Vol. 128, No. 7, April 2, 1999. 12 pages. View this issue
The firing of Dr. Wen Ho Lee from Los Alamos led the news. Asian American groups, including JACL, the Committee of 100 and the Organization of Chinese Americans, worried that the case would bring a backlash against all Asian Americans. Columns by Emily Murase and Harry Honda touched on the same story, and Martha Nakagawa reported on Gov. Gray Davis endorsing the National Memorial to Patriotism. A story by Paul L. Mills covered a Japanese Latin American man who sued the United States over his wartime abduction.
Elsewhere in the issue, the “Go for Broke” monument in Los Angeles began to take shape, and Zions Bancorporation gave $7,500 to the Topaz Museum. The JACL Mile-Hi chapter sought Amache survivors for a video history. Keiko Ibi’s Oscar win, a Louisville Pearl Harbor reenactment that drew criticism, and a feature on teen parenthood also ran, along with letters to the editor.
What’s in this issue
National
- Los Alamos Firing Draws Concern of Asian American Community, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The FBI firing of Dr. Wen Ho Lee following a 10-year investigation into alleged passing of nuclear secrets to China has raised concerns among Asian American leaders about anti-Asian backlash. Groups including CACA, the Committee of 100, JACL, and Congressman David Wu called for a fair investigation while cautioning against treating all Asian Americans as suspect.
- Japanese Latin American Sues U.S. for Wartime Abduction, by Paul L. Mills, page 3. A Japanese Latin American man who lost his citizenship in his native Peru during WWII has filed suit against the United States over his wartime abduction and internment. The case highlights the lesser-known history of Japanese Latin Americans forcibly relocated to U.S. internment camps during the war.
- National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium and OCA Laud Congressional Sponsors of Hate Crimes Bill, by P.C. Staff, page 3. The National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium and the Organization of Chinese Americans praised congressional sponsors who introduced the Hate Crimes bill in the House of Representatives. OCA National President George M. Ong specifically commended the leadership shown by the bill’s sponsors.
- AAs React to Los Alamos Firing, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Asian American community leaders and organizations express concern over the firing of Dr. Wen Ho Lee and its potential impact on Asian Americans in sensitive scientific and government positions. The article discusses parallel controversies including COSCO’s canceled Long Beach lease and questions about political fundraising involving Asian donors, with leaders like Charles Woo and S.B. Woo calling for continued political engagement to protect AA interests.
Community
- Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival and Related Events, by P.C. Staff, page 1. A brief mention of community events including the Thunder Over Louisville celebration and air show, which drew criticism for including a Pearl Harbor bombing reenactment. Community members and JACL raised concerns that such reenactments glorify war and could reinforce violence in society.
- Quo and Mori Receive ‘Woman of the Year’ Awards, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Two Japanese American women, actress Beverly Kim and community activist Sandy Mori, were honored as ‘Woman of the Year’ by California state legislators. Mori was praised for her unparalleled work in community service, including her leadership on the Japantown Planning and Development Task Force.
- Thirty Teachers Attend Twin Cities JACL Workshop, by Cheryl Hirata-Dulas, page 5. The Twin Cities JACL chapter held an all-day workshop on February 11 titled ‘The Japanese American Experience and World War II’ for teachers. Thirty educators attended sessions covering curriculum materials and resources for teaching about the internment experience.
- Nisei Oral Histories Sought for Graduate Thesis, by P.C. Staff, page 10. Graduate student Dana Blakemore is seeking Japanese Americans who lived in Santa Monica after WWII to interview for her master’s thesis at California State University. The oral histories will also be included in a university collection and may be published in Nanka Nikkei Voices.
In-Depth
- Teen Talk About Sex and Parenthood, by P.C. Staff, page 1. The article explores teen pregnancy within Asian American communities through personal stories of young mothers like Hiromi Ueha and Nadine Toyoda, examining cultural barriers to discussing sex education. It highlights programs like TeenSmart that work to reach at-risk Asian Pacific American youth despite cultural taboos around discussing sexuality and pregnancy.
JACL
- Gov. Davis Endorses National Memorial to Patriotism, by Martha Nakagawa, page 3. California Governor Gray Davis endorsed the National Memorial to Patriotism at an event held at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles on March 19. The memorial, expected to be unveiled next year, will honor JA WWII veterans and the 120,000 Japanese Americans incarcerated in camps during the war, with organizers seeking to raise $8.6 million total, having already raised $5.7 million.
