Vol. 130, No. 14, April 7, 2000. 8 pages. View this issue
Hate e-mail sent to JACL offices and chapters was the main news of the issue. Martha Nakagawa reported that anonymous messages with anti-Japanese slurs reached national JACL and the Japanese American Network after hackers accessed a directory of addresses, and that National Director John Tateishi urged chapters to report them to police. A commentary by Fujimoto described similar e-mails at the Venice-Culver chapter and the steps chapters should take. The front page also carried Tracy Uba’s review of Jet Li’s English-language debut, Romeo Must Die, and Sam Chu Lin’s report on President Clinton’s fund-raiser for Mike Honda.
The letters on page 7 argued over whether Mike Masaoka’s name and quotations belong on the National Japanese American Memorial. Elsewhere are plans for the JACL national convention in Monterey, including a redress workshop on the Civil Liberties Act and a veterans tribute dinner with General Eric Shinseki. Harry Honda’s column drew on stories from Hawaii’s Nisei soldiers, and Karen Yoshitomi wrote about the University of Washington honoring Gordon Hirabayashi.
What’s in this issue
Arts & Entertainment
- Jet Li Debuts in English-Language Film ‘Romeo Must Die’, by Tracy Uba, page 1. Hong Kong star Jet Li makes his English-language debut in the martial arts action film ‘Romeo Must Die,’ a modern adaptation of the Shakespeare tragedy set amid rival organized crime dynasties. The review discusses the film’s action sequences, the Han-Trish romance subplot with Aaliyah, and the treatment of Asian American representation in the film.
National
- JACL Target of Hate E-mail, by Martha Nakagawa, page 1. National JACL and the Los Angeles-based Japanese American Network were hit with anonymous hate e-mails containing anti-Japanese slurs after hackers accessed a directory of e-mail addresses. National Director John Tateishi and local officials discussed the incident, the distinction between hate speech and hate crimes, and urged chapters to report such incidents to law enforcement.
- Clinton Attends Fund-Raiser, Calls on Support for Honda, by Sam Chu Lin, page 1. President Clinton spoke at a Silicon Valley fund-raiser urging support for Democratic candidates including California assemblyman Mike Honda, who is running for Congress. The article details the event’s high-profile attendees, including Governor Gray Davis and House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, and discusses Honda’s campaign strategy following the March primary.
- SUNY Binghamton Criticized Over Anti-Asian Assault, page 3. SUNY Binghamton faced criticism after white members of a school group were involved in an anti-Asian assault, raising concerns about campus race relations. Asian American students, who make up 20 percent of the student body, described the incident and administrative response amid claims of prior tensions on campus.
- Hawaii Senate Committee Rejects Grants for Films, page 4. A Hawaii Senate committee rejected a proposal to provide state grants to film and television productions, favoring state-backed loans instead. The bill was originally proposed after producers of ‘Baywatch Hawaii’ said the show could not continue without $2.5 million in state aid, though filming for its second season will proceed in June.
Commentary
- Southern California Chapters Hit With Bashing E-mails, by Fujimoto, page 3. The Venice-Culver JACL chapter received four disturbing anti-Japanese hate e-mail messages, prompting inquiries with neighboring chapters about similar incidents. The National VP for Public Affairs outlines steps chapters should take, including printing evidence, filing police reports, and reporting incidents to JACL leadership.
- University of Washington to Honor Gordon Hirabayashi, by Karen Yoshitomi, page 5. The University of Washington will honor civil rights activist Gordon Hirabayashi with its Distinguished Alumnus Award at a dinner featuring a performance by the Kokoro Dance Company choreographed by his son Jay. The article recounts Hirabayashi’s wartime defiance of curfew and evacuation orders, his imprisonment, later academic career, and the 1986 court decision that overturned his conviction.
- Very Truly Yours: Telling Tidbits to the Japanese American Story, by Harry Honda, page 6. Harry Honda shares excerpts from the book ‘Japanese Eyes … American Heart,’ a collection of reflections from Hawaii’s WWII Nisei soldiers, including stories from Samuel Sasai and Jessie Hirata about their wartime experiences and encounters with discrimination. The column also references a separate 600-page history book, ‘Everyman’s Eden,’ devoting pages to the JA WWII experience.
