Vol. 128, No. 9, May 7, 1999. 12 pages. View this issue
Michi Weglyn, author of ‘Years of Infamy,’ was remembered in this issue. Brian Niiya wrote about her legacy in his column, and JACL paid tribute to her role in the redress movement. Kimie Kawahara, a close friend, described her final months. Another thread was the dispute between San Francisco’s Japantown community and the SF YWCA over the historic Japanese YWCA building, which Emily Murase explained and which reached the California legislature as ACR 32.
The JACL tri-district conference was covered in several pieces, including a panel with Heart Mountain resisters on the WWII draft resisters and Martha Nakagawa’s report on the national board. Becher Iiyama described a week of lobbying for Japanese Latin Americans. Senator Barbara Boxer asked for funding for the Manzanar National Historic Site. General Eric Shinseki was nominated as Army Chief of Staff, and scholarship news from the Torrance and Arizona chapters ran inside.
What’s in this issue
National
- Bill to Restore Benefits to Legal Immigrants Introduced, by P.C. Staff, page 3. On April 14, legislation was introduced in Washington to restore benefits to legal immigrants. The bill aims to address gaps in coverage left by prior welfare reform laws affecting legal immigrants.
Commentary
- Campaigning for JLAs, by Becher Iiyama, page 3. The author describes a week spent in Washington, D.C., lobbying on behalf of Japanese Latin Americans (JLAs) who were incarcerated in U.S. concentration camps during WWII and used as prisoner exchange leverage. The delegation met with Department of Justice officials but found little sympathy for JLAs who missed the claims deadline under the Mochizuki settlement.
- Warrior Woman, by Brian Niiya, page 8. The author reflects on the life and legacy of Michi Weglyn, author of ‘Years of Infamy,’ recounting personal anecdotes of her graciousness and generosity. He argues her legacy stems from being an unlikely figure who bridged ideological divides in the JA community and whose book was a catalyst for the redress movement.
JACL
- Tri-District Plenary Focuses on JACL Future, Member Participation, by P.C. Staff, page 4. At a tri-district JACL conference, panelists and attendees discussed strategies to increase membership participation and relevance, referencing the earlier ‘Ties That Bind’ conference on inclusivity. Small group sessions generated numerous recommendations including youth empowerment, community events, taiko group sponsorship, and website creation.
- A Summary of the Tri-District Workshops, by P.C. Staff, page 5. This article summarizes several tri-district workshop sessions including a civil rights session on hate crime laws led by ADL and Attorney General’s office representatives, and an affirmative action discussion by Christine Iijima-Hall. It also covers a panel on WWII draft resisters and an education workshop on oral history projects led by Izumi Taniguchi.
- CCDC Continues to Educate Public on WWII JA Experience, by Herbert Yamanishi, page 6. The national director discusses ongoing controversy sparked by a film revisiting JACL’s wartime role and dissent within the community, and describes efforts by the Central California District Council to educate the public about the WWII Japanese American incarceration experience. He calls for JACL to initiate dialogue with those who feel wronged by the organization’s wartime actions.
- New PSW Regional Director Beth Amity Au Joins JACL, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Beth Amity Au has been named the new regional director for JACL’s Pacific Southwest District office, coming from a position as regional representative for Senator Harry Reid. Au, a Yonsei with a master’s degree in Asian American Studies from UCLA, aims to raise JACL’s visibility and engage more members in civil rights issues.
- Pacific Southwest District Office Offers Internships, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The JACL Los Angeles District office is offering full-time internship opportunities for college graduates or students working on projects such as website development, archival work, and outreach to young adults and Hapa members. The application deadline is June 1, 1999.
- MAVIN: Celebrating Diversity, by P.C. Staff, page 9. MAVIN magazine, founded by Matthew Kelley, focuses on the mixed-race experience and is preparing to release its second issue featuring stories on multiracial Cuban society, Hapa couples, and a collegiate conference on mixed race identity. Kelley’s sister Joanna will take over editorial duties as he returns to academia in the fall.
- More From Tri-District: National Board Update, by Martha Nakagawa, page 9. At the tri-district conference’s closing forum, JACL National President Helen Kawagoe and other national board members updated attendees on organizational initiatives including support for the Japanese American National Memorial Foundation, membership growth strategies, and various legislative and advocacy efforts. National Director Herbert Yamanishi outlined JACL’s 35 programs spanning advocacy, education, and cultural development.
