Vol. 130, No. 1, January 1, 2000. 20 pages. View this issue
Influential Japanese Americans of the 20th century were the subject of this 20-page issue, which opened the year 2000. Profiles covered Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga, whose archival research was crucial to redress efforts and the coram nobis cases, writer Yoshiko Uchida, journalist James Omura, and figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi. Sachi Seko, Takeshi Nakayama and Brian Niiya wrote several of the pieces. Harry K. Honda made the case that JACL chapter delegates are the organization’s most influential members, and also profiled Saburo Kido.
Also inside: Darrell Kunitomi’s personal essay on East West Players and his acting career, and Brian Niiya’s own list of influential figures in a commentary. Harry Honda’s year-end column gathered quotes from the Pacific Citizen’s 1999 issues, from redress to the Go For Broke monument dedication. Kido’s wartime columns describe life in the Poston camp.
What’s in this issue
In-Depth
- Influential JA Researcher: Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga, page 3. This article details the extensive archival research conducted by Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga, which was crucial to redress efforts including the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians and the coram nobis cases. It highlights her discovery of the original ‘first edition’ of DeWitt’s Final Report, which exposed a government cover-up of racial bias in the internment decision.
- Influential JA Writer: Yoshiko Uchida (1921-1992), by Sachi Seko, page 4. This piece examines the life and literary legacy of Yoshiko Uchida, arguing she deserves recognition as a potential author of the ‘Great Japanese American Novel’ despite being overlooked by some anthologies. It explores her memoir Desert Exile and her novel Picture Bride, comparing her atypical, educated Japanese American family background to the fictional immigrant characters she created.
- No Quiet American: Influential JA Journalist James Omura, by Takeshi Nakayama, page 6. This article profiles James Matsumoto Omura, editor of the Rocky Shimpo, who supported the Heart Mountain draft resisters through his editorials during World War II and was tried on conspiracy charges as a result. Despite facing ostracism from JACL leadership and struggling to find work afterward, he was later honored posthumously with NCRR’s Fighting Spirit Award for his dissent against wartime civil rights violations.
Sports
- Kristi Yamaguchi: Most Influential JA Athlete, by Brian Niiya, page 7. This article explores the difficulty of naming the ‘most influential’ Japanese American athlete, considering figures like Emerick Ishikawa, Kenichi Zenimura, Yosh Uchida and James Sakamoto before settling on figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi. It argues that Yamaguchi’s widespread fame and positive representation make her the most influential JA athlete to the general public both in the U.S. and abroad.
JACL
- Influential JACLer: Saburo Kido and the JACL Chapter Delegates, by Harry K. Honda, page 8. This article argues that JACL chapter delegates are collectively the most influential JACLers because they control the organization’s national council votes, while also profiling Saburo Kido as an individual exemplar who served as JACL’s only three-term national president through WWII. It includes excerpts from Kido’s 1942-43 ‘Timely Topics’ columns describing life and JACL leadership challenges in the Poston camp, including a violent attack on Kido by a gang of internees.
Arts & Entertainment
- Influential JA Performing Arts Organization: East West Players, by Darrell Kunitomi, page 10. This personal essay reflects on the history and evolution of East West Players, the nation’s oldest continuously producing Asian Pacific American theater company, including its move to a larger venue and challenges balancing artistic ambition with production quality. The author also shares behind-the-scenes anecdotes from his acting career on shows like Seinfeld and Mad About You, illustrating the struggles Asian American actors face with stereotyped roles.
Commentary
- Out Goes 1999 With These Quotes, by Harry Honda, page 12. This year-end column compiles notable quotes from Pacific Citizen issues throughout 1999, covering topics from redress and hate crimes to the Go For Broke monument dedication and JACL leadership changes. It serves as a retrospective of major Japanese American community events and statements from the year.
- The Greatest? Troubled in Paradise, by Brian Niiya, page 12. Responding to a call for the ‘greatest Japanese American of the century,’ the author compiles his own list of influential figures including Toshiko Akiyoshi, George Aratani, Daniel Inouye, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Tommy Kono, Kinzaburo Makino, and others. Each person represents a different facet of the Japanese American community and experience, from business to activism to athletics.
Obituaries
- In Memoriam — 1999, page 17. This is a memorial listing of notable Japanese Americans who died in 1999, including WWII veterans, community leaders, artists, and professionals, each with a brief biographical note. Notable entries include Dr. John Burden, a WWII MIS language school instructor, and Toshio Kawakami, a Minidoka internee and MIS veteran.
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