- Seabrook Chapter Supports Inclusion of JACL Creed on Memorial, by Ted Oye, page 7. The Seabrook chapter JACL wrote in support of including an excerpt from the JACL Creed, authored by Mike Masaoka, on the National Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism. The letter notes the creed has been recited annually at the chapter’s installation ceremonies since its founding 50 years ago.
- Monument Should Not Honor Individuals, page 7. A letter writer objects to including Mike Masaoka’s name or quotations from any individual leaders on the National Japanese American Memorial, arguing the memorial should honor all Japanese Americans rather than specific figures. The writer suggests alternative themes such as the Wakamatsu Colony or the courage of Issei pioneers.
- A Failure of the Democratic Process, page 7. A NJAMF board member describes procedural irregularities in how Mike Masaoka’s name and quotations were added to the memorial inscriptions, including bypassing required board approval processes. The letter details the history of draft inscriptions and disputes Masaoka’s characterization as the ‘Father of the 442nd’ regiment.
- Who Is Speaking for JAs?, by Fred Y. Hirasuna, page 7. A letter writer questions the appropriateness of Fred Korematsu receiving the Freedom Medal given his wartime actions to avoid evacuation, including cosmetic surgery and changing his name. The writer also comments on the Pacific Citizen’s role in covering JA news and activities.
- Confinement and Ethnicity, page 7. A letter writer recommends readers request a free copy of the government-published book ‘Confinement and Ethnicity: An Overview of the 10 WWII Relocation Sites,’ which contains pictures and statistics of all the internment camps. The 460-page book is available by writing to the Western Archeological and Conservation Center of the National Park Service.
JACL
- Local JACL Groups Invite You to Explore the Rich History of JAs in the Monterey Area During Convention, page 4. The article recounts the story of Monterey abalone diver Roy Hattori, who discovered a new species of abalone in 1938 that was later named ‘sorenseni’ after being verified by the Smithsonian Institution. Hattori will share his life stories at a strolling dinner during the JACL national convention at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
- JACL National Convention to Feature Redress Workshop and Veterans Tribute Dinner, page 4. The JACL national convention will host a workshop tracing the development of the redress movement from the camp years through the 1988 Civil Liberties Act, presented by Mitchell Maki, co-author of ‘Achieving the Impossible Dream: How Japanese Americans Obtained Redress.’ A separate dinner event will honor JA veterans of all wars with General Eric Shinseki, featuring a slide show tribute for which the community is asked to submit photos.
- Ko Nishimura, Helen Zia to Speak at Nikkei 2000 Pre-Conference Symposiums, page 5. The Nikkei 2000 Conference in San Francisco will feature pre-conference symposiums on topics including entrepreneurship, diversity in the Japanese American community, and technology for community building, with speakers such as Ko Nishimura and Helen Zia. Two symposiums will be conducted in Japanese, covering children in American society and senior care for Japanese-speaking populations.
Community
- A Unique Educational Partnership Between JACL and EGUSD, page 4. Since 1984, the Florin JACL chapter has partnered with the Elk Grove Unified School District to teach fifth-graders about the Japanese American internment experience through an annual exhibit and Time of Remembrance program. Approximately 24,352 students have been exposed to the program through stations covering pre-war life, packing suitcases, barrack life, and military service, run by 29 volunteers.
- Inaugural NAU Reunion Will Honor Seven, page 6. The Nisei Athletic Union’s inaugural reunion will be held at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, honoring seven individuals with the inaugural Akira Komai Memorial Award. The award is named for the late founder of NAU and post-WWII publisher of the Rafu Shimpo newspaper.
Obituaries
- Obituaries, page 7. This week’s obituary listings include Nobushige Hosaka of Los Angeles, Dr. Richard H. Iwata of Monterey Park, Kiichi Robert Kazahaya of South Pasadena, William Yutaka Kyono of San Francisco, Hiroko Miyazaki of San Gabriel, and Roy Sakamoto of Seattle, among others, detailing their survivors and backgrounds. Several of the deceased were internees at camps such as Minidoka during World War II.
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