Incarceration & Redress
- Revisiting the Heart Mountain Resisters of Conscience Issue, by P.C. Staff, page 5. A panel discussion featured former Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee member Mits Koshiyama and Marvin Uratsu discussing the WWII draft resisters and the JACL’s historical stance against them. Speakers emphasized forgiveness and reconciliation, citing Richard Sakakida’s story of forgiving his WWII torturers as inspiration for healing rifts within the JA community.
- Boxer Pushes for Over $600,000 for Manzanar National Historic Site, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Senator Barbara Boxer announced she requested $636,525 in federal funding for the Manzanar National Historic Site to provide visitor services and staffing. Boxer has long championed the site’s creation and preservation as a means of preventing future injustices like the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans.
- ACR 32 in Support of Soko Bukai Passes Calif. Legislature, by P.C. Staff, page 10. The California legislature passed ACR 32, a resolution supporting the Soko Bukai’s claim to the historic Japanese YWCA building in San Francisco’s Japantown, tracing the building’s history back to Issei women who built it under discriminatory Alien Land Laws. Assemblymember Honda and lawyers for the Soko Bukai praised the resolution while the SF YWCA board president criticized it as one-sided.
Community
- Torrance Chapter Offers Annual Scholarship, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Torrance JACL chapter is offering its third annual scholarship program, awarding two $500 scholarships to graduating seniors with strong academic records and community involvement. Applicants or their parents/guardians must be Torrance JACL members and applications are due by June 1, 1999.
- JACL Arizona Chapter Scholarship Awards Luncheon, by P.C. Staff, page 7. The Arizona JACL chapter held its 38th annual scholarship awards luncheon on April 18 at the Ramada Valley Ho Resort in Scottsdale, attended by 162 members and friends. Several high school graduates received $700 scholarship awards including Nancy Moriuchi, winner of the Dr. Herb Jensen Award.
- Utah Chapters Making Preparations for Researcher Andy Russell’s Visit, by P.C. Staff, page 7. Three Utah JACL chapters are preparing for a visit by researcher Andy Russell from May 15-31 to gather data and conduct interviews on Japanese and Japanese American railroad and mining workers. Russell’s project seeks to document the little-known history of these workers across five western states.
- A Bridge Across the Pacific: Protecting the Legacy of our Issei Women: the JA Community vs. the San Francisco YWCA, by Emily Murase, page 8. Since 1996, a dispute has brewed between San Francisco’s Japantown community and the SF YWCA over ownership of the historic Japanese YWCA building built by Issei women. The controversy led to a lawsuit by the Soko Bukai after mediation failed and the YWCA attempted to sell the building.
In-Depth
- Very Truly Yours: Now, Our Missions for May, by Harry K. Honda, page 8. This column recounts archival research efforts related to JACL’s 70th anniversary, including identifying founders in historic photographs and tracing the history of WWII-era internment camps like Seagoville, Kenedy, and Crystal City. The author also discusses ongoing research into Nisei MIS graduates and appeals for reader assistance in identifying surviving veterans.
Military & Veterans
- President Nominates Shinseki, by P.C. Staff, page 10. General Eric Shinseki, born in Kauai to Issei parents, has been nominated to become Army Chief of Staff after current chief Dennis Reimer retires in June. Shinseki’s distinguished career includes combat tours in Vietnam, service in Europe, and command of NATO peacekeeping forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Obituaries
- JACL Pays Tribute to Michi Weglyn, by P.C. Staff, page 11. Michi Nishiura Weglyn, author of the influential book ‘Years of Infamy,’ is remembered for her role in advocating for redress for Japanese Americans incarcerated during WWII. Her research helped uncover evidence supporting redress claims for railroad and mining workers and Japanese Latin Americans.
- Remembering Michi: A Tribute to a Friend, by Kimie Kawahara, page 12. A close friend recounts the final months of Michi Weglyn’s life, describing her courage, humor, and grace in facing terminal illness. The tribute reflects on Weglyn’s generosity, her unfinished work on reconciling draft resisters and JACL, and the deep personal friendship shared between the two women.
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