Military & Veterans
- ‘Go for Broke’ Monument Starts to Take Shape, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Construction is underway on the 100th/442nd/MIS WWII Memorial Foundation’s ‘Go For Broke’ monument, the first in the mainland United States honoring the heroic efforts of these units. The monument, located near Temple Street in Los Angeles, will list approximately 16,000 names and will be unveiled in a ceremony on June 5.
Incarceration & Redress
- Zions Bancorporation Donates to Topaz Museum, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Zions Bancorporation, parent company of California Bank & Trust, donated $7,500 to the Topaz Museum, the largest single donation received to date. The museum, established in 1989, works to preserve the history of the Topaz Internment Camp near Delta, Utah, where over 8,000 Japanese Americans were held during WWII.
- ‘Children of the Camps’ to Air on PBS in May, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The documentary ‘Children of the Camps,’ which shares the experiences of six Japanese Americans interned as children during WWII, is scheduled to air on PBS stations nationwide in May during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The film was created by Dr. Satsuki Ina based on workshops she developed to help former child internees process their trauma.
- Survivors Invited to Participate in Video History of Colorado’s Japanese American Internment Camp, by P.C. Staff, page 9. The JACL Mile-Hi chapter is seeking survivors of Camp Amache, a WWII internment camp in Colorado, to participate in oral histories for an educational video project. The Amache Project has received a grant from the Colorado Endowment for the Humanities to document life at the camp, which held 7,500 Japanese American citizens from 1942 to 1945.
Arts & Entertainment
- Keiko Ibi Wins Oscar for ‘The Personals’, by Martha Nakagawa, page 6. Filmmaker Keiko Ibi won an Academy Award on March 21 in the documentary short category for her film ‘The Personals,’ about senior citizens at a Manhattan senior center. Ibi expressed hope that the Academy will reconsider plans to potentially discontinue the documentary short category, noting its importance for launching filmmakers’ careers.
- Visual Communications Seeks Entrants for Film Workshop, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Visual Communications is holding its third Asian American Feature Film Workshop on May 15 and 16 as part of the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film & Video Festival. The workshop offers APA producers and filmmakers the opportunity to meet with film distributors and industry professionals to discuss financing and production strategies.
Commentary
- Pearl Harbor Reenactment Draws Criticism, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A planned 15-minute Pearl Harbor bombing reenactment at a Louisville air show celebration drew criticism from community members who felt it was insensitive to glorify violence. Festival organizers threatened to cancel the event entirely if forced to remove the segment, while board members debated pulling the festival’s permit as a last resort.
- Forever Saboteurs, by Brian Niiya, page 8. Brian Niiya, a Honolulu JACL chapter member, critiques a Pearl Harbor memorial video for its problematic portrayal of Japanese Americans, suggesting implications of espionage activity by JAs. He argues that while much of the video effectively explains the events of December 7, 1941, its treatment of local Japanese Americans is inaccurate and offensive.
- Keeping the Home Fire Burning, by Harry Honda, page 8. Harry Honda’s column discusses a physics conference co-sponsored by Drexel University and Chinese mathematics institutions, reflecting on international scientific collaboration. The piece appears to connect to broader themes of US-China relations amid the Wen Ho Lee controversy.
- Lie Detectors That Lie and Other ‘Non-Evidence’, by Emily Murase, page 8. Emily Murase’s column examines the unreliability of polygraph tests and other forms of questionable evidence used in investigations. The piece likely relates to concerns about the treatment of Dr. Wen Ho Lee in the Los Alamos espionage case.
- Letters to the Editor: Re ‘Rabbit in the Moon’, page 9. A reader responds to Emiko Omori’s documentary ‘Rabbit in the Moon’ about Japanese American internment, arguing the film was one-sided and unfair to wartime Nikkei leaders and sympathetic white Americans. The writer contends the film failed to properly contextualize the wartime pressures facing American political and military leadership.
- Letters to the Editor: Re ‘Dim Sum’, page 9. A reader criticizes Bill Hosokawa’s ‘Dim Sum’ column for perpetuating racial stereotypes about Chinese Americans similar to those that justified Japanese American internment during WWII. The letter argues that questioning the loyalty of American-raised children based on ethnicity reflects the same racist logic used to justify the camps.
- Letters to the Editor: Branson Tribute, page 9. A reader objects to extensive coverage of a Branson, Missouri tribute event, arguing it received too much space especially during Day of Remembrance coverage. The writer suggests the publication should be more selective about what receives prominent placement.
Obituaries
- Ben Sanematsu, 77, Teacher of Visually Impaired, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Ben Sanematsu, a teacher who believed in integrating the visually impaired into mainstream society, passed away at age 77 in Santa Clara County. He developed materials to help visually impaired students and was dedicated to their inclusion in regular educational settings.
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