotion to a more traditional pageant format. It also examines ongoing debates over racial eligibility requirements and the inclusion of mixed-race contestants, referencing a 1982 controversy and the Honolulu Cherry Blossom Festival’s move to allow mixed-race candidates.
• From the Desk of Author James Oda: The Jewish and Alien Heritage of Ancient Japan, by James Oda, page 7. Author James Oda discusses research for his book positing ancient Jewish influence on Japanese mythology and legend, citing parallels between Japanese imperial ancestry stories and Middle Eastern religious texts. He also announces the end of his advertising campaign after selling around 800 copies with help from Pacific Citizen readers nationwide.
• Eden Chapter Scholarships, page 8. The Eden JACL held its scholarship awards dinner for 1998, honoring local graduating seniors with various named awards. Recipients included Stephanie Ide, Courtnay Jang, Brandon Fong, and Mayumi Levesque.
• L.A.’s Nisei Week from a Yonsei’s Perspective, by Craig Ishihara, page 12. Ishihara recounts attending the Los Angeles Nisei Week festival with a friend, visiting the Tofu Festival, flower arranging and doll-crafting exhibits, the Japanese American Korean War Veterans display, and a Taiko drumming performance. He reflects on gaining a deeper appreciation for Japanese American culture through the experience.

National

• The Battle Over the 2000 Census Has Begun, by Greg Mayeda, page 1. A political fight has emerged in Washington over how the 2000 Census will count Americans, with concerns focused on undercounting of urban minorities, rural populations, children and seniors. The Census Bureau’s proposed use of scientific sampling is being challenged by Republican leadership as unconstitutional, with the dispute expected to reach the Supreme Court.

Incarceration & Redress

• Child of Former Evacuee Files Suit for Redress, by Takeshi Nakayama, page 1. Wendy Hirota, born in 1946 to an evacuee father labeled a ‘troublemaker’ at Tule Lake, is suing the government to become eligible for redress reparations after being denied due to the January 1945 cutoff date. Her lawsuit and others seek to change the eligibility cutoff to June 1946, when the last camp closed.
• Campaign for Justice Not Over Yet; Japanese Latin Americans to Continue Fight for Equal Treatment, by Julie Small, page 4. Following the Mochizuki v. U.S. settlement providing $5,000 and an apology to Japanese Latin American internees, the Campaign for Justice vows to continue pursuing full $20,000 redress through legislative action. The article details the settlement’s terms, opt-out provisions, and ongoing efforts to secure additional congressional funding and support.

In-Depth

• Coming Home: New Exhibit at the Japanese American National Museum Sheds Light on Resettlement Period, by Mika Tanner, page 3. The Japanese American National Museum’s new exhibit, Coming Home: Memories of Japanese American Resettlement, examines the difficult and often overlooked period from 1945 to 1955 when JAs rebuilt their lives after camp. Curators Darcie Iki and Jim Gatewood highlight the housing discrimination, employment barriers, and hostility resettlers faced, challenging the simplistic ‘model minority’ narrative.
• Second-Ever JA Astronaut Waits to Be Scheduled to a Space Flight, by Craig Ishihara, page 10. Daniel Michio Tani, a member of NASA’s 1996 astronaut class nicknamed the ‘Sardines,’ describes his intensive two-year training including simulators, weightlessness training, and T-38 jet flights. Tani, a Mission Specialist, awaits assignment to a space flight and hopes to perform a spacewalk during Space Station construction.

Commentary

• Making Amends, page 4. This reprinted editorial from the St. Petersburg Times criticizes the U.S. government’s historical mistreatment of Japanese Americans and Japanese Latin Americans, including newly revealed FBI-ordered firings of Japanese American railroad and mining employees. It calls for extending the reparations deadline and for the Office of Redress Administration to actively search for eligible victims before the program sunsets.
• Nostalgia Rekindled, by Bill Hosokawa, page 7. Hosokawa reflects on the phenomenon of former camp internees enthusiastically attending reunions decades after their incarceration, questioning whether this undermines complaints about how terrible camp was. He concludes that while the wartime experience was unjust, survivors have moved forward with pride, and it may be time to stop dwelling on past grievances.
• Minding My P’s and Q’s, by Bill Marutani, page 7. Marutani muses on quirks of the Japanese language and alphabet while recalling wartime absurdities like Milton Caniff’s methods for identifying Japanese people during WWII. He also reminisces about his MIS language training at Fort Snelling and admits to keeping Army-issued dictionaries after his service.
• A Walk on the White Side, by Mika Tanner, page 8. Tanner reflects on her mixed-race Hapa identity, exploring her connection to her white father’s Idaho/Utah heritage versus her more strongly identified Japanese American side. She concludes that societal perceptions of race make it difficult to claim a ‘white identity,’ and that ultimately her father’s values transcend racial categorization.
• Archives: How Do We Get Going?, by Harry K. Honda, page 8. Honda describes the extensive holdings of the Pacific Citizen Archives, including file cabinets, bound volumes, and microfilms, and the challenge of indexing decades of material. He recounts specific research requests from authors seeking historical photos and information related to JA history.
• Re: Suite, Sweet, Bittersweet Justice, page 9. A letter writer analyzes the legal history of the WWII ‘war cases,’ arguing that the Endo decision dodged the core constitutional issue of detention despite Endo’s habeas corpus victory. The writer, a WWII veteran, reflects on lingering anger over the Supreme Court’s handling of Korematsu and Endo and warns that similar injustices could recur against other groups.
• Re: Shin-Issei Series, by John (Ph.D.), page 9. A letter writer responds to previous letters about ‘No-No boys,’ arguing for healing while sharing a personal anecdote about an encounter with a Shin-Issei Buddhist priest who questioned the writer’s allegiance to Japan. The writer also expresses relief that Japanese Latin Americans received some reparations and reflects on the difficulty of including South American internment cases in the original redress campaign.

