Vol. 129, No. 3, July 16, 1999. 8 pages. View this issue
A debate over whether JACL should apologize to the draft resisters ran through this issue. Martha Nakagawa’s analysis traced the question back to Resolution 7, which failed at the 1988 national convention, and covered the Lim Report and disputes over JACL’s wartime role. A personal essay by Jim Yamasaki recalled the loyalty questionnaire during the World War II incarceration (often called internment) and argued that both JACL and the resisters deserve forgiveness. The front page also reported the funeral in Chicago for Won-Joon Yoon, a Korean graduate student shot outside his church in a hate crime, with more than 400 mourners present.
Also inside: California Assemblyman Mike Honda’s resolution calling on Japan to apologize for its wartime atrocities, and Edward Seizo Matsui’s memories of his dog Jimmy and his family’s time at Rohwer. Scholarship news came from the Twin Cities and West Los Angeles JACL chapters.
What’s in this issue
National
- Chicago Holds Funeral for Hate Crime Victim, Yoon, Following Weekend Shooting Spree by White Supremacist, by Pacific Citizen Staff and Associated Press, page 1. More than 400 mourners gathered to grieve the death of Won-Joon Yoon, a Korean graduate student shot outside his church by white supremacist Benjamin Nathaniel Smith during a Fourth of July weekend rampage. The shooting spree also killed former Northwestern basketball coach Ricky Byrdsong and wounded others in Illinois and Indiana before Smith took his own life.
- Honda Introduces Resolution Dealing With Japan’s Wartime Atrocities, by Pacific Citizen Staff, page 1. California Assemblyman Mike Honda introduced Assembly Joint Resolution 27, calling on the Japanese government to formally apologize and offer compensation to victims of Japan’s wartime atrocities. The resolution cites the suffering of tens of thousands of American military and civilian prisoners and Filipino victims during World War II.
Incarceration & Redress
- A Look at JACL’s Role During WWII, Stance on Resisters, by Martha Nakagawa, page 1. An analysis examining JACL’s role during World War II and the ongoing debate over whether the organization should apologize to draft resisters, tracing the issue back to a failed 1988 resolution at the JACL national convention. The article discusses the ‘Lim Report,’ JACL archival letters, and disputes over JACL’s alleged informant role and treatment of resisters like Yoshito Kuromiya and James Omura.
- Remembering Jimmy: Matsui Family’s Rohwer Memories, by Martha Nakagawa, page 4. Edward Seizo Matsui recalls his childhood dog Jimmy, left behind when his family was forced to evacuate to the Santa Anita Assembly Center and then Rohwer Relocation Center. Matsui shared these memories at the second Rohwer Reunion in April, where over 700 people gathered, and he is now compiling a family history book for his children and grandchildren.
Commentary
- Reflections on the JACL, Resisters, and the Wartime Questionnaire, by Jim Yamasaki, page 3. A personal essay reflecting on the author’s experiences during WWII incarceration, the loyalty questionnaire, and his eventual decision to answer ‘yes’ conditionally while serving in the military. The author reflects on the JACL’s role as a support network for Nisei families and argues that the organization and resisters alike deserve forgiveness for wartime decisions made under extreme duress.
Community
- Twin Cities JACL Honors Graduates, by Pam Ohno Dagoberg, Hirata-Dulas, page 5. The Twin Cities JACL awarded scholarships totaling $8,800 to graduating high school seniors in the area. Recipients included Amy Yamaguchi, who received the Alice Matsumoto Memorial Scholarship, and Jessica Tani and Kristine Ugai, who received awards from other named funds.
- Judge Ito Addresses Graduates at Suburban Youth Recognition Night, page 5. Judge Ito spoke at a youth recognition event honoring suburban graduates. The brief item accompanies broader community graduate recognition coverage in this issue.
JACL
- West Los Angeles JACL, Auxiliary Awards 1999 Scholarships, page 5. The West Los Angeles JACL and its Auxiliary held a scholarship dinner on June 8 at the San Gennaro restaurant in Culver City. The Watsonville JACL chapter also announced its own scholarship recipients around the same time.
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