Vol. 129, No. 7, August 13, 1999. 8 pages. View this issue
Payments to Japanese Latin Americans under the redress program were set to begin, according to the lead national story. Funding for the claims was authorized in an emergency spending bill, and a federal judge in San Francisco delayed a decision in a related suit brought by three brothers deported from Peru. The same issue carried Bill Hosokawa’s column on whether the JACL should reconcile with the 1943 Nisei draft resisters, along with an editorial and letters on the same question.
Elsewhere, Martha Nakagawa reported on anti-immigration billboards in Queens, New York, and the public officials who condemned them. Congress’s debate over a hate crimes bill ran on two pages. Community news included a $10,000 gift from the San Francisco JACL chapter to the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation, a call from the Heart Mountain, Wyoming Foundation for archival donations and volunteers, and a grant for a children’s book about the incarceration (often called internment).
What’s in this issue
National
- Anti-immigration Signs in Queens, New York, Rouses Anger and Debate, by Martha Nakagawa, page 1. Several organizations and public officials condemned three anti-immigration billboards sponsored by ProjectUSA in Queens, New York, calling them contrary to the borough’s diverse tradition. Borough President Claire Shulman and groups like NAKA and OCA urged elected officials including Gov. Pataki and Mayor Giuliani to take a strong stand against the billboards’ messages.
- From the Frying Pan: Congress Weighs Hate Crimes Prevention Act, by P.C. Staff, page 1. After years of lobbying, supporters of a bill to expand government power to prosecute hate crimes continue their push in Washington. The article discusses recent violent incidents including shootings and killings that have fueled the debate over strengthening hate crime laws.
- Payments to JLAs Set to Begin, by P.C. Staff, page 3. Funding for redress claims by Japanese Latin American internees was authorized under an emergency spending bill for Fiscal Year 1999, though no deadline was set for completion. The government may need to process all claims before the fiscal year ends on Sept. 30, 1999, and advocates note that some claimants faced difficulty filing due to translation issues before the original deadline.
- Judge Delays Decision in JLA Brothers’ Redress Case, by P.C. Staff, page 3. A federal judge in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco delayed ruling on a motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by three brothers deported from Peru and interned during World War II. The suit claims the U.S. government committed crimes and violated U.S. and international law by denying them equal redress under the Civil Liberties Act of 1988.
- Hate Crimes Bill Advances Amid Recent Attacks, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Assistant Attorney General Holder testified that hate crimes attack not just individuals but entire communities, citing recent shootings targeting minorities including a graduate student from South Korea. Two teenage sisters wrote to Congressman Henry Hyde urging support for the Hate Crimes Prevention Act after their father was fatally shot in an apparent hate crime at his Illinois store.
Community
- Grant Brings JA History Book to Elementary Schools, by P.C. Staff, page 4. Kimberly and Kaleigh Komatsu received a CCLPEP grant to create ‘In America’s Shadow,’ a children’s book and traveling exhibit about the Japanese American internment experience. The multifaceted project uses archival photographs, artifacts, and models to communicate this history to future generations.
- San Francisco Chapter Donates $10,000 to NJAMF, by P.C. Staff, page 4. The San Francisco JACL chapter donated $10,000 from its reserve fund, built by decades of Nisei fundraising, to the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation. Chapter president Greg Marutani said the donation is a tribute to those who endured camps and served in the 100th/442nd/MIS, and the chapter also sent letters urging others to contribute.
- Heart Mountain, Wyoming Foundation Seeks Archival Donations, Volunteers, by P.C. Staff, page 6. The Heart Mountain, Wyoming Foundation is collecting memorabilia such as photographs, letters, artwork, and camp-made items for future exhibits and an interpretative center at the former internment camp site. The foundation also seeks volunteers for several standing committees including development, finance, and programming.
- Community Follow-up Meeting Scheduled Over Billboard Controversy, by P.C. Staff, page 8. A community follow-up meeting is scheduled for Aug. 18 at the Asian American Coalition office to address the controversial anti-immigration billboards. Some have called to boycott Burger King and Best Western Hotels for leasing billboard space near the sign, noting a similar sign appeared in May 1998, a year before Nelsen’s current billboard campaign.
Commentary
- JACL Owes an Apology to All Japanese Americans, page 5. The editorial argues that the JACL’s wartime leadership contributed to policies that harmed Japanese Americans, including support for the Alien Enemy Exclusion Act, and that the organization owes an apology. It reviews historical context of internment and JACL’s controversial wartime decisions.
- Reconciliation Between Resisters and JACL Remains Contentious, by Bill Hosokawa, page 6. Bill Hosokawa discusses the ongoing debate over reconciliation between 1943 Nisei draft resisters and the JACL, noting arguments on both sides about patriotism, sacrifice, and apology. He suggests that JACL could take responsibility and apologize while acknowledging the resisters’ minority status and the sacrifices of those who served in the military.
- East Wind: A Litmus Test for Ethnic Assumptions, page 6. The columnist recalls an incident on a television panel discussion where he was mistakenly assumed to represent a foreign perspective due to his Asian ancestry, despite being American. He uses this story to discuss Assemblyman Mike Honda’s legislative actions and applies a personal test for whether ethnicity-based assumptions are appropriate.
- Letter: Reconciliation Issue Continues to Generate Controversy, by W.H. Zutsuls Sahat, page 7. A reader writes about the ongoing controversy surrounding reconciliation between JACL and the 1943 Nisei draft resisters, expressing gratitude to wartime JACL leaders like Mike Masaoka. The letter emphasizes the sacrifices of the 100th, 442nd, and MIS as key to the eventual pardons for resisters.
- Letter: Concerns About Patriotism Monument, page 7. A letter raises concerns about the Japanese American Patriotism Monument in Washington, D.C., noting that the National JA Memorial Foundation initially resisted requests for changes but later worked with Dale Minami, Jack and Aiko Herzig, and others to revise inscriptions related to the Supreme Court. Law professor Chris Iijima’s concerns about insufficient public input are also referenced.
- Letter: Assembly Resolution on Nanking Should Include Broader Censures, page 7. A letter argues that Mike Honda’s proposed California Assembly resolution condemning Japan for the Rape of Nanking oversteps the Assembly’s domain into international affairs. The writer suggests that if such a resolution passes, the Assembly should also censure China for Tiananmen Square and Tibet, and the U.S. government for My Lai and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Obituaries
- Miura, WWII Intelligence Corps Linguist and Author, Dies, by P.C. Staff, page 7. A veteran of the Intelligence Corps and author of ‘We Went to War – Story of Japanese Canadians Who Served During the First and Second World Wars’ (1984) has died. He is survived by his wife Mitsy, son Robert, daughters Sharon, Carole, and Lorna, along with seven grandchildren and several siblings.
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