JACL

• Teacher Training Workshops Prepare to Teach Students ‘An American Story’, by Tracy Uba, page 5. A new teacher training program, coordinated by the 100th/442nd/MIS WWII Memorial Foundation, JACL, and the Japanese American National Museum, aims to help teachers integrate Japanese American WWII incarceration history into K-12 curricula. Foundation Board project chair Carol Kawamoto and JACL National President Helen Kawagoe discuss the program’s goals of increasing cultural understanding and awareness of constitutional issues.
• Developing a Speakers Bureau to Teach Lessons of Internment, page 5. The Washington D.C. JACL Chapter developed a comprehensive ‘how-to’ packet for establishing a Speakers Bureau to connect Nisei internment survivors with classrooms, funded through the Civil Liberties Public Education Fund. The packet includes talking points, request forms, and feedback mechanisms to help other chapters replicate the program.
• CLPEF Board Terms End; CLPEF Offices Open Until November 10, page 5. The board of directors of the Civil Liberties Public Education Fund concluded their business as their terms ended August 10, reflecting on accomplishments including funding diverse projects on Nisei veterans, Heart Mountain resisters, and Latin Peruvian internees. Board members expressed pride in the Fund’s educational impact and hope that its initiatives will continue into the future.
• Honoring Those Who Made a Difference in the 10-Year Struggle for Redress, page 5. The National Coalition for Redress/Reparations held an awards ceremony in Los Angeles commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, honoring individuals including Bob Bratt, Joanne Chiedi, Takeshi Nakayama, and the Little Tokyo Service Center. The event featured a performance by Jude Narita and a candlelighting ceremony honoring various internee groups.

Military & Veterans

• Consul General of Korea Commends Nisei Veterans of Korean War, page 6. At a ceremony in Sacramento displaying the Japanese American Korean War Memorial Exhibit, Korean Consul General HUR Ri-hoon paid tribute to the 246 Japanese Americans who died defending South Korea during the Korean War. The exhibit honoring these soldiers was later displayed during Nisei Week in Little Tokyo.
• AJA WWII Memorial Alliance Begins Fund Drive: $91,299 Collected So Far Toward $800,000 Goal, page 6. The Americans of Japanese Ancestry WWII Memorial Alliance, guided by fund drive organizer Fred Hoshiyama, has raised over $91,000 toward an $800,000 goal to build a memorial wall honoring over 800 Japanese Americans killed or missing in WWII. The memorial, aiming for a November 1999 dedication, will be located at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center in Los Angeles.
• National JA Memorial Foundation Campaign Enters Phase III, page 6. The National Japanese American Memorial Foundation’s Capital Campaign Committee announced it is entering Phase III of fundraising to meet an August 1998 deadline for construction bids on a Washington D.C. memorial. The memorial, authorized by law in 1992, will commemorate Japanese American patriotism and sit on federal land near the White House and Capitol Hill.
• Go for Broke Monument Construction Process Taking Just a Little Longer, page 9. The 100th/442nd/MIS WWII Memorial Foundation’s Go for Broke Monument construction is underway in Los Angeles, with granite arrived from India and names finalized for engraving. The unveiling has been rescheduled to June 5, 1999, to allow proper coordination with multiple city departments involved in the project.

Obituaries

• Bob Takahashi, 82, State Correctional Officer, Longtime JACLer, page 11. Robert C. Takahashi, a longtime JACL member who served as national JACL governor and third vice president in the early 1950s, passed away June 28 at age 82. He worked for California’s Department of Corrections for over two decades before retiring in 1979.
• Emil Sekerak, Longtime Friend of JA Community, page 11. Emil Sekerak, who served as a War Relocation Authority adviser at the Topaz internment camp helping develop camp cooperatives, passed away June 29 at age 85. After the war he became a prominent consumer cooperative advocate in the San Francisco Bay Area, gaining national recognition for his work at Consumers Cooperative of Berkeley.

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.